MY YANGON OCTOBER ISSUE

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October 2014 My Yangon


October 2014 My Yangon

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Editor's Letter October is a beautiful month in Yangon. As we ease out of the rainy season and into the dry, the city lights up with Thadingyut festivities. Floating candles cover the night skies and rivers and the pagodas glisten even more than usual. Shwe Dagon Pagoda in particular, with its once every five year ritual of regilding that started in September and continues till February 2015. We are reminded what an incredible feature Shwe Dagon Pagoda is to Yangon and Myanmar and always has been. As you will see from our "Old and New" photos of a Shwe Dagon entrance: the old being taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1948, and now showing strong contrast and change with an escalator that provides access to the pagoda today. This issue provides a mix of Yangon happenings and information with a strong influence on Myanmar sports. We've also included a train map, essential information on downtown shopping

areas, why we love the township of Sanchaung, an interview with a local radio presenter, how to decorate your home with plants, what's happening at the Yangon zoo, how to get a true education on mastering beverages and the best places for dim sum, listings, reviews and much more. This being only our second issue we're still finding our feet but hope that you enjoy MY Yangon and find it useful, fun and interesting to read. Yangon is an incredible city full of quirks and surprises. We hope to uncover and share as much of this with you as possible. Please email myyangon@mmrdpub.com with any thoughts, ideas and collaborations. Thank you to the incredible and invaluable Yangon Directory team, all our contributors, supporters and Yangon friends. You can read all of our Myanmar articles in english on The Yangon Directory Website www.yangondirectory.com www.yangondirectory.com ဝက္ဆုိက္တြင္ ကၽြႏု္ပ္တုိ႔၏ အဂၤလိပ္ေဆာင္းပါး မ်ားကုိ ျမန္မာဘာသာျဖင့္ ဖတ္ရွဳႏုိင္ပါသည္။ Emily

Contents Plot Ahead

6-7

Sports

44-45

Cheap Thrills

8-9

Beauty

46-47

Yangon Essentials

10-11

Shopping

48-49

Neighbourhood Watch

12-14

Dining

51-56

Yangon Trends

15

Nightlife

58-59

Escape to…

18-19

Horoscope

60-61

Art

26-27

7 &ufom;orD;rsm;twGuf a[mpmwrf;

Business

28-29

Map

Meet

30

Flash Fiction

37

vQyfwjyufpdwful;,OfZmwfvrf;

4

62-63

FEATURES

Kids

38

Welcome to Our Zoo

21-23

Watch

39

Myanmar Mobile Banking

24

Best of..

41-42

Lethwei

32-34

October 2014 My Yangon


Publishing Information Publisher

U Soe Moe Than (04218)

Yangon Directory Publication House

Editor-Emily Hawkesworth Designer-Natalie Ortiz Writers- Tatwin Owen Edmunds, Oliver Slow, Mu Nwet Khint Zaw, Emily Hawkesworth

Photographers-Emmanuel Maillard, Aurelia Rusek, Natalie Ortiz, Leonard Clifford, Robert Tyler

Graphics contributors- Nyi Pu Chae (illustrations), Free Way Services Co, Ltd (bus map)

Press: New Vision (10087) Circulation: 8,000 Sales: 7th Floor, Bldg C, New Mingalar Market, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +959 25101 2288

Contacts: myyangon@mmrdpub.com Publisher's Statement Accuracy Every endeavour is made to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate as possible. If telephone numbers are incorrect or have changed please inform us in writing and we will try and include it in the next edition. However, neither MY Yangon nor its agents or employees can accept liability for any loss or damage leading from any use of information in this publication. Copy Right All rights reserved. The entire contents of this publication is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form in part or whole or stored in a retrieval system of any nature without the written permission of the producers of this publication. You may not photocopy or copy any portion or page of this publication.

If you would like your event or business included in the magazine please contact us at: myyangon@mmrdpub.com

October 2014 My Yangon

5


PLOT AHEAD OCTOBER Wed 1

Sun 5

Pasta night at the Sedona Hotel, 6.30-10.30pm. Feast on a range of Italian dishes at Orzo.

Flux Kit presents a unique opportunity to discover the most innovative cultural initiatives happening in Myanmar and meet the protagonists of the contemporary art scene. Open to everybody, free entrance. Starting at 3pm at Lokanat Gallery

Thurs 2 Last day to enroll for the French Institute's beginners Myanmar language class. Class Schedule Tuesday 6:30-8:00pm + Saturday 10:00-11:30am. 7th Oct-11th Nov

Fri 3 "Eye Contact" Cartoons in Concert. Myanmar meets Germany through graphics and music. A special event put on by the Goethe Institut at the National Theatre, 7pm. Email: ticket@ yangon.goethe.org for tickets and information.

Sat 4 Oktoberfest begins. Check out the Chatrium's event at Club Rizzolievery Saturday during October, with the live percussion band, Junny & Friend.

6

October 2014 My Yangon

Mon 6 The 3rd International Livestock, Dairy, Meat processing and Aqua-culture EXPO-Runs till 7th Oct. Tat Ma Daw Hall. Email: ildex@vnuexhibitionsap.com for more information.

Tue 7

Head to Botahtaung Pagoda to see the alms bowls floating on the river.

Thurs 9 Shwe Kyin Lighting Festival. This festival involves rowing races (daytime) and candles are floated on the water at night time. This can be seen in Bago (1 hour drive out of Yangon) on

Academy host a unique food and wine brunch, starting at 11.30am. Limited spaces. Email Melanie@mws-asia.com

Mon 13 50th Bar and Restaurant Quiz Night starting at 8pm- free pitcher of beer for every round winner and a grand price of $30 bar tab to overall winner.

the Shwe Kyin River.

Fri 10 Listen to some live music at the pleasant poolside surroundings of Kokkhine Swimming Pool Bar & Restaurant; 6-11pm

Sat 11

Tue 14 Pansodan Gallery's weekly social event- with drinks starting at 7pm

Wed 15

Myanmar vs Thailand football match (Under 19's Asian Championship); starting at 13:00 at Thuwanna Stadium, Tamwe.

Myanfood/Myanhotel 2014 EXPO is a business fair showcasing 30,000 kinds of products among 9 hospitality categories- Till the 17th 9:00 am - 5:00 pm at Tat Ma Daw Hall.

Wed 8

Sun 12

Thurs 16

Floating Alms bowl ceremony.

Le Planteur and MWS Beverage

Japanese Dinner Buffet at CafĂŠ

Myanmar's Thadingyut Lighting Festival begins and goes on till the 9th. Head to Shwe Dagon Pagoda for the 1000 lights ceremony.


Sule, Shangri-La hotel 6-10pm. Unlimited sushi, sashimi, salads and dessert.

Sat 25

Fri 17

Union Bar and Grill for Saturday night fun

Aaron Gallegos Trio (a mix of jazz, world music, flamenco and bossa) play Gekko bar & restaurant 7pm until late

Sun 26

Sat 18

Sunday Brunch at AcaciaAmerican Breakfast, Pancake, Fresh Juices and coffee. Or also try their delicious a la carte menu.

Head to Mojo's Bar & Restaurant for some usual Saturday night party time.

Mon 27

Sun 19 Tapas fever at The Lab.15% discount on all tapas, starting at 5.30pm

Mon 20 Acting classes 10am-5pm Mon-Fri at Head, Heart, HandArt Academy, 152 Anawyathar Road (Betw 46 & 47) 2nd floor, Botahtaung Tsp.

2nd Myanmar Consumer Summit. Runs till 28th Oct and organized by the Centre for Management Technology. This event will be held at the Park Royal Hotel; email: hafizah@ cmtsp.com.sg for more information.

Tue 28 Wine tasting at Mojo's 7-9pm

Wed 29

Tue 21

Mojito night at the Lab (buy one get one free) 5.30pm till late.

10% discount on bottles of whisky at Chatrium Hotel's Club Rizzoli

Thurs 30

Wed 22 Girls night out at Mojoscomplimentary cocktails and manicures.

Thurs 23 Finals of Under 19s Asian Football Championship at 19.00, Thuwanna Stadium, Tamwe.

Electric Power and Renewable Energy 2014-will be held at the MCC. Email arayabhorn@ besallworld.com for more information.

Fri 31 "Frightful Friday" Haloween event at the Chatrium's Club Rizzoli. Prizes for best costume. Creepy cocktails and spooky snacks will be available!

Fri 24 Diwali Festival. Day 2 of The Festival of Lights for Hindus.

October 2014 My Yangon

7


CHEAP THRILLS

E L Y T S T E E STR

HEAD DOWN TO HLEDAN BRIDGE AND WATCH LOCAL SKATERS PG. 45

HAVE A PICNIC AT THE ZOO! PG. 21 JOIN THE WEEKLY BOOT CAMP AT KANDAWGYI PARK SUNDAYS AT 5:30 PM INFO@FITNESSWHARF.COM

TAKE PART IN THADINGYUT LIGHTING FESTIVAL BY GOING TO SHWE DAGON PAGODA FOR 1000 LIGHTS CEREMONY

USE THOSE LUNGS BY SINGING OUT THE WEEKEND WITH

SOME KARAOKE AT THE CHATRUIM HOTEL. ON SUNDAYS YOU GET A FREE 1HR SESSION FOR EVERY 2 HOURS BOOKED.

VISIT MYAUNG MYA DAW CHO ON YAE TAR SHE LAN, BAHAN AND TRY THEIR FAMOUS MOHINGA NOODLES

MUNCH SOME MYEIK STYLE NOODLES AT KYEE MYING DAING NIGHT MARKET PG. 13 SIGN

YOUR

KIDS

UP

FOR

DRAMA

CLASSES

ON

SATURDAY MORNINGS AT NETWORK SCHOOLS LIAM@ SHAKESPEARESCHOOLS.COM 3-5YRS

8.15-9AM; 5-7YRS

9-9.45AM; 8-11YRS 10-11.30AM; 12-15YRS 11.45-1.15PM PAY

YOUR

RESPECTS

TO

FALLEN

HEROES

COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES CEMETERY PG. 14

AT

THE

WATCH TITE SINE HMU SHI YIN (BY COINCIDENCE) AT THAMADA CINEMA PG. 39

8

October 2014 My Yangon


p e y y t n u a dear

old & new

Dear Aunty Yep,

C.1948

I looked at my horoscope last month and I think I might need new reading glasses?

Not to worry, we all have our bad days. Dear Aunty Yep,

Do you know that the correct spelling is accuracy and not accurancy? An Aunty can't be accurant all the time. Dear Aunty Yep,

I think I am really fashionable can you include me in the street-style section?

Of course! Please email fashion forward photos to myyangon@ mmrdpub.com

Dear Aunty Yep,

Is it ok to swim in Kandawgyi Lake?

Yes, but only if you are a fish or sturdy bird. Dear Aunty Yep,

Is it ok to still pretend to talk on the phone, even when it's not

Henri Cartier Bresson, Yangon Heritage Trust

2014

connected?

I do this all the time, even when it is connected. It works as a good social buffer.

Dear Aunty Yep,

My boyfriend keeps choosing Spice Girls songs when we go to karaoke, should I be worried?

Absolutely not-they are a reputable band. Please email Aunty Yep with any Yangon-related questions and queries to myyangon@mmrdpub.com

October 2014 My Yangon

9


N O G N A Y IALS

T N E S S E

Fast becoming a cosmopolitan destination, Yangon and its distinctive city characteristics reflect not only an interesting and varied past but a blossoming and booming future. Carved-up into three main areas (downtown, midtown and uptown) the city is easy to navigate (traffic depending!) and full of variety. CHECK OUT OUR NEXT ISSUE FOR

MIDTOWN TOWNSHIPS (West) TOWNSHIP Ahlone (AHLN)

ABOUT Stretching from the Myanmar

Timber ports, Ahlone

this township includes both

old), residence of the

Industrial Port to People’s Park, residential and businesses.

Dagon (DGN)

SEE Dockyard (over 100 years

INFORMATION ON MIDTOWN EAST TOWNSHIPS

SHOP

PLAY

Orange Super Centre

Thakin Mya

Taw Win Centre

Happy World,

Park

Chief Minister (previously

residence of President U Ne Win).

Home to Shwedagon Pagoda. It

Shwedagon Pagoda,

with many hotels, embassies and

Zoological Gardens,

is a prosperous neighbourhood diplomatic residences.

National Museum, Yangon

National

Swimming

People’s Park, Planetarium,

Pool

National Museum, Martyrs Mausoleum, Memorial to

Kamayut (KMYT)

Fallen Heroes. An up-market area, and home

The historic buidings at

and the Myanmar Radio & TV

Sein Lan So Pyay Garden.

to Yangon University Campus

Broadcasting Station. The area

Yangon University Campus,

Junction Square, Sein Gay Har Mall

Sports

Ground

Home of the second largest

Ohnbindan Sunni Jamahh

Baho Sanpya Fish Market,

trains going to Bago, Pyay and

Ordination Hall.

(Night Market)

the Delta. There are a number of

Mosque, Salin Monastry

Kannar Market, Nya Zay

markets selling products from the

Sanchaung (SCHG)

Delta.

A great township to hang out - lots Chinese Nuns’ Temple,

of shopping malls, restaurants and Myenigon Jamahj Mosque. fashion shops. (See our guide on pg. 12).

10

October 2014 My Yangon

Yangon

University

eating area of Hledan Market.

railway station in Yangon with

Sailing Club, Boat Club,

includes the busy shopping and

Kyimyindaing (KMDN)

Yangon

Dagon Centre I & II,

Gamone Pwint, Citymart


MAPS

YANGON SHOPPING MAP 31

26

28

23 12

25

30 25

22

14

21

11

4

2

11

1

9

16

9

15 15

3

2

Binding & Cutting Paper 31st St., 32nd St., [PBDN]

3

Building Materials Sawbwargyi Gone Warehouse [ISN], Merchant Rd., (bet: Shwe Bon Thar St., & Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd.), 27th St., 28th St., [PBDN] Carpets & Mats Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd. (Lower) [LTA], 25th St., 26th St., Kone Zay Dan St. [PBDN]

4

5

6

7

8

9

Ceramic Wares Lanmadaw St. (Middle) [LMDW] Computers & IT Equipment 38th St., Seikkan Thar St. [KTDA] Electronics (TV, Video, Washing Machine) Mahar Bandoola Garden St. (Upper), Pansondan Rd., Bo Aung Kyaw Rd., [KTDA] Fruit & Flowers Mahar Bandoola Rd., (bet: Latha St. & Lanmadaw Rd.) [LMDW] Glass (Mirror & Windows) 26th St., 27th St.,

11

12

13 19

3

15

Goldsmith (Chinese) Mahar Bandoola Rd. (bet: Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd., & Lanmadaw Rd.) [PBDN]

Novels (Books) & Cartoons for Hire 32nd St. (Upper) [PBDN]

18

Packing, Filing, Wrapping Materials 27th St., 28th St., [PBDN]

19

Paper for Press

Goldsmith (Indian) Shwe Bon Thar St., Mahar Bandoola Rd. (bet: Sule Pagoda Rd., & Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd.) [PBDN] Hardware Tools Anawrahta Rd. (bet: Latha St. & Shwe Dagon Pagoda St.), Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd., Mg Khaing St., 24th St., [LTA], Bo Son Pat [PBDN]

14

Kitchen Wares Lanmadaw St. (Middle) [LMDW], Kone Zay Dan St. [PBDN]

31st St., 32nd St., [PBDN] 20

Photo Processing Labs 33rd St., 34th St., Anawrahta Rd. (bet: Pansondan Rd. & Sule Pagoda Rd.), Sule Pagoda Round about [KTDA]

21

Picture Framing Anawrahta Rd., (bet: Sule Pagoda Rd. & Bo Son Pat St.) [PBDN], 33rd St., 34th St. [KTDA]

22

Plastic Products (Bags, etc) Lanmadaw Rd. [LMDW], 23rd St., 24th St., Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd. [LTA]

26

Sports Accessories Mahar Bandoola Garden St., Bogyoke Aung San Rd. (bet: Pansondan Rd. & Mahar Bandoola Garden St.) [KTDA]

27

Stationery 31st St., 32nd St., [PBDN]

28

Toy Shops Shwe Bon Thar St. (Upper) [PBDN]

29

Traditional Medicine Clinics Shwe Bon Thar St. [PBDN]

30

Trouser Repair 29th St. [PBDN]

31

Umbrellas for shops Shwe Bon Thar St. (Upper) [PBDN], Lower Pazundaung Rd., [PZDG]

23

Plastic Sign Boards (Hand made) Shwe Bon Thar St. (Upper) [PBDN]

32

24

Plumbing Materials Bo Son Pat St., [PBDN], Saw Bwar Gyi Gone, [ISN], Thiri Mon Plaza Bayint Naung, [MYGN]

Vinyl 33rd St., 34th St., 35th St. [KTDA]

33

Watches and Clocks Anawrahta Rd., (bet: Sule Pagoda Rd. & Shwe Bon Thar St.) [PBDN]

LED Sign Boards 29th St., 30th St., Bo Son Pat St., [PBDN] Lights and Electrical Wire 28th St., 29th St., Anawrahta Rd. (bet: Bo Son Pat St. & Shwe Bon Thar St.) [PBDN]

7

19

17

Hat Makers Maung Thaung No. 251/B, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (Middle) [KTDA]

16

6

2

Shwe Bon Thar St. [PBDN]

13

15

6

9

18 3

10

32

16

4

Battery & Lighting Equipment 23rd St., 24th St. [LTA]

7 32

32

14

1

27

22

10 22

20 21

27 24

25 8

33

29

22 5

17

25

Sound Equipment Anawrahta Rd. (bet: Latha St. & Shwe Dagon Pagoda St.), Mg Khaing St., 24th St., [LTA], Bo Son Pat [PBDN]

October 2014 My Yangon 11


WE LOVE This interesting and increasingly popular township, located west (mid-town), has an excellent selection of restaurants, markets, things to do and places to see. Note the Kachin community's influence, found in the great choice of Kachin cuisine, textiles and churches. The variety continues with both modern shopping centres and more traditional market streetsshowcasing the best of old and new Yangon city life.

Kamaryut Tsp.

