A seafood platter at Pinnacle Haus in Bangkok, one of the city's best-known bastions of Myanmar cuisine. (Courtesy of Pinnacle Haus)
HTET PHYOE
BANGKOK/TOKYO -- The traditional cuisine of Myanmar is largely unknown on the global culinary scene, despite its diverse flavors and rich culinary heritage. But that is changing fast thanks to chefs and restaurant proprietors who emigrated or shifted their focus to international markets after a February 2021 military takeover seriously damaged the tourism-dependent high-end dining industry.
Some chefs have left the country; others continue to work in hotels and restaurants in Myanmar's big cities but travel abroad to cook for overseas food lovers. But both expatriates and chefs still working in Myanmar are eager to share their country's cuisine, which boasts a wide range of dishes combining influences from neighboring India, China and Thailand.