Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where To Eat & Drink
Myanmar has three dining/drinking scenarios: what's in Yangon (including many expat-
oriented, high-end choices); what's in other oft-visited places, including Mandalay,
Bagan, Inle Lake and Ngapali Beach (many traveller-oriented menus, with Thai and
pizza); and everywhere else.
Food can be quite cheap (from K1200 or K2500 for a full stomach) if you stick to
roadside restaurants with their curry-filled pots or pick-and-point rice dishes. It's worth
mentioning that these restaurants, though cheap, don't always meet international hygiene
standards. That said, you're usually looking at K3000 to K5000 for a meal. In many mid-
sized towns there are basic stands and maybe a Chinese restaurant or two - and that's it.
A BURMESE NOODLE PRIMER
Myanmar's noodle dishes, known generally as k'auq·s'wèh, are quite unlike those
found elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Often eaten for breakfast or as snacks between
the main meals of the day, they can be divided into three general categories:
'Dry' Noodles
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S'i jeqMeaning 'cooked oil', this refers to noodles (rice or wheat) slicked with oil,
topped with roast meat, and served with a side of broth and small salad of cucum-
ber (in Yangon) or onions (in Mandalay).
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Nàn·gyì dhouq/móun·diThese two, virtually identical, dishes consist of thick,
round rice noodles served with chicken, slices of fish cake, par-boiled bean sprouts
and sometimes slices of hard-boiled egg. The ingredients are seasoned with
toasted chickpea flour, drizzles of turmeric and/or chilli oil, and served with sides
of pickled vegetables and a bowl of broth.
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Nàn·byà·gyì thouqIn Mandalay, this is a dish similar to the above, but made with
flat, wide wheat noodles.
'Soup' Noodles
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Kya·zin hìnMung bean vermicelli served in a clear broth with wood-ear mush-
rooms, lily flowers, slices of fish cake, and pork or chicken. Typically garnished with
hard-boiled egg, coriander, chilli flakes and thinly sliced shallots, and seasoned
with lime juice and fish sauce.
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Kyè òuMeaning 'copper pot', this dish with Chinese origins combines thin rice
noodles, egg, pork, seasoned pork balls, pork offal and greens in a hearty broth.
