Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is the latest luxury hotel to open in the Cambodian capital, offering an international five star option to both business and leisure travellers alike. A blend of modern and traditional architecture is perfectly presented from the moment you approach the beautifully restored French colonial villa which now forms the grand entrance. Pass through bygone times in this delightful building, complete with wooden shutters and arched doorways before arriving in the stylish, newly constructed main building. Complete with modern design features and contemporary artwork from esteemed Cambodian artist, FONKI, guests will be sure to enjoy the subtle fusion of design styles that this brand new luxury hotel has to offer.

We loved our Palace View Suite with floor to ceiling windows throughout offering a trio of intriguing vistas. The confluence of the Mekong and Phnom Penh rivers to the East, an ever changing Phnom Penh skyscape to the West and the Royal Palace rooftops, surrounded by ancient trees, directly below from our South facing windows. When we finished soaking up these stunning views we were able to enjoy our equally as stunning suite. Huge 65″ TV’s adorned the walls in both rooms, an excellent user interface including Google Chromecast functionality made for an excellent user experience. This is unlike other ‘luxury’ hotels where you spend an inordinate amount of time trying to fathom out the AV system, before having to either give up, or call for assistance. Top marks for one of the smoothest systems we’ve encountered for some time. An oversized sofa, work area and mini bar / coffee machine station made up the lounge, and the bedroom boasted a smaller sofa and a devinely comfortble bed, we could have slept for days! The bathroom was equally as modern and stylish as the rest of our suite (and hotel) with a standalone bathtub that we really couldn’t get enough of. As we have mentioned already, we loved our Palace View Suite and can’t wait to return…

There’s a 24 hour, state of the art gym available for guests and members, and Jivapita Spa promises relaxation, treatments and pampering in refined surroundings. Current COVID restrictions prevented us from experiencing the spa, but we certainly made use of the delightful roof top pool during our stay. Surrounded by a selection of sunbeds and daybeds, the space presented the perfect place to relax away from the bustling streets of Phnom Penh. The staff were super attentive with ice cold water, and also these delicious purple dragon fruit ice lollies which took our ‘chill time’ to the next level.

The Vegan Food

So far, so good, but what about the vegan food we hear you ask? Knowing that Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh had included plant based options on their menus, and excited that these included dishes featuring Beyond Meat, we felt confident that we would be very well catered for. Now, having enjoyed our mini staycation which was full of creative plant based food, the only question on our mind is ‘when can we go back?’.

Each day started with breakfast at Market Café with fresh juices, soya milk lattes and a seasonal tropical fruit bowl. Then things got exciting. Seeded bread topped with creamy avocado, asparagus and micro greens for a healthy and wholefoods option, followed by Beyond Meat dim sum for a not-quite-as-healthy but supremely delicious option. For an Asian plant based dish we enjoyed stir fried short noodles and finally, a reworked and refined ‘full English’ breakfast with perfectly seasoned pumpkin on toast as the star of the show.

Next up was lunch, which we also enjoyed at Market Café and was just as exciting as breakfast. A fresh green salad from the a la carte menu, packed with bok choy, broccoli, asparagus and avocado, followed my more delicate dumplings (we can’t get enough of them), this time with Beyond Meat and mushrooms in a spicy and flavour packed Sichuan style dressing, superb. The dumplings were from the daily ‘Lunch at Hyatt’ fixed menu, as was the excellent cauliflower steak, with salsa verde, macadamia crumble and crispy capers. We couldn’t ignore the Beyond Burger from the a la carte menu which was served with sweet chilli corn relish and rocket on a soft bun. To finish, a delightful dessert which was adapted to be vegan from the lunch menu. Rosemary and apricot sorbet, caramelised banana and shards of crunchy almond with a coconut cream brought our lunch to a slightly sweet and ever so indulgent finale.

