Restaurant review: Burmatown's larger Corte Madera location offers more to enjoy

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Burmatown's Mushroom Medley Garlic Noodles features crimini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms with togarashi chili flake, scallions and fresh wheat noodles.

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Burmatown's Tea Leaf Salad includes Burmese fermented tea leaves, green cabbage, romaine hearts, dried shrimp, mixed Burmese beans, peanuts, seeds, fried garlic, jalapeño, tomato, lemon and fish sauce.

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

The interior of Burmatown in Corte Madera.

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Burmatown Bao can be made with Korean ribeye beef, garlic lemon shrimp or ginger chicken.

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Burmatown's Basil Shrimp Stir Fry comes with green beans, tomatoes, chili, leeks and onion.

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Burmatown's Spicy Grilled Kalbi Ribs are marinated in seasonal fruit.

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Burmatown's Vegetarian Curry Samosas come with a sweet chili dipping sauce.

Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Burmatown opened a second location in Corte Madera.

Burmese cuisine has attracted an enthusiastic following in the Bay Area. With the influence of its bordering countries and its unique approach to the shared ingredients of the area, Burmese restaurants have established their individuality in the local restaurant world. Of course, similar to all global cuisine, what we are served as Burmese food in the Bay Area is modified for our unaccustomed palates.

In Corte Madera, mother Jenny Gee and daughter Jennifer Fujitani blend old family recipes with new combinations and flavors from across Asia at Burmatown in Corte Madera to create a comfortable environment with foods that satisfy and sometimes, thrill.

Formerly on Corte Madera Avenue, the restaurant has moved to a much larger space, formerly Benissimo, on Tamalpias Drive just around the corner. There's easy street parking and you can choose to sit outside with heaters or inside.

This Michelin-recognized restaurant is welcoming and lively. Early on a Wednesday, both the bar and the inside tables were filling up quickly. Several brave souls on this cold (for California) evening sat outside.

Ordering the Tea Leaf Salad ($15.50) is a must. A plate of individual ingredients — fried garlic chips, toasted peanuts, fried yellow split peas, deseeded jalapeños, dried shrimp powder, cilantro, chopped tomatoes and shredded greens surrounding the fermented tea leaves — were presented to the table and then tossed and plated by the our friendly server. The fermented tea leaves when tossed with the other ingredients acts as the dressing. I would prefer fewer greens since I really like bitter flavors, however the greens give the salad a fresh lift.

Burmatown Bao ($5.50) can be filled with chicken, Korean ribeye beef or garlic lemon shrimp. We chose the chicken, a plump, little steamed pan cake folded over a filling of Asian miso slaw, sesame, cilantro and gingery chicken that was warm, soft, tasty and easy to eat. They would make a perfect bar snack with a glass of the sprightly, ever-so-slightly sparkling Spanish Txakoli ($12).

The wine list is well constructed to complement the food and is at a comfortable price point for a neighborhood restaurant, $9 to $16 per glass or $40 to $50 a bottle. Beer ($7 to $10) and a large selection of non-alcoholic drinks ($2.50 to $6) are also available

Indian-influenced Platha and dip ($9.50) was a thicker version of flatbread than I’ve had before. It was crisp, intricately layered and butter fried, and came with a small bowl of coconut curry to dunk the bread into. It was outstanding.

Fresh wheat noodles show ($16) up a few times on the menu, one with pork, BBQ Pork Garlic Noodle, another with shrimp, Shrimp Jalapeño Chow Fun, and a vegetarian version, Mushroom and Garlic Noodles, our choice. Several mushrooms types but mostly shiitakes were braised and tossed with the noodles, scallions and togarashi chilli flakes. The dish's deep, rich and satisfying flavors reach out and grab you.

A white bowl with a shallow dashi broth moistened the Miso-Glazed Black Cod ($28). Braised daikon, sugar snap peas and Chinese broccoli finish out the dish but don't overcrowd the fish. Little threads of red, pickled ginger were cute but didn't add much to the dish. Touched with a fork the fish flakes into silken segments. Delicate and flavorful.

The Braised Beef Short Ribs ($25) was a beautiful dish of coconut curry sauce with chunks of beef, Yukon gold potatoes with some sliced sweet potatoes, gently spiced and warming on a cold evening. The generous portion of stew was topped with slivers of scallion. Little pools of oil had separated out of the sauce. A side of Coconut Rice ($3.50) would be welcome to soak up some of the sauce.

After all that food, we made sure to leave room for desert. Two squares of Burmese Coco Mochi Cake ($10) were topped with pomegranate seeds with extra seeds on the side and a scoop of red bean ice cream. Each item was tasty although I couldn't understand their relationship. Never mind, we ate all of it.

Address: 18 Tamalpais Ave., Corte Madera

Website: burmatown.com

Phone: 415-985-5060

Cuisine: Burmese

Noise level: Can get loud

Liquor selection: Wine and beer

Gluten-free selections: Yes

Vegan: Yes

Dog friendly: Yes

Parking: Street

Hours: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 4 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Sundays and Mondays

Prices: $5.50 to $28

Summary: Lively neighborhood restaurant with cuisine highlighting flavors from across Asia made with quality ingredients.

Ann Walker is a North Bay freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at [email protected].

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