[Have you eaten] Bagan

Sa Pi Bi La
[Have you eaten] Bagan
28 Air Mandalay
Anandar Restaurant at Hotel@Tharabar Gate
By Anthony Powell
T
he beauty and sheer magnitude of Bagan
can easily inspire intrepid travelers to
over extend themselves in their efforts to see
everything there is to see. There is so much
ground to cover - more than 2000 pagodas
spread across 40 square kilometers - and often a
limited time to do so, an equation that can turn
sightseeing into an all-day, sunrise-to-sundown
affair. It is therefore essential for visitors to eat
well and drink plenty of liquids to keep their
energy levels up. Fortunately the Bagan region
is full of excellent restaurants in which to do so,
many offering not only delicious food but also
cultural shows that are sure to enhance anyone’s
Myanmar experience.
Air Mandalay 29
River Terrace and Garden at
Bagan Hotel River View (top
and bottom right)
Bagan offers some of the best hotel dining in
Myanmar. Bagan Hotel River View has four
restaurants with a wide range of cuisines,
presided over by a European executive chef
who was named Chef of the Month in July 2004
by the World Association of Cooks Societies.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Ya Tha
Min Gyi Café. The River Terrace and Garden,
located on a large lawn with an unobstructed
view of the Ayeyarwaddy River and bordered
by a small collection of authentic temples, is
the perfect place to enjoy sunset and candlelit
dinners. If the weather turns inclement, diners
can move into the air-conditioned That Sa Wa
Di Concert Hall and enjoy traditional cultural
dances with dinner.
Koe Lone Village Pool Bar and BBQ Cabana
offers an extensive range of cocktails, ice cream
Koe Lone Village Pool Bar
and BBQ Cabana at Bagan
Hotel River View
30 Air Mandalay
(with irresistible options such as coup melba, or
ice cream with peach and raspberry sauce, and
black snow, or ice cream with chocolate sauce
and caramel), milkshakes and tabletop BBQ.
Cooking classes are also available.
On the menu at Bagan Hotel are soups,
appetizers, gourmet pizzas, salads and desserts.
Fine dining options include such delicacies as
river prawns in tomato sherry on saffron risotto,
or beef tenderloin with Rakhine green pepper
sauce. Also on offer are daily changing pasta
dishes, fresh cooked to order. Examples include
pasta verdura (with olive oil, basil, sprouts and
capsicum), pasta alla arrabiata (with bacon, chili,
tomato and onion) and pasta alla pesce fumo
(with mushroom, smoked butterfish, cream
and white wine). There are also daily changing
Mediterranean specialties. The Bagan Adventure
Dining menu includes Spanish paella a la
Valencia cooked in a traditional Myanmar oven,
jambalaya, and whole chicken baked in salt and
Mediterranean seasoning, served with roast
potatoes and ratatouille.
The Hotel@Tharabar Gate houses the poolside
Anandar Restaurant, with set and à la carte
menus featuring Myanmar, Asian, Chinese
and Western cuisines. The Myanmar set menu
includes delicious pennywort salad; soup;
chicken, pork and fried fish curries; stir-fried
vegetables; steamed rice; Myanmar pancakes for
dessert;
and coffee or tea. The
daytime snack menu
(10:00 am to 6:30 pm) is
chock full of mouthwater
choices,
from salads and
soups, to burgers and
pastas. In the evening
choose from a menu that
includes Asian favourites
such as nasi goreng and
ohnokaukswe, numerous
vegetarian options, and
western mains
such as butterfish
fillets or prawns
sautéed
in
butter, garlic, black pepper and chili. You can
top off your meal with dessert but you will
have a tough time picking just one from among
such items as apple tarts, chocolate mousse
and black forest cheesecake. Whereas many
international-standard hotels in Myanmar
employ cooks brought in from other countries,
the Hotel@Tharabar Gate features food made by
local chefs.
