Eating vegan and vegetarian in Phnom Penh

Eating plant-based in Phnom Penh is easier than it used to be. There are vegetarian restaurants, a vegan cafe, a dosa place and Khmer kitchens with vegetarian menus. You will not starve.

But there is one catch, and it is worth knowing before you order. This post covers the catch, how to deal with it, and where to eat. All the places are in our Vegan and vegetarian in Phnom Penh guide.

Vegan and vegetarian in Phnom PenhThe guide · 6 places

The catch: fish sauce and shrimp paste

Fish sauce and shrimp paste go into a lot of Khmer cooking. They can show up in soups, dips, stir-fries and curry pastes, even in dishes that look like only vegetables.

If you eat vegetarian, this may not bother you. If you are strictly vegan, or you avoid fish, it matters. So ask. Every time, even in vegetarian places.

How to ask

• Keep it simple. "No fish sauce, no shrimp paste, no egg, please."
• Say it in Khmer if you can. A local friend, or a note on your phone, helps a lot. We have not included exact phrases here, so ask someone who speaks Khmer.
• Ask about the base. Broths and curry pastes are where hidden ingredients live.
• Point to a picture. If words fail, show what you want.
• Be kind. Staff may not know what is in every dish, so a friendly question works better than a test.

Start with the fully vegetarian places

The easiest way to relax is to eat somewhere that has no meat at all. These are cheap, friendly and easy.

Vitking House is a fully vegetarian restaurant at 315 Street 430, open 8am to 8pm. The Khmer dishes often use soy-based substitutes for meat. One older guide put dishes at about $2 to $5, so it is a cheap lunch. Ask about fish sauce if you are vegan.

Maitreya Vegetarian is in BKK3, open 6:30am to 8pm. One guide praises the value and the free tea. The early opening makes it a breakfast or lunch pick, for around $3 to $6.

A vegan cafe

Bong Bonlai is a fully vegan cafe-restaurant inside YK Art House on Street 830. It is calm and cosy, with Mediterranean and Asian flavours, and reviewers like the vegan pizza. Hours vary by source, so check first. Budget around $8 to $14.

Khmer food, plant-based

Sthāni V² in Toul Kork is a vegetarian and vegan Khmer buffet, open 9am to 10pm. Reviewers recommend the vegan amok and the red curry, and say dishes run about $2 to $5. Not every dish is vegan, so ask before you order.

Eleven One Kitchen serves Khmer and Western food, with a vegetarian menu, at Street 460 in Toul Tom Poung. It is open 7am to 9:30pm. It is vegetarian-friendly, not fully vegetarian. Guides mention tofu amok. Amok is a creamy, coconut-based Khmer curry, so ask which dishes are vegan. Expect around $5 to $10.

Something different: dosas

MDSK Masala Dosa Street Kitchen is on Sothearos Boulevard near the Royal Palace. A dosa is a thin, crisp South Indian pancake with a filling, and MDSK builds its menu around them. It is vegetarian and largely vegan, with tofu tikka masala, tandoor dishes and chai too. It is closed on Mondays. Around $8 to $15.

A few more tips

• Check hours. They change, and some sources disagree. Look at each place's page.
• Look for Chinese-Buddhist style restaurants. They are often cheap and use soy-based mock meat, as at Vitking House.
• Tell the kitchen early. The sooner they know, the easier it is to adjust.
• Do not assume "vegetarian" means "vegan". Eggs and dairy can sneak in.
• Prices change. Treat our ranges as a guide.

Save these places in yummers

Found a plant-based spot you love? Save it to a list in yummers and share it with friends. Start with the Vegan and vegetarian in Phnom Penh guide.