Born in Cambodia, but raised in Yugoslavia,
the Philippines, Taiwan and France, Nadsa draws on her international
background for inspiration in the kitchen. As a child she
learned to appreciate good food but had little interest
in cooking. When she began living on her own and discovered
her palate demanded a sophisticated cuisine, that changed.
Working with her mother, garnering her advice during many
long phone calls, she learned to cook out of necessity.
Her path to the United States was a complicated
one. As a teenager studying at the Taipei American School,
she met and fell in love with American Bob Perry. He returned
home, and they didn't meet again for seven years. They rediscovered
each other in Paris and married in December of 1986. Two
weeks later, they moved to Boston where Nadsa went to work
as a travel agent. The family's decision to open The Elephant
Walk restaurant in Somerville changed her life.
Nadsa began to cook at The Elephant Walk
in mid-1992 and, as her talent emerged, she became less
interested in her work as a travel agent. Under the watchful
eye of her mother, Longteine de Monteiro (known as Nyep),
The Elephant Walk's chef, Nadsa trained as Sous Chef. Soon
she and her mother began to experiment, moving their cuisine
well beyond traditional Cambodian fare. When the family
opened its second Elephant Walk in Boston , Nadsa was ready
to take over as Executive Chef.
After three years in that post Nadsa faced
her biggest challenge, opening a third family restaurant,
Carambola. Located in Waltham, Carambola opened its doors
in December of 1997 and offers an entirely Cambodian menu.
Nadsa developed a menu that reflects the five principal
groups of dishes enjoyed by traditional
Cambodian families. The cuisine, often compared to Thai
food, is actually lighter than Thai, less sweet, more complex
and refined. Nadsa takes particular delight in combining
unexpected flavors to create new dishes. She compares running
the restaurant to putting on a new Broadway show every night
? a performance art, exciting but demanding.
Like her mother Nyep, Nadsa is largely
self-taught. She has also studied with Michelin Chef Yves
Thuriés in Cordes, France, and at The Cambridge School
of Culinary Arts in Cambridge. Clearly the most important
influence in her kitchen is Nyep, a chef she describes as
"still the best."
