Introduced this place to a friend yesterday. The service was great - efficient and pleasant staff. We ordered: OhnHta Min - Coconut rice served with two pieces of chicken (dark meat) with an onion base curry ALoo ChoChin Gyaw - Lightly fried potato, green pepper, onion, and tomato sautéed in light brown sauce w/ extra tofu While the friend thought the food was good but pricey for what he ordered, I have no complaints. I thought my food ( the potato and tofu dish) was fresh, flavorful, and all-around delicious. Highly recommend for vegetarians in the area. read more

Nice restaurant. Good food and friendly staff. I highly recommend it. Nuddles number 5 and special number 1 was our order. Yummy, yummy. read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - Special number 1. Yummy! - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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It was my first time eating Burmese food. As a fan of the cuisine of the nations surrounding Myanmar, I was certain I'd love it. And I did -- though more so the appetizer, salad and dessert than the entrees. The gyinn thoke (ginger salad) woke up my tastebuds -- the flavor profile was amazing and not overly spicy like I imagine a salad comprised of raw ginger would be. I was impressed that the server asked if we'd like the Burmese dressing that comes with the salad vegetarian or non-vegetarian (meaning: with or without fish sauce). A perfect example of how attentive the wait staff are. The gram fritters were light and crisp, with a tooth like corn meal -- a nice texture and savory taste. The dishes served in the onion tomato base curry are far superior to the ones in the onion base curry; the former was succulent, spicy and textural, whereas the latter was bland and oily. The ShweJi dessert was a first -- Cream of Wheat made with coconut milk, sugar, eggs. It was like a cross between a rice pudding and a Burmese creme brulee. And topped with white poppy seeds, which I'd never encountered before. It was warm and comforting. The restaurant interior feels like an outdated retirement home dining room -- but I'm not coming there for the scene. Will try more entrees next time and hope to turn this four-star review into a five. read more

Came here for a second time with a friend. We ordered the fried egg plant which was just okay. We also both ordered the No. 6 noodles. They were good but the portion size seemed much smaller than the first time I had them. Overall, still a great place to dine and have reasonably priced delicious Burmese food. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. It's family run and the food tastes like a mother cooked it in the back (which might actually be the case). The food is just amazing. I'm vegetarian and they have a very extensive vegetarian menu. There has never been a dish I got here that I didn't like. My favorite is the V14. If you want to treat your palette to some exciting flavors you have to try this place. read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - Sticky rice with brown sugar and coconut. Perfect end to an awesome spicy meal - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Delicious! The decor could use some updating and some guy (possibly the manager) is rather brusque. Those two issues aside, the food is awesome. I'm obsessed with the golden triangles (which I had tried before at a now closed Burmese restaurant in DC). I can't remember the name of the dish I had the last time, but it was one of those served at room temp (which was a leap for me, because I like my warm food piping hot and my chilled food very cold - what can I say, I'm extreme!), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. read more

Simple food, very tasty. First dish, first bite and I knew I'd be coming back here again soon. I had the jasmine rice salad, because, you know, I love rice. read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - Jasmine rice salad. Mmmmm! - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

We visited this because it was listed in the February 2010 issue of Washingtonian Magazine in an article called "Best of Silver Spring" [MD]. I can tell you, it belongs on the list! The first thing on the checklist for a new place is parking. Check! This place has a small parking lot next door and plenty street parking. When we arrived at the front door, there was a sign explaining that the credit card system was down and it was cash only for now. No problem. A bank was half a block up the street. A quick visit to the ATM and we're in business. From here, the place got better and better! It has an extensive drink menu with a nice selection of cocktails and mocktails [non-alcoholic]. The food menu was extensive as well. When there are several items on the menu I want to try, I've scored! I will be back. Things usually fall apart in the service department. Not here! Our waitress didn't know much about the wine selection but she was great in all other areas. She was friendly and could answer all questions about the food. The food was delivered fast and hot. I though the food was excellent! My wife said it was very good but could use a little more salt. Dessert was the best part! Mandalay has three desserts; ice cream, ShweJi or sticky rice with brown & coconut. We chose the ShweJi and the sticky rice. The sticky rice was very good. The ShweJi was awesome! Try this stuff!!! I look forward to my next visit here. read more

