Not well known internationally, Myanmar food is worth stepping out of your comfort zone to taste. Here, Dar Le gives some of the highlights…
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It seems that Myanmar food is not as popular as Thai or Chinese as most tourists to don’t really know much about our food. In most countries you can find Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants in but not Myanmar restaurant — a real shame! Actually, there are a variety of dishes to choose from, everything from appetizer to traditional desserts.
There are countless tea shops in Myanmar that serve several options for breakfast from Mandalay traditional rice noodle salad to National soup called Monhinkar, a very nourishing bowl of thick fish soup go together with rice noodle. Or you can simply go for steam sticky rice with sprinkled sesame seeds or glass noodle soup with attractive ingredients. Adventurous guests should feel free to eat outside for breakfast with their cup of to tea. Myanmar breakfast noodles are definitely a must try!
Most people prefer lunch and dinner to be home cooked and many restaurants in Myanmar offer home cook style menu. Rice is the staple food of Myanmar, serve together with “curry” as main course along with wonderful vegetable salads as side dishes. Besides, spicy fermented fish sauce come together with assorted vegetables which I would say Myanmar appetizer are essential for every meal.
The salads in Myanmar are totally different to the salads known by the westerners. There are some restaurants that offer only salads but the menu is quite long with many choices.
For example, Inle Lake with floating vegetation, grow tomatoes and is the main supply for the whole country. Green tomato salads are quite famous and the recipe is so simple — a few slices of onion, ground peanuts and thin sliced green tomatoes mixed together with a few drops of salt and oil. In Myanmar this make perfect salads, though our salads can be made out of just about anything as main ingredients.
Our main course known as “curry” may be runnier than westerners expect — it can look like an Indian curry. The taste is totally different though as main ingredients of Myanmar curry are often based on a mix of onion and tomato, while most Indian curry contains a lot of spices as ingredients. Beef curry, chicken curry with potato, sweet pork curry and butter fish curry are quite tasty main courses that can be sampled in Myanmar — all served with rice!
After a good meal, it ends with assorted traditional desserts such as fried banana with honey, seaweed jelly with coconut milk, palm sugar sago, traditional banana cake and Burmese ‘semolina’ Cake.
The regional influences of Shan and Rakhine make Myanmar one of the best place to enjoy variety of foods with different but very appetizing tastes. And for those missing a taste of home, there is always the international language of pizza found in every major city!
Where to get some tasty eats in Yangon
Le Planteur (Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd) – This has long been considered one of the best restaurants in town, fusing Myanmar and International cuisine into delectable masterpieces. It is also one of the nicest in town so make sure to dress sharp and prepare for higher prices. Have your guide call and make a reservation and if done far enough in advance then you can book their vintage car for transfers.
Monsoon(Thein Byu Rd) – A favorite among expatriates, it offers a wide range of SE Asian cuisine in a relaxed, cosmopolitan atmosphere. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner but call ahead to make a reservation. They also have a fantastic fair-trade shop upstairs selling local artisan handicrafts.
Feel Myanmar Food (Pyidaungsu Yeiktha St.)This Bamar restaurant is popular with local businessmen and foreign embassy staff. You simply go to the counter and point to the dishes you desire to try (usually someone there to help describe it). The dishes come in small plates so it is common to see a table filled with 10 or more. It’s a fun way to try local cuisine and not have to commit to only one!
Governor’s Residence Myanmar Restaurant (Taw Win Rd) – Many travelers claim this to be one of their favorites. The combination of authentic food, superb service and romantic colonial setting create an all around wonderful dining experience. They have western and Myanmar dishes but the Myanmar dinner buffet is a highlight. They also have a lounge/bar perfect for after dinner cocktail.
In addition, there are two chain restaurants in major hubs that a popular in Mynmar, Feel Myanmar and Green Elephant that offer great option for local dining.
Or, for the best local flavours, let us add a guided tour of 19th Street where creating your own meal is half the experience!