Strasbourg, France – In October 2024, Brian Ouk, a 33-year-old Frenchman of Cambodian and Laotian heritage, opened Sousdey, a restaurant in Strasbourg. Drawing on his extensive experience in both Western and Asian kitchens, Ouk aimed to introduce authentic Cambodian cuisine to the city.

Speaking with Cambodianess, he discussed the challenges of being a chef and restaurateur, particularly in persuading French diners to explore flavors beyond their familiar preferences.

Elise Roy: How did the idea of opening this restaurant come to you? Do you have any culinary training?

Brian Ouk: Yes. I started with pastry at the age of fifteen and did that for six years in Biesheim. Then I worked for two years as a cook at Académie de la Bière, where I made tartes flambées (a traditional dish from Alsace), burgers, and worked at the bar.

After that, I worked at What the Fox, a bar which is a go-to spot for Strasbourg students. In 2015, I became the kitchen director at East Canteen in the district of Krutenau, marking the start of my career in Asian cuisine. I stayed there for six years, during which I had the opportunity to train chefs and create dishes to add to the menu.

Elise Roy: Did you try introducing Cambodian dishes on the menu?

Brian Ouk: I tried, but East Canteen is an Asian street food restaurant catering to Western customers. When they come in, they prefer ordering dishes they already know. Nothing too spicy or too sour. So, I had to create dishes that would appeal to our customers while fitting into our Asian fusion concept. I had to design two menus per year – one for winter and one for summer.

I cooked five starters, five main dishes, and five desserts, which my chefs would taste and either approve or reject. I tried introducing Cambodian and Laotian specialties, like lemongrass beef or Laotian Khao Soi, but they were always turned down.

There were so many authentic dishes like these that I wanted to include, but I was told they would not suit the clientele. I found it surprising because whenever I cooked them and had colleagues or friends taste them, they loved them and were convinced they would be popular. But the chefs were thinking about business, and from a business standpoint, it was not the right move. So, I decided to leave the company to focus on my own projects.

Elise Roy: Do you think a dish like Nom Banh Chok or Amok doesn’t have enough “branding” for people in Strasbourg?

Brian Ouk: I do not think so. People in Strasbourg are generally not very receptive to completely unfamiliar dishes. When the French travel to Asia, they mostly go to Thailand or Vietnam, so they are more open to the food from those countries because they have experienced it firsthand.

Many people have tried opening more traditional restaurants, but the challenges remain huge and they often do not last long. The European palate is not very accustomed to these kinds of flavors. We have to adapt the dishes for our customers. It is often too spicy, too sour or too fermented for them. So now, I cook dishes that people already know. I have no choice.

Elise Roy: At some point, you decided to leave this job to open your own restaurant. Was this career transition difficult?

Brian Ouk: A little. I had to find a location and deal with all the administrative hurdles. But I used this time to take business creation training courses and do some work on the side.

Elise Roy: And you finally found a place?

Brian Ouk: Yes, and it was completely by chance! I was actually at the pagoda. A Cambodian couple who had been running a restaurant there for thirty years were looking to sell. I visited it, and I liked it right away.

Elise Roy: You told me you have Cambodian and Laotian roots—why did you name your restaurant Sousdey?

Brian Ouk: Sousdey feels warm and welcoming, and it just sounded right! It was also a way to show my Cambodian heritage. Sometimes, some people come in and ask me if I am Cambodian.

Elise Roy: Do you get Cambodian customers or French people of Cambodian descent, or is it mostly French customers?

Brian Ouk: Occasionally, when Cambodians get off the train which is close to my restaurant and see the name, they stop by, thinking they will find traditional dishes. They order lemongrass beef skewers, nom pao (a type of dumpling), and more. But my main, everyday clientele is entirely French, mostly people working in the neighbourhood. I offer affordable dishes that are easy to take away.

Elise Roy: Despite the challenge of the different palate, are you able to serve traditional Cambodian dishes?

Brian Ouk: I always watched how my mum cooks and the Cambodian and Laotian flavor is inside me. So, when I first opened, my menu featured more traditional dishes, but I quickly had to adjust my menu to stay afloat!

I always keep at least one authentic dish on the menu and try to promote it, even offering samples to regular customers. But most of the time, I get responses like, “I like it but I will have the sweet and sour chicken” or “I will take the beef with mushrooms.”

It’s very rare for customers to want to try something unfamiliar. Take nom pao, for example, most people here do not know what it is. I explain what is inside the filling and try to introduce them to it.

Elise Roy:  I saw that you serve different kinds of curry. Do you cook them the French way or the Cambodian way?

Brian Ouk: It is somewhere in between, not too spicy, not too sour, but with that rich coconut milk flavor that is completely absent from French cuisine. Just with curry, you can see the challenge of cooking Cambodian food here.

When I first opened, I made very authentic curry, thinking it would be great for customers to discover new flavors. Now, I have to add onions, carrots, and cabbage. And I had to give up on using the small, round green eggplants that we love in Cambodia, too many people do not like them here.

Elise Roy: Do you easily find the ingredients you need for cooking? Do you shop at specialized Asian stores?

Brian Ouk: I mainly work with the Asian market and sometimes with Yijia, an Asian wholesaler.

Elise Roy: And your rice, is it Cambodian?

Brian Ouk: My rice is Cambodian, of course! It is a bit more expensive, but it has to be Cambodian, that is important to me. There is even Angkor Wat on the bag!

Elise Roy: Do you serve desserts?

Brian Ouk: Well, it would be really complicated right now, so I am waiting a little longer. For example, serving a pandan cake would be great, I would love to do that. But the bright green color would probably scare more people than attract them!

I am planning to organize tasting afternoons soon to help introduce customers and curious people to the variety and accessibility of Cambodian cuisine. The next step will be adding lok lak (fried beef with sauce) to the menu as I am sure it will be a hit! The dish is well-known, but customers often think it is Thai because it is on Thai restaurant menus.

Elise Roy: The challenge is still huge!

Brian Ouk: Exactly, the goal now is to gradually get my customers used to new flavors and introduce them to Cambodia and Asia through the food.

To read more related stories on Cambodian culture in France by Elise Roy, click this link.