day 12: best burger in bagan and some say burma

It is a small restaurant with seven or so tables, with a few simple Burmese deco hung on the interior walls and a sign 'Weather Spoon' outside. What caught my attention was the colourful sign at the corner with 'Burgers' listed among several other types of food they serve.

We have had american food at a number of restaurants in the past few days, but nothing was really satisfying. I decided to give it another shot and ordered the 'Weather Spoon's Burger'.

It turned out to be superlicious!! The bun was nicely toasted and between was a juicy home-made minced beef patty, complete with tomato, onions and bacon. It was accompanied with crispy fries, the best I have had on the entire trip!

The restaurant founder, owner and chef is Win Tun, a young gentleman who was a hot-air balloon driver turned chef. It was in Bristol UK - when he was training to be a hot-air balloon driver - where he learnt to make beer battered fish and chips, the burger and other food.

He spent all that he had and opened Weatherspoon Restaurant in September 2011. Business in the first two months was not great but is picking up now.

It was so good, Bun and I went back on the same day for dinner. And when we got there, we saw two other tables with the same customers who were there for lunch. Returning customers - a true testimony of good food, besides our licked-clean empty plates.

Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):

• 9,000 kyat - We had the Weather Spoon Burger with fries, Thai chicken with rice, lime and ginger drink, warm chocolate cake and a complimentary coffee in celebration of the upcoming Independence Day
• 6,200 kyat - For dinner, we had Carbonara and Fish and Chips