Somewhere in between having mid-afternoon sex with their teenage mistresses, decapitating their aristocracy and urinating while smoking cigarettes, the French deigned to give the world the gift of their glorious culture.
Mostly, this consists of soaking things in butter, complaining about not being able to get drunk before lunchtime and making black and white movies called Devant La Serpent De Le Fenetre Soleil or whatever. But even as a cut-me-and-I-bleed-treacle Englishman, I have a begrudging respect for French cooking, marrying, as it does, decadence, richness and respect for good quality ingredients.
So it was that I ventured to the French Institute (a much more impressive premise than say, oh, the British Council) to review Parasol, a farm-to-table restaurant with an emphasis on fresh food, organic farming and vegetarian options nestled in a leafy glade near the back of the campus. As we walked towards our seats, white-faced mimes performed somersaults, and a thin man with a pencil moustache serenaded us on an accordion. Much to my disquiet, however, I found Parasol was in fact a fusion restaurant, rather than the gateau-drenched wonderland I had dared to imagine.
Over the last few months, Parasol has hosted events celebrating dragonfruits, jackfruits, mangoes and local produce that have captured the hearts of Yangon’s raw food hipsters.
Parasol also has a commitment to environmental sustainability; everything from metal straws to a daily itinerary of wasted produce. Will these noble efforts save us when floods of searing seawater boil us alive in our Tesla-designed hibernation pods? No, but we laud them nonetheless. Parasol has also been involved in fundraising for Rainbow Alliance and other charitable pursuits, which we at Myanmar Mix support whole-heartedly.
As is the Myanmar tradition, the first three things we chose from the diminutive menu were out of stock, and of course, the staff waited a respectful ten minutes to inform us of this reality. I have found that in Myanmar, the trick is to pick something you don’t want, and then, when the news arrives of its unavailability, you can order something that you actually want. Which is a shame, because the jackfruit wraps sounded good.
We started off with a banana and homemade peanut butter smoothie (3,800 kyats) and a cappuccino (3,500 kyats). While the cappuccino was fine, the smoothie was essentially a large tumbler of slightly sugared milk. Not enough banana, not enough flavour, and, amazingly for Southeast Asia, not enough sweetness.
The parasol beef burger (8,500 kyats) was decent—a sesame bun, with good quality beef and flavourful chutney. Unfortunately, the accompanying sweet potato fries were underdone, and for the price, we were left underwhelmed.
"Loco Moco" (7,500 kyats) was the standout—requested medium rare, the beef excelled in texture and taste, complimented by a tamarind glaze; the yolk-soaked rice was satisfying, if simple. And a pile of sharp homemade kimchi was a welcome addition.
The grilled chicken paillard was over-salted and a little dry. The roasted Shan potatoes and salad were decent enough, but for 8,000 kyats, it was hard not to feel a little disappointed.
Barely had our cutlery hit the table when our plates were whisked away and the desert brought out. The mango mousse not being in stock, we contented ourselves with the seasonal fruit parfait (5,500 kyats), a good choice of fruits, slightly acidic and aesthetically gloopy. We left it sadly unfinished.
Overall, the green setting of Parasol remains the most appealing thing about this dining experience. In good faith, we can recommend only the Loco Moco, where the tasty beef shines through as the best exemplar of high quality ingredients. As Parasol launches more events, we hope that their admirable commitment to ethical food is matched by similar ambition and consistency on what ends up on the table.
Fin
Address: 340 Pyay Road, Yangon
Contact: 09 682 535038
Open: 10am-4pm and 5pm-10pm
All Myanmar Mix restaurant reviews are done impartially and independently.
