General Notes
Lovely Burmese restaurant with several locations in the bay: one in Oakland (Temescal), Alameda, and San Francisco (Richmond). This review is for the Oakland location. The food is really interesting -- there are some unique offerings like their tea leaf salad that are unapologetic about not compromising to western influences. As a whole their food is great (especially loved their samusas and coconut chicken curry!). Strong 6; would recommend!
Positives
> Their outdoor heaters are really powerful. A little too powerful, in fact. I came out of the experience feeling slightly too warm, which I don't think I've ever felt in an outdoor dining experience before. Good if you get cold easily, though.
Dishes Tasted
- ★☆☆☆ Spicy Noodles with Tofu -- Rice noodles, sweet and tangy sauce, tender pea shoots, red bell peppers, scrambled egg, shredded cabbage, crushed peanuts. Similar in vein to a pad thai. The flavor is decent but the noodles are a bit overcooked and lack the chewy texture that I look for. The tofu has a strange flavor/texture, I probably would have liked this dish a lot more with chicken or shrimp.
- ★★★☆ Coconut Chicken Curry -- Chicken thighs simmered in an aromatic stew of coconut milk, turmeric, Thai basil, string beans, and chili. The chicken is so tender and the flavor of the curry is quite nice. It could use a touch more sweetness and acidity to balance everything out ... which coincidentally makes it a great pairing with the coconut rice, which is slightly sweet.
- ★★★★ Lamb Samusas -- Four homemade pastries filled with curried potatoes, mint, masala spices, and green peas. Served with tangy red sauce. The pastry is SO delightfully crispy. The interior is soft and surprisingly light -- most samosas I've had feel very heavy and starchy but this was absolutely perfect.
- ★★☆☆ Tea Leaf Salad -- Fermented tea leaves, nuts, beans, garlic, lettuce. The textural contrast with the nuts and beans is wonderful. The flavor isn't my favorite but it's well thought out and well constructed. I can see why this would be the winner of the "Good Food Award"