If you need proof that Yangon is changing, look no further than Pun + Projects' growing culinary army. Launched by Kevin Ching, a Hawaiian-born, Harvard-educated, Le Cordon Bleu-trained writer-for-the- Financial Times-turned-chef, and Ivan Pun, the jet-setting entrepreneurial son of Burmese property tycoon Serge Pun, the company now runs more than half a dozen ventures in the city. Many of these—such as Rice & Ice, a fast-casual eatery hawking fried rice and shaved ice, and Rau Răm, an Asian-fusion joint serving pork belly sliders and bánh xèo tacos—focus on food. Others, such as their event-planning arm Agenda and furniture brand Paribawga, are more eclectic. If that sounds like a lot, this team is only getting started, with another eatery dropping in the coming weeks and still more undisclosed projects in the pipeline.When the duo first launched a pop-up called Port Autonomy selling kimchi quesadillas and Cuban sandwiches with gochujang-laced carnitas down by the docks, it was such a novelty in Yangon that they had no idea if it would stick. It was a smash-hit, though some (including this publication) raised questions as to whether or not the still-developing nation could or should support an upscale "hipster" restaurant.Fast-forward a couple years and while such questions may still be valid, it's clear that this is part of the direction in which Myanmar is moving, albeit slowly. "Gentrification" may be a dirty word, but in this case it's bringing a measure of diversity to a city and a dining scene that previously had very little of it. Yangon now boasts a speakeasy, a microbrewery, and an izakaya selling yakitori and whiskey. If the majority of these places are out of the economic reach of most Burmese, that's hardly different from neighboring Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand, where a cocktail in a Bangkok bar often costs more than Bt300 ($8 US), or roughly the national daily minimum wage. And while these newcomers don't fit the traditional mold, it's hard to ignore the demand for them.Continue reading on MUNCHIES.
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