[Have you eaten] Bagan
Transcription
[Have you eaten] Bagan
Sa Pi Bi La [Have you eaten] Bagan 28 Air Mandalay Anandar Restaurant at Hotel@Tharabar Gate By Anthony Powell T he beauty and sheer magnitude of Bagan can easily inspire intrepid travelers to over extend themselves in their efforts to see everything there is to see. There is so much ground to cover - more than 2000 pagodas spread across 40 square kilometers - and often a limited time to do so, an equation that can turn sightseeing into an all-day, sunrise-to-sundown affair. It is therefore essential for visitors to eat well and drink plenty of liquids to keep their energy levels up. Fortunately the Bagan region is full of excellent restaurants in which to do so, many offering not only delicious food but also cultural shows that are sure to enhance anyone’s Myanmar experience. Air Mandalay 29 River Terrace and Garden at Bagan Hotel River View (top and bottom right) Bagan offers some of the best hotel dining in Myanmar. Bagan Hotel River View has four restaurants with a wide range of cuisines, presided over by a European executive chef who was named Chef of the Month in July 2004 by the World Association of Cooks Societies. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Ya Tha Min Gyi Café. The River Terrace and Garden, located on a large lawn with an unobstructed view of the Ayeyarwaddy River and bordered by a small collection of authentic temples, is the perfect place to enjoy sunset and candlelit dinners. If the weather turns inclement, diners can move into the air-conditioned That Sa Wa Di Concert Hall and enjoy traditional cultural dances with dinner. Koe Lone Village Pool Bar and BBQ Cabana offers an extensive range of cocktails, ice cream Koe Lone Village Pool Bar and BBQ Cabana at Bagan Hotel River View 30 Air Mandalay (with irresistible options such as coup melba, or ice cream with peach and raspberry sauce, and black snow, or ice cream with chocolate sauce and caramel), milkshakes and tabletop BBQ. Cooking classes are also available. On the menu at Bagan Hotel are soups, appetizers, gourmet pizzas, salads and desserts. Fine dining options include such delicacies as river prawns in tomato sherry on saffron risotto, or beef tenderloin with Rakhine green pepper sauce. Also on offer are daily changing pasta dishes, fresh cooked to order. Examples include pasta verdura (with olive oil, basil, sprouts and capsicum), pasta alla arrabiata (with bacon, chili, tomato and onion) and pasta alla pesce fumo (with mushroom, smoked butterfish, cream and white wine). There are also daily changing Mediterranean specialties. The Bagan Adventure Dining menu includes Spanish paella a la Valencia cooked in a traditional Myanmar oven, jambalaya, and whole chicken baked in salt and Mediterranean seasoning, served with roast potatoes and ratatouille. The Hotel@Tharabar Gate houses the poolside Anandar Restaurant, with set and à la carte menus featuring Myanmar, Asian, Chinese and Western cuisines. The Myanmar set menu includes delicious pennywort salad; soup; chicken, pork and fried fish curries; stir-fried vegetables; steamed rice; Myanmar pancakes for dessert; and coffee or tea. The daytime snack menu (10:00 am to 6:30 pm) is chock full of mouthwater choices, from salads and soups, to burgers and pastas. In the evening choose from a menu that includes Asian favourites such as nasi goreng and ohnokaukswe, numerous vegetarian options, and western mains such as butterfish fillets or prawns sautéed in butter, garlic, black pepper and chili. You can top off your meal with dessert but you will have a tough time picking just one from among such items as apple tarts, chocolate mousse and black forest cheesecake. Whereas many international-standard hotels in Myanmar employ cooks brought in from other countries, the Hotel@Tharabar Gate features food made by local chefs. Visitors to Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel can choose from among three dining areas: the indoor air-conditioned Nati Restaurant, the open-air Veranda Bar and Grill or the open-air lawn area. All have excellent views of the Ayeyarwaddy River, and all share the same menus. There are Asian and western set menus that change every Monday, as well as à la carte choices. On