YKKO Kyay-Oh & BBQ, Yangon, Myanmar

One thing I noticed when I first stepped into this mysterious land is that there are no fast food franchises, no international coffee chains nor anything like Malaysia's Old Town or Paparich. It almost seems like there are no franchised eateries at all. Then I notice this brand name all over town, YKKO, a local franchise specialized in Burmese noodles and BBQ. I made it a point to try out one of these outlets as there is nothing I like more than a hot bowl of noodles soup on a lazy morning.

One late morning after countless amount of alcohol the night before a good night's sleep, I finally get to try this place. Hangover a good night's sleep and hot soup, there is no other better combination.

The YKKO branch I visited was in Junction Square, where I do my weekly grocery shopping. It was about 2pm and the lunch crowd was just leaving so it was relatively easy to get a seat. Environment was nice and cozy, and the wonder smell from the kitchen was intoxicating indeed.

One thing great about this place especially for those who can't speak or read a word of Burmese, English on their menus!

I decided on a standard kyah-oh, vermicelli noodle in a bowl of fragrant pork & fish based soup with loads of pork balls, minced pork, pork intestines and a quill egg or 2. kyah-oh is apparently one of Myanmar's national dish, simple yet taste great. This being a franchised restaurant there were quite a bit of MSGs in the soup but the meat portions was really generous, and for the first time I almost couldn't finish my meal! A standard chili sauce, which is much more fragrant with the strong presence of garlic and onions was served to go with the noodles.

simple yet superb sauce

crazy amount of pork bits!

And then I found something in the soup that I did not expect at all...pork brains! I have only eaten pork brains on a few rare occasions before this but I must say, this is surprisingly one of the best I have ever tasted! It's fresh, fragrant and the textures superbly smooth and custardy!

never would I imagine pork brains are standard here!

And the price? Less than 3000Kyats or USD 4 a portion! I must say It would seem expensive for local standards but considering the fact that this is an air conditioned franchised restaurant, it was not too bad at all.

YKKO has over 10 branches across Yangon alone, and it is hard to pass by a day without seeing a branch. The one I went to was in Junction Square but the list of YKKO branches can be found in the website below.
Most of the staffs at YKKO speaks decent English.

YKKO Junction Square branch

Junction Square, Room(S-201), Between Pyay Road &Kyuntaw Street,
Near Agriculture(Bus Stop), Kamayut Township.

YKKO Facebook Page

YKKO website

Operating hours depend on the location, if it's in a shopping centre it would be closed around 9pm-10pm. If it's along the streets they go well into the night.

Doggyjames says...One's journey in Myanmar would not be complete without a taste of Kyay-Oh. I would guarantee you would love this dish if you are into hot porky soups.