MYANMORE : Weekly Guide to Yangon - 29th December 2017

29 DEC - 4 JAN 2018

FREE COPY

New Year Resolutions

What’s On - December FRIDAY 29TH Masterbaytar | Nightlife Another memorable night of food, drink and dancing all night long is waiting for you. | RSVP: 09 771 239924. ? The Penthouse - 271-273, BarGaYar St, Park side one building 8th floor, Sanchaung Tsp | P From 7:00 PM

SATURDAY 30TH Rangdom City Nights Retro Rio | Nightlife Rangdom City Nights is back with smooth Carlsberg beer, lively beats from a Brazilian DJ, flamboyant Carnival samba dancers and Carioca (local Rio) bites cooked on hot coals. Start welcoming in the new year under the stars and experience The Penthouse transformed into retro technicolor, for one night only. | RSVP : 09 771 239924. ? The Penthouse - 271-273, BarGaYar St, Park side one building 8th floor, Sanchaung Tsp | P From 6:00 PM

FAB 62 | Nightlife For the last FAB of the year, we'll look back on 2017 and play you the biggest hits of the year. We'll make sure your last weekend of 2017 ends with a bang. Tickets: 5,000 kyats. ? AREA 51 invade MUSE BAR - 330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp | P From 10:00 PM

30TH DEC - 1ST JAN Architecture for People - Architects' Fair 2017-18 | Exhibition AMA Architects’ Fair—“Architecture For People” is a three-day exposition event hosted by the Association of Myanmar Architects, a non-profit organization devoted to continuous improvement of architecture professions. ? National Theatre of Yangon - Myoma Kyaung St, Dagon Tsp | P 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM

SUNDAY 31ST New Year Countdown Yangon 2018 | Art & Stage The biggest New Year countdown party in Yangon to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the top names in the electronic dance music. Top international artists are Terror Bass, The Bugbears, Cesqeaux, Breathe Carolina and Say My Name. You can get tickets at www.myanmoretickets.com ? The ONE Entertainment Park - Paw San Hmwe St, ThinganGyun Tsp | P 4:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Street Channel - 3 | Art & Stage Street Hip Hop Channel with freestyle hip hop artists and DJs all night long. Enjoy the New Year Night at Lodge Bar with tickets at 6,000 kyats. | RSVP: 09 42010 6314. ? The LODGE Yangon BAR - 129 Lanmadaw, Lanmadaw Tsp | P 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Myanmar Countdown 2018 | Art & Stage Forever Group organizes the biggest New Year Countdown party in Myanmar. ? Kyite Ka San Stadium - East Horse Race Course Rd, Tamwe Tsp | P From 5:00 PM

New Year's Eve | Dinner Step into the New Year 2018 with a unique, festive menu and a live band throughout the evening with the sounds of retro jazz. | RSVP: 01 526289. ? Savoy Hotel Yangon - 129, Dhammazedi Rd, Bahan Tsp | P From 5:00 PM

What’s On New Year's Eve at Atlas | Dinner Ring in 2018 with a glass of champagne in hand and friends at your fingertips.Enjoy the tapas, cocktails, beer, wine and desserts, and lose yourself in dance for the last time in 2017. Plus stop for a moment to enjoy the magic of fireworks splashing above Yangon's horizon to welcome The New Year. | RSVP: 09 767 419413. ? Atlas Rooftop Bar & Lounge - 84, Pan Hlaing Rd, Sanchaung Tsp | P From 5:30 PM

The Boom Wave Pool Party | Nightlife Are you ready for New Year Party at Water Boom ? The Vocalists, GLatt, Ye Yint Aung, Jet San Htun, Eint Chit, Jewel will join with DJ Wine, DJ Ajhon. | RSVP : 09451010789. ? Yangon Water Boom - ShuKhin Thar, TharkayTa Tsp | P From 6:00 PM

2018 New Year Night Party | Nightlife Planning for a great New Year Party to welcome 2018. Join them to celebrate the ultimate New Year Eve till Countdown to make your New Year Party a memorable. Activities highlight and great live entertainment all night long. | RSVP : 09 977955633 / 09 977955644 / 09 777 229 750. ? Piano Bar Yangon - No.2 Parami Rd , Mayangone Tsp | P From 7:00 PM

Dreams Come True | Nightlife Are You Ready For The Most Exciting New Year's Eve Party in Yangon?

