Archive for 2012

Le Nacha


Le Nacha is a fairly new restaurant and is located just a little further down Shin Saw Pu Road from City Mart Myanigone. The place is particularly charming at night, with laterns hanging from the tree which stands at the entrance.

The interior is done in the classical style but with some Asian influences through some of the decorative fixtures and the table setting. This is probably deliberate as the restaurant serves Thai and French cuisine. The 2 distinct styles are presented not through fusion but as separate offerings. We were later explained by the waiter that the owner is from Chiang Mai.

We decided to try the restaurant's French offering as there are only 2 or 3 French restaurants in Yangon currently and it has been quite a while since we had that. There is an French extensive menu, ranging from raclette to steak.

Grilled Prawn Salad

We started with the Grilled Prawn Salad (Ks 9,000). The 3 prawns were nicely done, fresh, with a nice spring to it and coated with just enough mustard based sauce. The salad was good, except that we would have preferred a simpler vinaigrette over the thousand island dressing which was too heavy.

Snapper with Mango Sauce

L had Snapper with Mango Sauce (Ks, 13,000) while I had Lamb Chop with Mint Sauce (Ks 25,000). The fillet of snapper was well seared on the outside and was served with reduced mango sauce. The sauce was really delicious as the fragrance of the mango stood out.

Lamb Chops with mint sauce

My lamb chops came with the mint sauce in a tomato cup. The sauce was jelly like in consistency and tasted quite refreshing from a bit of acidity. The lamb chops were extremely tender and without the rubbery fat around the rinds. It was perfectly cooked and was indeed the highlight of the dinner.

We will definitely come again to try its Thai menu and their many other offerings. If you like lamb, we would like to recommend you their very tasty lamb chops.

Le Nacha
86A Shin Saw Pu Road,
Sanchaung Township,
Yangon


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Minn Lane Rakhine Rice Noodles & Seafood

This is one of our favorite restaurant in Yangon and is very popular among locals and foreigners alike. We were here just a week ago and we are back for dinner again today. It has a great bustling vibe that reminds us a little bit of Newton Circus in Singapore.



The restaurant is well known for its Moh-Ti (Rice noodles in fish broth) and its fresh seafood from the Rakhine region. Some seafood items are even air-flown to ensure maximum freshness. Its prices are also very reasonable and are a great value for money. From a commercial perspective, the restaurant enjoys an all day business as Moh-Ti is also commonly consumed for breakfast. Also, while seafood is relatively expensive (though cheap compared to other restaurants), its basic dishes are very affordable and hence the restaurant is able to cater to a wide range of customers.


Moh-Ti in fish broth
First up, their specialty, the Moh-Ti (Ks 600). It is a Rakhine take on the national noodle soup, Mohinga, which is more pungent and has a thick gravy. You can either order the Moh-Ti in a soup or dry. Our preference is the soup as you can really appreciate the silky strands of the rice noodles which are made fresh on order. You can also add to your noodles its legendary green chili sauce which is made by pounding chilies, lime and fermented fish paste in a good old fashioned mortar and pestle. Please start with small amounts of the chili sauce if it is your first time or it could get real hot and sweaty real quick.


The legendary spicy green chili sauce
We like the Rakhine Style Rice Salad (Ks 900) a lot and never fail to order it. It is a salad made from rice, potatoes, sesame seed, peanuts, the same green chili sauce and given a good mix by hand. Topped with a fried egg with a runny bright orange yolk, the rice salad and the moh-ti is probably the best you can get for under a thousand Kyats in Yangon.


Rakhine Rice Salad
A visit here is never complete without ordering seafood. We had Bamboo Clinch Salad (Ks 4,000) and BBQ Crab (Ks 5,500). The bamboo clinch (while this is what it says in the menu, we do not think its a widely used term) is a shellfish that is similar to the bamboo/razor clam. However, it is meatier, more succulent and more tender than the bamboo clam. The salad was simply bamboo clinch tossed with the spicy green chili sauce. Each bite of the juicy shellfish brings about a delightful firework in the mouth.


Bamboo Clinch Salad
The BBQ crab dish was served with 2 medium sized crabs and was topped with a generous heap of fried garlic, ginger, onion and capsicum. The crab was fresh and while perfectly charred on the outside, the inside was moist and sweet. We think that the crab might have been flash fried with the medley of seasoning to lock in the aromatic flavours.


BBQ Crab
This is a highly recommended restaurant and please try it if you have not. You can also splurge here if you so wish to as it also offers live lobster and mantis prawns. Whether you are on a tight budget or are looking for top notch seafood, this place is able to accommodate you.



