Burmese Food In Bangkok

[JohnGotti]

Burmese food appears quite interesting and diverse . I would love to try it sometime, somewhere. However, I have never seen a single Burmese restaurant in Bangkok although I am 100% certain that they exist. Any ideas?

[Jingthing]

I do love Burmese food.

Does this place still exist?

http://www.bangkokpost.com/290808_Realtime...008_real020.php

Edited June 8, 2009 by Jingthing

[tb86]

Yeah kind of strange, i havent come across one yet, even our maids ect, some are burmese for clarification, seem to always cook thai food for themselves. I guess you just gotta make some friends and be lucky enough to get invited home for dinner, or better yet give them some money and "host a party".

I give you max 15 more minutes before the mods move this or close it, you did dare to question them,,,

[phazey]

Ohh brings back some memories - Shan Khao Shwe and Laphet - the latter being a real favourite!.

It's good to see a Burmese restaurant in Thailand - i may pay a visit.

[myauq]

hey, i ate some great burmese food on the weekend at a restuarant - goat and bean curry, with lots of great side dishes. yes, it was in bangkok too.

if you go to pan road near the myanmar embassy you will find a few restaurants with burmese or burmese-nepalese owners. they will definitely serve burmese food if you ask for it, but they don't really advertise it. they will be happy to serve you

if you go to some of the shops near the indian temple-side you'll find a couple under the guise of indian food. there is one with burmese writing on the outside, and they mainly sell clothing and indian paraphenalia inside, but there are a few tables tucked away inside where you can order some nice burmese food.

tell them ko zaw htet sent you (the australian burmese guy)

[myauq]

....but i find it kind of weird that, given how bkk has the biggest population of burmese people for a major city outisde of myanmar, it doesn't seem to have a renown 'burmese' restuarant. i don't know why that is. if one opened i'm sure it'd do very well though.

[Jingthing]

....but i find it kind of weird that, given how bkk has the biggest population of burmese people for a major city outisde of myanmar, it doesn't seem to have a renown 'burmese' restuarant. i don't know why that is. if one opened i'm sure it'd do very well though.

Maybe, maybe not.

-- Thais are generally not open to it

-- Farangs mostly never tried it and don't understand it

-- Burmese are mostly migrant workers here, yes?

[DP25]

A Burmese restaurant would be a prime target for an immigration raid. If I was a migrant worker I'd stay far away.

[JohnGotti]

I would imagine that they are quite a few well off Burmese living here.

[Jingthing]

I would imagine that they are quite a few well off Burmese living here.

I have heard even in Burma, the best food is in people's home, it is not a big restaurant culture. BTW, if there are so many well off Burmese people here they are NOT visible. I also feel if they really existed in such large numbers they would have created the DEMAND for a formal Burmese restaurant long ago. Compare to well off Thai Indians who are VERY visible in Thailand. Let me put this another way. If it was my own money to invest, I would not invest anything in a Burmese restaurant here, but I would be glad to eat at one! Not a contradiction.

Edited June 8, 2009 by Jingthing

[JohnGotti]

Im not saying there is the demand for a 5 star Burmese Affair, similarly, there are few 5 Star Thai venues... just saying that it is very likely that there are many wealthy Burmese living in Bangkok at least part time. Think about it, if you are a rich Burmese businessman or lady, where are you going to be doing your shopping, getting your surgery, etc... You probably walk past them on the street and simply do not notice them... they also likely speak Thai and blend in as a Thai person... These countries are all so overlapping that there will always be plenty of everyone everywhere... but its still quite weird that you do not see many local Burmese restaurants almost anywhere in BKK besides the locations given in this thread that I will be sure to checkout...And I would definitely invest in such a venue somewhere along sukhumwit as i think it would be a hit with farang wanting something different.

[Jingthing]

I hope someone opens such a place. I stand by my reservations and reasons for why it probably isn't going to happen.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2682594

[myauq]

I would imagine that they are quite a few well off Burmese living here.

I have heard even in Burma, the best food is in people's home, it is not a big restaurant culture. BTW, if there are so many well off Burmese people here they are NOT visible. I also feel if they really existed in such large numbers they would have created the DEMAND for a formal Burmese restaurant long ago. Compare to well off Thai Indians who are VERY visible in Thailand. Let me put this another way. If it was my own money to invest, I would not invest anything in a Burmese restaurant here, but I would be glad to eat at one! Not a contradiction.

yes there are heaps of well-off burmese disapora living here. like i mentioned, the ones with the indian restaurants on pan road and those in khao san road are burmese-nepali. they have all served me burmese food.

btw - if you go to burma there are quite a few famous burmese restaurants, just as there are shan and indian, for example. there are burmese restaurants in australia and the us, and many of these are very famous. i don't think it's to do with the source culture, but more of a marketing thing. let me explain...

take a look at mexican food and mexican restaurants. mexico doesn't strike me as a big restaurant culture with its own food, yet there are mexican restaurants and food stalls around the world. i couldn't have found tex-mex in australia just 15 years ago, but now because of films and exposure to us pop culture, there is a growing demand. not because of immigrants (not many mexicans or americans in oz compared to other diaspora), but cus there is more receptivity through marketing. that seems more likely.

