Part two for Inle Lake
For our first meal in Myanmar we were seeking authentic curry. We had dinner at Lin Htett and we were successful in our authentic dinner mission. We each picked out a curry as our “main” but the sides that came with could equally have been a main on their own. What is included as a Burmese side? Rice, fried peanuts, fried vegetables (green beans for us), soup, raw veggies, and two sauces; ngapi ye, a watery fish sauce and balachaung, a dry spicy fish paste.
The sauce flavors are very interesting flavors and I hate to admit it but my taste buds really didn’t enjoy the balachaung but the curry and other sides were great. We also ordered a tea leaf salad, known as laphet, which is a must try in Myanmar. It consists of fermented tea leaves that were bitter tossed in a peanut oil, so the nut flavor comes through strong, sesame seeds, tomatoes, fish sauce, and more. It was fresh from the leaves and even though it was a salad it was heavy. It was not something I could have more than a few bites. It was rich and delcious.
We left full and lots still on the table. While paying we were offered jaggery which is another Burmese classic. It is made from the sap of palm trees and reminded me of maple candy but not as sweet.
We found an tiny open bar/restaurant as we walked along the road on the way back to our hotel and enjoyed 50 cent beers. Inle is great.
