In the Kitchen with The Elephant Walk’s Nyep and Nadsa De Monteiro (2/3)

Longteine, known to friends as Nyep, had little formal training as a chef. She says she was born to cook. Her mother taught her the fundamentals of Cambodian cuisine, but, as a teenager, Nyep learned French cooking on her own to please her father. As a diplomat’s wife, she relied on her instinct and taste to oversee the embassy’s kitchen. Running the family’s first restaurant in France, Amrita, taught her the business side of good cuisine. For ten years Nyep cooked alone, struggling to keep her family financially solvent. In 1990 her daughter Nadsa became a naturalized American citizen. That finally opened the way for Nyep and her husband to come to the United States. Once here Nyep partnered with her then son-in-law, Bob Perry, to open The Elephant Walk in Somerville. Her talent quickly emerged. Esquire Magazine named The Elephant Walk one of America's Best New Restaurants in 1992, calling Nyep’s food “absolutely delicious and enlightening.” Other reviewers found the cuisine “a rare treat,” and “exquisite.” Nyep is not surprised by the success of her family’s restaurants, attributing it to what she calls “good cuisine” served in a welcoming manner. Daughter Excels By Learning from her Mother Nadsa de Monteiro is passionate about creating good food which inspires Americans to expand their palates. She wants them to try the unexpected flavors she has known since childhood. Born in Cambodia, but raised in Yugoslavia, the Philippines, Taiwan and France, Nadsa draws on her international background for inspiration in the kitchen. Nadsa began to cook at The Elephant Walk in mid-1992 under the watchful eye of her mother. Soon she and her mother began to experiment, moving their cuisine well be-yond traditional Cambodian fare. When the family opened its second Elephant Walk in Boston Nadsa was ready to take over as Executive Chef. Carambola: The Newest Boston Venture The third family restaurant concept, Carambola (Latin word for star fruit) located in the Boston suburb of Waltham, “was created 8 years ago to showcase solely Cambodian cuisine, different from The Elephant Walk,” says Nadsa “It offers a dual cuisine of Cambodian and French - not fusion but 2 separate menus offering authentic and original Cambodian dishes and original French dishes.” “However, we find that this puts Carambola at a disadvantage because it is hence viewed as a cute ethnic restaurant, and draws a very appreciative-but-smaller crowd of people.” “We have introduced some French dishes over the past year or so, and they have been very well received. “We find that the presence of French food is able to draw a larger crowd, those who like Asian food but also those who are less fond of Asian food and prefer the French side of the menu.” “In the…very near future…we will be re-placing this concept with a smaller version, a neighborhood and suburban version of The Elephant Walk, offering a similar menu to the other two Elephant Walks but with some different dishes and a lower price point for the suburban crowd of Waltham.” Personal Cooking Classes with the Elephant Walk Culinary Team In addition to their daily duties as Executive Chefs and managers at three popular restaurants, Nyep and Nadsa also find time to con-duct exhilarating cooking classes for the community. Nyep teaches classes at her Jamaica Plain home. This past winter Nyep reprised her sold-out three-part series "The Building Blocks of Cambodian Cooking," a series that covered thoroughly the ingredients, techniques and origin of traditional Cambodian cooking. She also hosts a genuine all day adventure for those who wish to immerse themselves in Southeast Asian culi-nary culture, entitled, “Doing It All on Market Day”, where at the end of the journey, the students go to Nyep’s home where the group prepares on-the-fly a sumptuous meal to share.