Meal #10 – Myanmar (Burma)

This week we tried the national cuisine of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) – which was definitely worth leaving the house for...unless you’re Aung San Suu Kyi that is…

Burmese House
Authentic Burmese Cuisine
303 Bridge Rd. Richmond
Lunch: Wed to Fri (11:30 to 2:30)
Dinner: Mon to Sun (5:30 to 10:00)
BYO Wine Only (Fully licensed)

Burmese House is a stylish multi-leveled eatery found in the heart of the Richmond food district, and one of only a handful of Melbourne restaurants that serves Burmese cuisine. The décor was inoffensive, focusing on brick and “untreated” wood, with similarly tame decorations. The open kitchen is located near the front door, inviting you in with the smells and sounds of lively cooking. Dining is predominantly located on a split upper level, affording a little more privacy than a single large room. Although the décor aimed for Western tastes, we hoped the food would not.

This week’s diners were (in age order) Naomi, Dom, Paul, Rami, Caroline, Helen, Phil, Deb and Vient (not so) Young (Sai). This meant that kosher, celiac and vegaquarian food restrictions applied.

Appetisers:

Marrow (Long Melon) Fritter served with a dipping tamarind sauce

Deep Fried Chickpea served with a dipping tamarind sauce

Roti Bread with dipping chickpea sauce

Mains:

Moh Hin Gha (The National Dish of Burma) – Rice vermicelli noodle in fish soup

Madalay Mout-Te – Egg noodle cooked with Burmese chilli paste, chicken, chickpea powder and lemon juice

Rangoon Noodle (Yangon Kauk Swe) – Stir-fried egg noodle together with chicken, egg and vegetables

Tamarind Chicken Curry

Grilled Beef Salad

Rakhine Sliced Fillet of Fish Curry (This recipe originated from the West coast of Rakhine state. It’s [sic] flavour is medium hot and sour.)

Appetisers:

This week’s entrée was brought to you by the vegetable chickpea. The chickpea dipping sauce was sharp and surprisingly flavoursome, and went well with the roti bread (our usual favourite). The deep fried chickpeas were, well, oriental falafels basically, but the tamarind sauce lent them a morish element.

The marrow fritters were an example of how to batter and fry vegetables well. The light batter meant that the flavour of the marrow was not lost, and the fritters were well complimented by the tamarind sauce.

Mains:

There was something fishy about the national dish of Burma (Moh Hin Gha); the description “Rice vermicelli noodles in fish soup’ was surprisingly literal. The meal consisted precisely of rice noodles in a broth of pretty much every fishy flavour you can imagine. Fish was definitely intended as a plural.

Having traveled rice heavy areas in past weeks, noodles were popularly ordered. The Rangoon Noodle (Yangon Kauk Swe) was described as a Burmese version of Pad Thai, distinguishable through its abundant use of oyster sauce. The Madalay Mout-Te would have been preferable as a side dish; as a main, the overpowering lemon juice downplayed the chilli and chickpea, preventing the traditional Burmese interplay of hot and sour flavours. The Rakhine sliced fillet of fish curry was also purported to consist of hot and sour flavours, but was disappointingly mild. The recommended side of coconut rice overpowered the subtleties of the dish, which was far more successful with steamed rice.

The two standout dishes were the grilled beef salad and the tamarind chicken curry. The beef was served rare and tender, with a liberal sprinkling of chilli, and accompanied by a salad of tomatoes, onions and random leaves. The chicken curry was particularly good with the coconut rice, which tempered the chillis and allowed the flavour of the tamarind to feature more prominently.

Overall:

Burmese House is a restaurant typical of the area: oriental food with a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere. Unfortunately some dishes inclined toward Western palates. It might be best to share the noodle dishes; they were not varied enough to satisfy as a single meal. The curries and salad dishes seem to be the most impressive dishes here, and are available in your preference of heat. The staff was accommodating, able to adapt to our fluctuating table numbers. They were willing to rearrange tables, and were able to make suggestions on complementary dishes. Burmese House was inconsistent in the quality of its offerings, but at less than $20 a head, a good meal can be had with discerning ordering.

Next Stop: Myanmar (Burma)

“Of all fruit the best is the mango, of all meat it’s pork, and of all leaves it’s tea.”
A popular Burmese expression that sums up their favourite traditional foods.

Well we are finally leaving Thailand, and this week we're heading over the northern border to Myanmar (formerly Burma) via the aptly named restaurant: Burmese House.


The three countries that border Myanmar - India, China, and Thailand - have influenced much of Burmese cuisine. Indian influences are found in Burmese versions of Indian dishes such as samosas and biryani, as well as the heavy usage of curries and spices. Ethnic Indians have a monopoly on such dishes. Chinese influence in Burmese cuisine is shown in the use of ingredients like bean curd and soya sauce, as well as in stir-frying techniques.

Traditionally, the Burmese eat their meals with dishes on low tables, while sitting on bamboo mats, and dishes are served more or less at the same time. Out of respect, the eldest diners are always served first before the rest join in; even when the elders are absent, the first morsel of rice from the pot is scooped and put aside as an act of respect to one's parents, a custom known as oo cha (lit. first serve). Burmese people eat with their right hand, forming the rice into a small ball with only the fingertips and mixing this with various morsels before popping it into their mouths. Chopsticks and a Chinese style spoon are used for noodle dishes, although noodle salads are more likely to be eaten with just a spoon. Knives and forks are used rarely in homes but will always be provided for guests and are available in restaurants and hotels. Drinks are not often served with the meal and, instead, the usual liquid accompaniment is in the form of a light broth or consomme served from a communal bowl. However, the Burmese beverage of choice is light green tea.

Different regions of Myanmar have different variations of “standard” dishes. Use of seafood is more prevalent along coastal cities such as Mawlamyine (formerly Moulmein), while meat and poultry are more commonly used in landlocked cities. Fish and shrimp from rivers, lakes and streams, however, have traditionally been the main source of protein in a variety of ways, fresh, salted whole or filleted,salted and dried, made into a salty paste, or fermented sour and pressed. Beef and pork, although certainly not forbidden, are avoided by many Buddhists and Muslims. Vegetarian dishes are also common, as especially during the Buddhist lent (Wa-dwin), a three-month rains retreat, eating only before midday (u bouk saunk) and abstaining from meat (thet that lut) is observed by many devout Buddhists.

Ingredients used in Burmese dishes are often fresh. Many fruits are used in conjunction with vegetables in many dishes. Below is a selection of some of Myanmar’s more notable dishes

Mohinga – the unofficial national dish of rice vermicelli in fish broth

Htamin thouk – rice salad with tomato puree, potato,glass noodle, toasted chickpea flour, crushed toasted dried fermented beancake,crushed dried shrimp, crushed dried chilli, garlic and dressed with cooked peanut oil, fish sauce, lime or tamarind and coriander

Kat kyi hnyat (lit. 'cut with scissors') – a southern coastal dish (from the Dawei area) of rice noodles with a variety of seafood, land meats, raw bean sprouts, beans and fried eggs comparable to pad thai

Kya zan hinga – glass noodle soup with wood-ear mushrooms,egg, dry flower, onion

Shauk thee thouk – sliced lemon (no pith or rind), toasted chickpea flour, crushed roasted peanut, crushed dried shrimp, crushed dried chilli, baked fish paste, cooked oil with onions (goes very well and often served with kya zan hinga)

Oun no hkauk swè – curried chicken and wheat noodles in a coconut milk broth similar to Malaysian laksa and Chiang Mai's khao soi

For more dishes, including Chinese-, Indian- and Shan-inspired dishes, please go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Myanmar