182EASTERN MYANMAR
INLE LAKE
5 Eating
Unfortunately, Nyaugshwe’s culinary scene
doesn’t quite live up to its atmosphere. Most
restaurants tend to reach far beyond their cu-
linary capabilities and there are relatively few
places to fi nd authentic local food. The good
news – if you’re a fan of quantity over quality,
at least – is that serves tend to be rather large
and there’s an emphasis on Burmese- and
Shan-style set meals, most starting at K3500.
For authentic local eats, check out the
food stalls (Map p 178 ; meals K1000; hbreak-
fast & lunch) in Mingala Market. Local spe-
cialities include Shan kauq-sweh (noodle
soup), maung jeut (round, fl at rice crisps)
and tofu thoke (Shan tofu salad), prepared
using yellow split-pea tofu, chilli, coriander
and sesame oil.
Every evening from Comet Travel & Inter-
net Cafe east to Mingala Market unfolds a
basic night market (Map p 178 ; Yone Gyi Rd; h5-
9pm) with dishes such as Shan noodles and
tofu, grilled dishes, hot pot, roti and murta-
bak (stuff ed pancake).oLin Htett Myanmar
Traditional Food BURMESE $$
(Map p 178 ; Yone Gyi Rd; meals from K4000; hlunch
& dinner) Hands-down our favourite place to
eat in Nyaungshwe, Lin Htett is as friendly
as it is delicious. If you haven’t yet encoun-
tered authentic Myanmar dining, here’s the
drill: choose a curry or two (refer to the pic-
tures or, better yet, have a look behind the
counter) and perhaps a salad (the penny-
wort salad, made from a fresh herb, is deli-
cious). You’ll fi nd the accompaniments (rice,
a sour soup, a vegetable soup, vegies, a fi shy
dip and three balachaung, chilli-based dips)
will be supplied as a matter of course.Viewpoint Restaurant INTERNATIONAL, SHAN $$$
(Map p 178 ; http://www.viewpoint.leplanteur.net; Taik
Nan Bridge; mains from K2000, set meals K8000-
14,000; hlunch & dinner) Taking obscure local
cuisines upscale is usually dangerous culi-
nary territory, but the self-professed ‘Shan
nouvelle cuisine’ at this, Nyaungshwe’s most
ambitious restaurant, is worth investigat-
ing. Although few of the menu items would
ever have existed on a typical Shan fam-
ily’s dinner menu, the set meals and tasty
Shan tapas are satisfying, regardless of their
authenticity.Lotus Restaurant INTERNATIONAL, BURMESE $
(Map p 178 ; Museum Rd (Haw St); mains from K1000;
hall day) With only fi ve tables, this family-run place is as small as its menu is short. If
even this is too much choice for you, go for
the family-style dinner, which includes soup,
salad, curry and a generous fruit plate for
only K3500. Your host, Pyone Cho, is also an
excellent trekking guide (see p 187 ).Golden Kite Restaurant ITALIAN $$
(Map p 178 ; cnr Myawady Rd & Yone Gyi Rd; pizzas
from K5000, pasta from K3500; hlunch & dinner)
If you must seek Italian food in Nyaungsh-
we, you may as well do it here. This long-
standing place claims to have got its recipes
via an Italian lady from Bologna (you’ll most
likely get the spiel) – she’s the source of
the fresh basil. It makes its own pasta and
serves decent pizzas.Thu Kha Coffee TEAHOUSE $
(Map p 178 ; cnr Main Rd & Yone Gyi Rd; snacks from
K200; h5am-4pm) Ostensibly Nyaungshwe’s
only Muslim teashop, this tidy place serves
good tea and, in the mornings, tasty pako-
da, deep-fried vegetable dumplings. Come
later in the afternoon for sweets such as roti,
a type of sweet pancake.Inle Pancake Kingdom PANCAKES $
(Map p 178 ; off Phaung Daw Seiq Rd; mains from
K800; hall day) Choose from a huge range of
fi lled pancakes and toasted sandwiches at
this cute little cabin on a narrow alley north
of the sports fi eld. Follow the signs from
Phaung Daw Seiq Rd.Hu Pin Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $$
(Map p 178 ; dishes from K1500) Close to the Hu
Pin Hotel and run by the same team, this
bright canteen has an illustrated menu of
tasty Chinese soups and fried favourites
such as sweet and sour pork. It gets very
busy with tour groups at lunch time – come
early or late for lunch or face a long wait.Green Chili Restaurant THAI, BURMESE $$
(Map p 178 ; Hospital Rd; mains from K2000, set
meals K5000; hlunch & dinner) This new res-
taurant boasts one of the poshest dining
rooms in town and, on the surface at least,
the largely Thai-infl uenced menu here is
also one of the more diverse and interesting.
Unfortunately the fl avours tend towards the
timid tourist.The majority of places in Nyaungshwe have
a Burmese/Shan/Chinese/Thai/European
menu – you’ll recognise them from the bill-
boards out the front, which tout everything
from tofu to tagliatelle. If you’re not put off