While Cambodia isn’t traditionally known as a vegan hub, a trickle of restaurants catering to the growing number of vegans out there are starting to crop up in the capital of Phnom Penh. Here are eight of the best vegan eateries.
This cafe and art gallery is the perfect place for vegans to fill up. With the focus on hearty and healthy food, options include kale eggs Benedict, avocado toast with dukkah, sunnyside up bowl and green pancakes. There is also an expansive range of fresh juices and smoothies served, and if you want to get super healthy, then ARTillery offers a five-day juice cleanse.
Specialising in a wide range of refreshing and healthy salads, sandwiches and wraps, Vego Salad Bar is a top spot for vegans. The DIY menu means you can create your own salads, selecting from a variety of ingredients. A range of healthy smoothies and shakes are also served.
Operating as a 100% plant-based café, Vibe Asia is popular with the capital’s health-conscious crowd. Heralding the “earth-to-table” approach, all food is ethically sourced and presented in a clean and creative way. The café also works with local suppliers of organic produce, and incorporates ingredients believed to have medicinal and healing properties into its dishes. An example is the Explorer Quesadilla, which features fresh sweetcorn, pickled beets, black beans, cashew crema, and guacamole – all washed down with a botanical healing tea, made from calendula flower, rose petals, and lavender.
Catering towards the swelling number of globetrotters that like to inject more healthy foods into their diets, Backyard Cafe offers a range of vegan, vegetarian and raw food options. Think quinoa, pumpkin and hummus salad, and a hearty earth bowl of lentil, roasted cauliflower, brown rice, roasted red peppers, pickled beetroot, guacamole, spinach and activated almonds.
If you’re craving tasty Indian food, then look no further than Dosa Corner – a simple affair that serves authentic, affordable food. The menu centres around the dosa, pancakes made from black lentils and fermented rice that hails from South India, and takes in a rage of vegetarian and vegan options.
The Vegetarian is an awesome spot for vegetarians and vegans on a budget. Boasting a relaxing tropical garden, with seats in the dappled shade as well as a small indoor eating area, the restaurant serves only meat-free food, with dishes starting from $1. The dishes on offer are mainly Khmer, with the menu taking in delights such as lotus root in cashew cream and tofu puffs.
This restaurant boasts a lush, leafy courtyard with a tractor, free-range hens running about and potted plants for sale, giving it a farm-like edge and making it a great family escape within the city. As the brainchild of the team behind ARTillery, Farm to Table’s aim is to promote organic food and farming within Cambodia, boasting a range of healthy meals that take in breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as fruit and vegetable shakes. Vegetarians and vegans have plenty of options on the menu, and if you fancy a bit of live music, then 6pm on a Friday is the time to go.
Set in the Toul Tom Poung area of Phnom Penh, Lot 369 boasts a spacious outdoor terrace as well as indoor AC space. Its menu includes a variety of vegetarian and vegan options, including the vegan breakfast bowl, Buddha bowl and vegan chocolate cheesecake.