pho-licious: Myanmar

Breakfast of Kings

There was once a time when I thought tofu was only made of soy beans. But after eating food from the eastern Shan state of Myanmar, I was glad to be proved wrong. Tofu can also be made with chickpeas. Even better, it can be made into one of the best noodle dishes anywhere on this planet. And I’m not overexaggerating.

Through a somewhat laborious process, the chickpea, unappealing to some, can be made into a universally friendly thick, almost creamy sauce, which is poured over sticky rice noodles. Top that off with fresh coriander, peanut, soy, chilli flakes (you need to add these yourself) and tender pork, and you have a slightly sweet and moreishly addictive breakfast of kings (and queens). And don’t forget to mop up excess chickpea tofu sauce with fried chickpea tofu fritters.

Inn gyin see sar eating house (http://www.myanmaryp.com/company/81649/Inn_Gyin_See_Sar_Eating_House) is one of the best places to have this stuff in the whole of Yangon, if you don’t have time to venture to Shan state. Just be warned this is a bit off the tourist trail so make sure your host or cab driver knows their way before heading off. Recommended accompaniments are their passionfruit juice and complimentary pickles to help cut through the protein rich sauce.

Deliciousness from a restive region

The northern state of Kachin may have a reputation for being rather restive but it is home to some uniquely delicious, and different food. Jing Hpaw Myay (http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/lifestyle/dining/8151-yangon-s-best-kachin-food-demands-overindulgence.html) showcases some of this region’s delights.

Fortunately when you eat with a local they tend to know what’s good, so here’s a low-down on what to try. Banana leaf steamed fish – lots of tasty coriander brings firm, meaty fish flesh to life; kachin style pork curry – tender pork with the freshness of coriander leaf and finally kachin style beef curry – excellent – probably the pick of the lot: moist, juicy ground beef, infused with just the right amount of coriander seed.

Ok a lot of coriander is used here so probably not the best choice if you’re not a cilantro fan. And I forgot one last dish - awesome kachin style rice: delectable steamed rice made addictive with hints of aniseedy thai basil. No pic of that unfortunately.

Super Sweet Mantis Shrimp and Much, much more

Rakhine state unfortunately has been making the news for mainly the wrong reasons in the last few years, due to religious conflict in the region. But I’m gonna highlight a more palatable aspect of this western state of Myanmar, its fantastic seafood.

Minn Lan (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294191-d3222258-Reviews-Minn_Lan-Yangon_Rangoon_Yangon_Region.html) has several eateries dotted around Yangon and is a safe bet for quality, reasonably priced seafood. Must haves include steamed mantis shrimp whose incredibly sweet flesh is almost unmatched elsewhere in the animal kingdom; razor clam stir fry with garlic and spring onions and even more garlic when grilled with river prawns. And don’t forget to try their ‘mont di noodles’, vermicelli-esque noodles that come in two varieties – a spicy prawn paste infused Rakhine state version, or a lentil infused Burmese style version.

Noodles and peanuts make for a good combination

It might not be off the beaten path, but Feel Myanmar Food (http://www.feelrestaurant.com/welcome.html) is a pretty decent introduction into the country’s cuisine, especially if you know what to order. My Burmese friend’s recommendation was to go with their Mandalay noodles, and, yup, they didn’t go amiss.

Udon esque noodles are used to link the unique flavours of an oily chicken sauce, chilli paste, peanuts, lime, coriander, boiled egg and shredded chicken to create a more-ish taste – for me, it’s the richness of the peanut cut through by the lime and chilli which really hits the spot. Good stuff.

Also worth a try are their selection of Burmese desserts. Most notable were their Burmese style donuts with palm syrup – not as heavy as their American style cousins, but no less sweet. Also try the coconut and sago dessert pictured below – pretty hard to go wrong with that hit of sweet cholesterol laden goodness.

Awesomely aromatic red banana cake

When in Myanmar, going to a bakery might not be on the top of your to do list. But in terms of unique local eats, a visit to one of the Shwe Pu Zun bakeries (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shwe-Pu-Zun-Cakes-and-Cold-Drinks/148759965188606) should be right up there.

For a sweet Burmese treat, try their red banana cake (shwe pyi). It has a slightly odd, half Malaysian kueh – half English cake type of texture, but really, this is all about the incredibly fragrant power of the red banana – sweet and awesomely aromatic.

For something savoury, arrive around 3-4pm to treat their mutton puffs (they sell out quickly!). Light puff pastry encases tender, delicately spiced shredded mutton to create a light and highly moreish snack. I really don't need to say more.

Porky Noodles

'Kyay Ohe' ( pronounced ‘J-O’) noodles in Chinatown is a favourite haunt of locals looking for a ridiculously large and tasty bowl of porky soup noodles. Rich, highly meaty yet not overly salty broth has its origins in China and one could argue that it’s not actually that dissimilar to what you can find in other Sino-influenced cuisines.

Nonetheless, the home-made meatballs contained within are simply awesome and this place opens til reasonably late, about 11pm, so is great for a post booze supper.
SaGaWar Kyay Ohe @ Shwe Taung Tan Street 16.776626,96.146424

BBQ Street

Barbeque street (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/843341) is pretty self explanatory. If you want some tasty local grilled goodness, often accompanied with some refreshing Myanmar beer, then this is the place to be.

At our eatery, restaurant card shown below, we had a whole grilled snapper whose crispy skin was spicy and tingly owing to the presence of dried chilli and Szechuan peppercorns, made extra moreish due to the mandatory dipping of this fish into a zingy tamarind sauce. Eat this with a big bowl of mala style veg; random grilled skewers, steamed rice and beer, and you’re set.

Luxury Mohinga

The ubiquitous national dish of catfish based broth with rice noodles, coriander and fried assortment of various pulses otherwise known as Mohinga can be found everywhere in Yangon, but this place does a lavish and somewhat more expensive version.

Firstly, their light, catfishy and turmericy broth base is recognised by many in Yangon to be one of the best. Topped off with vermicelli rice noodles, coriander, a squeeze or tow of local lemon, crunchy lentils, fried bean paste and egg roe. Absolutely delicious and yet again another reason why Myanmar’s hearty yet healthy breakfasts are some of the best around. Co-ordinates:
Daw Phyu Mohingar @ Ou Yin Street 16.814989,96.14195

Myanmar style curry

A proper Burmese curry comes with a standard layer of oil on top. It’s just the way curries are done in Myanmar. You can of course, decant the oil elsewhere but I’d recommend you leave a least a tad – there’s tons of flavour hidden within this layer of grease.

I don’t have a clue how to say the name of this place so you might have to show the picture of this business card (below) to a cab driver or a local. So whilst it might be a tad tough to get to, the adventure, and more importantly, the food, will make it all worth the trouble. My favourite, hands down, is pone gye yii, a black bean paste pork belly curry from the Bagan region (pictured above). Nutty, earthy, fatty and well, damn good. This place also does a mean mutton curry and dal.