It's not an easy choice, but I'm pretty sure this is my favorite restaurant in Maryland! The food is just outstanding. I wish there were stronger words to express how great it is! The salads, the curries, and the appetizers are like nothing I've ever had before. The restaurant is owned by a family who puts so much care into the food they prepare and serve. read more

I wish this place had dine-in! We ordered the Tea Leaf Salad and Kyetthar Ohnno Hin for take-out, and the food was delicious. They boast a plentiful and unique menu, and I had no idea what to order when coming in. Fortunately, the owner explained each dish to me and provided recommendations based on my preferences. It was truly appreciated and made the trip much less intimidating! The food itself is earthy and one-of-a kind. The Kyetthar Ohnno Hin was a bit oily for my taste, and I wish the portion size would have been larger. I'm a lover of tea leaf salad, and this one was decent. However, I'll probably try another appetizer/entree combination the next time I stop by. This place is a great contribution to the cultural diversity within the DC area, and is truly a one-one-a kind place. I'm looking forward to coming back (hopefully for dine-in) and experiencing more of their menu. read more

For some time we devoted customers had to satisfy ourselves with carrry-out. Same wonderful taste, but you had to bring it home. Now they've reopened the restaurant, it's all good. Just keep treading water, eventually you'll reach the shore. read more

A monthly staple for take out when we don't want to cook. I encourage you to get a few different items every time. Spring rolls are nice and crispy. When they say spicy they mean it. read more

I have to admit something. I've never even thought about Burmese food before. When thinking about cuisines from Southeast Asia, Myanmar does not come first to mind, and I was completely unfamiliar with it. When my fiancee suggested it for dinner -- something she's never tried before, either -- I had no idea what to expect. Since the culture's cuisine is somewhat under represented, I think its worth visiting just to experience, and worth describing. I went in without knowing what the food would be like. Would it be like Indian food, or Chinese? Truly, its neither, though there is some blending of these flavours -- however, to try to explain Burmese food as a combination is unfair. It's a unique flavour all its own. They have a wide range of available meats, including seafood (catfish seemed big, as well as shrimp), poultry, and beef. There are a lot of vegetarian entries, as well, with tofu and such. (I think I saw that they're vegan friendly for some entrees, but I didn't really focus on this, so don't quote me!) These types are pretty well distributed throughout the menu, but their specials lean heavily into pork. Many of the sauces are curries, but many are also not. Some of the dishes have peanut in them, similar to Thai food, but many do not. The peanuts seem to be a major ingredient in salads. Since the specials were mostly focused on pork, I chose one of those, and got pork belly in a sauce with potatoes. This is called "wet tha doke htoe." Honestly, part of why I ordered it was curiosity at how the name is pronounced, but I chickened out and ordered by number instead. The sauce is a delicious dark brown, with flavours of ginger, chili, and more. The potatoes had stewed in it long enough to pick up the flavour, which was delicious. The pork belly was tender, and just about melted in your mouth with an explosion of this rich flavour. Its fortunate that everything was so melt in your mouth, because it was so delicious I forgot to chew and simply inhaled it. Sara's meal was a spicy beef curry. Though I'm not usually a big curry fan, hers was delicious (since the words "doppler effect" described me eating my dinner, I got to try hers). Mine was absolutely delicious, and I couldn't have imagined a better dish... until I tried hers. The beef was tender, the sauce was great, and it had just a little kick to it (they called it "medium.") Overall, the staff were friendly and helpful, they kept our drinks filled, and they could be seen talking and joking with many regulars. They even have giant disney floor place-mats for young kids (something I wish I had known before sitting down... I wanted one!). The entire place is clean, tastefully decorated -- in a very family orientated way (pictures of what I assume are family members). It really doesn't look like much from the outside, and it is a bit off the usual beaten path in downtown Silver Spring, but its worth exploring. read more

The only Burmese restaurant I know in the area. Used to be excellent, but after they reopened, food isn't what it used to be. Will try again before confirming. Something was missing, not sure what though. read more

Incredible Burmese food for all dietary restrictions. The staff at Mandalay are unbelievably friendly too. I hope they open dining in soon!

