Sai Ying Pun’s The Pansodan delivers rare taste of Burma in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong is famous for its variety of restaurants, but this new eatery helps fill the void for the underrepresented Asian cuisine
Burmese cuisine isn’t easy to come by in Hong Kong, and while a few restaurants have popped up around Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui from time to time, none really left an impression on the city’s culinary scene. This challenge has been taken up by JIA Group, partnering with Burmese entrepreneur Ivan Pun to bring the concept of The Pansodan from Yangon to our shores – for three months at least. The restaurant has mood lighting with fixtures inspired by Asian fishing baskets. The premises aren’t large but give off a community vibe. The menu is reasonable, from entrées starting at HK$65 to mains such as sirloin steak priced at HK$200.
We started with the Burmese pâté (HK$65) served with a pepper cracker. This chicken liver had the right balance of aroma and slight acerbic back end that is paramount to a good pâté. Next we sank our teeth into the laphet thoke (HK$95), or tea leaf salad. Mixed with lime and tomatoes, the flavour is zesty but the tannin of the tea was a bit too gritty for us. Myanmar is known for mohinga (HK$95), a rice noodle dish with sea bass, tamarind and turmeric, and this was our favourite of the evening with its solid seafood stock and the right amount of spice.
The sirloin steak (HK$200) is a delicious and tender cut of meat with a tangy relish to balance the dish. We also enjoyed the crab biryani (HK$135) with a layer of biryani masala and flaky basmati rice loaded with cashews and raisins. This was a luxurious version of the rice dish with lots of textures on the palate. Hong Kong has not had a reason to crave for Burmese cuisine but after they’ve tried The Pansodan, there just might be.
The Pansodan
100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun
Tel: 2361 2966