I really love the tea houses in Myanmar. The majority of them are open-air, with tables and chairs set up under a large shade structure. The cups of milk tea are tiny, which is a pity because it always leaves me wanting more. Then again, it’s probably a good thing because they’re also much more caffeinated than normal tea.

In addition to tea, you can order food. You can have a substantial meal and order a bowl of mohinga (rice noodles in fish broth) or keep it simple and just order one of the many delicious pastries (the fried banana crepe was one of my favorites, though a little oily).

The overall atmosphere is very casual. I feel very welcome here, in a very non-dramatic type of way.

If anything, the tea house is a necessity because it gets so hot in the middle of the day. It’s the perfect place to recharge before returning to work. Oh, and nobody is on their laptops, which is a nice change.

Cheers to the Burmese tea house.

by Jason Lam