Delicious! DO order out & support this amazing family owned restaurant in downtown silver spring which has been facing economic challenges since the pandemic. They don't currently offer sit down service. I had the eggplants cilantro with jasmine rice--delicious spice and heat, eggplant cooked perfectly. If you're not a spice-magnet I recommend ordering "mild", medium spice was already pretty hot for me. I definitely will be ordering again and bringing the family read more

Incredible Burmese food. Warm hospitality and service. Just reopened for in person dining (with limited hours) so interior is pretty basic, but I'm here for the food! read more

First time eating Burmese food! Waiter was very helpful when ordering but did not like how he was kinda choosing what to order for us. Suggestions are nice but he was a little aggressive saying we should start with this one bc we couldn't handle other dishes... lol. Anyways, we ordered the green tea leaf salad which was a little bitter (so if you are not familiar or do not like bitterness in your foods, maybe stay away from this one) We also ordered a noodle dish that resembled drunken noodle with how flat and wife they were. Good dish. The star of the show is special number 1. The tender beef in special curry sauce. This one was delicious!!! Without this dish it would have been a 3 star. This dish was sooo flavorful and tender. The curry played so nice with the fried potatoes on the side. Those fried potatoes were to die for!! Soaked up all the curry. Yum. This is what you should order :) read more

Delicious, family friendly and also a good date spot when they had dine in. Don't look for frills, but at the price, portion size, familiar service, who need it? As a D.C. area native, this is hands down my favorite place to eat and I'm so glad they've reopened. read more

Holy frick, the food here is great. Like, the kind of great where your cheeks hurt because you can't shovel the food fast enough into your mouth kind of great. We haven't been in yet, just delivery, so we don't know the ambiance or service, but five stars for food alone. Our top three must try dishes: 1. Let Phet Thoke Salad (tea leaf salad). Really unlike anything you've probably had before-- its savory, bitter, crunchy, salty. It provides a great bite between entrees or bites because it helps reset the tongue/ 2. Wet Thar Thone Htat Ther Hin (pork belly onion curry). First off, who doesn't love pork belly? Second off, who doesn't love slow simmer melt in your mouth pork belly swimming in an onion curry/ 3. Kyetthar Thayet Thee Hin (chicken in pickled mango curry). Also something I've never really had before. Very savory, slightly sweet, a little funky, very delicious. I debated adding the dozens of other dishes we've tried here, so I'll say this -- try the menu! We did and nothing has fallen short of our expectations yet. read more

Great good and quality is always on-point. The food has a lot of flavor and a go to for me and my wife.

Mingalaba! We come here at least once a month, sometimes once a week, and have been known to show up two days in a row on occasion but usually I just order two days' worth of food per visit to avoid having to drive over twice. We are regulars here because the food and service are fantastic. Tons of vegan options, child-friendly, and quite authentic. (How authentic? My FIL grew up in Burma and gives this resto his seal of approval. We order just about every time the in-laws visit.) My 6yo's favorite is the V06 (oh yeah, we have the menu memorized by its numbers, but just in case I keep a menu in the glove compartment so I can place an order as I'm heading over-- the food is ready in under 20min each time)-- large flat rice noodles with tofu and peanut sauce. It's the kid's favorite but we all devour it, so I have to order two. My current favorite is the V13, the tofu in a coconut curry sauce. It's amazing as leftovers so I order two. My father's favorite is the V03, eggplant. But we all devour it, so I have to order two. I can't remember my husband's favorite, I think it's V10 (tofu in pepper and tomato curry) but he orders it way spicier than any of us can handle so we only get one of those. We also love the V02 (tomato, tofu, onion, cilantro), V04 (veggies in brown sauce-- my kid's friend who is a picky eater loved this), and V12 (tofu with sour mustard-- I prefer the tofu soft, not sautéed in this, just for the change) and the chef's special, SP06 (tofu in mango pickle curry (like amba!)). Sometimes we get the mango salad or the tea leaf salad (classic!). Can't go wrong with anything from the Veggie part of the menu. read more

