Life Abundant

Eating in Battambang

Over the last two years, we’ve spent 9+ months in Cambodia, living in their third largest city called Battambang. When you think of Battambang, don’t think of a bustling Asian city with crowded streets with wall to wall people, tuk-tuks, and motorbikes. Think of a sleepy little town that rises with the sun and quiets down after dark. Where locals still smile and wave, kids want to say hello and practice their English with you, and you can still get to know shop owners, neighbors, and feel like a bit of a “local” in a short period of time.

If you’ve followed the blog for any period of time, you should know that Chris and I are foodies. Not in a pretentious way, i.e. eating at all the fine dining, fancy restaurants. We just like good food, and like finding it for a good price, especially when we travel and spend time in other cultures. We love finding the best flavors that a place has to offer, with a fun atmosphere, all while keeping it affordable!

 

Cafe Eden

While living in Battambang, we discovered some pretty incredible places to eat, grab a solid cup of coffee, a slice of pizza, smoothie, or a taste of “home” (depending on where home is for you). One of our favorite spots for some mostly western (and some Khmer food) is Cafe Eden. Cafe Eden has an incredible menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a great happy hour menu (from 3 – 7).

Cafe Eden is located right along the river that runs through the center of Battambang (on road 1). There’s plenty of comfortable seating (unless you come on a Saturday or Sunday morning, which seem to be the most popular times to eat at this adorable cafe). The menu is printed on old record album covers, and they have fun music playing, friendly staff, great wifi and air conditioning!

For breakfast, we would highly recommend their Fresh Fruit Plate or New England Scram with a Thai Iced Espresso. If you’re there for lunch or dinner, do yourself a favor and get the Baja Steak Salad (pictured above), or the Crispy Chicken Sandwich with fries. If you’re looking for some incredible food with some fun flavors, friendly staff, and fun atmosphere, look no further than Cafe Eden!

Cafe Eden also holds a special place in our hearts because it’s a business as missions effort that branched off of the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) campus in Battambang. A portion of their proceeds goes to support some of the local missionaries on the YWAM campus! Also, Anna (the cafe’s owner) works with local women to make some beautiful handmade clothes and other goods that are sold at the cafe. So go ahead and shop there, knowing that your purchase is making a difference in so many women and family’s lives!

They’re located on Rd No 1, Krong Battambang, Cambodia. Open Wednesday – Monday 7:30 am – 9 pm

Kinyei Cafe

Kinyei Cafe is one of our favorite spots in town for brunch. Head to Kinyei on road 2 ½ (just around the corner from Jan Bai) for one of the best cups of coffee, and your choice from one of their many breakfast/brunch options. They have a quaint little balcony upstairs where you can get a nice view of the small street below, colorful houses, and the maze of telephone lines that hang from poles and rooftops.

Two of their baristas have won Cambodian National Barista Championships in 2012 and 2013, and have represented Cambodia in international competitions. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Come in and try the “Street Latte” and “Cambodian Cappuccino” and you’ll be a believer.

Two of our favorites for brunch would be their breakfast toasties (a grilled breakfast sandwich with peanut butter/banana/chocolate, or other delicious breakfast goodies) or their yogurt and muesli bowl (in our opinion the best one in the city). The fresh tropical fruit and yogurt is topped with honey and crunchy muesli, it’s filling and will not disappoint!

They’re located at St 1.5, near Psar Nath, Battambang. Open everyday 7am- 7pm.

 

Jaan Bai

Although it’s not the most expensive place in town, Jaan Bai is a restaurant that we would go to for a “splurge”. This restaurant has some of the best Cambodian/Thai/Western fusion in all of Battambang, with some of our favorite dishes for a nice night out to eat.

There are a few things we would recommend from Jaan Bai. First would be their lunch special for their ban mi sandwich. We fell in love with Ban Mi about a year ago when we were in Hanoi Vietnam, which you can read about in our foodie favorites post to Hanoi. This amazing sandwich will ignite your taste buds with its flavors of barbecued meat (our favorite was the pork), an incredible secret sauce, topped with a slaw of green papaya, cucumber, and carrots, mint, and cilantro, all wrapped up in the fluffiest/crunchiest baguette you’ve ever tasted.

