After reading rave reviews on Yelp.com, I decided that it was time to make a mission to Burma. Knowing that I would need to heavily sample as much as possible, I decide to invite two close friends with me on my journey. Andrew, my pal from New England Conservatory, whom routinely calls me for a Cuban food run at 3:30 AM on weeknights, and Erin, his ‘Man Is The Bastard’ loving girlfriend from MassArt, were perfect travel companions. We met at YoMa, the only Burmese restaurant in the greater Boston area, despite Myanmar’s size (it’s the largest country in Southeast Asia) which made the restaurant already have a sexy exclusiveness about it. Yet, the space was sparsely decorated, with large front windows, myriad Burmese textiles on the pale walls and an illuminated plastic banner of a skyline in Myanmar.
A lone, smiling woman with dark braided hair, the only person on duty in the front of house, graciously escorted us to a large table in the window and quickly served us hot water with lemon to cleanse our palates before our meal. Andrew demanded that everything be as spicy as possible, Erin and I apprehensively agreed.
The extensive menu catered to both vegetarians and omnivores. Erin wanted to start with a salad, so we decided on the AaMaeTharThot, a cold roast beef salad with punches of tart lime juice and sprinkled with crispy rice ($7.45). It was absolutely divine ‘-‘- the sliced roast beef was tender and rare, definitely a fresh, prime cut. The cabbage was crunchy and the cucumber was crisp. The subtle vegetables allowed the meat to pick up the garlic and lime flavors, which all blended seamlessly as a cohesive dish. We opted for NgaSotHin, a featherback fish that came drowned in a tomato and lemon grass sauce. Although the cilantro was present and the chili flavor was strong, the aroma and taste of the oily fish itself was overwhelming ($9.95).
The ShwePaYonTheeHin, a pumpkin curry, was also a perfect choice ($9.25). Hearty chunks of sweet pumpkin shared the texture of a soft broiled Yukon potato and mingled nicely with the tomato and ginger marinade. Although the shrimp weren’t as jumbo or as plentiful as I had hoped, they were perfectly cooked and a surprising complement to the earthy pumpkin. We finished our culinary caravan with JarZanHinGar, a brothy soup with large pieces of spiced chicken with lilies and black mushrooms ($6.75). This was the consensual favorite ‘-‘- the soup had delicate flavors, the thin broth and the lily flowers, as well as heavier tastes of the black pepper and the chili-spiked mushrooms. It was light fare, but completely satisfying and a truly sensory experience, as the soup had many different components and flavors. Each entr’eacute;e came with a generous portion of fluffy jasmine rice, which was mostly used as an absorbent for the remaining spicy sauces and broths. There are also ‘family meal’ options, which are cost-efficient for larger parties, notably the Meal for Six, which includes three curries and three salads for $75.99.
As Erin, Andrew and I finished our meal with tamarind juice to cool down our burning palates and singed tongues, we decided that another mission to Burma was secured in our near futures.
YoMa,
5 North Beacon Street, Allston
YoMaBoston.com
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