PEAKLIFE

Christian Martena, Executive Chef of The Strand Restaurant at The Strand Yangon, has revealed details of four ground-breaking ‘Farm to Table’ gastronomic tasting menus available throughout February 2018 designed in collaboration with Myanmar’s foremost pioneers of sustainable farming and artisan food production, Sharky’s.

The coming together of these two Myanmar gastronomic institutions comes at a pivotal time for this emerging food destination. A part of The Strand Yangon’s innovative ‘Farm to Table’ season, Chef Christian’s creative menus reflect both the increasing desire of South-East Asian diners to better understand the provenance of the food they consume and the increasing variety of world-class produce available within Myanmar. A food spectacle, the Italian chef’s breathtaking contemporary dishes also mirror the increasing sophistication of Yangon’s food scene. This elegant demonstration of locavorism has thus far been a sell-out success.

The Strand Restaurant’s four- and six-course tasting menus showcase Chef Christian’s signature experimental Mediterranean style, however, the sophisticated creations on these new menus will come with a twist. During February, the Strand’s Executive Chef will utilize produce from Myanmar’s most famous farmer and artisan food producer, Sharky’s. A national institution, the company has for over twenty years been at the cutting edge of bringing new and exciting food products to the emerging nation.

Crafting fine, artisan European products, such as bread, cheese, and charcuterie, in Myanmar since 1996, Sharky’s now cultivates a huge variety of fine, organic herbs, spices, and vegetables in its farms across the country. From heritage seeds to rare livestock breeds, the company has emerged as a pack leader in the promotion of South East Asia’s growing ‘Farm to Table’ movement, a passion they share with Chef Christian. During the past weeks, the Chef has visited Sharky’s farms in Yangon and the ancient temple city of Bagan to select the produce for his menus, engineering his dishes in collaboration with U Ye Htut Win, owner and founder of Sharky’s. The provenance of each key ingredient will be highlighted and curated within The Stand Restaurant’s menu.

The Strand Restaurant’s four-course ‘Farm to Table’ tasting menu in collaboration with Sharky’s is priced at USD 38 per person, plus tax and service. The six-course ‘Farm to Fork’ tasting menu is priced from USD 58 per person, plus tax and service. The menus will be offered on three consecutive Friday evenings – Friday 9th February, Friday 16th February and Friday 23rd February 2018. The Strand Restaurant is open for dinner weekly from Tuesday to Saturday and serves an a la carte and degustation menu of Mediterranean dishes enhanced with seasonal produce.