The morning hangout spot for freshly brewed Shan sweet coffee
- Station Street
- Open daily 5.30am-10pm
If you fancy sitting down among locals from trishaw drivers to birdwatchers then this is your morning spot.
Morning rituals
The tradition in Kalaw is to begin the morning in a teashop over tea mixed with condensed milk or Shan strong coffee. This tea shop opposite the market, smack bang in the middle of town is a popular hangout spot for locals. Usually gathering at 7am they’ll have their morning discussion over tea with a side of samosa or Shan noodles.
How do you drink your tea?
The Burmese have fully embraced the tea culture inherited from the British and teahouses are part and parcel of local street life. A quick guide to drinking tea Myanmar style: ‘la pae yea’ is basically black tea with condensed milk and sugar, but there are more variations to the theme. If you want to order like a local, here’s some words to remember but be careful what you wish for: ‘baw hseent’: medium strong. ‘jah hseent’: strong . ‘pancho’: extra strong . ‘cho she’: extra sweet!
Local hangout
Many elders of Kalaw meet here for breakfast, coffee, tea or the paper. So, if you fancy sitting down among locals from trishaw drivers to birdwatchers then this is your morning spot.