Minn Lane Monti & Seafood
16, Parami Road
Mayangone Township
(95-9) 5502459



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Chococity



We were at Taw Win Center when we decided to have a chocolate fix at this nicely furnished outlet. Chococity specialises in, as you may guess, chocolate. They also have chocolate confectionery in various forms, from chocolate bars to truffles.

We decided to order a Dark Chocolate Smoothie (Ks 3,000). It also came with a complimentary piece of chocolate in a neat wrapper. As impressive as the decor may be, the smoothie was a real disappointment. Our main gripe is that you can hardly taste the chocolate! It was diluted and lacked the creaminess one would expect from a smoothie. The ice was also blended too roughly. Also, the complimentary chocolate was surprisingly bland and a piece of Cadbury would have been more chocolatey.

Overall, a big disappointment for a place that supposedly specialises in chocolate. It also does not do justice to its really nice decor.

Chococity
Taw Win Center
Pyay Road, Yangon
Tel: (95-1) 8600111 ext 1155


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Han Kook Kwan

We had initially wanted to go to another popular joint for dinner but it was fully booked that night, hence we proceeded to try this Korean restaurant, which is just a minute away. Nestled in a small lane off 7th mile Pyay Road, we were pleasantly surprised by the nice outdoor ambience at this restaurant. At the center is a pond with a big spinning water wheel.


Almost immediately we were served a spread of typical Korean appetizers such as Kimchi and various salads. As each table had a ring to hold a charcoal stove, it seemed that BBQ is the restaurant's specialty. With that in mind, we ordered BBQ Chicken (Ks 6,500) and Pork Belly (Ks 6,000).


We had a choice of having the meat grilled at the kitchen or at the table and naturally we chose to grill it ourselves. The meats were served with a generous side of fresh lettuce and green chili which R loves a lot. The chicken was well marinated in a sweet and tangy Korean sauce while the pork belly had a soy sauce based marinate. We particularly liked the pork as the grilling had rendered the fat to a crisp and was not too greasy.

BBQ Chicken

BBQ Pork Belly
We also had some carbs in the form of a Korean Seafood Pancake (Ks 9,000). The pancake was thick, had a nice bite and the seafood fresh. The carrots and leeks provided the delightful crunch.

Seafood Pancake
To top up an already full meal, we decided to try their Cold Noodles (Ks 7,500) because R saw it mentioned on their main signboard at the entrance. It was cold potato starch noodles served with an egg and bamboo shoot. The noodles were springy and unique but the sauce was something that we were not used to. It was a little too sweet for our taste but we are certain that this is how it is served in Korea.

Cold Noodles
We definitely recommend this restaurant for its grilled meat and lovely outdoor ambience. We will want to try their hot noodles for our next visit.

Han Kook Kwan
24(B), Pyithu Lane 7th Mile,
Mayangone Township, 
Yangon, Myanmar
Tel: (95-1) 662757

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Acacia Tea Salon


Today is a public holiday in Myanmar so R and I decided to spend our afternoon at Acacia Tea salon. We have been to this place many times and I have to say that it is one of the best places to have afternoon tea in Yangon.

Entering the compound, it is as if you were brought back to the colonial times. The building exudes an understated elegance and it brings out the lush and well-manicured landscaping that surrounds it. There is also a one-storey greenhouse-like building that you can get pastry, cakes and bread for take out or dine in.

Stepping into the building is a continuation of the colonial theme, with warm lighting and classical looking furniture and high-ceilings.



There are many private rooms/areas, both indoor and outdoor with various capacities. As the weather was fine, we picked the veranda spot on the 1st floor that overlooks the garden.
Our seating choice of the day

We ordered a Carrot & Cream Cheese Cake (Ks 4,000) to go with our Iced Cafe Lattes (Ks 3,000). We think that Acacia's specialty is in teas as its name suggests but being coffee people ourselves, we went with the latter. The coffee was great as usual and so was the carrot cake. It was as tasty to see as it was to eat.

Carrot & Cream Cheese Cake
Iced Cafe Latte
It may seem odd but one of our favorite snacks to order at Acacia is its Mini-Chicken Burger (Ks 1,000 per pc). The chicken patty is really succulent and just delightful with the cheese and onion. One is never enough for R and we had 3 altogether.
Mini Chicken Burger
As day turned into night

We highly recommend a visit to Acacia if you have yet to do so. At any time of the day too as it also serves high-tea sets, western lunch and dinner menus.

