Pitching themselves as “the first Shan-style fine dining restaurant in Myanmar”, prices at Shan Yoe Yar start from about K1500 and rise up to about K16,000-K20,000 on average for a main.
Having a quick look at the breakfast menu – which is served from 6am until 4pm – a classic bowl of Shan noodles starts at K2200. Considering most local restaurants charge from about K500 a bowl, it’s fair to say the prices may be a bit steeper than what locals are used to.
That said, the décor at the restaurant is immaculate. Open since May this year, Shan Yoe Yar is a beautifully renovated teak mansion in Lanmadaw township. Away from the more touristy areas, most of the customers have so far been Korean and Japanese tour groups and the more affluent Myanmar, said the restaurant director.
The space downstairs is open-plan dining while upstairs, private rooms can be hired out for those who can afford a bit more privacy.
I opted to sit downstairs with the masses, choosing deep-fried tofu (K1500) and Shan-style sour pork sashimi (K2000). I wasn’t entirely what to expect from the sour pork, especially if it was raw, so I asked it to be grilled – just in case the sourness wasn’t from the fermentation process. The tofu came with a light tamarind dipping sauce that whetted my taste buds and the sour pork surprisingly soft and moist to chew, not at all tough as I had been expecting.
I also chose Shan-style mashed potatoes (K2000), that were a bit more gloopy than your average mash, but way more exciting having had fresh herbs tossed through it. The waiter suggested I try the traditional beef salad, but when I saw on the menu that it was mostly made up of grilled beef organs, I instead opted for the Par Sout, herb-stuffed catfish steamed grilled in banana leaves (K18,000). The pounded leek root salad (K6000) was the most outstanding dish for, with the zesty flavours of lemongrass and lemon juice providing the necessary “zing” to compliment the heavier dishes.
I was stuffed, but saw my through a round of complimentary dessert – steamed pumpkin in rose-water infused and sweetened milk. I had never had tried the combination before, but it worked well.
Hopefully Shan Yoe Yar can maintain its quality but the main thing I would suggest is for them to put up a sign outside in English. So far, they have a bright neon sign in Myanmar – a bit hard to work out for an average traveller wandering by Shan Yoe Yar
Sae Hark
No comments:
Post a Comment