Why food is a great diplomatic tool | Htet Myet Oo | TEDxYangon

Htet Myet Oo talks about using the little known cuisine of Myanmar as a tool of diplomacy to put the country back on the world map after decades of isolation. Discover the vibrancy of the Myanmar cuisine and how it reflects the country’s diverse population and history.

Htet is a Myanmar-born, 27 year-old restaurateur and managing director of RTH Group Ltd., a restaurant group focused in the emerging sector of local cuisine. Htet is a graduate of City University London, where he received a Bachelor's in Economics in 2012.

After 18 years in the UK, Htet moved back to Myanmar and initially worked as the Public Relations Officer for the Yangon Heritage Trust.

In December 2014, Htet opened his group’s flagship restaurant, Rangoon Tea House, a casual dining restaurant inspired by the century-old institution that is the Burmese tea shop. The restaurant has gone on to feature in various international publications and in February 2017, the restaurant was named one of CNN’s 11 Best Tea Houses in the World.

Htet was also chosen as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2016 for Arts and Culture and has ambitions of opening what would become one of the first international chain of Burmese restaurants and globalise the country through its cuisine.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx