Why the World Needs to Taste Shan Cuisine: Htet Myet Oo on Identity and Modernizing Heritage

Getting deeper into our conversation with Htet Myet Oo, this goes beyond just running restaurants—he’s shaping how Burmese cuisine is understood and appreciated. As the founder of Rangoon Tea House and now Namsu Bangkok, he has mastered the art of using food as a powerful medium for storytelling, cultural diplomacy, and reshaping perceptions. Through his insights, we see how cuisine can serve as a bridge between cultures, a quiet act of resistance, and a challenge to long-held perception.

With Rangoon Tea House already making waves, why was it important for you to specifically highlight Shan cuisine with Namsu?

Firstly, we were, and still are very aware of the challenges of opening restaurants, with Burmese concepts in Bangkok. We’re not only fighting the stereotypes of what perhaps Burmese cuisine or culture may seem to be, but we’re also competing with some of the most accomplished, creative and high quality restaurants in the world. 

This is a huge challenge, and we decided to commit to opening two restaurants in Bangkok from the get-go because we want Bangkok to take the cuisines of Burma seriously. To me growing up, the two top eating cultures of Burma have always been the Tea Houses and Shan cuisine, so to represent those in a city like Bangkok, is really exciting. 

Many Southeast Asian cuisines have deep Chinese and Indian influences. How does Shan food stand out from other regional cuisines in this regard?

The Shan people are part of the Tai ethnic family, who migrated to the area we know now as Shan State about 7-800 years ago.

Much more recently, when Burma was under the British rule, they encouraged migration of Chinese from neighbouring Yunnan province further influencing what we know today as Shan cuisine.

The soil in Shan state is known as some of the most fertile and rich in the region, partly due to its origin of volcanoes in the mountains which is famous for its red tint. The state's high altitude and remote landscape result in many dishes containing preserved ingredients that are pickled, fermented or cured.

The flavors, are light, fresh, aromatic, delicate yet deeply flavorful and also consider slow-food, where each dish has several elements that take days, weeks, or months in the case of Namsu's vinegar, to prepare.

What conversations do you want to start with Namsu?

Through our restaurants, we can start many conversations.

VALUE

Is a bowl of Mohinga worth the same as a Vietnamese Pho or a Japanese Ramen ?

To me, it is, especially if you know the effort that goes into making it. If the people should be considered equals, so should the food.

EFFECT OF COUNTER-STEREOTYPING

I hope guests who have never been to Burma, or those who've misinterpreted it before, can experience the rich, diverse and beautiful parts of our culture.

In the last ten years, we've met countless young Burmese restaurateurs or entrepreneurs that told us that our journey helped shape theirs. And that I think is so rewarding, and a key part of our mission.

The Yunnan Porchetta

The region that has influenced Shan cuisine the most is Yunnan Province.

For this dish, pork belly is dry brined, the Yunnan way, rolled in Yunnan spices and roasted at two separate temperatures, to create the crispy skin, the Chinese way.

Then slice and grill to finish and serve with Shan pickles, which were made using the homemade aged Namsu (Vinegar).

Sour Brain Pate

It is not only as a conversation starter, but also showcasing the diversity of Shan cuisine. The pigs brain are blitz with homemade aged vinegar and steam it until it creates a pate, or mousse-like texture. This dish is ironically everybody's favorite, but only if you dare order it.

It is not only the best conversation starter, but also showcases the deep unique values of Shan cuisine.

The pigs brain are blitzed with homemade aged vinegar and steamed until it creates a pate, or mousse-like texture.

This dish is ironically everybody's favorite, but only if you dare order it.

Do you see yourself as a storyteller, an ambassador, or something else entirely?

I see every Burmese person operating outside of the country as an ambassador of our culture, our shared values and our vision for the future. You can see through the world that things are changing, and the effect that restaurants can have on communities and cultural identities are evident.

In that sense, I want to use stories told through our brands and restaurants to both collectively make us more proud of our culture and allow others to understand more about where we come from.

Both Rangoon Tea House and Namsu have extremely strong identities within themselves.

Their similarities and their differences are pretty representative of the country we come from and that's the beauty of Burma.

Namsu Bangkok brings Shan cuisine to the international stage. What do you hope diners in Thailand take away from this experience beyond just the flavors?

If even one guest leaves after their meal and feels compelled to google for photos of Shan State, chat GPT the history of the city of Rangoon or YouTube videos of recipes from Shan cuisine, I know I’ve done my job.