As a foodie I always try to explore new restaurants and cuisine, and Hong Kong is certainly one of the best places in the world for such adventure. However, one of the few countries that was seldomly seen represented in town is Burma. My only recollection on the food was from a small eatery we visited in Macau. Therefore, we had a lot of anticipation when we came to this restaurant on Aberdeen Street.
Immediately I got attracted to the beautiful logo featuring a peacock and the dark jade color used extensively in the interior design. Seated at the booth sofa at the back of the restaurant, there was a subtle immersion into the Burmese culture, through the many photos showing glimpses of life in the country, connecting us to the memories of founder Nelson Htoo.
Ordering Da Nyin Gone ($98), a mocktail to quench my thirst after walking up the steep road from Central, we asked for some recommendations on food, and the staff did a good job in explaining the different dishes on the menu and helped us navigate some of the signature dishes to order.
The first dish was La Phet Thoke, or Tea Leaf Salad ($140). According to the staff, this is the country’s favorite salad and most popular dish. The chef had pickled the tea leaves, then mixed with shredded cabbage and onion, along with some cherry tomatoes, Burmese crunchy peas, and an abundance of sesames. The marinade of fish sauce and lime provided appetizing acidity and savory flavors. While the pickled tea leaves were quite unique in taste, it was a bit too salty.
The other appetizer we ordered was Village-Style Egg Curry Bites ($115). Inspired by a local street food, the chef had soft-boiled the free-range eggs in curry and then putting some caramelized onion, dried shrimps, peas, and nuts, with a coriander sauce. We both liked this better than the salad, in the way the different ingredients integrated well to give a complex array of spicy, savory, and sweet flavors, to the contrasting texture of the soft egg and crunchy peas and nuts. Highly recommended.
The Mohinga ($170) is a national dish. A soup noodle, the catfish broth was rich in flavors, with the lemongrass bringing in fragrance to the thin round rice noodles. The crispy split peas, soft-boiled egg, coriander, and homemade chili oil all added to a complete feast in taste and texture, with the different elements surprisingly well harmonized. A must try in my opinion.
The main dish we ordered was Ngar Kin Chin Sat or Roasted Whole Sea Bream ($395). The roasted sea bream was nicely seasoned, garnished with an abundance of refreshing ginger and lemongrass. Not only did the herbs provided a sweet spicy and fragrance to the fish, the crunchy bite was also a good complement on texture too.
Wrapping up with dessert, we had Burmese Tea Ice-cream ($120). It was a tribute to the tea culture of Burma and the many tea houses across the nation, with the chef making the ice-cream using the elevated Burmese milk tea, adjusted with reduced sweetness to cater for local preference. On the bottom there was the banana crumble, again playing the card of mixing the different texture to provide an interesting contrast on the palate. A nice one as well.
Service was good, with the staff friendly and eager to help, despite being very busy with full-booking on a no-special Wednesday evening, demonstrating the restaurant's popularity. The bill was $1,197 which is reasonable. Whether to explore the Burma cuisine, or simply to enjoy a nice meal, this restaurant is a good place to consider.
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