Burmese cuisine makes splash in Burlingame (by Tim Simmers, Staff writer, Contra Costa Times)
It's endearing how salads and noodle dishes are lovingly mixed tableside at the new Burmese restaurant Mingalaba in Burlingame. But the real joy is in the eating, be it a curry or one of the many meat and fish dishes.
Born in Burma, owner Sandra Tung combines an authentic cuisine with the humble spirit of Buddhism. She and her husband, Win Than, opened the restaurant three months ago on Burlingame Avenue at the site of the old King Yuan Chinese restaurant, whose owners retired from the business. They also own Mandalay restaurant in San Francisco, but have turned over operations to a sister so they can focus on Burlingame. The warm and smiling Tung said she's been hoping to find a place here for years, because she loves the neighborhood and its people. The name Mingalaba is a Burmese greeting that roughly translates into "Hello, how are you?"
With a brick and yellow motif, the dining room is warm and casual, with a sparkling chandelier lending a little shimmer and elegance.
Burma, or Myanmar, is bordered by China, Thailand and India. Its cuisine is delicious and similar to both, but tends to be neither as fiery as Thai nor as spicy as Indian. Mingalaba also serves Mandarin cuisine, but my dining partners and I honed in on the Burmese dishes, since the cuisine is so delicious and rare on the Peninsula.
We started with a Burmese version of Indian samosa Vegetarian Samusas ($6.95) perfect deep-fried little triangles stuffed with mashed curried potatoes, peas and onions. The Palatha ($5.95) a spin on Indian Paratha is a pancake-thin, crispy Burmese bread served with a light yet deeply satisfying curried dipping sauce. These are both fantastic choices to help you sink into the mood of the restaurant.
For a textural treat, try the Tea Leaf Salad ($8), a wild mixture of green tea leaves, crunchy peanuts and fried garlic. Healthful and loaded with spice, it's a staple of Burmese people. If you love salads, you are in the right place. They're all good here. With 16 ingredients in every imaginable shade, the Rainbow Salad ($9.25) is aptly named. A chile-spiked dressing added a subtle bite.
The service was unhurried, attentive and helpful our waiter even let us know when we'd ordered more food than we could possibly eat.
Our feast continued with the House Special Noodles ($8) wide, housemade pasta infused with what tasted like a blast of fresh lemon. The recipe includes coconut chicken, fried onions and kaffir lime leaves. The owner slowly mixed the concoction at the table, describing each ingredient and taking pride in her presentation.
The Burmese-style Curry Chicken ($9.50) was rich and hearty, and went great with coconut rice. (Mingalaba offers a wide variety of rice, including brown and Burmese-style saffron rice to traditional white rice and several fried rice choices.)
The Rangoon Fish ($12.50) special, a pan-fried white fillet, was napped with a tasty curry sauce and served with a mix of tomatoes, yellow peppers, onions and cilantro. One of my dining partners thought this dish was a stunner, and I had to act quickly to get my share. This dish also went well with coconut rice.
The Pan Fried Okra Prawns ($13.50) were cooked fast in a hot wok, according to the owner. They were tasty, and the bright green okra was crunchy and spicy.
Rangoon Beef ($9.95) was another winner, with a spicy bite of tomatoes, red peppers and onions.
Asparagus Chicken ($10.95) was another interesting special, with hints of basil and plenty of eggplant and mushrooms included in the mix. In fact, most of the dishes included ample portions of vegetables. And all of the presentations were colorful and pleasing to the eyes.
FOOD: HHH
AMBIENCE: HHH
SERVICE: HHH
WHERE: 1213 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame.
HOURS: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily.
PRICES: $. Entrees $8.50-$13.50.
CONTACT: 650-343-3228, http://www.MingalabaRestaurant.com.
CUISINE: Burmese and Mandarin.
VEGETARIAN: A dozen dishes, plus any item can be made with tofu instead of meat.
BEVERAGES: There's a modest selection of wines as well as imported and domestic beers.
RESERVATIONS: Accepted at all times and for all sizes.
NOISE LEVEL: Moderate to loud.
PARKING: Plenty of space behind the restaurant, plus street parking.
KIDS: Welcome. High chairs available. No special menu, but chow mein and fried rice are good choices.
PLUSES: Clean and colorful dining room; fresh and tasty food.
MINUSES: It's already popular; expect waits and noise during prime dinner hours.
DATE OPENED: March 15, 2008.
Star key
H Fair
HH Good
HHH Great
HHHH Extraordinary
Price code
$ Most entrees under $10
$$ Most entrees under $20
$$$ Most entrees under $30
$$$$ Most entrees under $40

– Written by Fiona