MYANMORE Magazine - No.18/ April 2018

NAY AUNG: CELEBRATING THINGYAN WITH A CLASS ACT

No.18 / April 2018

magazine Managing Director Andreas Sigurdsson Managing Editor Lorcan Lovett Photography Leo Jackson Rasmus Steijner Cover Rasmus Steijner Staff Writer Min Ye Kyaw Editorial assistant Pamela Tan Intern Asgal Asgal Contributors Chit Su Marie Starr James Fable Susan Bailey

14 What’s On 6 Cinema 8 The Tea Shop 10 Cover Story Remembering Thingyan Moe 12

The Tea Shop: main illustration Ben Hopkins

New openings 32 Chef's column 34

Green column / Mixologist column 44

Travel Exploring Kayah State 36 Balancing Beauty and Business 40

Promotions, Card Deals & Tickets 45

Tech Talk 42

Special Feature Making a Splash 14

Publisher MYANMORE Magazine Pyit Thiri Thaw Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited Permit No. 01588 Printer

Features Documenting Myanmar’s Forgotten Cinemas 20 800 Years of Ruby Valley 22

Sales & Advertising sales@myanmore.com 0977 900 3701 / 3702

Q&A Ivan Pun 26 Eat & Drink Burma Bistro 28 Bodhi Nava 29 Street snacks / Ethnic recipe 30

Art & Production Kyaw Kyaw Tun Hein Htet

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About Myanmore Myanmore is a registered brand under Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited providing digital and print publishing as well as creative services. Myanmore is managing the leading online city guide www.myanmore.com and printed publications Weekly Guide, EnjoyIt, KnowIt. We also work closely with the team of DRIVE, the first and only premium car magazine in Myanmar.

Recently, we have launched applications such as MYANMORE (lifestyle app) and Sarmal (app for finding restaurant & bars in Myanmar). The mission is to provide great content and experiences for residents in Myanmar.

Disclaimer No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from Myanmore. All details are deemed correct at the time of print. The editor, employees and contributors cannot be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may occur. www.myanmore.com www.facebook.com/myanmore www.issuu.com/myanmore Follow us on Instagram and Viber.

What's on

Art & Stage

Activity

Retro REDVolution Show 2018 7th April | 6:45 pm - 9:45 pm

WCS Myanmar 2018 with MMOtaku 22nd April | 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Ni Ni Khin Zaw performs at this night, which brings music from the 1990s, classic, jazz, pop, soul and swing. For ticket information call 09 401 817 546.

National Theatre of Yangon - Myoma Kyaung Street, Dagon Township

This cosplay event includes Japanese cosplayers Sakuya, Tokumaru Oguri and Konnichi Kurenai.

MICT Park - Hlaing University, Hlaing Township, Yangon

Nightlife

Thingyan POOL party 7th - 8th April | All Day

RPS Entertainment celebrates Thingyan by collaborating with Sunny Cove Resort for this pool party an hour drive away from the city. Featured DJs: DJ Ana Red, DJ Past 12, and DJ Xyle. General Admission: 35,000 kyats (not staying overnight) and for overnight call 09 770 226 622.

Pick up and drop off point: Mya Kyun Thar, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. Sunny Cove Avenue - Hlegu, Bago

Travel

Beaches Trip & Dj Party 12th - 16th April | All Day

Three nights stay at a hotel plus breakfast, lunch, buffet dinner, fire party, DJ party, Pathein traditional Thingyan and a visit to Royal Amusement Park Water World. For tickets call 09420947043, 09420947034, 09794517457 and 09964517457.

Ngapali - Chaung Thar - Ngwe Saung Pathein

Art & Stage

Sai Sai Birthday Show 10th April | From 6:00 pm

Sai Sai will celebrate his birthday show at Thuwanna Bumi Event Park. You can buy tickets at Nobody, Man Thiri, OMG, Genius and MMTIX and call to 09 45 1010 789.

Thuwanna Bumhi Event Park - ThinganGyun

Dining

Thingyan Festival Offer

Business

BritCham Operational Excellence: Success With Presentations 24th April | 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Learn to prepare, organise and deliver presentations at this workshop. Who should attend? Anyone who has to speak publicly in meetings, seminars and presentations.

British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar Office - Junction City Tower, Pabedan Township, Yangon

12th - 22nd April | 12:00pm - 10:30 pm

Have no idea where to find delicious buffet with reasonable price during Thingyan.? The Square Restaurant offering Lunch & Dinner with Thingyan special price to celebrate the Myanmar New Year. Come & relax with your family and friend to pass the beautiful time together which is on the 12th to 22nd of April. Reserve your seat now @ 09-251185989.

Novotel Yangon Max - 459, Pyay Road, Kamayut Township

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Cinema Cinemas

CINEMA

Now Showing Baaghi 2 Action A battle-hardened army officer squares off against drug lords and Russian henchmen to save his ex-lover’s kidnapped daughter in the underbelly of Goa, India.

Casts: Disha Patani, Tiger Shroff, Randeep Hooda & more.

Mudras Calling Drama, Romance Jaden is a Burmese American writing his Master’s Thesis in Music who decides to travel to his birthplace – Myanmar – to research traditional music and dance. In the culturally-enriched ancient country he finds himself drawn to all the exotic beauty that surrounds and engulfs him. Hnin Thuzar helps Jaden with his endeavor to find his biological parents and his roots. Jaden falls in love with her beauty, strength, and sense of self. During their quest to discover Jaden’s roots,

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worldwide phenomenon. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday. When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.

Jaden uncovers the unexpected truth about himself. Their cross-country journey will highlight many of Myanmar’s intriguing lifestyles and people who live in different areas of the country while at the same time showcasing the rarely-before-seen beauty of this majestic country.

Casts: Zenn Kyi, Hla Yin Kyae, Nann Wai Wai Htun & more.

Coming Premika: Sing it Or Die ?

Horror, Comedy A haunting spirit of an unknown girl who dwells in a karaoke booth, named “Premika” after the clothing tag she wears. One night, someone accidentally switched on a karaoke booth that Premika possesses in. Then, she was awakened from the death, and is ready to torment whoever that sings incorrectly or out of tune, bringing together a horrifying, laughing, amusing and tuneful haunt.

Casts: Natthacha De Souza, Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich, Todsapol Maisuk & more.

Ready Player One Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a

Casts: Letitia Wright, Olivia Cooke, Hannah John-Kamen & more.

Truth or Dare Horror, Thriller A seemingly harmless game of truth or dare turns deadly when someone -- or something -- begins to punish those who tell a lie or refuse a dare.

Casts: Lucy Hale, Violett Beane, Tyler Posey & more.

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Rampage Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Primatologist Davis Okoye shares an unshakable bond with George, an extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla that’s been in his care since birth.

When a rogue genetic experiment goes wrong, it causes George, a wolf and a reptile to grow to a monstrous size. As the mutated beasts embark on a path of destruction, Okoye teams up with a discredited genetic engineer and the military to secure an antidote and prevent a global catastrophe.

Casts: Dwayne Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Will Yun Lee & more.

Avengers: Infinity War Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet -- the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.

Casts: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pratt, Josh Brolin, Chris Hemsworth Karen Gillan, Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright & more.

Credits: Rotten Tomatoes & IMDB

Cinemas in Yangon 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

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Tea Shop

THE TEA SHOP Illustration by Ben Hopkins

Motorbike theft on the rise Lock up your wheels! As Thingyan approaches, Mandalay has seen a dramatic rise in motorbike theft.

Presumably revelers looking for a bit of extra money to spend are swiping motorbikes, not just at night but also in broad daylight. Honda Clicks and Scoopy’s seem to be the preferred bike of choice but any bike is fair game.

Shops selling heavy duty locks may see an uptick in sales in the coming weeks!

Mandalay prepares for Thingyan Mandalay brought back a touch of traditional Thingyan in 2017, blocking off the southern end of the moat from motorized traffic and converting it

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to a ‘walking street’. This year, the city promises to be an even more family-friendly affair with both the south and eastern streets allocated as pedestrian-only. A night market with traditional games and food will be held nightly (7-11pm) on 66 Street and elephant dances, marionette shows and classical music will replace rowdy pandals during the day time.

But for those still looking for a party, the western side of the moat will have

the usual thumping music, pressure sprays and, most likely, revelers who have had one too many drinks! See our Thingyan coverage in this edition for more details.

Hilton Mandalay reveals enticing new menu For once, the old adage “good things come to those who wait” rings true.

After some months of delay, the food and beverage outlets at Mandalay’s Hilton Hotel have vaulted to the top of the dining scene with amazing food, stylish decor and reasonable prices. Chef Mukul Agrawal and his crew have taken inspiration from around the region to create authentic Asian classics as well as dishes with a modern twist, such as tamarindinfused chocolate cake. The Moat, Hilton’s new watering hole, serves MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

award for outstanding achievement in film and the arts on March 23.

Among the awards won, best director went to Zin Yaw Maung Maung for Eternal Mother, best actress went to Eaindra Kyaw Zin for Yin Bat Htal Ka Dar and best actor went to Nay Toe for Tar Tay Gyi. Last year some 53 Myanmar movies were released, and of these, the 15 best were nominated for Academy Awards. The awards ceremony has been held annually since 1952.