Atmosphere was really just bland, and not very ethnically exciting, Though the service was good, It seems the whole family works here. Lots of Veg options, The menu as expansive as the dining room. Books and covers! For the Price, I was thoroughly happy, and impressed. This turned out to be a great meeting spot for my In-laws, and the portions were exactly as I wanted them. Do not expect glitz, and made up meals. Do Bathe in the Authenticity of this place. read more

Went there for a Friday dinner. It was very crowded, but they led us to the lounge fairly promptly and prepared a table. That was definitely a plus. Foods are "low key" - Nothing special, but they tasted just fine. Friendly and lively atmosphere were enjoyable. It's a good place to get relaxed on Friday night. Will try a lunch sometime! read more

Good, not great. Went with a party of eight and there was more than enough dishes for us all to choose from on their menu. Everyone had bites of each others and there was a nice assortment of flavors and textures. I agree with some other reviewers that the portion sizes were modest, but the prices are reasonable. Coconut sticky rice was awesome! read more

Friends took me here and I can't thank them enough. We ordered a bunch of dishes and afterwards were so happy that we ordered 2 more dishes before we finally got some dessert. Rice is great and the sauces are so tasty. I don't think we ordered anything bad that night! I'll be back next time I'm in town. read more

Tried Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe with my family for a belated Father's Day lunch. The food was nice, nothing super spectacular in my book but a nice change of pace from the usual lineup of Thai and Chinese foods. The restaurant itself was a bit dark inside. The website says that they restaurant is closed from 3-5 every day, but the kitchen actually closes at 2:30, which we didn't know until we were ordering at about 2:15. We had the gram fritters and Burmese samosas as appetizers, and then shared a vegetarian stir-fried veggie, tofu, and noodle dish, a potato, peppers, and onions in gravy dish, and a tofu dish in a coconut cream based sauce for our party of 5. We all liked the tofu/coconut sauce the best. It was a good amount of food--portions were significantly smaller than your average chinese restaurant, about on par with most Thai places. We had the food medium spicy, because one person in the party can't deal with spice very well; next time I'd probably up the spice level. read more

Tea leaf salad was an interesting dish, we enjoy it a lot. This was our first time trying Burmese food, and it's every different but we definitively enjoyed it. Waitress was friendly and show us what are the authentic choices on the menu. Deco was pretty old and dimgy, but I guess it's just been in the business in a long time. Give it a try when you are in town! read more

I got the big flat fried noodles with pork. It was ok: above average. The atmosphere was good, very relaxing and clean, and service was good. I only wish that they turned up the AC a bit higher. It was a little warm in there. I like how they refill your water very often without you asking. That's a huge deal for me read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

The Burmese salad dressing is amazing. Seriously. Amazing. That's mostly all I get, though have tried their tofu many times from friends and it's always on point. Not necessarily the quietest of environments since sound travels. If you have weird eating hours, make sure to check when they're open so you don't show up at a closed restaurant, as I've done in the past trying to grab a late lunch. read more

Our meal choices were not good. The veggie soup was definitely defrosted. The spicy tofu was pure spice. read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - Vegetables soup. - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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I love going here. The food is delicious. Last time I ordered V15 which is steamed vegetables over rice with a thick brown sauce with ginger. I ordered it very spicy. It was super hot. Like hotter than any dish I've ever had before. Maybe next time i'll just get medium or regular spicy. Not much more I can say that isn't covered in the other reviews. Just go here if you can appreciate good food. read more

