burmese curries are a little different in that the spices are suspended in oil so they may look greasy, but aren’t. i was just there about 10 days ago, and the lady smiled and said “you ordered the goat curry!” which i honestly don’t remember having, but i do recall thinking that their curries were all very different from one another,
they have what i think is a stir fried beef dish where the meat is tasty and almost jerky-like in texture. we ordered it spicy.
mohinga (catfish soup with noodles) is their national breakfast dish. i can take it or leave it.
wasn’t crazy about the fish curry. IIRC a fish indigenous to myanmar, it needed to be curried IMO. i don’t doubt it’s authenticity but it didn’t do much for me. overall, while they emphasize a crunch factor in terms of texture there’s enough diversity across the menu. in terms of flavors and textures it might be close to a tasting menu as you’ll get off a regular menu. i don’t remember what was in this curry, but everyone liked it.
The tea leaf salad, fried tofu, and a curry sound like the perfect lunch. I’ll report back when I’m able to make it out there (if @Chowseeker1999 doesn’t beat me to it first)! How do you like Daw Yee Myanmar? It’s nice to try to hit similar spots to gain a wider perspective on dishes, especially with those I’m unfamiliar with.
Years ago I named that the Wolfgang Puck Effect. Every time I’d see him on TV, he’d make a perfect dish, then degrade it by adding a couple of unnecessary ingredients.
Happens in Europe as well. That’s pretty much the definition of “creative” cooking here in Rome. Hey, that braised pig cheek is perfect, but wouldn’t it be more interesting if we added some licorice? Uh, no.
i’ve been to daw yee only once. it was good but i have the subjective impression that yoma’s menu is much more extensive. don’t let that keep you from trying the place though - you might even want to try it first - the tea leaf salad was about the same, as was the tofu with dipping sauce. if you try them there, you could possibly skip them at yoma and try some of the other selections.
@tonyc 's raves actually prompted me to try the place. his thoughts would probably be useful.
Thank you for championing Yoma. I am happy to see they’re still in business. They have many good and interesting dishes, I also like nearby Daw Yee. Recently, I’ve chosen Daw Yee, not because the food is better (it isn’t), but because it feels more upscale. I think both restaurants are underrated. Burmese food is delicious.
I agree with secretasianman that from a hardcore foodie point of view, Yoma has more to offer than Daw Yee. But both restaurants should be at the top of folks’ lists of places to try (and at least one should have made j gold’s list of 101 restaurants).
the irony is that i had a roommate from burma (OOPS i mean myanmar) and i didn’t think much of his cooking. fortunately that didn’t deter me from trying the place. if anything, i’m only briefly carrying a torch that’s been carried for years by fellow wolverine tonyc. yeah, daw yee is a little more modern in terms of decor, etc. if you’re not crazy about yoma myanmar’s decor, you’ll probably hate polka, the polish restaurant near verdugo & york. the place looks like the inside of many homes in the polish neighborhood where i lived as a child. but it’s one of the few places in town where you can get a pierogi,
20 years ago happy bakery was the place at the corner of 9th & valley. good filling and a flaky crust. i’d buy a dozen and hide them in my luggage (along with a roast duck from sam woo) when going back to the midwest for the holidays. sadly, the place burned down and i never really looked for a replacement bakery. enough other bakeries have elevated their game so that happy bakery’s rendition probably wouldn’t be the best anymore. for those of you who cares about the pastry, i was surprised by the quality of the crust of the small AYCE egg tarts at the buffet on commonwealth in alhambra where busloads of tourists disembark from the hotel parking area next door and walk straight into the buffet which for only $9 lunch is a surprisingly good deal. i probably ate $9 worth just in pig ears when you get them boxed at ranch 99.
having said all that, the macau style tarts at china red are pretty good. but i’m not all that crazy about them so i really don’t have a pecking order any more.
Nahh, I find their salads and noodles keep fine for breakfast or lunch the next day. Sure I get strange looks at work when I’m chowing down on leftover tea leaf salad early in the morning at my desk. But who cares.