From 9:00 p.m. to 1 a.m., they will host a Moulin Rouge night full of celebrations, festivities, and entertainment hosted by Aye Chan Moe, Miss Grand International Myanmar 2017. With performances by belly dancer Kae Mee Ko, Filipino band Sliver Entertainment (PULP), and DJ Vida from Thailand. | RSVP : 01 242 828. ? Sule Shangri-La, Yangon - 223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Kyauktada Tsp | P From 9:00 PM

New Year's Eve Dinner | Dinner Treat yourselves and enjoy the last seconds of 2017 year-end celebration at MiCasa Restaurant & Bar with a wide sumptuous New Year buffet spread. Unplugged music will be on as well as lucky raffles. | RSVP: 01 650933. ? MiCasa Restaurant & Bar - 17, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp | P 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM

New Years Eve Specials | Dinner Start your New Years Eve at Gekko with our delicious festive specials.

Reservations recommended: Email Nikki@57below.com ? Gekko Restaurant Yangon - 535 Merchants St, Kyauktada Tsp | P 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

New Year Eve Party | Nightlife Come down on NYE and count down with DJ Muttiah Ashnim (Into The Deep) and enjoy tech house, techno music and all night happy hour. Also enjoy NYE dinner buffet and drinks for 25,000 kyats from 7pm to 9:30pm. | RSVP: 09 264 655 551. ? The Prime Rib - No1A Kabaaye Pagoda Rd,Ward 7 Yankin Tsp | P From 7:00 PM

Governor's Gala on New Year's Eve | Nightlife An evening of dancing, live jazz, a DJ and entertainment. Open bar of select festive cocktails and sparkling wines. Four course dinner in the Garden with fabulous giveaways from the Belmond Asia Collection. | RSVP: 01 230 2092. ? Belmond Governor’s Residence - Kinwun Mingyi St, Dagon Tsp | P From 7:30 PM

What’s On NYE Countdown Party at Babett | Nightlife Celebrate 2018 in style at Babett with DJ Boom Lay and DJ Akat who'll beat the floor from 10pm till late. Get ready for the NYE countdown.

RSVP: 01234 639. ? Babett Yangon - 5 Alan Pya Pagoda St, Dagon Tsp | P From 8:00 PM

New Years Eve Countdown Party at Union Bar & Grill | Nightlife A delectable five-course dinner menu from chef Rick Ney and his team, with cocktails from Group Bar manager Jen Queen, and live music from 88° Degrees Jazz band to have you dancing into the New Year. | RSVP: 09 250 355 064. ? Union Bar and Grill - 42 Strand Rd, Left corner of the Myanmar Red Cross Building, Botahtaung Tsp | P From 9:00 PM

MONDAY 1ST JANUARY Lemonade - An Independent Ladies Night | Nightlife New for Monday nights at Gekko - Lemonade, “Independent Ladies Night.” Get together with friends and hopefully make some new ones, while enjoying passed canapés & two of bar manager Puias’s famous cocktails for 12,000++ or canapés and two glasses of wine or Prosecco for 15,000++ | RSVP : 01 254 041. ? Gekko Restaurant Yangon - 535 Merchants St, Kyauktada Tsp | P From 7:00 PM

TUESDAY 2ND Taco Tuesdays at Union Bar and Grill | Dining Mexican food is being brought back to downtown Yangon every Tuesday, only at Union Bar & Grill. With night long specials on tacos, margaritas, tequila, micheladas and more, you don’t want to miss out. Vegetarian/ vegan options available. | RSVP: 09 250 355 064. ? Union Bar & Grill - 42 Strand Rd, Left corner of the Myanmar Red Cross Building, Botahtaung Tsp | P From 5:00 PM

THURSDAY 4TH Balance’s Casino Night 2018 | Nightlife Celebrate the fifth anniversary of Balance Fitness and the second anniversary of Balance Magazine. Invite your friends and family to enjoy an evening of casino elegance, filled with free food, drinks, entertainment and networking. | RSVP: 09 258 835 885. ? PYRITE - No37, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, near Inya Lake Hotel | P 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

English Fair with The Space | Education With the one-year anniversary of The Space Language Academy, the group holds a seminar that shares ways of learning English with little cost. | RSVP: 09 776 079363. ? Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Road, Kamayut Tsp | P 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

DISCLAIMER Information as of 26th December 2017. The events’ times and dates may change without notice. For more updated information, please check http://myanmore.com/yangon/events-calendar

guide

Designed by Pressfoto / Freepik

New Year Resolutions

BY MIN YE KYAW

New Year resolutions are often abandoned a few weeks into January. But finding the right approach to change can transform your year. Here are some suggestions to help make 2018 your best year yet.  Plan First thing’s first, make a plan. Have you already dreamed about your 2018? Then you have to plan for your dream to come true. What do you want to achieve in 2018? Do you want to travel, thrive in education or become a successful businessperson? Well, a good plan helps to realise your true values. Thus, planning makes you motivated. Without one you can lose track and waste time.  Workout Literally, everyone needs to workout in daily life. You may find working out boring or come up with plenty more excuses. But trust me buddy, everyone needs to workout. Take care of your body and look better.

