This gem was suggested by a friend! Definitely a hidden one in this strip mall. Pa Lian is newly renovated. We got there during their soft reopening. This was our first time trying this place, and it did not disappoint. The owner was running the place by himself along with the chef in the back. He quickly got us seated and explained to us everything would be in take out boxes due to soft opening. My husband and I did not mind at all. Afterall, food is food, as long as it's tasty! 1. Appetizer - samosas - comes in 3 pieces filled with finely diced potatoes, eggs and curry seasoning. Not spicy at all. Very flavorful! Our 4 year old loved it! 2. House soup - not pictured - chicken bone soup 3. Shan Noodles - rice noodles with peanut sauce, chicken, fermented black beans, green onions, sesame. Another dish my 4 year old devoured. She kept wanting more. Dish full of flavors, not spicy, and light! 4. Goat Curry - this came with white rice, we ordered this with medium spice. The spice does not hit you til later!!! Goat was very tender, seems like it was slow cooked all day. Along with the goat, there's pieces of potatoes in there as well. Highly recommend! We had such a good experience. The owner was very accommodating. Food was fresh and delicious! We cannot wait to go back again! This will be on our rotating list of places to go! Pro Tip: this place is BYOB!!! There's a Jewel next door to purchase your beverages prior! read more

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Amazing! Honestly I had never heard of Burma or Burmese food until a couple months ago when my friend from San Fransisco came to town. I was in Wheaton for work from downtown Chicago and decided to stop in. The owner is so friendly, and immediately helped me with ordering and recommending dishes based on my palate! The food was so fresh and delicious! I think the tea leaf salad is an absolute must! It's so crunchy and delicious, this balances well with the more filling noodle dishes. The owner recommended the beef and pickles dish, which I never would have tried on my own but it was so tasty. I love spicy food and it was a great heat level. Absolutely try this place. And try it again!! I would make a trip to Wheaton again, just for this place! Plus Wheaton has some other lovely stops! read more

Pa Lian - Tea Leaf Salad Beef with pickled mango B.08 Shan Noodle ( Popular Dish) ( GT free SB04.um-Tam Hin Gyo (Sumtom Soup) Vegan - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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What a treat! A unique cuisine that has balanced flavors and texture. Friendly and helpful staff. A hidden gem in both the quality of the food and atmosphere. read more

We happened to be in the area and had no clue there was a Burmese restaurant! It's pretty difficult to find Burmese food in the Midwest so this was a great surprise. The tea leaf salad and moh hin gar were great and the service was wonderful. The owner of the restaurant was kind and friendly. read more

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

Really delicious. Food that's vegan naturally without trying to imitate meat. Just good wholesome ingredients that belong together. Tons of flavor, well balanced. Everything works. Spring rolls are light and flakey, not greasy at all. Kauk Swe Thoke is so good. Again, not greasy, savory and delicious. Eat this whether vegan, vegetarian or carnivore, it's just tasty. Big plus - owner is kind and genuine. Reward them with your business read more

Pa Lian - Back left: C09.Spring Roll Salad ( Vegan lover) Back right: complimentary soup Front: B.06 KaukSwe Thoke ( Vegan Top Hit)***** - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

I can't say I'm familiar with Burmese food so can't compare but we really enjoyed our meal. There were seven of us so we decided to order family style to try a variety of dishes. We started with vegetarian spring rolls, hot and fresh but a bit greasy, deep fried, right? We then ordered two salads to share, Ginger Salad and Shrimp salad. Both were unbelievably delicious. I'd go back for those two dishes alone. We also ordered two noodle dishes, one with beef and the other chicken. You can pick your spice level. A bit greasy but tasty with crunchy garlic. The chicken with gram bean was just okay, more cauliflower pieces than chicken. Someone in our group wanted to be adventurous and order a whole fried tilapia fish. The group enjoyed but again too greasy for me. Lots of gluten free and halal options. We walked away full and happy to try a new cuisine and would definitely go back. They close at 8 pm so can't show up too late! It wasn't crowded by our 7 pm arrival so service was prompt and attentive. read more

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have gone here several times for date night and always leave super impressed by the atmosphere and food. truly a one of a kind place that is putting burmese food on the map. the owner is super hospitable and makes great conversation with the guests. also, could not recommend the tea leaf salad and tofu gyaw enough! phenomenal place all around! read more

5 stars for this place! I've never dined in, only take outs so far but the place is always clean and tidy. The owner is very friendly. My husband and I get two orders of their Nangyi Dok (chicken, mild) at least once a week. The dish is super fresh and flavorful, hits the spot every time! read more

the food are very delicious and authentic. Very welcoming place. The place is very neat and clean.

