The Canadian Connoisseur and The Communist Langolier: Burma Restaurant

The Myanmar, er, Burma Restaurant

A great part of living in DC is the access to the international community. It’s not exactly New York, where on any given street there can be a mini UN of restaurants, but if you look hard enough, you can find some real worldly gems to eat in the District. For instance, did you know that Washington has the country’s oldest Ethiopian restaurant? Or that you can get some fantastic Nepalese food at “Himalayan Heritage” on 18th street in Adams Morgan? Mmmmm, goat…… . But I’ll leave the description of my love for Caprine meat for another day and instead focus on my fantastic vegetarian feast at the Burmese restaurant last Saturday.

One of the many tragedies of the ongoing rule of the military Junta in Burma is that the world hasn’t gotten a chance to get acquainted with the rich history, culture, and cuisine of the ancient land that lies between India, China, Bhutan, and Thailand. Its official name, changed by the tyrants in charge of the newly constructed capital at Naypiydaw, is Myanmar - but it’ll be a cold day in hell when I refer to Burma as that. Unlike North Korea, which only allows a few tourists to go on guided tours once a year, it’s actually remarkable easy for Americans to travel to Burma and it’s a dream of mine to check it out someday. Meanwhile, I can at least get a small sample at the "Burma Restaurant” in Chinatown.

Yes, the restaurant’s location in a converted apartment on the second floor of a rickety old building creates a sketchy atmosphere. The owners try to put up pictures of Buddhist temples and some decorations, but to no avail. In fact, the place kinda reminds me of those skeevy cafes in Little Odessa (Brighton Beach in Brooklyn) – walking in is almost like venturing into Teddy KGB’s casino in “Rounders”. I can only imagine what the Burma restaurant must have looked like in the 1990’s before the MCI Center made Chinatown posh. However, what those places in Brighton Beach lack in ambiance is usually made up for it with delicious Perogis and vodka. The Burma Restaurant is the same way.

The lovely Canadian and I were entertaining a guest from the proletarian town of Cincinnati and wanted to show off our cosmopolitanism with a nice mix of exotic and delicious foods. The obvious choice, one that mixes the two, is pickled green tea leaf salad. If you read any other reviews about the restaurant they’ll always recommend this dish. It’s a flavor the likes of which I’ve never really tasted – a combination of nuts, salad, and tea leafs. The best part? The caffeine in the tea gives you a little energy boost! Next, we got served a huge plate of delicious “kausewe” (noodles). We ordered pickled bamboo shoots, a perfect addition to the Communist Langolier pantheon of weird foods but, sadly, they were all out of bamboo. Instead, the waiter recommended mustard greens and, for some reason, I really enjoyed the zesty taste of this plate. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that, to my everlasting shame, I was unable to finish the yellow and red pea soup that came next (I should have ordered the half-bowl that was available, but I was afraid of losing face in front of the girls. Damn Chinese values)!


Our bellies full and our palates satisfied, we waited anxiously for the bill. Fortunately, it wasn’t that bad either. Five dishes and a couple of beers for only $64 (plus tip) is certainly a decent price in DC. The place was absolutely packed, but the service was above average and the waiter got extra props for looking like a Shaolin monk - peaceful, but can probably kick your ass.

Burma Restaurant is located at 740 6th Street, NW (between G and H).
Make a reservation on Friday and Saturday nights – 202-638-1280.



The Burma Restaurant is one of my all time favorite restaurants simply due to the fact that you can’t get anything like it anywhere else in the District. Burmese food is so delicious and unique that it’s hard to even compare it to anything else. For this reason the Burma Restaurant is also one of my favorite places to take out-of-town guests when I want to show off the best and most diverse restaurants DC has to offer.

At Burma Restaurant I always have a hard time deciding what to order because just about everything on the menu sounds so intriguing – but there is something that I’m sure of every time. The one dish you absolutely cannot miss out on is the fermented green tea leaf salad. The tea leaves are imported from Burma in dried, compacted blocks. In order to make the dish, the leaves are reconstituted with garlic oil and then mixed with shredded cabbage, crushed peanuts, chopped tomato, sesame, fresh lemon juice, and garnished with crunchy roasted soybeans and cilantro. The salad is typically made with ground shrimp; however, it can easily be ordered without the shrimp as a vegetarian option. The mélange of flavors in this concoction is something I really can’t describe…just trust me that it is so unique and amazing that it will actually change your life! (I am sorry to say that we were so excited by the time it arrived at our table, we all dug in immediately, and it was gone before we even remembered to take a picture. To get a visual try to picture coleslaw mixed with pesto. Or better yet – just go there and order some!).