the western side there are Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel Air Mandalay 31 Nati Restaurant at Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel soups, starters (salads, fajitas), mains (grilled tuna steaks, seared pork loin), pastas, pizzas and sandwiches. The Asian menu covers the cuisines of Myanmar, Thailand, China and Malaysia. Highly recommended is the special Japanese menu, as it is the native cuisine of the in-house chef. The hotel also has a French wine list. The Sunset Garden Bar is the perfect place to sip a cocktail after a long day of sightseeing, especially from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm during the buy-two, get-one-free happy hour. Dinnertime cultural entertainment might include a puppet show, traditional dance or elephant dance. Dining options beyond the hotels are breathtakingly abundant. An Old Bagan favourite is Sarabha, with a pleasant open-sided, thatchroofed dining area surrounded by a garden of well-tended plants and trees. Its excellent central location - within view of Tharabar (Sarabha) City Gate, and close to the famous Ananda Pagoda - makes it an excellent place to take a midday break from touring the plains of Bagan. The à la carte menu features Myanmar, Chinese and Thai food, and there are also Myanmar and Chinese set menus, the latter including vegetable tempura, lentil soup, a range of vegetable and meat curries, salad, rice, dessert, and tea or coffee. Even if you’re not hungry, Sarabha is a good place to stop off for a cool, refreshing drink on a warm afternoon. 32 Air Mandalay Sunset Garden in New Bagan (top and middle) Malar Theingi Also near Ananda Pagoda is Marlar Theingi restaurant. Located on the right side of an unpaved lane north of the pagoda, it offers a genuine Myanmar dining experience.The familyowned restaurant - there is a large collection of family portraits hanging from the walls - is regularly frequented by locals and visitors alike. There is no menu; instead diners are seated on wooden benches at long tables that are laden with an array of Myanmar vegetable, meat and fish curries, salads and side dishes. You can eat as much as you like - the supply of food is endless for the outrageously economical price of K1500 a person. Just down the road from Old Bagan, sleepy New Bagan continues to emerge as a culinary destination in its own right. Among the most recent additions to the fray is Mahar Bagan (which means ‘I love Bagan’), offering tranquil off-the-beaten-path surroundings. There are no cultural shows, but rather soft xylophone music intended to promote conversation and discussion. The focus here is on serving tasty hygienic food from an à la carte menu covering Myanmar, Chinese, Thai, Italian and other European cuisines. There are plans to add Indian food to the menu, but it can be made now with advanced notice. There are also Myanmar, Chinese, Thai and European set menus, as well as an international buffet mixing Asian and European foods that is available for groups of 10 or more people with 24-hour advanced notice. The owner of Mahar Bagan, U Aye Thwin (Edwin), was formerly a top tour guide in the area. With relaxing xylophone music playing in the background, he can answer any questions you might have about what you’ve seen so far, or where to go tomorrow. Long-time riverside favourites in the New Bagan include Sunset Garden, whose big professionally landscaped property makes arriving there seem like stepping into a shady forest. There are two covered dining areas where Chinese and Myanmar food are served. It is open for lunch and dinner, but crowds are substantially larger during lunchtime, when the river can be seen sparkling in the sunlight. The nearby Green Elephant River View has more of a picnic feel, with tables set on a lawn at the top of a high riverside cliff, the perfect place to listen Mahar Bagan Air Mandalay 33 to the afternoon breeze rustling the dry leaves of the garden’s bamboo trees. There is also a woodfloored area with a roof in case of rain. Myanmar, Chinese and Thai food are served, with changing cultural shows that might include anything from puppets to traditional harp music adding to the atmosphere. The owner also runs Green Elephant restaurants in Yangon