A Burmese experience now in Indiranagar

Let’s be honest here – if you are non-vegetarian and you hear that there’s a new vegetarian restaurant in town, you are usually not too keen on trying it out. But we took it up as a challenge and headed to the brand new restaurant in Indiranagar that offered Burmese cuisine called ‘Burma Burma’ and oh man, were we taken by surprise!

The ambience is gorgeous. They have used Burmese elements like the weathered stone walls of the pagodas which contrasted the antique embellishments. The lacquered furniture and the warm colours of the ‘thangka’ paintings gave the restaurant a contemporary look.

‘Burma Burma’ is not just a place for food but also some of the most interesting teas. The cuisine has influences from India, China, Thailand and Laos in its dishes. So you’ll be sure to find an array of salads, soups, rice, noodles and curries.

Giving an Indian touch the soup was ‘Samuza Hincho’ aka Samosa Soup. The tangy flavour was enhanced with spring vegetables and spiced black chickpeas. Biting into the samosa pieces was a fun surprise too.

The salads offered here a must-have. ‘Mandalay Laphet Thoke’ is a tea leaf salad had a mix of fermented tea leaves, fried garlic, nuts, sesame seeds, tomato and lettuce. The traditional delicacy had the perfect crunch to it that you would want to go back for more.

The raw mango salad ‘Tayat Thi Thoke’ had a mix of red chilli, crushed peanuts, lettuce and brown onion, making it a perfect summer salad. ‘Naykyar Gyun Akyaw Thoke’ salad has baby sunflower leaves, crispy wheat flakes, tomatoes and onions which was tossed with tamarind chilli dressing. The slight hint of spice to it was an interesting touch to the sunflower leaf salad.

Though it’s a vegetarian restaurant, there’s something called ‘mock meat’ which excited the non-vegetarian in us. The ‘Grilled Mock Meat Skewers’ were made with soya chunks which were marinated in crushed spices, tamarind and lemon zest. To be honest, it really did feel like a meat dish.

The steamed buns are also a speciality it. It’s like boas but with a slight twist to it. The ‘Brown Onion and Roasted Chilli’ were an interesting option as the caramelised flavour of the onion gave it simple yet I-want-more-of-this feeling.

You can’t say you’re at a Burmese restaurant and not try the Khowsuey. The signature dish is a one bowl meal of coconut milk stirred with lemongrass, tamarind and diced Asian vegetables. You can have the ‘Burma Burma Oh No KhowSuey’ in udon, hakka, whole wheat or flat noodles. This bowl is quite filling – so if you’re a khowsuey fan, it’s recommended not to stuff yourself with all the other dishes.

The ‘Mushroom Sticky Rice’ was accompanied by ‘Stir Fried Vegetables’. While the rice was delicious, it was too sticky and almost felt dry after a point.

The desserts offered here were as unique as the other courses. The ‘Smokey Avocado and Honey Caviar Ice Cream’ is highly recommended here. There was a certain delicate flavour to the ice cream which made a perfect way to end the meal. If you’re a pannacotta fan, the ‘Oh No Na Nat Thi’ is also a good one. The chilled dessert is served with pineapple and toffee bits.

If you think you’re too full from everything you tried here, have some of their teas. There are about 30 options to choose from including Bubblegum Tea and some of their signature blends.

‘Burma Burma’ is located at 607, Ground Floor, 12th Main Rd, 7th Cross, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar. For details, call 43008120.