Chaung Oo Samosa Salad

Chaung Oo samosa salad became famous after a local restaurant named Mya Thida won a national award at a tournament. At first look, their samosa is not too different than the standard Myanmar variety, with such fillings as potato, onion and tomato, all then mixed with bean powder. It is from here the Chaung Oo fare departs from the norm, as the cook, Aung Shwe, assiduously prepares all of the ingredients separately, rather than doing so together as is common practice. This heightens the taste once the foods are combined at the end. Additionally, while the standard samosa can be fairly dry, Mya Thida mixes either a chicken or vegetable sauce within, making it further succulent. Their tournament success enticed other cooks to copy that formula, thus standardizing a regional style here. So appreciated are these samosas that many Burmese who travel through Monywa make a special, cuisine-inspired side trip to Chaung Oo to sample them.