Khao suey with tofu was excellent! Perfect flavor and spice. Crunch of the peanuts in the sauce was lovely. read more

Pa Lian - Khao suey with tofu - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

First time trying Burmese food and loved every bit of it!! The flavors were so unique and unlike any sort of Asian takeout I have had before. My favorite dish was the Kuakswe thoke and I will be ordering that again for sure the next time I come! The staff was also super nice and the restaurant is very well kept:) definitely worth the drive out to Wheaton read more

Pa Lian - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

See all

I was visiting in the area and this was my first time here or to any Burmese restaurant. I've had food made from my Burmese friends and liked it so I thought I would try this. The food was flavorful. We didn't try anything that I wouldn't have again. The hard part was just picking a handful of things to try. The spring rolls were fresh and tasty. The fried chickpea tofu was more like a savory biscuit rather than gelatinous. The sauce on it was good. Two entrees that we got were the beef with pickled mango, which is not sweet, and the squid salad. The squid salad was my favorite. It was crispy, fresh, and citrusy like ceviche. We also tried the coconut soup which was ok, but my least favorite. Over all, the food has a flavor profile between Indian food and Chinese, but not really like Thai. The restaurant was very clean and simple in styling, but modern. The bathroom was also very clean. The night we went, there was only the one host/waiter, who was very busy, but also attentive. My friends also loved everything they tried. I would recommend this restaurant to try. read more

Pa Lian - Coconut soup - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

See all

The Moh-Hin-Gar was amazing, and the bottle of water was a thoughtful gesture by the host. Not everyone likes drinking from a cup, so I really appreciated that. The host was very kind and brought the food out quickly--it was delicious! If anyone is craving Burmese food, I highly recommend this place. read more

Pa Lian - B01. Moh-Hin-Gar ( National Dish) (Halal) - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Every dish was sooo good and flavorful. I especially love the beef curry and tea leaf salad

Actually got to try their food at Halal Fest and then went to the restaurant - this joint is AUTHENTIC! The ambience is good, and the folks serving the food are super friendly! The food is all authentic and has a kick, so beware if you're not into spicy food. Their Nasi Goreng is bomb - a must try! read more

The vegan Ginger Salad was phenomenal! I want to eat that every day now. It was so flavorful, fresh and spicy and can't wait to get it again

Amazing authentic Burmese food. Great host and ambience. Taste was authentic and as if you're eating at home. Definitely recommend this place and would visit again. We also got a special treat from the host as my wife is of Burmese origin. All in all made our visit very special. read more

See all

Burma is situated between a number of countries including China, India and Thailand so I was excited to try Burmese food and see if my hypothesis of some small blending from the surrounding countries might be uniquely Burmese. Yep. The deep spiciness, samosa, and curry of India and the Thai curry and noodles and freshness of their salads. So rich and fulfilling. This place is definitely a hole in the wall (unassuming) and very clean with attentive service. Plenty of parking. We had a plethora of dishes and would do them all again. This is definitely a keeper! read more

See all

What a wonderful experience! My wife and I went last night for the first time. The service was impeccable. Being new to Burmese cuisine, we asked for recommendations from the waiter. We took them all, and soon found ourselves eating a delicious ginger salad, samosas, catfish soup, and a chicken noodle dish! The food was amazing! The biggest shock was when the bill arrived. Having just taken the waiter's recommendations without looking at the prices, I was expecting a hefty bill, but it was half the amount I had anticipated! What a wonderful date night! We will return soon! read more

This place is a hidden gem in Wheaton! The food was tasty and had great flavor! I highly recommend!

The food and the staff was outstanding! The restaurant was neatly decorated and the vibes were there. The pricing is also pretty good. My friend and I enjoyed the tea green salad, chicken coconut curry noodles, but the star of the show was the "KaukSwe Thoke" with chicken. The noodles, the spice, the chicken tied everything together. I'm a regular because of how good the food is. This is my favorite cuisine now. Everything was 1000/10. read more

See all

Incredibly flavorful Burmese dishes and the ambiance inside the restaurant is very nice too (despite it being in a strip mall). The owner is very friendly and welcoming to us always. My favorite dishes are the spring roll salad, the samusas, the mango chicken curry and the Shan noodles. Very lucky to have such great Burmese food so close by in Wheaton as it is hard to come across! read more

Absolutely phenomenal food @ a family run spot. The owner is wonderful and the food is sooo tasty, we were in a state of bliss. Grateful for such amazing veggie options too. Don't miss: --Tea leaf salad - funky, fermented, incredible mix of textures and flavors --Khao suey - rich and warm, comforting noodles in curry coconut broth. Great crunchy bits in this one too --Kyarzan thoke - thin vermecelli noodles with the yummiest toppings, warm and nice spice to it You will not regret your meal here! read more

It's the only Burmese restaurant in Illinois, and you need to eat here. I just ate there last night and I'd eat there today if I could. This restaurant has been on my radar for a year, but it won't take me a year to eat there again, now that I know how good it is. I don't think I'll last a week before I need it again. We showed up at 7:15pm and it looked like it was closed, but the really nice owner told us he'd have food ready in 20 min. And he did. With fried chickpea tofu, ginger salad, beef with pickled mango, bone broth soup, Shan Noodles, and samosas, we had a variety of things to try. I literally loved every single thing I ate. You can't even know how excited I am to have leftovers in my fridge read more

Pa Lian - A03. Samosa - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

See all

This place is a hidden gem in Wheaton! It has an extensive halal menu with a variety of dishes. We tried the tea salad which surprised us with a nice crunch and different flavors. The chicken cockscomb was a good noodle dish. But the star of the show was the crazy fish, which had a really tasty sauce and rice. read more

The food is so authentic. I'm Burmese and it reminds me of my childhood. Great food, and well worth the 1 hour drive from Chicago.

Delicious vegan options with a different and tasty flavor profile. Staff is proactive inquiring about dietary preferences and restrictions. We'll be back! read more

Pa Lian - Tofu Kyaw, Kaw-Pyan Gyaw (spring rolls), C02. Tea Leaf Salad and Kaukswe- Thoke. All delicious!!! - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

This was amazing. Great food and great service. I've never had Burmese food but this was excellent. The fried tofu, green tea salad and fish crazy were different than anything I've had... an amazing food adventure that did not disappoint. This place definitely deserves a 5!! read more

Great food, very flavorful! Ambiance is excellent and they have a nice little setup. Would highly recommend trying this place out read more

Pa Lian - Spring Roll Salad - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Food was great! My favorite was the tea leaf salad. When I went the owner thoughtfully spaced out everyone. The service was friendly and owner was super cool. read more

Pa Lian is located in a sleepy strip mall in Wheaton. The restaurant is beautifully decorated! We were a table for two and we ordered Ohn-No-Kauk-Swe which is a chicken noodle broth soup and Shan Noodle with ground beef. Both dishes were flavorful and the spice level was perfect. The soup was warm though and not hot. It was super nice of the restaurant not to charge us for bottled water. I wish there were more options for dessert. Our waiter was attentive and we appreciated that! read more

See all

So this place is fine, but it's not great. It was certainly clean if stark. There was no "service" to speak of, just a guy who gave the food and bottles of water. My dish - goat - was good overall if blah. Oh, and the menu is outdated - things no li get on there. read more

Great gem of a place and what a find. I was doing a somewhat random search for places to eat with a couple of friends last night and yelped in to Pa Lian. Loved the place. It's a small restaurant in a strip mall in Wheaton and the signs mostly say Burmese outside. The service was really good. Our waiter was super kind. He helped us navigate the menu to find both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. I would say they have a lot of meat options and I wish they had a few more vegetarian options on the menu. Like there's a whole section for each of beef, chicken, and lamb, but the vegetarian options are within the noodle section. But I had the Shan Noodle with Beyond Meat and it was really really good. Loved the food. The flavor is savory and umami. I'm excited and plan to look for other Burmese places closer to me. If you've never had Burmese food, you must try it at Pa Lian. I'm definitely planning to be back and also refer everyone I know. read more

Me and my bestie had lunch at Pa Lian and it was a special treat . The owner is a super , wonderful , amazing human being . He made us feel 11/10 . Me and my friend are vegetarians and it is hard to find really great vegetarian food. However , the owner was super welcoming and recommended several dishes that did not disappoint . The ginger salad was Devine. and and a combination of textures and flavors . The noodle dish was superb , we ate every morsel of it and felt divine . Do not hesitate to try . You will.be pleasantly surprised read more

The spice level here is legit but it is delicious. We ordered medium spicy and we usually can handle spice and we found it spicy. Everything was so good. The fried tofu appetizer was awesome and made of chickpeas. We loved the tea leaf salad as well as squid salad. The mango beef was good and kind of like a beef rendang but sweeter. We got the national dish which was a catfish broth soup with noodles, boiled egg and spices. It was very unique. We will be back to try more. Service was friendly and restaurant was clean. read more

Stopped by here with my boyfriend after a long walk at cantigny, and I have to say this place has the best noodles I've ever tried. We also ordered the samusas that were excellent with this sauce that was just the perfect pair to everything. Our server was very attentive and informative as it was our first time there. I really appreciated how clean the whole restaurant was, it was a calm and simple atmosphere which I loved. Will definitely come back if I'm in the area or just make the drive! read more

Pa Lian - B.08 Shan Noodle ( Popular Dish) ( Gluten free ( Halal) - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

See all

We were in Wheaton to enjoy the weather and walk one of the trails, so we decided to give Pa Lian a second shot and get takeout. This time we ordered Shan Noodles w/ beef and Ohn-No-Kauk-Swe. The Shan Noodles were thin noodles. A bit spicy for my son, but perfect for me. There was a limited amount of beef in there, but overall a pretty tasty dish with the green onions and what I think were peanuts. The Ohn-No-Kauk-Swe is a chicken noodle soup dish. The soup was packed in one container and the various toppings in another. This dish was awesome. The noodles that came with this were thick and long and had a nice texture. The toppings all complimented the soup nicely. I really liked the crispy fritters that were included, as well as the chili powder. I didn't find any chicken in the soup, but it was a satisfying soup. Both dishes were flavorful and we enjoyed them, but the proteins were sparse. This may be normal for Burmese cuisine. Not sure since it's a new cuisine to me. read more

See all

Amazing food in a authentic and casual atmosphere. I loved everything I had, especially the ginger salad. So fresh and different than Cantonese. I would say the experience is a bit between Indian and Thai. If you ask for spicy, you'll get it! If your tolerance is low for spicy food, ask for spicy on the side... read more

The fried tofu was really good. It came with 6 pieces. It had the perfect texture. I got the udon noodle dish- nangyi dok. It had a lot of flavor for sure. I got medium spicy which ended up being super spicy. Next time I would get no spicy. But overall it was pretty good and filling for one portion. My sister got the Shan noodle and said it was good. My friend got the curry and said it was alright. Nice service. Restaurant is clean, located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. It was not busy on a Friday night when we went, plenty of seating. I removed a star... I got pretty sick afterwards for 24 hours... read more

What a Great place! The food is unbelievably tasty and so well spiced. This is definitely not fine dining. The food is served in to go containers and paper plates. We did get real flatware though. One is allowed to BYB and we were given real wine glasses. Yelpers get 10% off on their first check-in for the entire party. The owner Tom is super friendly and most helpful. There are numerous options for vegans and for people eating gluten free. Tom suggested what to order and everything was delicious. He even brought us some things to taste so we would know for next time. The food definitely has an Asian flair but not like any other mainstream cuisine. The spices and combinations are not like Thai, Chinese or Japanese, yet the noodles and veggies are similar. I highly recommend giving this place a try. You will not be disappointed! read more

This place is nothing short of a hidden gem. It's one of the only, if not the only Burmese restaurants left in Chicagoland. The customer service and communication were great. From the minute we were on the phone to place the order until we came to pick up the food, there was only kindness and gratitude shown to us. The owner went above and beyond to ensure satisfaction. This family owned business strives for freshness in all of his food as traditional Burmese should be eaten. We started with two appetizers: the fried tofu and veggie spring rolls. These were perfectly crispy and the texture was soft on the inside. The sauces that paired with them were tangy and sweet and paired nicely together. The two salads we tried were the tea leaf salad and ginger salad. Both of the salads were amazing! They were fresh with hints of cabbage, peppers, crunchy seeds and lentils, ginger, lemon and herbs that made the experience an all around splendid one. I would highly recommend these salads. The two entrees we ordered were the chicken in bean paste gravy and noodle kauk swe gyaw. The chicken in gravy entree had tons of flavor and was strong with aromas of garlic, ginger, and beans. It was very tasty. The noodles were even better with hints of spice flakes, a roasted sauce and chicken pieces went really nicely with the noodles. We ended with a green tea cheesecake and it was the perfect amount of sweet. It helped cool the meal down. Overall, I must say the food is beyond expectations and the hospitality is even better. The interior was pleasant and I want this business to make it thru and grow to be even more popular as more people try it. Burmese culture is rich and I hope more people give it a chance. The last thing I would like to say is they were kind enough to send a message on each order. Come check them out ASAP! read more

See all

Tried half the menu and absolutely loved everything! Best Burmese place around Chicago!