Acacia Tea Salon
52, Saya San Road, Bahan Township,
Yangon
Tel: (95-1) 5547339
http://www.acaciateasalon.com/

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Sai's Tacos

Sai's Tacos has been around for quite some time in Yangon but we have yet to try it. The Mexican restaurant is located at a quiet and prime residential district along Inya Myaing Road. We decided to try it for dinner on a lazy Sunday evening.

A narrow driveway from Inya Myaing Road leads to the restaurant, which is a fairly small single storey building. The restaurant has only a handful of tables and are decorated with Mexican-style table cloths. Locally woven rattan baskets and hats hang from the ceiling.

The restaurant serves popular Mexican fare such as burritos, tacos and quesadillas. As R is a bigger fan of Mexican food than me, I left the ordering of the dishes mostly to him. We ordered the Chili Cheese Fries (Ks 3,500), Chicken Crispy Taco (Ks 2,000 per taco) and Beef Quesadilla (Ks, 3,400). You can build your own Quesadilla with a variety of meat, beans, rice and vegetables to choose from.


First up is the Chilli Cheese Fries. Unlike most of the chilli cheese fries which we have had, the chilli for this is placed beneath the fries. I guess this is to keep the fries from becoming soft too quickly. Fries were crisp and were sprinkled with shredded parmesan cheese. The beef chili was a little too dry and could be spicier.


The Crispy Tacos had tomatoes, lettuce, shredded cheese and chicken in a crispy corn tortilla shell. The crunchiness of the taco is contrasted with the tomatoes and chicken. More sour cream would further accentuate this contrast and fuse the ingredients together.


The Beef Quesadilla was our favorite of the 3 dishes. It also came with a side serving of refreshing salsa. The  beef chilli was flavourful and went well with the nicely toasted tortilla.

All in all, Sai's Tacos is a good place to get your Mexican fix. In fact it is the only Mexican restaurant in Yangon now. R is looking forward to try the Mexican Omelettes for breakfast as the restaurant opens early on Saturdays and Sundays.

Sai's Tacos
32A Inya Myaing Road,
Yangon, Myanmar
Opens: Monday to Friday 11am - 9pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am - 9pm.


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Shabu Tei - Beef and more

We start our food journey on this blog with a first visit to Shabu Tei. We have been driving past Shabu Tei almost every day and finally we decided to pay a visit to this little Japanese restaurant on University Avenue Road for dinner.


The restaurant is in standalone house with traditional Japanese décor. Entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a homely and cozy ambience. Most of the furniture are made of pine wood and it gave a sense of authenticity. With traditional Japanese music playing in the background, we were ushered to a private room that seats 4.




Shabu Tei offers a wide variety that ranges from beef based dishes such as shabu shabu, sukiyaki, BBQ to other Japanese food such as nabe, curry rice, bento sets, noodles and more.
R and I decided to order 2 appetizers, Potato salad (Ks 2500), Mini Okonomiyaki (Ks 2,000) to start and one BBQ beef set. It is no surprise that we chose the most expensive grade of beef, the Prime Wagyu beef at (Usd 89 per 200gm). The set also comes with a variety of vegetables and rice.

First up, the Okonomiyaki was served. It was topped with pickled ginger, bonito flakes and Okonomi sauce and mayonnaise. The pancaked was well layered and well balanced with the dressing. However, there was too much flour compared to the other ingredients. The Potato salad came next and we a little disappointing. The potato was still warm when it was served and the texture was dry.
Okonomiyaki
Potato Salad

The BBQ set came next and it was what we really came for. As we ordered the most premium grade of beef, our expectations were undoubtedly high. The beef was well-marbled beef was served in slices. However, there was a rind of fat on some pieces. Grilling the slices to medium-rare, I placed the first piece in my mouth. Expecting the beef to melt in my mouth, I chewed lightly. But it took more effort. After a few more slices, the tenderness of the beef did improve. We guessed that it be as a result of the raw beef warming to room temperature. The Yakiniku dipping sauce was flavorful and enhanced the grilled beef without being overwhelming.
Prime Japanese Wagyu

Given R is a big eater, he decided to order one more dish, the Cold Somen (Ks 3000). It was partly because this type of noodle is not readily found in Yangon and is a good gauge of the restaurant’s standards.
The somen was served in a bowl filled with water and ice-cubes around the noodles and a separate bowl of dipping sauce. Surprisingly, this dish came as the highlight of the night. The noodle, cooked to al-dente, was extremely bouncy and had a nice bite to it. The dipping sauce, peppered with spring onions was equally great.

Overall, although the beef BBQ was below expectations, we will definitely come back again to try their other offerings. 

Shabu-Tei
No. 20 University Avenue, Bahan Township,
Yangon, Myanmar
Tel: (95-1) 526655

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