Straws Suck As part of the 2018 Green Award program, MYANMORE has made a commitment to support environmentally friendly initiatives in the dining and nightlife industry. One of the most popular green ideas at the minute in Yangon is ‘Straws Suck’ which was launched by restaurant and bar group 57-Below in 2017. The idea is simple–they have pledged to no longer serve non-reusable plastic straws in any of their restaurants and bars. To date the venues in Yangon that have declared themselves ‘strawfree’ are:

up funky cocktails and cold draft beer alongside barbecue and other nibbles. Given its location and relaxed atmosphere, The Moat is sure to be a popular bar for visitors as well as locals.

Myanmar gets a new president Myanmar’s parliament elected Win MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Myint, 66, as the country’s next president on March 28, a week after the resignation of his predecessor.

Win Myint, a close aide of Aung San Suu Kyi, has been a speaker in the Lower House since 2012 and was widely tipped for the top job. But his role will be essentially ceremonial, with Suu Kyi acting as de facto president.

Htin Kyaw resigned as president amid growing health concerns. The other two vice-presidents were Myint Swe,

who served as acting president after Htin Kyaw stepped down, and Henry Van Thio.

G7 Plage Gaw Yan Gyi, 50th Street, Gekko, Locale, Mahlzeit, Nourish, Parami Pizza, Paribawga Café, Rau Ram, Rose Garden Hotel, Savoy Hotel, Sprouts, The Strand Hotel, Union Bar and Grill, Father’s Office, Oliva and Bodhi Nava.

Special guest at the Myanmar Academy Awards Aung San Suu Kyi gave an opening speech at Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards and presented the

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Cover Story

REMEMBERING

THINGYAN MOE Esteemed actor Nay Aung reflects on being part of a Thingyan film from the 1980s that captures the nation’s heart to this day. Words by Min Ye Kyaw and Lorcan Lovett. Photo by Rasmus Steijner.

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n 1983 a film was shot in Mandalay that still resonates with the Myanmar public more than three decades after its release—in fact, it is replayed on TV almost repetitively this time of year.

Thingyan Moe, meaning ‘the Thingyan rain,’ was an instant classic on its first showing in 1985. Something about the deep yet tragic love between a penniless pianist and a young woman from an affluent family had an enduring impact on people, perhaps because the scenes took place amid Myanmar’s favorite holiday, Thingyan Water Festival.

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Three or four years before he landed the part of Nyein Maung, the pianist, Nay Aung was driving a taxi in Yangon for 5 kyats per hour. Mulling its success, he said, “As an artist I cannot expect the people to be hooked on a film or not, to be this or that kind of successful. First, if we are to do a movie then we need to devote ourselves fully to the personality of the character, and people will give back a good reaction.”

The three Myanmar Academy Awards behind Nay Aung hint to the heralded career he has enjoyed in the industry: 1982, 1985, and 2010 were the winning years, the first accolade for his first ever film. Thingyan Moe won best

picture, best cinematography, and best director, Maung Tin Oo. The film’s success was also thanks to the people of Mandalay, who supported the production during the month and a half of shooting.

This was important, Nay Aung stressed, as a large part of the film is set in 1959 and shows Mandalay’s famous sights and culture. The two main characters, Nyein Maung and Khin Khin Htar, decide to elope, but the mother of one of the musician’s students falls ill and he takes them to hospital. Htar’s mother brings her home and forces her to accept an arranged marriage. After her former love plays the piano at the wedding,

he hits the bottle. Fast forward to the early 1980s and it is now their children who are falling in love.

The film is still popular because “Thingyan is part of the Burmese culture to this day,” finishes Nay Aung.

Writer Myo Ma Nyein and real-life pianist U Thein Maung inspired his character while the film was based on the popular Thingyan Moe song by Inzali Maung Maung, explained Nay Aung.

“Thingyan is something every Burmese person loves,” he said.

“There’s always a small rain just before the festival, so the flowers bloom and everyone feels the smell. When MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

“There’s always a small rain just before the festival, so the flowers bloom and everyone feels the smell. When Thingyan is getting near people are very happy to hear the sound of traditional instruments and smell the padauk flower.”

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Thingyan is getting near people are very happy to hear the sound of traditional instruments and smell the padauk flower. It’s not because of me—if there was any other actor in my place, people would still love this film. I’m really lucky and glad to be part of the film. I also thank my teacher Maung Tin Oo.” From his fellow cast members Nay Aung said he learned much about acting and the importance of details, even down to acting a certain type of drunk depending on the whiskey the character gulped. As part of a wave of acting talent, he has developed Myanmar’s film industry.

“Our film industry is not low rated,” he said. “We are trying to reach our goals.”

Although his young grandson occupies most of his time these days, Nay Aung will star in another two films over the next couple of years.

“I will produce artistic works until my heart stops. I’m still singing up till now, but if you cannot produce the voice anymore, then don’t continue, stop it, no matter how famous you were. If you feel no longer capable then don’t take [film parts] anymore. As the new generation enters the industry, the old will have to disappear. Don’t be afraid of it, but disappear beautifully.”

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Special Feature

MAKING A SPLASH

About 1,000 students celebrated an early Thingyan at Dagon University on March 14 to mark the end of their exams. (Photos by Rasmus Steijner)

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t’s that time of the year again, when throwing water at strangers is not only tolerated, but encouraged, and Yangon’s streets turn into a family-friendly sequel to Mad Max: Fury Road. The fun begins on April 13, the first day of this year’s Thingyan Water Festival, and culminates with a drenched and exasperated public welcoming the Myanmar calendar year 1380 on April 17.

Although the festival has its roots in Hinduism, the culture of throwing water at this time of the year in Myanmar was first recorded in the Pagan Kingdom in the 13th Century. Thought to be introduced by Indian Brahmins in the court of Myanmar kings, one of the earliest recorded accounts of Thingyan is a rather grisly tale. King Nara Thiha Pathae ordered the women of his royal court to throw water at one of his wives.

Humiliated, the wife plotted his assassination but the plot was uncovered and she was burned alive.

Other Theravada Buddhist-countries in the region hold similar new year festivities, such as Laos’ Pii Mai, Cambodian New Year or Choul Chnam Thmey and Songkran in Thailand, but in our opinion none are quite like Thingyan, which means “transition,” a term derived from the Sanskrit word Thinkanta or Sinkanta. Most supermarkets and restaurants close, roads are patrolled by trucks carrying water-gun-wielding passengers, and the usually conservative society of Lower Myanmar transforms into anything but.

There are, however, devout Buddhists who avoid the raucous celebrations and use Thingyan Eve, or A-Kyo Nei, to observe the Eight Precepts of Buddhism—three more than usual. These include refraining from stealing, sex, and killing living creatures. Offerings are made to the monks, shrines and images of Buddha, some help the elderly wash and cut their nails, and others make lavish donations to those in need. The food on the streets is mote lone yay paw, which means ‘round snack on water’ and comprises boiled balls of rice dough stuffed with jaggery (although pranksters often sneak in some chilli instead of jaggery).

Thingyan has gone from a modest sprinkling of scented water in a silver bowl to metaphorically “wash away” one’s sins of the previous year, to cannons gushing jets of water that are more likely to wash away clothes. Whether you want to enjoy it in Yangon or elsewhere, MYANMORE gives you the complete Thingyan lowdown.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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Special Feature

Traditionally, Thingyan is a time to make donations and help the elderly. (Rasmus Steijner)

A Traditional Thingyan

8:10-9:10am: Head to your local pagoda, or Shwedagon Pagoda if you can, and practice either vipassana or samatha meditation for an hour.

By Pamela Tan 4am: Wake up, wash, and get ready to pay respect to Buddha.

4:30-5:30am: Recite Buddhist mantras, and offer fresh flowers, and five cups of water to Buddha. Each cup should be offered as drinking water, water to clean Buddha’s face, water to clean Buddha’s hands, water to clean Buddha’s feet, and water to clean Buddha’s body.

9:15-10:50am: Make donations to monks at the pagoda and offer food to Buddha.

11-12pm: Take a shower and eat a hearty lunch at Cherry Mann Restaurant in Latha Township (open throughout the festival), as this will be the last meal of the day.

12:10-1:50pm: Take a quick nap.

2-3pm: Meditate for an hour.

5:40-6:45am: Eat your first meal at your local tea shop.

7-8am: Take a nap to prepare yourself for a long day.

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3:10-5pm: Bring bread, watercress, and corn to feed fish, turtles, and birds at the Kandawgyi Lake. Fish will be

available for purchase near the lake for you to release them.

5:10-6pm: Take a rest, drink and eat some honey for energy.

6:10-8pm: Pay respect and offer candles to Buddha either at a Buddha altar or at a pagoda. Since the streets during Thingyan are hectic, head to Botahtaung Pagoda for some tranquility and then mediate for an hour.

8:10-9pm: Listen to a dhamma talk by a renowned English-speaking monk such as Dr Ashin Nandamalabhivamsa or Oxford Sayadaw Dr Dhammasami.

A Modern Thingyan

By Min Ye Kyaw Over the years Thingyan water festival in Yangon has become synonymous with blaring speakers mounted on rickety pavilions, or pandals. Yangon chief minister Phyo Min Thein wasn’t a fan of these, but the fact that scantilyclad teens were dancing wildly on top of them was in his eyes inappropriate.

