Thalias Hospitality

Master Chef Alain DARC with Head Chef Sopheak POV and Chief of Operations Lina HAK

Fresh Flavours Wafting out of the Kitchens at Topaz

Under the leadership of Executive Chef Sopheak Pov, ably assisted by Alain “Papa” Darc, the kitchen team at Topaz has been exceptionally busy lately redesigning our entire menu from top to bottom.

We’ll be keeping some of your favourites (such as Salads Niçoise and Oysters au Gratin with Champagne Cream), and we’ve simply tweaked some others to create a fresh perspective, while some dishes will be entirely new. And some of them will be quite spectacular. It’s been a hard job having to taste them all, but thankfully someone’s got to do it!

There are simply too many new or adapted dishes to mention in one article. And while some may argue that anticipation is the greater part of pleasure, we beg to differ where, say, a Rack of Lamb en Croute is involved. That said, here’s a preview of some of the changes you can look forward to tasting soon.

Photo shooting new Topaz menu

Caviar has been long been a feature of our menu, and will always continue to be so. But so far we have always served it either on its own as an exquisitely luxurious starter, or as a finishing touch that adds a powerful bolt of additional flavour. Now we have centred caviar in its own dish on our starter menu with Caviar with Grouper Brandade, bringing together the earthy and mellow saltiness of quality caviar with a smooth purée made from potatoes, olive oil and grouper, a mild fish with sweet undertones that make it a perfect partner for the caviar.

Among the recipes that we’ve tweaked you’ll find an old favourite, Roasted Beef Tenderloin, but this time with a Sauce Périgueux whose combination of earthy truffle flavours and the sharp, fruity tang of Madeira make a sublime counterpoint to the rich, juicy sweetness of a great steak.

Another tweak can be found in another perennial hero, Foie Gras. We’ve served this on a bed of warm mangoes for the last few years, but now we’ve matched it up with a slick Apple Cider Sauce whose tart-sweetness distinguishes the richness of the foie gras in ways that will make you giddy.

Chef’s Sopheak Pov Beef Wellington version consists of a whole fillet of beef coated with foie gras, truffles and mushroom duxelles, and then wrapped in a puff pastry, glazed, and baked to perfection

In a new twist on the menu though, we present Baked Foie Gras with Veal Sweetbreads and Black Winter Truffles in a Puff Pastry Crust. We’re not going to say much more than that, because the name speaks for itself. For those who are unsure though, sweetbreads refer to the pancreas or thymus of the calf. They are rich and exquisitely tender, with a subtle, even creamy, flavour. This is a dish to try as soon as you possibly can.

Another new appearance on the menu comes from fresh out of the sea. This time it’s Pan-fried Turbot with Caper Sauce served with Sautéed Ratte Potatoes. Turbot is an Atlantic and Mediterranean flatfish with a sweet, mild flavour that’s slightly fishier than cod or halibut. Served with the tart-brininess of a caper sauce and the unique nut-butter flavour of Ratte Potatoes, we are confident that you’ll be hooked at the first bite.

There are so many more, but that will simply have to wait for another time. After all, don’t forget that sometimes anticipation is the greater part of pleasure. And we will of course keep you informed of when you can expect to see all these and more on the fresh revamped Topaz Menu.

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