From http://weblogs.thingsasian.com/tablogs/page/dgilliland?entry=b_oh_yangon_b:
'Saturday January 20, 2007

Oh, Yangon!
While not as noisy, polluted, or chaotic as Bangkok, the streets of Yangon are becoming increasingly full of traffic, and the sidewalks are overflowing with vendors hawking all sorts of merchandise. But unlike their comrades in Bangkok, the street sellers in Yangon are very vocal, loudly proclaiming the virtues of their products as pedestrians continually stream past. For some strange, wonderful reason used books can be found in abundance; both in proper shops and out on the sidewalks. But don’t go expecting to find any recent best sellers. At one shop I entered there wasn’t a single book on the shelf that was published in the past 30 years.

I discovered some good new restaurants this visit, thanks to recommendations from a couple of hospitable and knowledgeable Yangon residents. Ma Thanegi introduced me to Monsoon, a delightful restaurant on Thein Byu Road, only about a block from the river. Not only does Monsoon serve excellent meals (in addition to Burmese cuisine they also have Thai, Lao, and Vietnamese dishes), displayed throughout their attractive three-floor building are artwork, glassware (from the famous Na-Gar Glass Factory), books, paper umbrellas, and other native handicrafts. They even stock Ma Thanegi’ book about Myanmar Cuisine!

Myriam Grest, the owner of Myanmar Travel Ltd., took me to the brand new branch of L’Opera, located in a refurbished old home on the lakeshore next to the Dusit Inya Lake Resort. Scrumptious Italian food served in an attractive outdoor garden. Being in the company of the vivacious Myriam, her personable daughter (who attends ISB in Bangkok), and her industrious office manager made for a splendid evening.

I returned one afternoon to Happy World, an amusement park located in the vicinity of Shwedagon Pagoda. I had promised the staff photographer at the park that I would bring him some of the photos that we took together last year, plus I wanted to take a dip in one of Happy World’s large swimming pools. Thankfully, the weather was warm enough to permit such indulgences. A couple of boys at the pool befriended me and after a swimming session (I passed on joining them for a plunge down the giant slide) they invited me to a bumper car duel, and later a round of darts (the game involved picking a number and then trying to aim your dart at the corresponding number on a nearby wall). And to top it off, these two kids, who couldn’t have been more than twelve, paid for it all!

I also paid a couple of visits to the Mandarin Restaurant, my old reliable dining spot near Mahabandoola Park and Sule Pagoda. The couple who run the place always remember me, greeting me like a long lost relative. The food is nothing fancy, but it’s consistently good, and the prices are affordable. And if you’re lucky the electricity won’t go out during your meal.

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>From http://www.sallys-place.com/travel/asia/nyapi.htm:

Pass the Nyapi, Please!"
by Janice Nieder & Rebecca Sparks

In the states, you will be lucky to find a Burmese restaurant where you live. It is one of the few cuisines that Americans have not yet discovered, so you can imagine how excited two food consultants were as they booked their trip to Myanmar. We felt a little like Columbus, sent to explore previously uncharted territories.

After spending a few days in the capital of Myanmar, Yangon (also known as Rangoon), we weren't much closer to unlocking any culinary secrets. We had eaten some tasty Chinese food, dined on some fancy French food, and even stumbled across a Mexican wine bar…but where was the local food? After querying everyone we met, the general consensus was that Shan state had the best traditional food.

Hope sprang eternal as we excitedly boarded the plane for Khentung-the old Shan capital. Although the flight took only a few hours from Yangon, when we landed we felt like we had gone back 100 years in time. Khentung is built in a valley around Nong Tung Lake, and is surrounded by picturesque green-clad mountains. Numerous Buddhist temples (known as stupas) and monasteries add to the quiet beauty and peaceful serenity which is most welcome after the hustle of Yangon.

Our travel agent had booked us at the Princess Hotel, right in the center of town. Although rather basic, it was impeccably clean, and the General Manager did everything possible to ensure our stay was enjoyable. When he found out we were writing about Burmese food, he quickly ordered the cook to forget about the standard fried egg breakfast, and prepare us Shan soups.

The first night we ate at the Golden Banyan. We pre-arranged to have a Shan dinner prepared, and the chef rallied to the occasion. Although the atmosphere of this open-air restaurant may leave something to be desired the food certainly does not. Meals are a communal affair, with everyone sipping out of the same serving spoon and using their right hand to scoop up a handful of food. We began with a pot of vegetable soup-made up of a potpourri of market vegetables, seasoned with a unique blend of herbs and spices. One of our favorite dishes was Ne Sa, a mound of minced pork that was sautéed with shallots and chili surrounded by a bed of crunchy cabbage, scallions, chive root, and herbs and accented with crispy fried onions and dried shrimp. We were impressed with the beautifully presented Lakai en rok care, an elegant, deep-fried local flower stuffed with delicately spiced minced meat. The colorful vegetable stir fry was lightly kissed with a touch of garlic and chilies. We ladled this over piles of fragrant sticky rice, debating the merits of the white versus the brown rice. (Later we tasted the black sticky rice and had a new contender) This was where we first encountered the ubiquitous nyapi. The Shan people can't make it through a meal without copious spoonfuls of nyapi-a hot seasoning paste based on fermented fish or shrimp. After our first taste, we were immediately hooked. We even began carrying small containers of our favorite nyapi with us in case our food needed a fix!

