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What Is Burmese Food? A Beginner's Guide
If you've never had Burmese food, you're not alone. It's one of the least-known cuisines in America, and one of the most rewarding to discover. Here's a plain-English guide to what it is, what it tastes like, and what to order first.
Where Burmese food comes from
Burmese food is one of Asia's great undiscovered cuisines: the home cooking of Myanmar (still widely called Burma), a country in Southeast Asia that borders India, China, Thailand, Laos, and Bangladesh. Its kitchen has absorbed ideas from all of those neighbors, including curries from India, noodles from China, and fresh herbs and lime from Thailand, and turned them into something distinct.
What does Burmese food taste like?
Burmese cooking is built on a balance of sour, salty, savory, and crunchy. Common building blocks include:
- Garlic, ginger, onion, and turmeric, the base of most curries and soups.
- Fish sauce and dried shrimp for deep, savory flavor.
- Lime and fermented ingredients for brightness and tang.
- Crunchy toppings like fried garlic, fried beans, peanuts, and crispy wonton chips. Texture matters.
- Chickpea flour, toasted and used to thicken salads and give them a nutty richness.
Heat is usually added at the table rather than cooked in. That's why at Road To Burma, chili comes on the side for most dishes.
Burmese food vs. Thai and Indian food
If you like Thai food, you'll recognize the lime, fish sauce, and fresh herbs, but Burmese food is generally less sweet. If you like Indian food, Burmese curries will feel familiar, but they're lighter on cream and dried spices and heavier on garlic, ginger, and onion. And there's nothing quite like a Burmese salad anywhere else.
Five dishes to order first at Road To Burma
- Tea Leaf Salad (La Phat Thoke): the signature dish of Myanmar. Fermented tea leaves tossed with crunchy beans, peanuts, fried garlic, tomato, and lime. Comes with a free cup of hot Burmese green tea. Read the full guide.
- Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup (Ohn No Khauk Swe): egg noodles in a rich coconut-milk chicken broth with boiled egg, lime, and crispy toppings. Mild, golden, and comforting.
- Chicken Noodle Salad (Nan Gyi Thoke): thick rice noodles tossed with chicken curry, chickpea powder, lime, and crispy wonton chips. Pick your heat level.
- Lunch / Dinner Box ($15): beef or chicken curry with white rice, stir-fried cauliflower with egg, and carrot. The easiest complete meal on the menu.
- Tofu Kyaw ($5): golden fried tofu with chili dipping sauce. A great starter to share.
How to eat it
Burmese meals are casual and made for sharing. Mix your salad well before you eat it, squeeze the lime over your soup, and add chili a little at a time. If you're not sure where to start, just ask at the counter. The team is happy to walk you through the menu.
Try it in downtown Birmingham
Road To Burma is inside The Pizitz Food Hall at 1821 2nd Ave N, open Monday to Saturday 11 AM to 8 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 3 PM. Prefer to eat at home or the office? Order through DoorDash or Uber Eats.