Burma Burma, Bengaluru offers a true Burmese culinary experience
BY NIVEDITH GAJAPATHY
After establishing itself as one of the most successful restaurants in the Garden City, Burma Burma has opened its new outlet in Bengaluru’s shopping and dining district at Forum Rex Walk, Brigade Road.
This location is strategically positioned to cater to a wide range of customers who are looking for a unique and authentic culinary experience. Being located in a busy area with many shops and restaurants nearby, Burma Burma has the potential to attract a diverse clientele who are curious about exploring the flavours and culture of Burma through its cuisine.
As India’s only specialty Burmese restaurant, Burma Burma’s increasing presence in Bengaluru will help to increase awareness and appreciation for vegetarian Burmese cuisine in India, and encourage more people to try its distinctive and delicious flavours.
The 120-cover restaurant and tea room is designed to be bright, airy and spacious, providing a verdant oasis in the midst of the bustling city. The space is designed with traditional Burmese accents and modern touches, creating the perfect gathering place to celebrate the wholesome cuisine of Burma.
It boasts contemporary aesthetics with subtle tributes to Burma in its design details. The restaurant's interiors are designed by Mini Bhatt Designs and pay homage to Burma’s stunning countryside and the indigenous Bagan tribe from the Mandalay region.
Right from the restaurant’s entrance which is flanked by two hand-painted wooden dolls, and upon stepping inside, customers are greeted by a verandah-like space that serves as the main dining area.
The dining space features a curved ceiling-to-floor glass wall that runs the length of the area, providing natural sunlight and a view of the surrounding greenery, creating a calm oasis in the heart of the city.
A 29-feet-long tea bar with highchair seating is on the opposite side, and above this is a hanging teak-wood shelf showcasing Burmese artefacts sourced from the ancient city of Bagan.
The dining area is dotted with countless customised planters with Burmese motifs, adding to the garden-city vibe, and the visual highlight is a large pillar adorned with hand-painted Raj Oshok flowers by Mumbai-based artist Prashant Keluskar.
The restaurant also features a 19-seater private dining room, marked by gate-like wrought-iron partitions and a bright blue faux window.
Cane, a beautiful Burmese element, is innovatively integrated into the custom-designed, contemporary furniture, adding to its earthy look. Service stations styled like traditional cabinets found in Burmese homes, are made with teak wood, and hand-embroidered shawls and lungis are used as fabric for upholstery and cushions for the sofas.
Custom-made, geometric tiled dining tabletops add vibrancy to the space, and the earthy tones juxtaposed by wooden accents create a mood that is sure to transport customers to Old Bagan.
Burma Burma offers a modern take on traditional Burmese cuisine. With a focus on introducing the culture and flavours of Burma to its guests, the restaurant has an ever-evolving menu that includes small plates, mains, beverages and desserts.
The menu is a fusion of traditional and contemporary flavours, featuring street food dishes as well as tribal and heirloom recipes. This approach promises to offer a rich and diverse culinary experience that is both authentic and innovative.
The new set menu is designed to offer a complete dining experience with a variety of dishes that showcase the diverse and delicious flavours of Burma. It’s perfect for both small and large groups, and features six courses with signature dishes that are carefully curated to balance and complement each other.
Start with the new tea-based mocktails that is very unique and refreshing. The Spiced Apricot Artisanal Iced Tea combines Burmese pickled apricot, smoked oolong kombucha, roasted red chilli, black grass jelly, and honey to create a complex and flavourful drink. The Lemon and Lime Artisanal Iced Tea, on the other hand, uses lemon cold brew tea, lemongrass, kaffir lime, citrus extract, and lime to create a tangy and refreshing drink.
The Scarlet mocktail, made with hibiscus cold brew, grapefruit, ginger ale, and honey, has a sweet and sour flavour, while the Paloma mocktail uses pineapple, grapefruit, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, lemongrass, kaffir lime, and chilli to create a sweet and spicy flavour.
Additionally, the new flavours of Bubble Tea, including Brown Sugar Bubble Tea and Yuzu Bubble Tea, are sure to be popular with Bubble Tea lovers in Bengaluru.
Begin with new small plates that uses indigenous Burmese ingredients which is a great way to showcase the country’s unique flavours and culture. It’s always exciting to try new and exotic ingredients in dishes, especially when they are sourced from their place of origin.
Small plates also allow for a diverse and varied dining experience, where guests can try multiple dishes and flavours in one meal.
The Taro & Moringa Soup is a delicious and nutritious dish. Taro is a starchy root vegetable that is commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and moringa leaves are known for their health benefits, as they are packed with vitamins and minerals. The addition of black beans and corn provides a nice contrast of textures and flavours to the soup.
It’s interesting to learn that this soup is a specialty of the Kyan tribe, which showcases the diversity of Burmese cuisine and the use of indigenous ingredients.
The Grilled Jackfruit Salad is a delicious and healthy option. The jackfruit, which has a meaty texture, is seasoned and grilled to perfection, then tossed with fresh lettuce, shallots, young tomatoes, and chilli garlic oil, which adds a bit of a spicy kick to the dish that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
Crunchy Shiitake Fingers are coated in a mixture of semolina and hemp seeds, giving them a crunchy texture when fried. To complement the earthy flavour of the shiitake mushrooms, the dish is served with a creamy cashew and smoked bandel cheese dip. Overall, this dish offers a unique and flavourful way to enjoy mushrooms.
Combining soba noodles with tea leaf pesto, laphet, and smoked bandel cheese results in an interesting mix of textures and flavours. It’s great to see the use of local and traditional Burmese ingredients in a modern dish like this.
Edamame & Broad Bean Hummus is made of pureed broad beans and edamame, which are then topped with balachaung-stuffed peppers. It is served with warm Burmese naan bread.
Smoked Chilli Rice Bowl, on the other hand, consists of Jasmine rice that is wok-tossed in a smoked chilli sauce. It is accompanied by seasonal greens and crackers.
Not to be missed is the Street Style Burmese Falooda. This is a Burmese twist on the traditional Indian dessert, falooda. It is made of chilled coconut milk, sweet bread, basil seeds, black grass jelly, and sticky rice. This is truly a must-try dish to finish your meal.
Burma Burma was launched in 2014 by childhood friends Chirag Chhajer and Ankit Gupta, and has since expanded to include restaurants in Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Kolkata, bringing Burmese culture and cuisine to life in a completely new way.