EAT AND DRINK Kachin Agape Restaurant is a locally run and owned Kachin restaurant nestled away on a quiet lane in

Sanchaung. Come here on a rainy afternoon to enjoy a

piping hot bowl of Kachin chicken noodle soup. You must try the homemade dumplings and tea-soaked hard boiled

eggs-they are life changing! Menu only in Burmese - so good for those foreigners wanting to practice their reading.

Shwe Pyi Aye, just off Bagayar Street. Closed Sundays. Golden City Chetty Restaurant has a number of different outlets across the city, serving all-you-can-eat Indian food served very fast. The mainstay is the rice thali, which

comes with a pickle and two vegetable curries; add the mutton curry for some extra taste. Also does good dosas. Dagon Tsp.

Bagayar Street.

Win Star is a huge pub that has become an institution partially due to its late opening hours. Beer in frozen

glasses is a must. Recommended dishes: squid salad, and the BBQ. Sanchaung Street.

Jing Hpaw Myay is another wonderful Kachin restaurant. Try the steamed fish in banana leaf, richly marinated in

Ahlone Tsp.

a Myanmar version of salsa verde, made up of acacia

and other leaves and herbs. Kachin State's very own and wildly grown ginger (apparently brought all the way from 12

October 2014 My Yangon


neighboUrhood

SANCHAUNG the wet rocks of Kachin forests), heavily features in the menu-

Swenson's is part of a global chain of family friendly old-fashioned

Make sure to accompany all dishes with Kachin rice wine, served

Dagon Center II; Tel 01 504 932 / 09 731 81 758.

with a delicious tomato and ginger salad, and dried pounded beef. in bamboo cups. 2B Kyun Taw Street; Tel 01 524 525, 09 420

ice cream parlors. Perfect place for those with a sweet tooth.

247 034.

The Pizza Company is part of an international franchise, serving

Min Lann is another fabulous branch of this famous Rakhine

Mall; Tel 01 534 036, 09 730 69 724.

restaurant. Always atmospheric, with both covered outside and indoor seating, positioned up above the busy road. Grilled lobster or prawns on a stick should not be missed. Also try their spicy

montioa fish noodle (Rakhine version of mohinga). 45 Baho road, near Asia Royal hospital.

Xiao Long Bao is a seriously good find. This is a Chinese

dumpling place everyone should try with freshly made delicious buns and dim sum (see out Best Of‌Dim Sum feature for more

information). On corner of Nyaung Tong (No.4) and Baho Road; Tel 01 502 582.

up fast-food Italian inspired cuisine. Dagon Centre 1 Shopping

Moon Bakery is one of ten restaurant branches in Yangon, offering a variety of baked goods, as well as Korean and Chinese dishes. 253 Bargayar Road; Tel 01 516 761.

Ice Berry is another branch of a chain of restaurants/cafes, serving

up a variety of beverages and foods. Bargayar Road, opposite Dagon Centre.

SHOP

Cocoon Bar is popular bar with a lively atmosphere, great views,

Sanchaung Market. A mixture of tailoring, noodle shops, flowers,

drinks and food. 22/24 Shinsawpu Road and corner of Baho

furniture, toiletries, fish, meat and vegetables. Normally starts to

Road; Tel 01 500 863.

close around 12 midday. Shwe Pyi Aye Street.

After Work Bar and Restaurant is a great new addition to the

Kyaw Zayar Shan Traditions Textiles. Featuring textiles from

Sanchaung scene, with reasonably priced wine. Limited food menu, but does include raclette! 31,A1 Shan Gone Street; Tel 09 250 400 753 / 09 420 239 822.

Seik Taing Kya is a very well-known tea shop and popular

historical place that is full each morning with great curries and other traditional Myanmar tea-shop treats. Ma Po Street.

Zeal is a restaurant known for being a good local venue for live music. No. 99, Myay Nu Street, 09 731 27 280.

The Fingers Food Garden is a cheap and cheerful local restaurant with a varied menu. 55 Shan Kone Street; Tel 01 535 350.

Spaghetti is a local "Italian" restaurant serving up some staple dishes at affordable prices. No. 15 A, Yandana Street;

Shan, Kachin and Chin ethnicities. The owner Ma Yin Tin Naing also offers sewing services to make cushion covers, bed spreads,

curtains, and sofa covers to customers' specification at reasonable prices. Although most of the fabric design is traditional, there are

contemporary patterns to choose from too. No.64, GF, Mingalar Street; Tel 01 510 843.

Kyee Mying Daing Night Market. Lots of clothes and many other

products. Good food as well-especially Myeik style noodles. Open from 4ish pm. Mani May Kha Lar Street.

Sanchaung Street is; next to City Mart. A great and busy street

that has everything you need- clothes, pharmacy, beauty/hair places etc. The are always trishaws waiting at the end if you need a ride down!

Tel 01 524 903.

October 2014 My Yangon 13


neighboUrhood Ya Ma Htar Rattan House has a reat range of rattan furniture,

general home items and lamps; also accept special orders. No.

SPAS, SALONS AND CLINICS

244, Bagayar Road; Tel 01 516 552 / 095 140 133

Shan Kone Street. In and around this busy street, you will find numerous tea-shops, good Shan noodle and fried rice stands, a few tailors, doctors and dentists. There is also a good market, selling fruit and veg; as well as flowers on weekend mornings.

Ma Po Street. Useful to know - there are lots of good air-con repair shops in and around this street!

SHOPPING CENTRES Dagon Centre I & II. Two very useful shopping malls with many clothes shops, a supermarket, beauty and make-up shops, a cinema and restaurants (see above). Bagayar Street.

Kumudra. Physiotherapy clinic. No.144, Sanchaung Street. Perfect. 2 branches- one is a gym/physio/clinic; the other offers massages, given by blind masseuses. 67, G/F & 1st Flr, Sanchaung Street, Corner of Ashae Gone Street; Tel 09 730 96 238.

Spa D’ Lax. A small local spa, with an all male staff. 90 minute

Thai massage for 10,000ks. Mostly for male customers. No 35 Thukha Street; Tel 09 421 144 848.

Serena Beauty Salon and Spa. Excellent hairdressers; OPI and Gelish mani/pedi services and have wifi (intermittent) for

customers. Great prices and lovely, friendly staff. No. 29 (B-4), Myaynu Street; Tel 09 732 29 548.

City Mart. A well stocked branch of this super market chain

HOSPITALS

that has good neighbouring amenities that include- a Beauty

Concepts beauty salon, Happy Noodles restaurant, dry cleaners, Seasons bakery, Popular Stationary, a photo printers,

sushi restaurant, pharmacy, and a phone shop. 231 Pyay Rd; Tel 01 510697.

PLACES TO SEE AND VISIT Koe Htat Gyi Pagoda. Also known as Atula Dipatti Maha Muni

Thetkya, this pagoda houses a giant (72 feet) seated Buddha image, built in August 1905. Bagaryar Road.

Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. An immaculately

kept cemetery featuring the graves of World War soldiers from commonwealth countries. No. 24/25 (5-A) Thukha Street.

The Institut Français de Birmanie. French Institute (former Alliance Française) has been offering French classes for over 50 years; and now also offers Myanmar classes. The IFB also

runs clubs - offering a variety of ways to practice language. There is a good library with a wide range of books, magazines, DVDs and CDs. IFB is a multipurpose place for culture and art

with a lecture/exhibition room, big gardens, a cafeteria space,

a small stage and a big stage in dry season. Keep an eye out

in My Yangon for a range of monthly events, including music, dance and cinema. 340 Pyay Road; Tel 01535428. 14

October 2014 My Yangon

Asia Royal Hospital. 14 Baho Street; Tel 01 538 055.

Sakura Hospital. Near Shin Saw Pu Road; Tel 01 512 668.

PLACES TO STAY Humble Footprints Hotel and Hostel. A lovely hostel with affordable rooms and dorms, all with air conditioning, free wifi,

hot showers and complimentary breakfast. 4 Thukha Street;

Tel 011 222 587.


N O G N A Y DS

CONTEMPORARY & ICONIC FURNITURE

TREN

Easily recognisable, the Eames

than 50 years — it has become one of the significant furniture designs of

are available in Myanmar from

Lounge Chair and Ottoman are

the 20th century. Instantly recognisable. And still fresh.

MMRD,

pieces that live in museums like

When Herman Miller began manufacturing the set in 1956, they

dealer here. For now until the

MOMA in New York and the Art

painstakingly maintained as much of the hand-craftsmanship as was

31 October 2014, readers of My

Institute of Chicago. They have

possible with mass production. These pieces have evolved over the years

Yangon will be accorded a 10%

been the subject of documentaries

— from a hand-made gift for a friend, to being made on a production line

discount when they purchase

and books. As a quintessential

with handcrafting details, to alterations meant to ensure consistency and

or order the Eames Lounge and

modern classic, the set is now

durability, to reviving some of the original craft qualities — whilst always

Ottoman. Please bring a copy of

available in an expanded range of

maintaining durability.

My Yangon with you when you

materials to suit any interior and

The foam cushions mimic the look and feel of the original but will not

make the purchase*.

every taste, here in Myanmar.

flatten or clump over time. As Charles Eames described them, "The

*Terms and conditions apply

American

Charles

leather cushions do have built-in wrinkles to start with, but that is a clue

www.hermanmiller.com

(1907-1978) and his wife Ray

that spells comfort to come - like the warm, receptive look of a well-used

enquiries.hm@mmrdrs.com

(1912-1988)

made

first baseman's mitt." The Eames Lounge chair is a contemporary and

+951 900712-3 ext 330/ 332 or

groundbreaking contributions to

luxurious interpretation of the traditional gentlemen's club chair with

+959 254211149

many creative fields including

matching ottoman. The comfort and stylishness built into the Eames

6-9 Flr, Blk C New Mingalar

architecture,

lounge chair and ottoman helps explain its enduring popularity, compared

Market, Corner of Setyone

industrial design, graphic design,

to other chairs that are also considered icons of 20th century design.

Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt

fine arts and film. Their unique

As a true investment, these modern yet classic pieces can infuse and

Tsp, Yangon

synergy led to a whole new look

enhance style and comfort to any home or office. Herman Miller products

designers Eames

furniture

design,

its

only

authorised

in furniture. Modern and minimal. Playful

and

sophisticated,

functional. and

Sleek,

beautifully

simple. That was and is the "Eames look." Charles and Ray Eames first made the Lounge Chair and Ottoman as a gift for their friend Billy Wilder, the director of the classic Hollywood movies "Some Like It Hot" and "Sunset Blvd". Making its public debut in 1956 on Arlene Francis's Home Show, Charles Eames said his goal for the chair was that it be "a special refuge from the strains of modern living". When the Eames Lounge and Ottoman was introduced in 1956, there was nothing else like it: the design was completely new. It has not only endured for more Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman White Ash, Eames Compact Sofa

October 2014 My Yangon 15


16

October 2014 My Yangon


October 2014 My Yangon 17


Escape to

PYIN OO LWIN

It’s a wonderful winding road that leads up to Pyin Oo Lwin, the old colonial hill-top town. The dusty hot grid that is Mandalay sits below, staring up to the avenues of eucalyptus and pine trees, strawberry beds, coffee plantations and heavenly National Kandawgyi Gardens.

Much like the days of the Raj “hill

close to the Chinese border.

Myanmar families still retreat to this

Although a rather arduous but interesting

cooler climes. Not just a peaceful haven

it is easier and quicker to catch a bus

station”,

you

can

see

why

many

unique town full of character, charm and of green surroundings, colonial buildings

and horse-drawn carts; Pyin Oo Lwin is also a lively market centre for goods

from Shan State and Kachin territories;

with a varied population thanks to its Gurkha colonial history and it’s location,

18

October 2014 My Yangon

train journey is possible from Mandalay, either directly from Yangon (over-night)

or Mandalay (1 hour); or for the more

adventurous a ride can be caught with one of the many vans or trucks bringing produce to and from Pyin Oo Lwin to Mandalay.


trips

Palace Hotel and Resorts authentically

rebuilt it from photographs, and it is now a luxurious boutique hotel. Photos and

mannequins in the foyer show who used to live here.

it was the church of the Governor as it

was built close to the Governor’s House.

Inside are plaques of the regiments who served in Pyin Oo Lwin during World War

II, and the sanctuary has a memorial to the 10th Gurkha Regiment along with two empty bomb shells that are being used as plant stands.

Circular Road to see a number of colonial houses and administrative buildings.

Look out for the famous Candacriag Hotel (now called Thiri Myaing Hotel)

which used to be the guest house of the Bombay Burma Trading Company, and where George Orwell stayed.

classically

styled,

surrounded

by

Chinese

statues,

dragons, ponds and beautiful gardens. There is also a 7-layered Chinese style pagoda which gives great views over the town. Next door is Tian Ran Vegetarian

Café & Restaurant, and at the back is an acupuncture clinic.

National Landmarks Garden – full There’s much to see and do and the

of small scale models of national

a romantic but rickety “gharry” horse and

There is also a mini theme park and a

town is easily explored by foot or bicycle,

landmarks from each State in Myanmar.

cart or even an exhilarating motorbike

huge garden.

taxi.

National Kandawgyi

Main attractions Governor’s

House

the

Botanical Gardens

– these gardens were original

Governor’s house was destroyed by

a Japanese bomb, but the Aureum

the butterfly museum. This is a perfect

people-watching picnic place; that also has a stunning lake-view restaurant.

Buggy rides are available around the garden.

Just Outside the Town

-easily reached by car or motorbike taxi.

first established in 1915 and modelled after Kew

of waterfalls found after a steep trek. Beautiful place to swim but bring your bathing suit plus extra clothes.

Peik Chin Myaung Cave – found on

the road to Lashio, this 20 ft wide, 1,600 ft long limestone stalactite cave, said to be between 230 to 310 million years old,

is full of shrines and Buddha images.

Chan Tak Chinese Temple – this is

gardens, a lake, an aviary, a petrified

Anisakan Falls – an amazing series

Colonial Houses – drive along the

temple

flowerbeds, rose, orchid and bamboo wood museum, fossil museum and

All Saint’s Church – founded in 1912,

modern,

are vast landscaped lawns, beautiful

A pathway winds its way through the cave over underground springs and past

small waterfalls. In front of the cave is a waterfall and many stalls selling local products; as well as a swimming area further down the path.

December Farm – a delightful coffee shop set in the middle of a dairy and

strawberry

farm,

surrounded

by landscaped gardens; where you can sample some of the best milk in

Myanmar or strawberry jam. There is a mini petting zoo where children can stroke guinea pigs and ride horses.

"An unique town full of character,charm and cooler climes"

Gardens in the UK. There

October 2014 My Yangon 19


Pwe Kauk Waterfall – a lively spot for

Spirulina Beer Station – found close

leads to the caves of U Naung Gu after

local watering hole serves up the age-

picnicking Myanmar families that also a one hour hike.

Maha Ant Htoo Kan Thar Pagoda

(Pagoda of the Reluctant Buddha) – a

to the Bravo Hotel on Lashio Road, this

defying spirulina infused beer on tap. Many of the seemingly young locals who

drink here must be at least 85 years old.

marble Buddha image fell off a truck as

Buy

could not be lifted and reloaded. A local

There is an abundance of amazing

the image easier to move and a new

sweet fruit wines, strawberries, coffee,

it was being transported to China and it monk prayed for 7 days which made pagoda was built to house it. During the construction, a bag of gold jewellery was found which is now on display.

Places to Eat &Drink

local produce - A variety of super

flowers, a range of fruit jams (but mainly

strawberry), Indian sweets and sweaters (one of the few places you might feel the need to wear one in Myanmar).

Night Market – close to the Purcell

Clock tower is a street, lined with food stalls that set up after 5pm, selling delicious Shan, Indian and Chinese dishes and snacks.

Golden Triangle Café & Bakery – across from Grace Hotel II on the Lashio road is this coffee shop selling locally grown and roasted coffee. Try their great range of snacks, pastries and milkshakes. Feel

Restaurant

outpost

restaurant

of

the

chain

an

famous

from

Yangon, beautifully situated

on the side of Kandawgyi Lake. Aung

Padamya

Restaurant-

behind the Shan Market. Great Indian restaurant.

Why not rent a car?

The Yangon Directory lists 215 car rental

services. Check www.yangondirectory .com 20

October 2014 My Yangon

Places to Stay There are many places to choose from with a good range of budget accomodation (Bravo Hotel and Grace Hotel) to the more

luxurious (Kandawgyi Lodge and Hotel

Pyin Oo Lwin-offering personal bungalows, complete with balcony and log fires); but

all are very reasonably priced compared to other Myanmar tourist destinations.


WELCOME TO OUR ZOO Yangon Zoological Gardens is the oldest and second largest zoo

Yangon traffic and decided to explore Yangon Zoo.

the zoo was officially founded in 1901 after the amalgamation

Arriving at the main gates we were directed into a parking space

in Myanmar; located on the Southwest corner of Kandawgyi Lake, of existing wild animal collections. The original zoo was named the Victoria Memorial Park and Zoological Gardens in honor of Queen Victoria and the main attraction was the magnificent white elephant of King Thibaw, the last King of Burma. MY Yangon's writer, Tatwin Owen Edmunds describes the Zoo today…

On a Sunday September afternoon, the sun had blazed a hole through the monsoon clouds and a small party of excited friends –

the Photographer, the Girlfriend and I - wound our way through the

by a focused parking attendant. There was a busy back and forth

of cars as families, friends and couples hopped out of their cars, fastened longyies, and moved towards the ticket office. We paid our 3000 Kyats entrance fee and made straight for the Hippos.

Housed in large sunken paddocks, the dozy beasts rested their bristly chins on the concrete walls, looking up at the gazing visitors. With a deceiving “Mwah”, the hippos opened their gaping jaws, revealing some impressive dentistry, provoking excited whispers

and finger pointing from the crowd. Just beside the paddock an old lady was selling fresh green salad shoots at 500 Kyats a punnet.

October 2014 My Yangon 21


The Girlfriend gave me the smile/eye-flutter combo and before I knew it my wallet was a little lighter.