The food was amazing! We had the tea salad and the coconut curry noodles which was great. The best item was "KaukSwe Thoke" with chicken which are spicy chicken noodles. I highly recommend this restaurant. The service was great and the staff were really nice!! read more

Great little hole in the wall. The owner is fast, friendly, and funny. The food was well flavored and something new! I definitely think that it may help to change the layout a bit to be more "comfy" and fast casual where it is an environment you'd want to go to catch up with friends. It looks very fancy! Also, make sure if you order spicy, you can actually handle spicy. I thought I could, but I could not LOL. Will definitely be back! read more

Great food, great service and clean environment. The dishes are very well balanced. We asked for side condiments such as smoky chilli peppers and fish sauce since we have some that cannot tolerate heat and for a vegan friend. Many selections available for vegan. We ordered tealeaf salad, ginger salad, fried tofu, Nankyi toke (udon style noodle), Shan noodles, Kaukswe, chicken with bean sauce and Mohingha. We enjoyed every dish. We'll be back again. read more

See all

When I found that the restaurant in Chicago I went to closed down. I searched for one and found that Pa Lian was semi-close. Since I was spending a weekend in Naperville it was more manageable to go. We showed up for our first visit on a Sunday afternoon and it was very quiet. We were the only people in the restaurant and the owner served us. He asked if we had had Burmese food before and we said yes. So we picked dishes we already had before: tea leaf salad and mohinga. My friend wanted the fried tofu and I wanted the samosas so we got those too. The tea leaf salad was the best I've had in the States so far, with a good balance of tea leaves, peanuts and vegetables. The mohinga was a little different from what I had before, which makes me wonder what state it's based off of, but with a lot of egg, fritters and chilis. During our meal he continued to check up on us, chatted to us about the restaurant and to please recommend it to others, which we have. My second visit was a Saturday and it was a lot busier, so those recommendations must be working. We had to wait a little to get a table and despite the wait being a little longer for food it was still great and so was the service. read more

See all

Wow! What a hidden gem! I took my family to Pa Lian yesterday, and we thoroughly enjoyed everything about the visit! Our server did a great job of ensuring that we had what we needed, and even gave our 2 year old a beautiful shade umbrella as a gift! It made her (and the rest of the families') day. We got lamb, chicken, and beef dishes and each of them had were equally delicious. The samusa appetizer was incredibly good as well. It's a small place in a humble location, but I also appreciated how clean and quiet it was. Win all the way around! read more

This is truly one of the best - if not THE BEST - restaurants in Chicagoland. We have now been here several times and it is better every time. They have a ton of vegan options and are about to launch a vegan menu. If you have questions about the menu, just give them a call they'll guide you through the menu! If you're looking for exciting takeout - give them a call. So worth the trip, we come from Palatine. Pictured here is the Tomato Salad (C08), Udon Noodles with Burmese Dressing (Nan-Gyi-Thoke B07), and Mango Tofu (D03 - the tofu is made in house!). Not pictured bc we destroyed it - the Spring Roll Salad (C09). read more

Pa Lian - Tomato Salad (C08), Udon Noodles with Burmese Dressing (Nan-Gyi-Thoke B07), and Mango Tofu (D03 - the tofu is made in house!) - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

A Burmese restaurant with labeled vegan items in the west suburbs of Chicago? Yes please! Having grown up close by, I was used to the area offering a variety of ethnic foods from all over the world, but Burma never had representation prior to Pa Lian. I ordered take-out and while the menu does a decent job of letting you know what is vegan or can be made vegan, it's not fool-proof enough and feels incomplete. I got a Kaw-Pyan Gyaw ($7.50 for three) which are Burmese egg rolls. They are large, but retained too much neutral oil in the wrapper, leading to a bland, oily flavor. The Pe-Eih-Kyar-Kwe ($7.50) consists of small pieces of fried bread with a split pea dipping sauce, akin to the consistency of hummus. This dish was great, though I wish the dipping sauce had more spice to it. I also got a tea leaf salad ($13), made vegan (the only dish on the menu with a "make vegan" checkbox). This was easily the best tea leaf salad I've had (and I've had a bunch, coast to coast), with a perfect interplay of crispy and soft, salty and not. I've had the tea leaf salad at Burma Superstar in San Francisco, which is fine (and famous), but didn't quite wow me the way Pa Lian's did. The KaukSwe Thoke ($12.50), vegan by default, is an udon noodle dish with interesting spicy seasoning. I liked it. Lastly, the Um-Tam Hin Gyo ($11), vegan by default, is a soup consisting of preserved mustard greens with other vegetables. The soup base didn't exactly burst with flavor, but the thing comes together on a whole. That said, the mustard greens weren't cut up, so trying to eat them with a spoon was impossible because they're so huge and long. I can't wait to try the new vegan items Pa Lian is cooking up for 2022. This place is a winner and I'm glad it's around. read more

See all