Sterling / Burmese / $$
There’s a reason that the late Anthony Bourdain kicked off Parts Unknown, his beloved CNN show, with a trip to Myanmar. The cuisine of the Southeast Asian country also known as Burma is not well represented in the United States, but it should be. An amalgam of Indian, Chinese, Laotian and Thai traditions, the food is at times fiery but always soothing.
The friendly service at A Taste of Burma will make you feel at home even if you’ve never eaten anything quite like the fermented tea leaf salad or spicy fish soup before. But one taste, and that first visit will fast become one of many.
See This: Embroidered wall hangings and statues from Myanmar dress up a small, homey strip mall space.
Eat This: Split yellow pea fritters, goat curry, semolina cake
When to Visit: You want to expand your horizons without venturing to a hole-in-the-wall.
This post originally appeared in our November 2020 issue’s Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.