This restaurant is extremely deceptive. I must admit, when I was first brought here by a friend I was reluctant to enter due to its shabby outward appearance. However, to their credit, upon entrance the atmosphere completely changes. It has a sort of warm, golden glow to it, and the traditional burmese decorations, accompanied by the friendly nature of the staff make you feel instantly welcome.
The menu stays true to the Burmese culture, with a tasteful variety of noodles and soups, as well as curries and rice dishes. The whole menu simply exudes a home-cooked feel, with the dishes feeling lovingly prepared as opposed to simply slapped together like some other restaurants.
MY ORDER:
Fried Shrimps and Onion - $8.50
The fried shrimp and onion was extremely intriguing to me. I'd never heard of the concept before and was eager to try it. Upon arrival, I was pleased by the presentation, the dish before me resembled four circles of mixed onion rings and shrimp, accompanied by a sweet tasting sauce to balance out the heavy nature of the dish. Who thought shrimp and onion would be such a great match! I thoroughly enjoyed this dish, the shrimp was definitely the stronger flavour, with subtle undertones of the onion coming through to complement it. The outside was deliciously crunchy, while the inside was fluffy and light. I'm also pleased to say that there was next to no excess oil dripping out from between my fingers that so unfortunately accompanies the majority of fried dishes. My only fault for this dish is that it may be slightly too heavy and filling for the traditional starter, although for myself (being the big boy that I am), it was fine.
I rate it a 7.7/10
Ohn-No Khaukswe (Chicken Coconut Soup With Noodles) - $8.50
This dish is a must have for anyone who loves coconut. You definitely receive your value for money, with a very, very large and loving portion of soup presented to you, piled high with noodle, egg, chicken, and various other ingredients to tickle your tastebuds. The soup itself possesses a creamy, silky texture, definitely thicker than your average soup, but so smooth that it makes regular thin soups seem inferior. However, since the portion is very large, this thick, silkyness can get a bit repetitive on the tongue, which is where the crunchy chip-like ingredient (I'm not sure what it's called sorry guys), comes in. It adds crunch and pop to the dish, creating the perfect blend of smooth and crunchy to compliment the many flavours present in this dish.
Most prevalent is the coconut, although it is not too powerful or overwhelming. Instead, it sort of beckons you to take another spoonful, and another spoonful. The coconut flavour in this dish isn't subtle, but soft, and is extremely addictive. The noodles, egg and chicken also marry together with the coconut to create a gentle burst of flavours that betray the simple pricing of this dish. I rate it a 8.2/10
Golden Red Pork - $12
Mmmm how I do love this dish, if I had to pick a single dish on this menu, I would pick this one. The dish is simple, what appears to be braised pork marinated in a subtle, delicious sauce. Nowadays many people say they don't like fat in pork, however, this dish makes the fat seem so succulent, juicy and delectable that it will have you scraping the plate with your spoon for just another drop of that golden substance. Mmmmm I love this dish. The sauce itself is extremely difficult to place in terms of flavour, but possesses a sort of nutty subtleness that I just can't get enough of! It doesn't overpower the pork, but has just enough punch to complement it. The pork itself simply melts in your mouth, and the overall combination of the fat, sauce and meat is simply dreamy. I rate it a 9/10/
CONCLUSION
One thing I haven't mentioned is the prices. This restaurant is laugh-out-loud cheap, literally. I literally laughed when I tasted how good the food was compared to the prices they were charging, but I guess that comes with the "hidden gem" nature of this restaurant. I have however noticed that the prices, and customers every night have risen as the restaurant got more exposure, and while I might feel a little bit of sadness that the restaurant is no longer my little secret treasure, I'm happy for the owners who strive to cook authentic, flavourful and loving meals, and who are now reaping the rewards of their efforts. At the end of the day, what is a restaurant? It's a service. You pay money, so you can enjoy someone else's work and experience consolidated onto a plate, Sun's Burmese Kitchen accomplishes that in every way. read more