[ruby_title]Chhuon Udom, Elephant Bar at Raffles Hotel Le Royal[/ruby_title]
Winner of the Best Gin & Tonic in Phnom Penh
26-year-old Phnom Penh local, Chhuon Udom, first joined the team at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal as a poolside attendant two years ago, before working his way up to bartender, and now head bartender at the Elephant Bar. He’s taken part in competitions like the Monin Cup in 2014 and 2016, but considers his achievement at this year’s East Imperial Gin Jubilee his proudest achievement yet. “I love working here, especially because it gives me the opportunity to learn about new ingredients and flavour trends, and gin’s my favourite spirit to work with.” Now the hotel’s head mixologist, he oversees all bar operations in the hotel, as well as creating new and exciting cocktails and mocktails for guests and the hotel’s events.
Cocktail
Kaf Kaf & Tonic (click here for the recipe)
“We took inspiration for the drink from Khmer flavours and tried to pay homage to our culture and traditions as one of the most iconic and the oldest hotel in Phnom Penh. As a base, we used the Raffles Sipsmith 1915 Gin, crafted for Raffles Hotels around the world. The unique botanicals – jasmine, lemongrass and kaffir lime – are also used in traditional Cambodian cuisine, and as an added touch, we made our own bitters using lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, and a syrup of fresh jasmine flowers to enhance those flavours. Presentation is key, so we selected a traditional Cambodian tile, which matches the design of the Elephant Bar, and serve the cocktail with the featured botanicals around the glass.”
Why he won
“Firstly, this was a team effort. Everyone in the bar talked to the guests about Gin Jubilee and how they could support us – in the end, we received so many votes because we were able to create and sell so many of our Kaf Kaf & Tonics. I think we also scored highly with the judges because our drink was pretty traditional, with no addition of liqueurs, colours or flavours not already present in the gin – the gin still had to be a central flavour in the G&T, and we achieved that. Guests were also encouraged to take photos of the cocktail because of the presentation, and we offered a dark chocolate and kaffir lime truffle to pair with the cocktail, and I think that, and the other factors, all contributed to the positive feedback from the guests and judges.”
