MYANMAR: Filipino Cuisine Goes To Yangon

With only 1,500 Filipino people working or living in Myanmar, why would one think that putting up a restaurant that offers Pinoy favorites such as adobo and kare-kare would be successful?

Ramon Fernando, one of the owners of My Adobo Plus, the first-ever Filipino restaurant in Myanmar, is well-aware that he could not count on the Filipino community in the bustling former Burmese capital for his business to be a hit and sustainable.

There are only about 1,500 Filipinos in Myanmar, 1,000 of which are in Yangon.

This number is not enough to make the resto sustainable so part of our marketing strategy is to introduce Pinoy food to Myanmar people, Fernando says.

I have been personally encouraged by friends to set up a Pinoy resto after they tasted food I’ve cooked for potluck parties.

The opportunity came when my landlady offered me to take over an existing Japanese resto that closed down last Nov. 2017, he says.

Why name the restaurant “My Adobo Plus”?

Because adobo is almost synonymous to Filipino cooking, Fernando said that foreigners who have tried it can easily identify to the dish.

Adobo is a well-known way of cooking meat, squid or even veggies.

We’ve had walk-in guests who know how adobo tastes, explained Fernando, who serves different variants of adobo such as chicken, pork, chicken feet, squid and kangkong.

Other Filipino dishes being served in the restaurant are nilagang baka, tinolang manok, lumpiang shanghai, tokwa’t baboy, itlog-maalat salad, chopsuey, lumpiang togue, turon espesyal and mais con hielo.

Just like in any business, it’s not always smooth-sailing especially in the beginning.

Getting the right ingredients such as atswete or annatto seeds for kare-kare, malunggay (moringa) and dahon ng sili (pepper leaves) for tinola, and ube ice cream for halo-halo can be a challenge , Fernando insists.

Good thing he and his partners can count on their three Filipina cooks to make their dishes taste as authentic as possible even though some of the distinct Filipino ingredients are not readily available.

One of them, Maricel Umali, 33, said she’s very happy to be working in a Filipino restaurant because it feels like we’re just cooking at home in the Philippines.

It’s so nice here especially every Sunday when we would have a lot of Filipino diners, they’d come here after church and would have a get-together, she said.

One time, we had an American customer who was so happy to find a Filipino restaurant here in Yangon.

He said he’s been to Cebu and that he misses Filipino food and has been longing to eat it again, recalled Elsie one of the cooks in My Adobo Plus.

The business may be new and still struggling but it’s little by little getting known and has in fact been receiving bulk orders as of late from corporations in and around Yangon.

As in any business, profit is the primary motivating factor but then this is balanced off by giving quality service to guests and providing employment to our fellow Filipinos, said Fernando.

My Adobo Plus can be found on Bo Yar Nyunt Street, Yaw Man Gyi Qtr, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. It is open every day from 10 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 9pm.


Tourism Observer

LEBANON: Boubouffee Lebanese Brasserie Will Open 5 UAE Branches

The Addmind Group and franchisor Boubouffe International have opened BouBouffe Lebanese Brasserie on Sheikh Zayed Road, marking the brand’s Dubai debut.

The franchise agreement will see another four BouBouffee branches open in the UAE within the next two years, to be managed by Addmind Group.

BouBouffe’s first UAE venture opened in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi in November 2015.

“We were eager to initially develop the BouBouffe brand in the UAE and found an ideal franchisee in the Addmind Group” said Ralph Nader, deputy CEO of BouBouffe International.

BouBouffe International founder and CEO, Michel Aramouni said: “After 40 years of success in the Lebanese market, I have finally decided, along with my partners in BouBouffe International Ralph Nader and Galal Mahmoud, to venture with BouBouffe outside the Lebanese borders”.

Tony Habre, CEO of Addmind added: “For months, a high number of Dubai residents living have asked us when we would bring BouBouffe to their city.

“We’ve looked high and wide for just the right time and location, and at last we found it. We’re in love with Dubai’s thriving food culture and are excited to bring BouBouffe to the city.”

BouBouffe’s Dubai branch is located in Aspin Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, near the Shangri La Hotel and is open 24 hours, seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Regional and international expansion plans are also underway, with Saudi Arabia and London earmarked for future venues for the brand.

Nader added: “Our expansion strategy is to target the KSA region soon, followed by London in the coming two years.”

First established in Beirut’s Achrafieh district in 1976, BouBouffe is a Lebanese Brasserie, with charcoal grilled chawarma and other home-cooked Lebanese dishes.

The Addmind Group owns and operates White Dubai, Iris Dubai, Mad on Yas Island, Indie DIFC and White Beirut.


Tourism Observer

www.tourismobserver.com

ZIMBABWE: No Difference, Zimbabwe Cuisine Like South And East African

The Food delights offered in Zimbabwe are actually as vibrant and varied as the history and culture of Zimbabwe’s people. Having said that, the local food that you might indulge in is based on which region you are in.

Eating in Zimbabwe is an enjoyable and rich experience. Food in Zimbabwe has got countless styles along with thousands of excellent dining places in all the primary metropolitan areas and towns of Zimbabwe.

What's more, food in Harare and other Zimbabwean holiday resorts are not restricted to traditional Zimbabwean delights. Cuisine from all over the world can be found in Zimbabwe, including Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, and other international tastes.The cornmeal-based dietary staple of Zimbabwe is also the national dish, called sadza.

Sadza to the Zimbabweans is like rice to the Chinese, or pasta to Italians. In fact, sadza re masikati , or "sadza of the afternoon" simply means lunch. Sadza re manheru, or "sadza of the evening" means dinner. Sadza is made from cornmeal or maize, and eaten with relish. Relish can be any kind of vegetable stew, but nyama, (meat), such as beef or chicken, is common among families who can afford it. Sadza is cooked slowly until thick, like porridge.

Other traditional foods are peanuts, beans, butternut squash, gem squash, green maize (or corn on the cob), and cucumbers. Avocados are plentiful and cheap. Bowara , or pumpkin leaves, can be eaten fresh and are commonly mixed into stews, like dovi (peanut butter stew). Meat and game such as beef, springbok (African gazelle), kudu (large antelope), and goat are eaten, the larger game reserved for special occasions. At more expensive restaurants, crocodile tail, shoulder of impala (a type of antelope), and warthog may be on the menu.

During the summer, open-air markets sell dried mopane worms (spiny caterpillars) and flying ants by the pound. Both can be eaten fried and are said to taste chewy and salty. Flying ants fly in dense clouds around any source of light during the summer, and can be eaten live. The wings are torn off, then the bodies are eaten. The taste is considered slightly buttery.

US GRAND CAYMAN: Where To Visit For Fall 2015

There’s a Caribbean island for every travel desire. But every Caribbean island is different, and each one has a diverse range of experiences on offer, whether you’re looking for food, beaches, art or adventure. This year’s Fall List highlights some of the best (and, in some cases, under the radar) attributes of a host of Caribbean destinations. Here are our staff picks for Fall 2015.

You may not realize it, but Grand Cayman is one of the region’s culinary capitals. From Eric Ripert’s Blue to Ortanique, it’s full of more than 200 top-level restaurants featuring both local and international cuisine. In other words, a foodie’s dream. And when you’re finished eating, you can retire to the luxury of the Ritz-Carlton or the Westin on Seven Mile Beach.