Hunting a good meal after work is always a hustle in downtown Yangon, where there are plenty of options but not much new and – most importantly – good. During a recent evening of the usual honking and busy lights my colleague and I marched down to Bo Aung Kyaw middle block which is lined with small restaurants ahead from J Donuts.
Facing the Secretariat, Northlander pictures a mix of Shan ethnic traditions and Mexican trinkets featuring a set of Shan national gongs, long drums and cymbals along with a giant Sombrero and small maracas on each wall. The restaurant sits beside the mosque lodging tall wooden tables as well as teeny ones on the ground floor, and a cozy mezzanine upstairs—all grey and green.
The bar was empty as we sat down and checked the menu, which was pretty impressive with burgers, wraps, salads, tacos, pizzas, soups and specialities. The prices seem lavish but we decided not to judge before the plates come.
So we ordered Heart Attacker (6,500Ks) first which comes with brown rice, chicken thigh, grilled pineapple and hot sauce after a few minutes. The first thing I noticed was the brown rice, which was covered by the whole chicken thigh. So I took a spoon and fork to it, and the first bite was not bad, although the rice was wet and pulpy – in other words, not cooked properly. The chicken tasted odd, and the grilled pineapples were overgrilled—one out of ten!
Then we tried Melted Tacos (6,000Ks) and Wholemeal wrap (7,500Ks) to persuade our stomachs again. The crispy tacos come in three pieces loaded with minced beef, tomatoes, onions, melted cheese and some chip. What made us confused was the cold beef inside, although the melted cheese was appealing.
Two large slices of the wholemeal wrap filled with crispy chicken and veggies got our hopes up in the end. But we were told that the last order of our Beet Power (3,500Ks) was canceled since the maker behind the juicer was away. Draught beers and liquors are on the list but we didn’t take any since it’s a weekday.
Overall, Northlander, as a new comer, can be considered a nice place to dine out for those who live in downtown if they could revamp the food quality and the prices since Father Office, Healthy Me and Kim Sakura sushi are thriving in the neighbourhood.
Address: 301 Bo Aung Kyaw Road (Middle block), Kyauktada Township
Tel: 09 266 002 544
Opens 10am – 10 pm
