Rangoon Tea House

“Eating isn’t limited to cuisines and recipes anymore. It’s about respecting ingredients, cultures, religions, and appreciating the past while looking forward to the future. Food should be a representation of all these things. That’s why I opened Rangoon Tea House. The tea shop was born during the days of the British Raj, when a lot of the early tea houses sold predominantly Indian snacks. Over the decades of independence and evolution of Rangoon, the tea shops began to sell Chinese and Burmese inspired dishes. So in a full- circle way, the tea shop’s food is the most natural fusion cuisine that exists in this part of the world.”

Mohinga, Myanmar’s national dish (lemongrass fish-based soup with catfish, dagger-tooth, and chickpeas); and biryani with yoghurt, saffron, potatoes, and fried shallots.

When Htet Myet Oo opened Rangoon Tea House, he was criticized for selling over-priced food to elites. The reality: he was endeavouring to elevate Myanmar’s cuisine, cooking quintessential dishes, including family recipes, to the highest standards, with premium ingredients, at affordable prices. For a long time he ran at a loss, until diners appreciated his goal.

Burmese cuisine at its core is about freshness and seasonality and the chefs tweak recipes frequently. The team sources from producers across Myanmar that guarantee chemicalfree, organic produce, with ninety-five per cent sourced locally.

“Rangoon Tea House has one foot in the future and one in the past.” –Joe Freeman, Financial Times