Lahpet, the popular Burmese restaurant in Shoreditch from Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh, are bringing their unique and modern take on authentic Burmese cuisine to Covent Garden this February. Lahpet West End, their second site, will serve their well-loved classics alongside new regional specialities, and dishes inspired by the street food of the cities of Myanmar.
Translated from Burmese as ‘tea’, Lahpet was founded by Dan and Zaw, who are keen to shine a light on their shared Burmese heritage and the exciting flavours of Myanmar. With a rich and diverse culture, Myanmar’s varied cuisine is influenced by many ethnic groups and regions, such as Kachin, Shan and Chin states, all of which have their own distinctive flavours and cooking methods but are also noticeably accented by the countries they border; most notably; Thailand, China and India.
The menu at Lahpet West End has been developed by Burmese born chef, Zaw Mahesh, and will combine old Lahpet favourites with new dishes, using seasonal British produce and native ingredients imported from Myanmar. New to Lahpet West End will be a large robata grill, serving a wide variety of grilled dishes, meat and vegetable skewers (Akin), plus a new selection of Burmese regional and street food dishes. New dishes will include the likes of Roasted pork belly & bamboo shoots (Wet thar myit chin), made with shallot, fermented soya bean paste (Paé pote), garlic and chilli; and Rakhine fish noodle soup (Rakhine monti); a spicy and sour soup, cooked with fermented fish paste (Ngapi), chilli, tamarind and black pepper. Hailing from Rakhine state on the west coast of Myanmar, a region famous for its seafood and dried fish, it is traditionally made with catfish, but the version at Lahpet West End will be made using sea bream and squid. Other new dishes will include the Shan state speciality of Shan Fish & Rice (Shan htamin), a popular Shan state street food dish, containing jasmine rice, sea bream, potato, tomato, fried garlic and shallots, peanuts and chives. Also new to the menu will be a range of regional pickles, made in house, such as Shan Pickle, made with choy sum, shallots, chilli, rice vinegar, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and rice.
Lahpet West End will also serve Lahpet’s beloved signature dishes, including Coconut noodles with Chicken (Ohn-no kauk swé), a rich coconut broth with egg noodles, shallots, spring onion, paprika oil, egg, crispy wonton and coriander; the eponymous Tea Leaf Salad (Lahpet thohk), a national delicacy made with pickled tea “lahpet”, then combined with cabbage, tomato, dried shrimps, raw garlic, chilli and a mixture of double-fried beans and seeds; the Mohinga (the national dish of Myanmar), a delicately spiced noodle chowder, made with catfish and lemongrass; and the Shan tofu fritters, smooth and silky on the inside with a crunchy exterior, made in the traditional Burmese way with ground yellow split peas.
Lahpet West End will span two floors, seating 100 covers inside, in a combination of booths and long sharing tables. There will also be a large heated terrace on the first floor, seating 50 guests, and a small courtyard at the front, seating 20. The interior is designed by Natalie Weavers Interiors in collaboration with Dan and Zaw. Pared-back, warm and natural, there will be pale woods with hints of industrial concrete, an abundance of plants and copper pendant lighting hanging from the ceiling as well as rows of pickling jars displaying the regional house-made pickles lining the walls. There will be a large bar on the ground floor, with a mixture of counter and island seating, ideal for pre or post dinner drinks, or those just wanting a drink and snack. There will be a second bar on the first floor, perfect for more relaxed dining.
Lahpet West End will have an entirely new cocktail menu, including the likes of a Turmeric & Zuzu Sour and a Kumquat Spritz, with only the signature Lahpet Margarita, made with betel leaf infused tequila, remaining from the Lahpet Shoreditch menu. A new wine list supplied by Liberty Wines will be on offer, with a craft beer offering also available.
On the new opening, Dan and Zaw commented -
‘We’re thrilled to be opening our second restaurant in the heart of the West End, it’s a fantastic site with
huge potential. We can’t wait to get the doors open and to have the opportunity to introduce more of the varied and vibrant food of Myanmar to London’
