Mumbai food: A vegetarian Burmese meal in South Mumbai

Naykyar Gyun Akyaw Thoke

WhatâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088happens when the owner of a vegetarian Burmese restaurant, a chef and an architect pack their bags and venture into the heart of Myanmar for 10 days? They embark on gastronomical adventures, sample street fare, peep into locals' kitchens, try to cut salad with scissors, spend time at tea houses to learn serving styles and row through lake markets - all with an aim to introduce new flavours to Mumbai foodies.

That's what Ankit Gupta, owner of the two-year-old Burma Burma (co-owned by Chirag Chhajer), its head chef Ansab Khan and architect Minnie Bhat did on their trip to the neighbouring country in October.

Tohu Mok Palatha

"The initial menu was largely based on the specialties of Yangon (Rangoon) region. However, we wanted to introduce staples from other parts too. So, we visited Bagan, Mandalay and the Inle Lake region," says Gupta.

From tohu to pickled mustard
The new menu has 20 dishes, featuring ingredients intrinsic to the central parts of Myanmar. For instance, tohu - a type of tofu made from gram flour, that's a star of the Shan Dynasty (residing in Shan state of Inle Lake region) cuisine - appears on the plate as Tohu Mok Palatha (Tohu Mash with Paratha).

Kowni Ghin

"As a chef, a visit to the Inle Lake region was most interesting as the city is on a lake, where all the markets are operated on boats," reveals Khan, who has infused pickled mustard greens and tamarind leaves from the region in the menu.

Meanwhile, the famed tea leaves from Mandalay are served pickled in a stir-fry infused with tofu and bak choy.

Ankit Gupta and Minnie Bhat

"We've also created Naykar Gyun Akyaw Thoke (Sunflower Leaves And Crispy Wheat Flakes Salad), a dish that we ate at Yar Pyi Vegetarian Restaurant in Bagan, which served fare from the Kachin region from Northern Burma," he adds. The menu has a section of Grilled Sticky Rice that the troika was introduced to in the Northwestern villages of Myanmar. Here, the sticky rice is grilled with a stuffing in a pre-steamed banana leaf. The team has also put together a tea room featuring 45 types of tea, with 15 types of Burmese mocktails.

A veggie delight
When we ask if certain meat dishes have been tweaked to suit a vegetarian palate, Gupta replies, "Burmese food is well-suited to a vegetarian menu. In fact, the meats that they eat are in a raw form, or as toppings, which may not work in India.

Chef Ansab Khan

The flavours of vegetarian Burmese cuisine are so intense that the absence of meat is not an issue." While the boys gorged on regional fare, Bhat scoured the markets for Burmese scrolls with tattoo art designs, fishing hats, small metal gongs and lacquer tea sets that will be set up in the restaurant.

Time 12 pm to 3 pm; 7 pm to 11 pm
At Kothari House, Oak Lane, MG Road, near Mumbai University, Fort.
Call 40036600