I'm Burmese American -- here are my recommendations of what to order: (C02) Tea Leaf Salad: This is a very popular Burmese dish, unlike any other salad you've had before. It includes fermented tea leaves, which provides an umami flavor. Fried fava beans and miscellaneous nuts give the salad a crunch. Squeeze some lemon just before serving to balance out all the flavors. Highly recommended as an appetizer. (B01) Moh-hin-gar: The national dish of Burma, this is also known as simply "Burmese Soup." The base of the soup is made from catfish curry. It contains crispy lentils for crunch and red chilli powder on the side if you want it spicy. Lemon again rounds out all the flavors. Highly recommended. (B07) Nan-Gyi-Thoke: This chicken curry udon noodle dish is one of my favorites. Pinch some lemon and mix just before serving to balance all the flavors. The default is not very spicy, however if you think you can handle it, tell Tawk you want it "Burmese style" and he'll put in extra chili powder. (B03) Ohn-no-kauk-swe: Coconut milk chicken curry noodle soup. This is also very popular and recommended if you like coconut milk. Photo attached for reference. (A01)Tofu Gyaw: Fried tofu. Burmese tofu is made from chickpeas rather than soybeans. This is a good appetizer that comes with dipping sauce. Crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Burmese food is a reflection of its geography. Burmese cuisine is similar to food from the neighboring countries of India, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. However, Burmese cuisine is distinct in the way it combines different textures and umami into its dishes. If you've never had Burmese before but you enjoy Indian/Thai/Vietnamese food, give this place a try and you will be in for a treat! Overall Pa Lian's food reminds me of the food I grew up eating at family gatherings and at community events held at the local monastery back in the bay area of California. I highly recommend Burmese food to anyone that likes to eat food, and Pa Lian does a great job. The only thing is I wish they had Falooda. Maybe once Burmese food becomes more popular they can add it to the menu. read more

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Y'know, life is just too short to eat the same stuff all the time. You know that restaurant down the street that you've noticed, but it probably doesn't serve hamburgers? Might or might not serve chicken, but certainly not your mama's recipe? It's gotta be awful, right? Well maaaaybe not. Think about it this way. There are a whole bunch of little kids somewhere in the world whose mama makes chicken just like that. They love her, and they BEG her to make it EVERY Saturday night. They grew up and opened that restaurant down the street just so you - yep, YOU - could get the same enjoyment out of your food as they always have. So if you're looking for a better hamburger place because you're kind of tired of that other hamburger place you go to all the time, stop here. Nope - no hamburgers. But how could this food not be good? LOTS of little kids and parents and grandparents and jus' plain people love this food. C'mon. Try it. And this is SERIOUSLY good food. Different, yeah, but not weird, and a lot familiar in a lot of ways. Can't remember the main course I got, but it has noodles, chicken, toasted garlic, green onions, greens (mm!), cilantro and a VERY friendly sauce. Got it medium spicy and it was pleasantly so for this guy who likes hot stuff, just right for me. Football watchin' food. Really. It came unmixed in my takeout tray with instructions from the very very friendly proprietor to stir it up when I got home. I think that's because it was drop dead beautiful when I opened the dish. If he'd mixed it, it would have looked like, well, mixed up and kind of unremarkable, right? Plus I got to mix it just enough so that some bites had lots of peanuts, others more sauce ... not homogeneous. Mmm. Need a little chicken soup on a rainy yucky day? Get the chicken bone soup. It'll be totally familiar and comforting, with a little ginger to make it more so. YUM. And order some of the fried chickpea tofu as an appetizer. Wait WHA ...? No, really. But don't eat it plain. It's seriously boring that way. Dip it in the medium-spicy sweetish red sauce that comes with it. Yeah, NOW it's good. Tastes just a little like fried cornbread dipped in excellent pico de gallo Mexican sauce. Wow. But leave some for everybody else at the table to try. Or not. I didn't. Your choice. You ordered it, right? Yours. The store is very easy to find. It's very clean, and downright attractive inside. The proprietor is a local fellow. Certainly isn't a chain restaurant where all your money heads off to headquarters in New York to line a bunch of stock market players' pockets. Nope. The place is HERE where you are. GO there. You'll be happy as all those little kids in Burma. They're lucky to eat like this and so should you be. read more

Burmese food was a new experience for me. Kind of cross between Indian and Chinese, which makes sense if you know geography. The owner serves and is very funny if you engage him. We've eaten here the last two times we've been in Wheaton. Definitely one of the best places to eat in town. read more

Really delicious unfortunately they are short handed and with their recent #2 in Yelps top 100 they are swamped!!! Definitely try them out but maybe wait a week or two! Everything we ordered was delicious although I cannot remember the dish names. read more

Such a hidden gem, if more people knew how good Burmese food.... Love it!!! Sad that this is the only Burmese restaurant in all of Chicagoland area, worth the 45 min drive for me read more

Such awesome flavors with every dish! We recommend getting the tea leaf salad (love the crunchy textures), tofu gyaw (super light and fluffy), and the beef with garam bean (very savory and tender)! The service is also very friendly and fast! It reminds me of a blend of Indian, Thai, Chinese cuisine! love to support a great local business! read more

Pa Lian - A03. Samosa A01. Tofu Gyaw - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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This is the first time I've seen a Burmese restaurant. The Khausa was on point and flavors were great! The restaurant was clean and inviting. read more

Just wow! Not sure I have enough superlatives for Pa Lian. I'm a vegetarian who dined with the two carnivores in my house and we all left happy, satisfied, and very impressed. We started with the fried tofu and samusa. The sauces for each were perfect. Moved on to the tea leaf salad which I intended to share with the carnivores but ended up devouring. The flavors and textures in this dish were amazing! The carnivores had chicken mango and beef with pickled mango for their entrees while I had (devoured!) the vegan noodle dish Kaukswe Thoke. Every dish had incredible layers of flavor. The service was on point and the restaurant's ambiance was very relaxed and charming. All the other diners were enjoying their meals which was lovely to see. We can't wait to return. In the meantime, I will dream of the tea leaf salad! read more

I first had Burmese food while in San Francisco and I was blown away, so I was thrilled when I saw there was a Burmese restaurant in the Chicago area! If you like Thai food, you MUST try Burmese. It's reminiscent of it, but entirely different flavors that are going to be totally unlike anything you have ever had. I find the dishes to have more complex and interesting flavors than Thai. Pa Lian does not disappoint! Be adventurous! Try the soup that's made with Catfish. It's savory and tangy and will awaken your senses much to your delight. The Shan Noodles and Tea Leaf Salad are great choices and have great texture and interesting flavor combinations. The owner is very friendly and made me feel like a valued customer when I picked up my order. And he was helpful to explain how to properly assemble and mix the dishes when I phoned him after getting home and being confused about all the extra containers which I had thought were someone else's order I grabbed on accident. Pa Lian is currently take out only as the dine-in space is under renovations. It looks like it will be really nice once it's reopened for dining in. read more

Pa Lian - Ordered several dishes! - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Pa Lian deserves more than 5 stars! My sister and I found this place on Yelp, we both love Asian food but had never tried Burmese food before. We have been missing out! I got the mango tofu and my sister got the spring roll salad. We called in our order as they are closed for dining in due to renovations. They guy working there was very nice, he gave us an extra salad and wrote us a note thanking us for ordering! We were blown away by our food! The tofu was unique, they make it from chickpeas and it's very delicious, a little more firm than regular tofu. The potatoes in the curry were delicious too. My sister loved her salad, it is nothing like a typical salad, it was warm and delicious. I highly recommend this place and wish I could bring it back with me to AZ! read more

Pa Lian - C09.Spring Roll Salad ( Vegan lover) - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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'Loved it all! Very unique flavors that were so good, and memorable enough to make me want to go back with friends. We started with the Tofu Kyaw. Then the very popular Tea Leaf Salad, the Shan Noodle dish, and finally, the Fish Crazy. I loved all of it but the Fish Crazy was my absolute favorite! I would do it all again in a heartbeat. read more

Pa Lian - Fish Crazy. This was so crispy and good! It was recommended we eat it with your hands which made it a fun experience. - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

I have food allergies, and am celiac (need gluten-free) and vegan. Finding restaurants that fit my dietary needs can be a challenge. Pa Lian has been on my radar for a while, and I finally pulled the trigger last week. Let me tell you--I wish I'd come in a lot sooner! Not only do they have a wide variety of options for me, but when I mentioned food allergies they went above and beyond to ensure I was safe. When I picked up my order, they'd labeled everything I could eat--even the dishes that weren't specifically for me. It was so thoughtful and helpful. On top of that, they said it would be 25 minutes and it was ready at that time. I love when ordering times are accurate. I actually ended up ordering from here a second time last week and had just as wonderful of an experience. If you're looking for something new and have food restrictions, I highly recommend this place. They're very careful, understanding, AND make delicious food. Heck, I recommend it regardless of your diet. It's just plain delicious. 12/10 would eat here again (and plan to!) read more

What an experience! Everyone should try this. The ginger salad, the tea leaf salad, the swordfish in a sauce like a mole....amazing. Was there with a group so we got to try everything. The KaZoon Ywat Gyaw greens were the most delicious veggies I've had. And the green tea cheesecake was perfect. The owner is so cheery and accommodating. Excellent. Go. So I never posted this but I came back and the second experience was as good as the first! This time we had B10 Shan Kauk-Swe noodles and they were delicious. Awesome places read more

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You need to try Burmese food ASAP! It is so refreshing!! Ginger salad and some noodles... the samusas. It all just simply smacks! read more

Excellent! Pa Lian was recommended by a friend. We read the reviews in advance and couldn't believe how many people raved about the restaurant. We had a great meal there. Authentic food. Well-prepared. Highly recommended. read more

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Take a trip to Burma! Without a passport! The only Burmese restaurant in Illinois! I was sold on that alone when I saw this restaurant featured on ABC ChHungry Hound segment while I was visiting my hometown. I had a wonderful time at Pa Lian! The owner is hands-on seating customers, running food and cleaning tables. He explained the menu thoroughly and took the time to mention popular dishes. The tea leaf salad is a must try. I didn't want to order a whole order just in case I didn't like it, and the owner was kind enough to make me a small portion to try. It was great! It's different and something you wouldn't find at any other restaurant. I also ordered an order of spring rolls and they were good, but standard. Nothing extremely different than you would find at any Chinese or Thai restaurant. The menu appetizer he suggested that I ordered was the fried tofu made with chickpeas. OMG! Do NOT leave here without trying this dish! I could have had 2 orders of this! Perfectly fried, not oily, inside was the consistency of a great French fry- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The dipping sauce was a great compliment as well. For my main dish, I had a curry chicken noodle dish and it was served with minced chicken, sautéed vegetables and thick noodles, similar to soba but not soba noodles. It was served with boiled eggs on the side, which I don't personally care for but overall the dish was good, though I think I would try another dish the next time I visit. I ended with a slice of green tea cheesecake to go which was good. Don't know if it was made in house, may have been a wholesale restaurant product that comes in frozen. Not life changing. Visit Pa Lian and support this small family-owned business! The food is good, the service is good, and the small restaurant is neat and clean. Try Burmese food- they have a ton of different dishes that you wouldn't see anywhere else! Be adventurous! If you can't go to Burma at least you can experience their cuisine! read more

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I love this place! These isn't a big Burmese population in Illinois, and because of that, these flavors are hard to come by. Especially a place like this where it is done right and so delicious. All their dishes are really good and has such unique flavors. I definitely recommend trying tea leaf salad, samosa, ohn no kauk swe, kau swe thoke, tofu salad, beef with fermented black bean. It's very comparable to Burma Superstar in SF (which is a well known Burmese restaurant out there). If anything, it might be better here. You need to check it out and keep them in business! I was enjoying the smells and too excited for the food, I forgot to take photos read more

The food is spectacular! The chickpea tofu is so flavorful, unique, and spongy with an incredible herby sauce that gives a slight kick. They have an extensive amount of vegan options that will keep you full and satisfied! The service is warm and welcoming. The location is in a strip mall, but once stepping inside, you wouldn't ever guess. From the food to the artwork, it's a wonderful cultural experience. read more

Pa Lian - Chickpea tofu - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Went back a second time for my wife's birthday. She was trying to order for my picky daughter and I guess it was perceived too long by the server/owner. He just walked away. It wasn't' that busy and it was a special occasion and you'd think he'd be a litte more patient. I wondered if it was a Southeast Asia thing but my wife is from that part of the world and definitely said it was not. She said she will not return again due to what she felt was rude treatment. Too bad because the food is pretty good. Portions a little small and charging for rice is criminal with an entree at an Asian restaurant. If you want something to drink other than the bottled water or pop you're out of luck. Don't know if it's BYOB but it should be. Also, not a place for kids. The food is a little complex for a picky eater. Rude service loses another customer. I didn't really notice the first time but my wife felt he wasn't very patient with me and I knew exactly what I wanted! QR code menus are pretty tacky. read more

