To find a kopitiam stall selling Myanmar cuisine is like finding a needle in a haystack. I was surprised when I chanced upon Shwe Kant Kaw Myanmar Cuisine in Clementi while purchasing stuff for my aquarium nearby.
When I approached the stall, there were 3 Burmese ladies conversing in their native language sitting in front. I was staring at the signboard and the dishes with their names and pictures were clearly stated. But there weren’t any prices in sight— you’ll have to ask how much they cost.
The stall is owned by Miss Win Win Nwe and has been around since 2008.
I asked Miss Nwe, “What made you decide to open in Clementi?”
To which she replied, “There’s a lot of Burmese customers here and Chinese locals will give us a shot too.”
The dishes were neatly organised to a point where OCDs will not be triggered. There even was a separate section of dishes that resembled our local cai fan offerings.
What I tried at Shwe Kant Kaw Myanmar Cuisine
The first dish I tried was the Mohinga (S$5), which is considered the national dish of Myanmar. It was served with rice vermicelli doused in a thick broth, half a boiled egg, split chickpea fritters, and a sprinkle of fresh coriander leaves.
First impressions, the broth looked identical to a viscous mee soto broth. The taste was also somewhat similar to it, but tasted more complex. Upon asking what it was made from, Miss Nwe highlighted that the main ingredients were fish, chickpea flour and other spices.
The fine strands of vermicelli were like micro sponges, soaking up all the flavours of the broth. They were silky smooth and glided down my throat easily like a water slide.
If you love to snack on grams, you’ll probably adore the chickpea fritters which were addictively crispy. The pieces of split chickpeas were slightly harder than the fried batter itself. Older folks might need a little more effort to break them down with their teeth.
There were also several dark fibrous pieces of ingredient X (couldn’t identify what they were) in the bowl of noodles.
My dining partners and I were discussing at the table, “Was it celery?” “Was it sugarcane?”… a mini debate sparked off.
After cracking my head for a long time, I gave up and asked Miss Nwe.
She replied, “Oh, it’s steamed banana stem.”
Wow, never in a million years would I have guessed that.
We then proceeded to the next dish, the Nangyi Thoke (S$6). It consisted of thick rice noodles, chickpea fritters, half a boiled egg, pieces of chicken, shallot slices and coriander.
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This dish is typically mixed with chicken curry and chilli oil, but I requested for the non-spicy version.
The noodles tasted very rich as though they were coated with massive amounts of cooked egg yolk.
Mind you, the chicken pieces were not just boiled and thrown into the mix— they were well-marinated and super tasty. The understated spiciness of the shallot slices and herby notes of the coriander uplifted the taste of the noodles like reliable team players.
If you were to ask for my opinion on how it tastes… I have no words. Why? That’s because it was something I’ve never experienced before. But one thing was certain— I couldn’t stop eating it!
The Nangyi Thoke also came with a small bowl of soup on the side. It was an intensely peppered consommé which came with tau geh and cabbage. If you have a blocked nose, this broth is the perfect remedy to clear your sinuses.
The last dish was the Tea Leaves Salad (S$5), a familiar dish which I’ve had before at my go-to Myanmar restaurant at Peninsula Plaza.
The salad had slices of cabbage, preserved tea leaves, heh bi, fried yellow split peas, fresh tomato slices, sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, a couple of raw garlic cloves, and 3 pieces of chilli padi.
The last dish was Tea Leaves Salad (S$5), a familiar dish which I’ve had before from my go-to Myanmar restaurant at Peninsula Plaza.
The salad had slices of cabbage, preserved tea leaves, heh bi, fried yellow split peas, fresh tomato slices, sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, a couple of raw garlic cloves and 3 pieces of chilli padi.
I mixed everything up cautiously for fear of spilling the ingredients. It looked slightly different from the usual tea leaves salad that I’ve had before, which is usually already tossed.
For some weird reason, the tea leaves overpowered everything else. The pickled flavour tasted more like preserved mustard vegetables that you’ll get in Teochew porridge.
The multi-layered crunch sensations coming from the peanuts, sesame seeds and yellow split peas provided some satisfaction and nuttiness. But it wasn’t enough to cover the intense flavour of the tea leaves.
We found ourselves not being able to finish the dish as it was an acquired taste. Unfortunately, biting the raw garlic and chilli padi also didn’t manage to make a difference.
Final Thoughts
The meal that day at Shwe Kant Kaw Myanmar Cuisine was an interesting one with my 2 dining partners trying such fare for the very first time.
If you’re new to food from this region, I urge you to try the Mohinga and Nangyi Thoke. Who knows? You’ll like it!
Expected damage: S$5 – S$12 per pax
Balmoral Bakery: 58 year-old bakery sells rarely found sugee cake & old-school bakes in Clementi
Price: $
Our Rating: 3.5 / 5
Shwe Kant Kaw Myanmar Cuisine
325 Clementi Avenue 5 , Singapore 120325
Shwe Kant Kaw Myanmar Cuisine
325 Clementi Avenue 5 , Singapore 120325