It’s rare and glorious moment when you can get high enough in Yangon to appreciate how sprawling and multi-faceted the city truly is. Bars like YangonYangon, The Penthouse and Atlas have long held a monopoly over the birds-eye city view and so it was high time indeed that another challenger stepped up to meet them in the clouds. Cue Yankin Heights Rooftop Restaurant, situated on the 12th floor of 29 Aung Zeya Road.
To start we tried a couple of cocktails, one Greyhound, with gin, grapefruit and mint, and one Mind Easier, with vodka, soda and Kahlua, both priced at 4,800Ks for the 4pm-7pm Happy Hour. Both were surprisingly good, sugar-free and balanced, one sharp and refreshing, the other like a gentle version of an espresso martini.
The food menu is a little confusing, not only in the literal sense (we counted five menus, no wine list, many repeated items and some odd this/or/that options), but also in the fact that it’s split into Eastern and Western cuisine. The result is that if you’re in the mood for prawns, you could find yourself strangely torn between a New Orleans Po’ Boys Sandwich or a Thai Style Prawn Curry.
We opted for the latter (15,000Ks), as well as a Deep Fried Seabass (9,000Ks), accompanied by the Kailan with Crispy Pork (5,500Ks) and Chipotle Chicken Poppers (5,000Ks).
There were a few twists and turns. The sauce that came with the chicken poppers was anything but chipotle (perhaps tartar?) while the prawn curry that we had so agonised over was not recognisable as a curry at all (we later deduced that it must have been the listing below, a River Prawn Butter Egg, which would explain the unexpected omelette taste and texture).
But given that Yankin Heights is still having it’s soft opening, we can forgive them a few kinks that will no doubt be ironed out with more time and experience. The kalian and pork was superb and the seabass was crisp and impressively presented.
There’s plenty that makes us want to return to Yankin Heights, not least their breakfast menu, which has both Myanmar and European options. It’s got all the makings of an excellent venue for an unforgettable party and, in time, it’s sure to live up to its sky-high potential.
Phone: 09 516 8110
Opening Hours: 7:30am-10pm
MYANMORE restaurant reviews are done independently and published anonymously. Meals and drinks are paid for by the publication.
