Shiva Shakti is a very good place for North Indian food. The restaurant is well-established and popular with the Indian Embassy crowd, and for visitors who prefer a more recognizable kind of Indian restaurant. Shiva Shakti is well-priced with good-sized portions, suitable for a relaxed, informal dinner. The central location also makes the restaurant a good choice after a ramble through nearby Boeng Keng Kang market with its mix of clothes, new and secondhand , florists and local fruits and vegetables.

What to order? Butter chicken with dhal and aloo paratha would be good choices.

In the video below, Mr. Alan from (h)A.N.D. and Ms. Geraldine from Sunrise Cambodia meet for lunch at Shiva Shakti:

Shiva Shakti, 17 Preah Trasak Paem St. (63), Phnom Penh 12301, Cambodia

Farm to Table is a restaurant specializing in local produce, organic whenever possible, with vegan/vegetarian choices. The restaurant has a good-sized menu, not overlong, and mains are in the $7 – $9.00 range. On the menu, there is also a selection of puddings and cocktails, as well as daily/weekly specials. They pride themselves on fresh ingredients and offer a ‘green bowl’ salad as their signature dish, though we had roast sea bass and grilled chicken (inspired by the free-range hens running freely around!) which were both very good, with flavorful sauces and vegetables. It is good to leave room for the puddings, which, when we were there, included seasonal pumpkin pie, together with warm brownies, and a rich chocolate mousse, all in the $3.00 / $4.00 range.

Farm to Table is delightful in the evenings under canopies and trees, quite an oasis in an otherwise busy part of Phnom Penh. It is a very good place for casual dinner and especially good for those with toddlers or young children as there is a dedicated play area with pretend kitchen, a real tractor to climb over, and rubber-tyre elephants to ride. The staff are very well-trained and service is swift; it is spacious and relaxed (remark: If anything, the bathroom area could do with a little renovation :)… but a few places here have become a tad run down over Covid). They also cater for private parties and groups, and are very well-established, having been founded by a dedicated lover of local and organic produce.

Farm to Table is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner daily.

Watch the video below! Chic Critiques, aka Mr. Alan & Mr. Pheap from Phnom Penh fair fashion brand (h)A.N.D visit Farm to Table:

Farm to Table, #16, St 360, Phnom Penh, Tel.078 899 722

Backyard Cafe is a vegetarian-friendly restaurant, quite centrally located, near Royal Palace. The cafe is very popular among expats, which shows in the price level, which is slightly above other vegetarian restaurants in Phnom Penh.

Backyard Cafe has a good selection of cakes and the cafe also makes their own brand of sauces and other products to buy to take away. In spite of the name, Backyard Cafe feels more like a restaurant than a cafe, and the food served is also somewhat heartier than the smoothies and bowls served at their sister cafe Vibe, which makes Backyard Cafe suitable for both lunch and dinner.

What to order? We’ve been through most of the menu, and the food is consistently tasty and portions are big. Remember to save some space for dessert.

Watch the video when Chic Critiques, aka Mr. Alan & Mr. Pheap from Phnom Penh fair fashion brand (h)A.N.D, visit Backyard Cafe below:

Backyard Cafe, 11B Street 246, Phnom Penh, Tel: 078 751 715

Café Honest is a cozy, trendy and instagrammable café, located in Noromall, BKK1. It all started with a woodworking school that quickly evolved into a furniture store (Honest Wood) and a cafe. The owners are Korean and the vibe of the cafe is very similar to the chic cafes, which Seoul is known for, but besides the picturesque place, their baked cheesecake is delightful, it’s creamy, smooth, and melts right in your mouth! It is not too sweet which was very nice. Some people claim that Café Honest have the best cheesecake in Phnom Penh, and I can’t disagree with that, so if you are around the area you definitely do not want to miss out on it. They have many other types of cakes, made with Korean flour, drinks, and desserts on the menu such as macarons and a variety of coffee options which are fairly priced. So if you are craving some delicious desserts, I recommend Café Honest.