and Mandalay The town of Nyaung Oo, although farther from many of the temples than Old and New Bagan, has a bit more street life during the day and at night. It is also packed with eating and drinking options both venerable and new. Open for about 15 years, Nanda restaurant is so well known for its evening puppet shows that the owners had to build a second stage to handle spillover on busy nights. Its classic design, with a floor made of locally produced red bricks and a roof held up by big teak pillars, complements the traditional experience, which is completed by the mostly Myanmar food menu (with some Chinese and European options as well). Nanda specialises in daung-lann Myanmar meals, which are served in lacquerware trays with small compartments to hold steamed rice and a variety of delicious curries and salads. The meals also include glass noodle soup, dessert and seasonal fresh fruit. The restaurant has an attached souvenir shop with a Green Elephant 34 Air Mandalay wide selection of puppets and lacquerware for sale. Open for about two years, Eden BBB has quickly gained a reputation for its excellent service and spotlessly clean dining areas - two outdoor, and one indoor with air conditioning. On offer is an à la carte European menu with breakfast options, and everything from lobster to hamburgers, pasta and pizza. There are also several European, Chinese and Myanmar set menus from which to choose. The drinks menu includes a selection of imported red and white wines. Also on the restaurant grounds is a lawn area backed by a brick gate dating from the 11th or 12th century, where puppet shows are often held. There is also a gallery featuring traditional and modern paintings by local artists, and a small gift shop with lacquerware and silk for sale. The unassuming but longstanding San Kabar restaurant near Schwezigon Pagoda focuses on low-cost Italian food, including pizza, spaghetti, fettucini, ravioli and lasagna. However, a wide range of other food and drink options are available, including Chinese faves (prawn, seafood, duck and other meats), crepes (fruit and honey, cheese and tomato, cheese and mushroom), snacks (French fries), fruit juice, milkshakes, Indian chai tea, beer and soft drinks. Nanda What better way to top off an afternoon of sightseeing than with a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream? Some of the best ice cream and pastries in the Bagan area can be found at Thante Bakery and Coffee Shop, adjacent to Thante Nyaung Oo Hotel. The small airconditioned interior is a great place to escape from the heat of the day and peruse the glassenclosed selection of pastries, cakes, cookies and puffs, all freshly made on the premises. Aside from ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, coffee and seasonal fruit flavours), the menu also includes milkshakes, floats, fruit juice and soft drinks. Slightly more substantial fare includes hamburgers, French fries, fish and chips, and vegetable spring rolls. And after you’re done eating, you’ll be ready to head back out to the plains of Bagan for more sightseeing. Eden BBB Restaurant Listings Bagan Hotel River View Near the Museum, Old Bagan Tel: (02) 67145, (61) 60032 Email: [email protected] Website: www.baganhotel.com Hotel@Tharabar Gate Near Tharabar Gate, Old Bagan Tel: (02) 67217, (61) 60037, (61) 60042, (61) 60043, (61) 60044 Email: global@myanmarpartners. com.mm Website: www.tharabargate.com Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel Old Bagan Tel: (61) 60048, (61) 60048 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.baganthiripyitsaya-sakura-hotel.com Sarabha Near Tharabar (Sarabha) City Gate, Old Bagan Tel: (61) 60239 Sunset Garden New Bagan Tel: (61) 60224, (61) 60404, (61) 60957, (61) 60959 Green Elephant River View New Bagan Tel: (02) 67099 Nanda Bagan-Nyaung Oo Main Road, Wet-Gyi-Inn Village, Nyaung Oo Tel: (02) 67039, (61) 60096 Eden BBB Bagan-Nyaung Oo Main Road, Wet-Gyi-Inn Village, Nyaung Oo Tel: (01) 653101 San Kabar Bagan-Nyaung Oo Main Road, Nyaung Oo Thante Bakery and Coffee Shop Thante Nyaung Oo Hotel, Nyaung Oo Marlar Theingi North of Ananda Pagoda, Old Bagan Tel: (61) 60397 Mahar Bagan Khayee Road, New Bagan Tel: (61) 6042 Thante Bakery and Coffee Shop Air Mandalay 35