This restaurant was my introduction to Burmese food, and boy am I glad it was. It's delicious, and I have never been disappointed -- except by other Burmese restaurants! I'm not a repeat orderer. I always want to try something different when I go to restaurants more than once, because I want to see what I've been missing. But I've ordered the KyetThar Ohnno Hin (chicken and veggies in coconut milk) multiple times; that's how good it is. I'd also recommend the tealeaf and papaya salads. I also tried a noodle dish with tofu that was spicy (don't remember the name) that was REALLY good, and very spicy. The best time I had here was when I went with a big group. Getting 10 people around a table and ordering that many different things was amazing! I tried so many things I never would have, and now have a much better idea about the full range of the country's cuisine. They also recently added a large bar area which makes waiting for a table much more pleasant. Mandalay is now a destination for me -- it's proximity to Quarry House and Piratz Tavern also doesn't hurt! read more

Most of the "salads" can be made vegetarian. The green tea leaf, green papaya, and tofu salad are worth trying. The salads are not traditional western salads. They are made with a lime, peanut, & cilantro sauce and shredded white cabbage and deep fried garlic chips. Unique dishes to try are the sour mustard tofu and tofu with coconut curry. The mixed noodle #1 dish can be made vegetarian and is also very tasty. The gram fritter salad is also a delicious option. It is made with deep fried patties made with chickpea flour and served with torn lettuce and the house dressing. Another unique dish is the peyoke with bamboo shoots. It is made from a round yellow bean (similar to a soybean). It has a very savory flavor unlike anything else I have ever had. I would recommend going with a few friends so you can share and try a little bit of everything! A traditional dessert is the cake made with coconut milk and cream of wheat. It is simple, but worthwhile (if you have any room left after your entrees). read more

Really good food in here! you have something special in here. My girl and I were on a cross country trip and decided to stop by with the help of Yelp, we couldn't be any happier to stop by! GREAT FOOD, The Tofu Salad is a most! The entire menu is full with good stuff. I wish we had one in Los Angeles. My girl wanted some chili, so the staff prepared something for us, we are very grateful for it. read more

My friend Vijay first brought me to Mandalay when it was the tiny lil shop in College Park. The food was great then, and it is still great now! Some places get "bigger and better" and as they appeal to a wider audience, they change their recipes to be more accommodating, or more widely accepted. I love that Mandalay has never done this. This restaurant isn't for everyone, but if you like spicy food I think you'll love it. The best way I have been able to describe Burmese food to those who are not familiar is that it is somewhere in between Indian and Thai food. The food tends to be spicy, although many dishes can be made less so. Be careful if you ask for a dish spicy, and I think Joe takes extra spicy as a challenge - so you better know what you are doing! read more

Excellent food and friendly fast service! Great price with good beers and iced teas! I had the green mango salad and the chicken with creamy coconut sauce and it was great! My friend got a flat noodle chicken dish like pad thai, and it was also tasty. read more

Went here for dinner on our first night of officially living in Silver Spring and was pretty impressed. I'd been here once before, several years ago, but really didn't remember much. We started off with the Baya gyaw (Gram Fritter), which was pretty good and had a nice spicy dipping sauce with it. The fritter itself wasn't incredibly flavorful, but did have a unique blend of spices that made it interesting. My entree, however, was rather impressive - a pork in pickled mango curry. The appearance and texture of the meat was similar to that of an Indian curry dish (think lamb rogan josh), but the flavor was unlike anything I've had before. It was spicy, but also had a nice bit of sweet and sour to it. They also had a pretty decent beer and wine list, and I had a Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, while my girlfriend really enjoyed her wine. I should note, that while I loved my entree, my girlfriend wasn't a huge fan of her eggplant entree. The service was very attentive and overall this was a great experience. The prices also were quite reasonable. If you're looking for an interesting twist on typical Asian cuisine, this place is worth checking out. I'm glad to have it in my neighborhood and will certainly be back. read more

This is one of the places I'd look forward to eating at before I moved to DC. Now that I live around the corner, its remained one of my favorite places for lunch or dinner. I've tried many of the noodle dishes and a number of the the salads. My favorite is the noodle, chicken, cilantro and Burmese dressing dish, which is served at room temp. The mango and green papaya salads are excellent. The tea leaf salad is also really good. There is a curried potato and beef stew which is also excellent. Burmese food is hard to describe. Its definitely Asian. The spices and curry hint of Indian food. One of the appetizers is a samosa, which tastes like a lot of samosas I've had. But the fritters are totally different and unlike anything I've had. The people who own the place and work there are very nice. They have a special menu a couple of times a week which is not to be missed! read more

