Traveling Healthy in Phnom Penh

Street Food Vendor in Phnom Penh, Cambodia © Diego Vito Cervo | Dreamstime

As the chaotic city of Phnom Penh continues to grow, it’s not letting that growth push out community values — which is good news for healthy travelers.Though many times development leads to outsourcing and box businesses coming in, there is a big movement toward supporting organic and local farming. In addition, this awareness led many restaurant owners to increase their local and vegetarian offerings to cater toward a more health- and environmentally-conscious consumer.

An emphasis on organic and local is sweeping the streets and is seen with the many organic grocery store options. On St 63 alone there are four organic grocery stores within a few blocks from each other, including the popular Natural Garden which carries produce from its local farm. This is beneficial to locals, expats, and tourists as it cuts down on imported produce from Thailand and Vietnam while providing safe and flavorful food.

Though traditional Khmer fare relies heavily on meat, as seen with the kabob stalls on almost every corner, there has been a huge influx of vegetarian options in the last few years. Restaurants like Cafe Soleil and Coriander serve only sans-meat while other popular places like Romdeng and ARTillery Cafe offer veggie-friendly options in addition to their full menus.