Rangoon Teahouse and why Yangon could be a place for milktea lovers

Food is what distinguishes one country from another. From street food to a typical household cooking, each country offers a different blend and taste that anyone shouldn't miss trying if they get to visit a place for the first time. Like many others, Asian countries have already established themselves globally when it comes to taste through their iconic dish. Among those are the Pad Thai and Tom Yam of Thailand, the Pho of Vietnam, the Nasi Lemak of Malaysia, and the Adobo of the Philippines. But I bet only few know of Burma's Mohinga (I prefer to call it by its old name since it sounds more lit hehe). 

Mohinga, a fish soup with rice noodles, is the national dish of Burma. Its main ingredients are fish paste, chickpea flour, lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, and catfish broth. It is commonly garnished with coriander (see recipe). I have also seen a fried version of it at Yangon's street market.

Mohinga of Rangoon Teahouse

Burma is relatively new in the tourism landscape. The military rule which lasted for 49 years made the country an off-beaten path to many travelers. Since the country's liberation in 2011 (see article), it is slowly opening up to the world as more and more tourists visit each year. 

Aside from knowing the food that I need to indulge in while in Yangon, finding a good place to eat it is another Google search. A generous amount of time I've spent online brought me to knowing this nice cafe situated in Yangon. It offers a variety of authentic Burmese dish with a twist at a reasonable price. Yet aside from eating their version of Mohinga, I was excited for a taste of their milktea. 

The cafe is called Rangoon Teahouse which is located at Pansodan Street - the street popular for its lineup of British colonial buildings. From my hotel, the cafe is just two blocks away. The cafe prides itself for having 80% of its ingredients sourced out within the country while their tea leaves are freshly sourced from local farms. Knowing that grew my desire to dig in on what the cafe had to offer. 

Rangoon Teahouse's facade.

And their menu! I wasn't able to take a photo of the milktea section.

The place was always full of people so going early was necessary to secure myself a seat. In my first visit, I ordered Mohinga, Tea Leaf Salad, and milktea. I found Mohinga unpalatable because I put too much coriander/cilantro in it. Not realizing that I wasn't fond of the herb. As for the salad I had it for take out but I ended up giving it to the driver in exchange for his good service. What I loved the most was their milktea. If a typical milktea cafe lets you decide the sweetness in your cup of goodness, Rangoon Teahouse lets its customers choose the level of sugar, milk, and tea in their cup. Those options in their menu had me in awe. First, because I haven't been to a cafe with that on their menu and second, I would want my milktea to taste more like tea than milk. Some milktea chains I know, put too much sugar and milk that it loses the value of the tea. While some are too diluted that it almost tasted like water. But the milktea in Rangoon was, by far, one of the best milkteas I had. Later, in the second day of my tour, I found out that Burmese are tea-loving people. Teahouses are located at every corner with some offering unlimited cup of tea. I have been to one of them and truly, they pour tea more than one could take.

Tea Leaf Salad.
I don't know why garlic is on top of it as garnish lol

The only photo that I have of the milktea. Enjoyed drinking it that I have forgotten to take a closeup photo of it.

                   

So, instead, here's a photo of the milktea at my hotel's cafe. Color is the same and the taste is equally great.
I didn't have to pay for each cup because it's free for hotel guests.

After my failed try at Mohinga, I decided to go for a palatable dish. The second time I dined at the cafe, I ordered a bowl of noodles filled with coconut soup. I know nothing about the dish but the person who ordered it the first time I went gobbled up a whole bowl of it in minutes. A very tempting scene that stuck on me. And the verdict when I tried it: 5/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I also ordered duckmeat empanada, recommended by the waiter, for takeout.

I actually forgot this dish's name so I decided to call it coconut noodle.

For someone who is desperate for a taste of Burma at an affordable price, I highly recommend Rangoon Teahouse. My food experience there exceeded my expectations. A cafe like that deserves going back to and splurging money on whatever dish they have on their menu.