Last year he was behind the notable absence of the for-profit pavilions.

“We are ending the situation whereby parents are horrified by witnessing their daughters on the pavilions,” he told local news.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Authorities are reintroducing them this year, in an effort to lure tourists and keep residents in the city. Expect then the return of the modern Thingyan festival: severely drenched strangers on big stages lining Pyay Road. We’ve listed party places where you can join in the fun—a must-look for partygoers staying in Yangon over the holidays.

Thingyan Music Festival - TMF One of the greatest water festival stages in Yangon, TMF was launched

by H-Life Entertainment in 2014 and quickly soared to the top party pavilions in the city thanks to its lineup of international DJs. This time, TMF is back on Pyay Road, where it all began for the team, and headliners include DutchTurkish DJ Ummet Ozcan, Amsterdamduo Yellow Claw, and internationallyrenowned DJ Sophie Francis. All access tickets for the four days cost 200,000 kyats, while single-day tickets are also available: day one for 40,000 kyats, day two for 60,000 kyats, Day three and four for 80,000 kyats.

Location: Pyay Road, Kamayut Township

Ticket hotline: 1876.

Ticket outlets: Buy tickets at Auto City “Car Spa & Accessories,” Balance Fitness I & II, FUSE, Ice Cream Bar, M2M, Momoko Bag and Shoes Spa, Roof Alchemy, and Vestige Cafe.

Blackjack Water Festival Ever since pavilions were allowed on Yangon’s roads, Blackjack has been up there with the biggest stages. This Thingyan revelers celebrate its 11th anniversary with regular all-day passes for 60,000 kyats and VIP all-day passes for 100,000 kyats. Table and bottle services can be booked via 09 43174433.

Location: Pyay Road, Kamayut Township Ticket hotline: 09 4317 4433 Ticket outlets: TRX - Room A2, No. 37, Einzaliphyo Condo, Hlaing Railway Station Road, between ABC Convenience Store and LaMin Electronic, Hlaing Township.

Barrack Water Festival Barrack debuted on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road three years ago and made quite

a splash. Now it returns with a packed line-up of local and international artists. Look out for the Barong Family, Double U, EMJ, S Logic, OU J, Biggy Wyne, Burmese Smash, Mike Haider, Roxa and more. Tickets cost 45,000 kyats for regular day access, hiked up to 90,000 kyats for VIPs. Location: Pyay Road, Kamayut Township Ticket hotline: 09 9777 74141, 09 4302 0145, 09 506 9595 Ticket outlet: Ssuni Myanmar branches and Gangnam Buffet.

Savage Water Festival The VIBE and Yote Tay Entertainment bring you the first ever hip-hop music pavilion in Yangon. Tickets cost 50,000 kyats for regular day access and 90,000 kyats for VIPs. Table and bottle reservations are available.

Location: Pyay Road, Kamayut Township Ticket hotline: 09 7996 38939 Ticket outlet: The VIBE - 31A Kanyeik Tha Street, Yankin Township

Thingyan in Mandalay

By Susan Bailey Thousands of people from all over Myanmar are expected to flock to Mandalay during Thingyan this year.

Last year the city proudly announced a more traditional festival and social media exploded with selfies of revelers enjoying the walking streets, classical dancing and more. If you missed it last year, do not worry as 2018 promises to be even better. The southern end of the moat (26 Street) will be trafficfree all day and will feature elephant dances, marionette shows and classical music. On the eastern side (66 Street), the day time will be filled with music-thumping pandals but after sunset, the street will transform into a night market with traditional games and snacks. For those still seeking a club-like atmosphere, fear not! Event group Rage gets an early start with an EDM Color Foam party at Golden City Event park on 7 April before launching their stage on 66 x 17 Streets on 13 April. Down the road

Expect to get wet if you walk Yangon’s streets during Thingyan.(Rasmus Steijner)

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Special Feature

is the ever-popular MZ Stage (66 bet 18/19) with a slew of DJs rotating throughout the four-day fest. And G6 returns to its prominent position on the southwest corner of the moat, despite having been fined last year for littering.

Staycation Deals Book a room at a top hotel and treat yourself to some luxury this Thingyan.

Savoy Hotel Yangon is close enough to the main pandals (or stages) to enjoy the action, but also far enough to hide away in a state of luxury. The hotel’s special Thingyan package includes a deluxe room, buffet breakfast and a glass of beer or wine, starting from US$119 net per night.

Plus the Wi-Fi is strong and you can chill out in the swimming pool. The deal runs from 10 to 20 April. Special rates are available for Myanmar residents and work permit/work visa holders.

Hilton Mandalay is offering a Thingyan family package. Mandalay goes just as bonkers for Thingyan as Yangon, with pandals lining all four sides of the palace moat. This newly opened hotel is situation in the heart of the city and offers a deluxe room for two adults and one child (including one extra bed), a daily buffet breakfast, daily afternoon tea and mont lone yay paw-making activity and daily dinner buffet. In addition, families with young children also get access to daily special activities such as kids afternoon party, dancing, face painting, coconut bowling, bouncy castle and more. Packages begin at US$340 (nett) for a two-night stay and US£485 (nett) for a three-night stay.

Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon doesn’t exactly offer a Thingyan deal: it’s better than that.

From March 10 to May 10 the fivestar establishment offers a deluxe room for two adults at US$100 net per night. With that comes buffet breakfast, gym and pool access, and one dinner or lunch per room at either The Emporia, Tiger Hill or Kohaku restaurant. Located next to Inya Lake, Chatrium boasts one of the best pools in Yangon. Plus you get 15 percent off at its restaurants and 20 percent off on body massages at Nemita Spa by Lilawadee.

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Rose Garden Hotel in Yangon has a special promotion for Myanmar residents and expats only over the Thingyan period. Superior rooms are available at US$80 per night and bamboo executive rooms at $120 per night. The deal includes an international buffet breakfast for two, late checkout until 6pm, welcoming drink upon arrival, two bottles of water per day, tea and coffee making facilities in each room and access to the pool and gym. It runs from April 1 until April 30 and proof of residency or business visa are required at the time of booking.

Sule Shangri-La is right in the thick of the Thingyan celebrations.

In fact, stick your head out of one of its windows and you could probably see the revellers near Sule Pagoda.

But the high-end hotel also offers a refuge from the festivities—for $99 is an overnight stay in the deluxe room, breakfast for two at Café Sule and use of the gym and swimming pool. It is also attached to a shopping mall.

Pan Pacific Yangon offers a new level of luxury with its infinity pool and spa. For Thingyan it offers a deluxe room at $98++ for single inclusive of breakfast for one person and deluxe room at $108++ for twin or double inclusive of breakfast for two persons.

The offer runs from now until April 22 and is exclusively for locals and expats.

Lotte Hotels and Resorts Yangon is dishing out the staycation deals this Thingyan—three to be exact.

‘Heart of Padauk’ is a US$185 package from March 15-April 12 that includes a premier lake view room, buffet breakfast for two at La Seine, BBQ platter for two, free flow on beer for two hours between 6-10pm at the Poolside Bar, a special gift, one-day pool access and a 4pm checkout. ‘Stay 4, Pay 3’ runs from March 15-April 12 and cost $480. You get a deluxe room.

Buffet breakfast for two, two-hour free flow on beer, laundry service for two and a tour bus to explore the city.

‘Best Ever Thingyan’ offers the tour, too, as well as a deluxe room, buffet breakfast and BBQ platter for one, free flow beer for two hours, laundry service for two and a 4pm check out.

Novotel Yangon Max’s special Thingyan offer has two breakfast for two people—up to two children aged under 16 stay go free including

Women in Thanlyin practise Yein, a traditional Thingyan dance.(Rasmus Steijner)

breakfast—and it cost US$111 per night. Booking period runs from March 20 to April 22 and stay period April 12 to April 22.

Esperado Lake View Hotel is offering buffet breakfast for two people and a nice welcome juice for 89,999 kyats per night. Early check in can be 11am and late check out 2pm.

Any stay for more than two nights gets you a free foot massage for two people.

Melia Yangon is offering from April 12 to April 16 special packages for two.

They include a buffet breakfast at Olea Restaurant, a set lunch at The Lantern, and an evening cocktail. Prices are US$150 net for one night, $280 for two nights, $405 for three nights, and $520 for four nights.

What’s Open?

Esperado Rooftop Bar & Restaurant Esperado Hotel, Kan Yeik Thar Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township 6.30am-11pm, every day Min Lann Seafood Restaurant Bahan, San Chaung, Mayangone, South Okkalapa, Kamaryut townships 11am-7pm and 11am-10pm, Thingyan Eve and Myanmar New Year Day DIY Hotpot Wai Za Yan Tar Road, South Okkalapa 11am-11pm, every day Gallery Cafe 98 Inya Road, Kamaryut Township 9am-12am, all day 365 Cafe Ahlon Road, Ahlon Township 8am-12am, every day MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

be much higher this time of year, and transport is often difficult, but any one of the following destinations offers some respite from the usual Thingyan shenanigans.