Interesting and delicious food. When we went it was awfully quiet, with only a few other customers in the shop that weekday evening. Their decor feels a little uninspired, but the cuisine is the focus here and makes the visit stand out. read more

This restaurant is one of my absolute favorites. The staff is incredibly kind and friendly and the food is amazing! Super accomodating for vegans. read more

Mandalay is my favorite restaurant in Silver Spring. It's family owned and the flavors are always so good. NO#1 and CH#11 are our go to dishes. We are so lucky to have this place nearby. read more

The food was soooo good. We really enjoyed Tofu Ohnno Hin (tofu with coconut curry) and Nyat KaukSwe Gyaw (tofu noodle dish). The staff is friendly, and the food came out very fast. The restaurant has great vegetarian and gluten free options. read more

Went here with a large group (13 of us) on a Monday night. They wouldn't take reservations but we were able to be seated pretty quickly regardless and overall for the casual group dining experience I have no major service complaints (they auctioned food, etc, but for $10 a plate...oh well). I ordered the N3 and had a few bites appetizers (samoas, spring rolls, fried shrimp) and D2 for dessert. I chose "2"-medium spice for my N3 and it had a nice kick with a slow afterburn on spice that was enhanced as you went through the meal. The N2 had excellent flavor and though I was stuffed I strongly considered ordering a second plate for my lunch and dinner tomorrow (not living near Silver Spring I knew I wouldn't be able to be back anytime soon). I wish I lived near this restaurant. It would be my regular curl up on the couch after a long day order in spot. Pickled mango pork and the shrimp coconut curry were loved at our table as well. The appetizers were EHH. A lot of fry. I heard mixed reviewed on all three and what some loved others were not so keen on. My favorite was the samosas of the batch, though all three of the dishes had more of a "fry" flavor than anything else and I could have passed on appetizers in lieu of more of my N3. I ordered the D2 but knowing what I know now, go for the D1. The D2 was heavy and I much preferred my bites of the lighter D1 (and the flavor as well, though D2 just had a slower flavor then D1 really). If I am back in the area I would come back here. Wish they had one downtown! read more

We do love the food here but the past several times we went, the portions were much smaller. Esp. if you order take-out, the small portion portion size is ridiculous and not worth the amount they charge (their prices have increased a bit). I understand that prices everywhere are going up due to the economy and I don't mind the cost increase. I do, however, mind their portion sizes decreasing drastically while the prices increase. We used to go regularly for years (I'm addicted to their shweji! :) and most of the time I ordered CH. #11 (chicken, green peppers, onions & tomatoes in a coconut curry - it's delish!) but I've def. seen the portions sizes continue to decrease. And the last two times we ordered take-out, I really felt cheated!! The container was 70% empty! My first words when I saw it were "WTF". I was really upset. If I went to the Thai restaurant in downtown SS, I get a lot more food than I can finish in one sitting for about the same cost. And it's really good too. So now we rarely order the food at Mandalay. I just usually stop to pick up the shweji and call it a day :P lol. Once in a while, I still don't mind indulging in good but overpriced-for-the-small-quantity of food. But usually, I skip the food and go straight to the Shweji! If you don't mind smaller portions compared to what you can get elsewhere, definitely go for it. The food is great and to be honest, I've never had any issues with their service either. All their dishes are really nice and salads are great too. read more

Got the Mandalay Tofu - it was very delicious and wonderfully spicy. Mango ice cream was served in a tiny coconut and was quite good. Food is rather pricy, but good. They have a private lot for restaurant customers. Service staff was attentive. read more

Fantastic. I had the #6 vegetarian entree. It was similar to drunken noodles and so flavorful!! The service was also excellent. I will definitely come here again! read more