For our entrée our waiter recommended one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes - pickled mustard greens tossed with sautéed shrimp. If you’re noticing a theme here, you are correct – Burmese food often features pickled or fermented components. Believe it or not, though, they all have very different flavors. The mustard greens had more of a tangy taste that combined perfectly with the shrimp for yet another extraordinary dish. Any one of the “kausewe” (noodle) dishes also makes for a great addition to the meal. This time, we decided to try the bean thread noodles with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and spices. The description on the menu did not specify which spices, but I picked up on spicy white pepper as one of the dominant flavors.

An important thing to keep in mind while experiencing the Burmese adventure is that each dish arrives when it is ready, and there doesn’t seem to be any sort of method to the madness. Our huge bowl of soup (enough for the whole table) actually appeared last. The people who run the restaurant are extremely nice, and they actually seem to radiate a sense of calmness. (So much, in fact, that when you come into the restaurant, don’t hesitate to wander into the back room and find someone to ask for a table). From the bright yellow walls with old pictures, to the exotic new flavors, to the soft smiles – a visit to Burma Restaurant is a journey of senses that you’ll want to savor.

The Canadian Connoisseur and The Communist Langolier: Founding Farmers

Organic and Delicious? Founding Farmers impresses a stuffy-nosed Langolier.

Confucius once said that one should never eat good food with a stuffy nose. Two and a half thousand years later that quote remains true and, as it happens, your friendly neighborhood Langolier has been suffering with a severe case of viral rhinitis for the last week. It’s an interesting feeling, eating without being able to smell, your tongue feels the sensation of the food and your brain is able to apprehend the flavor that is about to be tasted, but that flavor never comes and you’re left with a feeling of discontent comparable only to sexual frustration. Nonetheless, I had a date with a very cute little lady from Tennessee and was neither willing nor able to surpass a chance to hit up a fine establishment like Founding Farmers during restaurant week.

First of all, let me take a minute to sing an ode to the miracle that is restaurant week in Washington DC. My good friends Matt and Ting – both true aficionados of cuisine - went to no less than six restaurants over the past week. That’s what I call taking advantage of a bargain! Sadly, your correspondent is both too busy and too destitute to be living that kind of lifestyle. Still, a three course meal with wine for only thirty dollars is a luxury that I could splurge on.


Located in the new IMF building, “Founding Farmers” has an atmosphere that somehow manages to combine urban hipness with rural coziness. It’s a difficult trick to accomplish and my compliments go to the architect. The first floor has a bar and truly huge, wooden tables. Walk upstairs and you will find silo-shaped booths and a nice view unto Pennsylvania Avenue. The location and ambiance make this restaurant ideal for GW students who are looking to throw down twenty-five bucks for a solid meal. However, I’ll let my partner the Canadian Connoisseur discuss such details and I’ll get to the part that really interests me – the chow.

Although I may be a voracious consumer of all types of life forms, that does not mean that I don’t treasure our environment or support animal rights. Founding Farmers focuses on small farmers – people who helped to establish our nation and today continue to provide us with delicious homegrown food. The restaurant is serious about providing its costumers with organic, local, and family-farmed sourced fare. Most of their meats are produced on free ranged farms and the vegetables are grown without chemical and biological enhancements. Even their water undergoes reverse osmosis by a special machine that they have in the restaurant! I never thought that DC tap water could taste so good!

For my entrée I had a very tasty “Late Harvest” Salad – a concoction of caramelized onions, apples, bacon, and bleu cheese that, admittedly, would have tasted a lot better if I was less sick and could sense all the flavors. One expects “Founding Farmers” to have a good selection of salads and the restaurant does not disappoint. Entrée salads are a bit small to satisfy a hungry guy, but the little salads go well along with an entrée. For my main course I decided to go with a dish that even my nose could not ruin – good, ole’ fashioned meat-loaf with Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Mmmmmm, mmmmm, good! Other entrees that I would recommend are the rotisserie chicken, herb crusted prime rib, and any of the homemade pastas. One thing that I did not get, but will certainly savor next time I hit up this joint, is one of their signature cocktails. The menu claims that “our specially trained bar chefs bring this lost art back from its heyday”. I never realized that the art of making drinks was lost, but I have a feeling that “Hemingway’s Frappe” with Absinthe or “Chelsea’s Manhattan” with Chai-infused Vermouth could bring anyone back to the Halcyon days of old when men were men, food was organic, and drinks cost a nickel. Well, not exactly, but overall I found the restaurant to be reasonably priced for a working professional. As for GW students, in today’s economy I’d save this one for a special occasion.