*Two important caveats: the Burmese use excessive amounts of oil when cooking. They feel it is insulting to their guests to do otherwise. After requesting that our food be made with only a little oil-and finding out that "a little" meant something quite different to them, we asked for "No Oil" and were extremely satisfied with the results. The other warning is to be sure and ask for food to be prepared "without Ajinomoto", which is MSG.

For our last night in Khentung we invited our guide and his wife out for dinner. When we found out that she had never eaten in a restaurant, we knew we wanted to take her someplace special. Most Burmese prefer Chinese food when dining out so we selected Lod Htin Lu restaurant. We were a little disappointed when we walked in -but behind its characterless façade lay a very accomplished kitchen. Not only was it the best Chinese food we had in all of Myanmar, it was better than most Chinese food in China! After slurping up a richly seasoned vegetable soup, we knew we had picked the right restaurant. Every dish was exemplary. The mouth-watering lo mein noodles were firm and virtually grease-free. They were generously topped with toothsome pork and assorted fresh vegetables. The hot and sour chicken was made with velvety chicken pieces infused with garlic and ginger and a hint of chili. We quickly devoured a deceptively simple dish of homemade tofu and mixed mushrooms. The seasonal greens were quickly sautéed retaining a slight crispness, and served with a light garlic sauce, that enhanced but did not overwhelm their delicate flavor. It's easy to be virtuous when dessert choices consist of perfectly ripe slices of pineapple or orange quarters. A meal at either of these restaurants costs about $6 for 4 people and will provide you with enough food to feed eight. After such a delightful meal I don't think this is the last time the guide's wife will be dining out!

With all this eating, some sort of exercise is mandatory. Taking day treks to visit the local hill tribes is an excellent way to burn off some extra calories. Our favorite guide, Mr. Paul, not only speaks fluent English, but also knows most of the dialects of the local tribes. He contributed greatly to our visits by explaining the different tribal customs and religious beliefs. He was extremely concerned with the welfare of the tribal people and we were happy to help support his efforts by providing them with basic medicines, pencils, and notebooks.

Since no food was available where we trekked, a picnic lunch was in order. Starting off each day with a trip to the market, we felt just like the locals, as we cheerfully elbowed our way through the crowds, visiting our favorite vendors, squeezing and sniffing the fruit to make sure it was at peak ripeness. Every day we'd try a different sausage or jerky to go with our sticky rice selection, and a salad-perhaps made from freshly chopped sweet tomatoes, onions and chili sauce-all packed in pristine little plastic take-away bags. Instead of our usual ketchup and mustard, here our favorite condiments were a salty piquant sauce made from pickled mustard greens, an intense smoky aubergine spread, or sour slivers of fermented bamboo shoots (an acquired taste). For dessert, we would wander over to the fruit stalls and buy a pomelo, which looked like a grapefruit on steroids, a cluster of huge grapes from China, or a bunch of finger bananas. Holding our noses, we decided to skip the durian!

Hearts and stomachs heavy, we sadly boarded our plane 4 days later. We could have happily spent another week exploring Khentung, but our plans called for stops in Kalaw, Inle Lake, Mandalay, and Bagan, before returning to Yangon. During the next few weeks we'd partake of many delicacies. We would feast on the appropriately named "Suffering Fish," a lake fish that is painstakingly skinned, de-boned, pounded, seasoned and then stuffed back into its skin. We'd slurp mohinga, the famous fish soup that is the Burmese breakfast of champions. At a scenic restaurant overlooking the river in Bagan, we crunched the heads off the sweetest, most impeccably fresh prawns imaginable.

Khentung is a living picture-perfect postcard, with a plethora of fascinating tribal people to visit. But for two food consultants, in search of uncharted cuisines, it was a dream come true. After eating such beautifully prepared meals, home-cooked or at restaurants, and sampling from the endless array of exotic foods at the market, we concluded that Khentung was indeed the culinary mecca of Myanmar. We highly recommend that all foodies make this pilgrimage at least once in their lives. Just be sure to pack a pair of pants with an elasticized waistband!