Dawei Fly into Tanintharyi Region capital Dawei for Thingyan and watch a traditional new year dance on the beach that involves dancers balancing jars of water on their heads. Expect some water-throwing downtown but travel to the surrounding beaches of the Myeik Archipelago and all you will find is pristine sands and tranquility.

Ngapali Beach This popular beach in southern Rakhine State has an array of top hotels, though rooms can be pricey at this time of the year and need advance booking. The bay itself is an ideal and comfortable place to spend the holidays, and Thandwe town, seven kilometers away, has an airport.

Mt Popa Spending Thingyan in Bagan for one day is a great experience, but after that it’s worth heading an hour’s drive away to Popa Mountain Resort, where each room overlooks the surrounding hills and plains, and guests can dip into a spring-fed infinity pool.

Rangoon Tea House 77-79 Pansodan Rd (Lower Middle Block), Kyauktada Township 8am-10pm, Thingyan Eve and Myanmar New Year Day Sorabol Restaurant 15, Kanbawza Street, Bahan Township 10am-10pm, every day Da Nu Phyu Daw Saw Yee Restaurant Bldg S/1, West Race Course Rd., U Chit Maung Housing, Tamwe Township 9am-9pm, Myanmar New Year Day Shwe Sa Bwe 20 Malikha Road, Yangon Dinner only (6:30pm onwards) Closed on Monday O-Shabu Hot Pot 8(A), Parami Road, Kamayut Township 10.30am-10pm, every day

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Mañana Mexican Restaurant Building C, Pearl Condo, Bahan Township 10am-10pm, every day

Corriander Restropub No.312/A, East Shwegonedaing Road, Yangon 11am-11pm, every day

Mañana Express Bo Myat Htun Tower, Maha Bandoola Road, Botahtaung Township 10am-10pm, every day

Babett Bar 5 Alan Pya Pagoda Street, Dagon Township 24-hours, every day

AJ’s Bar and Grill 132 Anawrahta Road, Botahtaung Township 4pm-11pm, every day

Ô’Thentic 45 Yaw Min Gyi, Dagon Township 5pm-11pm with drink promotions and happy hour all night

KK Pot 132 Anawrahta Road, Botahtaung Township 5pm-10pm, every day The Corriander Leaf Road Bldg-12 Ahlone Road, Ahlone Township 11am-11pm, every day

Where to Escape Not everybody enjoys the big cities during Thingyan. Civil servants clock off, highway buses stop or are fully booked, and most businesses close.

You can either stay in or go out and endure the drunks, the dousing and the deafening music. Or why not just escape altogether? Hotel prices can

Hpa An About a six hours’ drive or train ride from Yangon is the lush Kayin State capital Hpa-an, whose Thingyan celebrations are muted compared to other cities. Hpa An Lodge has an inviting swimming pool that offers somewhere to cool off after a day of cycling and exploring the wonderful countryside.

Kyauk Me and Hsipaw Fly into Lashion or travel from Mandalay to these hiking hubs. Out of the towns there is little chance of getting drenched. Try Riverside Resort in Hsipaw, which has balconies overlooking the Dokhtawady River, and One Love in Kyauk Me, a stayover that can help arrange treks to surrounding ethnic communities.

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Feature

The Tine Chit Cinema in Paungde, Bago Division.

DOCUMENTING MYANMAR’S FORGOTTEN CINEMAS Many of Myanmar’s old cinemas stand crumbling and forlorn, but one man has made it his mission to photograph the structures before they disappear completely. Words by Marie Starr.

Photos by Philip Jablon.

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he first films publically screened in Myanmar in the 1920s were black and white and silent films. Fast forward to the Myanmar of the 1950s, 60s and 70s and something of a golden age for cinema was taking place with a healthy filmmaking scene and glamourous cinemas to match.

Bogyoke Aung San Street between Pansodan and Sule Pagoda Road had a strip of no less than eight cinemas, earning itself the name ‘Cinema Row.’ The following decades of junta rule saw the cinema industry bend and

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strain under military control and strict censorship. There was nationwide economic decline and the country was more or less cut off from the rest of the world. Mingalar Cinemas, established in 1989, was the company to take the brave move and buy out the country’s cinemas when the government decided to privatize them after decades of control and strict censorship.

The Dwei Like Cinema in Chauk, Magwe Region.

In 2018 there are two distinct types of cinemas in Myanmar; the dated, often crumbling standalone cinema halls of the past, and the modern movie MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

“I was drawn to the architecture and the juxtaposition of the cinema theatres with the street and their role within the urban environment.” theatres in air-conditioned shopping malls. Today, Cinema Row is down to its last two cinemas—Waziya and Thwin.

Philip Jablon moved from his hometown of Philadelphia, USA to Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2006 to undertake a master’s degree in Sustainable Development. After three abandoned thesis attempts, he began documenting old cinemas as a kind of feel-good personal project to raise his spirits. He was surprised when he proposed and was given a green light to write his thesis on the old movie theatres of Thailand.

“I was drawn to the architecture and the juxtaposition of the cinema theatres with the street and their role within the urban environment.”

Philip’s first venture into Myanmar was in 2009 when he travelled over the border to document cinemas in Keng Tung in eastern Shan State.

“Myanmar was a great unknown to me. It was basically a black hole in my knowledge of Southeast Asia.”

From there his project brought him on various trips across the country when he would visit towns, small and large, that were rumored to have a standalone cinema. His documentation brought him through towns like Bago, Taungoo, Thazi, Meiktila and Pyin Oo Lwin.

“In smaller towns, people were curious about what I was doing but they also seemed willing to help and that makes me think they care.”

Then in 2016, Philip held an exhibition of his photographic documentation at Myanmar Deitta Gallery and invited a number of figureheads in cinema and conservation to a discussion event. Through this he struck up a connection with the general manager of Mingalar Cinemas and learned that the company was in the process of acquiring old cinemas around the country with the aim of renovating them and giving them a new lease of life.

“That was an outlier to what the major national movie theatre chains

are doing in this region. They usually go strictly the shopping mall route, usually at the expense of the old theatres.”

As he continued his project, he would pass information to Mingalar Cinemas and after some discussions, this year they agreed to support his last leg of his work. Thus the 2018 Myanmar Theatre Survey started rolling.

He spent February this year traveling around Upper Myanmar, venturing down dusty lanes and along busy thoroughfares of 21 towns including Letpadan, Pyay, Magwe, Natmauk, Pakokku, Mandalay, Kyaukse, Sagaing and Thazi.

Some cinema treasures he uncovers are still shining movie halls, operational and playing a central role in the community. His findings may be tall and mighty in a fashionable architectural style of another era—art deco of the 20s and 30s, or brutalist architecture of the 50s to 70s. Others aren’t much larger than a townhouse or may now be in use

as a bank or warehouse. Too often, they have been reduced to rubble or totally replaced by a modern shop. He has painstakingly documented and photographed them all.

“In my mind, these old cinemas are part of the urban infrastructure and cultural institutions that were built at a time when the pedestrians ruled.”

Going forward, Philip acknowledges that this is probably his last round of documenting cinemas in Myanmar.

He intends to use the photographic material he has built up to produce a photography book. With Mingalar Cinemas eyeing his surveyed cinema halls for renovation potential, his legacy is sure to have an impact long into the future.

“The best case scenario would be that these cinemas all come back to life and that these communities they stand in treasure them and want to preserve them.”

He was motivated by what he found and was still yet to learn. He was boosted by strong encouragement from people who knew Myanmar and the often dire situations the standalone cinemas were in. He received grants from the Jim Thompson Foundation for two month-long trips to Myanmar in 2010 and 2011.

“On my first night in Yangon, I walked down Cinema Row. In 2010 there were six theatres along that row. It was dark and there was very little street lighting and there were people everywhere on the streets. And I could tell that it was grimy and run down but it was fascinating to see these theatres all in operation.”

Philip Jablon in the lobby of Myoma Cinema in Mandalay.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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Feature

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

800 YEARS OF

RUBY VALLEY Two hundred kilometers north of Mandalay is Mogok, a small city famous worldwide for its rubies. At the end of March it held an unprecedented celebration of its history and culture. Words by Lorcan Lovett. Photos by Leo Jackson.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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Feature

D

aw Taw mine has rubies, just ask Han Wai Soe. He has been tunneling into its mountainside on the rim of Mogok valley for one and a half years. So far his team has made it 250 meters horizontal and they want to go another 150 meters “to look for the primary source,” he says, meaning the deep red hues of the pigeon-blood ruby.

But first he has to solve problems harder than the marble surrounding the gems, like waiting for the authorities to renew the mining permit. Meantime, gravel already excavated is washed into a sump and then pumped into a jig concentrator, where precious stones become trapped. “What we can do right now is wash the soil out but not touch the rock,” Han Wai Soe explained. “We took out 200 tones of soil and out of that we got 2,000 carats of ruby.”

Above the mouth of the mine is a nat shrine that workers petition for safety and success. This vantage point offers a view of Mogok, a city off-limits to foreigners for most of five decades until the military-backed government in 2013 announced that visitors must apply for permits. Safety and security reasons are the official line for visitor restrictions, but locals say the guards are in place to prevent foreigners buying the gems directly and skipping the tax.