Had a wonderful spontaneous dinner here for the first time tonight. The atmosphere upon entering was relaxed and pleasant, and we were seated quickly for a Friday night, despite the place being busy. Service was prompt and our waiter was helpful and friendly throughout our dinner. Onto the food. I was thrilled with the vegetarian selection, while my husband was drooling over the various meat-laden dishes on the menu. We decided to share the gram fritters appetizer and the ginger salad (minus the fish sauce for me) as starters. The fritters were done well and we liked the dipping sauce, but the salad was truly beautiful. A fresh, strong ginger flavor complimented by the crunch of the Burmese dressing and cabbage- the fried garlic was an unexpected touch that blended really nicely. Seriously, I could have eaten this all night. But we did actually order dinner, and the vegetarian entrees were so diverse that it took me sometime before I settled on the Nyat Kaukswe Gyaw (stir-fried flat rice noodles with tofu and other delectables). Our waiter mentioned it was the most popular veg dish on the menu, and once I tasted it, I could see why. The combination of flavors with the perfectly fried tofu, creamy yellow beans, fresh lettuce, and brown sauce was amazing. Husband tried the pork in pickled mango curry (ordered very spicy) and was happy with the level of heat and the tang of the pickled curry- he commented on how homemade and fresh everything tasted, and I agreed 100%. We had no room for dessert this time, but definitely plan to try the shwe ji next time. And next time will be sooner rather than later, as we both thoroughly enjoyed the distinct and fresh flavors infused in every dish we tried. Bravo for the Burmese food here! read more

This is my entire family's favorite restaurant. I started going back when I went to College Park and it was located on route one. I think my roommate found it when it was listed as one of the DC area's cheap eats, though now that it is so popular it is definitely not so cheap anymore. I always order the exact same meal, eggplant fritters, V3. eggplant curry, and sometimes the Mandalay Tofu to go. I am extremely spice adverse so I get it with no spice and I think the flavors are amazing. My family and friends go pretty regularly and order a wide variety of the dishes and I have never heard a complaint unless a newbie accidentally ordered their dish too spicy (be careful, the spice builds). There are so many things to try, I should probably branch out but I am a creature of habit. Sometimes the wait can be kind of long, but there is a bar area on the left that serves some pretty good martini's which helps to pass the time. And parking has never been an issue, there is a tiny lot for the restaurant, and a larger one next to that with meters and several large parking garages close buy. read more

The venue itself is nothing special, but the food is very good. I like the spring roll salad since I don't do spicy food. But as boring as the name sounds, it is a flavorful and hearty dish, I normally have enough to take some home. The drinks are good too, I tend to the white cosmo, expertly mixed and generously poured. The one time we came in with about 10 people, it wasn't a problem at all. Service was still very prompt despite the extensive order. This really is the kind of place where mom is in the back making food from grandma's recipe. The absolute best read more

I work in Silver Spring and one night I had to stay late and wanted to order dinner. I really wanted something great to get me through the evening and this was just that! I love love love Southeast Asian food so when I saw this on Yelp and Ness I had to order it. I was not disappointed, only complaint is that it was not spicy enough at the medium temp, but I got some extra hot sauce on the side. I ordered the #1 Noddles(mixed noodles) and Gram Fritter appetizer. Next time, I want to try to coconut ice cream! read more

Amazing vegan options, but still great meat food for the carnivorous friends. Everything we ordered tasted great, and it all tasted differently, which you wouldn't expect with pickled ingredients. I'd never be able to reproduce at home, so I'll definitely be back. read more

I went there last night with a group of friends. It was out first time. The food was excellent and arrived so quickly. I ordered the fish soup, which I described when I tasted it as "devine", and the shrimp with tomato and curry. YUM! I love spicy food, and this did not disappoint. If you do not want a lot of spice, they will happily adjust the heat. I am looking forward to returning soon. read more

It was a dream come true to find this place! Amazing food and wonderful service. Can't wait to come back! Wish we lived closer.