She moved gracefully over to the paddock edge and leaned fearlessly over the brink, coming face to face with hippo-chomp-

mageddon. The monster let out a begging yawn and closed his eyes. This was it - I was about to become an unwanted part in a viral YouTube hippo-munch video. The Girlfriend held out her hand, gave one last dazzling smile and then… dropped a salad

see at a monkey's birthday party; easily done when a box is

only 1000 Kyats. The Girlfriend happily fed the elephants and scratched their leathery hides whilst I shared a few words with

the head elephant keeper, Mr. Maung Maung. I discovered he had been working at the zoo for 33 years, sharing his duties

with fellow keepers Aung Win Thaung and Aung Kyaw Oo. With some English he pointed to the large sign written out in the grass reading ‘WELCOME TO OUR ZOO’ and let out an open smile.

shoot into the happy Hippos mouth – “chomp, chomp, gumff,

Shortly after, Aung Kyaw Oo then passed his elephant a

couple squeezed each other tighter. The happy hippo closed his

enjoyment started to play, we sat down for a quick drink in Daw

chomp”. A small child let out an excited giggle and a young

eyes and continued to munch away as more shoots drifted down into his waiting belly.

Moving on we passed by parrots and peacocks, as families

picnicked under gazebos and thanaka cheeked children ran

harmonica. As the elephant unbelievably and seemingly with Aye Aye Phyo Restaurant, run by its namesake and her family.

Daw Aye Aye described the Burmese fare her restaurant cooks

up and that nearby you can have your photo taken with a bear or eagle.

amongst the fountains; until we reached the King Edward

Next we ambled on to the Fishing Cat Pens, and pondered what

mansion. The Photographer took the lead as we tip-toed up

Keeper was preparing wildcat food, a healthy mix of offal it

VII Carnivora House, laid out in front of us like an old colonial the steps, past the fearsome statues resting at the top of the

house. The bars were thick and black, the room beyond dark as the jungle understory; and there in the darkness shining and brilliant, ice-blue eyes burning, was a white tiger. We watched as

he yawned and rolled around his dark fortress.

The Photographer went off on his own pixilated mission, leaving the girlfriend and I watching a pedalo

boat race unfold in one of the Zoo’s many lakes. Unperturbed by the elephant walking behind

him, a guard barked out orders

to the debutant racers from the

lakeside path; entertaining the deck-full of visitors gazing from the elephant's rumbling back.

The Girlfriend fluttered her eyes

again and before I knew it, I was

outside the elephant enclosure,

buying more bananas than you’d 22

October 2014 My Yangon

type of animal an Indian Ferred Banger was. A heavily whiskered


appeared, and he took us off the path into the Cat

Pens. Pointing out the many species as we went,

we soon discovered, the Indian Ferred Banger was indeed the better-known, Ferret-Badger.

The shadows were just starting to lengthen when we met deer keeper, Ye Naung Soe, who

shared the names and ages of all his deer's with us. Ye Naung Soe has been working at the Zoo

for over 12 years; his father is the Tiger Keeper and his mother works at the information desk.

As we spoke, he pointed out one of his young

sons feeding the goats, as his wife carefully swept leaves from the path. He went on to pass

us some Salad Shoots, shouting “La La” / “Come Come”. Timidly the deer approached and nibbled

from our hands. With this last exchange we made

our way to the exit, knowing that it’s all happening at the zoo.

Yangon Zoological Gardens, Kandawgyi

Lakeside. Opening hours: 8:00am - 6:00pm

October 2014 My Yangon 23


Myanmar Moving Towards E- Banking by Oliver Slow Two years ago, the corner of a busy intersection in downtown Yangon

Greater independence has been granted to the Central Bank

area is covered with the shiny advertisements of international firms

representative offices in the country - it is expected in the coming

was home to little more than a few weather-beaten trees. Today, the

including Samsung, Ooredoo and Coca-Cola. Just across the street, a television screen advertises Chang Beer on behalf of the English Premier League’s Everton FC.

It hardly needs saying – but I’ll say it anyway – that Myanmar has changed somewhat in recent years. International companies, in industries ranging from manufacturing, to oil and gas and tourism, have recognised the potential opportunities on offer and an

increasing amount of job opportunities have become available to local people.

of Myanmar and foreign banks have been allowed to open

months that “between five and 10” international banks will be granted licenses to begin some official banking operations within the country.

Myanmar’s domestic banks have begun diversifying the services they offer in order to be able to compete when the government

inevitably allows international banks, most with larger access to capital, to begin some operations within the country.

A move towards online banking

Internet Age

The latest evolution in Myanmar’s banking industry has occurred

rate at less than one percent. Then, the vast majority of internet

KBZ Bank, CB Bank and Ayeyarwady Bank have announced that

Estimates from just a year ago put Myanmar’s internet penetration users frequented the many internet cafes dotted around the city.

Today, that figure is thought to have reached at least 10 percent, with the majority of users accessing the internet via smart phones. International telecommunications companies Ooredoo of Qatar

and Norway’s Telenor will soon begin rolling out their services in the country – at the time of print, Ooredoo were operating in the major cities of Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay, and Telenor were expected to begin services in early October by the latest.

Both companies, as well as state-owned Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), who have teamed up with Japanese

firm KDDI, have promised to provide voice and internet services to the majority of the population within the next five years.

Banking reforms

Myanmar’s banking sector has undergone numerous reforms in recent years, and domestic banking firms have recognised the opportunities offered by increased internet usage. Previously a cash-based economy, it is only in recent years that many customers

in Myanmar have opened their own bank accounts. In January 2013,

the International Finance Corporation estimated in a report that less than 20 percent of the population had access to financial services, with only five percent using formal banking services.

Reforms have been changed to try and change that figure. There

are now an estimated 300 ATM machines nationwide, more than a

thousand points-of-sales terminals, and international card providers including Mastercard, Visa and China UnionPay (CUP) have a heavy presence in the country. 24

October 2014 My Yangon

recently, with some local banks offering internet banking (or e-banking) services. In just the past few months, banks such as they will begin offering online services.

“At the moment, internet banking is not very important [for

customers] but in the future it will become more and more

important,” said former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar and Vice Chairman of KBZ Bank, U Than Lwin.

Despite improved access to the World Wide Web, internet speeds

remain relatively slow in certain areas, particularly away from Yangon, something that could be a stumbling block for internet banking.

“At the moment, internet speeds [are slow] for everyone at the moment. However, the government and the banks are working to make sure [this is fixed] and the issue of slow internet for internet banking is only a temporary issue,” U Than Lwin said.

The general consensus is that while internet banking is still alien to many Myanmar customers – many who only opened bank accounts for the first time within the past year – as internet speeds

improve and people gain more trusting of banks, then internet banking will experience vast growth in Myanmar.

“I think that, right now, many customers still aren’t really sure what internet banking is, so don’t really trust it,” said Ko Han, who

has recently opened an internet banking account with CB Bank, proudly showing his debit card with a CUP logo, meaning he can now access cash from a number of places. “But in the future, this

will change. People will begin to trust banks more, internet speeds

will improve and people will realise that internet banking will make life much easier for them,” he added.


October 2014 My Yangon 25


RIVER GALLERY My Yangon meets River Gallery's owner and curator, Gill Pattison How did both River Galleries come about?

What makes a good/successful art gallery?

I started River Gallery I back in November 2005, after running

Everyone feels something when they enter a retail space. They

The MCAA was a great success with a huge number of entries.

or they feel subtly put off. There are a myriad of factors which

the first Myanmar Contemporary Art Award the previous year. I thought the artists that made it through to the finals were really talented and deserved a wider audience, so the next logical

step was to start an art gallery. Many of those finalist artists were the first ones that I featured in the gallery.

For River II, it was quite opportunistic. I had been vaguely

looking for another space so that I could have more frequent

events and exhibitions. Last year as I was wandering around the streets beside The Strand, I went past a small colonial

either feel comfortable and intrigued, wanting to discover more, contribute to people's impression, and we work hard to ensure that people feel welcomed and eager to look around. We are lucky with both our spaces: River I is in the grand and gracious

Strand Hotel, and River II has a very contemporary feel with its spaciousness and great expanse of pale walls. When people come into River II, they quite often say something to the effect

of "I feel as if I'm in New York/London/Amsterdam etc". That is very gratifying to us.

building that I had always admired, and noticed that one side

The other key aspect of successful galleries, I think is the

high ceilings, lots of light, and a great expanse of wall space,

judge what level of interaction our visitor's desire. Many people

of it was barely occupied. The building had great "bones" with

stretching across a city block. I tracked down the owners, who were willing to rent it to me, we renovated and waterproofed

the space, then all it needed were the beautiful paintings from Myanmar's talented artists. 26

October 2014 My Yangon

interaction between the gallery staff and the visitors. We try to don't want any contact - they just want to wander around and

soak it all in, and that is absolutely fine. That is the way I usually like to view art galleries. Other people want to know more in general, and some have specific questions about artists or


artworks. Some people want to know a good place for lunch or

what is going on in the country. So we try to tailor our approach to what different people are looking for.

Then of course there are the basics - having great art by talented artists at competitive prices.

What are your favourite galleries you've visited around the world and why?

I always love to go to the Saatchi Gallery in London. It is a big space, with such a great range of contemporary work in a

pleasing environment. And there is nothing precious about it - you can take photos, and there's always the sound of people

chatting and exclaiming at the more ridiculous installations. I

hate going into galleries where you feel as if you have to creep around under the gimlet eye of some unsmiling gallery minder. What are the limitations or advantages to the current Myanmar art scene?

Although things are changing fast, there are still many constraints on the development of the market. Art education is still at a rudimentary level - there are no public institutions

or foundations supporting the visual arts and there is very

little scholarship about the Myanmar art scene; these are all important elements of infrastructure for a thriving art scene which Myanmar has further to develop.

How do you curate the gallery? Who are the most exciting/

art access to the international art world. Although it is easier to get on

the internet these days, it is sometimes difficult for them to know

what to look for; but still, Myanmar artists have always been active with performance art.

There was an interesting transition/explosion with the art scene in India as it moved from being a developing country. Do you think the same will happen here?

In many Asian countries, including India, it was the development of a sizable middle class with higher levels of disposable income which drove the development of the market for modernist and

contemporary art. Myanmar is not yet at that stage, but I believe we'll see a similar evolution here as the country develops, some of the Myanmar diaspora returns and local people improve their livelihoods.

What makes Myanmar art so interesting and different? Andrew Ranard, an art critic who has written a book about Myanmar art, describes the scene here as a "Galapagos Island" of art, with forms that have evolved in isolation, containing

echoes of a common past, but appearing now in a quite different manifestation. I think that is true to some extent, as the Myanmar

artists take traditional subjects, such as landscapes, portraits and the icons of Buddhism, and transform them into something which

banishes the banal and makes us look at these common scenes afresh. The experimental, conceptual art scene is flourishing too, with many new artists finding their voice with the new media.

interesting/emerging Myanmar contemporary artists? My doors are open to all artists, and I have

many coming and presenting their works to me. I also try to get around to the shows and

exhibitions of emerging artists. I am looking

for a high level of technical competence, allied

with a creative vision that makes me stop in

my tracks. The former is not uncommon in

Myanmar, the latter much more rare. For their high levels of creativity, I love to see the works of Htein Lin, Aung Ko, Nge Lay and Arkar Kyaw.

Do you see any particular influences in the work of Myanmar contemporary artists?

Most Myanmar artists still do not have great October 2014 My Yangon 27


MWS Beverage Academy

MY Yangon asks Laurent d'Arcimoles, co-founder of MWS Beverage Academy about his beverage and hospitality training company in Myanmar. What is MWS Beverage Academy? MWS provides comprehensive and highly

informative training programs about the beverage and the hospitality industry. We don't just teach, our goal is to deliver a vocational experience for those already working in the industry or hope to do so; as well as for wine and cocktail enthusiasts in Myanmar.

When and how did you come up with the Idea of MWS Beverage Academy? Why Myanmar? The first draft of this idea came up about

a year and half ago with Melanie Grillon, my co-founder. We were at that time

competitors working for import/distribution wine companies in China, but both wanted to do something more challenging. We then started to look at other options and

Myanmar came up very fast as we heard about the country’s advances. We did

our research and quickly understood that moving and setting up in Myanmar would provide an exciting and interesting opportunity.

28

October 2014 My Yangon

How big is MWS team? Who are the teachers and what are the courses you offer?

entertaining and interesting team building activity.

Right now there is only Melanie and myself

Do you offer classes in Burmese and English?

helping us with HR and administrative

We can only offer the classes in English

but we also have a local partner who is details.

right now. These last five months, we have

We are the teachers! Both of us are

manuals for the students. We first need

from the London based Wine & Spirits

start giving courses in Burmese. As soon

promotes high quality education in wines,

local teachers.

those already in or attending to join the

What are the benefits or challenges of running a business in Myanmar?

been working on writing and editing study

certified wine and beverage educators

to have them all translated before we can

Education Trust (WSET). This organisation

as this is done, we will then hire and train

spirits and other alcoholic beverages for

hospitality trade. We are using their wellknown curriculum to introduce an informed and thorough standard to

Myanmar.

bartending,

We

also

mixology,

provide

barista,

service, health and hygiene training; as well as more general consultancy

services for the hospitality industry

"Our goal is to deliver a vocational experience for those already working in the industry or hope to do so; as well as for wine and cocktail enthusiasts..."

that include aspects such as menu

solutions. Then there are also our courses for those with a curiosity for wine and even

corporate wine tastings that can provide an

We have both spent many years overseas,

including three years each in China. Any


difficulties we encounter here are not

the challenge they are facing making wine

genuine. We are having a lot of fun and it

great job.

new. Myanmar people are very kind and

is a great pleasure teaching our classes. The students really want to learn and show

appreciation and respect for the restaurant and hotels who give them the opportunities to develop their skills.

What sort of people take WSET classes? WSET wine courses originally, are made for hospitality professionals, but the public

also has an interest in learning about wine. These courses are adapted to any kind of person with this sort of interest. Classes

teach everything you should know about

wine production, grape varieties, food and wine pairing, appellation, and tasting; and so we of course taste wine during our classes. Our WSET level 2 gives you the

opportunity to taste 45 wines and 5 spirits from around the world in 3 days. We also

teach you to spit it out if you want to finish the class…

What do you think of Myanmar’s own wine industry? There are two wineries in Myanmar, located in the Inle lake area. Considering

business

in this particular climate, they are doing a

In your opinion, which establishments are at the forefront of service, skills and knowledge in the hospitality sector?

terms of accepting new foods and beverages as well as developing a new kind of curiosity? There

is

always

room

for

creative

concept, even in cities with a saturated

There are lots of places that are doing a

restaurant and bar scene. It is all about

intense bar training program and even send

of all good food and beverages. Myanmar

this training. The Lab is run by passionate

culture in terms of curiosity; I think they

and beverage with their staff, which

restaurants in their country. I believe it is

and Governor’s Residence hotels also

to see what the future holds for Myanmar.

good job - Union Bar and Gekko have an

new experiences, good service and most

some of their staff to Singapore to receive

culture is not different than any other

owners, sharing their knowledge of food

welcome it and are proud to have good

definitely shows. The Savoy, Shangri-la

just the beginning, and I am very curious

meet high hospitality standards. There is

also Shwe Sa Bwe, a restaurant/hospitality school for young people that is able to

quickly achieve impressive results. The key to success in achieving good service is

to trigger and develop a passion from your staff; and to show them they can actually

have fun working. If you can manage that, most of the work is done.

In the last year, Yangon has seen a huge growth in the range of restaurants and bars that have opened. Do you think Myanmar culture is adapting to this change in

There are a few bars/wine shops that now offer wine course. What makes MWS different? These places are more about tasting wine, in a situation where you get a good deal on few glasses of wine. What MWS offers is

actual knowledge. Of course we taste wine and have good time, but it is much more an

academic approach where you leave the courses with an expertise depending on the level you attend.

What are MWS Beverage Academy's plans for the future? We

only

started

operating

in

early

September and so we are at first making

ourselves known to and familiar with the Myanmar hospitality trade. However, we are also working on a project with a well

known Yangon restaurant to run some Sunday wine brunches where you can

enjoy great food & wine pairing courses,

providing thorough wine knowledge, whilst eating.

And one day perhaps we would like to open our own place where we can actually do and share everything we love in one place.

www.facebook.com/

MWSBEVERAGEACADEMY October 2014 My Yangon 29


meet MY Yangon meets… Han Kyi Wim a radio presenter for City FM Sound Impact Production.

HAN KYI WIM

How and why did you become a Radio Presenter? In 2007 I got my Batchelor degree and heard that City FM was looking for a new announcer. I had always wanted to hear my voice on

air but also wanted to send important messages about health, education, etc to the public, and so I decided to go for the job. After three interviews I was successful and started with City FM. At first I presented musical programs but then moved to more specific shows like “bookshelf”, “healthy living” and “travel” which I particularly enjoy putting together. How easy is it to become a radio

presenter in Myanmar? Are there training programs?

It’s not so easy to become a presenter

in Myanmar; but mostly you need to be fully committed to the job. It’s not just about popularity or fame-these are not sustainable objectives. For this job you

need to be creative and keep the public entertained; you need to think about helpful messages for the public.

In

Yangon there are a few training centres

but these are short courses and it’s not enough. You also need practical experience

in

writing,

announcing

and researching the data for different

programs. I had three months training

at CITY FM where I learnt the important skills of a Radio Announcer-to be polite,

it used be dominated by Myanmar pop

which is a celebrity call in program where

write scripts. After my first year I felt I

now hip hop and R& B are most popular

favourite celebrities is also very popular.

see that it has taken 6 years to reach a

Paing, Ye Yint Aung, Mi Sandy.

pronounce well, be fluent in English and

stars like R Zarni, L sai Ze. Zaw Paing;

was a good announcer but I can now

with artists like Bunny Phyo, Hlwan

high standard.

What are City FM’s most popular

listeners can ask questions to their

“Heartbeats of City FM”, “Top 20”, “City Jobs” and “Healthy Living” also have a lot of listeners.

Any funny things that have

programs and why?

What is your favourite type of music

I’m not a live presenter but I do get a lot of

helps people find items that they lose all

Pop and R & B.

this can be quite funny sometimes!

laptop in a taxi this is one way to find

How has music scene changed in

of charge but now we have to charge

The scene has changed a lot. Before

calls, like I’ve lost my teeth! “Star Online”,

happened live on air?