Visitors to Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel
can choose from among three dining areas:
the indoor air-conditioned Nati Restaurant,
the open-air Veranda Bar and Grill or the
open-air lawn area. All have excellent views
of the Ayeyarwaddy River, and all share the
same menus. There are Asian and western set
menus that change every Monday, as well as à
la carte choices. On the western side there are
Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel
Air Mandalay 31
Nati Restaurant at Bagan
Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel
soups, starters (salads, fajitas), mains (grilled
tuna steaks, seared pork loin), pastas, pizzas
and sandwiches. The Asian menu covers the
cuisines of Myanmar, Thailand, China and
Malaysia. Highly recommended is the special
Japanese menu, as it is the native cuisine of the
in-house chef. The hotel also has a French wine
list. The Sunset Garden Bar is the perfect place
to sip a cocktail after a long day of sightseeing,
especially from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm during the
buy-two, get-one-free happy hour. Dinnertime
cultural entertainment might include a puppet
show, traditional dance or elephant dance.
Dining options beyond the hotels are
breathtakingly abundant. An Old Bagan favourite
is Sarabha, with a pleasant open-sided, thatchroofed dining area surrounded by a garden of
well-tended plants and trees. Its excellent central
location - within view of Tharabar (Sarabha) City
Gate, and close to the famous Ananda Pagoda
- makes it an excellent place to take a midday
break from touring the plains of Bagan. The à la
carte menu features Myanmar, Chinese and Thai
food, and there are also Myanmar and Chinese
set menus, the latter including vegetable
tempura, lentil soup, a range of vegetable and
meat curries, salad, rice, dessert, and tea or
coffee. Even if you’re not hungry, Sarabha is a
good place to stop off for a cool, refreshing drink
on a warm afternoon.
32 Air Mandalay
Sunset Garden in New Bagan
(top and middle)
Malar Theingi
Also near Ananda Pagoda is Marlar Theingi
restaurant. Located on the right side of an
unpaved lane north of the pagoda, it offers a
genuine Myanmar dining experience.The familyowned restaurant - there is a large collection
of family portraits hanging from the walls - is
regularly frequented by locals and visitors alike.
There is no menu; instead diners are seated on
wooden benches at long tables that are laden
with an array of Myanmar vegetable, meat and
fish curries, salads and side dishes. You can eat as
much as you like - the supply of food is endless for the outrageously economical price of K1500
a person.
Just down the road from Old Bagan, sleepy
New Bagan continues to emerge as a culinary
destination in its own right. Among the most
recent additions to the fray is Mahar Bagan
(which means ‘I love Bagan’), offering tranquil
off-the-beaten-path surroundings. There are
no cultural shows, but rather soft xylophone
music intended to promote conversation and
discussion. The focus here is on serving tasty
hygienic food from an à la carte menu covering
Myanmar, Chinese, Thai, Italian and other
European cuisines. There are plans to add Indian
food to the menu, but it can be made now
with advanced notice. There are also Myanmar,
Chinese, Thai and European set menus, as well
as an international buffet mixing Asian and
European foods that is available for groups
of 10 or more people with 24-hour advanced
notice. The owner of Mahar Bagan, U Aye Thwin
(Edwin), was formerly a top tour guide in the
area. With relaxing xylophone music playing in
the background, he can answer any questions
you might have about what you’ve seen so far,
or where to go tomorrow.
Long-time riverside favourites in the New
Bagan include Sunset Garden, whose big
professionally landscaped property makes
arriving there seem like stepping into a shady
forest. There are two covered dining areas
where Chinese and Myanmar food are served.
It is open for lunch and dinner, but crowds are
substantially larger during lunchtime, when the
river can be seen sparkling in the sunlight. The
nearby Green Elephant River View has more of
a picnic feel, with tables set on a lawn at the top
of a high riverside cliff, the perfect place to listen
Mahar Bagan
Air Mandalay 33
to the afternoon breeze rustling the dry leaves of
the garden’s bamboo trees. There is also a woodfloored area with a roof in case of rain. Myanmar,
Chinese and Thai food are served, with changing
cultural shows that might include anything
from puppets to traditional harp music adding
to the atmosphere. The owner also runs Green
Elephant restaurants in Yangon and Mandalay
The town of Nyaung Oo, although farther from
many of the temples than Old and New Bagan,
has a bit more street life during the day and at
night. It is also packed with eating and drinking
options both venerable and new. Open for about
15 years, Nanda restaurant is so well known for
its evening puppet shows that the owners had
to build a second stage to handle spillover on
busy nights. Its classic design, with a floor made
of locally produced red bricks and a roof held up
by big teak pillars, complements the traditional
experience, which is completed by the mostly
Myanmar food menu (with some Chinese and
European options as well). Nanda specialises in
daung-lann Myanmar meals, which are served
in lacquerware trays with small compartments
to hold steamed rice and a variety of delicious
curries and salads. The meals also include glass
noodle soup, dessert and seasonal fresh fruit. The
restaurant has an attached souvenir shop with a
Green Elephant
34 Air Mandalay
wide selection of puppets and lacquerware for
sale.