I must say that my experience here was not that good. I was pretty disappointed since all the staff recommended food was extremely underwhelming. Baya Gyaw ($5.99) - Deep Fried Yellow Split Peas, Ginger, Garlic & Cilantro. This was pretty good, quite flavorful. Possibly the highlight of our whole entire meal. Ame Thar Aloo Hin ($14.49) - Sliced Beef & Lightly Fried Potato simmered in Onion Tomato based Curry. I swear I got a bad batch or something but this beef was the toughest meat I've ever consumed in years! Not only were they hard to cut, they were even harder to eat... I was chewing so much to the point my jaw just got tired lol. That dish was a huge disappointment since the staff pretty much ordered this for us. The other beef dish that we ordered was just as tough. Hence, I'm a bit puzzled how the beef's supposed to be super tender by reviews on Yelp. Coconut Ice Cream ($6.49) - Coconut Milk Ice Cream in Coconut Shell. Honestly, it's just ok at best for me. I prefer more like a real coconut water/meat taste instead of coconut milk. read more

Overall: 3.5 stars How often do you get a chance to try Burmese food? It was with the allure of the exotic and somewhat unknown cuisine of this distant land that we decided to give this restaurant a try. The staff is sweet and knowledgeable. Very attentive and clearly interested in ensuring a positive experience. I applaud them for that. The decor is family style, with pictures of family members on the wall, a painting or two from Myanmar, and other knickknacks. That has a certain charm of its own, but is not necessarily a beautiful place in which to dine. But of course, the main reason one goes to a place like this is for the food. And that is where I felt underwhelmed. The chef special noodle with chicken in a peanut sauce was tasty. Also tried two salads: a chickpea salad with cabbage and a ginger salad. Both were just fine. Finally, a fish soup with noodles. This was not to my liking in particular. Overall the food was good but not great. This may be a matter of personal taste, but I found that my experience with Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and other Southeast Asian restaurants have been far more delicious. Nevertheless, I would recommend a visit just to diversify your exposure to the amazing cuisines of the region. read more

First time visiting this restaurant and trying Burmese food. We were a fairly large group, so I was able to try a number of different dishes. Highlights: Squash fritters Burmese samosas Beef and potato curry A ginger salad So many different flavors and textures. The only thing I didn't care for was the chicken and bamboo dish. Service was quite slow so that's why it's four rather than five stars for me read more

Some of the most unique flavors you'll encounter in Silver Spring. And the food never disappoints. Well, rarely...there was one noodle dish with vatana beans that featured a very weird texture, but I had an inkling that I was wading into dangerous territory with that one. I digress, the other food is excellent. A couple of my favorites are the Mandalay tofu and fermented green tea salad. The salad reminded me of my first time trying kombucha; the first bite took me strongly aback. The second caused me to reconsider. The third, I started to like it. The fourth, I was hooked. One warning though - try to avoid stepping inside, if you can help it. It's perfect for delivery. I ate inside of the place four or five years ago and it was fine, fairly nice. But right now, their seats are closed, seemingly for renovations. And the energy in there is often weird, borderline surreal. Other than that, it's a great find! read more