Our “Lost and Found” program which

teenage girls call in with song requests-

over the city; for example if you lost a

Myanmar in last 5 years?

30

October 2014 My Yangon

it! We used to provide this service free a small fee or else we get lots of funny

to play?

Listen to City FM at 89.0 MHz.


October 2014 My Yangon 31


Photo: Leonard Clifford

LETHWEI

Myanmar's Most Misunderstood Sport by Tatwin Owen Edmunds

Win Zin Oo grew up in Yangon, graduated with a masters in engineering,

worked for UNICEF and now works at the Water Department; and still

finds time to be one of the most legendary Lethwei Trainers in Myanmar.

Lethwei is the ancient art of Myanmar kickboxing – bare knuckle, knockout or nothing, blood on the canvas one-on-one combat.

Lethwei is the ancient art of Myanmar kickboxing – bare knuckle, knockout or nothing, blood on the canvas one-on-one combat.

Win started learning Lethwei from his grandfather and bouted professionally

in his youth. He was never that famous as a fighter but researched the techniques furiously. At that time Lethwei was seen as a low level pursuit;

and although loved in rural areas, it was yet to be appreciated or understood by the rest of Myanmar.

Win felt Lethwei could be an attraction if it could be systematised. If he

could train fighters with full discipline, who could compete internationally

and speak with authorities and media respectfully, then he could change people’s perceptions. So he continued to meet old Kayin State martial arts

teachers and learnt their techniques. Then after completing a masters in Lethwei, Win decided to become a coach. 32

October 2014 My Yangon


Starting out as a trainer in 1985, he officially founded the KLN

some bout for money and others fight for fame. Win reminds his

the gym was very successful; until sponsorship ceased in 1999.

will that action fulfil their goal?

Club – named after their sponsors. Win was head coach and

Down but not out, Win Zin Oo then went on to start a nameless

fighters everyday why they came and asks in whatever they do -

gym in 2000, which by 2010 became the now, Thut Ti – Courage.

Physically and socially Lethwei favours the single life. But Win

Win has trained many legendary fighters; light weight Swe Du

no discipline. The fighters do get fans, fame and money but to

Wan (Golden North Star), Maung Maung Gyi, Saw Thae Aung,

Moe Pa Lai (Rain Pole) who opened his own rival gym, Eh Htee Kaw (Champion from 1994-1997), and Lone Chaw, his current head coach. Lone Chaw joined in 2004 and his father, a carpenter, helped build the gym.

There are 8 main gyms in Yangon all of which are directly or indirectly supported by a local businessman; but Thut Ti is the

only independent gym. They do accept donations but keep a careful record of anything given, so the gym remains accountable. The majority of income is from students. Thut Ti continues with

warns being a married fighter is better than being a fighter with

"Some people like Lethwei as they feel it is the toughest fighting sport in the world. Some people like the stars, not the sport. Some have a personal interest. Some like the heritage. Some people feel it is brutal and barbaric."

its ethical management, by operating on 3 main principles: to promote interfaith and intercultural understanding, to produce Champions and a sustainable growth strategy.

The interest in the sport is very diverse. Some people like Lethwei as they feel it is the toughest fighting sport in the world.

Some people like the stars, not the sport. Some have a personal

interest. Some like the heritage. Some people feel it is brutal and barbaric.

The majority of students who attend the gym have no intention of knocking someone out. They attend for fitness, self-defence, absorbing the culture, and making friends. However, to be an authentic Lethwei gym, it must have a real fighter.

In rural areas fighters start competing at the age of 10 in small

village tournaments. Traditional fights are held at social and religious occasions such as pagoda festivals. The best from these rural competitions move to the city gyms to turn pro.

Win does scout for fighters, but often fighters come to find him. Saw Gaw Mu Doe (Gaw Gaw), the current gym champion, was sent to him by his family and pastor.

The first step is very tough. In particular the mental challenge. Fighters have to deal with a gruelling regime and almost total isolation. To stay on top you must be dedicated to your objective.

The reasons hopefuls wish to become fighters are varied: some

compete to test their will; some were born into the fighting culture; October 2014 My Yangon 33


become champions, they must differentiate between what’s real and what’s superficial.

The best fighters are often between 20-27 years old. They possess the right balance of toughness, stamina, and experience. However, becoming Legendary is very subjective and based

on personality as much as skill. Lone Chaw, the gym's current head coach, is an ex-National Champion at 75kg (free-weight)

he won 2 Gold belts and 1 division Championship. But his true

popularity was generated outside the ring. He was very well liked for his honesty, humility and his work for UNICEF as a children’s ambassador.

Win says a sustainable growth strategy of Leithwei is very important. He worries if the market is not real but created it will

fail. He would like the market and the interest and the fans to be genuine; with sustainable growth and ethical sponsorship; in doing so, he hopes, the spirit of Lethwei will be preserved.

But, to gain the global recognition, Win hopes for the sport may have to change. Lethwei’s closest neighbour Muay Thai has

softened under the international audience and now includes

gloves in competitive matches. Win worries if the sport gets safer, interest will drop; indeed some members of the Lethwei community still want the fights to continue indefinitely until knock

out. Win is opposed to that level of brutality, as he states: “would you let your son fight like that?”

Lethwei has changed to become safer for fighters. Fights last no longer than 5 rounds. Doctors check fighters before, during

and after competing; and all fighters must have health insurance

to compete professionally. Win supports these changes, however, strongly feels full protection would lose the unique

essence of the sport as a martial art. He does concede there must be improvements and he would never encourage a nonprofessional to step into the ring. As a first step, there needs to

be formal registration of professional gyms, trainers and fighters. He also feels the standard of health care and insurance needs to be improved. In particular, the age at which a fighter starts competing and the frequency of fights a boxer competes in.

Currently there is no law and some boxers fight competitively

every few days. Win limits his boxers to one fight per month 2 weeks recovery and then 2 weeks training. Win foresees problems in enforcing this nationally. Certain event organisers are hard to refuse, as are their wallets. However, if an unfit fighter

competes and performs badly he might find himself bottled out of the ring or be refused payment.

For now at Thut Ti it is training as normal - Win plans and Lone

Chaw implements. They have one assistant coach, Saw Thae

Thae as well as the gym Champion Gaw Gaw who helps with

the beginners. The professionals are trained on weekends and in the morning. The rest of the time is devoted to amateur students. Wins current strategy is to have 3 professional boxers at the

gym. There is the limit of capacity, both in space and finance. The long-term goal is to build a bigger school: one part health and fitness - one part 10 professional boxers. He hopes to build

up the current site. Technically they have the talent to do it, but face constraints of money and time.

Lethwei is a unique mix of martial art, sport and culture. Win is

passionate about Lethwei and its heritage. Hopefully the rest of the world will soon share his interest and vision. Thut Ti, Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Club

Photo: Leonard Clifford

34

October 2014 My Yangon

893, Wontharekkita St., Ward (8), Mayangone Tsp., 09 73187 441


October 2014 My Yangon 35


THE LONELY PCO (PUBLIC CALL OFFICE) A story of how PCO's have begun to change in Yangon by Mu Nwet Khint Zaw

It was a wet and gloomy monsoon day; and as I sat at the table I had been sitting at for twenty years, I began to ponder how much my life and role had changed. I miss the golden days when phone lines were a rare and expensive

thing. Believe it or not you couldn't get a single phone line for less than 35 lakhs (USD 3500). I started my business because people

has changed. Today you can purchase one for only 1500 kyats

of their own. A phone was an investment-a pay phone without

very cheap. Despite this, I am in fact truly glad that people can

line with me and soon we became friends, listening in to the many

Internet services, and free calls. My PCO is just an old-fashioned

being entertained by a soap opera, with some particularly funny

I understand the main weakness of a PCO is that the phone is

boyfriend or girlfriend; some to make a money transfer. My PCO

phones make people happy, and I appreciate this. Still, I can't help

waiting to take their turn. Some would even lose their patience if

not? Will people forget my once busy PCO?

I was happy, knowing that I was providing an essential service to

Despite this uncertainty, I remain proud of my PCO and wait at my

needed to share phones; as very few people could afford a line

and these are available almost everywhere! That’s cheap, very

coins. I worked alongside a lady, who managed this busy phone

now communicate so well. I realize I can’t offer SMS messaging,

different conversations. Listening in as we did, was often like

simple phone, with no touch screen or other gadgets to speak of.

episodes. Some would use our PCO to make their daily call to a

not wireless. But new technologies and things like sophisticated

was always crowded with all kinds of people; many lining up,

my worried feelings and questioning if my business will survive or

someone would take too long and then things got really exciting. the public.

table for customers. It isn't long before a man arrives, picks up my phone and talking softly to his wife and says,

About fifteen years ago, people started using wireless mobile

phones; but still the SIM card prices remained high, with one SIM

“Hey! Honey, I left my phone on the desk. I'm going to buy some

PCO and was proud of this. Then it started to happen- SIM cards

lucky I could call you from a public phone. ‘’

card costing up to 5000 USD. I remained a popular and useful became lower and lower in price.

Now it is almost unbelievable how much the price of a SIM card

36

October 2014 My Yangon

food on my way home. What do you want to eat for dinner? It's

Ha Ha! I am not a lonely PCO. I might be some of the time but not all of the time. I still have my uses. Am I right?


္ က ပ ျ ွ်ပ္တ

fiction

မ္း

ာတ္လ ဇ ္ ဥ ူးယ စိတ္က

DAYS TO BE PATIENT

ဆန္းလင္းထြန္း ဟာ

ရန္ကုန္က စာေရးသူ

နန္းဆြဲလုိ႔ ရတယ္။ စိတ္ကို နန္းဆြဲလို႔ရရင္ အတိုင္းထက္အလြန္ေပါ့။

တစ္ေယာက္ျဖစ္ၿပီး သူဟာ ႐ုပရ ္ င ွ န ္ ႔ဲ ပတ္ သက္တာေတြ၊ ၿမိဳ႕ျပ နဲ႔ ပတ္သက္တဲ့ အေၾကာင္းအရာေတြကို ကဗ်ာေတြ စာေတြ ဇာတ္လမ္းေတြဖြဲ႕ၿပီး ေရးရတာ ဝါသနာပါ သူ တစ္ဦးပါ )

ဆြဲဆန္႔လို႔ရတဲ့ အထဲမွာ “ စိတ္” ပါ ပါ ေနရင္ အရမ္းေကာင္းမွာပဲ။ ေၾကးကို နန္းဆြဲလို႔ရတယ္။ ေရႊကို

စိတ္ရွည္ပါ။ စိတ္ရွည္ပါ။ စိတ္ရွည္ပါတဲ့။ တခါတေလ ေတြးမိတယ္။ ေမြးေန႔ေမြးနံနဲ႔မ်ား ဆိုင္ေနမလားလုိ႔။ စိတ္ရွည္တာ ေျပာပါတယ္။ ရာသီခြင္နဲ႔ေရာ။ ဆိုင္မယ္ဗ်။ စိတ္ေနစိတ္ထားဆိုတာရွိတာကိုး။ မကာရရာသီဖြားဆို ဘယ္လိုဘယ္ဝါ။ ဘယ္ခ်မ္းသာ။ ဘာဘာညာညာ စသည္ျဖင့္ေပါ့။ ဒီလိုေျပာလို႔ ေဗဒင္ဆရာဆီေတာ့ သြားမေမးနဲ႔ေပါ့ဗ်ာ။ ေမးေတာ့ဘာျဖစ္လဲတဲ့ တခ်ဳိ႕က ေျပာသဗ်။ ေမးေပါ့ ေမးခ်င္ရင္။ ကဲ သူ႔ေျပာရတာနဲ႔ စကားေတာင္ ဘယ္ေရာက္သြားလဲ မသိဘူး။ ျမင္ဖူးတယ္။ တခ်ဳိ႕ေတြ စိတ္ရွည္တာမ်ား။ အံ့မခန္းဗ်ာ။ ကိုယ့္ေရွ႕စီးရမယ့္ကားေရာက္ေနတာေတာင္ အိေျႏၵမပ်က္ႏိုင္ ခပ္ေအးေအးပဲ။ သူမ်ားေတြကေတာ့ ဘယ္ရမလဲ။ ဝ႐ုန္းသံုးကားတက္ၾကမွာေပါ့။ ေနရာမရဘယ့္နဲ႔လုပ္မလဲလို႔။ အႏွီ က်ဳပ္တို႔မ်ား စိတ္မရွည္ေပါင္။ ဘူးဆိုလို႔ကေတာ့ ဖ႐ံုမသီးဘူး။ ဒါမွဒါပဲ။ ေနာက္တခါမလာနဲ႔။ မရဘူး။ စိတ္မရွည္တာမ်ားေျပာပါတယ္။ အခုလည္းၾကည့္ ဆင္းကဒ္ထုတ္ရဖုိ႔ကို ေစာင့္ေနရတာမ်ား။ လွေတာသားစကားနဲ႔ ေျပာရမယ္ဆုိဗ်ာ။ စိတ္ကို ရွည္ေနေအာင္ ႀကံရည္ႀကိတ္စက္ထဲထည့္ႀကိတ္ထားရတယ္လို႔။ အတိႆရေလးနဲ႔ ေျပာၾကည့္တာပါ။ လွေတာသားမ်ား သူ႔နာမည္ယူသံုးလုိ႔ဆုိၿပီး တရားစြဲမွျဖင့္ ခက္မယ္။

ဒါေပမဲ့ လွေတာသားမ်ား သေဘာေကာင္းတယ္ၾကားဖူးတာပဲ။ (ဒီလုိပဲ ဖားရတာေပါ့။ ဒါမွ

မတရားမစြဲမွာေလ။)

ေစာင့္ရတာေတာ့ ေတာ္ေတာ္ေလးက်င့္သားရေနပါၿပီ။ အင္တာနက္သံုးလည္းေစာင့္ရ။

မီးပြိဳင့္လည္းေစာင့္ရ။

လမ္းပိတ္လည္းေစာင့္ရ။ ေစာင့္ရ။ ေစာင့္ရ။ ေစာင့္ရ။

ဒါမွမဟုတ္ စိတ္မရွည္ရင္ေတာ့ ထျပန္ေပါ့။ စိတ္နန္းဆြဲတဲ့စက္မွ မေပၚေသးတာ။

ကုန္သြားတဲ့ စကၠန္႔ေတြကိုၾကည့္ရင္း စိတ္ကမရွည္ဘဲ ပ်က္ ပ်က္ ပ်က္ ပ်က္လာတာခက္တယ္။

စိတ္မကုန္မခ်င္းေပါ့ဗ်ာ။

October 2014 My Yangon 37


kidsITIES

ACTIV

PARTY TIME! Children's parties can incite all sorts of stress and a huge amount of planning and expectation. A recent article in The Times, a UK newspaper, quoted a study that found that a "children's blueprint for an ideal party would include five hours at a theme-park, 17 presents, 30 guests, lunch at Nando's (a fast-food restaurant) and a guest appearance from David Beckham". Here in Yangon, similar sorts of wishes can of course be granted, maybe minus David Beckham; but here are some more fun and interesting Yangon options on entertainment that will make for a very successful children's party.

BOBO AIRBALLOONS www.facebook.com/bobo.airballoons; Call-011 663217,09 50 81944

Bobo offers beautiful balloon decoration for your home or venue but also some

seriously impressive balloon twisting that is fun for both children and adults to watch but also makes for great party favours. Bobo's also provides a temporary tattoo artist but make sure you dress the kids (and adults!) in old clothes as the paint used is difficult to wash off clothes (but not skin). Call for quotes and availability.

KO YAN PAING TUN MAGICIAN Call 0973040175

Ko Yan Paing Tun is a marvelous magician available for hire, who can also be found

at Happy World; should you want to meet him and see what sort of entertainment he provides. Take note, he only speaks Burmese.

NERVIN CAFE AND BISTRO Karaweik Garden, Kan Yeik Tha Road, Kandawgyi Nature Park; Call-01541188, 0943132636

This lake-side cafĂŠ's beautiful setting and great Italian/Mediterranean menu makes

it a great choice for a family birthday party. The cafĂŠ has a total seating capacity of about 120 pax. Due to its location inside the park there are plenty of open fields, playgrounds and lawns in the surroundings; ideal for kids and families. One of the 2

wings of cafe building can be reserved and blocked for private parties with capacities

of up to 60-80 pax; it has both air-conditioned rooms and covered outdoor deck. Did you know Yangon Directory

The menu can be customized for private parties with prior arrangement. Entertainers

www.yangondirectory.com

notice before the party. There is ample parking space around the cafe (20-30 cars).

lists 31 Family Amusement Zones

38

October 2014 My Yangon

such as a magician, caricature artist, and balloon man can be arranged with prior


MYANMAR MOVIE REVIEW

WATCH

Tite Sine Hmu Shi Yin /By Coincidence

Tite Sine Hmu Shi Yin (translated literally -

misdemeanor, even if it is perceived and

doctor who is blackmailed into separating

tries to preserve its honour. The film is

If There Is a Coincidence) is a film about a with his wife. The film ambitiously tracks

the story over the lifetime of the Doctor's son;

giving

watch

an

interesting

take

on

Myanmar’s marital laws both social and judicial. Most specifically highlighting, how

under traditional Myanmar values a marital

not real, can be exploited as the family also interesting as it sees the return home

of Laila Khan aka Sandar Win. Laila Khan is a Myanmar-born Bollywood actress who

has starred in seven Bollywood films. She

decided to return home and star in a movie

The Movie is being shown at Thamada Cinema at 10:00am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm,

6:30pm, and 9:30pm. Alan Pya Pagoda St; Tel: 01 246 963 Check to see which showings include subtitles, if needed.

to engage her Myanmar fan base.

MYANMAR MOTION PICTURE MUSEUM The Myanmar Motion Picture Museum

is looking for a full time curator with talent and enthusiasm to open the museum during

Myanmar’s long and illustrious film History.

you are interested in film or history, the museum is a fascinating glimpse into Myanmar’s

was opened in 1995 as a tribute to During the middle of the last century Myanmar lead the way in Asia for film, producing upwards of 60 motion pictures

per year. The museum is located in the

weekdays, but currently the museum is only open on weekends and public holidays. If Motion Picture heritage. The museum guides are very helpful, knowledgeable and eager

to explain each exhibit; so if you find yourself free on the weekend it is well worth a visit. 16 Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp; Tel: 01544270. Open Weekends 9.30-15.00.

grounds of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation and occupies the original colonial building.

