French Michelin-starred chef Eric Maio has arrived in Phnom Penh for a week-long guest stint at the Sofitel’s Do Forni Italian restaurant, bringing Provençal-inspired dishes to local diners.

Every night this week until Saturday, April 9, Maio will present regionally inspired flavours such as stuffed pigeon in puff pastry with truffle, chard, foie gras and apple, parsnip cappuccino and smoke-flavoured vegetables.

And on Wednesday, those eager to learn more from the young chef can take a cooking class at Do Forni. For US$25 plus taxes, budding home cooks can learn techniques of the trade, enjoy lunch with paired wines, as well as recipes to take home. The class runs from 11am to 2.30pm.

And on Friday night, Maio will prepare a five-course wine dinner for guests at the Sofitel.

Maio won his first Michelin star in 2005 at L’Auberge des Fontaines d’Aragon in Montauroux, a small village in the Var region of southern France. There he and his wife Carine concentrate on local produce and flavours in an idyllic setting.

Before his Michelin fame, Maio honed his skills in the kitchens of Le Palais in Biarritz, La Bonne Auberge, Marc Veyrat, and Le Savoy. He is a graduate of L’Ecole Hotellerie in Menton.

For information and bookings, call 023 999 200.