3.5 is more like it. The menu is big and lacks descriptions of the sauce each dish comes with! Be sure to ask the waitress, mine at least, was very helpful. We got the fried shrimp and gram fritters to start off. I really enjoyed the shrimp. They were dipped in a batter and fried, to be eaten with this sweet&sour type sauce that also had spiciness to it. I liked it a lot. I had to use the sauce for the gram fritters too, because that appetizer lacked any flavor. For my main course I ordered the Noodle6 dish with pork.. It's a rice noodle dish with egg, pork, some other stuff to it. My favorite part is that it comes really spicy (upon request). I could have used more of the brown sauce that came on the side (not sure what it is or how to explain it, but if you've every been to indonesia, it's kind of like the sauce they use with their satay). I would say my dish is kind of like pad thai but really spicy. I liked it and I'd order it again. My friend ordered the beef4. His dish was really drenched in spiciness. I thought his dish was okay. I preferred mine over his tomato/onion sauce. I think that's what it was at least. It was served with rice. I found out from another review that they have their own parking here. Just in case you don't get to that review on the yelp list, I added it here for your knowledge. read more

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Friendliest family-owned business with delicious Burmese food!! Plenty of vegan and vegetarian options as well. Their restaurant has hosted many celebrations and dinner dates over the years, I'm so happy they were able to reopen after COVID derailed so many small businesses. They are currently only doing take out, as noted in their social media accounts, but that may change. I've never had any issues ordering over the phone or on the apps. I've always had great service calling to ask questions ahead of visiting in person. I'm happy to support this business as they navigate an ongoing pandemic with the health and safety of both their staff and customers in mind. read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - Mandalay Tofu, Baya Gyaw (Gram Fritter) Salad, LetThoke Sone (Mixed Noodle), Tofu PinSane (Basil), and a Burmese samosa. All vegan! - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Even though I haven't had a lot of Burmese food, I felt like what was presented to me at Mandalay was excellent and authentic. You don't come here for the décor or ambiance, you come here for the delicious food. The menu is pretty large and I was introduced to several new dishes I've never heard of before. We ordered the wide flat noodles (Item N06- Nyat kaukswe gyaw) and the pork belly with potatoes in onion curry (Item SP08- Wet thar thone htat ther hin). Both items we asked for extremely spicy and that is indeed what we got. The pork belly was melt in your mouth tender. If you like fatty meat, this is for you. The flat noodles slightly resembled several other Asian dishes I'm familiar with a different sauce and it was perfectly cooked. Also, all of the employees were really friendly and were willing to recommend dishes. I'll have to come back to travel way more dishes. It's not the cheapest, with most entrees between $10-20, but it's well worth the money. I promise. I'm absolutely a fan of this place. And I'm glad I finally found a spot that can make me sweat while eating! read more

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Mandalay delivers high quality food with a variety of dishes. Recently we ordered and picked up 7 dishes for our adult children, grandchildren and ourselves on a Friday night. The green papaya salad was excellent and a favorite. The pork noodle dish with the thick rice noodles are consistently good. We were able to order an excellent chicken dish that had a lot of vegetables. We also enjoyed a couple of shrimp dishes. The shrimp curry could have used a few more vegetables, but the sauce was great. A tofu dish was also great. Portions are enough for one persons, but are not particularly large. We have enjoyed eating food from this restaurant for more than five years, and have found it consistently excellent in a neighborhood full of excellent restaurant choices. If you like Thai and/or spicy Chinese food, you will enjoy this Burmese restaurant. read more

I have the highest praise for Mandalay and the assistance we got from the owner, Joe. I had to put on a dinner with Burmese food for a group of 8 people, some of whom had lived in Burma and/or were Burmese. I know nothing about Burma. Joe helped me select the dishes, counseled me on which ones might not be best for the diverse group, and advised me on table presentation. The dinner came off perfectly and everyone -- especially the Burmese -- were very impressed. Thanks to Joe for a very successful dinner party. read more

For years I have ordered here and have devoured the tofu pinsane. I was elated that they reopened and finally got to order it today. Big change and not for the best. The dish is extremely oily. The tomato curry passata is submerged in an inch of oil and the flavor is missing as well. Inedible to be honest. Sad development. read more

Burmese Family style resturant with causal atmospheres. Vegan Friendly - YES, plenty of options! Food (4 Stars) - Fresh and hot Ambiance (4 Stars) - casual Service (4 Stars) - order spicy hot and they will refill ur water Jimmy's Hacks - free parking next door Note... reviews maybe updated after future visits. If you find any of my hacks or reviews helpful pls follow & like my review for more. Thx read more

