“I have appointed myself as an ambassador”

After ten days in Cambodia, Michelin-starred chef Tanja Grandits shares what she experienced at the Smiling Gecko campus, from a beautifully refined Chef’s Table by Mariya Un Noun to a farm-to-table approach that is fully lived, not just described.

What struck her most, however, went beyond the kitchen. Mornings begin with hundreds of children arriving for school, part of a daily rhythm shaped by care, structure, and opportunity.

It is this contrast, between fine cuisine and real impact, that left a lasting impression and led her to describe herself, quite simply, as an ambassador.