From Sanchaung to Chinatown, Kandawgyi Lake to the Strand, two words are on everyone’s lips. The chattering classes mutter them over espresso martinis, they are daubed on the city’s walls in fresh betel spit, and even the dogs are crying them out in the summer heat. If you listen close and turn off your air con, you can hear them too: “The Pansodan! The Pansodan! The Pansodan!”
The Pansodan is a new restaurant in one of Yangon’s most aesthetically gripping areas. Here, in downtown, crumbling colonial architecture sits alongside a crop of modern restaurants and bars that have sprung up in the last few years.
Surrounded by this culinary competition, The Pansodan, a “Burmese Brasserie” promising a modern twist on Myanmar classics, is crying out to become a city staple.
From social media campaigns featuring local “influencers” sprawled on sofas, to the somewhat overwrought mission statement on their Facebook (the floors: paved with chevron marble! The ceiling: capped with glinting gold-leaf!), The Pansodan is here and wants you to know about it.
Let’s all be honest for a second: Burmese cuisine lacks the raw sex appeal of, say, sushi or fondue. Instead, it must compete on the chef’s ability to get the basics right—authentic flavours with a minimum of fuss. Our goal was to look past The Pansodan’s glittering facade of gold and marble and get to the only thing that can make or break a restaurant—the food.
An appetizer of green chilis, stuffed with pork and turmeric was a solid opening let down by a lack of spice and a somewhat anemic flavour. We were also served two signature smoothies, it being too early for this writer to sample The Pansodan’s extensive cocktail menu.
The highlight of the two was the Exotic Spicy (4,500 kyats), a blend of coconut water, chili, ginger and cilantro that might appeal to those looking to purge last night’s libations from their quivering livers. Both smoothies came with reusable straws (well done!), which we happily stuffed into our bags, along with the high quality toilet paper we had looted from the establishment’s gleaming restrooms.
For the main course, we ordered the 12,000 kyat-Tiffin set with mango chutney and salad of the day (tomato). The crisp, fresh salad offered a colourful counterpoint to the stodgier coconut fish curry, which, despite so-so looks, turned out to be a winner. Simmered in tamarind with eggplant and okra, with a rich creamy sauce and light, subtle flavour, it’s proof that Burmese cuisine can do seafood right.
Another favourite was the Ohn No Khao Swe (chicken coconut wheat noodle soup)—creamy broth, soft noodles and a perfectly cooked egg, the golden yolk dissolving to thicken the broth. Locals might blanch at the cost (4,500 kyats) compared to street side fare, but there is a discernible hike in quality that comes with the price.
The service was attentive, at least for the first half of the meal. We fell out of favour after ordering our dessert, with the carrot cake taking almost 20 minutes to arrive. When it came, however, it was clotted cream decadence.
Behind the gleaming decor, The Pansodan delivers when it comes to the food—creative, authentic dishes that more than justify its existence in a competitive area. For business meetings, casual lunches and perhaps even the odd date, this is a serious contender in Yangon’s downtown dining scene. Tell your lovers, tell your friends, tattoo it on your arm: The Pansodan! The Pansodan! The Pansodan!
All Myanmar Mix restaurant reviews are done impartially and independently.
Address: 106 Pansodan Road, Yangon
Open: 10am-11pm, daily
Contact: 09 44263 1066
