Authentic Burmese Food in Bangkok
by Inle Traditional Food & Shan Noodle
Unlike other Southeast Asian cuisines, such as Thai or Vietnamese food, Burmese food is almost unknown outside of the little-visited Southeast Asian republic.
I visited Myanmar, also known as Burma, twice during my travels, but both times were long before I thought to start this blog. Nowadays, it's much more difficult to visit the beautiful country due to political issues. I have been feeling very nostalgic about my adventures in Myanmar - one of my favorite places I've ever visited - and I was so excited when my wife discovered a small Burmese restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand!
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| authentic Burmese food in Bangkok |
We sat down to order and were surprised to see that the menu was written out in Burmese script without a word of Thai to be seen! The staff quickly brought us an English menu. The staff come from Myanmar and cannot speak Thai!
This was a good sign for me, as it was a hint that this restaurant must cater almost exclusively to the Burmese population in Bangkok, and that the food was going to be as authentic as it gets!
Sides
After we placed our order, the staff brought out some appetizers for us to snack on while we waited. First was a jug of steaming hot green tea, which we could refill freely in our tiny glass cups.
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| a jug of hot tea is served with the meal |
Next was a plate of fried donuts (called youtiao in China and patongo in Thai) known as e kya kway in Burmese.
These mildly sweet bites of fried dough can be eaten on their own (and are a popular street food breakfast in Bangkok and elsewhere in Asia) or can be dipped in soups and broths.
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| e kya kway, or traditional fried donuts |
We also got a small bowl of pickled mustard green relish, which had a strong fresh and sour flavor.
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| sour mustard green relish |
Sticky Shan Noodles with Pork
Our food arrived quickly!
First up was a bowl of Shan noodles. Shan State is the largest state in Myanmar and is located in the northeast of the country. Shan noodles are a popular staple dish from this region and is eaten throughout the country.
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| Shan noodles with pork |
Shan noodles, known as "sticky noodles", are made from sticky rice noodles and cooked in a thick and creamy broth flavored with fried garlic, fresh cilantro, and other aromatics.
Burmese cooking goes heavy on the garlic, which I love!
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| sticky Shan noodles in a thick broth |
The noodles were served with slices of pork, and after eating all of the noodles and meat, I used the fried dough to soak up the rest of the rich and flavorful soup.
Fish Cakes
We also ordered the fish cakes.
Burmese fish cakes are made from golden rice cakes mixed with savory herbs and fish and topped with fish and fried garlic.
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| Burmese food in Bangkok, Thailand |
These buttery and perfectly savory fish cakes were so delicious that I wish we had ordered another portion of them!
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| traditional Burmese fish cakes |
Each bite burst with amazing flavors, and I was already feeling full by the time we had finished this dish.
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| a bite of delicious and savory fish cake |
Inle Tempura
As a side dish we ordered "Inle tempura". This dish, like the name of the restaurant itself, is named after Inle Lake, the second-largest lake in Myanmar and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
Inle tempura was made up of a combination of vegetables - morning glory, potato, and more - lightly battered and deep fried until crispy. It was served with a mildly sour and spicy dipping sauce for extra flavor.
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| Burmese "Inle tempura" |
Lahpet Thoke, or Fermented Tea Salad
Perhaps the best-known Burmese dish outside of the country is lahpet thoke, or fermented tea salad. This is the only dish that I am aware of that uses tea leaves as an ingredient. The leaves are fermented or pickled and mixed with lots of other delicious ingredients like chili, whole peanuts, crispy garlic, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, ginger and more.
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| lahpet thoke, or Burmese tea leaf salad |
Myanmar might be the only place in the world that actually eats tea leaves as a food ingredient rather than purely as a drink.
The incredible combination of flavors and textures creates a strongly flavored and very complex dish that is savory, slightly sour, and slightly spicy. I really love this tea salad, and if you have the opportunity to try it, I highly recommend it.
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| pickled tea leaf salad |
Menu
The food is very authentic, and the prices are incredible.
The menu is printed in both Burmese and English, but there is no Thai menu. The owner and staff at the restaurant are from Myanmar, and can speak English but not Thai.
Since we don't know much about Burmese food, we asked for recommendations, and they were happy to tell us about their house specialties, which we ordered. Everything was flavorful and delicious!
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| Inle Traditional Food & Shan Noodle menu and prices (Thai baht) |
Location
The restaurant is located at 11/5 Pracha Rat Bamphen 11 Alley, Huai Khwang, Bangkok 10310.
The nearest metro station is MRT Huay Kwang, and it's just a short taxi ride or about a 10-minute walk to the restaurant from the station.
The neighborhood is full of popular restaurants, and I'd be excited to come back and explore this area again.
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| Inle Traditional Food & Shan Noodle in Bangkok, Thailand |
You can see the exact location on the map.
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