Exhibits are spread

over two floors. Starting on the top floor, the museum documents the development

of film production in Myanmar from its beginnings in 1920 with silent films, most

of which portrayed stunts such as feats of strength or daring, to the present day.

Highlights include a photomontage of an

old Myanmar animation from 1932 and a rare collection of antique cameras; there is also an impressive bust of one of the key founders of Myanmar film, who was named- London Art Ohn Maung.

The Myanmar Motion Picture Organization

October 2014 My Yangon 39


40

October 2014 My Yangon


best of

Summer Palace Restaurant, Sule Shangri-La

-best of dim sumA style of bite sized Cantonese food served in small steamer baskets or small plates. Originally dim sum was linked with tea tasting (Yum Cha) and is therefore commonly served with tea. The standard dim sum dish is the Gao (dumpling) made with pork, prawn or vegetables and wrapped in rice flour or wheat starch skin. The mark of a skilled dim sum chef is to make the rice flour so thin it is translucent. To eat a dumpling in the

traditional way you pick it up, poke the skin, let the juices drip out, sip the juice, then taste the dumpling. The influences of Chinese cuisine have existed in Myanmar since pre-colonial times however it really picked up in the 19th century with the wave of Chinese immigration which coincided with the British administration. Dim sum has not yet caught on as strongly as other Chinese dishes, but in spite of this there are still a range of restaurants in Yangon which provide quality dim sum.

summer palace @ sule shangri-la The Sule Shangri-La (formerly Traders) has had the Cantonese

themed Summer Palace restaurant since it opened. Since then it has been fully renovated and their Hong Kong native Head Chef

serves up quality Cantonese cuisine. The dim sum is cooked

in the traditional way using the latest equipment with three separate stations for pastry, frying and steaming/broiling. All you can eat dim sum costs $22 per head and is available everyday

for lunch. The restaurant itself is bright and comfortable and the service is slick and attentive. Each dish has a great complexity

of flavours, the pastry is spot on and there is a wide range of dim sum to choose from. Try the roasted pork with honey - it is melt October 2014 My Yangon 41


best of... in your mouth-good; the flavoursome and fresh chicken soup is

to properly eat dumplings; you can also look into the kitchen

puddings-the mango sago and strawberry are a must.

prepared. For dim sum pudding try the well-wrapped red bean

a great accompaniment. If you have still have room, also try the

The Summer Palace: Dim Sum 11AM-2:30PM Dinner 5:30-

10PM. Sule Shangri-La (level 2), #223 Sule Pagoda Road,

thanks to a large glass window and watch as each dish is freshly pie: thick, crunchy pastry with sweet red bean paste, topped with black sesame seeds.

Pabedan Tsp., 01 242 828 Ext: 6480 / 6483 or 6486

Xie Yang Yang (Xiao Long Bao), No 4,Nyaung Tong Rd,

Royal Garden Restaurant

Chokdee Dimsum

Set on Kandawgyi Lake, Royal Gardens is a large swanky dim

Chokdee Dimsum is a chain of dim sum restaurants, originating

private lunchrooms and can handle big events. This is an ideal

Yangon International Hotel compound and one at the Dagon

sum/Chinese Restaurant. The service is very good, they offer place for business lunches and functions. The food is served promptly and piping hot. A convenient stop if you are taking a stroll around Kandawgyi Lake.

Royal Garden Restaurant, business hours: Lunch and dim sum

6:30AM – 2:15PM, Dinner 6:00PM – 10:15 PM, Nat Mauk Road, Near Bogyoke Aung San, Bronze Statue, Bahan Tsp., 01 546 923, 01 546 202

Oriental House Restaurant Tucked away on Myo Ma Kyaung Street, Oriental House

Restaurant is one of the most established dim sum joints in

Sanchaung Tsp, 01 502 582, 09 250 269 706

in Bangkok. There are two branches in Myanmar-one in the Centre 2. Expect to wait a little for food as they cook the Dim

Sum fresh to order and the service is a little slow. That said, some of the dishes are delicious and worth the wait; the Flower Ha Gau in particular is sumptuous.

Chokdee Dimsum: Yangon International Hotel Compound, # 330 Ahlon Rd, Yangon, 09 732 27 177; Open 6:00AM – 10:00PM

Dagon Center (2), Level 4, No.(2,3,4) Myaynigone Tsp., 09 336 05 888, 01 516 610 Ext: 404; Open 10:00AM – 11:00 PM

Tiger Hill @ The Chatrium

Yangon. The entrance leads down a flight of steps into an open

Legend goes Tiger balm was first created in Myanmar and the

traditional way; bought up to your table and you select what

homage to this legend the Chatrium named their luxury Chinese

tiled dinning hall with glassy pillars. Dim sum is served in the tickles your fancy. There is also an a la carte menu available,

all at very cheap prices. I would stick to the steamed wontons, spring rolls and dumplings. Kick back have a beer and imagine you're in downtown Guangzhou.

Oriental House restaurant: Dim Sum 6:30- 2PM Dinner 5-9:30 No. 126(A), Myo Ma Kyaung St., Dagon Tsp., 01 371 471

Xie Yang Yang (Xiao Long Bao) Nestled in the backstreets of Sanchaung, Xie Yang Yang (Xiao Long Bao) is a little jade in the shade. There is a varied selection

of dim sum from beef wraps and scallion pancakes, all of which are excellent. On the wall is a short instructional poster on how

Chatrium Hotel sits on the site of the old Tiger Balm factory. In restaurant Tiger Hill, however applying Tiger Balm during dinner

is considered frightfully bad manners. The restaurant had a facelift in 2012 and has a chic oriental feel. There are private

rooms that can seat up to twenty, which are best booked in

advance because the restaurant can get quite busy. The dim sum menu offers a variety of treats from dumplings to small bites

and costs $24 per head. The prawns are fat and juicy and make sure you finish the meal with the tasty custard buns.

Tiger Hill: Dim Sum 11:30AM-2:30PM Dinner 6:00-10.30PM

Chatrium Hotel (Ground Level), 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp: 01 544 500 Ext. 6294


October 2014 My Yangon 43


ALTERNATIVE Sports GUIDE traditional myanmar sports

Kyung Taw Street, Chin Lone Play Ground, San Chaung Tsp (09420138174) Ko Ko Aung

Bo Sein Hman Chin Lone Playground, near SSC Hospital,

Thaing

Thaing or Pongyi Thaing is a traditional Burmese Martial art focusing on self-defense. Based on the Buddhist principle of nonviolence and non-aggression. It was created by the Monk Oopali in the 9th century to develop the body, mind and spirit to achieve harmony with oneself, others and animals.

United Security, YWCA, Bogalay Zay Street, Middle Block (09421100907) Thaw Lwin Hein (09420215973 - English) Myat Zin - evening classes for all levels

Thaing Byaung Byan, 128 Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Road, Than Lyin, Yangon Region (09421125305) Sayagyi U Aung Thein

Tamwe Tsp (0973096166) Saw Win

13th Block Chin Lone Playground, South Okkalapa (09425016464) Maung Maung Shwe

(The Rattan ball is a small wicker ball originating in Southeast

Asia used to play traditional Southeast Asian football games. It makes a distinctive clicking sound when kicked, the acoustics of which is an essential and aesthetic part of the game).

Martial Arts

There are a variety of martial arts schools/dojos where you can

practice in Yangon. The list of types of martial arts are as follows-

Sepak takraw

Sepak takraw or kick volleyball is played throughout Southeast

Asia. It is a 3-on-3 game that differs from volleyball in the use of a rattan ball, players may only use their feet, knee, head and chest, and no one refers to themselves as Goose or Maverick.

You can watch games being played every afternoon at Kyiakkasan

Stadium and sometimes at Thuwanna Stadium. If you want to play yourself, head on down to the Chin Lone Playgrounds listed under Chine Lone.

Chin Lone

The traditional game of Myanmar is Chine Lone. You can see it played across Myanmar from muddy rice paddies to soggy street corners – anywhere with enough room (or even not quite enough

room) to kick a rattan ball. There is no opposing team: players stand

in a circle and the goal is to keep the ball aloft gracefully and skillfully. 44

October 2014 My Yangon

Aikido

There are about 6 different Aikido groups and 5 Aiki-dojos. YIH

Aikido Dojo, one of the largest, trains mornings 8-9.30AM on

weekends and evenings from 5:30pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The Myanmar Aikido Association arranges training sessions and examinations.

Yangon International Hotel Aikido Dojo, No.330, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp (098586427)

Millennia Aikido, 267, 5th Flr. Pyay Rd., Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp (01516570, 09-5088410)

Karate

Although not as widely popular as it has been in the past,

Myanmar still boasts some top-level fighters winning 10 medals in the recent SEA games.


The Myanmar Karate Federation organises training and

sports

tournaments.

Training is held from 7-8AM every morning on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and weekends at Aung San Memorial Stadium. All levels are welcome (01 379939)

There are also smaller dojos, such as the Buffalo Karate Club in Bahan and United Karate Club in Sanchaung.

The International Karate Organization KyokushinKaikan (a full contact form of karate) has numerous branches in Yangon. For a list see: ikomyanmar.com/dojo

Skate Boarding & Roller Skating

Skaters from the Myanmar Skating Association or MSA meet

up and skate every Friday at 7pm underneath Hledan Bridge. There is also the Speed Ring Skate Club, linked to the Speed Ring Skate Park in Thuwunna Playground, but they meet up in various underground locations. For more information check out:

facebook.com/SpeedRingSkateClubYangonMyanmar or go under the bridge downtown on a Friday.

Tai Chi

Most parks have people practicing Tai Chi at dawn, where people are welcome to watch or join in. The popular spots are People’s

Park, Mahabandoola Gardens, Botahtaung Jetty and Inya Lake Side.

Top Tip: Watching the Tai Chi at dawn in People’s Park as the sun rises against Shwedagon Pagoda – Myanmagic.

Other sports Archery

Aung Ngeain is one of Myanmar's most successful international sports stars-she has won over 50 international Archery Medals

including a Gold at the SEA Games, last year. The Myanmar Archery Federation holds lessons at Kyaikkasan.

Kyaikkasan Sports Ground, (I.S.P.E) Archery Field, Tamwe Tsp (095021903) Nan Aung - Coach

Football

The Myanmar Football Federation is the governing body of football in Myanmar. The main competition is the Myanmar

National League (MNL) and 14 football clubs participate. Most

matches are held at Aung San Stadium and Thuwunna Stadium. The best spot to have a kick about is the Kyaikkasan Grounds in Yankin.

Go-Karting

There is a racing circuit at Thuwanna Sports Ground in Thingangyun, which has two-stroke karts. It was previously

For true fanatics, make a trip to Mandalay, where competitions and meets are regularly held due to its big skating community.

Horse Riding

The Myanmar Equestrian Club in North Dagon has horses and

arenas; they do offer classes but you have to have a good ear for Myanmar Language.

Myanmar Equestrian Club, Pyihtaungsu rd., Sport Complex, North Dagon Tsp (01584962)

YKKO Riding Club is in HmawBi (60 km north of Yangon) and organises treks in the countryside. Ayeindamar Travels & Tours specialises in planning Equestrian tours. See the link for details: http://www.ayeindamartour.com/ykko-ridingclub.htm

Kite Fighting

There are Kite fighters every sunny day at Kyeemyindaing Railway Station at 3:30pm; or alternatively at Wardan Jetty. The aim of this game is to slice through your opponent's kite string. The Myanmar Traditional Sports Federation organises Kite Fighting

Festivals during early April at Kyaikkasan Grounds and Thuwunna Youth Training Camp.

Shooting

The International Shooting Stadium, in North Dagon, is only open

to the public outside of competitions and formal training of the Myanmar shooting team. Phone ahead to check International

Shooting

Quarter, North Dagon

Range-Pyigtaungsu

Street

(16)

Phone: 01 8011075.

called Galaxy Race Track, but has now been renamed Top Ruby

Land Racing Karts Club (However many taxi drivers still know it as Galaxy Race Track). You can book sessions from 10AM till

dusk everyday. Ruby Land Racing Circuit, Thuwanna Sport Ground (095183582)

Did you know? The Yangon Directory lists 83 sportswear and sports goods shops www.yangondirectory.com

October 2014 My Yangon 45


TOP 5 MASSAGES Finding a great massage place in any city can prove difficult as each individual will have particular needs and requirements; as well as the issue of there being a great variety and range of skills between the massage therapists, even within a particular clinic or spa. Thankfully Yangon massage prices are quite reasonable, so it is best to try a few places till you find the right masseuse or spa. Central Hotel- The massage and reflexology centre on the 6th floor of downtown's Central Hotel although it is a no frills sort of place,

offers excellent full body and foot treatments at affordable prices.

Hours: 10:00 to 22:00 Location: 6th Floor, Central Hotel, 335-337 Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Township Tel: 01 241007 Ext: 533

Genky Physiotherapy Clinic- One of two Japanese branches offering clinical and thorough solutions to your massage needs. The

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October 2014 My Yangon

HELLO BEAUTY SALON Hello is a great value beauty salon tucked away, just off the

Hledan road. The salon interior is made up of stylish black and white design, two spacious floors and a peaceful atmosphere

with air conditioning and large comfy chairs. The lower floor is

dedicated to hair styling and make-up and the upper floor to nail care, body massages and waxing. For manis and pedis there is a large range of colours and different brands, including a few OPI. The staff are friendly, very professional and well

trained-always attentive to providing clean towels, changing water and sterilizing the tools. The Hello hair wash (using Paul Mitchell products) which combines a nourishing cleaning and conditioning treatment, accompanied by a deep massage, comes highly recommended. The one-hour foot massage is another highlight and finishes with the head and shoulders.

Body massages start at 7000 kyats, foot massages at 5000 kyats; with mani/pedi costing only 6000 kyats (3000 each).

Hello I No 59 &63. Ground Floor, Seikta-thuka Street. Kyaukmyaung, Tamwe Tsp. Tel: 01 540070, 0973081713

Hello II No. 28, Maharsocial Street,Hledan, Kamaryut Tsp. Tel: 01 539813


beauty massage therapists are all blind and locally trained. This is by no

in an herbal steamer; the warm herb bundles are then applied

very reasonable cost. Hours: 9:00 to 21:00 Location: Genky II

relieving any stress. Hours: 10:00 to 20:00; Location: Near City

means a spa but expect accurate and specific treatments at a

285, Bo Aung Kyaw Road (middle block), Kyauktada Tsp.Tel: 098615036

Beauty Concepts-A chain of very clean, well-managed beauty spas with high standards. Try the anti-stress massage that targets

the appropriate areas relating to stress to improve circulation, relieve muscle tension and induce general relaxation. This massage is very effective for those who simply want to calm those nerves. Slightly more expensive than other local spas. Hours:

9:30 to 21:00; (3 branches) Location: No. 150, Damazedi Road, Bahan Tsp; Tel: 0931548775

Nacha Spa-Has designed an "Office Syndrome Management

directly to the skin during a massage session to assist in further Mart, Shin Saw Pu Road, Sanchaung Tsp.; Tel 09421165929

Muguet Spa- This Japanese spa offers traditional shiatsu dry

body and foot massage treatments; as well as excellent oil body and head massages. Prices vary according to timings. As this is more of a traditional spa, expect to pay a little extra. This is also

a good after-work choice, as the spa is open very late. Hours: 10:00 to 24:00; Location: 1F New World Building 126 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road; Tel: 0973229205

Did you know that the Yangon Directory lists 453 Beauty Parlors.www.yangondirectory.com

Program" which involves a 2 hour treatment made up of 1 hour of authentic Thai deep tissue massage and 1 hour hot herbal

compress massage. Herbs for the compresses are blended with

attention to the therapeutic needs of the individual, and are heated

October 2014 My Yangon 47


Plants

Houseplants are a useful and rewarding way to decorate any room or balcony. Just as your plants will change and evolve, so too will different areas of your home. Not to mention that a living, growing, decoration can even improve indoor air quality.

Choosing and customising plants doesn't have to end with just the plant itself, you can elaborate by adding fairy lights to small indoor trees or placing stones

around the base of the plant. There is also the pot or container to consider. Yangon has some beautiful pots for sale but for those wanting a more creative project you can paint your own or even use a range of other objects such as an old wash basin, baskets, crates, old troughs, chairs-anything! For those not familiar www.pinterest is a good starting point for inspiration; plus here are also a few pointers to get you started.

Soften the appearance of a corner with an indoor tree. Corners can be challenging

Hang some orchids in your bathroom.

to decorate effectively. A good way to

Orchids make ideal houseplants for

counter this effect is by placing and

tricky, humid spots like bathrooms,

because they respond well to humidity and need to be kept in fast-draining

potting mix that dries out too quickly in dry air.

growing a tree in this part of a room. Trees Grow fresh herbs in your kitchen or

on your balcony. Houseplants don't solely have to be decorative - they can provide you with fresh herbs

for your cooking as well. Just make sure that these particular plants have access to a lot of sunlight.

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October 2014 My Yangon

that grow well indoors, include rubber trees and the Myanmar "lucky" tree.


shopping

Create a striking and unusual

display using succulent plants. Succulents are a classic choice

when decorating with houseplants, as they are extremely hardy and tolerant of adverse conditions. Place air plants in unique containers. Air plants are a special type of houseplant that can be

grown without soil or water. For this reason,

Choose an Aloe Vera plant and

Place some large urn planters outside

ailments like sunburn or eczema,

urn-style planters are mainstays on front

also use its leaves to treat skin

your front door, balcony or porch. Large

amongst many other healing uses.

porches and decks, but you can also

you can place them in any type of container, from a terracotta Myanmar yoghurt pot to a conch shell. Make sure to mist the air plants with water regularly to keep them healthy.

move the planter just inside your door for dramatic entryway appeal.

