215MANDALAYEATING & DRINKINGMANDALAY & AROUNDEATING & DRINKINGMANDALAYEATING & DRINKING(^)
5 Eating & Drinking
Mandalay’s dining scene lacks the charm and
variety of Yangon’s or even Pyin Oo Lwin’s, but
there are several new semi-stylish cafes and a
few faithful old standbys. Surprisingly, few of
these are near the main downtown traveller
area. There’s a sprinkling of decent if tourist-
centric options towards the southeast east
corner of the palace moat. Things are much
livelier south of the centre, notably down 78th
St (university district around the Theik Pan St
crossing), along 73rd St (31st to 35th St) and
spread more thinly beside Kandawgyi Lake.
NORTHERN MANDALAY
oToo Too Restaurant BURMESE $
(Map p 204 ; No 79 27th St, 74/75; meals from K2500;
h10am-8.30pm) Too Too’s dining area is an
uninteresting box room hidden away in a side
alley, but many consider it the place in Manda-
lay for home-style local fare. Meals are picked
from a buff et-like spread, but the set price
covers only one main curry, one side dish, rice
and soup. Extras cost K500 to K1000.
Ko’s Kitchen THAI $$
(Map p 204 ; %31265; 80th at 19th St; soups & dishes
K3560-5000, snacks K2500, rice K600; h11.30am-
2.30pm & 5.30-10pm; aE) Ko’s cooks a wide
selection of Thai dishes, including Lao/
north Thai chilli-dips and the usual curries
and noodles, plus a particularly tasty crispy
catfi sh salad with mango and cashews
(K4000). It’s in an art deco building, but the
peach-coloured interior is starting to look a
little tired, and dirty glass dividers rather de-
feat the point of a show kitchen.
BBB WESTERN $$
(Map p 204 ; %73525; 76th St, 26/27; meals K5500-
7250, burgers K2750, beer K1650; h9am-10pm; E)
Tablecloths, attentive waiters and a pitched
wooden ceiling create the feel of an old-
world ski-lodge. Food includes many fi sh
and seafood options, which are competent
and elegantly presented without being truly
gastronomic. Decent Burmese red wine
costs K2500 per glass.
Green Elephant BURMESE $$
(Map p 206 ; %61237; 27th St 64/65; mains/ex-
tras/rice 6000/2400/1200, set menu per person
K8000; h8.30am-3pm & 5-9.30pm; aE) Con-
sistently recommended for regional cuisine.
A few tables are within a Pyin Oo Lwin-style
colonial-era building full of period relics.
Others spill out into a bamboo-tufted gar-
den and a bigger pavilion for group dining.
Spice Garden INDIAN $$
(Map p 206 ; %61177; Hotel on the Red Canal, 22nd
St at 63rd; mains $3-8, beer $4; h6am-10.30pm;
E) Spread over two storeys this luminously
bright, wooden-framed restaurant serves up
some of Mandalay’s most authentic Indian
food, along with set-menu European and
Burmese dinners ($10 to $15). Fair value,
though the drinks can get pricey. Appealing
garden seating also available.
Café City WESTERN $$
(Map p 206 ; %61237; East Moat Rd 20/22; meals
K5500-6600, burgers K2200, draught beer K1200;
h9am-10.30pm; E) Neon and old enamel
signs add to the feeling of a comfortable, lat-
ter-day American diner. Food choice (steaks,
pizza, English triangular sandwiches) sup-
ports the idea, but there’s plenty that’s more
imaginative including the delicious, very
generous coconut basted fi sh kebabs. Good
coff ee too (espresso K1000). It’s popular with
wealthy locals on a casual family outing.
Marie-Min VEGETARIAN $$
(Map p 206 ; off 27th St, 74/75; dishes K1300-2000,
rice K300; h8.30am-9pm, closed Jun; E) On
an upper balcony above an antiques shop
on a residential alley, the friendly English-
speaking owners have tailored a short menu
to their stated principles: ‘Be kind to ani-
mals by not eating them.’ Highlights include
all-day breakfasts, guacamole, veg curry,
stomach-safe lassis (K1500) and delicious
aubergine dip. If you’re hungry, you’ll prob-
ably need to order two dishes.
Peacock Lodge BURMESE $$
(Map p 206 ; %61429; see p 204 ; set dinner K8000;
hby arrangement) Real home-cooked Bur-
mese meals cooked to order are served
beneath giant parasols in the guesthouse’s
lovely peaceful garden. However, you’ll need
to order a day in advance.
A Little Bit of Mandalay BURMESE, CHINESE $$
(Map p 206 ; %61295; 65th St 27/28; mains K4000-
5000, rice K1000, set menu per person K9000, beer
K3500; h11am-2.30pm & 5-9.30pm; E) Wooden
bucket-lamps, back-lit parasols and plinking
local harp melodies bring atmosphere to this
tourist-oriented pavilion restaurant with a
bamboo-weave roof. Bringing your own wine
incurs a modest K2000 corkage charge.
CENTRAL MANDALAY
V Café/Skybar INTERNATIONAL $$
(Map p 206 ; 25th St at 80th St; mains/burgers
K5000/2000, espresso/draught beer/cocktails