My association with Burmese cuisine is personal and goes back to the time when I got married. My wife’s mom is an Indian of Burmese origin, who, sadly was forced to return home as a refugee during the war. What she brought back with her were some awesome tips to cook wonderful Burmese cuisine, which I'm privy to for the last 11 years. And the Mohingar, Athho, Seecho, and Bejjo, has been a household favourite.
So I was overjoyed when I heard that Burma Burma, the restaurant serving authentic Burmese fare is coming to namma Bengaluru. I immediately bookmarked it and was planning a visit with family. But I was recently invited a few days after their launch for a very special evening with carefully curated selections from their extensive menu.
The evening started off with a round of their famous bubble tea selections across flavours like hazelnut, mocha, matcha & nutella. I preferred hazelnut, but very soon shifted to Lemon Grass Cooler; with a dash of lemon in it. It was a perfect blend of lemongrass & lemon, with both not overpowering each other in a subtle and balanced way. The Watermelon Cooler was equally impressive but failed to become my favourite.
Next came the Khowsuey Amuse Bouchée, served gratis, essentially set the expectations straight for what’s to come next. I, being very impressed did gulp in a few extra servings.
Along came the Hincho or soup, for which we had the Samuza Hincho, essentially translates to samosa soup. It’s a Burmese samosa on a tangy broth, with loads of finely chopped seasonal spring veggies and black chickpeas. I love tangy flavours, so I enjoyed every slurp, but it may not be to everyone’s liking.
For salads, we had two options - Mandalay Laphet Thoke, the Tea Leaf Salad & Tayat Ti Thoke, the Raw Mango Salad.
The Mandalay Laphet Thoke was a great leafy salad that had slightly pickled tea leaves, it was a perfect balance of beautiful flavours, I wish I had more of it. The Raw Mango Salad was not very different from its Thai cousin, very similar strong sweet and sour flavours dominating thin slivers of fresh raw mango. And the lotus stem crisps were super thin, beautifully spiced chips, which absolutely will make you forget about any other version you've ever tried.
The Crunchy Tofu in bao styled buns looked more like mini burger sliders and had the perfect texture & crunch.
Next in the course was Tohu Mok Palata; a crispy, flaky Burmese style Parota served with a yum tofu mash, spiced with onions, and tomatoes. The crispy parathas went wonderfully with the delicious mash. Oh, and I=in between courses we were offered a Chilli Granita, it worked wonders not just as a palate cleanser but also to awaken our tastebuds.
For mains, we had the most predictable Burmese dish, the Khowsuey; soft noodles on a thick spiced coconut broth with a tinge of lemongrass and a hint of tamarind. The whole bowl of deliciousness was beautifully complimented with an array of DIY accompaniments of fried onions, fried garlic, spring onions, lemon, peanuts, and chilli flakes. It was one of the best I have had in recent times and I recommend you try it too.
The Browned Onion with roasted chilli stuffed sticky rice was another classic; strong chilli flavours, balanced by the sweetness of caramelised onions, engulfed in a layer of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and steam cooked. The Stir Fried Seasonal Greens with tofu was decent with the tofu taking centre stage and the veggies a little too salty for my liking.
For dessert, we tried the Tagu Pyian, it was such a visual treat, with beautifully cooked Sago {tapioca} pearls in palm jaggery and encircled in a creamy coconut custard. The first spoon of it reminded me of familiar flavours back home, of that of a humble Modak filling. An absolute delight to have, this dessert is worthy to be on the cover of any dessert magazine.
Maybe that compliment was a way too soon, I take my words back, as that honour goes to the Smokey Avacado Icecream with Honey Caviar. This had so much drama, served in a cloud of smoke {thanks to dry ice}, revealing creamy dollops of avocado ice cream, with honey caviar on top.
Overall it was a great evening, thanks to our wonderful hosts at Burma Burma, that we got to know a little more {than what I already knew} on Burmese cuisine and it’s nuances, key ingredients and most importantly the culture behind the cuisine.