Balance, Training Ground, and Power House are some of the best workout gyms in Yangon. And if possible, I recommend a personal trainer for even better sessions.  Eat Healthy “Change your eating, change your life,” the saying goes. Improve your health by preparing healthy meals and eating foods that contain vitamins and minerals which include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and a source of protein—better nutrition for your body. Eating healthy make your skin soft, brighten and healthy by the vital nutrients. And the best thing is it will keep you healthy and feeling better in your overall life.

 Learn New Skills The only way you can get good at something is by practice. So to help yourself succeed in 2018, plan to learn a few new things. With the internet, there are abundant sources of learning around today—online study courses on computer skills, music, new languages, cooking, sport; you name it!  Save More Recognize that shopping can become addictive or a dangerous escape which can be a bad habit to embrace. First of all, make a savings plan and stick to it, stop buying unnecessary stuff, or keep a weekly and monthly spending record, comparing your income and outcome. Save money for other essential things like travel.  Travel More “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page,” said a wise person a while back. Well, totally agree, as I am a traveler too—love to meet new people, see new things, try new food and enjoy new worlds.

Travel once, and you become addicted to it. In order to continue your journeys, you will need money, hence saving (see above). Travel, make memories, meet new friends, some of the best things in life.  Avoid Negative People Just like how peanut butter comes with jelly, people should come with tact. Be tactful while you are avoiding people, as you cannot choose who to associate with in some cases. Negative feedback from negative people affects your thinking, plus they are an energy drain, give no encouragement, and damage credibility. So avoiding them will make your life easier in 2018.  Be Yourself The most important thing in your life is being yourself all the time.

Don’t ever pretend to be someone else. Being yourself is also one of the essential skills you need in your life. You must know your personal values, choose your passions carefully, adjust your patterns, etc. Be the person you were meant to be to become more successful in your life.

review

Monsoon: ‘A real feat of bad cooking’

BY EDMOND SAILLAND

Ahead of my review of Monsoon—a Yangon staple serving up southeast Asian cuisine in an old colonial building—I did a whip round of my friends to see if anyone knew which dishes to order. My memory of the restaurant was perfectly pleasant surroundings, good service but an unnecessary large and flavorless menu. I was, however, under the belief there must be a handful of tasty dishes that could make Monsoon a good dining experience.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, I did not find them.

How off-putting a large and unwieldy menu is to diners cannot be overstated.

At Monsoon, it is not only long, but divides dishes into country, rather than type or courses. There is also that worrying “European” section at the end—I never trust a restaurant offering diverse cuisines. The half an hour we spent navigating the menu and drinking beer threatened to derail the whole meal. We decided, in the end, to narrow it down and order from the Laos and Cambodia sections for ease.

We started with Chha Trapp Dott—grilled eggplant with fried minced pork— and Sait Koh Chha Marrik—marinated beef with lemongrass on skewers with black pepper dip. The beef on the skewers was good quality, but I couldn’t taste lemongrass or any other seasoning. The dip was citrusy. The vegetables on the skewers were pretty much raw. The grilled eggplant had a nice smokey flavor, but the pork failed to excite. This anticipated flavor and disappointment when the dishes arrived continued throughout the meal. The fried fish with dill, tomato, and onions tasted of neither fish, nor dill, nor tomato, nor onions. A real feat of bad cooking.

A saving a grace was perhaps the beef soup, which had good hot and sour notes and pickled bamboo-perhaps the one discernible flavor from the whole meal. Its sad to discourage people from visiting a restaurant, especially one that has got great environs and good service. But Monsoon’s dishes do not warrant the price nor the calories you pay. If any of you, dear readers, have found a corner of the extensive menu that harbors some actual flavor, please let me know and I could be tempted to give it another chance.

Address: 85-87 Thein Phyu Rd, Yangon, Myanmar Hours: 10AM–11PM Phone: 01 295 224

Food is bit bland but is well made. Especially liked the Coconut Noodle Soup. Service is decent. Pricing is alright. Glad to receive discount because of Myanmore Card.

VG

www.sarmal.com.mm

new opening

Hong Bao Myanmar

BY PAMELA TAN Hong Bao Myanmar has opened its fourth restaurant this year, located in Mayangon Township. The diners have drawn praise for their creative dishes that range from dim sums to seafood, and a selling point for authenticity is that their head chefs are from Hong Kong.

“We want to make all of our customers feel like they are dining in Hong Kong,” said Hong Bao’s PR manager Hnin Pwint Phyu. “We import the highest quality ingredients to ensure this.”

After a loud and jaunty welcome by lion dancers, guests at the launch were ushered into the beautifully decorated restaurant. Mouth-watering smells wafted in from the kitchen, a harbinger for the food to come.

