Food Review: Discover Secrets Of Burmese Cuisine At Mumbai's Burma Burma; Their Salads Are Better Than Yours!

No time for a leisure meal? Stop by at Burma Burma for their small plates that are 'designed for sharing', and zero-proof drinks, which are rooted deep in Burmese tradition. The flavour profile will let you reimagine familiar tastes with ingredients that are very common to Indian households like tamarind, jaggery and green tea. Laphet or fermented tea leaves, and kaffir lime add a novel touch.

FYI, Laphet is one of the more popular traditional ingredients in Myanmar, and while you're at Burma Burma, you'll see these fermented leaves transition seamlessly from your drinks to your plate; it is a delicacy that can be steeped or brewed and consumed as a drink or even added to a dish. It's crunchy, and got tart, Earthy notes.

Spirited Experience Even Without Spirits

If the cocktails in Burma Burma could have been turned into a Netflix series, they would have made for quite some binge-worthy content.

Yongon Sunset, Ruby Dagger, Burma Sour, Laphet Lush, Cane Glow, Golden Highball, Pandan Royal and Elixir....the names itself are meant to take your breath away.

Burma Burma's in-house beverage team along with Soka by Bengaluru award-winning mixologist Avinash Kapoli have poured their hearts out into the drinks' menu in the hope that it fills yours.

The Yangon Sunset is their take on New York Sour. It is non-alcoholic, yet the notes of whiskey, red wine and lemon are so poignant. The team would like to define it as something 'moody, mellow and quite celebratory', and they are not off!

Zero-Proof Cocktails For Mindful, Sobre Drinking

Ruby Dagger is inspired by the refreshing drinks found on the streets of Yangon. The floral rhubarb juice and smoky thyme (that masquerades as a dagger in your glass), balances the sour, herbal notes.

Golden Highball is smooth, rich and served with a generous topping of caramel-coated popcorn. Here you'll get the depth of whiskey, sweetness of apple juice and decadence of caramel syrup.

Delicately aromatic, Pandan Royal has zero-proof gin, tender coconut water and aromatic pandan, a beloved ingredient used in sweet and savoury dishes in Burma.

Fans of fruity drinks can opt for Elixir that's got a blend of watermelon, green tea, and kaffir lime.

Burmese Stories Come Alive In The Decor

The newly opened outlet at the Gourmet Village, Palladium, has a very relaxed vibe to it. The place can get noisy during peak hours, but the mood and ambience will drown the noises out, especially as you enjoy your drink and munch on the small plates. Huge bronze bells adorn the ceiling and will remind you of the Burmese temple bells.

You'll also spot a wall decorated with sculpted cones resembling Buddha statues. That masterpiece is inspired by the ancient Kayin caves in Myanmar.

It's Munching Time

The Tea Leaf Salad is a very popular dish in Myanmar and it's the perfect start to your meal. You can also opt for the Merchants' Salad that features pickled tamarind leaves tossed with crunchy broad beans, tomato and garlic oil.

The flaky Canteen Puffs, topped with fresh herbs and stuffed with spiced potato make for a delightful entree, especially with the red chilli and vinegar dip.

The Nori Shitake Chips were salty because of the nori salt, but well-balanced with the soy, basil and green tomato dip.

Cheung Fung Tempeh can be had in two options: mock meat or tempeh. The latter comes garnished with shaved taro and a side of garlic in chilli paste.

The Broc N Cheese is a temptingly good dish of grilled broccoli stems served in creamy stracciatella and Burma Burma's signature Uncle Maung's chilli sauce.

Smoky Charred Edamame with spicy laphet or pickled tea leaves in a sesame lime dressing, celery oil and roselle leave steals the spotlight with its not-so-subtle flavours.

A Main Course That's Twice As Nice

If you haven't had your fill of starters, you can dip into the regular main course and try out Uncle Maung's Chilli Garlic Street Noodles featuring udon noodles tossed in pounded roast chilli and garlic, topped with wok tossed asparagus, taro and tofu.

Want something simple and less spicy? Opt for the Highway Meal Parcel better known as the traveler's meal with steamed rice, mock meat, potato curry, radish pickle, cucumber, mint and shallot salad and mushroom chips.

Showstopping Dessert Menu

The sweet course is all about reimagining timeless classics and there's is plenty of indulgence in every bite.

My meal ended on a happy note with the MasterChef style Coconut & Pineapple Creme Brulee. It's got coconut custard, topped with pineapple compote, cinnamon gelato, honeycomb and a semolina cake crumble.

The other bestseller is Banana & Cashew Tres Leches with banana confit, chocolate Chantilly, cashew streusel and banana caramel ice cream.

Burma Burma

Where: Gourmet Village, Palladium, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013

Cost: ₹2,500 for two people (approx.)

Published on: Friday, September 19, 2025, 02:00 PM IST