Phnom Penh: The vegetarian restaurant Vegetarian Restaurant

No, it is not a typo. The name of the vegetarian restaurant I want to tell you about is in fact Vegetarian Restaurant. I stumbled upon the restaurant as I was looking for a place to have lunch after my meeting with Alan and Mr. Pheap at A.N.D.

Most of the good vegetarian restaurants in Phnom Penh are international restaurants, and macro bowls and cold-pressed juices are not that hard to find if you are looking for it. It is another story when it comes to Asian vegetarian restaurants, and many times I have walked into places that claim to be vegetarian restaurants but have a menu full of animals. 

At Vegetarian Restaurant there are only vegetarian items on the menu. They use mushrooms as a meat substitute, and it is delicious. They are using this kind of really dark mushrooms that has a texture that is close to beef and a flavor that is so meaty that I had to check an extra time, that it was not meat. 

I have tried their mushroom noodles with and without soup and they were both delicious. The soup is rich and has a deep mushroom flavor, but if you want, you can add some of the condiments from the table. Be careful with the chunky chili sauce, it is very spicy:) 

One bowl of soup is only $1 ($1.25 if you want to add a fried egg), and it is enough for a light lunch, but if you come with a bigger appetite add a serving of their homemade vegetable dumplings, which are also around a dollar, and really tasty too. 

I think the owners might be of Chinese origin, because they asked me if I spoke chinese and looked a bit disappointed when I told them that I did not. The restaurant seems to be popular among students and during lunch-time all the tables were full, and people were waiting to be seated. The restaurant is kept impeccably clean, and the tables are wiped off immediately after being vacated. I was allowed to take a photo of the kitchen, and it was one of the cleanest kitchens I have seen in Phnom Penh.   

I could not find the restaurant on Google Maps, but if you type in “Plantation Phnom Penh” for PassApp or Grab, you will get to the hotel that is just opposite of Vegetarian Restaurant. There are two vegetarian restaurants just next to each other, but the one I have tried is the one to the left (if you are standing with your back towards The Plantation). The other restaurant to the right is also supposed to be good, but I have not tried it yet. 

Where to find good vegetarian food in Phnom Penh? – My Phnom Penh Guide