Page 93 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

EATING Yangon and around 91
Inya Lake Hotel 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd T01 966 Chinese and international restaurants plus a beautiful 1
2866, Winyalakehotel.com; map p.60. Huge grounds waterfront pool and spa. $200
and a fine setting on Inya Lake make this place feel more ★ Savoy 129 Dhammazedi Rd T01 526289, Wsavoy
like a country resort than an uptown hotel – an impression -myanmar.com; map p.71. The third of Yangon’s trio of
unfortunately spoilt by the ugly, vaguely submarine- old colonial hotels: less grand than the Strand, less
shaped hotel building itself, resembling a badly converted luxurious than the Governor’s Residence, but with more
multistorey car park. Rooms are arranged along possibly genuine old-world character than either (and at half the
Myanmar’s longest corridor (complete with squeaky price, to boot). Unassuming from the outside, the interior
parquet), functionally furnished in bland and dated has heaps of charm, with a pair of fine restaurants (see
international generic with all the mod cons. Surprisingly p.94), the cosy Captain’s Bar (see p.95), plus a spa, a neat
few rooms have lake views, although there’s a nice little garden pool with loungers, and gorgeous rooms,
waterside bar and a large lakeside pool. $150 beautifully furnished with faux-colonial wooden and
Kandawgyi Palace Hotel Kan Yeik Tha Rd T01 rattan furnishing. $290
249255, Wkandawgyipalace-hotel.com; map p.71. This Summit Parkview 350 Ahlone Rd T01 211888,
long-running tour-party favourite (owned by notorious Wsummityangon.com; map p.71. Run-of-the-mill four-
military crony Tay Za) isn’t very politically correct but is also star in a rather shabby concrete block attempting (and
one of Yangon’s best upmarket options, in an attractive failing) to hide behind fancy wooden pagoda-style
location by Kandawgyi Lake. Built around the old Rangoon porticoes. Rooms are spacious and well furnished, if bland;
Rowing Club of 1934, the hotel’s handsome traditional some at the front have fine views of the Shwedagon. It’s
architecture, palm-filled gardens and the Shwedagon very handy for the Shwedagon and National Museum, and
views are a pleasure. Rooms are full of attractive Burmese there are several passable restaurants nearby. Facilities
touches, and the excellent facilities include good Japanese, include pool and gym. $150
EaTIng
Yangon’s eating scene is still recovering from the country’s long years of isolation, with a surprising lack of Western-style
cafés and restaurants for a place with a population now approaching that of Singapore’s – you’ll search in vain for a
McDonald’s or a Starbucks (although the country did acquire its first KFC in 2015). As you’d expect, most of the best food on
offer is Burmese, although you’ll also find cheap Chinese, Indian and plenty of other Asian fare, alongside a modest number
of more upmarket places serving international cuisine. The city’s street food is a major draw (if you don’t mind the
sometimes dodgy hygiene), and many Yangonites still eat on the streets, perched on tiny plastic chairs amid the endless
pavement cafés which mushroom throughout downtown from late afternoon onwards, while locals and foreigners alike
flock to the lively food stalls and beer stations of Chinatown, stretching along 19th Street and (increasingly) spilling out
into the streets beyond.
DOWNTOWN Anya Ahta 37th St; map p.64. Innovative remake of
50th Street 50th St T01 397060, W50thstreetyangon a traditional beer station, looking halfway between a
.com; map p.62. Formerly Yangon’s expat haven of choice, drinking den and an art gallery and attracting a mainly
the US-style 50th Street pub-cum-restaurant is no longer local crowd plus occasional tourists thanks to its cheap
quite the livewire venue it once was – not helped by the draught beer and short but excellent selection of traditional
authorities’ grotesque decision in 2015 to sentence former Burmese snacks and mains (K1000–3000). Food includes
Kiwi manager Philip Blackwood to two and a half years in assorted salads (tea-leaf, paratha, pickled green mango)
notorious Insein jail for publishing a promotional poster alongside traditional pork sausages, seik tha lon kyaw (goat
showing the Buddha wearing headphones. Religious meat and flour-fried meatballs) and a tasty “lad’s chicken
controversy apart, it’s still a pleasant place for passable, if curry”. Daily 8am–10pm.
significantly overpriced, Western fare including pizzas, Bar Boon FMI Centre, Bogyoke Rd T09 960 245 731;
burgers and burritos alongside fish ‘n’ chips and pie of the map p.62. Hip modern “Dutch Deli & Espressobar”
day (mains K1100–1500). Good spot for a drink too overlooking busy Bogyoke Rd and serving up quality Illy
(see p.95). Daily 9am–midnight. coffee (from K3000) along with assorted baguettes, salads
★ 999 Shan Noodle Shop 130B 34th St T01 389363; and sandwiches (K6500–8000). Daily 8am–9pm.
map p.64. Shoebox café serving up superb Shan noodles Bharat Restaurant Mahabandoola St, at the corner of
(sticky, flat-rice and wheat) at rock-bottom prices (mains Seikkantha Rd; map p.64. No-frills local restaurant
K1500–3000) in a range of soups, salads and stir-fries. Gets offering an authentic taste of India in the middle of
packed at lunchtime, so expect to share a table. No alcohol. downtown Yangon. Food includes South Indian thali-style
Daily 6am–7pm. set meals (veg K2500, meat K3500, including free refills)

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