A FAMILIAR scene for those walking through downtown Yangon in the late afternoon is the appearance of the sidewalk food vendors, who appear from nowhere to offer tasty treats to passers-by.

Heading along Anawyahta Road in the evening there are many options to choose from, including noodles, spring rolls, stewed pork, fried rice and barbequed delicacies to name only a few.

This year Thai-style fried seafood and barbeques are popular and can be found almost everywhere but especially near Yangon’s schools. Each piece costs between K100-200, with vegetables and meat available for either a snack or proper meal. But be warned - you have to spend at least five minutes waiting for the food to reach your hand.

Famous mohinga is a common sight along Yangon’s roadside stalls and the fragrance coming from the fish soup draws people towards it. Most of the shops also sell other traditional Myanmar foods like coconut milk noodle, salads, and Rakhine monti (small rice noodles with fish soup). Each will cost about K200 and if you add a piece of fritter (fried onion, bean or gourd) it may rise to K250.

Shan noodle shops offer an array of different foods like sichek noodles (boiled and garnished with shredded meat), meeshay and fried tofu. The cost for a cup of noodles is K500 when accompanied by chicken or pork, while fried tofu will set you back K300 for a single serving.

Other foods to be found are fried vermicelli and spring rolls. Usually made from cooked vegetables and meat, spring rolls and usually fried but you can request to eat them un-fried. Some people also request fried spring roll salad. One serving of spring rolls costs K200 while vermicelli alone is K300. If you prefer, you can add stewed pork innards to the vermicelli – upping the price to about K500.

If you are a crazy about Chinese food, you should head directly to Chinatown in Lanmadaw Township. Every evening from 6pm, the pavement is packed with vendors selling Chinese dumplings, barbequed meat, soups, boiled rice and noodles.

Stewed pork innards sellers are numerous and provide discerning customers a wealth of choices from K30-50 per piece. You can ask the sellers to slice the one you like.

For Indian food lovers, palata (pancakes), samosa (fried stuffed pastry) and chapatti can easily satisfy your hunger. Indian food stalls are common on the sidewalks of Yangon, with many offering spicy samosa salad for fans of hot f ood.

Eating on Yangon’s sidewalks and pavements is an interesting experience and there are a number of challenges, including exhaust fumes and smoke for cooking fires but the food is worth the effort.

Most local people rely on sidewalks vendors because they offer cheap food and are readily accessible.