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For centuries the city amassed wealth and fame, producing all the rubies in Myanmar and the finest rubies in the world. Recently though the local gemstone industry has been hampered by delays to mining concession permits, dwindling gemstone deposits and several luxury

jeweler brands boycotting Myanmar gems because of concerns that sales are lining the pockets of generals responsible for atrocities in Rakhine State. Now Mogok is toying with a new means of revenue: tourism.

During the last three days of March,

Mogok celebrated its 800th anniversary with a series of singers, comedians, and traditional dancers performing on a stage next to Mogok Lake, an abandoned mining pit of the colonial-era Burma Ruby Mines Company. Thousands of mostly domestic travellers journeyed the MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

ascending route—known locally as the “road of 999 bends”—past splashes of lilac and white bougainvillea into thick forest with bare mountainsides of ochre, a teaser of the spectrum of hues found in Mogok’s gemstone markets.

Ethnic Lisu, Pa-laung and Shan came in traditional dress from surrounding villages, as monasteries helped Mogok hotels cope with the unprecedented number of visitors. The city is fascinating enough on a quiet day; the type of place where noodle shop vendors carry US$1,500-dollar polished rubies the size of grapes in their pockets. But the festivities brought out everyone, even dragging Han Wai Soe from Daw Taw mine for the day.

Around midmorning on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 3,000 monks circled Mogok Lake, collecting donations. On the bank’s of the city’s brown river, a hustler-cum-preacher gathered a crowd, promising health and to rid them of evil. “You are all saints,” he shouted in front of a collection of curious items including a doll’s head and flute. “Give donations based on your kindness!”

Teashops overflowed, cars continuously honked, and Sikhs gave out bags of free noodles. Although closed off to visitors for decades, MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Mogok has a diverse community of Sikhs, Nepalese Ghurkhas, Burmese, Chinese, Indian and more.

In the evenings people picked at candyfloss and sweet sticky rice next to a newly unveiled statue of independence hero Gen Aung San and gawped at fireworks illuminating the contours of mountains.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to celebrate this anniversary,” Dr Khin Khin Kyaw, one of the organizers, told Myanmore at Mogok Motel near the lake.

As the founder of advertising firm Sail, Dr Khin Khin Kyaw helped promote

the historic occasion for Mogok, where her mother was born.

“The land is very beautiful,” she said.

“You can do hiking, and for religion there was a famous Mogok monk whose method of meditation is very popular.”

Locals say the area could be a trekking mecca, its history is fascinating and pagodas set among its hilltops appear as spectacular in the morning mist as they do twinkling when the sun sets.

Describing the local cuisine and choice of new resorts, Dr Khin Khin Kyaw added, “We have to remind the world that Mogok is the ruby land not

of Myanmar but of the world.”

It became that way because, so the story goes, 800 hundred years ago three Shan hunters discovered a ruby while they were resting in the forest and presented it to their chief, who promptly established a village on the site. The settlement became known as ‘Mein Kut’ in Shan—‘contorted town’ named for the outlines of the surrounding mountains—which eventually formed into its present name of Mogok.

Gems made the city, and gems are likely to play a part in its tourism— whether that means tourists visiting mines, or if all the gems eventually go, visiting historic sites about the precious stones.

Still, local miners toil every day in the hope of unearthing a life-changing gemstone. In 2015 a Mogok gem dubbed the Sunrise Ruby and weighed at 25.59 carats became the most expensive ever ruby ever sold when it went for US$30 million at a Swiss auction.

At Daw Taw mine Han Wai Soe reached out for a water bottle wrapped in a ‘800th anniversary’ logo of a mountain and lake. “800 years is a long time,” he shrugged. “The mines are running low.”

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Q&A

IVAN PUN Four years ago, behind the corrugated iron shutters of an old riverfront warehouse, was a flurry of fashion, art, food and local craftsmanship—a pop-up space known as ts1, or Transit Shed No1. Two doors to the right was Port Autonomy, the complex’s bar and restaurant.

Over the next year this space became the unlikely beacon for a city on the move, a glimpse at a new, trendy, cosmopolitan Yangon. The man behind it was Ivan Pun, a scion of the Myanmar-Chinese Pun family whose patriarch, Serge Pun, heads a sprawling real estate and finance empire.

Through his lifestyle agency Pun + Projects, Ivan followed ts1 with fusion bistro Rau Ram, café-cum-furniture store Paribawga, healthy Locale and the purchase of Yangon stalwart 50th Street bar. The entrepreneur spoke with Lorcan Lovett about his latest ventures and the changes he has seen in Yangon and Myanmar.

Photo by Rasmus Steijner.

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

“I think everything needs improving, very frankly speaking. That’s not to say that things haven’t come a long way, but we should always try to improve—that applies across the board.”

Q What does Pun + Projects have going on right now?

We’re working on a project called Wah Tea Shop, which is a play on words for the Burmese ‘War Dee’ [meaning ‘let’s eat.’] We’re opening the first branch in Star City and the idea is a traditional Burmese tea shop, but a Cantonese hybrid that you’d find in Hong Kong.

There’s definitely a market for fresh design-orientated tea shops, but at the same time I wanted to make it slightly different from what’s already available in Yangon. I wanted to fuse the elements—something that is familiar with something that is quite surprising. We have another outlet in Star City called Locale, which we incubated down there with the idea that we would bring it to downtown and make it into something that could potentially be a chain serving Western comfort food; salads, wraps, sandwiches, that kind of thing. At the back of my mind is Port Autonomy.

The search for a new site has gone on for about 18 months. We haven’t really found anything yet, but it’s something I would like to get done soon.

Q Which of your projects in Yangon are you most proud of?

Obviously the first one a lot of the times is going to be the one you probably have the strongest relationship with. For me, for sure Port Autonomy because it captured a moment in time and the spirit of the city at that time. There was really good energy—it’s all about alchemy. For that particular one we really achieved MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

something quite unique. I’m particular proud of that and proud of the things we have done originally with TS1 and then later on all the pop-ups we have done since we left the physical space.

We support one project a year. This year we are bringing an exhibition curated by Cosmin Costinas that debuted at the Dhaka Art Summit in June and next year we are working on a potential film festival. I’m proud of the contribution we do to try and add to the contemporary cultural landscape in Yangon.

Q With such a varied mix of businesses and projects, where do your ideas come from?

From everywhere, really. Some ideas come from a desperation for things that don’t exist. Others come from when I travel. Travel inspires me a lot, I travel quite a bit. I see things and then do something on it. Maybe not an exact replica, but I would find a way to translate it to something that is applicable to Yangon.

Q Do you have a favorite place in Myanmar to travel?

I really like Inle Lake. I know everyone has been there and it’s not a new discovery. But there’s something very special about Inle, both in terms of the Shan food, the landscape, and on the lake, where there’s a real sense of serenity that I have not experienced elsewhere.

Q What differences are there between starting a business in Yangon now and when you first started here in 2014?

It’s getting progressively easier to set things up. We keep on doing things so I can’t think off the top of my head what is particularly different, but I imagine it has gotten easier. Restaurants, for example: the whole process of getting permits and licenses has become easier. Liquor licenses, opening hours.

Although I do remember when we first opened Port Autonomy it was very unclear what the restrictions were, especially on opening times. We don’t really have those issues anymore.

Hiring has probably become easier as well.

Q Are they any restaurants or businesses in Yangon that you admire?

Lots. It’s really interesting to see what everyone is doing here, especially because I am aware of the challenges of doing business here. It’s always really admirable when you can see entrepreneurs build businesses from scratch that overcome these challenges and create successful workable businesses. There’s quite a few; they range from everything from the food business that we’re in to a diverse range of others.

But particularly these smaller independent companies that have managed to find a niche and exist, because it can be difficult here.

Q Your father has a reputation for his adherence to clean business in a country marred by corruption. Is his approach to business spreading in Myanmar?

Absolutely. More and more it’s becoming the norm where people don’t expect to have to do anything. I get the sense people are more inclined to do things correctly and legally and by the books. I can see that shift happening now.

Q You have helped develop the F&B industry in Yangon. Are there any other industries that need improving here?

I think everything needs improving, very frankly speaking. That’s not to say that things haven’t come a long way but we should always try to improve— that applies across the board. I can’t think of a single business here that has no room for improvement, we can all do better.

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Review

BURMA BISTRO A beautifully renovated colonial-era building that plays it slightly safe in the kitchen.

W

alking up the flight of stairs to newly-opened Burma Bistro is to transport yourself from the daily hustle and bustle of downtown Yangon to a utopia of Myanmar grandeur.

The restaurant’s two floors include terraces flanked by crumbling colonial columns, high ceilings, vintage tiles, traditional teak and rattan furniture, and luscious greenery. The waiting staff are friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s food, which

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focuses on Myanmar cuisine with a sprinkle of Thai and Western dishes, doesn’t quite match up to the luxe environment.

On recommendation, I began the meal with a sugar cane juice. The basil and chili version had an exciting depth of flavor and I loved the chili kick. For starters, I ordered the satay. It was solid but not remarkable—the meat well flavored with herbs and the sauce creamy and peanut. The chili oil was a

welcome addition. I also sampled the rice in bamboo, which was bizarrely presented and, apart from that, lacked in excitement. The rice—supposedly tomato flavored but pretty bland to my taste—was served on banana leaf inside a hollow bamboo. A pork skewer (well-flavored but a little dry) was sat across it. The accompanying soy sauce was packed with garlic and chili but a little too salty.

