A strict schedule of treating oneself must be enforced over the next few months to stave off those monsoon blues—and Port Autonomy should feature heavily on the programme.
Yangon’s newly revamped cocktail bar and fusion restaurant has launched a new menu that throws back to its first incarnation in Lanthit Jetty five years ago.
It’s as irreverent as ever, playful with its fresh ingredients and just as creative, but this time, says chef Kevin Ching, the menu is “a bit more grown up.”
Chef Ching has pushed seafood to the forefront; think mussels, soft shell crabs, sea bass, hamachi, and married it with a blend of styles from across the continents.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Kevin has absorbed one of the world’s quintessential fusion cultures, where Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese flavours intermingle on a daily basis. And his menu shows it.
Myanmar Mix was invited to sample some of his dishes, starting with a refreshing Japanese potato salad, coloured with micro greens and complemented with the pleasant ‘pop’ of ikura (salmon roe) and crunch of crispy onions.
Food like this is meant for sharing and PA is meant for partying. That social element is reflected throughout the place, somewhere to celebrate and wash down the imitable cocktails of dynamo mixologist Jen Queen and her team.
In fact, some of the tastiest dishes have a DIY aspect that imparts a fun energy to the meal. The PA Steak is a spread of nam pla-aged striploin that is served Ssam style with lettuce leaf wraps, fresh herbs and spicy Korean sauces.
If you’re with friends, the tacos are a must-try too: fresh hand-pressed tortillas that you stuff with avocado salsa, pickled onions and meat, fish or vegetarian options. We tried the mouth-watering braised beef cheeks, though the octopus and nduja along with the panko-crusted snapper were enticing.
Like the tortillas, the kitchen has focused on making the breads and pastas from scratch—doughy stages for a cast of Asian flavours.
Cacio e Pepe is a plate of miso buttery loveliness sprinkled with Sichuan pepper. On the surface it’s a simple creation, but the flavours are elevated by a nuanced and thoughtful preparation.
Some of the most satisfying bites of the evening came with munching into whole crispy soft shell crabs, served with a punchy papaya salad and mellowing avocado cream.
And following an indulgent sweet bread toastie oozing with melted cheese and kimchi, a sensational Sawbwa coffee panna cotta made it all a memorable culinary experience.
You would usually expect to pay a premium for this kind of quality in Yangon, but the prices on PA’s new menu are affordable. Its cult classics, such as the kimchi quesadilla and gochujang carnitas Cuban sandwich aren’t going anywhere either.
With live DJ sets, boozy brunches and a glorious new menu, these are the halcyon days of PA. The rain may be here, but now we know where to go for our weekly tropical bursts of sunshine.
