Cambodia is manageable for vegetarians, with one habit: Khmer cooking seasons vegetable dishes with fish sauce and prahok (fermented fish paste), so a vegetable dish is not automatically vegetarian. The good news: this is a Buddhist country, vegetarian (buos) food is understood, curries like amok can be made with tofu, and Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have vegetarian and Indian restaurants. Jain families need more planning, because kroeung curry pastes use garlic and shallots.
Local dishes
Amok trei អាម៉ុកត្រី
The dish most visitors try first: fish steamed in a coconut-milk curry with kroeung spice paste, served in banana leaves. Restaurants make it to order, so it can take half an hour; chicken and tofu versions are common in tourist areas.
Watch out for: Ask for the tofu version and confirm no prahok (fish paste). The kroeung paste contains garlic and shallot, so Jain families should ask a vegetarian restaurant to adapt it.
Nom banh chok នំបញ្ចុក
The Khmer breakfast noodle: fresh rice noodles under a fish-based green curry of lemongrass, turmeric and garlic, heaped with banana flower, long beans, cucumber and herbs. Sold by morning vendors everywhere.
Watch out for: The gravy is fish-based, so street versions are not adaptable.
Lok lak ឡុកឡាក់
Cambodia's everyday beef dish: stir-fried beef over lettuce and onions, with steamed rice (or fries in the tourist version) and a lime-and-black-pepper dip.
Watch out for: Beef; the pepper dip can use fish sauce.
Salor kari sap សាលលការីសាប
A vegetarian curry of tofu, eggplant, potatoes and lemongrass simmered in coconut milk.
Watch out for: Confirm the kitchen used no fish sauce or shrimp paste; curry pastes usually contain garlic and shallot.
Samlor korkor សម្លកកូរ
The stew with the strongest claim to being Cambodia's true national dish, cooked for centuries with seasonal vegetables - and prahok fish paste.
Watch out for: Contains fish paste.
Num pang នំបុ័ង
The Khmer baguette: a French-era sandwich sold by street hawkers for lunch or an evening snack, usually with meat and salad.
Watch out for: Ask for egg or vegetable fillings; standard versions carry pâté and meat.
Num chek chien នំចេកចៀន
Banana fritters: bananas battered in rice flour, sesame seeds, egg white and coconut milk, fried at street stalls and eaten at noon or after meals. More savoury than sweet.
Watch out for: The batter contains egg; otherwise a safe street snack.
Num kachay នំកាឆាយ
Chive cakes: fried dumplings of glutinous rice flour and chopped chives, sold by bicycle hawkers with a sweet-spicy sauce.
Watch out for: Made with garlic, and the dipping sauce is fish-sauce based - ask for it without.
Prahok ktis ប្រហុកខ្ទិះ
The gentlest introduction to prahok: the fermented fish paste cooked mild with coconut cream, palm sugar and minced pork, eaten as a dip with vegetables.
Watch out for: Fish paste and pork.
Cha trokuon ឆាត្រកួន
Stir-fried water spinach (morning glory): the everyday green on Cambodian tables, crunchy and quick from the wok.
Watch out for: Usually cooked with garlic and fish sauce; ask for it with soy sauce instead.
How to order vegetarian
Show these lines to the staff. Say them aloud if you like.
I eat vegetarian (the Buddhist sense). Understood everywhere, but it does not stop cooks adding fish sauce, so say the next line too.
No fish sauce, please. The key line for vegetarians in Cambodia: cooks season vegetable dishes with fish sauce, oyster sauce or chicken powder.
I do not eat meat. Use it together with the fish-sauce line when ordering noodles and stir-fries.
Garlic and shallots go into kroeung curry pastes, and fish sauce seasons most stir-fries and dips. Vegetarian restaurants in the cities adapt dishes if you ask ahead. Safe defaults: plain rice, fresh fruit, fruit shakes (tuk kolok) and plain baguettes.
Backup plans
- Learn two Khmer lines: khnom hop buos (I eat vegetarian) and som ot teuk trey te (no fish sauce)
- Indian restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for a familiar meal
- Snacks from home for temple days at Angkor: theplas, khakhra, roasted chana
- Fresh fruit shakes (tuk kolok), plain rice and plain baguettes are everywhere
For parents and seniors
For parents: mild coconut curries with rice feel close to home, Khmer food is gentler than Thai food, and Indian restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap give a fully familiar meal when the family wants one.
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Quick questions
Sources
- CNN Travel: 30 Cambodian foods every visitor needs to try · checked 30 Oct 2026
- Koilingua: Khmer phrasebook: diets and allergies · checked 30 Oct 2026
- Wikivoyage: Cambodian cuisine · checked 30 Oct 2026