Where to buy all these plants for your home in Yangon? Kandawgyi Lake Nature Park has an entire area that includes a multitude of good

quality plant nurseries. There are many places to choose from with assistants to advise you on both indoor and outdoor plants; as well a great range in size and design of plant pots, bases, plant seeds and other accessories. Some nurseries

are specialists of particular plants, such as orchids or roses; but most places

are accommodating and will be happy to collaborate with each other, so that it is easy to purchase a plant in one place and a pot in another. Delivery can

be arranged and so can the potting of plants at your home, if this makes

transportation of heavier plants made easier. Plants, pots and delivery are

all reasonably priced.

Kandwagyi Lake Nature Park, North-west side of the lake on

Kominkochin Road. Entrance close to the 3rd Street Bahan bus stop.

Also try the nurseries and flower shops at Yamona Park in Thaketa Township.

For herb potted plants, Sharky's has an excellent selection. You can find them

just outside the entrance of the restaurant. Sharky's, 117, Dhamazedi Road

October 2014 My Yangon 49


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October 2014 My Yangon


DINING

**Star for critic's choice

downtown

** Easy Café & Restaurant-Asian-30A/C1, Bo Yar Nyunt Road-011 220 722 / 01 246 755 Fat Man Steak-Western-Bo Yar Nyunt Road, DGN Tsp-09 420 305 666

50th Street Bar and Restaurant-Western/Bar-913 50th Street, Botataung Tsp-01 397 060

Feel-Myanmar-124, Pyihtaungsu Avenue Street, DGN Tsp-09 732 08 132

365 Café-Café/Western-No.5 Thamada Hotel, Ahlanpya Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp-01 243 047, 01 243 639-41 Ext.32

Fu-Rin Japanese Restaurant-Japanese-No. 210, Anawrahta Road, Lanmadaw Tsp-01 211 702

999 Shan Noodle Shop-Shan-130, B, 34th Street-01 389 363, 01 384 779

Gallery Bar & Restaurant-Café/Bar-223 Sule Pagoda Road-01 242 828 Ext: 6430 or 6431

** APK-Thai-392-396 Shwebonthar Street, Pabedan Tsp-01 250 437

** Gekko-Japanese/Bar-535 Merchant Road01 386 986 / 09 431 90 232

** Aung Mingalar Shan Noodle RestaurantShan-No.34 Bo Yar Nyunt Street & Corner of Nawaday Street, DGN Tsp-(no phone number)

Green Gallery-Thai-No58. 52nd Street (lower block), Botahtaung Tsp-09 313 15 131

Bar Boon-Café/Western-Just outside FMI Center, 380 Bo Gyoke Road-09 420 321 058

Harley’s-Fastfood-285, Ground Floor, The Corner of 6th Street & Anaw Ya Htar Road, (2) Ward, Lanmadaw Tsp- 09 250 086 204

** Cherry Man- Myanmar/Indian-78/80 Latha Street, Lower block-01 374 891 / 01 389 705

Heaven Pizza-Pizza-38~40, Bo Yar Nyunt Street, Dagon Tsp-09 855 1383

** Coffee Club-Café-Level 1, Corner of 11th Street and Maha Bandoola Street-09 432 07 764

Ingyin Restaurant-Indian-Anawratha Road (30th St)-(no number)

Coka Suki Restaurant-Thai/Hotpot-104/108, Kyee Myin Daing Strand Road, Ahlone Tsp-01 229 904 Ext 229905

Junior Duck-Chinese-Nanthidar Jetty

Compound, Pan Soe Tan Saikkan Strand Road, Kyauktada Tsp-01 249 421

dining

Kanpai-Japanese-207 Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Botataung Tsp-09 421 739 599 Kinsakura Restaurant-Japanese-BAK, Olympic Tower, 1st Flr, Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada Tsp-09 514 7840 ** Kosan Café-Bar Branch 2-Café/Bar-108, 19th Street (Upper Block), Latha Tsp-01 503 232 ** Linkage Restaurant-Myanmar/Asian-221, 1st Flr, Mahar Bandoola Garden Street-09 495 83 618, 09 430 52 916 Maru Grill Restaurant-Japanese-134, Shwe Taung Tan Street (Upper Block), Lanmadaw Tsp-011 221 568 / 09 420 308 350 ** Miyoshi Ramen-Japanese-42/E, Bo Yar Nyunt Street, Dagon Tsp-09 420 098 866 ** Mondo-Japanese-26 (B) Yaw Min Gyi Street-01 252 261 / 09 450 066 782 ** Monsoon-Asian-No. 85-87, Theinbyu Road (lower block), Botataung Tsp-01 295 224 My Garden-Asian-Ahlone Road-01 372 822 ** Nepali Food House-Nepalese-63, Bon Sun Pet Street, Lower Block, Pabedan Tsp-09 402 552 245 / 09 731 42 386 / 09 517 5640 Nilar Biryani-Indian-216, Anawratha Road., Pabedan Tsp-(no phone number) October 2014 My Yangon 51


Nooch Restaurant & Bar-Japanese/Thai -No.387/397, Room K1, Upper Shwe Bon Thar Road, Pabedan Tsp-01 378 166

The Manhattan Fish Market-Seafood/ Western-44/56 Kannar Road, Ground Floor M.M.G. Tower, 41st - 42nd Street-01 375 064

Oishii Branch 1-Japanese-98, Latha Street (Middle Block), Latha Tsp-01 708 685 / 09 312 87 053

The Lobby Bar-Bar-Park Royal Hotel 33 Alan Pya Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp-01 250 388

** AV's-Indian-Room A, Ground Floor, No(76/80)(B), Banyardala Road-09 254 345 381

The Strand Café-Fine dining/Western 92 Strand Road-01 243 377~92

Bangkok Kitchen-Thai-Kandawgyi Natural Park, Nat Mauk Road, Tamwe Tsp-01 556 901

The Thiripyitsaya Sky Bistro-Asian/ Western-20th Flr, Sakura Tower, 339 Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Tsp-01 255 277

Barista Lavazza-Café/Coffee shop-16 Kyaik Ka San Road, Tamwe Tsp-018 604 415

** Pa Pa Pizza-Pizza-Yaw Min Gyi Street-09 421 124 373 Peacock Lounge-Café-Sule-Shangri-La Hotel, 223 Sule Pagoda Road-01 242 828 ext. 6456 or 6434 Phoenix Court (Si Chaun Dou hua)-ChinesePark Royal Hotel 33 Alan Pya Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp-01 250 388 Santino Café-Coffee Shop-18/A-1, Bo Yar Nyunt Street, Dagon Tsp-01 387 880 Shan Yoe Yar-Shan-War Tan Street, Lanmadaw Tsp-01 221 524 ** Shiawase-Sushi-38/40 A1 Bo Yar Nyunt Street-09 492 59 184 Shiki-Tei-Japanese-Park Royal Hotel, 33 Alan Pya Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp-01 250 388 Shwe Kaung Hot Pot-Chinese/Hot Pot-306, Level 3, Junction Maw Tin, Corner of Anawrahta Road & Lanthit Road, Lanmadaw Tsp-09 731 12 046 Spice Brasserie-Asian Fusion-Park Royal Hotel 33 Alan Pya Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp-01 250 388 ** Sprouts-Salad Bar/Café-68A Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Tsp-09 421 102 223 Sukiya Japanese Resturant-Japanese-42/B, Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Tsp-09 311 35 026 ** Sule Shangri-La Café-Bakery/Café-Shangri La Hotel, 223 Sule Pagoda Road-01 242 828 ext. 6519 or 6442 ** Summer Palace-Chinese-Sule Shangri La, 223 Sule Pagoda Road-01 242 828 ext: 6480 / 6483 or 6486

Titu’s Indian Banana Leaf-Indian-235, Ground floor, 32nd Street-09 302 58 377 / 09 312 85 439

Aung Thuka-Myanmar-17(A), West Shwegondine, Bahan Tsp-01 525 194

BBQ Chicken Restaurant-Fastfood44,Ground Floor, Pyay Road, Dagon Tsp-09 250 613 329

Toba Restaurant Café-Indonesian-15 Nawaday Street, Dagon Tsp-09 254 095 451

Billion Gold Restaurant-Fine Dining-Yangon International Hotel Compound (Ahlone Road)01 216 001

** Union Bar & Grill-Western/Bar-42 Strand Road, Left corner of the Myanmar Red Cross Building, Botahtaung Tsp- 09 420 101 854

Black Canyon Coffee-Coffee shop-330 Ahlone Road, In front of Yangon International Hotel, Dagon Tsp-01 395 052

Ureshii Kitchen-Japanese-111 Shwe Taung Tan Street, Lanmadaw Tsp-01 224 810

Café Bellagio-Western-81 New University Ave Road, Bahan Tsp-01 544 930

Ya Kun Kaya Toast-Singaporean- 4th Flr, Junction Square, Corner of Narnattaw Road and Kyun Taw Road, Kamayut Tsp-09 312 85 439

Café Dibar-Italian-No. 104, University Avenue Road, Kamaryut Tsp (Inya Road)-095 114 932

** Yhet’s-Japanese-57, 37 Street (Lower Block), Kyauktada Tsp-01 377 212

midtown After Work Bistro and Bar-Café/Bar-31,A1, Shan Gone Street, Sanchaung Tsp-09 250 400 753 ** Agnes-French/Fine Dining-Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, Kan Yeik Tha Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township, Yangon-01 382 919 / 01 382 912

Cafe Napoli-Italian-No. 287, East Shwe Gon Dine Road, Bahan Tsp-01 554 957 / 09 420 207 233 Café Terrace 320-Café/Thai-Corner of Pyay Road and Ahlone Road-09 430 91 959 Chatime (various branches)-Café-29 B-002 Shwe Pyi Aye Yeik Mon Housing, Bargayar Road, Sanchaung Tsp-(no phone number) Chokdee-Dim sum-Yangon International Hotel Compound (Ahlone Road)-09 732 27 177 Cocoon Bar–Asian/bar-22/24 Shinsawpu Road and corner of Baho Road-01 500 863

** Alamanda Inn Restaurant-French-60B/Shwe Taun Gyar Road, Golden Valley-01 534 513

Coffee Circles-Café 107(A) Dhammazedi Road-01 525 157

Sushi Itchi-Japanese-No. 105, Phone Gyi Street, Lanmadaw Tsp-01 218 282

Ananda Coffee and Cocoa-Café/Coffee shop-Market Place by City Mart, Dhamazedi Road-(no phone number)

Country Club-Bakery/Asian-No. 28 (A1-A2). Corner of Thida & Kyaukmyaung Street-01 544 269

** Sydney’s-Western Bakery-288/290 (Rm 106), 1st Flr, Shwe Dagon Pagoda Road, MWEA Tower-01 381 607

Asagiri Sausage & Restaurant-WesternCorner of Kyun Taw Road and Nar Nat Taw Street, Kamaryut Tsp-01 539 598

Cousins Grill-Western-No. 28(A), Kokkaing Swimming Pool Street, Sayarsan Road, Bahan Tsp-01 546 633

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October 2014 My Yangon


dining

Daruma-Japanese-Yangon International Hotel, Ahlone Road, DGN Tsp-09 492 70 271

** Golden Kitchen Tori-Asian fusion-135 Inya Road, opposite of Savoy Hotel-01 511 418

Dining Fukurou Japanese Resturant-JapaneseNo.81 (C), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp-01 542 871

Green Elephant Restaurant-Myanmar-No. 33, Thirimingalar Lane (Attia Road), Kamayut Tsp-0261237 Gusto Café-Coffee Shop/Italian-150 Dhamazedi Road, Next to Monument Bookstore-09 362 14 523

Kokine Bar & Restaurant-Asian/Western-32 Kokkine Swimming Club Lane, off Saya San Road, Bahan Tsp-095 411 253 / 09 421 060 505

Happy Café & Noodles-Myanmar/Asian104(B), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp-01 536 985

Kohaku-Japanese-Chatrium Hotel, No 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp-01 544 500

** Edu Zushi-Japanese-No. 290-B, U Wisara Road, 10 Ward Kamaryut Tsp-09 259 040 853

Haru-Japanese-81 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp-09 421 149 721

Ko Piteria-Café-No. 23, A-1, Hledan Road, Kamayut Tsp-09 730 50 361

** Family Sushi-Japanese-A-27, Rm# 104, U Chit Maung Housing, U Chit Maung Street, Bahan Tsp09 731 19 456 / 095 077 223

** House of Memories-Myanmar-290 U Wisara Road-01534 242

** Le Bistrot-French-Savoy Hotel, 129

Doremi Café-Asian/Western-No. 33, Nigyawda Street, KyaukMyaung, Tamwe Tsp-01 546 850 Dynasty Bistro at Marketplace-Chinese-430/A, City Mart Marketplace, Dhamazeddi Road, Bahan Tsp-01 523 840

FC Box & Food Desserts-Fastfood-Yangon International Hotel Compound (Ahlone Road)-01 216 001 ** Fuji Coffee House-Japanese-No. 116, University Avenue Road, Kamaryut Tsp-01 535 371 EXT 512561 ** Furusato-Japanese-137 Shwe Gon Daing Road, Bahan Tsp- 01 556 265 ** Golden City Chetty Restaurant-IndianPadonmar Street, Sanchaung Tsp-01 518 248 / 095 414 526 ** Golden Duck Restaurant-Chinese-Kan Taw Mingalar Garden Compound, Shwedagon Pagoda Road-01 240 216 Golden View Japanese Teppanaki RestaurantJapanese-23 Golden View Tower (A), G3, U Aung Myat Street, Mingalar Taungnyunt Tsp (opposite of Karaweik Park entrance)-018 619 194 / 095 080 466

Ice Berry-Western-230 Bargayar Road, opposite Dagon Centre -01 516 506 / 01 700 680 ** Ichiban-Kan-Japanese-G17-18, Gyo Phyu Street, Aung San Stadium (North Wing), Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp-01 394 824 Jaspar House-Western-No. 54, Ahlone Street, Dagon Tsp-09 517 2589 / 012 302 011 Jing Hpaw Myay-Kachin-2B Kyun Taw Street-01 524 525 / 09 420 247 034 ** Kachin Agape Restaurant–Kachin-Shwe Pyi Aye, just off Bagayar Street (Closed Sundays)-01 518 239 / 09 421 167 008

Dhammazedi Road, Kamaryut Tsp-01 526 289 / 01 526 298 ** Le Nacha-Thai-86 Shin Saw Pu Road, Sanchaung Tsp-01 510 731 Le Planteur-Fine Dining/French-No. 22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp-01 541 997 Lotteria-Fastfood-Junction Square, Between Kyun Taw Road and Pyay Road, Kamayut Tsp-012 305 798 Magic Bubble Tea-Café-No. 279 Kyaikkasan Street, Tamwe Tsp-01 555 917 Marry Brown-Fastfood-220, Shwe Gon Daing Road, Bahan Tsp-018 603 215

Karaweik Palace-Western/Asian-Kandawgyi Compound, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp-09 459 222 222

** Min Lann-Seafood/Rakhine-45 Baho road, near Asia Royal hospital-01 510 285 / 09 431 25 152

Kobe-Ya-Japanese-615/B Marlar St. Pyay Road, Kamaryut Tsp-01 535 072

** Mojo-Asian Fusion/Tapas-135 Inya Road, Bahan Tsp-01 511 418

October 2014 My Yangon 53


Mom’s Kitchen-Asian/Singaporean-Lay Daungkan Road (in front of Super One), Tamwe Tsp-01 545 871

Oriental House Restaurant-Chinese/Dim Sum-No. 126(A), Myo Ma Kyaung Street, Dagon Tsp-01 371 471

Moon Bakery-Bakery/Chinese-253 Bargayar Road-01 516 761

Pandomar-Asian-105/107, Kha-Yae-Bin Road, Dagon Tsp-01 538 895

Mr. Chef-Asian/Western-Kyauk Myaung Street, Tamwe Tsp-092 010 330

Parisian-Bakery-Hledan Road, Kamayut Tsp09 731 28 001

Mr. Sushi-Japanese-No. 330 Banyadala Street, Tamwe Tsp-09 240 047 373

Pepperoni Pizza-Italian-Union Business Center (UBC) Annex B, Nat Mauk Road, Bo Cho Quarter Bahan Tsp-09 302 58 399

** Muses-Asian/Western-No. 485(B) Pyay Road, Kamaryut Tsp-01 503 380 Nervin Café and Bistro-Café-Karaweik Oo-Yin Kabar, Kandawgyi Nature Park, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp-01 541 188 New Burger-Fastfood-U Chit Maung Road, U Chit Maung Housing, Bahan Tsp-09 315 67 719 Off the Beaten Track-Café/Bar-Kandawgyi Natural Park, Karaweik Oo-Yin Kabar, Mingla Taung Nyunt Tsp-095 416 437 ** Onyx-Western-No.135 Dhamazadi Rd-01 524 271 / 095 071 847

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October 2014 My Yangon

Sai’s Tacos-Mexican-32A Inya Myaing Road01 514 950 Salud Restaurant-Mexican/Latin American7(C) Ground Floor, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp. (Its next to Clover Hotel)-09 7311 3601 Samuri Sushi-Japanese-4E/F Ground Floor, Wingabar Street, Bahan Tsp-09 730 81 871 / 095 123 240 Seik Taing Kya-Myanmar/tea-shop-44 Ma Po Street-01 531 564

Peppers-Western-University Avenue Road-01 548 046

** Sharky’s-Western/Ice Cream-117 Dhamazedi Road-01 524 677 / 01 373 009

Potato Break-Fastfood-Myanmar Culture Valley, U Wisara Road, People's Park-01 241 103

**Shwe Kaung Hot Pot-Hot Pot/Chinese-No 18, Ko Min Ko Chin Road, Shwe Gon Dine, Bahan Tsp-01 559 339

Putao Resturant-Kachin-30 (Ground Floor) Dammayone Street, Myay Ni Gone, Sanchaung Tsp-09 257 171 464 Radio café-Sandwiches/Western-30 Ma Hlwa Gone Street, Tamwe Tsp-(no phone number) Royal Garden-Chinese-Natmauk Road, Kandawgyi Nature Park, Central Forest Zone, Bahan Tsp-01 546 923, 01 546 202

** Shwe Li BBQ-BBQ-485 Corner of Pyay Road & Narnattaw Road, Kamayut Tsp-01 535 394 Singapore Kitchen-Singaporean-Yangon International Hotel Compound (Ahlone Road)01 216 001