I have to begin by giving my partner big props for our Restaurant Week pick. I had wanted to try Founding Farmers ever since it opened sometime last year (it was their “green” mission that interested me most), so when I learned that we had a reservation there, I was pretty excited….and then, when I found out that their Restaurant Week menu included wine, I was smitten. I’m no Restaurant Week authority, by any means, but this is the only place I know of that actually includes a glass of wine in the price of dinner…what a deal!

So like I said, it was the “green” aspect of this new restaurant that intrigued me from the start, and once we were seated, our friendly waiter told us more of the details. Not only does Founding Farmers get most of its ingredients from local sustainable farms, but the entire place was specifically designed in an eco-friendly manner. The restaurant employs great habits like on-site recycling, making use of natural daylight, and using solar energy (just to name a few) in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Come on, how could you not feel good about supporting this place? We were feeling good about this meal, even before we looked at the menu!

First, we ordered our wines: one was an organic Chardonnay from Chile, and the other was an Argentinean Malbec from a sustainable winery called Yellow + Blue (equals “green”…get it?). Both of the wines available with the Restaurant Week dinner were regularly $8 or $9 a glass, and among the cheaper of the options on the wine by the glass list. We had barely had time to taste the wine before our salads arrived. I had the Farmer’s Salad - an interesting mixture of avocado, medjool dates, tomatoes, almonds, and chunks of fresh parmesan cheese. I have to admit, it’s not a combination I would have ever thought of myself, but it turned out to be surprisingly delicious! For my entrée, I had the Plank Salmon with a lemon-herb sauce. It had been smoked on a piece of Cedar wood, so it had a rich smoky flavor. With it, came the vegetable of the day, which happened to be some nice garlicky Swiss Chard. For desert, we had homemade ice cream and a big piece of Red Velvet cake. The cake was really red, though not so velvety, but it was topped with undoubtedly the best homemade cream cheese icing either of us had ever tasted.

Although our choices on this particular visit were somewhat constricted by what was included as part of the Restaurant Week deal, there were lots of other great options on the menu. For vegetarians, each suitable item on the menu is marked with an asterisk for your convenience. However, be sure to pay close attention to the markings, since I noted that some seemingly vegetarian dishes - like the tomato soup, for example - did not have an asterisk. Also of note was the mouth watering list of sandwich options, most cost between $8 and $12, and all served on fresh bread made from scratch right there at the restaurant! By the end of the night, we had already decided that we would be coming back to pay homage to our Founding Farmers again in the near future. The service was excellent, the food came out fast, and knowing that you’re supporting a great place should make seeing the bill a little easier! I’d suggest making reservations if you plan to go during peak dinner hours or Sunday brunch.

Founding Farmers is opened for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Everyday 8-11 am. The Bar is opened till 12.

Introducing The Canadian Connoisseur and The Communist Langolier

I would like you to formally introduce you all to our newest contributers, The Communist Langolier and The Canadian Connoisseur. The two have been living in the District for quite some time now and both certainly know their food, put them together though and they are certainly a force to be with reckoned with. They can probably tell it better themselves, so without further adieu, I present The Communist Langolier and The Canadian Connoisseur.


“Pasta Mia” and Contestare Nostra


It all started with my friend Priscilla boasting about being able to out eat most of the guys in our crew. Despite being vivaciously feisty, Priscilla is a small girl and doesn’t strike one as being particularly voracious. I smelled a bet and jumped on it. Friday night; Six o’clock; Adams Morgan; Pasta Mia; Gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce; me, you, and four witnesses. After preliminary discussions we came to terms of the contest – Gnocchi, but not necessarily Gorgonzola sauce. It was a compromise that I would grow to regret.

