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Walnut Creek’s first Burmese restaurant opened quietly last week inside the former digs of Le Cheval on North Broadway. It’s the same spacious, 4,000-square foot restaurant, but now the walls are decorated with maps and photographs of Burma, the tiny Southeast Asian country bordering Thailand, Laos, India and China. They influence the cuisine, which is known for its bold flavors and vibrant textures. We visited for a mid-week dinner. Here’s what we discovered.
THE VIBE: The place is large, quiet — no music — and nicely air-conditioned for these warm spring nights. The dining room features black cloth draped tables, traditional brown dining chairs and a few brightly-colored umbrellas dangling from the ceiling. The bar, located in the same corner as Le Cheval’s was, currently serves beer and wine. Our first impression of Burma Unique is that it’s a good spot to score a table with a party of four or more and enjoy a peaceful meal. Young servers lingered and doted a bit on our visit — it’s the second week of business, after all.
THE FOOD: The menu is massive. It features traditional Burmese dishes mixed in with Thai and Vietnamese standards, and is divided into appetizers ($8-$12), soups ($11), salads ($11-$13), noodles ($10-$13) and a startling 60 entrees ($11-$16) made with chicken, pork, beef, seafood or vegetables. There are also six types of rice, from a sweet jasmine-coconut ($3) to a basmati with cardamom and raisins ($3).
After much deliberation — we had to read through all those selections — we decided to focus on the Burmese offerings, including the crunchy Tea Leaf Salad ($13), with its fermented tea leaves, fried garlic and fresh romaine lettuce, and Shan Noodles ($12), a traditional rice noodle dish served here with minced chicken. We also spotted Platha ($11), a multi-layered bread served with coconut sauce ($13), vegetarian Samosa Soup ($11) and stir-fried Basil Chili Lamb ($16).
The Tea Leaf Salad sated our craving for the flavorful dish. The Shan Noodles, while generously dotted with minced chicken, garlic, ginger, scallions and Sichuan pepper oil, were overcooked, yielding a mildly unfavorable gooey texture. Burma Unique’s version of Beef Kebat ($15), a traditional dish of wok-tossed steak cooked with onions, green chiles, tomato wedges and mint leaves, includes tamarind, which gave it an overall tangy note.
In its second week of business, Burma Unique is still working out a few issues in the kitchen, but it’s a welcome and unique addition to Walnut Creek’s dining scene.
PERFECT FOR … Large parties, people who prefer quiet restaurants and the table that wants Thai green curry alongside Chicken Kebat.
DETAILS: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 5 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner (until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays) at 1375 N. Broadway, Walnut Creek; www.burmaunique.com
