Hla Soe, owner of Sushi House, presents a plate of sashimi.

JAPANESE food, famous for its health benefits, freshness and careful presentation, has become increasingly popular in Yangon, catering to both well-heeled foreigners and locals looking to experiment.

Hla Soe and Ye Thu Ya both worked in Japanese restaurants for ten years before returning to Myanmar to set up Samurai Sushi, now known as Sushi House, in 2007.

Both men started as kitchen helpers, but three years later emerged as sushi chefs following a strict education in the finer qualities of rice and fish.

“Most people think sushi looks the same, the difference is in the rice you use, the fish and the preparation,” said Hla Soe.

And of course the cooking of the food itself.

Beautifully presented salmon sashimi at Sushi House restaurant.

At Ichiban Kan restaurant, opened in 1996 by Ms Kahori Komaru, consistency in taste is very important, but difficult to achieve because even a good manual is no replacement for a chef’s years’ of experience.

“[My wife] made a manual, but even with the manual chefs can still not cook well… even if it is 100 percent correct according to the manual the taste is not good,” said Mr Yoshinori Komaru, talking on behalf of his wife.

Quality standards are important because the fish is raw and Myanmar people are more and more sushi savvy.

“The locals who are well travelled know about sushi and sashimi. They understand when they eat the food whether it is good and fresh,” said Hla Soe.
Many of the well-travelled locals have also worked in Japan.

“Many Myanmar people who work overseas have experience eating Japanese food, they then come back from Japan,” said Mr Komaru.

Still, at first many locals are very conservative when choosing what to eat.
“Some locals who don’t know much about sushi will start with the barbecue and grill, often they will not touch the sushi or sashimi… slowly [they will] be more adventurous and start with the mayonnaise sushi and so on,” said Hla Soe.

Sushi House will soon be expanding its menu further into udon noodles and grilled meats. At Ichiban Kan why not try their set menu that runs Monday to Friday allowing you to experience a range of dishes offered on the menu for just $6. The set menu changes daily.

Sushi House, No 247/269(B), Room 001, Bldg, Delta Plaza, Middle Shwe Gone Daing Road, Bahan Tsp.

Ichiban-Kan, G-17-18, Aung Stadium (North Wing), Gyo Phyu Road, Dagon Tsp.

Promotions — Buy three bottles of Tiger beer at Sushi House and get one bottle free until the end of March. Buy two bottles of Tiger beer at Ichiban Kan and get one free, also until the end of March.