Hpa An Myanmar – Best Places to Eat
As with most of Myanmar, food tends to take a bit of a front seat and Hpa An is no different with plenty of choice of restaurants that serve delicious food.
From hotel restaurants to coffee shops, and street food to local dining options there’s lots of options to choose from. It’s not only traditional Burmese cuisine that’s on offer either – you can easily find tasty Indian inspired curries and delicious Chinese meals.
Best of all, most of the food in the area is budget friendly, thanks to it not yet being overrun with tourists. Whilst you can find more expensive restaurants if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s very easy to eat good food for cheap. One of the best ideas is to chat with the reception at your accommodation to get some great local recommendations – the Soe Brothers are well known for being helpful in this regard as well as when it comes to organising tours in Hpa An.
Cafes and Coffee Houses
When it comes to bakeries and coffee shops there are a couple of popular options, with New Day Bakery being a particularly good choice. Try everything from Indian pancakes and tasty dahl to eggs on toast if you fancy some western food or even Chinese dishes - this is a perfect breakfast spot.
Shwe De Gar is another favourite spot for snacks and sells items like ice-cream and milkshakes alongside other snacks. Shwe Thadar also provides cheap and tasty breakfasts as well as serving as a passable coffee shop.
Burmese Food
Traditional Burmese curry houses are a popular option and it’s easy to pick up a hearty meal for just a few dollars. Many of them are buffet style restaurants where you can try a wide range of main courses and side dishes.
Popular spots for curry include the Golden Tamarind and San Ma Tau which have a reputation for serving some of the tastiest curries in the area. It’s also easy to pick up curry dishes at one of the many street food outlets at the market, located outside the mosque. This is an especially good place to drop by if you’re on a tighter budget.
If you want to splash out a little more and enjoy traditional food, then there are also some higher end options that you might like to investigate. The most well known of these is Veranda, which is a community style cafe restaurant that specialises in local Karen dishes, allowing you to sample some truly local flavours.
Other options for more expensive dining include some of the more expensive hotels that have on site restaurants, and these are often liked by those who want the odd international meal on their travels. Try the Gabana or Glory Hotels for central locations and decent food options.
International Food
Finally, there are also some Chinese inspired eateries in Hpa An that you might like to try during your trip. Bordering with China means that these flavours make their way into many dishes, and the food in this area is no exception. Lucky 1 is one of these places and is known for serving up some reasonable Chinese dishes as well as having a popular bar.
Khit Thit is another similar choice located nearby and both are very popular with backpackers looking for a beer and some budget friendly Chinese food. From sweet and sour to spicy meals and sides like dumplings, you can pick up a decent quality meal for less than USD5.
