Phnom Penh & Restaurant: Sommelier Sara Penh Aims to Elevate the Wine Experience at CUTS

The Siem Reap-born sommelier brings more than 14 years of experience in beverage management to CUTS, Rosewood Phnom Penh’s sophisticated steakhouse.

Sommelier Sara Penh

Rosewood Phnom Penh is proud to employ Sara Penh since last December as its sommelier at CUTS, a World’s 50 Best Discovery restaurant and Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s “Best Restaurant in Cambodia – 2022”.

Sara, a native of Siem Reap, brings 14 years of experience in wine, beverages and management to Rosewood Phnom Penh. At CUTS, he is pleased to incorporate his background in leadership and his extensive knowledge of wines to elevate the bold flavours developed by the restaurant’s new Executive Chef, Omar Konateh.

Prior to joining Rosewood Phnom Penh, Sara served as Beverage Manager for the Innotality Group, one of Cambodia’s biggest hospitality and restaurant corporations. There, he sharpened the leadership skills he began to cultivate nearly a decade ago, when he was appointed Beverage Manager at Apsara Centropole Hotel in Siem Reap, which was his first management position.

Sara is also a graduate of École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule (EHT), a non-profit vocational and hospitality school in Siem Reap. As part of its commitment to developing professional opportunities for Cambodian talent from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds, Rosewood Phnom Penh works closely with E.H.T. Paul Dubrule, creating impactful internships that lead to careers in luxury hospitality.

Over the years, Sara has developed an eye for attentive service. At CUTS, Sara applies his expertise to foster a highly personalised guest experience.

Sommelier Sara Penh

From the restaurant’s impressive wine cellar, which includes an extensive collection of more than 3,000 wines and 279 different varieties, Sara says he selects the perfect wine for each guest, whether it’s an exclusive bottle of Champagne as an aperitif or a vintage Syrah from Provence – a wine Sara says is “the perfect partner for a medium-rare tenderloin.”

He might also suggest his personal favourite: a rich, fruity, complex cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley. It’s the wine that made him want to become a sommelier, and one he likes to enjoy in his free time, when he is contemplating new wine pairings.

“Wine inspires me. When I have a spare moment, I might enjoy some blue cheese – my favourite – with a glass of cabernet sauvignon, and consider new ways to enhance CUTS’ guest experience,” says Sara.

“With a strong team, a world-class chef in Omar Konateh and a wide range of succulent, dry-aged meats to pair with a truly special wine collection, joining CUTS is an incredible opportunity. I am delighted to finding wines that excite our guests’ palates and creating treasured dining experiences. This is a challenge I embrace to the fullest.”

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To experience Sara’s wine pairings, as well as Chef Omar’s cooking, visit CUTS, open daily from noon to 10:30 p.m. on level 38 of Rosewood Phnom Penh.

Make a reservation at +855 23 936 888 or phnompenh.fnbreservatio@rosewoodhotels.com