Lara Dunston
Cambodia based Travel & Food Writer
The Guardian, CNN, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, The Independent, Telegraph, National Geographic Traveler / Traveller, Get Lost, Wanderlust, Travel+Leisure SEA, DestinAsian, AFAR
PROJECTS
DestinAsian
5 Homegrown Restaurants to Check Out in Siem Reap
A clutch of restaurants run by young homegrown chefs is raising the profile of Siem Reap as a bona fide food destination—and preserving Cambodia’s culinary traditions in the process.
It may have been a French chef, Joannès Rivière, who put Cambodia on the culinary map in 2015 when his Siem Reap restaurant Cuisine Wat Damnak became the first establishment in the country to land on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Today, however, it’s six young Cambodian talents who helm Siem Reap’s five mo...
The Bridge, CruiseCo magazine
Tastes of the Mekong, a Foodie's Journey Through Vietnam and Cambodia
Few rivers have more mystique than the Mekong, its Vietnamese Delta and Cambodia’s vast Tonlé Sap—and there’s no better way to get a taste of the region than on Cruiseco Adventurer. Cover story, April 2018 issue.
DestinAsian
Cambodia's New Crop, the Rise of New Cambodian Cuisine
A clutch of Cambodian restaurants run by young homegrown chefs is raising the profile of Siem Reap as a bona fide food destination — and preserving Cambodia’s culinary traditions in the process. 11-page feature story, published in April/May 2018 issue.
National Geographic
Know Before You Go: Abu Dhabi City Guide
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is having its moment. A decade in the making, the long-awaited Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in November 2017 with over 500 artworks on display in its permanent galleries and launched its first special exhibition “From One Louvre to Another” with a jaw-dropping exhibition of 150 masterpieces from Musée du Louvre and the Palace of Versailles.
gourmettraveller.com.au
Reasons to visit Bangkok in 2017
The hottest spots to eat, drink, play and stay right now in Bangkok, rounded up into one perfect day.
gourmettraveller.com.au
Destination Dining: Siem Reap goes sustainable
They say every meal at Spoons makes a difference to someone living in the north Cambodian tourist city of Siem Reap. Opened late last year, the rustic-chic café serves polished Cambodian street food in a cutting-edge bamboo building constructed from raw materials supplied by a sustainable farming enterprise. The supply chain, from napkins to vegetables to rice liquor, is resolutely local, and the staff are young hospitality trainees from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Spoons, run by hospitality s...
gourmettraveller.com.au
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Travel Guide : Australian Gourmet Traveller
Where to stay, eat and drink in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia : Australian Gourmet Traveller. May 2017
signatureluxurytravel.com.au
Exotic Flavours of Angkor Wat - Siem Reap Fine Dining. Signature Luxury Travel and Style magazine
Exotic flavours of Angkor Wat - Signature Luxury Travel and Style magazine. February 2017
gourmettraveller.com.au
George Town, Penang Travel Guide : Australian Gourmet Traveller
What to eat, drink and do in George Town, Penang : Australian Gourmet Traveller. December 2016
The Guardian
Revealed: Cambodia's vast medieval cities hidden beneath the jungle - The Guardian
Our EXCLUSIVE on major archaeological discoveries in Cambodia - vast medieval cities hidden beneath the forest floor, identified by airborne laser scanning technology called lidar. 11 June 2016.
Sawasdee (Thai Airways Inflight magazine)
Give and Take, Siem Reap - Sawasdee, Thai Airways In Flight Magazine
A sustainable shopping guide to Siem Reap, Cambodia, for visitors who are eager to give back as much as they take away. June 2016 issue.
gourmettraveller.com.au
Siem Reap Travel Guide :: Australian Gourmet Traveller
More than a gateway to Angkor Wat, Siem Reap is a centre for Khmer culture, authentic cuisine and chic shops. February 2016
Sawasdee (Thai Airways Inflight magazine)
Melbourne, In the Land of the Long Flat White - Sawasdee, Thai Airways In Flight Magazine
I enlist the help of a local export to explore the history of Melbourne's coffee scene and increasingly sophisticated cafe culture. March 2016 issue. p 39-45.
gourmettraveller.com.au
HOT 100 #8 Malis Restaurant, Siem Reap : "Reap Reward" : Australian Gourmet Traveller
When my editor asked for nominations for the global Hot 100 I chose Malis restaurant, Siem Reap - the hottest opening of 2016, by Cambodia's celebrity chef Luu Meng, of Malis Phnom Penh fame. April 2016
CNN
100 World's Best Chefs Share Favourite Food Experiences - CNN.com
(Almost) 100 world's best chefs share their favourite food experiences with me for CNN Travel.