The steamed barramundi was cooked with garlic, ginger, and spring onion according to the menu but arrived in a dense oyster sauce tasting broth with potato, mushroom, and cauliflower.

It was wholesome and had a good home-cooked feel to it, but was not what I was expecting. The rainbow salad fell down the same presentation rabbit hole as the rice in bamboo; all the colorful ingredients—red cabbage, beansprouts, peanuts, tofu, potato, two types of noodles—were lined up on the plate before the waiter then took it away to mix it and give it back to us. The result was one of the best flavored-dishes of the night with a pleasant blend of many Myanmar

flavours, but I resented the “rainbow” theatrics. The yoghurt and clay pot for afters was another highlight—rich, creamy, dense yoghurt with a sweet jaggery-esque compote.

Burma Bistro has done something special with its renovation of this 20th Century building on Merchant Street and the prices are reasonable considering the surroundings. I wonder if they are playing it safe with the menu’s flavors to cater to a Western audience or if they are still finalizing the recipes. I will be back to find out.

Address: No. 644, First Floor, Corner of Merchant Road and Shwe Bon Thar Road, Pabedan Township Opening Times: 10am to 11pm Phone: 09 40118 3838 MYANMORE restaurant reviews are done independently and published anonymously. Meals and drinks are paid for by the publication.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Review

BODHI NAVA Fresh and creative fusion fare served in a trendy cafe near Kandawgyi Lake.

Y

angon needs more restaurants like Bodhi Nava. From the team behind Green Gallery, this light and airy café meets restaurant meets guesthouse serves up fresh, healthy, yet punchy fusion fare at a reasonable price. The staff are charmingly helpful and the location— at the foot of the Shwedagon Pagoda and close to Kandawgyi Lake—make it an excellent spot to take visitors.

The high-ceilinged interior with brushed concrete, black metal, and reclaimed wood gives the venue a relaxed, urban vibe. The classic Burmese green blue on one wall is the icing on the Yangon hipster cake. The menu takes influences from Thailand, Myanmar, the West, and the Middle East and marries them cheekily, yet tastily, together.

I started with the Rakhine chicken salad (4,500 kyats). A generous helping of moist shredded chicken was teamed with a citrus tang from lime juice and kaffir lime lives, a crunchy punch from onion and garlic, and a heat from black pepper and chili.

The perfect healthy dish for me but, due to the onion and garlic, perhaps not one to wolf down before an important meeting or a hot date.

The hummus with Burmese tea leaf pesto and vegetable sticks (4,000 kyats) was a surprising find on the menu, but another perfect healthy snack that is often absent from Yangon living. The hummus was well-flavoured but perhaps a little too chunky and stiff for easy dipping. The fusion twist of the Myanmar-inspired pesto on top was enchanting.

A somewhat brave fusion dish that ultimately won my heart was the English muffin topped with RaMon shredded pepper chicken and a tamarind and sesame sauce (5,000 kyats). The chicken itself tasted remarkably similar, to me at least, to MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

the Rakhine chicken I had earlier but was well teamed with the soft muffin, sweet and sticky tamarind sauce and crunchy sesame seeds.

The Mon-style Khao Soi with chicken (5,800 kyats) was a very pleasing variation on the oh-no khao swe served up throughout Myanmar. The thick and creamy coconut soup had a spicy heat from chili and turmeric. The serving of chicken was generous but a little dry and chewy.

We ended the meal with a mango smoothie bowl in celebration of the oncoming of Myanmar’s mango season. A semi-frozen mango and banana smoothie was topped with banana and nuts and seeds, including chia—a hipster staple still relatively elusive in Yangon. A beautifully light and healthy end to the meal.

I will be back to Bodhi Nava. In fact, before I even finished the meal I was already thinking how to incorporate a long lingering lunch there into a Saturday or Sunday wonder around Kandawgyi Lake and the parks near Shwedagon.

Address: 17 Bahan 2nd Street Opening Times: 11am to 8pm Phone: 09 78126 5517

MYANMORE restaurant reviews are done independently and published anonymously. Meals and drinks are paid for by the publication.

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Street snacks / Ethnic recipe c recipe

TEMPURA TOWN

D

espite being rather small, the tempura stall on middle block 40th Street catches the eyes of passersby because of a consistent stream of customers buzzing around it, writes Pamela Tan. The stall’s owner U Maung Kyan is humble about his snacks’ popularity, instead focusing on the quality of the tempura, cutting fresh vegetables and mixing new batter everyday.

“I don’t hide anything from my customers,” said the 35-year-old vendor as he patiently sliced corn. “I make the food in front of them and they can see the state of our shop’s hygiene with their own eyes. I wouldn’t serve them something that I, myself, wouldn’t eat. It’s all a matter of trust.”

U Maung Kyan has a rotating choice of over 10 types of tempura depending on the seasons. Two sizzling pots of oil set at the front of the stall deep fry the vegetables that have been dipped into the batter, which includes pounded sticky rice, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

Owning the street side stall has come with its problems, as though U Maung Kyan says he has the consent of 40th Street residents, Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC)

U Maung Kyan serves some of the most popular tempura downtown. (Asgal Asgal)

asked him a few months ago to relocate to the night market on the Strand.

previously ran a betel nut stand and worked in a tea shop before setting up his tempura stall.

“The place was only 4 foot by 8 foot!

The only thing that could fit into that tiny stall was my two frying pots. It was impossible to make business there so I had to move out. I am so grateful that the people in this street are so understanding. I won’t be able sell here if it wasn’t for them,” he said.

“The teashop that I used to work at closed down. I decided to open up my shop right in front of my old workplace because I’m familiar with that place. Now look how far we have come! My shop will turn six years old this year,” he said.

U Maung Kyan who moved from the Ayeyarwady Region to Yangon

with that comes dipping sauce and lettuce. The deep fried part of the snack may not be embraced by health enthusiasts, but the crispy texture, cheap price and warm owner make these tempuras worth a try.

Address: 40th Street Lower Block, Kyauktada Township, Yangon Opening hours: Monday- Saturday (12pm-6pm), Closes on public days and Sunday

Customers can buy as many tempura pieces as they like although the usual purchase is 10 pieces for 700 kyats—

KACHIN CHICKEN

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un by a sister and brother duo, Kachin restaurant Chin Ngan Sat has won the hearts of many Yangonites with its authentic cuisine. In association Myanmar Ethnic Restaurateurs Group (MERG), the pair shared one of their most popular recipes, kyet Kachin (Kachin chicken), although—not wanting to give away all of their secrets—they concealed a few personalized details.

Ingredients Chicken- half Chilli-5 Garlic- 3 pieces Onion- 1 Salt- 1 tablespoons Oil- 3 tablespoons Ginger- 1 piece Chilli powder- 2 tablespoons

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Basil- 1 bushel A nam (Kachin powder)- 1 tablespoon Dried quince- 1 Recipe - - - - - - - -

Pound garlic, onion, ginger, and chilli into a paste.

Dice the chicken into eight pieces.

Add pounded garlic, onion, ginger, and chilli into the cooking oil and stir for five minutes.

Add chicken and stir for five minutes.

Add chilli powder and salt and stir for two minutes.

Add a cup of water and dried quince and stir until the chicken becomes tender.

Take the chicken out of the pot and put it into a bowl.

Spread a nam and basil on the dish.

A nam is available to buy from Chin Ngan Sat. Chin Ngan Sat 1. Between Kan Yeik Thar Road AND Nat Mauk Street, Mhyaw Sin Island, Kandawgyi Park, Mingala Taungnyunt Township.

Chin Ngan Sat 2. No. 58, Shan Kone St, Myaynigone Phone: 09 778 86 5666, 09 787 86 5666 Hours: 11:30am-8:30pm MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

New Openings

New Openings This Month

Bodhi Nava • Asian Fusion From the team behind Green Gallery, this light and airy café meets restaurant meets guesthouse serves up fresh, healthy, yet punchy fusion fare at a reasonable price. The staff are charmingly helpful and the location—at the foot of the Shwedagon Pagoda and close to Kandawgyi Lake—make it an excellent spot to take visitors.

17 Bahan 2nd Street, Bahan Township, Yangon 09 7812 65517 11 am – 8 pm

Mono Club • Western A cozy environment with a rooftop bar and regular live music, Mono also has a variety of cocktails to choose along with Western, Thai and Mexican food. Shisha is also available with a range of flavors.

Corner of 65th Street and 41st Street, Mahar Aung Myay Township, Mandalay 09 42708 8885 9 am - 11 pm

Find out more at sarmal.com.mm

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Marco’s Cellar • Wine Bar Touted as Yangon’s first “No Frills” wine bar, Marco’s Cellar serves quality drinks and food at a reasonable price. It has a selection of close to 100 wine varieties, be it single estate wines or luxurious wines.

Mañana @ Botataung • Mexican

499 Merchant Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon 09 250 020 008 11 am - 11 pm

Mañana has chosen a fantastic spot on Maha Bandoola and adds itself as another option to the growing nebulas of restaurants and bars around Bo Myat Htun Tower and the Urban Asia Center.

