Mandalay is well known for the variety and good quality of food in Myanmar. A number of good restaurants that sell nice dishes can be found in Mandalay at a cheaper price than in Yangon. Mandalay is especially well known for Burmese, Shan and Chinese food, as there are many Shan and Chinese people in Mandalay. The following is a list of well known restaurants in Mandalay that serve good food at a reasonable price.
Burmese Food
Aye Myit Tar Restaurant
This restaurant is in a lively and crowded place. It serves nice Myanmar food and dishes at a reasonable price. There is an English menu but better to go to the food counter and point the one you like. Located near Moustache Brothers, on 81st Street, between 37th and 38th streets, Mandalay. Open from 8:30 AM to 9:30 PM (but usually closes earlier than that time).
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20779396@N08/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Too Too Restaurant
Recommended by Mandalay locals as the restaurant that serves the best Myanmar dishes and curry in Mandalay. Serves many traditional Myanmar dishes – curry, fried, salads. Just go to the food counter at the back and point what you want. The price is quite cheap but the food is delicious here. Located on 27th Street, between 74th and 75th streets, Mandalay.
Green Elephant Restaurant (expensive!)
This high end, air-conditioned restaurant serve Myanmar dishes at an expensive price (more than 2,000 kyat per dish!). The area is beautiful, and restaurant is beautifully decorated, but the food is not much different from other less expensive Myanmar restaurants. In my opinion, why pay that much when there are many good Myanmar restaurants at cheaper price. However, if you are serving your business customer, this is the place for you. Also serves Chinese and Thai dishes. Located at No. 3H, 27th Street, between 64th and 65 streets. Near Mandalay Swan Hotel and the Royal Palace.
Shan Food
Lashio Lay Shan Restaurant (Highly recommended)
This is by far the best restaurant in Mandalay (for me). It is the one I always have whenever I visit Mandalay. The restaurant is a two floored restaurant (with air conditioned room upstairs) and open air lunch area downstairs. It serves more than two dozens delicious Shan dishes at a reasonable price. (you can even say it is cheap!) At lunch time, the restaurant is always packed with people. There is an English menu, but you can simply go the the food counter and point the one you like. This is easier for a foreigner (even for locals like me, it is the prefer way to order). The address is No. 65, 23 rd Street, between 83rd and 84th streets, Mandalay. Open daily from 8 AM to 10 PM (but food usually runs out much earlier than that!)
The above list of restaurants will satisfy most of the visitors to Mandalay. However, you can find nice and delicious Myanmar (Burmese) food at any restaurant at a very cheap price. If you are after fast food or cheap breakfast, just head to the nearest teashop. This is the cheapest and most delicious way to have breakfast or fast food in Myanmar.
Editor’s Note: Many of the above information has been obtained from our reference book Lonely Planet Guide to Myanmar (Burma)