We also love their pad thai and Thai curry on their dinner menu or try a few of their different flavors with their dinner special. For about $15 you can try a number of different appetizers, main course, drink, and dessert, which is a great deal! Another must try at Jaan Bai is their flourless chocolate cake topped with passion fruit sorbet, be sure to save room, you won’t want to miss it!

They’re located on street 2 in next to Psar Nat, Krong Battambang, Cambodia. Open every day 10 am – 10 pm.

Lonely Tree Cafe

One of my absolute favorite spots in all of Battambang is Lonely Tree Cafe. It’s owned by a Spanish couple with some traditional Spanish dishes, which take me back to Spain with its adorable architecture and delicious food!

The downstairs is a shop filled with beautiful handmade goods from the NGO that this cafe is connected with. They give jobs to and provide skills and services to people with physical disabilities in Cambodia. Most of the goods in their shop are handmade by the Cambodians that they serve, so shop away and support their local work.

The upstairs has the cutest little bar with green vines and a skylight that lets a lot of natural light in, along with a dining area and little balcony. The tiled floor, brick walls, and wood beams that span across the ceiling make their restaurant area upstairs so fun to spend time in.

I would oftentimes go here and just get their Cambodian Lemonade, or coffee and spend the afternoon working in this beautiful space. Their wifi is good, but there isn’t air conditioning. Which honestly doesn’t both you much as the walls of this building are thick and they have a number of fans making the upstairs space noticeably cooler than the temperature outside.

We love pretty much everything on their menu, but some of our favorites are their coconut shrimp, and juevos roto’s (a traditional tapa that you could find in Spain). If you’re in Battambang, don’t miss Lonely Tree Cafe!

They’re located at no. 56, Street 2.5, Krong Battambang, Cambodia. Open every day 10 am – 10 pm.

La Pizza

Head to La Pizza for the best pizza in town, look no further than La Pizza, located right along the river. La Pizza has a beautiful courtyard filled with comfy seating, gorgeous greenery and cute little bar, you won’t want to leave. This gem is owned by a French couple who make the best wood oven pizza in Battambang! They have a great happy hour deal (from 5 – 7) where they sell pizza by the slice and their normal menu is also reasonably so you should have no problem getting your fill of delicious food here.  

Our favorite pizza on their menu is “White Queen”. If you’re not too stuffed after your delicious pizza dinner, try out their creme pannacotta topped with passion fruit sauce! You won’t be disappointed!

Located: 59 street 159 D, Krong Battambang. Open Thursday – Tuesday 5 – 10 pm.

The Best Coffee And Smoothies

Street Three Coffee

For the best coffee in town, we would recommend a few places. If you’re looking for a fancier brew head to Street Three Coffee (formerly known as Cafe Crema). Street Three Coffee roasts their own coffee beans and has a number of delicious cold and hot brew coffee options. They also have a number of incredible tea options, including their green tea latte, that is my favorite thing on the menu! Also, their affogato (espresso shots poured over ice cream) is delicious!

We would come here to work often, enjoy some good coffee, great wifi and to the air conditioning as a well-needed break from the hot and humid Cambodian weather.

Not only do they have good coffee, they are also a business as missions organization, whose proceeds go to support their missions efforts in local communities. So drink good coffee, and feel good about it!

Located at #138, 3, Street 556. Open Monday – Saturday 6:30 am – 5 pm

Noi Cafe

For some cheaper brews, head to Noi Cafe, a coffee cart/stand just to the north end of Psa Nat Market. Here you can get a huge ice coffee for $1.25! It’s safe to drink and absolutely delicious, and fairly strong as they make it with shots of real espresso (as opposed to the typical Khmer way of making coffee). Our favorites here are the iced mocha and traditional iced coffee. Get one to go as you explore the town on your moto, tuk-tuk or bike.

White Rose Smoothies

For the best smoothies in town, head to the White Rose, a Cambodian/Western restaurant right in the center of town. They whip up the best smoothies with local fresh fruit. My favorite flavor here without a doubt is their coconut smoothie (Chris likes the coconut mango smoothie). They have tons of fruit and variations to try, so choose a few of your favorite fruits and get ready for one of the best smoothies you’ve had in a while!

Located on St 2, City Centre, Battambang 02000. Open every day 8 am – 10 pm

 

Let us know if you have any questions about any of our foodie favorites, or if you’ve been to Battambang and have others that you’d recommend!
Bon Apetite in Battambang!