Whether it's something to do with his home country? Pawhin Sanasu comes from Thailand and he loves rice, not only in Asian cooking, but also above all in Mediterranean cuisine. “In Italy there are over 200 different types of rice and risotto” explains the chef de cuisine at the Italian themed hotel ‘Colosseo’. He has worked at Europa-Park since 2003, initially as a sous chef at ‘Don Quichotte’, before switching to ‘Colosseo’ for its opening. The 36-year-old adds new dishes to the menu every two to three months, but the stone-baked pizza and home-made tiramisu have always remained the most popular classics. “I've been working here for more than 10 years, but there's never a hint of routine. We grow and change continually; that’s exciting. I organise everything, monitor the quality of the dishes, inspect the purchases, but still really like to be at the hob just as before” says the likeable chef de cuisine, who completed his chef's training in the German city of Wiesbaden.

Both at home and during the Asian culinary weeks at Europa-Park, he loves to cook Thai food with chilli, lemon grass and fresh herbs. “Thai cuisine is distinguished by heat, spices and low-fat”, says Sanasu. At the ‘Colosseo’ the expert has no problem accommodating allergies or intolerances in the kitchens: “We have gluten-free noodles, bread or lactose-free desserts; the guests simply have to let us know.”