Chinatown & Street Food
The 19th Street — Yangon's Culinary Heart
Yangon's Chinatown (around 18th to 20th Street) transforms every evening from about 5 PM into a huge open-air street kitchen, unmatched in Southeast Asia. Low plastic tables and chairs move onto the street, grill smoke rises, neon light illuminates the scene, and the smell of grilled meat, garlic, and chili fills the air.
The 19th Street is THE place for BBQ and Myanmar Beer: At dozens of grill stands, you choose skewers — chicken, pork, shrimp, squid, offal, vegetables — and they are grilled before your eyes. A skewer costs 200–500 MMK (0.06–0.15 EUR). Plus a large bottle of Myanmar Beer (1,500 MMK / 0.50 EUR). The atmosphere is reminiscent of Bangkok but less touristy and significantly cheaper.
Street Food Guide: Must-Try in Yangon
- Mohinga: THE national dish — fish soup with rice noodles, banana stem, coriander, and crispy bean fritters. Eaten in the morning for breakfast. At every street stall from 500 MMK (0.15 EUR).
- Samosa Thoke: Indian samosas, crumbled and served as a salad with onions, chili, coriander, and tamarind sauce. Street food perfection for 0.30 EUR.
- Shan Tofu Thoke: Salad made from chickpea tofu (a specialty of Shan State), seasoned with garlic oil, chili, and lime.
- Mont Lin Mayar: Quail egg pancakes — small dough cakes baked in mold pans, filled with quail eggs and spring onions. Addictive.
- Faluda: A dessert drink made from pink syrup, milk, tapioca, gelatin, and ice. Cool, sweet, and the perfect street dessert.
Experience Teahouse Culture
Equally important as street food is the teahouse culture (Laphet-yay-zain). Teahouses are Myanmar's living room, café, news exchange, and social meeting point all in one. You sit on low plastic or wooden stools, order sweet milk tea (Laphet-yay, prepared in the Indian style — strong, sweet, creamy) and samosas, parathas, or sweet snacks. A tea costs 200–500 MMK (0.06–0.15 EUR). In every teahouse, the smell of fresh tea, fried garlic, and warm conviviality hangs in the air. Go to a local teahouse at 6 AM — here you experience the real Myanmar.
💡 Tipp
In the evening, head to 19th Street in Chinatown and join the locals. Point to the skewers you want, order a Myanmar Beer, and enjoy the evening. The bill for a lavish BBQ dinner with beer: under 3 EUR. The next morning: breakfast at a local teahouse (Mohinga + Laphet-yay) for 0.50 EUR.