The restaurant is compact but brightly dressed with greens, yellows and reds and the walls are adorned with Mexican photos and works of art.

Bo Myat Htun Tower, Maha Bandoola Road, Botahtaung Township, Yangon 09 255 833 706 11 am - 10 pm

Fisherman’s Wharf • Chinese Enjoy Hot Pot at Fisherman’s Wharf Fish Hotpot with the concept of first choosing your soup base and taste level. Following this choose your fish or seafood and then your meats and vegetables. With this, enjoy your hot pot at this hygienic place.

2 San Chaung Kyaung Street, Mayangone Township, Yangon 09 9770 16666 10 am - 11 pm

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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Chef 's Column Travel

NEW BEGINNINGS MYANMORE Chef of the Year 2018 award winner Chef Orng discusses his new vegetable garden and taking a break for Thingyan.

T

he new restaurant has been open a month already, and I’m really happy (and relieved) to see not only old customers coming back, but also lots of new faces, and more and more Myanmar diners. I get immense pleasure from seeing people enjoy my food for the first time.

We’ve started serving lunch between 11.30pm and 2.30pm (2 course for 18,000 kyats and 3 courses for 21,000 kyats) and so far it has been a great success.

Starting in April, on the first Thursday of every month we are going to be serving fantastic quality locally produced steak provided by Marble and Black. This will be accompanied with some awesome California wines.

I’d recommend you book well in advance for this, as it is already gaining a lot of interest.

I’m also really excited about our Easter Sunday lunch and dinner set menu. We’ll be serving a 5-course meal including some incredible New Zealand Lamb for only 40,000 kyats.

My vegetable garden at the restaurant is coming along nicely, I’m already using some of my own grown products in the kitchen, and the tomatoes, long beans and cucumbers should be ready in a couple of weeks.

The farm is a place I like to go to have a bit of peace and quiet and think.

Though that tranquillity is often

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interrupted by my ducks, who race across the lake as soon as they hear my voice. Don’t worry, there is no danger of them becoming foi gras, they are a part of our team!

We are all looking forward the Thingyan and the opportunity to have a well-earned break. Our last service will be dinner on Thursday 12 March and we will reopen on the evening of Friday 20 March. I’m going to be heading back to Mon State to spend some time with my family, I’m also going to be pestering my uncle about what vegetables and fruits I’d like him

to grow on his farm. This will be a great opportunity for me to take some time out and collect my thoughts after a hectic few months since I won the Chef of the Year award. I’m going to take up some nice bottles of wine and sit in the family farm and start to plan some exciting new dishes for the next 12 months.

I look forward to welcoming you to Orng’s Kitchen soon.

Orngs Kitchen Green Acres Residence Compound, 1 U Sein Maung Lane, Kone Myint Yeik That Street, (Off Highland Avenue) 7 miles, Mayangone Township 09771195020 12pm-3pm / 6pm–10pm (Closed Monday)

Cheers!

Chef Orng MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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Travel

Kayah State borders Shan State to the north and to the east Thailand’s Mae Hong Son Province.

EXPLORING KAYAH STATE Travel vlogger Chit Su recently went to Kayah State for 7Day TV program Authentic Travel.

Here she shares her experiences.

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

How did you get from Yangon and back?

I took the plane there, a 60-minute journey that costs about 70,000 kyats for locals. On the way back I went by express bus, which you board from Kayah capital Loikaw at 6am for between 10,000-15,000 kyats. On the bus journey is breathtaking scenery: mountains, morning dew evaporating into the sky during sunrise, blooming cherry flowers. I even saw frozen water at Pinlon Road. For breakfast, I ate pin laung Shan noodles, rice salad with bamboo roots, and hinn htote (Myanmar dumplings) before singing and watching movies with my fellow passengers.

Chit Su jokes with a local at the market.

How about the accommodation?

Options range from 30,000 kyats to over 1 lakh. I planned to stay at Kayah Resort but as there was no room I went to Golden Hill Hotel near Taung Kwal Pagoda, priced at 45,00055,000 kyats. I loved it. The hotel had a variety of dishes: fried rice, noodles, vermicelli, breads, fruit, mohingya and more. My room was surrounded with mirrors and views of the city and lake.

Di Mos Market I left my hotel at 5.30am to visit Di Mos Market, about 20 minutes from Loikaw. At this beautiful market were meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, Kayah pork sausages, jackets, gloves, khoung yay—a local alcohol—and other traditional things. The locals were friendly and happy to answer questions patiently and with a giggle.

The place has a great atmosphere and is perfect for souvenir hunting.

It opens Monday, Wednesday and Saturday but it also sells items inclusively on certain days, like pork sausage and the local moonshine.

Pan Pat village Kayah State has many ethnicities but perhaps the most recognizable is the ‘long-necked’ Padaung women who wear stacks of bronze neck coils.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

The tradition of wearing bronze neck coils is fading.

Some live in Pan Pat village, where, at the entrance, I admired the traditional clothes they produced. One of the women, Ma Muu Pa Yite, kindly agreed to let us use her home to cook snails that we bought for our video we were shooting. She was really kind and allowed us to take photos in her house.

Ma Muu Pa Yite poured us some khoung pu (warm alcohol) and we had a chat. The women are very strong there—not because they carry these weights around their necks, but because they maintain their culture and tradition. Some have been driven to live in ‘human zoos’ in Thailand to

earn a better living. If you visit them in Myanmar, buy their clothes and products, and don’t bargain for them.

The looming clothes take a day to finish, and the jewellery is beautiful.

Seven Stages Lake These lakes are the source of a

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Travel

They were happy to show me the village—some of them had previously migrated to Thailand but returned under a community-based tourism initiative. Community-based tourism was new in the village; it had just got a tourist map. Tourists can enjoy local music, food, dances, and even rice-making techniques.

Loikaw has a buzzing market scene.

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Loikaw is dominated by the hilltop pagoda of Taung Kwe Zayde.

popular childhood story in Myanmar involving seven angels who each bathed in one of the seven lakes. One day a prince captured one of the angels and put her in chains, which is why they say Padaung women wear the brass coils. I visited the sixth lake, which is surrounded by trees and grass, a great picnic spot. I was also happy to see trash cans everywhere.

If people take care of this kind of beautiful place by throwing rubbish away accordingly, our country would surely be able to sustain our environment for a long time.

Htay Khoe village We left Loikaw early again to reach this village, nestled on a mountain in Pha Yuu Soe town. It took about two and a half hours of driving through winding mountain roads, and when we reached the peak of the mountain MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

there were mist and clouds under us.

Among the houses lining the slope of the mountain were pigs and dogs playing around. There was a nearly century-old Catholic church in Htay Khoe. As we were there on a Sunday, people lined up to exit the church, with the mesmerizing backdrop of a purple sky and a mountain adorned with blooming flowers. Almost all of the women were in traditional dress and had bronze rings on their legs and huge earrings. They were happy to show me the village—some of them had previously migrated to Thailand but returned under a communitybased tourism initiative. Communitybased tourism was new in the village; it had just got a tourist map. Tourists can enjoy local music, food, dances, and even rice-making techniques.

Through the community-based tourism project it costs 3,000 kyats to

visit each house, and the money goes straight back into the village.

Htee Sae Kharr waterfall and Taung Kwe Pagoda After visiting Htay Khoe, we went to Htee Sae Kharr waterfall, a famous and beautiful spot between the Kayah and Shan border. Finally, there’s Taung Kwe Pagoda, which offers stunning views of Loikaw and is a great place for sunset. There are plenty other attractions in the state, too, and the region has proper seasons and a chilly winter.

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Travel

BALANCING BEAUTY AND BUSINESS James Fable heads for Rakhine State’s second largest city, Kyaukphyu, where business interests bring a mixture of financial hope and risk to the local eco-system. Photos by the writer.

A

lthough the Rakhine coastline is endowed with countless pristine beaches, diverse flora and rare fauna, tourism makes up for but a small portion of the region’s revenue. The main bulk comes from extractive sector initiatives—mostly backed by China or India, who wish to capitalise on Rakhine State’s geostrategic location. While the economic benefits are substantial, some fear the oil and natural gas projects will harm unique Rakhine ecosystems and impede the emerging tourism industry, a potential source of income for local communities.

Leaving Sittwe after just one day was one of the better travelling decisions

I’ve made. The Rakhine State capital was not an elegant port city steeped in colonial history, as guidebooks would have you believe, but a fetid prison hemmed in on the western side by the Bay of Bengal and on the other by Tatmadaw bases. The stares were unwelcoming and suspicious, probably a result of the recent unrest, and the atmosphere eerie.

So early the next morning I hopped on a boat for Kyaukphyu, the second largest city in Rakhine. As the sun rose, the helmsmen ushered me to the prow. Flanked by fecund fields and gliding egrets, watching fishermen cast their nets into the wine-dark sea, we rode into rosy-fingered dawn. As

port approached, islands loomed out of forgotten gloom, transforming the strait into a mini archipelago.