*Special thanks to Myriam Grest, owner of Myanmar Travel Ltd, who organized our entire trip. More information about our itinerary, hotels, and prices can be found by contacting Myriam at:

Myanmar Travel Ltd.
Pansodan Office Tower, 3rd Floor, Room 3A
189/195, Pansodan Street, Kyauktada Township
Yangon, Myanmar
Tel.: (+951) 204-046, 391-015; Fax: (+951) 391-015
E-mail: info@myanmartravel.net

Hotels
Yangon: Traders Hotel/deluxe ****
Kyaikhtiyo: Golden Rock Hotel/deluxe **
Khengtung: Princess Hotel/standard * ½
Kalaw: Kalaw Hotel/superior **
Inle Lake: Hupin Hotel Kaung Dine / superior ***
Mandalay: Sedona Hotel/superior ****
Bagan: Bagan Hotel/suite *** ½

Airlines
Air Mandalay
Yangon Airlines

Janice Nieder and Rebecca Sparks are co-owners of Food & Travel, a bi-coastal venture. While others make dinner reservations, they make plane reservations in search of a truly memorable meal. Janice is a San-Francisco based Food & Fitness Consultant, with an insatiable culinary curiosity. Rebecca is a nutritionist and cooking teacher who makes sure that food is not only healthy but more important tasty.
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From http://www.ocmetro.com/archives/ocmetro_2005/metro033105/beachbuzz033105.html:
beachbuzz
OC METRO MARCH 31, 2005

BY KEDRIC FRANCIS

My Myanmar
Finding a touch of the OC in a tiny Burmese village.

As I walk through Myet Kharr Taw village, I realize this is the farthest I’ve ever been from California ­ literally and metaphorically. I’m two hours of bad pavement and dirt road from Mandalay, Myanmar. I traveled some 36 hours to get here, with airport stops in Tokyo, Singapore and Yangon, and two days in Mandalay along the way. Each leg of the journey brought me to a place more foreign than the last, until now I’m half a world and centuries of technological progress from home. The dusty streets of this place are home to 500 souls who live in wooden huts and work ox-powered equipment likely unchanged for centuries. Their bright and smiling children learn their ABCs in a five-room school funded by German altruists, easily the most modern structure in town.

This isn’t a tourist stop. Few would make the trek, fewer still would think it worthwhile, but for three writers on a journey sponsored by Destinations and Adventures International (800.659.4599), it’s the highlight of a fascinating 10 days in Myanmar.

It’s the height of colonial pretension to use a cliché like “poor, but happy,” and yet that’s the impression the villagers give. They, like most everyone we met in Myanmar (luckily, we had virtually no contact with military officials who rule the country), are warm, spirited and quick with a laugh. The kids in 4th- and 5th-grade classrooms were eager to count to 10 in English, to recite the alphabet and to memorize and repeat our names in unison followed by spirited clapping ­ all under the beaming gaze of their proud teacher.

While exploring the village we stop at the thatched home of 84-year-old U Bo Ye. In his yard is the only combustion engine we see in the village. I pop my head into a small lean-to structure. Sitting on a woven mat is a beat-up baseball cap sporting the familiar logo of Oakley. Had it been an Abercrombie or Nike hat I’d have been chagrined, muttering to myself about the pervasive influence of globalism. But because it’s a local brand ­ and the only Western brand I saw for hours and miles ­ I smile. Even here. The OC is even here.

Later, we hit Ngapali Beach in Western Myanmar on the last leg of our trip, a blissfully underdeveloped stretch of beach facing the Bay of Bengal, complete (though far from overrun) with luxury bungalows and spas. We traveled to Ngapali with Myriam Grest Thein, the ex-patriot Swiss owner of Myanmar Travel, and her daughter Yolanda, a lanky 11-year-old (“12 in May!”) half Burmese, half Swiss supermodel-to-be. One night the six of us played a game over dinner. We went around the table responding to “Name your favorite” topics suggested by each of us: countries, actors, authors, etc. “What’s your favorite brand?” asked Yolanda when the topic choice was hers. Intriguing question. “Four Seasons,” said one, while others named Whole Foods and Porsche as their favorites. And the 11-year-old girl born and raised in Yangon, Burma? “Roxy,” she said with certainty.

Score another point for the OC in the global battle for the hearts and minds of cool kids everywhere, and here’s a note to our friends at Roxy/Quiksilver: sign Yolanda up, before Hollister or Abercrombie beats you to her. OCM

Myanmar is a dictatorship under U.S. embargo for oppressing democracy.
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From http://www.the-cat-zone.com/Burmese-Cusine/Burmese-Desserts.htm:

Burmese Desserts Article

Exotic Burma - a travel bargain

I can say unequivocally that Burma (Myanmar) is the outstanding travel bargain in the world today. Where else could you have your own guide and driver. for three people for 17 days, stay in deluxe hotels with excellent food (only breakfast was included, but the food was extremely cheap at the best restaurants) and experience some of the most exotic sightseeing on the planet--all for $l,200-$1,500 including three flights on Air Mandalay, an excellent private airline?!

To top it off, on our visit we dealt with some of the friendliest people in the world.

Making arrangements

With the S&P down 45%, we were looking for a place to visit that was exotic and yet affordable. I was reading my monthly issue of ITN when I came across a tiny ad for Burma. The travel agency, Myanmar Travel, Ltd. (189/195 Pansodan Office Tower, Yangon, Myanmar; fax 0095-1-243125 or e-mail ), is run by a Swiss woman named Myriam Grest. I decided to e-mail her for particulars and she responded with her personal biography and a 12- to 17-day agenda. We decided on a 17-day itinerary, Nov. 13-Dec. 12, '02. My bank wired the payment and I was able to obtain a visa in one week.
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© 2005 Myriam Grest Thein