Marshall Islands for Vegans & Vegetarians + 5 Best Restaurants

Finding satisfying vegan and vegetarian meals in Majuro takes a little planning, but there are more options than you might expect. Most restaurants do not have separate plant-based menus, so vegetarians will usually have the easiest time, while vegans may need to request changes and double-check sauces, stocks and cooking oils.

We have found that cafés, hotel restaurants and Asian-style eateries tend to offer the most flexibility. Here are some of the best places to start.

1. Tide Table Restaurant & Lounge

Set on the waterfront at Hotel Robert Reimers, Tide Table Restaurant & Lounge (Uliga) is one of Majuro’s most straightforward choices for plant-based diners. Unlike many restaurants in town, it directly caters to both vegetarians and vegans.

The menu includes a dedicated vegetarian and vegan appetiser with vegetable lumpia and crudités, along with a "Vegan Burrito" and "Vegan Pesto Pasta". Fries, garlic bread and salads provide further options, although vegans should confirm whether butter, cheese or mayonnaise are used.

Weekly theme nights add more variety, with pasta on Mondays and pizza on Thursdays often providing further opportunities for plant-based meals. The waterfront setting is a bonus, especially when dinner comes with a lagoon view.

2. Island Star

Island Star (Uliga) is a lively Chinese restaurant with one of the strongest vegetable menus we have found in Majuro. It is open daily, offers free WiFi and uses a handy digital ordering system through your phone or tablet.

Plant-based choices include steamed bok choy, sautéed broccoli, stir-fried mixed vegetables, sweet and sour tofu, fried tofu in garlic sauce and mapo tofu. Vegetarians can also choose from several egg-based dishes.

Vegans should check whether tofu dishes contain oyster sauce, fish sauce or meat stock, particularly the mapo tofu. With so many vegetable and tofu dishes available, however, this is one of the easiest places in Majuro to build a proper meal rather than surviving on side dishes.

Different themed dining rooms are available, including a VIP room that is worth reserving ahead. It is a fun option for groups, especially when everyone else in your party insists on ordering half the menu.

3. DAR Coffee Corner

A local institution with more than 40 years of history, DAR Coffee Corner (Uliga) is one of Majuro’s most dependable choices for vegetarians. It is (loosely) open from 7 am to 3 pm daily, making it useful for breakfast, lunch or that awkward late-morning meal that is technically both.

Vegetarian choices include cheese, vegetable and spinach omelettes, along with veggie yakisoba, chow mein and pancit. Salads, soups, garlic rice and vegetable sides provide further options.

Vegans will need to ask about eggs, dairy, sauces and cooking stock, but a customised noodle or vegetable dish may be possible - just be sure to communicate well and slowly, as the staff weren't 100% on their English.

4. Enra Restaurant

Located at the Marshall Islands Resort, Enra Restaurant (Delap) serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a relaxed setting with indoor and outdoor seating.

Vegetarians have several clearly suitable choices, including the "Vegetarian Omelet", "All Veggie Pizza" and "Vegetable Ramen". The pizza can be ordered with thin or double crust and a tomato or white cream sauce, while pancakes, fruit and side dishes offer additional flexibility.

Vegan diners should request the tomato sauce, no cheese and confirm whether the ramen broth contains meat or fish.

5. Riwut Restaurant

With local artwork, cosy booths and one of Majuro’s most varied menus, Riwut Restaurant (Uliga) is a useful option for vegetarian breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Morning choices include the "Veggie Omelette", served with rice, toast, pancakes or hash browns, and the "Spinach Omelette" with garlic and Parmesan. Later in the day, vegetable sides, salads and selected sushi rolls provide more possibilities.

The "Sautéed Veggies" normally includes octopus, so vegetarians should specifically request it without seafood and confirm whether the dish uses fish sauce or meat-based stock. Vegan options will require further adjustments, but the broad menu gives diners a better chance than at many smaller eateries.

For more about these restaurants, as well as non-vegetarian friends, check out the 10 Best Restaurants in Majuro & the Marshall Islands.

Self-catering is one of the easiest ways to manage a vegan or vegetarian diet in Majuro, particularly if you are staying somewhere with a kitchen or basic cooking facilities. The capital has several large supermarkets, so finding everyday staples is generally straightforward.

K&K Island Pride Supermarket (Delap and Long Island) is the best-stocked option for plant-based shoppers. Its branches carry a wide range of international groceries, including vegan substitute products and plant-based milks such as oat, almond and macadamia milk, with many brands imported from Australia.

The snack aisles are an adventure in themselves, with products from Japan and other international destinations. You may spend a fair amount of time checking ingredient labels and trying to work out what unfamiliar packets contain, but that is also half the fun (assuming you are not shopping while extremely hungry).

Payless Supermarket (Uliga) is another useful stop, with canned beans, tomatoes, noodles, rice and other easy self-catering staples. Both Payless and K&K have well-stocked fruit and vegetable sections, although most produce is imported and freshness can vary.

For locally grown fruit and vegetables, head to the Local Market beside the Marshall Islands Resort (Delap). It is usually open from around 9 or 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday. For fresh bread and baked goods, Annie's Bakery (Delap) is just behind the market.

Otherwise, Misco Market (Uliga) is a good option for local fruit, easily spotted from the roadside.

EZ Price Mart (Uliga) has a smaller grocery selection but can be handy for soy milk, drinks and snacks, while several Chinese-run hole-in-the-wall shops stay open late or around the clock for emergency water, noodles and snack runs.

Overall, basic plant-based staples are easy enough to find in Majuro, but specialist vegan items are less predictable. We recommend stocking up when you see something useful rather than assuming it will still be there next time, a lesson every island supermarket shopper eventually learns.

For more about shopping in Majuro, check out A Guide to Supermarkets & Food Shopping in the Marshall Islands.