Port Autonomy’s new setting, on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road. PHOTO/ COCONUTS MEDIA
When Port Autonomy, the Brooklyn-style restaurant and drinking hole by Yangon’s docks, shut down in February after just a few months, the cognoscenti of the city’s social scene were plunged into mourning. A melancholy notice was posted online, blaming “#jettyproblems’ – aka no permission from the authorities. There were eulogies to the fried chicken. Even VICE covered the story. So when another announcement was posted in mid-March declaring the bar open for business, but on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, there was both excitement and trepidation. They hosted Grand Theft Auto: Vice City themed parties, FFS. How could that kind of faux urban grit be transplanted to the heart of leafy, monied Yangon?
As it turns out, it’s tricky. The old location was in the heart of grungy downtown; the new is tucked off an obscure path on the way to a condo. The way to spot it is by the column of flamed torches, which light the way through green gardens to the open-air eatery. They’ve kept both the edgy urban feel and the nautical theme. There’s plenty of blue and white décor. Tables are wooden. Fans blow mist that could be the breeze off the Yangon River. There’s a buzzy neon sign and electronic music plays in the background. It’s pretty but feels out of context, like a ship full of hipsters marooned in the middle of Midsummer Night’s Dream, if the forest had been encircled by serviced apartments. The clientèle fits that mould: glam young people sipping fruity, liquor-laced scorpion bowls.
The drinks menu is solid: there’s a good selection of beers (including Hoegaarden) and cocktails. But food is the main draw here. Snack-style dishes whipped up in a stainless steel food truck-style kitchen at the back of the restaurant are flavourful and layered: the owners have hit on a real winner with their blend of Mexican and Asian flavours. Prices are high – no mains are shy of $13 – but some are worth it. A Korean Cubano sandwich ($15), out of which spilled melted cheese and tender Carnitas, was superb. The bread had been grilled on both sides and had a salivatingly good crunch. Sesame-seasoned red cabbage and pickled vegetables on the side provided a piquant accompaniment. The soft shell crab alternative with rocket ($16) was a fresh, juicy delight. The ice cream plopped on the banana split ($13) was dense and creamy but the fruit disappointingly dry. Mostly, the missteps were less to do with cooking than attitude and cost. The service was standoffish. ‘Ice-cold grapes’ priced at $7 added an element of farce.
The Korean Cubano sandwich, served up with sesame-seasoned pickled vegetables. PHOTO/COCONUTS MEDIA
Until recently, these small critiques would have been unfair in Yangon, where frou-frou is still new. But, in recent weeks tongues have been wagging over reports of some of the crop of cool new places exhibiting distinctly uncool behaviour. One pricey new bar and restaurant reportedly informed a casually dressed patron that he’d better sharpen up next time. Port Autonomy feels a bit more down-to-earth than that. The restaurant has made a concession to the masses with their Friday night happy hour, where all drinks (excluding wine) are half price between 5 and 8. But it’s something to watch out for. It’s not a bad thing to be cool. Just steer clear of icy – and in this case it might mean scrapping the grapes.
Port Autonomy can be found at 22A Kabar Aye Pagoda Road. Take the path to Golden Hill Tower and veer right. Call them on 09 253 710 651 or check out the Facebook page. Open from 6pm until 11pm. Closed Mondays.
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