Mr Pakasith Chanthapanya and Ms Soudalath Phanphouthone on Wednesday display signed agreements on the training of chefs.

Restaurant association, chefs’ school partner in training scheme

The Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association and the Lao Chef Academy on Wednesday signed an agreement on partnership in the training of chefs, to raise their culinary standards.
The agreement was signed at the Vientiane Center by the President of Lao the Hotel and Restaurant Association, Mr Pakasith Chanthapanya, and a representative of the Lao Chef Academy, Ms Soudalath Phanphouthone, witnessed by representatives of various organisations.

Mr Pakasith Chanthapanya, Ms Soudalath Phanphouthone, Lao chefs, and traders.

The partnership was formally agreed to during a culinary exhibition tak-ing place at the Vientiane Center from August 21-25, where stalls have been set up to display typical Lao food and snacks, along with cooking demonstrations. Other stalls are selling clothing and souvenirs.
The association and the academy will provide vocational training for Lao chefs and improve their standard of work so they are more widely accepted at Lao restaurants and hotels, as well as in other locations.
The exhibition celebrates traditional Lao food and the local ingredients that are commonly used.
The Lao Chef Academy use traditional dishes during its training programme and is encouraging more people to learn the trade. 
The academy runs regular training courses and gives certificates to participants who complete courses successfully. It also organises activities to support small restaurants, enabling them to boost their income.
Each year, the academy chooses a chef to represent Laos at the ASEAN skills competition.
The Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association was established in 1999 and serves to standardise operations at hotels and restaurants across Laos, provide them with a supportive environment, and ensure they comply with government guidelines and legal requirements.
The government’s policy is to provide qualified workers for tourism-related businesses including hotels and restaurants, led by the Lao Na-tional Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The association was named the Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association in 2003 under the National Tourism Organisation. 
The Lao Chef Academy is supervised by the Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association in its training of male and female chefs, and serves as a platform for the sharing of culinary-related experiences and activities, with the overall aim of garnering more interest in the profession and broadening levels of expertise.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update August 22, 2024)