There's not much to differentiate Banlung cuisine from other Cambodian towns. All but three restaurants are owned and run by Cambodians. Aside from restaurants located in guesthouses, there are several eateries that serve western food.
All of these serve a variety of Cambodian and Western food and drinks, the staff are very friendly and dishes start at around US$1.50 or R6000:
A'Dam, east of the market (turn right just before Tribal Lodge, look for the sign on the corner) is the cheapest of these, with a relaxed pub-like feel, and has a pool table, big screen television, filling meals and draft beer. Especially convivial on Friday nights when the expats gather - just go and introduce yourself!
Gecko House, also east of the market (on the left past Tribal Lodge), has a more upmarket ambience. Owned by the brother of A'dam's host, there's good food at competitive prices, some Thai dishes, pizza and draft beer. Popular meeting place for lunches and small group dinners, and Wifi.
BBQ and Icecream is a recent offshoot of A'dam, next to Parrot Tours, specialising in cook-at-the-table charcoal grills and home made icecream.
Sal's is tucked away a block south from the highway, west of the airport and about 1200 metres from the market on a rough clay track, in an elevated wooden building. The menu has a couple of English and Mexican specialities (like Shepherd's Pie, chilli con carne and fish wraps) and pizza. The menu is sorted by waiting time, important as the slow service is legendary (no Khmers ever eat there twice) - impatient diners can call 012 284 377 to pre-order the pizza.
Lake View, Star, Treetops and Tribal Guesthouses all have in-house eateries. Treetops has Wifi.
Hommy Laos north of the roundabout has Wifi but not much grasp of the menu.
Nature Cafe has, sadly, closed. American Restaurant is long gone.
There are a growing number of Khmer restaurants in town:
Heading east from the intersection in front of the market (bus stop corner): on the right are a couple of good soup restaurants, the first Tanam popular for breakfasts, the second Soup 63 with a great view, down the second street left is another Khmer place, while further out on the left are three Khmer eateries (Red Cow, Green House, the last named in Khmer only ) that have gone beyond plastic chairs and strip lights to a more pleasant decor.
South of the bank around a few bends Beef and Chips does good beef and home style chips.
There are a couple of more upmarket Western style restaurants, both located at foreign-owned hotels.
Le Jovial Jarai in Terres Rouges Lodge by Kan Siang lake is arguably the finest restaurant in town, famous for its garden setting and music. It serves a variety of Cambodian, Thai, Chinese, and Western dishes and has a full bar, white jacketed waiter and table linen. Prices average $4.50 per main with more expensive imported steaks etc.
Norden Lodge on Yeak Lom Road also has some classy eats including Scandinavian specialties such as Salmon Salad at around $5.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Banlung
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Banlung - updated Apr 2024
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Banlung Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
