Man, that's good!

Mandalay Restaurant and Cafe serves fantastic Burmese cuisine

Story and photos by Patricia Grossman

Silver Spring is fairly booming with new ethnic restaurants, and Bonifant Street is host to one of the latest: the Burmese restaurant Mandalay. Inspired by the cooking of his mother, Hla Hme, owner Aung Myint opened Mandalay in January.

Located on Bonifant Street, the Silver Spring Mandalay adds the taste of Burma to the many ethnic offerings downtown.

Aung started his culinary career five years ago, making and selling donuts with his mom in a small storefront in College Park. Soon after, Aung put Hla's culinary talents to work by including her Burmese specialties on the menu. They sold donuts in the morning and offered Burmese food for lunch and dinner. Because the shop was so small and the food was such a hit, they decided to expand.

Walking into Mandalay on a Saturday spring evening around 8:00 p.m., I found the place hopping. The wait staff moved from table to table, others were bussing tables to make way for new customers, and the crowd was animated and talkative. The space is more functional than cozy or intimate, and the décor is equally simple. The most noticeable wall hangings are two Mandalay logo T-shirts in big beautiful frames and marked with dozens of autographs. The shirts were signed by the first customers who ate at the Silver Spring Mandalay.

I learned a bit about Burma as I read the many outstanding reviews of Mandalay by the front door. Officially called Myanmar by its current military junta government, Burma is a country in Southeast Asia with a culture heavily influenced by China, India, and Thailand. The restaurant is named after one of Burma's largest cities.

I was seated at a small table in a corner of the large room, and despite everyone in their groups having a great time, I felt comfortable alone. Having never eaten Burmese food before, I took my time reading the menu. The appetizers reminded me of Indian appetizers, complete with a listing of interesting sides (sauces, actually) in which you dip the items. While the Indian restaurants I have visited place the dipping sauces on the table, here at the Mandalay you must buy each one separately at 49 cents each. Although they looked interesting, I skipped the appetizers because they are all fried. Eggplant fritters might be ordered during my next visit, however!

Five soups are offered, and the KyarSan Hingar caught my attention because of its woodear mushrooms. The soup came to my table piping hot, a transparent broth with those mushrooms as well as noodles, dried bean curd, chicken, and fish cake, all topped with fresh spring onion, cilantro and black pepper. With just a hint of spice and such distinctive flavors, it put Asian cuisine into a new category for me.

	While the entrees at Mandalay are plentiful and distinctive, especially for the newcomer to Burmese cuisine, the unique salads here are the must-haves. Thirteen are listed, all of which contain the incredible Burmese dressing described as cracked peanuts, sesame seeds, gram powder, lemon juice, garlic oil and fish sauce. It doesn't taste like it's described, however--it tastes even better!
PaZun Thoke (shrimp salad) is a unique delight- yet reflects the flavors of the region.

Shredded cabbage seems to be the base of all the salads, with various vegetables, proteins, and herbs creating variety. Depending on the ingredients the prices range from $4.99 to $6.99. I ordered the PaZun Thoke (shrimp salad)-- a bargain at $6.99 and a fantastic food experience. Garnished with fried onions and carrots, this delightful salad contained steamed shrimp, tomato, cabbage, onion, and fresh cilantro tossed with that Burmese dressing. One leaf of romaine lettuce was placed upright to the side of the salad, which was piled high on a round white plate, giving the dish a Polynesian flair.

Many of the noodle dishes were reminiscent of Pad Thai, so I decided against them because I was in search of something altogether new. Many of the chicken, beef, and pork entrees with basil also reminded me of Thai food. Various curry dishes with onion are on the menu, but nothing jumped out at me until I spotted the Wet Thar Tha Yet Thee   Hin, or pork chunks simmered with pickled mango curry. This curry looks like tomato sauce but it tastes nothing less than exotic. I thought the pork chunks would be hard to cut with no knives placed on the table. Upon touch, the cubes just broke in half with the fork.

Casual atmosphere mixes with exotic, complex flavors.

Burmese cuisine can be quite spicy, and the wait staff seems to be very sensitive to their customer's tastes. My waitress specifically asked me how I wanted my curry dish to be spiced and I overheard this at the tables next to me more than a few times. I asked for my curry to be mildly spicy. And it was, perfectly.

Although I was pleasantly full from the three-course meal, I ordered dessert anyway. Two are offered: Shwe Ji and sticky rice with brown sugar and coconut. I've had sticky rice previously in Thai restaurants, so I ordered the Shwe Ji: cream of wheat, coconut cream, sugar, raisins, and milk topped with poppy seeds. Expecting to see a ramekin of some porridge-like mixture, I was surprised when something akin to a piece of cheesecake, only warm out of the oven with no crust, appeared. I ate the whole slice, happily.

On Thursdays and Sundays, Mandalay offers special dishes. Coconut rice with chicken and curry is served on Thursdays, and on Sundays a basmati rice dish is prepared. Both dishes take hours in the making, and   I'll be making my way back for them.

Mandalay Restaurant & Café is located at 930 Bonifant Street in Silver Spring. 301-585-0500. Lunch hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Dinner hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.