I wanted to try Burmese cuisine but I didn't want to go alone. I have no problems dining alone in a restaurant but for this food adventure, I wanted to share it with someone. My partner's out of the picture, he's too busy with work and I couldn't bother him. Besides, I wasn't sure if he's up for it or not. I messaged my foodie friends and so, we're here on a Saturday at a Burmese restaurant.
If I remember correctly, I've only tried Burmese food cooked by my Myanmar friend who lives in Osaka. I already miss her and my other friends who are still living there. While living in Osaka, it never crossed our minds to dine out at a Burmese restaurant and I didn't know why. I think at that time, we were so thrifty that whenever we gather, it would be in a friend's house with home cooked meals.
Prior to going to the restaurant, I asked my friend for recommendations. I also told her where we would be going. She ended up suggesting not just what to order but also what restaurant to go. I didn't hesitate to change restaurants the last minute - the safe bet is always what's already been tried by a Myanmar person.
If you're in Tokyo and looking for Burmese food, this restaurant can be the place to go to! It's called ZUU&HEIN Myanmar Tea House. My friend said their food was authentic.
It was before 6 PM when we arrived at the restaurant. It's located in Ikebukuro, on the east side, near the Sunshine Road. From the looks outside, you won't really know right away the restaurant because it didn't look like one. It's on 2nd floor of a small and suspicious looking building.
All eyes were on us the moment we entered the small restaurant. It's as if they were curious if we're Myanmar people as well, but nope, we're not. We may look like one but we're not. 😂 We immediately ordered food, as per the recommendation of my friend Thuthu. She sent a photo of the menu to us and highlighted the ones we should order. She's so kind even when we haven't seen each other quite some time already.
They have these red lanterns hanging. I'm not sure if in Myanmar, it's also like this but it really added to the unique experience.
We ordered a bunch of unknown food. Unknown because we're not entirely sure how it would taste like. It's really an adventure.
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Their menu was of course in their language and it was funny we were trying to compare the characters from what Thuthu gave us. There was also a Japanese equivalent but for some, there's none. We're left to compare or guess or ask.
Nanjito arrived first. As per my friend Thuthu, it's called Nan kyi thoke - နန်းကြီးသုပ်. It's a noodle and chicken salad and it was my favorite among all the food we ordered. I liked how balanced the texture and the taste was. We ordered one for sharing and realized it's good for one person only so my companion ordered another one for himself.
Next up was Mame Parata which I don't know its actual name in Burmese but it's a fried thing with beans fillings. I don't usually like beans but this one made me like it. It doesn't taste like beans. 😅 It's my top 2 favorite from the food we ordered. It's good as an appetizer.
My friend and I ordered their シロンティー which I'm guessing is Ceylon Tea. It's a milk tea and probably was using Burmese milk because I usually get stomachache from normal milk. This one I didn't. Thuthu also recommended we order this one if we want to get drinks.
Because it seemed like we ordered a lot of carbs, my friends needed protein so we ordered steamed siomai. This was the spicy kind and well, there's that kick after.
Because we're already confused what to order for the 5 of us, we got ourselves the big plate of assorted fried food. This was the only big plate we could find on the menu. When it arrived, well, it was really so big! It came with a small bowl of lettuce too.
There were so many kinds on this big plate. There was corn, beans, some veggies we think it was aloe, small shrimps, and spring rolls. I noticed they can fry anything which were amazing!
Our favorite of this bunch was the fried banana because of its nostalgic taste. The banana they used was the same banana we used in the Philippines.. probably. It was so ripe so it was so sweet. We even ordered another plate of it.
We finished our food adventure with a plate of samosa, the Burmese kind of course. I've tried samosa made by Thuthu before so this wasn't new to me but I couldn't remember its taste anymore since it was long time ago. The samosa from this restaurant was so yummy! More on potatoes? But yes, there are veggies.
We were surprised their food wasn't that expensive as we thought but since we ordered a lot, it's a draw. 😂 I didn't have complaints though. I was so full the moment I left the restaurant. I like their food! And this food adventure was a success!
Round 2? Probably but not anytime soon. Maybe better to go with a Myanmar person so we'll be guided properly. 😂
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
With love,
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.