Café Honest, #199 Street Preah Norodom Blvd (41), Phnom Penh

Udon Bar Moriiya is a casual Japanese restaurant in BKK1. The udon (thick Japanese noodles) of course takes center stage, but the menu also features a good selection of casual Japanese food, as well as different lunch set menu, which are great value for money.

Compared to other lunch spots in Phnom Penh, Udon Bar is in the more expensive bracket, but compared to the US and Europe, it is cheap with most dishes at less than $5.

If you like Sichuan Dan Dan noodles (noodles in a spicy sesame sauce) you would probably like the Tan-Tan Udon, which is a Japanese version of the Chinese favorite.

Best for: Udon Bar Moriiya is best for lunch, but they are also open for dinner.

Watch the video of Chic Critiques, aka Mr. Alan & Mr. Pheap from Phnom Penh fair fashion brand (h)A.N.D at Udon Bar Moriiya below:

Udon Bar Moriiya, Street 282, Samdach Louis Em, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Brand new coffee shop in an up-and-coming neighborhood just south of central Phnom Penh. At first glance, Radio Coffee looks a bit like Brown (the big, home-grown cafe chain in Cambodia) but Radio Coffee is very much its own. Furthermore, it is halal, which which is also quite unusual, at least for trendy coffee shops in Phnom Penh.

The coffee shop caters to the young office worker crowd in the neighborhood, but the coffee is so good, it is worth the ~ $3 tuk-tuk drive from the city center. In addition to coffee, the cafe also serves a selection of non-caffeinated drinks as well as food items such as burgers, steaks and sandwiches. The price level at Radio Caffee is standard-Phnom-Penh-fancy-coffee-shop. Frappés are $2.65, teas are $3.35 and juices are $2.65 (August 2021).

Watch the video review below of Radio Coffee by our Phnom Penh local experts Chic Critiques, Alan and Mr. Pheap from (h)A.N.D. Artisan Designer:

Radio Coffee, 106, Street 371, Dang Kor District, Tel: 011779779/010696567

Casual vegan restaurant set in a cozy courtyard. The food is good and slightly cheaper than its rivals on the budding Phnom Penh vegan restaurant scene. The dessert selection is rather limited, but you could always grab one of the delicious smoothies ($2.50 and up). Main courses are around $5.

Bong Bonlai, which means big brother vegetable in khmer, is attached to the YK Art House hotel, a boutique hotel with an independent art gallery and a library.

Watch the video review of Bong Bonlai below by our Phnom Penh local experts Chic Critiques, Alan and Mr. Pheap from A.N.D. Artisan Designer:

Bong Bonlai Vegan Restaurant, 13a, Street 830, Phnom Penh, Tel: +855 70 740 051, open Tue-Sun 7:30am – 5pm

Surn Yi is a well established vegetarian restaurant located opposite the Plantation Hotel on Street 184. Inexpensive vegetarian food prepared without garlic and onions, but some of the dishes contains egg. The menu is extensive, featuring more than 400 inexpensive items with soups starting at $1.25 and mains at $2.50, and the food is served with complimentary green tea. Very popular among the younger local crowd and very busy around lunch time.

Watch the video review of Surn Yi below by our Phnom Penh local experts Chic Critiques, Alan and Mr. Pheap from A.N.D. Artisan Designer:

Surn Yi Vegetarian Restaurant, #15, Street 184 (opposite Plantation Hotel), Tel: +855 16 664 666

Taste of the Middle East is one of two Iraqi-owned restaurants in Phnom Penh (Taste of the Middle East 2 is located further south on Street 446). The food is halal and it is tasty and filling. This is the place to go for flatbreads, mezze, falafel and chicken. Mains starts at $6-$8, and there are many vegan/vegetarian options available. We are curious about the Iraqi chocolate cake, which is on the menu, but never available. If you manage to order the chocolate cake, please let us know how it is:)

Watch the video review of Taste of the Middle East below by our Phnom Penh local experts Chic Critiques, Alan and Mr. Pheap from A.N.D. Artisan Designer:

Taste of the Middle East, #140, Street 140, Tel: +855 96 956 5481