Who hasn’t heard rumors about that pasta place in Adams Morgan where people stand outside for hours just to sample the homemade concoctions of the lady some refer to as “The Pasta Nazi”? The place is called Pasta Mia, my friends, and some rumors are truer than others. Yes, you do have to stand in line and I suggest arriving around 6:10 so that you could be one of the first to get in once the doors open at 6:30. My original inclination that the lines would be shorter because of the winter cold proved to be false and we had to brave the January wind for twenty minutes. The restaurant itself is quite cozy – try to get the table on the second level, there is a nice window that provides an excellent view of the hapless folks on the street waiting to get in and jealously eying you as you toast their health with the superb house wine ($5 per glass). The service does leave something to be desired, but the matron of the establishment, an elderly Napolese lady named Antoinette, is very nice as long as you order on time, don’t give her any ‘tude, and don’t ask for cake when she offers you bread. There is a cash only policy and the price is $14 per person, so sharing really doesn’t make sense. That’s a pity because the size of the portions would leave Shaq satisfied.


The first plate that arrived was that of my friend Aaron and we had to have a moment of silence as we mourned the heard of cows that was slaughtered to prepare his Penne Bolognese. Meat lovers out there – if you get this dish on Friday night, leftovers for Saturday and Sunday lunch are guaranteed. My dish came next – Gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce. This seems to be the favorite of the majority and it doesn’t disappoint. Homemade Gnocchi are notoriously difficult to prepare and so is Gorgonzola sauce, but if you don’t mind gaining a couple of pounds then this dish is a must-have. My buddy Chris had the Tortellini Rosa - tomato cream over tender cheese pasta pockets – another universally beloved entree. The Canadian Connoiseur was next and will tell you all about her Tortellini Arrabiata in her section. My friend Eduardo had the Spinach Fettucinni with Porcini mushrooms. Finally, Priscilla’s Gnocchi was laid in front of her. The girl hadn’t eaten all day and dug in with the furor and gusto of a starving banshee. Still, about half way through her meal I thought that I had the bet won. Her eyes were watery, her breathing heavy, she had to unbuckle her jeans. But never underestimate those Krazilians (ethnically Korean Brazilians) – Priscilla gave it a final push and won the bet. I had to pay for her diner. The loss would have left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I managed to wash it away with some of the best Cappuccino I ever had ($3 per cup). It was a long walk back to Foggy Bottom, but it did little to relieve the feeling of complete satisfaction in my belly.



As the connoisseur, I wanted to try all the dishes, of course…but at last, I was able to narrow it down to something with the spicy Arrabbiata sauce, and finally, I chose the cheese tortellini to go with it. While most of the pasta dishes are $15, if you choose a simple sauce plus pasta combo, it’s just $13. Even the most expensive pasta dishes are still only $18, such as the Spinach Fettuccine with Porcini Mushroom Sauce. The Washingtonian chose Pasta Mia as one of the best “Cheap Eats” in the District…and we completely agree! They do have a wine list, but if you want to stick with the low budget theme, their house red is a great table wine.

On this particular night, I had a hard time deciding which dish I liked the best. Our friend’s Gnocchi Sorrentina (tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella) was amazing. The gnocchi are as fluffy as marshmallows, and when Pasta Mia says an ingredient is fresh – it is. Although the Gorgonzola sauce is also delicious, given the portion sizes, it can be a little heavy – especially if your goal is to finish the entire dish. My Tortellini Arrabbiata, however, was near perfection. I know that “all’Arrabbiata” means angry style, but this meal gave me the opposite reaction! The tortellini was al dente, and the red pepper gave the sauce the perfect amount of kick. It might have been even better when I finished it the next day!

Now, let’s be clear about expectations: you’re not going to Pasta Mia if you want lots of personal attention or a romantic setting…you’re going there for the great pasta, right? So, enjoy it! Yes, you have to wait in line, and yes, the tables are close together and a little cramped – but only because everyone wants to get in and it happens to be a small place! Don’t expect to get pampered by waiters – just tell them what you want to eat (straight from the menu, please) and then wait (yes, wait – it’s homemade, remember?) for some amazing pasta! Also, keep in mind that going here for dinner is more of an event, as opposed to a quick grab and go place. Order some wine and an appetizer if you’re the type that gets antsy while waiting. Enjoy the bread and olive oil on the table, too – but whatever you do, don’t fill up before your pasta arrives!

I’ve heard that the desserts are great, but I haven’t been able to cut myself off from the delicious dinner in order to save room for it…yet.

Pasta Mia is located in Adams Morgan at 1790 Columbia Rd (between 18th and Champlain). No reservations are accepted. Get there before 6:30. Cash only.

Open for dinner only – Tuesday through Saturday.