Teahouse Culture & Beverages

The Teahouse — Myanmar's Soul

The teahouse (Laphet-yay-zain) is to Myanmar what the pub is to England and the café is to France — only more important. Teahouses are the living rooms, news exchanges, regulars' tables, and breakfast rooms of Burmese society. From 5 AM until late at night, taxi drivers, businessmen, monks, and students sit on low plastic or wooden stools, drink sweet milk tea, and discuss football, politics, and family matters.

The Laphet-yay (Burmese milk tea) is prepared in the Indian style: black tea, brewed with condensed milk and sugar, served in small glasses. You order by indicating the sweetness: cho-hsay (less sweet), paw-man (medium), cho-gyi (very sweet — the standard). A tea costs 200–500 MMK (0.06–0.15 EUR). In many teahouses, the tea is refilled for free.

With tea, you eat samosas, E Kya Kway (fried dough sticks, the Burmese churro), parathas (flatbread), and sweet snacks. Or a complete breakfast: Mohinga or Shan noodles from the street stall next door, along with teahouse tea.

The unwritten rule: A snap of the fingers or a lip sound (a short "tsk") calls the waiter — this is not rude, but the usual way to get attention.

Myanmar Beer & Other Beverages

• Myanmar Beer: The national beer — a decent lager that has won international awards. 0.65-liter bottle: 1,500–3,000 MMK (0.50–1 EUR). The ubiquitous drink with dinner.
• Mandalay Beer: The slightly more bitter alternative. Dagon Beer: The budget option.
• Toddy (Htan Yay): Palm wine, freshly tapped from the tree — sweet, slightly fizzy, mildly alcoholic. Available in rural areas and at Mount Popa.
• Sugarcane Juice: Freshly pressed at street stalls. Sweet, refreshing, and at 200 MMK (0.06 EUR) the best refreshment in the heat.
• Myanmar Whisky: Grand Royal and Mandalay Rum are the local spirits — cheap and for hardy palates.