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My heavens. Fantastically good food and fun, gracious service. I got a salad that was incredibly fresh and explosively flavorful, and a bunch of my friends got various curry and noodle dishes that they raved about. I would love to come back here and eat my way around the vegetarian side of the menu. They offer all levels of spice, from none at all to call 911. I sprinkled dry chili flakes on my salad to push it somewhere into the middle of that range...I get the feeling that you shouldn't mess around with the spice here though. Our server was informative and funny and had great attitude...he should have his own tv show. Everyone was super nice. Thumbs all the way up. read more

Simply the best restaurant in Silver Spring. Try the #6 Noodles with chicken or Tofu. The #1 Soup is outstanding, with noodles, chicken and mushrooms in a wonderful fragrant rich broth. This place is family-run, not a chain, and highly recommended. Try it and you'll want to come back! read more

This is one of the best restaurants in Silver Spring Maryland. They have a vast menu of amazing exotic dishes. Burmese food is a MUST have and this is the spot to get it. Located on a great street filled with a wine bar, a thrift shop and other small businesses, Mandalay is a great end to a day of shopping and exploring Downtown Silver Spring. It is a 5 minute walk to the Downtown Ellsworth Drive shopping experience and a 10 minute walk to the Metro Station. They have a large dining room that is well maintained by the family who runs this business. The service is fast and friendly. As far as the food is concerned, they have something for everyone; carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. If you love spice...ask them for VERY spicy. You will be blown away by the delicious volcano erupting in your mouth. read more

My favorite burmese food. 100% worth it during construction. Such a kind staff as well

My boyfriend and I come here every few Thursdays because this restaurant has one of those dishes that resonates so deeply in our souls and stomachs that you remember it and have to come back to eat it. I've searched for recipes online and a few other Burmese places but this mysterious addiction fodder seems to only be here, from what I can tell. This dish is the Thursday special Ohnhta Min. A delicious tender half chicken slow cooked in a complex delicious sauce with hints of soy sauce, onion, perhaps nutmeg, over an addictive coconut rice. This dish has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and umami. We usually get it mild or medium spicy, but any level of spiciness compliments the bone-licking flavors well. We love it so much that while we want to try other dishes, we can not fathom risking it when this is already 10/10. And it's impressive to me that we both love it -- him, a meat lover with American tastes, and me, a "foodie" in search of exotic foods. As for other dishes, I think we tried the golden triangles at some point and they were tasty. The cocktails are yummy but a little kitschy. I love the enthusiasm of the cocktail menu writer! Overall - come here and get the Ohnhta Min on Thursday!!!! read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - The magical, beautiful, wonderful, delicious Ohnhta Min (Thursday only) - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

This place is the shit. I've been twice with my boyfriend, and we've tried almost all of their salads and a variety of chicken/vegetarian options. I LOVE spicy food, and this is one of the few places that I can truly get *HOT* dishes. I'm a huge fan of the NanJee Gyaw with chicken, and I get it SPICY. Also love the salads - papaya and the fermented tea leaf are legit. You're not going to go for a fancy ambiance. You're going for amazing food. read more

