Burmese cuisine might not currently have wide-spread recognition in the capital, but founders Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh are on a mission to popularise the flavours of Myanmar amongst Londoners. Adding a third restaurant into the mix, Lahpet Larder offers a condensed version of the first two sites, whilst still retaining the same verdant, cafe-style interiors. At first glance, Lahpet Larder has a bougie coffee shop feel, but then you spot the buzzing open kitchen, and smell the pungent aromas of peanut oil and dried shrimp, and it's anything but. Like Lahpet’s other sites, this is a delightful spot to begin your education in this complex cuisine.
The ‘Larder’ moniker comes from Bermondsey’s former reputation as ‘London’s larder’, but also nods to the pantry shelves that sit at the entrance, packed with imported oils and dried produce from Myanmar. It’s a comforting and generous cuisine, served up sharing-style; whilst we’re recommended three dishes per person, it feels a tad too much for our poor table, which struggles to fit everything. A compact menu draws us in with plenty of recognisable ingredients, a safety net that allows us to test the waters with the nuances and specialties that Lahpet knows best.
We dip doughy batons into lightly spiced yellow peas, and crunch away on salty tofu and sweet potato crisps. The eponymous ‘Lahpet’ (pickled tea leaves) are sprinkled throughout the menu, and we order it in the form of its signature salad, mixed through double-fried beans, fresh tomatoes and dried shrimp; a delicate tang and moreish crunchiness that has us devouring every bite.
The Dawei Mohinga won’t be for everyone, but this mackerel chowder is a must order in our opinion. Packed full of fermented fish paste and lemongrass, there’s a lot going on, with a thick, chunky broth that houses slightly congealed noodles. It’s a minor flaw that we can happily let slide, enjoying the rounded cohesion of funky flavours.
Cocktails come with a Lahpet twist; a Margarita uses betel leaf tequila whilst a Sour unites raspberry and kaffir lime syrup with vodka, prosecco and Aperol in a fruity whirlwind that are as delicious as they are eye-catching. If this is your first endeavour into Burmese cuisine, you’re in safe hands at Lahpet Larder whose uncompromisingly authentic, and reasonably priced, dishes will leave you wanting more.