Cafe Soleil: casual vegetarian Khmer eats in Phnom Penh

Dwarfed by westernized restaurants with patios and rooftop bars, large furniture and swanky furnishings, the inconspicuous eight table Cafe Soleil serves up really good vegetarian Khmer dishes at reasonable prices. The green curry noodle soup is the perfect marriage of Vietnamese and Thai, with thick rice noodles swimming in a bright green curry broth. Khmer cuisine introduces forbidden rice and sweet Thai flavors, such as fresh pineapple and coconut, which balance the medium spice of red curry. It’s our first dinner in Cambodia, and it is delicious.

Prices range from $3 - $6 for an entree (more for Western food, but if you’re craving a pizza this is not the spot to indulge). An iced Angkor beer, a light lager not unlike Saigon found in Vietnam, will run you $1 per bottle. Expect to wait awhile for food to be delivered, a welcomed sign that it is being prepared to order (and why on Earth would you be in a rush in Cambodia anyway?).

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the details:

• Cafe Soleil is open all day, 7am - 10pm (but don’t go for coffee; stands found along any main road offer strong iced coffee for 3,000 riel/$.75 - definitely the way to get your caffeine fix in Phnom Penh!)
• Find it at #22DEo on Street 278 in Phenom Penh or email cafesoleil.pp@gmail.com