A highly recommended place for any foodie, especially those who prefer south East Asian cuisine just like I do, and for those who are bored of the regular Chinese takeouts. Burma Burma is a vegetarian paradise, this jewel will make you forget the non-vegetarian fare, at least, for as long as you are there.
So I was overjoyed when I heard that Burma Burma, the restaurant serving authentic Burmese fare is coming to namma Bengaluru. I immediately bookmarked it and was planning a visit with family. But I was recently invited a few days after their launch for a very special evening with carefully curated selections from their extensive menu.
The evening started off with a round of their famous bubble tea selections across flavours like hazelnut, mocha, matcha & nutella. I preferred hazelnut, but very soon shifted to Lemon Grass Cooler; with a dash of lemon in it. It was a perfect blend of lemongrass & lemon, with both not overpowering each other in a subtle and balanced way. The Watermelon Cooler was equally impressive but failed to become my favourite.
Next came the Khowsuey Amuse Bouchée, served gratis, essentially set the expectations straight for what’s to come next. I, being very impressed did gulp in a few extra servings.
Along came the Hincho or soup, for which we had the Samuza Hincho, essentially translates to samosa soup. It’s a Burmese samosa on a tangy broth, with loads of finely chopped seasonal spring veggies and black chickpeas. I love tangy flavours, so I enjoyed every slurp, but it may not be to everyone’s liking.
For salads, we had two options - Mandalay Laphet Thoke, the Tea Leaf Salad & Tayat Ti Thoke, the Raw Mango Salad.
The Mandalay Laphet Thoke was a great leafy salad that had slightly pickled tea leaves, it was a perfect balance of beautiful flavours, I wish I had more of it. The Raw Mango Salad was not very different from its Thai cousin, very similar strong sweet and sour flavours dominating thin slivers of fresh raw mango. And the lotus stem crisps were super thin, beautifully spiced chips, which absolutely will make you forget about any other version you've ever tried.
The Crunchy Tofu in bao styled buns looked more like mini burger sliders and had the perfect texture & crunch.
Next in the course was Tohu Mok Palata; a crispy, flaky Burmese style Parota served with a yum tofu mash, spiced with onions, and tomatoes. The crispy parathas went wonderfully with the delicious mash. Oh, and I=in between courses we were offered a Chilli Granita, it worked wonders not just as a palate cleanser but also to awaken our tastebuds.
For mains, we had the most predictable Burmese dish, the Khowsuey; soft noodles on a thick spiced coconut broth with a tinge of lemongrass and a hint of tamarind. The whole bowl of deliciousness was beautifully complimented with an array of DIY accompaniments of fried onions, fried garlic, spring onions, lemon, peanuts, and chilli flakes. It was one of the best I have had in recent times and I recommend you try it too.
The Browned Onion with roasted chilli stuffed sticky rice was another classic; strong chilli flavours, balanced by the sweetness of caramelised onions, engulfed in a layer of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and steam cooked. The Stir Fried Seasonal Greens with tofu was decent with the tofu taking centre stage and the veggies a little too salty for my liking.
For dessert, we tried the Tagu Pyian, it was such a visual treat, with beautifully cooked Sago {tapioca} pearls in palm jaggery and encircled in a creamy coconut custard. The first spoon of it reminded me of familiar flavours back home, of that of a humble Modak filling. An absolute delight to have, this dessert is worthy to be on the cover of any dessert magazine.
Maybe that compliment was a way too soon, I take my words back, as that honour goes to the Smokey Avacado Icecream with Honey Caviar. This had so much drama, served in a cloud of smoke {thanks to dry ice}, revealing creamy dollops of avocado ice cream, with honey caviar on top.
Overall it was a great evening, thanks to our wonderful hosts at Burma Burma, that we got to know a little more {than what I already knew} on Burmese cuisine and it’s nuances, key ingredients and most importantly the culture behind the cuisine.
A highly recommended place for any foodie, especially those who prefer south East Asian cuisine just like I do, and for those who are bored of the regular Chinese takeouts. Burma Burma is a vegetarian paradise, this jewel will make you forget the non-vegetarian fare, at least, for as long as you are there.