[Jingthing]

Yes, I grew to love Burmese food in the Burmese restaurants in San Francisco. I didn't say there weren't Burmese restaurants in Burma. I did say it isn't a big restaurant going society based on my knowledge, that's all. This knowledge is limited as it is only based on reading and the reports of a food loving friend who goes to Burma every year. I also think the chances of Burmese food, as good as it is, being the next big thing in international food trends, is about zilch.

Edited June 8, 2009 by Jingthing

[polecat]

Yes, I grew to love Burmese food in the Burmese restaurants in San Francisco.

Oh for fuc_k's sake not another thread in appreciation of the mythical restaurants of San Francisco. I think you and UG should just move back there and be done with it. Only joking.

But yes, you are right about the best food being in people's homes. I've spent a lot of time in Burma and travelled quite extensively there, and most of the food you get at cafes and restaurants is absolutely terrible. Greasy soup, lumps of gristle and fat, pallid eggs... but, if you get good food, you are in for a major treat.

As someone said, laphet (tea leaf salad) is one of the reasons we were given a mouth and taste buds.

Bangkok is difficult for Burmese food, but Chiang Mao has some great options. One little shophouse on Nimmanhaemin near Warm Up is worth trying, and in and around a particular temple on the north side of the moat there are a good half dozen authentic Burmese eateries.

[BrianJohn]

Making no claim to expertise, but my travels in Myanmar leads me to propose that the styles of food on offer vary in proportion to the geography, found am Indian influence in the west, a leaning toward the Thai style in the east, and the really good Burmese food around the capital. The one dish I tried to include with most meals was the green tomato salad in it’s many varieties. LOVE IT.

We are lucky to have two good “Burmese” restaurants here in Melbourne, and they are both on my favorite places list. ALMOST worth risking the political situation to return for the food. Will be seeking same next visit to BKK

[Jingthing]

Oh for fuc_k's sake not another thread in appreciation of the mythical restaurants of San Francisco. I think you and UG should just move back there and be done with it. wink.gif Only joking.

That's funny!

Incidentally, the Burmese place that I first tried and must have eaten at hundreds of times is OUT OF BUSINESS. Yes, even in San Francisco.

I may move back there in my next life. Its too bloody expensive, I would have to live on a bench.

But yes, you are right about the best food being in people's homes. I've spent a lot of time in Burma and travelled quite extensively there, and most of the food you get at cafes and restaurants is absolutely terrible.

Thanks for the confirmation.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[sniffdog]

A Burmese restaurant would be a prime target for an immigration raid. If I was a migrant worker I'd stay far away.

Why? In my apartment (Miami on Petchburi) over a hundred (perhaps more) live here. In the last 5 years I haven't seen any raid at all. I believe that quite a few even work in the sister hotel.

And besides that, there are plenty of Africans too.

Edited June 9, 2009 by sniffdog

[JoeyBonaparte]

In the north in Chiang Mai try "Gaeng Hang Lei" which is basically Burmese curry

[Briggsy]

Around ABAC, there's at least 5 of them.

However, beware, there are many types of Burmese cuisine. Also many of these restaurants are staffed by a mix of Burmese, Nepalis, Indians, Pakistanis, etc so you'll need to specify preferably in Burmese precisely what kind of Burmese food you are after.

[polecat]

In the north in Chiang Mai try "Gaeng Hang Lei" which is basically Burmese curry

And found pretty much everywhere in Thailand.

[rak sa_ngop]

If you have ever been to Myanmar and got the taste for Pickled Tea Leaf Salad, i.e. La Phet - good news.

You can buy Yazana Sour Pickled Tea wih Chili for 80 baht a box. Contains a large bag of the assorted baked and fried nuts and peas, and a smaller bag of pickled tea which mixes up to quite a large serving of the Myanmar delicacy (I refrain from using the word 'Burmese' because I believe the tea leaves are grown in the Shan state).

I bought mine in the Indian/Burmese shop opposite the side of the temple on Pan Road (off Silom Road). From the outside the shop looks like it mainly sells Indian artefacts and goods, but has a small food selection inside. You may have to ask for the la phet as I did not see it on display.

Great stuff.