217MANDALAYENTERTAINMENTMANDALAY & AROUNDENTERTAINMENTMANDALAYENTERTAINMENT(^)
Sin Chun Yin BARBECUE $
(Map p 202 ; 36th St, 80/81; barbecue items K300-
1600; draught beer K600; h9am-10pm) Although
it looks like any normal beer station, the
stuff ed grilled fi sh is as good as you’ll fi nd
anywhere – almost boneless and with a
great tamarind dipping sauce. If you’re look-
ing for a suaver option, try Sylvia Cafe across
the road.
Shwe War Thar THAI, HALAL $$
(Map p 202 ; 82th St 38/39; meals K2500, beer
K2500; h10am-9pm) Wooden booth seats on
the ground fl oor, a karaoke lounge upstairs
and a rooftop ‘coff ee garden’ that’s open
from 5pm.
Super One BEER STATION $
(Map p 202 ; 80th St at 38th; draught beer K400;
h8.30am-9.30pm) This cheap, cheerful and
essentially male-only place is handily lo-
cated for quaffi ng draft Spirulina beer while
waiting for the Moustache Brothers’ perfor-
mance to start. Minimal food.
KANDAWGYI LAKE
Kandawgyi Pat Rd forms a causeway across
large Kandawgyi Lake, starting from the
Sagaing–Mandalay road around 900yd
southwest of Mahamuni Temple. Dotted
along it you’ll fi nd a restaurant shaped like a
royal boat and a scattering of cafes in various
price ranges. It all adds up to an alternative
nightlife centre, but for visitors it’s handiest
as a refreshment stop when heading home
from Amarapura or Sagaing, especially via
the quieter riverside route.
Coffee Tower CAFE $$
(Map p 200 ; Kandawgyi Pat Rd; mains K2500-4500,
juice K700-1200; h2pm-2am) An open-air cafe
on a stilt pier over the waters, ideal for a good
espresso (K700), iced latte (K1500) or fresh
strawberry shake (K1000). Simple yet popu-
lar and with decent food. Open very late.
Smart Garden BURMESE $$
(Map p 200 ; Kandawgyi Pat Rd; mains K3000-6000,
beer K2000) Attractive thatched pavilions in a
lakeside garden, but no English spoken and
no draught beer.
Emperor BEER STATION $
(Map p 200 ; Kandawgyi Pat Rd at 85th St; draught
beer K1000) This simple beer station comes
to life after dark when the trees are beauti-
fully lit with orange paper lanterns. Snooker
tables available; live acoustic music sets
from around 7pm.
3 Entertainment
A-nyeint
A-nyeint is a form of vaudeville folk opera
with dance, music, jokes and silly walks.
Moustache Brothers COMEDY
(Map p 202 ; 39th St, 80/81; donation K8000;
h8.30pm) Offi cially banned but presently
tolerated, this world-famous a-nyeint troupe
has suff ered a string of prison sentences for
their jokes and rants against the Myanmar
government. These days the shows include
slightly indulgent self-parody, but they remain
one of Mandalay’s greatest talking points for
Western visitors. See boxed text, p 218.
Dance, Music & Puppet Shows
Evening shows, professionally performed
but aimed squarely at tourist audiences,
have helped rekindle interest in Burmese
traditional dance and puppetry. The most
authentic performances are set to a six-
piece ‘orchestra’ led by a distinctively wail-
ing hneh (an oboe-like instrument). The
other musicians play gamelan-style gong
arrangements and percussion, notably a
circle of tuned mini-drums known as a sai-
wai. As well as those listed below, you can
see a selection of performances during din-
ner shows at several upmarket hotels, and
there’s a free puppet show at Mya Nandar
riverside restaurant.
Mandalay Marionettes PUPPET SHOW
(Map p 204 ; http://www.mandalaymarionettes.com; 66th
St, 26/27; admission K10,000; h8.30pm) On a
tiny stage, colourful marionettes expressively
recreate tales based on the Buddhist Jataka
and Yamazat (Ramayana), with occasional
bursts of visual humour. Read the leafl et for
an overview of what you’re about to see. Oc-
casionally a sub-curtain is lifted so that you
can briefl y admire the skill of the puppeteers’
deft hand movements. The troupe has trav-
elled and performed internationally.
Mintha Theater DANCE
(Map p 204 ; http://www.mintheater.com; 27th St, 65/66;
admission K8000; h8.30pm Jul-Mar) Colour-
fully costumed dancers give human form to
many of the scenes you may have seen de-
picted by puppets at Mandalay Marionettes.
Explanations here are somewhat clearer, but
the show lacks the fl ashes of humour. Seeing
both is worthwhile if you can spare a second
evening. Some shows include a remarkable
(if entirely discordant) display of cane-ball
skills as an off -beat extra.