Udon in Uni Sauce at Marugame Monzo and Mediocre Burmese at Daw Yee Myanmar Cafe

Even though I'm more of a ramen person than udon, I had heard a lot about Marugame Monzo and had been curious to try it. They are known for unusual iterations of this classic dish and since it was a rather summer night, I decided to try the uni udon. Hmm. It's not that it was bad. It's hard not to love uni. It was creamy and all that good stuff and the salmon roe provided a pop of salty flavor and distinct texture (not to mention a food porn element in the image above). However, I'm not sure this more modern take on the uni sauce, so to speak, goes best with the udon noodle. I've had much better versions of uni pasta using spaghetti noodles instead at EMC Seafood in Koreatown, which was delicious and topped with some dried roasted seaweed.

I think I've been spoiled big time when it comes to Burmese food because the first tea leaf salad I had was at arguably the best Burmese restaurant in the US -- Burma Super Star in San Francisco. All the tea leaf salads I've had since have not lived up to this OG version I had years ago. Daw Yee Myanmar Cafe in San Gabriel Valley was no exception. The ingredients and plating look so promising, right? The downfall of this version was its tea leaf that was overpowering because there was too much of it and the flavor and aromas coming from the fermented leaves were far too strong and it overpowered everything else. I wasn't able to enjoy the crunchiness of the nuts. Maybe this one is more authentic but I didn't like it as much as the BSS version. 

We also got a chicken noodle with nuts and sesame seeds as well as some red chilies and fresh cilantro. I liked the surprise of biting into some pickled vegetables that I couldn't identify but I was sure they were probably good for me so just savored them. The noodles, though, were a bit mushy because they seemed overcooked and the overall dish didn't work for me. There was a lot going on and I couldn't enjoy any one flavor or texture in this dish. 

Now for the really bad. We had these pan-fried, crepe-like rectangles that had meat and other vegetables in them. Again, it looked so promising visually. Look how nicely browned they are. Alas, upon first biting into them, an overwhelming taste of meat that wasn't top quality took over and I couldn't take another bite. The meat had a bothersome smell. This happens when the restaurant don't use the best quality meat and don't take the care to mask this not so good flavor with garlic, ginger or whatever that will work. What a shame. 

The restaurant's interior was very cute and I really wanted to like this place but I'm not sure I'll return. I may just stay away from Burmese for a while. Which restaurant serves your favorite tea leaf salad?

Yoma Myanmar Restaurant: Pared Down Tea Leaf Salad Leaves Some to be Desired, On-the-Shell Shrimp Curry Taste Improves at Home

I've been smitten by Burmese food and particularly by the tea leaf salad I had at Burma Super Star in San Francisco a few years ago. So when I encountered this sadder version of the tea leaf salad at Yoma Myanmar Restaurant, I was sorely disappointed. This version was a significantly pared down iteration that I couldn't help but call the poor man's version. The flavors were a bit better than the visuals but still, nothing like the perfect blend of fermented tea leaves, peanuts, deep fried beans, tomatoes, chili and garlic mixed with some green cabbage. The dressing is minimal with just right hint of fish sauce.

We wanted a curry dish and when asked what he recommended, our server immediately said the shrimp curry, and so shrimp curry it was. We just didn't expect it to be in-the-shell shrimp curry. We got used to it, though, and after a few bites alongside a nice heap of white jasmin rice, we were set. The spiciness level of the curry was just right and the fresh cilantro on top helped to balance out the heavier sauce with a healthy dose garlic and chili flavors. It actually tasted even better when I had it later at home with the rice. I was able to savor this dish solo and therefore appreciate it even more.

The samosas got written up and were raved about but they tasted almost like something you'd find at Trader Joe's frozen section. That's not necessarily a complete dis but you know what I mean. They somehow didn't taste as home-made or made with care. They tasted rather mass-produced. It had potatoes and onions and lacked any punch of flavor. 

The ambiance was pretty much zero but we know we don't go to holes in the wall for the decor. While not blown away, I still would like to return to try other dishes like the noodles that were also called out on message boards and the other Burmese joint just down the street that we were actually going to try called Daw Yee Myanmar Cafe.