. >> anthony: this is ma thengi, a famous and very controversial figure in public life. nmar, because that's original name since the, uh, 13th century. >> anthony: ma thengi, like u thiha saw, has also spent time in prison. but on emerging after three years, she became in the minds of many an apologist for the regime. fairly or not, i leave to others. >> ma: sometimes, outsiders, um, act as if, you know, it's only after the military junta went away that, you know, things happened. first we were sort of, like, in a frozen state, like snow white. dead. >> anthony: but her many well-known books on the culinary traditions of myanmar make her a compelling advocate for burmese cuisine. so you're very passionate about the cooking and the cuisine here, and -- >> ma: well, it's just that i like to eat and i eat like a pig. [ chuckles ] >> anthony: this is yangon's restaurant. >> ma: salads, i think, are the best of our food. i'm going to order a lot of salads that you haven't had. you know, it's going to be like a sort of a tasting thing. >> anthony: there's pig head salad with ka