Irrawaddy Voyages dining celebrates the best of both Oriental & Western cuisines, with an emphasis on classic Burmese dishes.
Throughout each day, both buffet & table d’hôte menus include typical Burmese recipes, with our Chefs on-hand to explain flavors, ingredients and local cooking styles.
Your daily buffet breakfasts are comprehensive Continental & American styled menus.
To sample a typical Burmese breakfast, we also include a local favorite dish or two,
for that unique taste & flavor..!
Irrawaddy Voyages dining celebrates the best of seasonal organic fruits & vegetables, with local Catch of the Day seafood’s from the salt & fresh water markets. Classic cold cut meats are imported from Italy and Beef & Lamb from Australia & New Zealand.
Myanmar - Burmese Cuisine
Myanmar food is a blend of many regional styles, tastes and influences. The country is made up of numerous ethnicities. Each has its own special dishes and uses a myriad of organic fruits, vegetables, herbs & spices. A few unifying factors that span this diverse country, are the overwhelmingly ‘sour & savory’ flavors that influence the cuisine.
“At the forefront of Burmese cuisine is the famous dish of Mohinga. This family favorite is typically a bowl of rice noodles covered in a fish based soup, sprinkled with deep fried fritters. Mohinga is a preferred breakfast dish…”
“There are a wide variety of sumptuous dishes to discover in Myanmar and as the times change in this fascinating “Golden Land,” more and more people are now appreciating the glory of the country’s diverse and unique culinary traditions. Now is the time to indulge your senses by delving into this flavorsome ‘sour’, savory & fascinating cuisine…..”
There is a tendency for dishes to be served with multiple accompaniments including spicy soups, boiled vegetables, fresh herbs, dipping sauces and pastes. The emphasis is on strong aromas and flavors, not as sweet as preferred in neighboring countries. Steamed rice is served on its own or with curries. Rice noodles are a daily staple and formed into rice cakes that are eaten as a light snack or dessert.
Classic & Traditional Mohinga
A staple breakfast dish across the country, Mohinga is a noodle soup made from a fish broth and thickened with chickpea flour. While variations can be found throughout the region, a typical bowl includes thin, round rice noodles, lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, the pith of a banana tree’s stalk and some lentils or vegetables. It’s hearty, filling and classic ‘comfort food’. Mohinga is recognized as the countries signature dish.
Tea Leaf Salad
A close second to Mohinga for a national dish, is the Tea Leaf Salad. Bitter & tart, the tea leaves can be eaten on their own, at the end of a meal, or as a snack. The leaves can also be mixed into a salad. This widely popular salad can take many forms, but usually includes crunchy dried peas, beans, peanuts and garlic. It might also come with shredded cabbage or tomato, to lessen the bitterness of the tea leaves.
Myanmar Curries
Curries in Myanmar are milder than those served in Thailand or India. They are mild because they are slow cooked in oil, which breaks down the harshness of ‘hot’ ingredients like chilies and ginger. Often extra oil is even added as a curry dressing after it has been reduced, making for a satisfyingly filling dish.
Customs & Myanmar Eating Habits
Traditionally, the people of Myanmar enjoy meals served on a low table, while sitting on a bamboo mat. A typical meal includes steamed rice as the staple diet, with accompanying dishes and an assortment of condiments. This will typically include curried freshwater fish, a curried meat or poultry dish, a light soup and fresh or boiled vegetables. Fried fritters, such as gourd or onions in batter or dried tofu crackers, are often served as extra.
Out of respect, the eldest diners are always served first. Traditionally when the elders are absent, the first grain of rice is served, then put aside as an act of respect to parents and elders.
In Myanmar it is customary to eat with your right hand, forming rice into a small ball with only the fingertips and then mixing this with various dishes and condiments before eating. Chopsticks & Chinese-style spoons are used for noodle dishes, although noodle salads are more likely to be eaten with just a spoon. Knives and forks are used rarely in homes, but will always be provided for guests and are available in restaurants and hotels. Drinks are not traditionally served with the meal and instead, the usual liquid accompaniment is in the form of a light broth or consommé, served from a communal bowl. The historic beverage of choice is Green tea.
Food & Beverage
IV SIGNATURE COCKTAIL
THE PEGU CLUB – CIRCA 1920’S - RANGOON
It was built in the 1880s to serve the British army officers after the occupation of Upper Burma in 1885.
It was one of the most famous gentleman's clubs in South East Asia.
Rudyard Kipling wrote; “it’s a funny little club, always filled with lots of people
either on their way up or down river..”
The Pegu is a gin-based cocktail and was the signature drink at The Pegu Club. This hot weather cocktail is best served in a chilled glass.
The recipe later appears in the Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930- The Pegu Club Cocktail - and it also features in the classic American book Barflies & Cocktails.
The Pegu Club or the Pegu is a gin-based cocktail that was the signature drink of Burma's Pegu Club.
Spirits: Gin, Curaçao
Ingredients: Dash Bitters, Dash Orange bitters, 3/4 oz Orange Curacao, 1 1/2 oz Gin, 1 Teaspoon Lime juice
Preparation: Shake ingredients together in a mixer with crushed ice. Strain into chilled glass, garnish and serve.
Served: Shaken
Standard garnish: Lime twist
Drink-ware: Cocktail glass
