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YANGON’S STREET EATS61It doesn’t take long to see that much of life in Yangon takes place on the streets. Likewise,for the average Burmese, eating at a proper restaurant is an infrequent extravaganceand most eating is done at home or on the street.Yangon’s street-food options can be both overwhelming and challenging (pork offalon a skewer, anyone?), so as a guide in this jungle of meals, the below are some of ourfavourite street eats and the best places to eat them.» Samusa thoke During the day a line of vendors (Map p 42 ; Mahabandoola Garden St;K500) near Mahabandoola Park sell this ‘salad’ of sliced samosas served with a thinlentil gravy.» Fruit juice Several vendors at Bogyoke Aung San Market sell refreshing freshsqueezedjuice (Map p 46 ; Bogyoke Aung San Rd; from K1000; h10am-5pm) – don’t missthe creamy avocado, sweetened with condensed milk.» Bein moun & moun pyar thalet These delicious ‘Burmese pancakes’ (K200),served sweet (bein moun) or savoury (moun pyar thalet), can be found at most Yangoncorners at all times of the day and night.» Dosai At night along Anawratha St, several street-side vendors sell this thin southernIndian crepe (from K500), known in Burmese as to-shay.» Mohinga This soup of thin rice noodles and fish broth is available just about everywhere,but our favourite bowl is at Myaung Mya Daw Cho (Map p 42 ; 158 51st St; fromK500; h4.30-9am). There’s no English sign here; simply look for the green sign nearsome trees.» Grilled food Every night, the strip of 19th St between Mahabandoola and AnawrahtaRds hosts dozens of stalls and open-air restaurants serving delicious grilledsnacks (Map p 46 ; meals from K5000; h5-11pm) and draught beer.» Lassi Shwe Balee (no roman-script sign; Map p 46 ; Bo Sun Pat Rd; per glass from 600K;h10am-9pm) serves deliciously curdy glasses of this Indian yogurt drink.» Buthi kyaw Every evening a lone vendor (Map p 42 ; cnr Anawratha & Thein Byu Rds;K500; h4-9pm) sells this tasty snack of battered and deep-fried chunks of gourdserved with a spicy/sour dipping sauce.» Burmese sweets Every afternoon in front of FMI Centre a handful of street-sidevendors sell delicious Burmese sweets (Map p 46 ; Bogyoke Aung San Rd; from K50)ranging from shwe-t’aumi‘n (‘golden’ sticky rice) to mou’n-se‘in-ba‘un (a type ofsteamed cake topped with shredded coconut).YANGON EATINGEATINGmanner of grilled crab, oyster, shrimp, squidand shellfish, all for low prices.SK Hot Pot HOT POT $$$(Golden Happy Hot Pot; Map p 48 ; Ko Min Ko ChinRd; meals from K10,000; hdinner) This vast hallis Yangon’s most famous and most popularhot-pot joint. Join hundreds of other dinersin choosing the raw ingredients then cookingthem in vats of a spicy Sichuan-stylebroth. Not exactly cheap, but good, tasty fun.Dinner only.Le Planteur FRENCH $$$(Map p 48 ; %541 997; www.leplanteur.net; 22 KabaAye Pagoda Rd; mains $19-32, set lunch/dinner$25/79; hlunch & dinner; a) Widely consideredthe best restaurant in Yangon and withmeal prices to match its exalted reputation.If you can fit it into your budget, Le Planteur’sset dinner runs the gamut from foiegras to prime rib. If you can’t, then try theBusiness Lunch set, which runs at a third ofthe cost, or if you find yourself in Nyaungshwe,try Swiss chef Boris Granges’ otherventure, Viewpoint (p 182 ).Ashoka Indian Restaurant NORTHERN INDIAN $$(Map p 48 ; 28B Pho Sein Rd; mains from K2000;hlunch & dinner; a) The creamy curries ofnorth India are the main event here. Theportions are small, so it’s a good idea to considerone of the expansive set meals ($7 to$9), which also include vegetarian options.The colonial villa the restaurant is housed inis as gorgeous as the food.