8 restaurants with excellent Burmese taste

Are you seeking local eating places which offer local and relaxed vibe at the same time? Below collection is specially picked out with a bit of advice and background knowledge on. They are 8 restaurants in different parts of Myanmar serving different food choices in various styles but all commit to providing an in-depth immersion into Burmese culinary with truly tasty and memorable meals. If you are looking for a perfect Myanmar Private Tours to enjoy the delicious and traditional cuisine of Myanmar, please check out our best Myanmar Tailor-made itineraries or contact our Asia Private Tour experts for more information.

1. Rangoon Tea House (Yangon)

Reflecting Myanmar’s cultural practices, tea shops play a dominant role in Burmese daily life as a favourite public place for a social meeting, chit-chat and of course drinks and foods. 

With the hope to introduce visitors to some of the Myanmar culinary gems and Burmese tea shop culture at the same time, Rangoon Tea House (RTH) was opened to offer visitors a truly local experience.

Though it is modern and western at a look that could be way too different from other local tea shops, RTH doesn’t lose their faith on Burmese values with the dishes and drinks firmly rooted in the same food tradition.

RTH has almost everything from traditional delicious noodles, fresh and nutty salads, fiery Kachin dishes to fragrant Mon curries etc. serving up in a pretty top-notch version. 

It is really a recommendation for newcomers to Yangon!

2. The Pansodan (Yangon)

Sitting right in the heard of Yangon, on Pansodan street, you can easily spot The Pansodan restaurant, a “Burmese Brasserie” promising the elegance and flavours of old-world Burma.

The restaurant opens every day to serve everything from early morning breakfast to after-dinner drinks with a wide range of selection from classic tea leaf salad, the bestselling Mohinga, mango chutney, Ohn No Khao Swe, stodgy coconut fish curry to signature herbaceous cocktails. Inside the glorious setting, The Pansodan delivers all worth-exploring experiences helping the guests fully feel traditional senses with sublime flavours.

3. Sanon Training Restaurant (Bagan)

More than just a restaurant, Sanon does training job at the same time which empowers young people to become Myanmar’s industry leaders in hospitality and tourism. 

Inside Sanon restaurant, not only does every bite taste good, it feels good to enjoy supporting such an initiative, have some pleasant talk with them who put all their heart into the dishes. Sanon welcomes guests with a delightful outdoor garden pair well with red brick walls in locally inspired sculptures. It definitely owns the typical atmosphere of ancient Bagan while the tapas-style menu of creative cuisine certainly holds promise with truly traditional dishes, refreshing smoothies & cocktails. Some highlights to recommend are caramelized pork stir fry or the giant Irrawaddy prawn and catfish curry.  

4. Khaing Shwe Wah (Bagan)

Right beside the famous Ananda pagoda, Khaing Shwe Wah will catch your attention with a lovely slogan “Be a hero, Be meat zero”. The restaurant shines out as a vegetarian-friendly eating place run by a local family. Whether you are vegetarian or not, it is always promising a happily hearty meal here with the number of excellent food choice from a papaya or pennywort salad to noodle soup, golden-pumpkin curry or the much-loved tomato-peanut curry, which goes nicely with coconut rice. The friendly staffs always go out their way at work with a smile. 

The best part, especially, they also offer a good amount of welcome snacks (potato chips and peanuts) and local longan, banana with honey, grapes, and ginger candy as post-meal desserts for FREE. What more to expect? Khaing Shwe Wah is definitely worth a visit when you are in Bagan. 

5. Aye Myit Tar (Mandalay)

Close to the Mahumuni Temple’s golden Buddha pagoda, Aye Myit Tar is a favourite eating place among local experts. Set in a simply-decorated room covered with photographs of Myanmar, the place catch little attention at the first glance, but wonderful experience lies inside with extraordinarily flavorful Burmese foods. The most popular choices here are Burmese curry in delicate flavours, Hilsa fish, Fried kalian, Myee Shay, black soy pork, etc. served with a myriad of free side dishes such as vegetables, salad and broth. 

The food is at times an adventure but always tasty. Also, everything is a very reasonable price and the service is incredibly efficient and attentive at all time. Aye Myit Tar delivers true traditional authentic Myanmar food and offers the customers the opportunity to experience and order dishes that are unfamiliar.

6. Mingalabar Myanmar Restaurant (Mandalay)

Mingalabar Myanmar Restaurant (Mandalay) is a massive two-storey, traveller-friendly favourite spot located in the heart of Mandalay, near Mandalay Palace and hotels. 

The restaurant offers truly authentic Burmese cuisine coupled with stunning ambience and attentive service. Using every day very fresh quality products from the local market, they create diverse food choice and make sure customers always have very fresh dishes on their tables no matter it is breakfast or dinner time. The main dishes often come with a wonderful array of seasonal exotic side dishes which are super tasty and things you might never try before. Allow yourself to try a little bit of everything and enjoy the cosy-like-home atmosphere inside MinGaLaBar. 

7. Thanakha Garden (Nyaungshwe)

Not because its name upholds the Burmese national tree of Thanaka, the restaurant is handed down as the most appealing Burmese restaurant in Nyaungshwe with an entire generous menu from the incredible tea leaf salads, Shan noodle soups, curries, ice cream and best of all the local steamed fish, every dish we tried here was excellent and safe to eat. The ambience and the food are very comforting even when you are miles away from home.

The restaurant is a bit difficult to find and a little away from the main part of Nyaungshwe. But in turn, it is not too crowded and could give you intimate space dining. Bet it is well worth the effort to search it out!  

8. Green Chilli restaurant (Naungshwe)

Green Chilli boasts one of the most refined restaurants in the vibrant town of Naungshwe, a gateway to the North of Inle Lake. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner offering authentic Thai and Myanmar Cuisine in a cosy atmosphere of elegantly furnished wooden decor with indoor and terraces seating. If you are here someday, please do not miss their outstanding tomato salad, Massaman beef curry and minced chicken with basil as some of the highlights worth trying. The exquisite table setting lit up by little candle may capture the mood of relaxation and cosiness. Only one thing that the portions are quite large so make sure you have room for dessert.

An extra note: While it is in walking distance from the night market, it is not a bad idea to chill the night out there after dinner.

* All information above is for reference only.