We love stumbling upon a good foodie restaurant, especially one that has options for all of us (we have two vegiterians and two meat eaters in our family). So, when we were in Phnom Penh, Cambodia longing for a good burger and found Restore One Cafe we were stoked! I know, I know how do you go to Cambodia thinking your going to find a good burger but actually “the burger” has a pretty big presence in Phnom Penh, probably because of all of the western NGO’s. None the less, after 5 weeks in SE Asia we were ecstatic to find a little taste of home. And then, to learn about the bigger picture behind Restore One made our burger find even more satisfying.
While at Restore One Cafe we met the manager and local resident, Sopheavy. She shared the vision behind the cafe explaining that it’s main purpose is to be a training ground for young people at risk and that they offer a 12-month traineeship at the cafe which equips the young people for a successful career in the hospitality and tourism industry. The proceeds made by the cafe are used to support the many other offers that Restore One Charity offers, from building projects, schools, and training and equipping locals to start micro-businesses.
We ended up popping in on more than one occasion which allowed up to get to know the staff and story behind the cafe as well as try a number of dishes, establishing our favorites. We all agreed that the fresh mint and lime smoothy and the homemade ginger beer were the best drinks on the menu, although their cappuccinos and mango smoothies were fantastic too! Hand cut fries and the spring rolls were our favorite appetizers and we tried all but two of their gourmet burger choices and found the vegetarian burgers just as delightful as their grass fed beef burgers.
PS. We highly recommend street vender/local fare as well, one because it’s cheaper but mostly because it was delicious. However, if your looking for a taste of home and have a few extra bucks to spare stop in to Restore One Cafe. Tell ’em The Hollands! sent you their way.
Tillers & Travelers 