I made it a point to finally try Burmese cuisine while I was in Silver Spring. I've read great things about the food here, so this was a must-visit for lunch. There is street parking up and down Bonifant, a few spaces next to the restaurant, and a private lot with metered parking. We ordered the following for lunch: - KawPyant Gyaw (A04--$5.99) - KyarZan w/ Chicken (LN04--$11.49) *ordered "medium-spicy" - NanJee Gyaw w/ Combo (chicken, pork, and shrimp) (N05--$14.49) *ordered "spicy-spicy" - Nyat KaukSwe Gyaw w/ Pork and Burmese dressing (N06--$13.49) *ordered "spicy-spicy" - Coconut Ice Cream (vegan friendly) ($6.49) - ShweJi ($3.49) The spring rolls (A04) are not unique to me, but they were well made/wrapped well, stuffed generously, come with 4 pieces and a slightly sweet red sauce per order, and were delicious overall. We ended up ordering three stir fried noodle dishes, which all looked rather similar, but were equally delicious. Each one was flavorful and distinct from other similar Southeast Asian dishes. We asked for "spicy" spiciness for the N05 and the N06, and they certainly made it happen! My face and neck were starting to sweat, although wearing a cotton jacket on a mildly warm day didn't help either. However, the spiciness was exactly what we wanted. As for dessert, I thought the coconut ice cream was delicious. It's homemade and tastes closer to light, coconut-flavored ice than actual ice cream; it's served in a coconut half-shell. Our favorite dessert, however, was the ShweJi. It is flavorful, has a thick texture, is served warm, and has the perfect sweetness. Like the noodle dishes, we had no complaints whatsoever and enjoyed what we ate. The serving size for everything we ordered was generous, which was surprising given the number of complaints we read in other reviews. It's difficult to find Burmese restaurants in the US, so if you happen to be in the area, consider giving this place a shot. read more

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Stopped in on a Saturday for lunch. We ordered the tea leaf salad, eggplant fritters and Pe Pyar Pepoke Hin. Everything was fresh and delicious and service was quick and friendly. We will be back. read more

Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe - Pe Pyar Pepoke Hin - Burmese Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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This is definitely one of downtowns silver spring's hidden gem! Their lunch specials are banging is you can handle the heat! And their green tea salad is like eating crack .... I mean chips you just can't have one bite! The food and recipe originated from Burma so if you want to take a break from the burgers and Ethiopian food but don't want to skip on the spices, try them out since not many people can say that they had an authentic Burmese meal. read more

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Delicious food, quick service, and nice ambiance. This place is a Silver Spring staple, check it out!

First time trying Burmese food and got a mixed noodle dish that had several different noodle types and vegetables in it. It had an interesting green-ish sauce on it that I haven't tasted before. The dish itself was ok, but nothing stellar and I probably would not order it again. (Maybe I just am not a fan of the Burmese taste because The place definitely seemed authentic.) The dish also had lots of crispy garlic slices and cabbage. For dessert, I got the coconut ice cream which came in a small coconut and had a consistency more comparable to shaved ice in my opinion. It wasn't super creamy which is different from what I expected, so I probably wouldn't order it again. The service here was good and it looks like a small quaint place, but inside is actually quite spacious. Decent first experience with Burmese cuisine. Parking is limited to street. read more

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

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Ordered carry out at this favorite restaurant. It is Sunday evening and the place is full and positively energetic with couples, families and individuals who love this tasty Burmese food. Ordered A06 (fried shrimp), VO6 fat noodles w tofu and sauce and SL06 tofu salad. I'm not a vegetarian but enjoy the veggie dishes here. The meal was as flavorful and satisfying as ever. Service friendly and warm to me and the Uber Eats guy (as it should be) waiting to pick up food to take to customers. read more

Very authentic and flavorful!! A lot vegan and gluten free options (not sure about wheat in the sauce as a fermenting agent, but it worked for me though!) read more

Updating to 5 stars. We've been getting takeout during the pandemic and these guys are SPOT ON every time--with the food (soooo yummy), the service, the safety/protocols seem to be in place (they're always wearing masks and do contactless pickup), and it seems like the portions have gotten bigger! We ordered 3 dishes and a papaya salad last time, and got 3 dinners out of it (for 2 people). Great value. Please support this awesome family-run restaurant! read more

Despite having not lived in DC since 2014, I still have managed to eat at Mandalay a half dozen times since then. Every time I'm in DC for a conference, or to visit friends, I always insist on coming here and never regret that decision, even if it means a 1 hour drive from Virginia. Mandalay is simply the best. read more