Ratha Chau
Chef/Owner, Kampuchea Restaurant
When Ratha Chau fled his native Cambodia as a refugee over thirty years ago, he never dreamed that he would eventually own the only Cambodian restaurant in New York City, sharing the beloved flavors of his home country. Kampuchea Restaurant has become the realization of his heritage and culture, and the culmination of his experiences in Cambodia and America.
In November of 2006, Ratha Chau opened Kampuchea Restaurant (78 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002, 212-529-3901). Prior to this endeavor, Chau had only worked in front of the house positions at other New York restaurants, and while he gained an acute understanding of what it took to run a successful restaurant in New York City, he had never stepped behind a commercial stove. For Kampuchea, however, Chau stepped forward into the chef's role, designing and executing a modern Cambodian menu that very quickly captivated the hearts and stomachs of jaded New Yorkers.
"Kampuchea is a tribute to my native country. Our people have never had much of a voice. I wanted to bring this culture to New York, to recognize this country through its flavors and ingredients," says Chau.
Ratha Chau was born Ratha Chaupoly in Phnom Peng, Cambodia in 1971, during the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime. Their leader Pol Pot led what is considered one of the most lethal and murderous regimes in history, killing an estimated 1.5 million people of a population of 7.5 million. Over the following eight years, the Chau family traveled back and forth between South Vietnam and Cambodia, attempting to flee the violence and brutality of their country. In 1982, Chau's mother was finally able to flee to the United States with Chau and his two brothers.
In 1990, after attending Clark University in Massachusetts, Chau started his own company, exporting sea urchin to Japan, and later entered the restaurant industry. He worked in various front of the house positions in Boston, then moved to New York where he worked as a manager in various well-regarded establishments including Blue Water Grill, Asia de Cuba, and Fleur de Sel, where he became a General Manager and Partner.
After several years in the industry, Chau finally decided to pursue his vision of opening his own restaurant. Chau decided to do everything himself from raising the money, cooking, managing, creating the menu, even designing the furniture. It was a bold move for someone with no formal cooking experience to open a restaurant featuring a new ethnic cuisine yet to be tasted by notoriously tough New Yorkers.
Chau attributes much of his bold and pioneering spirit to what he saw and lived through as a child. "I've seen enough. As a child, I've gone through killings, war. So being here, I feel extremely fortunate. I don't think about how hard things are. Opening a restaurant is like walking through a park!"
In spite of naysayers who didn't think his business projections were realistic, Chau took the plunge and opened Kampuchea in November of 2006. Since its opening, the cozy corner spot has been bustling with energy and filled with customers, gaining critical and public appreciation. And Chau, in fact, exceeded projections on sales and covers from just a few months into opening. Kampuchea Restaurant was recently recommended by the 2008 Michelin Guide New York.
Chau has found it extremely fulfilling to realize his vision and bring his unique taste of Cambodia to New York—dishes inspired by traditional ingredients and molded with his personal, modern interpretation, which perfectly capture his own bi-cultural experience.
Today Ratha Chau lives in New York City with his wife and son. In the future, Chau plans to open more restaurants. "The one thing that kept driving me all this time was the idea that this Southeast Asian culture would be recognized through its cuisine. Right now, only Vietnamese and Thai are represented. We've been left in the dark. I wanted to take the flavors of Cambodia and make it something different, new, stronger."
ABOUT KAMPUCHEA RESTAURANT & NUM PANG SANDWICH SHOP:
Kampuchea, the Khmer word for "Cambodia," is the inspiration behind this Lower East Side restaurant (78 Rivington Street at Allen Street, New York, NY 10002 / 212-529- 3901 / www.KampucheaNYC.com). Chef-Owner Ratha Chau and Co-Executive Chef Scott Burnett reinterpret the flavors of Cambodian street food with artisanal creativity, quality ingredients and labor-intensive preparation techniques. Kampuchea provides a lively communal dining atmosphere, with rustic oak wood furniture, tin ceiling, and simple accents that evoke the charm of a modern Asian street pub.
Num Pang Sandwich Shop (21 East 12th Street (between University & 5th Avenue) New York, NY 10003/212-255-3271 or 212-255-3272/ www.NumPangNYC.com), the second endeavor for Chef/Owner Ratha Chau and Partner/Co-Executive Chef Scott Burnett, with the addition of Co-Owner Ben Daitz. Num Pang, the Cambodian term for "bread," or "sandwich," made its debut on the menu at Kampuchea Restaurant, with a selection of sandwiches that generated a cult following. At Num Pang, a rotating selection of six to eight Num Pang sandwiches are freshly made-to-order daily for either take-out or self- seating above the kitchen on the second floor of the shop.