World Food LA: Burma

I have never had Burmese food before, which is why is was suuuuuper excited to try out Jasmine Market in Culver City and learn more about Burmese food and culture. Being located right between Thailand and India, it’s no coincidence that Burmese food is like the perfect blend of the ingredients of Thai food and the flavors of Indian food, so I knew I was seriously in for a flavor trip.

For my entree, I asked the lovely lady behind the counter what was the most traditional Burmese dish on the menu and she recommended I try the ohn no khao swè. It was a chicken & coconut milk curry with wheatgrass noodles. Essentially if someone had fused ramen and Indian food, this is what it would be, and it was so great. Although it had the sweetness of the coconut, it wasn’t too creamy or heavy and she actually recommended that I should mix in some red pepper flakes for an authentic Burmese experience. Boy am I glad I did. The sweetness from the coconut mixed with the kick of the pepper turned out to be an ultimate combination. The chicken was cooked perfectly inside too, all around a win.

To drink, I got a traditional Burmese summer bubble gum-type drink called Falooda. It was super super strong and even though I have a dense sweet tooth, I honestly found it a little too sweet, even for me.

As for a side dish, I went with the naan & mashed peas. It sounds so unbelievably simple but it was honestly the star of the show. These peas, for some reason, were incredibly savory and the onion crisps added that perfect textured crunch. Highly recommend this, I could’ve honestly just eaten bowls of this for an entree.

Finally, for a dessert, I opted for the… well, I honestly have no idea what this is called. I saw it in the dessert section of the cooler, it looked interesting (a pink cake, who would’ve thought?) so I decided to just send it. It turned out to be a VERY DENSE banana-like cake. Although not too sweet, this chilled, rich, moist cake proved as the perfect palate cleanser for an overall amazing foray into Burmese cuisine. Regardless of the name, the bottom line is, if you go to the dessert cooler, you can’t go wrong.

If you’re looking for (at a ridiculously cheap value) look no further than Jasmine market and go meet your tastebuds in Burma.

JASMINE MARKET

 4135 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230