We headed to level 14 in the evening, which is where you will find FiveFive Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, the stylish signature restaurant at Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh. Pre dinner (non alcoholic) cocktails with incredible sunset views were the order of the day, which was followed by a vegan ‘sharing’ meal with 3 starters, 3 mains and dessert for us to enjoy. And oh boy, did we enjoy every single plateful of plant based delights.

Our trio of main courses included edamame and lotus falafels, served with tomato sauce stuffed eggplant. We enjoyed this creative take on traditional falafel and the dish was full of flavour, very satisfying indeed and made us both smile. Our pondering was halted by the arrival of the Beyond Meat roulade with truffle, apsaragus, shimeji mushrooms and shredded leeks. Meaty roulade wrapped in zucchini, so chewy, beefy and satisfying, that truffle aroma wafting upwards to invite you in. This is not light, feels healthy and good for a diet plant food. This is hearty, meaty, earthy, rich, fill your boots and top it with truffle oil kind of plant food. And my goodness it’s worth it.

Reeling from the joy of the Beyond Meat roulade, next we embark on the sizzling miso baked rice with beyond meat mapu ragout. The heavy stone bowl is searingly hot and the rice is sizzling inside. This is a dish that sings, both literally as you put your ear to it but also it’s one of those dishes that will sing to your soul. This dish has taken that blissful moment of scraping the crunchy crispy well done bits of anything that’s been baking in an oven and amped it up to levels you didn’t know were possible. Of course there are actually deeper roots than the bits we might fight over in a home kitchen. This sizzling baked rice is inspired by Khmer cuisine where the last bit of the rice from the rice pot, which has glued itself on to the bottom of the pot, almost caramelising, is chiselled out (whole) and then fried. That inspiration with a spicy, rich, flavoursome sauce was never going to fail.

Gone are the days when vegans get offered fresh fruit platters for dessert (thankfully). Now we have two scoops of lime coconut sorbet which are sweet zingy and fresh, sat on crunchy crisped rice with salted seed tuilles, toasty, chewy coconut macaroon balls and then a thick chocolate ganache piped over it because let’s face it, there is always a place for chocolate in a dessert. This vegan tasting meal was prepared upon request, and was created by adapating a number of existing menu items, the cost for a similar plant based sharing meal is $70++ per couple and needs to be ordered in advance. Thank you chef, you and your team excelled yourselves and we loved every dish.

The Vegan Essentials

Everywhere we looked in our suite was a reminder of just how vegan friendly Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh really is. These reminders included excellent bathroom amenities from Pharmacopia who not only do not test on animals, but each of their products contain zero animal derived ingredients and are certified vegan by PETA. It was a shame to see them in single use plastic bottles, but this is an example as to how COVID has impacted the planned reduction in the use of single use plastic throughout the hotel industry. Hyatt had pledged to remove all individual bathroom amenities and plastic water bottles from their properties worldwide by June 2021 but this date has been pushed back. Let’s hope we see these changes implemented in the not too distant future. Snacks available in our room were all locally sourced and clearly marked vegan including the excellent chocolate from WAT Chocolate who are based in Siem Reap. Even the gin and rum was from local artisinal distilleries, Seekers and Samai who are both located in Phnom Penh. It was great to see a global brand like Hyatt supporting and showcasing local products.

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

We write about the finest vegan friendly luxury hotels and resorts. We can safely say that Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is exactly that, and we can’t wait to return. It’s great to see Hyatt in the region continue to include vegan and plant based food on their menus, including ground breaking ‘future foods’ such as Beyond Meat. The variety and quality of dishes we enjoyed during our stay were of the highest level, the F&B team here really know their stuff. Combine this with a modern, stylish hotel and you’re on to a winner. Perfect for a staycation if you’re currently based in Cambodia, and one for you to add to your list if a trip to ‘The Kingdom of Wonder’ is something you are considering once international travel is possible again.

We were guests of Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh
55 Preah Ang Makhat Vann
Phnom Penh 12206

Telephone: +855 023 600 1234
Cost From: £110 / $150 – Jul 2021 (discounted rates during COVID)

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