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Little Rangoon Taste of Burma

 

The Chans were both raised in Burma, a large country located in mainland Southeast Asia. Many people know it by its official name, Myanmar. Burma shares borders with China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, the Bay of Bengal, and the Andaman Sea. Each region is rich in its own respective culinary history, so it’s only natural that Burmese food has been heavily influenced by each culture. After the Chans left Burma, they lived in Monte Carlo, where Alfred was taught by true Italian culinary masters. Deciding to open their own restaurant, they emigrated to the United States, choosing San Francisco as their first home.  

 

Little Rangoon is the perfect restaurant to take your friends who have varying levels of ethnic food curiosity. It’s true Asian fusion, blending Indian, Chinese and Thai. The menu offers a delicious range of choices for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. As in most Asian dishes, herbs and spices instead of rich creams and sodium-heavy sauces, are used to season. It’s no wonder Asian cultures have an incredibly long lifespan and low levels of obesity! A broad selection of reasonably priced wines and beer are found on the first two pages of their dinner menu.

 

I asked Elizabeth to explain what makes a dish distinctively Burmese in comparison to the neighboring countries. She stated that the major difference is found in cooking style and the spices and herbs used. Curry is a staple in Burma, akin to Thailand and India. Burmese curry dishes are a combination of meat, vegetables, sauce and spices, simmered together for many hours. Elizabeth says this creates the best flavor and the meat is never dry or overcooked. In my very best attempts, I could never fully explain the many levels of deliciousness that make up their curry. It is a clean, deliberate flavor where no spice ever overpowers another. It is a well- seasoned gravy thicker than Thai, but lighter on spices than the Indian counterparts. Spice, meaning, how on fire do you want your mouth to be, can be tailored to your tolerance for pain at the time of ordering. I stuck with my usual, “as little spice as possible” request. I try to convince myself it’s easier to taste the true flavors of my meal without the spice, and not because I’m simply a big wimp. I do hear Little Rangoon doesn’t joke around when it comes to spice. If you order it spicy, it’ll be eye wateringly, nose sniffingly up to par.

 

 

Dishes are presented simultaneously and in family style, a system which allows guests to sample each choice. Alfred and Elizabeth recommend the Chicken Curry or Pork Belly Curry if you’d like to try something completely authentic to Burma. I took their advice and decided on the tasty Chicken Curry as my main dish. Friends were not disappointed by their selections of Singapore Noodles, Malaysian Style Rice Noodles, Chicken Kebab, Beef Marsala, and the special of the evening, Coconut Mango Curry with Tilapia and Prawns.

 

To begin our culinary marathon, we decided to select a few warm up appetizers. I ordered the Tea Leaf Salad and Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup. 

 

The Tea Leaf Salad was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. It was brought to the table with such beautiful presentation, each ingredient of the salad separately placed on the plate. Alfred explained how the marinated green tea leaves, fried garlic, roasted sesame seeds, peanuts, crunchy split peas, ground dried shrimp, sliced cabbages and tomatoes would flavor the salad individually. He then combined them all in a separate dish, tossed them around, and placed it in front of me. If you enjoy green tea, you may want to consider this as a choice, as this is the overwhelming flavor. Others at our table weren’t too keen on the taste, but I found it to be very unique and refreshing.

 

Hands down, the winner of the evening was the Ohn Noh Kauswer, or the Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup. After my first spoonful, I felt guilty not sharing it with my friends. If they knew of the delectable flavors I was withholding from them, I don’t know that they’d forgive me. Everyone fully enjoyed this dish, with its Burmese style coconut milk, chunks of tender chicken, egg noodles, crunchy peas (our favorite part), cilantro, and a slice of hard boiled egg.

 

Save room for dessert, as the fried banana split cannot be missed. It will honestly put any banana split you’ve ever tasted to shame. The lightly fried bananas were reminiscent of Brazilian fried plantains, but without the bitterness plantains sometimes have. It was the perfectly sweet ending to a perfectly wonderful dinner.

 

Little Rangoon’s beautifully decorated interior has two main dining areas, and a private dining room that can be reserved for parties, or guests looking for a more intimate space. A European café-style outdoor patio is also a choice for patrons taking advantage of the real deal lunch specials.

 

Put Little Rangoon on your list of top tier Asian restaurants in Phoenix, and try it this week. It’s a little hard to see from the street, but if you look behind Claim Jumper and next door to Sushi on Shea you’ll see the second floor eatery. Elizabeth and Alfred Chan are the consummate hosts. Pair them with their excellent cuisine, and you’ve found a hidden gem.

 

 

For more information: 7000 East Shea Blvd. Suite C-1580, Scottsdale, AZ, 85254.

Phone: 480-922-8585. The menu can be found, and online and reservations can be made conveniently on their website www.littlerangoon.com.