The welcoming interior of Onyx restaurant.

TUCKED away behind a large cement wall on the corner of Inya and Dhammazedi roads, Onyx restaurant is a well-hidden haven for people craving western food at Myanmar prices.

At first glance the inside of the restaurant is suspiciously hip.

The decor is fashionable and the less-is-more look is a welcome change from the bright posters and gaudy furniture that feature in many a Yangon restaurant.

However, the atmosphere is soon destroyed by the unrelenting Britney Spears, J-Lo and hip hop R and B music which belts out of the surrounding speakers.

The menu features salads, desserts, appetisers, snacks and main meals with a Korean flavour – the owners themselves are Southern Korean.

It does not cater well to vegetarians but for the rest of us omnivores, the menu provides a homely feel, mainly compromised of well-presented meat and vegetable dishes.

Unfortunately, the service is painfully slow so Onyx is probably not a suitable stop for people wanting a quick business lunch, while the waiters often seemed unsure of what was ordered.

The food is good though and is worth the wait at weekends when there is plenty of time to spare.

The chicken in red wine and mustard sauce is tasty. The serving is big and comes complete with a mixture of cauliflower, carrots and potatoes.

The presentation of the food is also inventive and the chefs seem to be open to a little experimentation.

This may be the reason the cheese and bacon burger does not come in any bread, but is delicious nevertheless.

The sandwiches on the snack section of the menu are also very good. The bread is thick, crusty and wholesome and there is no skimping on the fillings.

The sandwiches do not come with anything on the side, but at only K2000 even a fully fledged miser could afford some wedges or fries.

Much of the menu focuses on pasta which is good, but a little dry and cold, so with Cafés Dibar just down the road Onyx should be avoided by pasta purists.

The menu also contains a number of interesting Asian dishes.

On the whole, Onyx is a frustrating mix of good food, slow service and really bad music.

But it is certainly worth a try and is recommend for a slow Sunday lunch, even if you will probably want to come armed with ear plugs.