Visiting Shwe Ye Mon Hotel and Classic City Tea Salon

I didn't succeed in blowing their house down 

I was up by 5.30 am which correlated with my usual 7 am waking up time in Singapore. My body clock was still working by Singapore time and would continue to do so for awhile. It was the ending of winter period and the mornings were still chilly. After trying to sleep in, I took a walk down towards Shwe Ye Mon, passing by pigs by the roadside and a family who lived on stilt-like housing built over what seemed like undrained water. A small front housed what was a simple provision shop and this seemed to be their livelihood, I presumed the pigs belonged to them.



The breakfast at Shwe Ye Mon was basic and filling. I had my usual, eggs and toast and despite arriving sharp at 9 am ( which was when they closed the buffet), the staff were welcoming and allowed me in. As it was Sunday, the school canteen wasn't open and on weekends I would have to figure alternatives.

I figured I would head out for a walk and went down the usual way but past where I had gotten pagora this time. Many staff had mentioned classic city and I had seen this very noticeable establishment while using the tuk tuk as well. Walking past a shop selling plants, I couldn't help but step in for awhile before reaching classic city. The walk took me around 20-30 minutes and I also walked past a CB 5 star grilled chicken shop which would become my favourite haunt shortly.

The menu at classic city fascinated me as it had a very indian allure to it, including curries and naan and for today I stuck to chicken salad. The wonderful thing in Myanmar is that local fare has a spicy tinge to it and there is always the option of asking for more spice.


The place was unsurprisingly busy over the weekend with many locals coming down with their families however the staff did an excellent job in quickly sorting out tables.

Service is good and the staff always made the effort to bring over someone who understood english when in doubt so I never really had an order messed up. One of the ways I worked was to use google to show pictures (for instance sunny side eggs) then raise 2 fingers to show I wanted two eggs.

Garlic Naan at Classic City

While some staff understood english and others didn't, the local people showed much patience and willingness to understand what I wanted and I could not but smile at their kindness. Hospitality and giving I felt are part of the culture here.

This was one of the places which offered unsweetened milk with coffee and I ordered an americano while enjoyed the communal scene. The menu offered many interesting food types and I would come back here to try other dishes.

The serving style reminded me a bit of home and I savored the bitter coffee, a change from the usual 3in1 sachets commonly used here. Milk could be bought in small bottles but I was not sure at this point if they would last too long.

Heading back  I decided to walk back using the opposite side of the road and chanced upon this tree with orange flowers. The flora here continue to amaze me primarily because most have not been cleared but left to grow wild. The school staff had mentioned a local burmese food restaurant and this would be my next place to visit.

The rest of the day ended sitting by the pool at Hotel Hazel and relishing the solitude and silence. This was exactly what I had craved for back in singapore and Mandalay was providing exactly the soul nourishment I needed.

Another beautiful day spent enjoying the country before my second week.