Ramree Island, on whose northern tip sits Kyaukphyu, was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1942, but the Allies launched an offensive three years later and reclaimed it, compelling nearly 1,000 Japanese soldiers to flee into the mangrove swamps. That night, British soldier and naturalist Bruce Stanley Wright heard “scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of wounded men crushed in the jaws of reptiles.” He wrote only 20 Japanese returned alive, but historians and zoologists have

dismissed the crocodilian massacre as a sensationalist urban myth. Still, it’s a good story—even the Guinness Book of World Records snapped it up. The saltwater crocodiles of Ramree Island have since been hunted to near extinction; a local told me any stragglers found are shipped to Yangon zoo. He may not be a reliable source, but he wasn’t joking.

As I disembarked, Soe Moe, a chubby chap who had taken a liking to me on board, promised to show me a good guesthouse. So we squeezed on a trishaw and rode slowly though the quiet, palm-fringed streets. In contrast to Sittwe, everyone in Kyaukphyu was unbelievably friendly. I was regularly

The Rakhine coast is endowed with countless pristine beaches.

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

invited for food or drinks, and banned from paying a dime—so I donated to a local state school to keep Karma flowing. Soe Moe was one of the good guys, and Yadanabon Motel turned out to be superb value: a clean, spacious en-suite with air-con and hot water set me back just 17,000 kyats.

At sunset, I hitched a ride to the western beach, where people gather every evening to play football using driftwood goalposts, drink beer and chat. I was the only tourist, but a drive down the coast revealed resort construction projects underway— entrepreneurs seeking to turn shwe beaches and fairy tale bays into hard cash. They will likely cater to the Chinese businessmen working on the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a deep sea port project that China is set to take a 70 percent stake in. There are already parallel pipelines transporting vast quantities of oil and natural gas from Kyaukphyu to Yunnan Province, China. The oil pipeline in particular was accused of harming the natural environs and was marred with human rights abuses—will the SEZ prove one project too far?

Kyaukphyu is th second largest city in Rakhine.

“The [oil] pipeline is good,” a Kyaukphyu local told me. “It provides Kyaukphyu with cheap electricity. But I worry it will pollute the sea.”

Kyientali is home to a rare species of mangrove trees.

He isn’t the only one pleased but concerned. For many Kyaukphyu residents, the SEZ presents a dilemma: the potential for greater financial stability, but with a risk of harming the island’s coastlines and emerging tourism industry.

A local woman inthe coastal Rakhine town of Kyaukphyo.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

It’s a similar story in Kyientali, a small town roughly 60 kilometers north of Gwa. The area is home to whale sharks and rare species of mangrove trees; sea turtles nest on a nearby beach.

A large Chevron oil rig will soon join them.

The Rakhine Coastal Region Conservation Association (RCA), a grassroots organisation founded in 2007, work with Rakhine communities to protect local ecosystems. Currently the group is implementing a project with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the British Council’s Pyoe Pin program to protect marine fisheries by establishing a co-management zone in the Kyeintali inshore area.

With illegal logging, dynamite fishing and poaching already filling their plates, they don’t need pollution piled on top.

“We fear the noise from the oil rig will interfere with whale calls,” said Dr Maung Maung Kyi, the RCA chairman, as we strolled through his tranquil conservation garden. “Chevron assured us they would monitor the noise pollution and try to reduce it.

We will see.”

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Apps

TECH TALK Our roundup of some of the best tech to enhance your life in Myanmar.

39 Bite Pu

From this app, you can check the latest smartphones and apps as well as receive tutorials on new tech. Make technology easy to understand and user friendly by having Myanmar Mobile app in your pocket.

Free Wi-Fi in parks and pagodas

No more struggling to find the right bus—this app will take you where you want to go. All you need to do is choose your start/end point and it shows you the entire bus route and the bus number to take.

Jobs in Myanmar

State-owned telecoms firm MPT plans to introduce free Wi-Fi to certain public parks and pagodas this year. Set for Maha Bandula Park and Shwedagon Pagoda, the Wi-Fi will have an upload speed of 1Mbps and a download speed of 2Mbps.

On its Facebook page MPT also announced plans to give free WiFi to 34 areas of Yangon. Free public WiFi is great, but don’t use it for important transactions such as mobile banking and online shopping because of network security.

Cinema camera firm launches smartphone

Want a job but without being stuck in traffic for a two-hour daily commute?

This app will help you find jobs near you with advanced searching options.

You can also create a resume in the app; it has different templates for different jobs.

Myanmar Mobile App

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Cinema camera company Red’s first smartphone will be launched this month.

Company co-founder Jim Jannard shared additional specs for the Red Hydrogen One, which has 5.7- inches, 2560 x 1440 display, USB-C and micro SD card support, a headphone jack, and a dual front and rear cameras.

The hydrogen one will also support modular accessories. More finalized specs and a precise launch date will comfort those who put down more than $1000 for a pre-order. The overall price is US$1,195 or $1,595 for the aluminum or titanium models.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

Green Column / Mixologist Column

FOOD MILES? THINK METERS

W

hen I lived in New York, I took for granted that exotic fruit was available all year round, without a second thought to the thousands of miles it may have journeyed before making its way into my breakfast. But here in Yangon, many of us already have an unconscious appreciation for the “food miles” logged by our produce. A phrase referring to a measure of the environmental impact of our food choices, food miles are the distance that food has to travel from farm to plate.

As a general rule of thumb, choosing seasonal, locally produced food is a simple way to minimize food miles and its associated carbon footprint.

Cities have seen a rise in urban farming as a response to these environmental costs, and Yangon has picked up on this trend. One especially promising newcomer is Kokkoya Organics, an urban farm based in North Dagon that is growing safe, organic produce. When founder and head farmer Caity was scouting locations for the farm, she knew she wanted it close enough to the city center to allow customers to visit the farm, to inspire trust in the food it was producing and to form a community with the farmers. Secondly, she wanted to show that a small area can still produce a lot of food. “There is so much land in Yangon that could grow food!” Caity explains. “Everyone should have access to fresh, safe food and the population is in the cities so this should be where it starts to come from.”

An antidote to industrialized agriculture’s excesses including chemical fertilizers, unsafe processing and long transport, Kokkoya Organics grows only organic vegetables and sells to the local community through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) system, delivering weekly bags of freshly harvested crop to 50 households across Yangon. As consumers, said Caity, “we should be asking ourselves questions such as where does my food come from? How did it reach me? Who grew it? What impact did it have on the environment?

We need to go beyond the label and ask more and more questions.”

To learn more about how to select and prepare produce safely in Yangon, drop by Nourish Café on April 27, where nutritionist Brea Baildon will be discussing the whys and hows of eating a plant-based diet. We will dispel common myths surrounding organic produce, GMOs, and nutrient deficiencies often associated with vegetarianism. Even if you’re not ready become a full-fledged rabbit food eater, you can do your part in decreasing your carbon footprint by becoming more informed about your daily food choices, because food miles is one type of frequent flyer you don’t want to rack up points on.

CHEERS TO THE ENVIRONMENT

W

hat are some of the things that we are throwing away in the bar? As we started to examine this, our team was surprised by the number of items that we could (with a little creativity) find further uses for, thereby rescuing them from becoming rubbish.

Enough, in fact, to produce an entire menu centered on reducing waste such as spent coffee grounds from an impressive number of espressos; the pits of avocados from our weekly taco Tuesday menu; the peels of bananas; pineapple husks; the tops of strawberries; loads of pulp from our juicer; and even the cooking water from chickpeas. These are all now being revived as interesting cocktail ingredients. I believe this challenge has helped us to create some of our most interesting concoctions yet.

Each week we ask ourselves how we can squeeze the full potential out of every ingredient, and we are reminded that the classic cocktails books we spend our time reading were written with the same effort. Somewhere along the line, we became spoiled by accessibility to pre-made products all nestled in branded plastic packages, and we forgot that many of our needs can easily be produced with items from our local market.

I am so proud of the food and beverage community in Yangon, for their recent efforts in raising awareness to sustainable practices. Many have joined the ‘Straws Suck’ movement, and we have been privy to many discussions for what can be done next. To continue this brainstorming session, we will host Mark Lloyd of Bootlegger Trading Co. in Bangkok, who specializes in zero waste cocktails. He will teach a master class on the subject on April 27 at Union Bar and Grill, followed by a guest shift behind the bar. Call us for a seat in the class, join the discussion, and help progress this amazing movement!

To learn more, visit yangonyogahouse.com/nourish To find out more about Kokkoya Organics, visit their Facebook page.

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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Gourmet Bar

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Nok Air’s promotions are REAL and we are launching “Yes! Madam. No Fool” promotion this time. You can get tickets with our special rate of 32 USD/flight if you make your booking between 29th March to 8th April 2018. You can use the tickets for trips between 5th April to 30th November 2018. As we have limited quantity of promotion tickets, grab yours at https://goo.gl/r19jXd before it’s too late.

Golden Myanmar Airlines Golden Myanmar Airlines had extended Summer Vacation promotion to April 22nd with very good price. They also add more flight time. You can get promotion at www.gmairlines.com.

Regional Bistro Bar Big promotions for Chicken lovers, Regional Bistro Bar take only 200 kyats for Chicken Sartay and one Tuborg Beer on Every Friday. Call 09 420606005 for table reservation and don’t miss a chance.

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MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

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