Myanmar’s culinary treasure kyah oh actually originates from China, so it’s fitting that arguably the best joint in Yangon to try the hefty pork and egg noodle soup is in Chinatown.
Phone Gyi Lan Kyay Oh—named after the street it straddles—is a family-run eatery that spills onto the pavement, under the shade of a tree. Inside flames lick the walls, creating an intense heat that customers happily endure because of the food.
“My father started this place in 1975 using everything we had,” the old cashier told me. “I have to keep it until my time is over.”
For decades, then, the small restaurant has been popular with locals who queue every day among the pan-tossing cooks to try the kyah oh (or ‘copper pot’). We sat in the thick of it, surrounded by customers devouring vermicelli with marinated meatballs, chicken thighs, eggs and vegetables.
The chicken kyay oh soup and dry kyay oh se chat were steaming hot and super big. Costing 3,500 kyats each, they came with a separate bowl of soup and chili sauce.
The soft vermicelli was topped with a fried egg, three steamed chicken thighs, fried tofu, and two boiled quail eggs. Although the pork option is easier because of the lack of bones, both rank highly for some Yangon nourishment.
Head there with lots of time to spare, because it will take you a while to work through a bowl, and if you’re not a big eater then convince your companion to split one serving. With the rainy season approaching, I will be one of the many sheltering at Phone Gyi Lan Kyay Oh.
(Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Phone Gyi Lan Kyay Oh is currently open for takeaway only)
Address: Anawrahta Road, corner of Phone Gyi Road, Latha Township, Yangon
Tel: 01 210727
Open: 3pm-9pm
