TL;DR: Halal Burmese joint with excellent curries in particular. Might be closer to a 4, but I'll bump it up until I try it again
I went to the new Burmese Bites location with a group about a week ago, having had their food before at the Queens Night Market but never having unfortunately gone to their whole location in a mall in Elmhurst. The new space was casual but nice and is, from what I'm aware, walk-in only. There were many people waiting for tables or takeout while we were eating, and especially afterward, so you may want to come early. In terms of the food, it's hard to compare to some of the other Burmese spots, as we shared a bunch of dishes that I haven't had in many places, except for two staples. One of them (Mohinga) was worse here, and the other (Tea Leaf Salad) was comparatively better than the Queens spots.
The first dish that arrived was their alright take on the Burmese national dish, Mohinga, a catfish soup with lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, and cilantro for $15. As we were splitting everything, they provided bowls and extra spoons for everyone, and the portion was definitely decent for the price. The dish was decent, but it felt like it was missing something. I like the amount of fritters, but I wish there were more banana blossom for texture. I also felt the flavor was a bit too light compared to either Sophie's or Asian Bowl, and less thick. I'm not sure if it's because they're straining it too much, but the dish needed the fish sauce on the table to add more flavor, which is usually not the case. The most comparable version is at Little Myanmar, which definitely isn't my favorite version of this soup.
The other comparable dish, but better, was the Lahpet Thoke for the same price, listed as a funky fermented tea-leaf salad. Compared to other places, the size was between Asian Bowl and Sophie's, and the flavor was much better than Asian Bowl's, as theirs was a bit wet. The dish otherwise had a nice fermented flavor with a good amount of crunchiness, as it should, though it could have used a little bit more heat. Overall, I liked it, with the only better version being the much more expensive one at Little Myanmar.
Our only other appetizer was something I added to the meal. This was their excellent Keema Palata for $12, listed as crispy palata stuffed with ground chicken and spices. I decided to add this partially because I love this dish, and it was one of the things I liked a lot when they served it at the Night Market. The portion was plentiful, and the chicken inside was well spiced with a bit of butteriness from the palata, which is the Burmese version of a paratha, of course. I guess the only complaint I can make is that some of the crust felt a bit overcooked, but not so much that it wasn't enjoyable. I would recommend this.
The other main dishes all came with rice and were less comparable and better. My favorite, barely, was the NgaShint Chaut Sat for $25, listed as crispy eel tossed in spicy chili mix. It reminded me of a better version of a similar dish you can find in many Szechuan spots. By comparison, the dish had a nice mix of sweetness and spice with a definite kick. I also preferred the eel, as it was cut up into bigger pieces and it wasn't overly fried, so you could still get a bit of texture. The fried garlic added a nice aroma throughout the dish, as well as some good crunch, along with the chili and other spices. This was wonderful.
Most people's favorite was the $19 Ah Meh Tha Hin, a beef curry cooked with lemongrass and herbs. The beef itself was fork-tender, so a knife wasn't necessary. The spices from the rather thick curry included some nice herbal sourness from the lemongrass, along with some heat and a bit of sweetness. Due to the thickness and spices, the curry reminded me, to an extent, of some semi-dry rendangs, but less coconut-forward and a bit less fiery. I would highly recommend this.
The last dish was the other $19 curry, the Nga Hin, a fish curry cooked in Burmese masala. The fish in this case was swai, or basa/catfish. The fish itself was tender, but it didn't fully fall apart in the curry, which I liked, as it kept some texture. The curry itself was on the slightly sour end, but not too much for any of our palates. This was also very tasty, and I would recommend it if you want a curry that is flavorful but not spicy.
I would prefer to go back to this place before giving it a true rating to try the Shan Noodles and other dishes I am more familiar with, but based on what I tried, I liked it. This is another nice option in the area for those looking for a different halal food experience, and it's great if you're not in the mood to go to Elmhurst for other Burmese options. read more