Burma Burma, the pan-Indian restaurant chain, steeped in the culture, tradition and flavors of the Irrawaddy country, has introduced a new menu of small plates. This menu is an experimental approach to giving a contemporary twist to Burmese flavors.
The idea was born from chef Ansab Khan’s vacation in Australia. On a trip through Australia, according to Chef Ansab, he met “incredible chefs driven by passion” and witnessed “their diverse approach to cooking”. “What struck me the most was this simple appreciation of the ingredients and the ingredient-centric approach they all had in common. Ever since I got back, I wanted to combine this approach with my learnings of Burmese cuisine and offer a menu celebrating Burmese cuisine,” the chef said in a social media post.
To start, the chef introduced new ingredients, like jackfruit, banana flower, nokeh (homemade Burmese cheese), stone flower, hemp seeds, etc. in the menu of small plates.
Recently we had the chance to sample the menu at Burma Burma Kolkata.
For a Bengali, long accustomed to ‘mochar cutlet’, the panko crusted banana flower and sweet potato croquette with sour kokum cream was an interesting presentation. This is an experimental version of banana flower fritters made in Burmese homes. Did you know Bengalis have been using jackfruit as fake meat for ages? In this vegetarian only restaurant, jackfruit was also helpful. Steamed rounds of pulled jackfruit flavored with five spices and light soy were served with a pickled chili sauce, lemongrass oil and aged radish. It was the Malar sauce that enhanced the taste of sunflower seed crusted broccoli with smoked Nokkeh cheese.
Rice is a staple food in Myanmar (formerly Burma). So there were steamed rice paper packets – steamed broccoli wrapped in rice paper packets with a generous sprinkling of hemp seeds and quinoa furikake seasoning – with a dashi (soup ) hot charred vegetables on the side. Another widely grown and used ingredient from Myanmar, taro made an innovative entry to the menu – crispy taro shells (more like a taco) were filled with sweet chili peppers, black beans, coconut cream and coconut cream. crushed avocado.
The Pyajo Curry was a real Burmese dish meets India – where the masala chana and potato were topped with yogurt, lentil fritters, crispy and slivers of samosa, and sprinkled with the mixture of Burmese spices specially prepared by the restaurant.
what and where: Myanmar Burma Small Plates Menu, 18M, Ground Floor, Stephen Court, Park Street, Kolkata 700071; Phone. : 7506061460/9920240097. Time: 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (Monday to Friday); it opens half an hour earlier for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Cost for two: Rs. 1,500 plus tax. They have vegan and gluten-free options for most dishes.
