The Strand YANGON
THE STRAND YANGON IS ONE OF ASIA’S most beautiful colonial hotels, a grand dame that just happens to be located in the region’s hippest new travel destination. Yangon is a boomtown, with investment pouring in and tourism on the rise. After a major renovation completed in November 2016, The Strand Yangon has reclaimed its position as the epicentre of the city’s social life and business buzz.
Founded in 1901 by Aviet and Tigran Sarkies, the hoteliers responsible for legendary lodgings such as Raffles in Singapore and the Eastern & Oriental in Penang, the all-suite Strand Yangon anchors the bustling city’s riverfront historic district, surrounded by a treasure trove of spectacular 19th-century colonial buildings that are currently being restored by the Yangon Heritage Trust.
The Strand Yangon’s own six-month refurbishment saw local artisans meticulously restoring every original architectural detail, from the teak panelling and antique bedsteads, to traditional Myanmar lacquerware and marble flooring, whilst giving the hotel a complete technological and infrastructure upgrade in line with the latest industry standards.
Stepping into the cool, elegant lobby with its black and white colour scheme, rattan peacock chairs and slowly spinning ceiling fans, is a welcome respite from the heat and hubbub of downtown Yangon. Staff attired in the traditional Burmese longyi (sarong) glide across the tiled floor, offering gracious, personalised service, exuding an air of tranquility.
Opening off the lobby are the hotel’s three restaurants. The casual but smart Strand Café, accented with bold red wicker chairs, offers all-day dining and the famous Strand High Tea, a unique spread that includes traditional and Myanmar delicacies. The mohinga (catfish soup with rice noodles, lemongrass, chilli and lime) I ordered from the breakfast menu was brilliant.
From the opposite side of the lobby, a corridor leads to Sarkies Bar, a teakwood-panelled enclave that has been the gathering place for socialites, adventurers, explorers and raconteurs for over a century. Luminaries such as Sir Noël Coward, Orson Welles and Rudyard Kipling swapped tall tales and true of colonial Burma, which in turn inspired Eric Blair, a young officer in the Indian Imperial Police, to record his own experience in a novel, Burmese Days, written under the pen name George Orwell. You can still slip into a leather armchair in
Sarkies Bar and sip a classic Strand Sour made with Mandalay rum, or choose another tipple from an extensive menu of wines, beers, cocktails and single malt whiskies.
Dinner in The Strand Restaurant was the undisputed highlight of my stay. With its high vaulted ceiling, sparkling chandeliers and museum quality black and gold lacquer panels from Bagan, this must be Yangon’s most elegant dining room. The kitchen is helmed by Christian Martena, a Michelin-trained, modernist chef whose previous restaurant in Bangkok achieved much acclaim. Open just four days a week, The Strand Restaurant is Martena’s atelier, a showcase for his unique style of cooking, which he describes as ‘emotional and ingredient driven’. Martena spent many months travelling around Myanmar to visit suppliers and remote farming communities, to immerse himself the country’s distinctive cuisine and source the best of Myanmar’s produce and spices. His tasting menus, with optional wine pairings, are exquisite. Imagine, if you can, pigeon breast cooked sousvide, with seared foie gras, sweet potato as cubes, dollops and wafers, a drizzle of roasted coffee sauce, plated with a garland of pea tendrils. Or sweet Hokkaido scallops swimming in warm cauliflower emulsion; champagne sorbet whipped up tableside in a cloud of liquid nitrogen; an exploding tiramisu. With only one sitting a night, dinner at The Strand Restaurant is designed to be an event that will be savoured and remembered. Service is polished, understated and thanks to the charm and professionalism of maître d’ Clara del Corso Martena, (Chef Christian’s wife), paced perfectly to allow maximum enjoyment.
High colonial ceilings, tall casement windows, polished teak floors, Burmese antiques and vintage textiles give a unique sense of style and luxury to the the The Strand Yangon’s 31 light and airy suites. All are attended round the clock by a team of highly trained butlers. The one-of-a-kind Strand Suite, measuring over 200 square metres, after more than one hundred years is still the largest suite in Yangon. It features a hand-carved four-poster bed, a private study finished with fine Burmese antiques and a cosy sitting room with lacquered cane chairs. The suite’s formal dining room seats up to ten, with Chef Martena on hand to arrange a personalized dining menu.
Enveloped in such elegant luxury, it’s hard to imagine that in the 1970s backpackers dossed down at The Strand Yangon for a dollar a night!