Executive chef Weng Ge Qu took the crowd through a step-by-step explanation of each dish.

“All of the dishes contain a great amount of vitamins,” he said. “We wish to serve our customers a healthy and quality meal whenever they dine at Hong Bao Myanmar.”

After a long wait, the guests were able to experience the deliciousness of Hong Bao Myanmar’s food by themselves. The waiters carried out dim sums, and then dishes ranged from braised pork knuckle with abalone sauce in clay pot to “Chef Po” style stir-fried whole crab with curry powder.

With a total of 12 dishes being served, the guests were happily satiated.

Overall, Hong Bao Myanmar’s latest offering is a promising diner, big on authenticity and healthiness.

Address: Hong Bao Dim Sum & Seafood, 8 Mile Junction Mayangone Township, Yangon Phone: 09 958695977 Opening Hours: 6am-10pm

Gallery

CHAINE CHRISTMAS LUNCH "SAVOIR FAIRE" 23RD DEC 2017 PHOTOS BY THE PICTUREMAN

now showing

Now showing in Yangon cinemas from 29th December - 4th January 2018.

THE GREAT SHOWMAN The Greatest Showman is a 2017 American period musical drama film directed by Michael Gracey.The film is inspired by the story of how P. T. Barnum started the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the lives of its attractions.

Mingalar Cinema 2(Dagon Centre (II), Mingalar Cineplex (Gamone Pwint)

JUMANJI Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a 2017 American action adventure comedy film. A standalone sequel to Jumanji (1995).

Junction City, Junction Square, City Mall

BLEEDING STEEL Bleeding Steel is a 2017 Chinese science fiction thriller film directed and written by Leo Zhang. The film stars Jackie Chan, Tess Haubrich, and Callan Mulvey.

Junction City, Junction Maw Tin, Junction Square, City Mall

PITCH PERFECT 3 Pitch Perfect 3 is a 2017 American musical comedy film. It is the third and final installment in the Pitch Perfect trilogy.

Junction City

SAI KYITE TAE MAUNG Sai Kyite Tae Maung is a Burmese Comedy Movie directed by Ko Pout with Stars : Khant Si Thu, Myint Myat, Thet Mon Myint.

Junction City, Junction Maw Tin, Junction Square, City Mall, Mingalar Sanpya Cineplex, Mingalar Cineplex (Gamone Pwint), Shae Saung Cinema, Thwin, Mingalar

TAW KYI KAN Taw Kyi Kan is a Burmese Action Movie directed by Steel with stars : Myint Myat, Khin Hlaing, Htoo Char, Moe Hay Ko. Junction City, Junction Square, City Mall, Mingalar Sanpya Cineplex, Mingalar Cineplex (Gamone Pwint), Thamada Cinema

Junction Maw Tin | 01 225 244 Junction City | 01 9253591, 01 9253592 Junction Square | 01 527 055 City Mall | 09 764802081 Mingalar Sanpya Cineplex | 09 260 887 035 — 36, 01 230 3 165 Mingalar Cineplex (Gamone Pwint) | 09 779 054 671 — 73 Mingalar Cinema 2(Dagon Centre (II) | 09 732 54 091 — 92 Nay Pyi Daw | 01 251 277, 01 251 288 Shae Saung Cinema | 01 252 113, 01 388 034 Thamada Cinema | 01 246 962, 01 246 963 Thwin | 01 372 594, 01 388 033 Mingalar | 01 243057 Mega Ace (Tharkayta) | 01 556 782 Mega Ace (Tamwe) | 01 554 383 Mega Ace (North Okkalapa) | 09 971 750 91

myanmore Card Deals 50TH STREET CAFE, BAR & RESTAURANT - 10% off on food and beverage. Not valid with other promotions and brunch.

9/13 50th Street, Botataung Township Ph: 01 397 060

AJ'S BAR & GRILL - Free glass of beer with dinner. Offer applies on house beer. Valid for parties of 2 or more.

132, Corner of Bo Myat Htun Street and Anawrahta Road, Botahtaung Town ship Ph: 09 785 422151

See www.myanmorecard.com for more deals

emergency numbers POLICE STATION

AMBULANCE

199 / 01 549309

192

FIRE STATION

TOURIST SAFETY UNIT

191 / 01 252011 / 01 252022

01 642742 / 01 549209

TOURIST INFORMATION

YANGON GENERAL HOSPITAL

01 252859 / 01 378376

01 256112 / 01 265131

HOTLINE NUMBER 1876

About Us Myanmore is your entertainment and lifestyle guide to Yangon. We provide daily updates of events, full scale directory, editorials, photos and much more. ) www.myanmore.com | f Facebook.com/Myanmore @ Info@myanmore.com | B Myanmore.com/Newsletter For advertising or other queries you can also call 09 779 003 701

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