THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Myanmar - page 315

San Carlo 3rd St 061 65253; map . Above-average Western food from an Italian-trained
Burmese chef, including a big selection of pizza and home-made pasta (K3000-6500) using
proper mozzarella, Parmesan, salami and so on. Also dishes up an extensive range of all the
usual Chinese favourites (K3000-4000). Daily 8am-10pm.
Star Beam Near New Bagan Market, behind NLD Party Office 09 4015 23810; map .
Internationally trained chef Myo Myint turns out a short but well-chosen menu (mains
K3500-6000)ofsuperiorlocalandinternationaldishesincludingRakhinefishandMyanmar
prawn curries alongside a few Western dishes - the freshly baked baguettes with fries are a
guaranteed hit. Daily 11am-9pm.
CULTURAL SHOWS
Several places around Bagan run nightly cultural shows featuring traditional puppets and/
or dancing.
Amata Boutique House Thiripyitsaya Quarter, New Bagan 061 65099, amatabtq-
house.com . Performances nightly from Oct to March starting with a 30min puppet show
followedbyanhouroftraditionalShanandKarendancing.Freewithamealintherestaur-
ant (with Asian mains for around K6000-7000). Daily 7-8.30pm (Oct-March only).
Bagan Golden Palace Main Rd, Old Bagan. Nightly shows of traditional dancing; $24
with dinner buffet or $10 entrance plus à la carte meal. Daily 7-9pm.
NandaRestaurant Bagan-ChaukRd,WetKyiInn 06160790. Enjoyable40minpuppet
shows, free with a drink or meal at the restaurant (although the pedestrian Chinese food is
expensive, with mains at around K5500-7000). Daily at 6.30pm, 7.15pm and 8pm.
SHOPPING
As with accommodation and eating, there are plenty of shops in Bagan, though few places
that really get the pulses racing. Lacquerware is the main local craft, particularly in
Myinkabavillage,whichisstuffedtothegillswithlacquerworkshopsandshowrooms.There
are a few woodcarving shops in Nyaung U along Thiripyitsaya 4 St. For topics , there's a
smallselectionofsecondhandnovelsatEverSkyonThiripyitsaya4St,whileformaterialon
Bagan and Myanmar try the bookstalls at the Shwezigon and Ananda temples.
Golden Cuckoo Myinkaba village (follow the dirt road down the right-hand side of the
Manuha Paya) 061 65156; map . The most enjoyable of Myinkaba's many lacquerware
workshops, run by the same family for four generations and offering absorbing workshop
tourswithoutanysalespatterorpressuretobuy.Cheaperitems(withsevenlayersoflacquer;
from around K10,000) are displayed in the showroom at the front, while the top-quality
fourteen-layer pieces are kept in two rooms at the back (check out the lacquer iPhone cover,
motorbike helmet and guitar). Daily 7.30am-10pm.