Open for about two years, Eden BBB has quickly
gained a reputation for its excellent service and
spotlessly clean dining areas - two outdoor, and
one indoor with air conditioning. On offer is an à
la carte European menu with breakfast options,
and everything from lobster to hamburgers,
pasta and pizza. There are also several European,
Chinese and Myanmar set menus from which
to choose. The drinks menu includes a selection
of imported red and white wines. Also on the
restaurant grounds is a lawn area backed by a
brick gate dating from the 11th or 12th century,
where puppet shows are often held. There is
also a gallery featuring traditional and modern
paintings by local artists, and a small gift shop
with lacquerware and silk for sale.
The unassuming but longstanding San Kabar
restaurant near Schwezigon Pagoda focuses on
low-cost Italian food, including pizza, spaghetti,
fettucini, ravioli and lasagna. However, a wide
range of other food and drink options are
available, including Chinese faves (prawn,
seafood, duck and other meats), crepes (fruit
and honey, cheese and tomato, cheese and
mushroom), snacks (French fries), fruit juice,
milkshakes, Indian chai tea, beer and soft drinks.
Nanda
What better way to top off an afternoon of
sightseeing than with a bowl of homemade
vanilla ice cream? Some of the best ice cream
and pastries in the Bagan area can be found
at Thante Bakery and Coffee Shop, adjacent
to Thante Nyaung Oo Hotel. The small airconditioned interior is a great place to escape
from the heat of the day and peruse the glassenclosed selection of pastries, cakes, cookies
and puffs, all freshly made on the premises.
Aside from ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, coffee
and seasonal fruit flavours), the menu also
includes milkshakes, floats, fruit juice and soft
drinks. Slightly more substantial fare includes
hamburgers, French fries, fish and chips, and
vegetable spring rolls.
And after you’re done eating, you’ll be ready to
head back out to the plains of Bagan for more
sightseeing.
Eden BBB
Restaurant Listings
Bagan Hotel River View
Near the Museum, Old Bagan
Tel: (02) 67145, (61) 60032
Email: olbagho2@bagan.net.mm
Website: www.baganhotel.com
Hotel@Tharabar Gate
Near Tharabar Gate, Old Bagan
Tel: (02) 67217, (61) 60037, (61)
60042, (61) 60043, (61) 60044
Email: global@myanmarpartners.
com.mm
Website: www.tharabargate.com
Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura
Hotel
Old Bagan
Tel: (61) 60048, (61) 60048
Email: thiri@myanmar.com.mm,
thiribgn@myanmar.com.mm
Website: www.baganthiripyitsaya-sakura-hotel.com
Sarabha
Near Tharabar (Sarabha) City Gate,
Old Bagan
Tel: (61) 60239
Sunset Garden
New Bagan
Tel: (61) 60224, (61) 60404,
(61) 60957, (61) 60959
Green Elephant River View
New Bagan
Tel: (02) 67099
Nanda
Bagan-Nyaung Oo Main Road,
Wet-Gyi-Inn Village, Nyaung Oo
Tel: (02) 67039, (61) 60096
Eden BBB
Bagan-Nyaung Oo Main Road,
Wet-Gyi-Inn Village, Nyaung Oo
Tel: (01) 653101
San Kabar
Bagan-Nyaung Oo Main Road,
Nyaung Oo
Thante Bakery and Coffee Shop
Thante Nyaung Oo Hotel,
Nyaung Oo
Marlar Theingi
North of Ananda Pagoda,
Old Bagan
Tel: (61) 60397
Mahar Bagan
Khayee Road, New Bagan
Tel: (61) 6042
Thante Bakery and Coffee Shop
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