Singapore Restaurant-Chinese-330 Ahlone Road, International Hotel Compound, Dagon Tsp-09 730 16 788 / 09 492 71 866

dining

Spaghetti-Italian-No 15 A, Yandana Street-01 524 903 Sport Bar-Bar-Yangon International Hotel Compound (Ahlone Road)-01 216 001 Swenson’s-Ice Cream-Myay Ni Gone,Sanchaung Tsp-01 504 932 / 09 731 81 758 Swe Thai Restaurant-Thai-34 New University Avenue Road, Kokkine, Bahan Tsp-01 704 067 ** Teke Teke Yakitori Bar & Restaurant-Japanese-12 Bogyoke Museum Street, Bo Cho-2 Ward, Bahan Tsp-18 604 434 Thai Kitchen-Thai-126 (A-1) Dhamazedi Street & Inya Traffic Corner, Bahan Tsp-09 730 37 799 / 098 613 400 Thai Pot-Thai/Hotpot-250 East Myin Pyine Kwin Road, Tamwe Tsp-098 610 393 / 095 007 997 ** The Coriander Leaf-Indian-12 Yangon International Hotel Compound, Alone Road-01 293 006 / 09 431 85 008 The Emporia-Western/Asian-Chatrium Hotel, 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp01 544 500 Ext. 6253 The Fingers Food Garden–Myanmar-55 Shan Kone Street-01535350 ** The Garden Bistro Signature Restaurant-Western/Asian-Corner of Kan Yeikthar Street, Bahan Street, Near U Htaung Bo Roundabout, Bahan Tsp-01 546 488 ** The Lab-Tapas-70a Shwegondaing Rd-09 250 537 979 The Pizza Company-Italian-Dagon Centre 1 Shopping Mall, Sanchaung Tsp01 534 036 / 09 730 69 724 The Serenity Restaurant-Myanmar-No. 114/ B Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp-01 524 890 The Standard-Western-10K, Shwe Taung Kyar Street-011 221 324 / 09 420 066 299 ** Tiger Hill-Chinese-Chatrium Hotel, 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp-01 544 500 Ext. 6294 ** Vietnam Kitchen-Vietnamese-1A phone Sein Road, Tamwe Tsp-09 431 83 989 ** Vino di Zanotti-Italian-61 University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp-01 525 935 / 01 505 247 ** Water Library-Fine Dining/European-Corner of Pyay Road and Manawharri Road, Dagon Tsp-01 221 721 / 01 214 361 Western Park Restaurant-Chinese-Newar Bahan 3rd Street Bus Stop, Maha Myaing Kyun, Kandawgyi Nature Park, Bahan Tsp-01 554 266 / 01 553 931 / 09 730 06 491 October 2014 My Yangon 55


White Rice Restaurant-Chinese-Nat Mauk Road, Kandawgyi Lake-01 556 837 Win Star-BBQ/bar-No (27/30), Corner of Sanchaung Street & Padonmar Street, Sanchaung Township-01 505 467 ** Xie Yang Yang (Xiao Long Bao)-Dim Sum-On corner of Nyaung Tong (No. 4) and Baho Road-01 502 582 Yamagoya Ramen Restaurant-Japanese-520 Uyin Street, Sayasan Quater, Bahan Tsp-01 556 774 ** Yangon Bakehouse-Bakery/Café-Pearl Condo, Block C, Ground Floor, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road09 450 055 924 / 09 250 178 879 / 01 557 448, ext 818

Fook Mun Lau-Chinese-102 Nawaday Cinema Garden, Corner Of Kabaraye Pagoda Road & Oak Pone Seik Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 661 839 / 01 663 743 Frolick-Frozen Yoghurt-Kyun Taw Street, Junction Square, 3rd Flr-01 527 242 Fuji-Japanese-Hanthawaddy Road-09 515 14 776 Gangam Restaurant-Korean-Kabaraye Pagoda Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 650 689 Gourmet Corner Restaurant-MyanmarParami Road- 01 667 449 / 092 006 777 Huddy’s Fish Bar-Fastfood-70 Insein Road, Hlaing Tsp-09 319 45 472

Yangon Paris Bakery-Bakery-City Mart Market place, G-12, Golden Valley Center, Damazaydi Road, Bahan Tsp-01 655 861 / 01 523 840

Innlay Ahmataya-Shan-8 Kyout Kone street, Corner of Thitisar Road and Kyout Kone Street, Yankin Tsp-(no phone number)

Zeal–Western/Café-No. 99, Myay Nu Street-09 731 27 280

Kone Myin Thar-Myanmar-69 (A) Pyay Street, 7 1/2 Mile, Mayangone Tsp-(no phone number)

Zephyr Coffee & Restaurant-Asian-Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp-(no phone number)

Kosan Café-Bar Branch 1-Bar/Café-18 U Tun Lin Chan Street, Hledan Tsp-01 503 232

uptown

L’Alchimiste-French-5 U Tun Nyein Street, Mayangone Tsp-01 660 612

** Acacia Tea Salon-Fine Dining/Bakery-52 Saya San Road-01 554 739

La Maison 20-Fine Dining- 20, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 664 204

Ajishin-Japanese-18B Thukhawadi Lane, Suniran Park, Yankin Tsp-01 562 701

** L’Opera Restaurant-Italian-62D, U Htun Nyein Street, Mayangone Tsp-09 730 30 755

Always Café-Café-Ground Floor, Ga Mone Pwint Shopping Mall, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 653 644 / 01 653 660 Arirang Restaurant-Korean-Thiri Mingalar Street, Hledan-09 493 35 172 Aux Saisons-European/Fine Dining-31/A Kan Yeik Tha Road-01 661 125 BB Cake & Coffee-Café-48 Coner of Parami Road and Myint Zu Street, Yankin Tsp-09 421 180 670

** La Tartine-French Bakery-Pearl Condo A, corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda Road & Sayarsan Road-01 557 448 ext. 858 Little Tokyo-Japanese-10D Kabaung Road, Hlaing Tsp-09 731 85 168 / 09 731 78 946 ** Min Lan-Rakhine/Seafood-No. 16 Parami Road & West of Maykha Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 656 941 / 099 926 959

Café 47-Western-47 A Pyay Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 651 774

Moon Bakery-Bakery-Room 15/15B, Junction 8, Kyaik Waing Pagoda Road, Myangone Tsp09 732 103 000

Chew Q-Thai-11(A) Kan Yeik Thar Road, Mayangone Tsp-095 021 322

Orchid Café-Café-Inya Lake Hotel, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp-019 662 866

56

October 2014 My Yangon

** Parami Pizza-Italian-No (11/8), Corner of Malikha Road and Parami Road, 7th Quarter, Myangone Tsp-09 250 292 074 ** Phai Lin-Thai/Chinese-69 Pyay Road, 61/2 Mile-01 525 403 Ryukyu-Japanese-76 Saya San Road-01 554 748 ** Sabai@DMZ-Thai-Inside Mya Kyun Tha Park (Opposite Sedona Hotel), Kaba Aye Pagoda Road-018 605 178 Scoop premium Italian Ice Cream-Ice Cream-Junction Square Shopping Centre, Kyun Taw Road-09 732 18 321 Shwe Pyi Moe–Myanmar Tea Shop–level 3, corner of Ngwe Ni 13 Street, North Okkalapa-09 421 006 237 ** Shwe Tea shop-Myanmar Tea Shop-U Tun Lin Chan Street, Hledan-(no number) ** Shwe Sa Bwe-French/Fine Dining-20 Malikha Road-01 661 983 Taing Yin Tar-Myanmar-5A Corner of May Kha Road and Parami Road, Mayangone Tsp01 660 792 / 09 732 21 717 Ten Miles Cuisine-Chinese-145, 10 mile, Pyay Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 660 417 The Myths–Western Cuisine–No. 18 Thukhawaddy Street, 6th Ward, Yankin Tsp– 09 431 68 808 / 095 037 764 The Seoul Korean Restaurant-Korean-142 Parami Road-09 492 84 888 / 09 421 177 524 YKKO (various chains)- Chinese/Thai-BBQ, 8 mile-01 401 192 / 01 401 179 Yunan BBQ-BBQ/Chinese-48 (A), corner of Kanyethethar Street and Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Mayangone Tsp-01 665 398 / 01 664 496

Please check the Yangon Directory for more restaurant listings and see our food features "Best of Dim Sum" and "We Love Sanchaung" for more details of places to eat in Yangon. More to follow in our next issue…


October 2014 My Yangon 57


Nightlife Bars

Friendship Bar: No. (135) corner of

Mojo: No.135, Corner of Innya and

and cheerful

spot with good events.

Yangon has an expanding nightlife scene.

Gallery Bar: Shangri-La Hotel, Level 2,

Music Box: Yangon International Hotel

6433 - Excellent Happy Hour with cosy

Tsp, 01 730 36 433 - A karaoke bar with

Dhamazedi Road & Inya Road - Cheap

No longer limited to hotel bars and beer stations, there is now an emerging variety

223 Sule Pagoda Road 01 242 828 Ext:

Dhammazedi Road, 01 511 418 -Popular

Complex, No.330, Ahlone Road, Dagon

of places to party and socialise.

corners

individual booths and dance-floor.

50th Street: 9/13 50th Street-Popular with

Gekko: 535 Merchant Street, Kyauktada

Off the Beaten Track: Kandawgyi Natural

excellent yet unusual Japanese inspired

Taung Nyunt Tsp, 095 416 437-A place to

the Sports crowd

Tsp, 4th Quarter - Stylish and discreet with

After-Work Bistro and Bar: 31, A1, Shan

cocktails.

753 / 09 420 239 822 - A new Sanchaung bar

Ginki Kids: 18 Kambawza Road, Bahan

Penguin: 12 Hlwa Gone Street, Tamwe

Bar One: 4 Kanbawza Street, Yangon, 01

cold beers.

cocktails

Gone Street, Sanchaung Tsp, 09 250 400

555 067 - Golden Valley’s Shisha hang-out

Tsp, Yangon - Relaxed atmosphere with

Park, Karaweik Oo-Yin Kabar, Mingla meet other travelers.

Tsp-

Local hangout with good, cheap

Ice Bar: Sedona Hotel, 1 Kabar Aye Pa-

Pool Bar: Yangon International Hotel, 330

Dhammazedi Road Yangon, 01 526 289,

there with dry ice and a lively in-house

pool tables-open late

01 526 298, 01 526 305 -Casual yet classic

band.

Cask 81: No 81, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road,

Kosan Bar-Branch 1: 1-A, No.18, U Tun

fanatics

01 503 232; Branch 2: No.108, 19th Street

Cocoon Bar: 22/24 Shinsawpu Road and

Popular with tourists, expats and locals for

Captain’s

Bar:

Savoy

Hotel,

129

Bahan Tsp, 09 254 083 981 - For whisky

corner of Baho Road, 01 500 863- Great views

goda Road - Not quite frozen but getting

Lin Chan Street, Hledam, Kamayut Tsp,

rooftop setting

Sports Bar: 20 Pearl Street, Mya Yeik

544 500, Ext. 6277 - A relaxed hotel lobby

(2), Bahan Tsp 09 731 32 161 - Popular

Nyo Royal Hotel, Shwe Taung Gyar Ward outdoor bar/restaurant

Maru Wine Bar: 130 Shwe Taung Tan

The Lab: 70A Shwegondaing Road, Bahan

221 568 / 09 420 308 350 (Mobile) - Small

new and busy bar/restaurant with excellent

Escape Gastro Bar: 31D Kan Yeik Thar

Street (Upper Block), Lanmadaw Tsp, 011

Myanmar celebrity hang-out

and interesting wine bar.

October 2014 My Yangon

Road, Bahan Tsp - Outdoor and indoor

Lobby Lounge: Chatrium Hotel, Ground

6244 - Private party paradise with Cuban

58

Discreet outside rooftop bar with great views

their cheap and tasty mojitos.

bar with garden views.

Street, Mayangone Tsp, 01 660 737 - A

Nawaday Street, Yawmingyi Qr, Dagon Tsp -

Space Bar: No. 126 Kabar Aye Pagoda

Club Rizzoli: Chatrium Hotel 42, Natmauk

cigars, karaoke and well-stocked sake bar

Sapphire Lounge & Bar: Alfa Hotel, 41

(Upper Block), Latha Tsp, 01 503 232 -

Level, 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, 01

Road, Tamwe Tsp, 01 544 500 Ext: 6243 /

Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp - Lively bar with

Tsp, 09 250 018 200 / 09 250 537 979 - A cocktails


nightlife

Road, 01 246 968 - A new, no-frills

Clubs

The Strand Bar: 92 Strand Road, 01

CafĂŠ Liberal: Nat Mauk Street, Next to

The Phayre: 292 Upper Pansodan downtown bar

243 377 ext: 92 - Historical spot with some excellent free happy hour snacks The

Water

Library:

Pyay

Road/

Manawharri Road intersection - A

swanky spot for high-end cocktails

Road - Beautiful lake-views with live

music. Only open to non-members on Fridays.

Club

Rizzoli:

Chatrium

Hotel

42,

Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, 01 544

paradise with Cuban cigars, karaoke, live percussion band and in-house DJ.

DJ Bar: U Htun Nyein Street - Loud music and a good up-town option.

Union Bar & Grill: 42 Strand Road,

Left corner of the Myanmar Red Cross Botahtaung Tsp,

09

420

180 214 -Famous for their Moscow Mule cocktails and winner of Yangon’s Bartenders competition. Runs a good

variety of events, including guest DJ nights. Vista

930 - For the last one standing!

500 Ext: 6243 / 6244 - Private party

The Yangon Sailing Club: 132 Inya

Building,

Chatrium Hotel, 01 551 774 / 096 420

GTR: 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda RoadPopular with a young and hip crowd

JJ: Mingalar Mon Market, 4th Flr, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp - Well-sized

dance floor. Club is spread out over four

floors. Entry fee ( 3000 kyats) includes a free drink.

Bar:

168,

Corner

of

Shwegonedaing Road and Old Yay Tar

Shay Street - Open-air rooftop bar with amazing views of Shwe Dagon Pagoda

Win Star Pub: 27/30, Corner of

Sanchaung Street & Padonmar Street, Sanchaung Tsp, 01 505 467 - A Local

and popular beer station with frosted beer glasses.

Pioneer: Yangon International Hotel, No. 330, Ahlone Road-Fun crowd with pop/club music.

The Music Club: Park Royal Hotel, Basement One, 33 Alan Pha Phaya

Road, Dagon Tsp; 01 250 388 - Enjoy

the occasional live band and themed

Please check out "Plot Ahead" for Nightlife events happening around Yangon.

nights; as well as regular nights with the in-house DJ.

October 2014 My Yangon 59


၇ ရက္သားသမီးမ်ားအတြက္ ေဟာစာတမ္း U Kyaw Myint Astrologer since 1985 Astro Research Bureau(Myanmar) B.E(Tex),D.E.P.,D.C.Sc

တနဂၤေႏြသားသမီး က်န္းမာေရး

- က်န္းမာေရးေတာက္ေလွ်ာက္ ဂ႐ုစိုက္ေပးရန္ လိုလိမ့္မည္။ ႏွလံုးအားနည္းျခင္းႏွင့္ အ႐ိုးဆိုင္ရာ ေရာဂါျဖစ္ႏိုင္ေခ်ရွိသည္။ ဆီးႏွင့္ေက်ာက္ကပ္ဆိုင္ရာ ေရာဂါလည္း သတိျပဳပါ။

ပညာေရး

- ၁၈ ရက္ေနာက္ပိုင္း ဆရာေကာင္းမ်ားႏွင့္ ဆံုေတြ႕ သင္ၾကားရတတ္လိမ့္မည္။

စီးပြားေရး

- ၄ ရက္ေက်ာ္လွ်င္ ဝင္ေငြရရွိမႈ အဆင္မေခ်ာ ျဖစ္လာတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ သို႔ေသာ္ ၁၆ ရက္ေနာက္ပိုင္းတြင္ စီးပြားေရး အခြင့္အလမ္းေကာင္းမ်ား မထင္မွတ္ဘဲ ေပၚေပါက္ ရရွိတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ ပုိ႔ေဆာင္/ဆက္သြယ္ေရးႏွင့္ အက်ဳိးေဆာင္ ကိုယ္စားလွယ္ လုပ္ငန္းမ်ား အက်ဳိးေပးေကာင္းတတ္လိမ့္မည္။

အိမ္တြင္းေရး

- မ်ားေသာအားျဖင့္ သာယာေနတတ္ေ သာ္ လ ည္း စကားေျပာအဆင္ မေျပမႈ မ ်ား ရွိေနတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ သားသမီးမ်ားအတြက္ ေငြကုန္မ်ားေနလိမ့္ဦးမည္။

အေဆာင္ယၾတာ - ကံ့ေကာ္ၫႊန္႔၊ ပတၱျမား၊ နီညိဳေရာင္

တနလၤာသားသမီး က်န္းမာေရး

- ဆီးႏွင့္ ေက်ာက္ကပ္ေရာဂါ အခံရွိသူမ်ား ၁၇ ရက္ႏွင့္ ၁၉ ရက္ၾကားတြင္ ေရာဂါႀကီး ထြားလာတတ္သည္ကို အထူးဂ႐ုျပဳရန္လိုပါမည္။ အစာမေၾကလည္း ျဖစ္ႏိုင္ေခ်ရွိ သည္။

ပညာေရး

- ၁၆ ရက္ေက်ာ္လ်ွ င္ မထင္မတ ွ ထ ္ ားေသာ သင္တန္းမ်ား တက္ေရာက္ရကိန္းရွသ ိ ည္။

စီးပြားေရး

- အမ်ားအက်ဳိးေဆာင္ရက ြ ရ ္ င္း ကိယ ု အ ့္ က်ဳိးပါ ေအာင္ကန ိ ္းရွသ ိ ည္။ ပြစ ဲ ားလုပရ ္ န္ရက ွိ

ဘာသာျခားစကား သင္ၾကားလိုသူမ်ားအတြက္လည္း အခ်ိန္ေကာင္းျဖစ္လိမ့္မည္။ လုပၾ္ ကည္သ ့ င္ပ ့ ါသည္။ ၁၉ ရက္ေက်ာ္လ်ွ င္ အၿပိဳင္အဆိင ု လ ္ ပ ု က ္ င ို ရ ္ ေသာ လုပင ္ န္း မ်ား အႏိုင္ရတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ ကုမၸဏီဆိုင္ရာလုပ္ငန္းမ်ား အဆံုးအ႐ွံဳးအနည္းငယ္ရွိ တတ္လိမ့္မည္။ အိမ္တြင္းေရး

- သားေရး သမီးေရးကိစၥမ်ား သေဘာထား ကြဲလြဲေနတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ ၁၆ ရက္ေက်ာ္ လွ်င္ ညိႇႏိႈင္း၍ အဆင္ေျပသြားတတ္လိမ့္မည္။

အေဆာင္ယၾတာ - ႏွင္းဆီပန္း၊ ပုလဲ၊ အေရာင္ေဖ်ာ့ေဖ်ာ့ကေလးမ်ား

အဂၤါ သားသမီး က်န္းမာေရး

- သြားႏွငခ ့္ တ ံ င ြ ္းေရာဂါ၊ အစာအိမ္ေရာဂါမ်ား ျဖစ္လာတတ္လမ ိ မ ့္ ည္။ အခ်ဥ္အစပ္မ်ား ေလွ်ာ့စားသင့္ပါသည္။ စအို သို႔မဟုတ္ သားအိမ္ ဒုကၡေရာက္တတ္လိမ့္မည္။

60

October 2014 My Yangon


horoscope ပညာေရး

စီးပြားေရး

- ပညာေရးအဆင့္ ေလ်ာ့က်ေနတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ အပ်င္း

စီးပြားေရး

ႀကီးစိတ္ကို ထိန္းခ်ဳပ္ျပဳျပင္ၿပီး ႀကိဳးစားမႈ အားေကာင္း

မည္။ ရရန္ရွိေသာ ဝင္ေငြအျမတ္အစြန္းမ်ား ၁၉ ရက္ဝန္းက်င္

ပါမွ ေတာ္ကာက်တတ္လိမ့္မည္။

တြငမ ္ ွ ဝင္လာတတ္လမ ိ မ ့္ ည္။ လုပင ္ န္းတိုးခ်ဲ႕ ရင္းႏွီးျမႇဳပ္ႏရ ွံ န္

- ၁၈ ရက္ေ က်ာ္ လ ွ ် င္ ထူး ထူး ျခားျခား ကံေ ကာင္း ကိ န္း ရွိသည္။ မေရႊ႕မေျပာင္းႏိုင္ေသာ ဥစၥာဓနမ်ား တိုးပြား

အခြင့္အလမ္းမ်ား ေပၚလာတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ အိမ္တြင္းေရး

လာတတ္ လိ မ့္ မ ည္ ။ ကု မ ၸ ဏီ လု ပ္ င န္း မ်ားလည္း ပို မို

အိမ္တြင္းေရး

- ၄ ရက္ေက်ာ္လ်ွ င္ လုပင ္ န္းမ်ား မတည္မၿငိမျ္ ဖစ္လာတတ္လမ ိ ့္

- ဆက္လက္ၿပီး သာယာေနကိန္းရွသ ိ ည္။ သားသမီးအက်ဳိးကို ၁၈ ရက္ေနာက္ပိုင္း ခံစားရကိန္းရွိပါသည္။

အဆင္ေ ျပလာ တတ္ လိ မ့္ မ ည္ ။ ဝယ္ ၊ ေလွာ င္ေ ရာင္း

အေဆာင္ယၾတာ - သီဟို၊ ဥႆဖရား၊ အဝါေရာင္

လု ပ္ င န္း မ်ား မွ န္း သေလာက္ အက်ဳိး မရတတ္ေ သာ

ကာလ ျဖစ္လိမ့္မည္။

ေသာၾကာသားသမီး

- ၁၉ ရက္ေနာက္ပိုင္းတြင္ အိမ္တြင္းေရးသာယာမႈ ရွိလာ တတ္ လိ မ့္ မ ည္ ။ မိ သားစု အေပ်ာ္ ခ ရီး ထြ က္ ျ ဖစ္ တ တ္ လိမ့္မည္။

က်န္းမာေရး

အေဆာင္ယၾတာ - ရြက္လွ၊ သႏာၱ၊ အနီေရာင္ရဲရဲ

- ၁၈ ရက္ေ က်ာ္ လ ွ ် င္ က်န္း မာေရး သိ သိသာသာ တိုး တက္ ေကာင္းမြန္လာတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ သို႔ေသာ္ အစားမွားမခံတတ္ ေသးပါ။ ေခါင္းမူးေခါင္းကိုက္ ျဖစ္လာႏိုင္ေခ် ရွိပါသည္။

ဗုဒၶဟူးသားသမီး က်န္းမာေရး

- အစားအေသာက္ဆင္ျခင္မႈ အားနည္းေနလိမ့္ဦးမည္။ မ်က္စိနာျခင္း၊ ေခါင္းမူးေဝျခင္း၊ ဇက္ေၾကာတက္ျခင္းတုိ႔

ပညာေရး

သတိျပဳပါ။ ေသခ်ာစြာ စဥ္းစား ခ်င့္ခ်ိန္ဆံုးျဖတ္ေဆာင္ရြက္ လွ်င္ ထူးခၽြန္မႈမ်ား ရလာပါလိမ့္မည္။ စီးပြားေရး

ေကာင္း ဥာဏ္ေကာင္းမ်ား ေပၚထြကလ ္ ာၿပီး ၿပိဳင္ဘက္မ်ားကို

- မ်ားေသာအားျဖင့္ ပညာေရးဇာတာ ေကာင္းေနတတ္

အႏို င္ ရေအာင္ ေဆာင္ ရ ြ က္ ႏို င္ လိ မ့္ မ ည္ ။ စိ တ္ ပ န္း လူ ပ န္း

လိမ့္မည္။ ႀကိဳးစားေပးလွ်င္ ထူးခၽြန္မႈမ်ား ေမွ်ာ္လင့္ႏိုင္ ပါသည္။ စီးပြားေရး

- ၄ ရက္ႏွင့္ ၁၉ ရက္ၾကားတြင္ အဆင္မေခ်ာမႈ အနည္း

အနည္းငယ္ ျဖစ္ေနလိမ့္မည္။ အိမ္တြင္းေရး

ေအာင္ ျ မင္ လာပါလိ မ့္ မ ည္ ။ ယာဥ္ စ က္ ကိ ရိ ယာ ဇိ မ္ ခံ ပစၥည္းစသည္ ဝင္ကိန္းရွိပါသည္။ အိမ္တြင္းေရး

- ၁၉ ရက္ေ က်ာ္ လ ွ ် င္ အိ မ္ တ ြ င္းေရး ပို မို သာယာလာ တတ္လိမ့္မည္။ သားေရးသမီးေရး ဆက္လက္ အဆင္ ေျပေနလိမ့္ဦးမည္။

- အမ်ဳိးသမီးမ်ား ၁၈ ရက္ေက်ာ္လွ်င္ ခင္ပြန္းသည္၏ အက်ဳိး ေက်းဇူးခံစားရမႈ အနည္းငယ္ေလ်ာ့နည္းသြားကိန္းရွိသည္။

ငယ္ ရွိလာတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ ေနာက္ပုိင္းတြင္ ကံေကာင္း ေထာက္ မ မႈ မ ်ား ႀကံ ဳေတြ ႕ ရၿပီး စီး ပြားေရး တိုး တက္

- ၄ ရက္မွ ၁၈ ရက္အထိ စီးပြားေရး ထိန္းလုပ္ရန္လိုလိမ့္မည္။ အဆံုးအျဖတ္ လြဲမွားမႈ ရွိႏိုင္ပါသည္။ ၁၉ ရက္မွစ၍ အႀကံ

ျဖစ္ႏိုင္ေခ်ရွိသည္။ ပညာေရး

- ၄ ရက္ႏွင့္ ၁၉ ရက္ ၾကားတြင္ အေတြးေခ်ာ္မႈ ရွိတတ္သည္ကို

သားသမီးမ်ား မိမိကို တြယ္ကပ္ေနတတ္ လိမ့္မည္။ အေဆာင္ယၾတာ - ပိေတာက္၊ စိန္၊ ေတာက္ပေသာ အေ​ေရာင္မ်ား။

စေနသားသမီး က်န္းမာေရး

- ၁၇ ရက္ေန႔အထိ ဆီးလမ္းေၾကာင္းႏွငပ ့္ တ္သက္ေသာေရာဂါ မ်ား ဂ႐ု စို က္ ရ န္ လို ဦး မည္ ။ အစာအိ မ္ေ လပြ မ ႈ လ ည္း ျဖစ္

အေဆာင္ယၾတာ - သေျပ၊ ျမ (သို႔) ေက်ာက္စိမ္း၊ အစိမ္းေရာင္

တတ္လိမ့္မည္။ ေရာဂါဒဏ္ကို ခံႏိုင္ရည္ရွိေနပါလိမ့္မည္။ ပညာေရး

- ၄ ရက္ေက်ာ္လွ်င္ စိတ္ပ်ံ႕လြင့္မႈေၾကာင့္ ပညာေရးအဆင့္ ေလ်ာ့ က ်ကိ န္း ရွိ သ ည္ ။ ၁၉ ရက္ေ က်ာ္ မ ွ စိ တ္ တ ည္ ၿ ငိ မ္ မ ႈ

ၾကာသပေတးသားသမီး က်န္းမာေရး

ျပန္ရတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ စီးပြားေရး

ေဆာင္ ရ ြ က္ ပ ါ။ ကု မ ၸ ဏီ လု ပ္ င န္း မ်ား ၁၇ ရက္ေ က်ာ္ လ ွ ် င္

- ၁၉ ရက္ေန႔အထိ ယာဥ္မေတာ္တဆမႈ သတိျပဳရန္ လိဥ ု ီး

အေျခအေန ျပန္ေကာင္းလာႏိုင္ေသာ္လည္း စိတ္ခ်ရသည့္

မည္။ ေခါင္းမၾကည္မလင္ ျဖစ္ေနတတ္လိမ့္မည္။ အဆီ

အေနအထား မရွိေသးပါ။ သတိဝီရိယရွိရွိ လုပ္ကိုင္ေပးရန္

အဆိမ့္မ်ား တတ္ႏိုင္သမွ် ေလွ်ာ့စားသင့္ပါသည္။ ပညာေရး

- ၁၈ ရက္ေန႔အထိ ပညာေရးအသံုးစားရိတ္ ျမင့္မားေန တတ္လိမ့္မည္။ ေနာက္ပိုင္းတြင္ ေငြကုန္ရက်ဳိးနပ္ကိန္း ရွိပါသည္။

- အိမ္ေျမယာဥ္စက္ကိရိယာဆိုင္ရာကိစၥမ်ား ၁၈ ရက္ေက်ာ္မွ

လိုပါမည္။ အိမ္တြင္းေရး

- ပူညံ ပူညံျဖင့္ပင္ အိမ္တြင္းေရးသာယာသလို ျဖစ္ေနတတ္ လိမ့္မည္။ သားသမီးအတြက္ စိတ္ပူရတတ္လိမ့္မည္။

အေဆာင္ယၾတာ - အုန္း၊ နီလာ၊ အေရာင္ရင့္မ်ား။

October 2014 My Yangon 61


To Piay

To Mandalay

Phu Gyi Htone Gyi Wah Net Chaung

HlayHlaw Inn

Hmawbi InnTaing

Hlaw Karr

Thar Du Kan

Computer University Kyeikkalei

Shwe Pyi Thar Set Hmu Zone

DerPain

Mingalardon Market

Golf Club

Danyin Gone

Mingalardon Waibargi

Aung San

Ywama

PaYwetSeik Kone

Insein

YANGON RAILWAY GUIDE

Ledaung Gan

Okkalapa

PhawKan

Dagon University

Kyauk Yae Twin

Gyogone

Ywar Thar Gyi

Tadalay

Thamaing Myothit Thamaing

ToeKyaung Ka Lay

Yaegu OakKyin

Parami

Thiri Myaing

Industrial Zone(1) KanBe

Kamayut

Nga Moe Yeik

Thin Gan Gyun

BaukHtaw

Hledan HanTharWaddy

lai

Myittar Nyunt

H

ad Ph aw ay ala n

ad nm

Ro

Oak Pho Su

Mahlwa Gone

La

Py ay

lan

Sh

an

lo ne Ah

Pa

AungThuKha

HninSi Gone

n

Kyeemyin Daing

ng

Tamwe

Yangon Central

Pazundaung East University

W ar Tan Kone Yone

ThiLaWar B otahtaun

g KoneYon e

DaniTaw 62

October 2014 My Yangon

KyaweMa


CIRCULAR RAILWAY TIMETABLE Yangon Central to Insein (Clockwise)

Yangon Central to Mingalardon (Anti Clockwise)

No.

Start Time

End Gate

No.

Start Time

End Gate

Kha-2

4:45 AM

HlawKarr

Nga-2

5:10 AM

HlawKarr

Ka-2

6:10 AM

Circular

Ga-2

5:20 AM

Computer Uni

Pa-2

6:20 AM

Mingalardon

Hta-2

5:55 AM

Computer Uni

Ta-4

6:55 AM

Mingalardon

Sa-2

6:10 AM

Circular

NaGyi-5

7:05 AM

Mingalardon

Sa-2

6:20 AM

HlawKarr

Kha-6

8:35 AM

Circular

RBE

6:55 AM

HlawKarr

Ka-3

9:05 AM

Paywetseikkone

RBE

7:35 AM

Circular

Nga-6

9:20 AM

Mingalardon

Tha-4

8:20 AM

Circular

RBE

10:35 AM

Circular

Pa-4

8:50 AM

Insein

RBE

10:45 AM

Circular

Sa-3

9:05 AM

HlawKarr

Pa-6

11:10 AM

Mingalardon

RBE

9:30 AM

Circular

Kha-7

11:35 AM

Mingalardon

Ta-6

9:40 AM

Insein

Ta-8

11:50 AM

Circular

Sa-6

10:10 AM

Circular

RBE

1:30 PM

Mingalardon

Ya-4

10:40 AM

Insein

RBE

1:40 PM

Circular

Ka-5

11:10 AM

HlawKarr

Nga-10

2:10 PM

Mingalardon

Tha-5

11:30 AM

Circular

Ka-9

2:40 PM

Mingalardon

Nga-8

12:00 PM

Insein

RBE

4:40 PM

Circular

RBE

12:25 PM

Circular

Ta-11

4:55 PM

Paywetseikkone

Sa-7

1:05 PM

Circular

Sa-11

5:15 PM

Mingalardon

Kha-7

1:20 PM

HlawKarr

NaGyi

5:30 PM

Mingalardon

Pa-8

1:50 PM

HlawKarr

Kha-13

6:10 PM

Circular

Kha-9

2:10 PM

HlawKarr

RBE

6:30 PM

Insein

Tha-6

2:25 PM

Circular

RBE

6:35 PM

Insein

Ta-9

2:50 PM

Insein

Ta-13

6:55 PM

Insein

RBE

3:25 PM

Circular

RBE

7:35 PM

Insein

RBE

4:05 PM

Insein

Ka-12

8:10 PM

Insein

Sa-8

4:15 PM

Insein

NaGyi

4:35 PM

HlawKarr

Nga-11

4:50 PM

HlawKarr

Ya-9

5:00 PM

HlawKarr

Ka-11

5:10 PM

Circular

Tha-7

5:25 PM

HlawKarr

GaGyi-3

5:40 PM

Insein

Hta-3

5:55 PM

Insein

Pa-12

6:05 PM

HlawKarr

Da-8

6:20 PM

Insein

Ah-5

6:30 PM

Insein

Sa-10

6:50 PM

HlawKarr

Nya-9

7:20 PM

Insein

Sa-13

7:40 PM

Insein

Ba-9

7:55 PM

Insein

Nga-16

8:40 PM

Insein

Kha-14

9:20 PM

InseinTT

RBE AIRCON (Anti Clockwise) 300 Kyats 10:35 AM

Circular

10:45 AM

Circular

1:30 PM

Mingalardon

1:40 PM

Circular

4:40 PM

Circular

6:30 PM

Insein

6:35 PM

Insein

7:35 PM

Insein

Circular Rail Line

MAPS

Yangon Central to ToeKyaungKaLay, YwarTharGyi, Dagon University, East University,ThiLaWar No.

Start Time

End Gate

Ah-1

4:40 AM

ThiLaWar

Na-1

5:05 AM

Oak Pho Su

Ya-1

5:15 AM

Dagon University

Ma-2

5:40 AM

ToeKyaungKaLay

Ba-1

6:15 AM

East University

Ha-1

6:35 AM

Dagon University

Da-2

6:40 AM

YwarTharGyi

Nya-1

7:00 AM

East University

Ma-4

7:20 AM

YwarTharGyi

Ya-3

7:45 AM

Dagon University

Na-3

9:00 AM

Dagon University

Ha-3

9:20 AM

YwarTharGyi

Da-4

9:40 AM

East University

Ma-6

10:10 AM

YwarTharGyi

Ba-3

10:40 AM

Dagon University

Nya-3

11:20 AM

ToeKyaungKaLay

Ha-5

11:50 AM

Dagon University

Ah-3

12:25 PM

ThiLaWar

Na-5

12:50 PM

Dagon University

Ma-8

1:05 PM

East University

Nya-5

1:15 PM

YwarTharGyi

Ba-5

1:35 PM

Dagon University

Da-6

1:50 PM

East University

Ya-7

2:05 PM

YwarTharGyi

Ah-7

3:05 PM

YwarTharGyi

Nya-7

4:10 PM

Dagon University

Na-7

4:35 PM

ToeKyaungKaLay

Ba-7

5:15 PM

YwarTharGyi

Ma-9

5:25 PM

ToeKyaungKaLay

Ha-10

5:35 PM

East University

Na-9

6:35 PM

ToeKyaungKaLay

Ma-12

7:35 PM

ToeKyaungKaLay

RBE AIRCON (Clockwise) 300 Kyats 6:55 AM

HlawKarr

7:35 AM

Circular

9:30 AM

Circular

12:25 PM

Circular

3:25 PM

Circular

4:05 PM

Circular

October 2014 My Yangon 63


64

October 2014 My Yangon


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