Lovely hidden gem located in a Wheaton strip mall. Packed with wonderfully diverse clientele. Only one server but he was quick and efficient! We are pescatarians and had the egg rolls (delicious and right off the fryer), the ginger salad which was totally AMAZING and I am obsessed with and two noodle dishes which were good but not the best ever. Will go back to try more! read more

Best burmese food hands down ! Must try, loved all the dishes, well worth every bit of it. Friendly and courteous customer service as well. Must try - kaut swe thot, all curry, coconut noodle soup, tea leave salad read more

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The only Burmese restaurant in the Greater Chicago area. What a gem! Highly recommend: 1. B06 Kauk Swe Thoke 2. A03 Samosas If you love curry and noodles, just go eat at Pa Lian. You would love the flavors. We ordered the B06 Kauk Swe Thoke, which is like a curry garlic noodles. Awesome flavors! Personally it's my favorite dish, and who doesn't like garlic noodles! Highly recommend! We had there A03 Samosas. It was fantastic with the tamarind sweet sauce. Super highly recommend! We loved the B01 Moh-Hin-Gar, which is like a light curry noodle soup. Very home-y. Just eat this on Fall and Winter day. We love their tea leave salad. We also ordered the B07 Nan Gyi Thoke, curry chicken noodle soup, which is fantastic. Shan Noodles, which reminded me of the flavors of Chinese dried shredded pork (this dish does not have pork). It's very delicious. read more

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1) Went here for the first time for a lunch order for takeout. The food is AWESOME. I've never had Burmese food before, and I really love the flavors! My sister and I ordered the Tofu Gyaw (A01), Tea-Leaf Salad (C02), Kauk Swe Thoke (B06), and the Mango Tofu (D03). I loved every bite of it. Truly! The food was packaged very tidily, and it was so hot and fresh. I can't speak for any of the meat dishes, as I'm a vegetarian and so is my sister. I highly recommend this restaurant and I want to go again soon! 2) The owner was super friendly and helpful in ordering the dishes. He helped us pick out the noodle dish because all of them sounded really good. 3) Tons of parking and convenient location in the shopping center with the Jewel-Osco on Main and Geneva. 4) Excellent prices for excellent quality food. read more

Pa Lian - Tofu Gyaw (A01), Tea-Leaf Salad (C02), Kauk Swe Thoke (B06), and the Mango Tofu (D03). - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

It's comfortable and welcoming interior, with a nicer ambiance than I expected... I went there with 4 friends and we decided we'd experiment and share as it was our first time there. It's an "BYOB" place, so we brought drinks to share and had water there. Service was outstanding - our server was very helpful and made a number of great suggestions: We started with the Tea Leaf Salad, the Ginger Salad and the Shrimp Salad, and then moved on to Chicken Mango and Beeef with Fermented Black Bean. Everything was great, and we'll be back to try mor.... we loved it, and I'll look forward to coming back again! read more

This place is a great place for Burmese. You never heard of it? Never had it? Give it a try. Great owners. Closed on Sundays. read more

Pa Lian - Burmese Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Wanted to check this place out since we live nearby and recently also took a trip to Thailand and to the Golden Triangle which borders Myanmar (formerly Burma). Unfortunately we felt it did not live up the hype, We felt most of the entrees are on the expensive side (close to $20) for what you get. My husband ordered the Chicken Mango Curry which was $19.99 and a small serving of white rice was $2 extra. Not many Asian restaurants change extra just for a serving of while rice. I ordered the Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup (Khae-swe). It seemed to lack flavor and I've had this dish multiple times at other restaurants. We also felt the Chicken Mango Curry lacked flavor. Possibly some of the more expensive components; spices were missing. We also had the tea leaf salad which we did enjoy. The server seemed busy interacting with a larger party of about 10 people so we had minimal interaction with him. Most likely we won't be making another visit here. read more

Ok. So I should be traveling at this time of year all through the country but you know...'Rona. Anyway, I was CRAVING Burmese food because right about now I would be hitting up Burma superstar in Oakland. Pa Lian seems to be the only place to get Burmese in a Chicago suburb so off we went on our grocery runs, returns, etc. Called in our order and let the owner know we had an hour ride back into the city. He packed it all accordingly. TEA LEAF salad. Get it. It's a party. A delicious party of texture and taste. Sooo good. They really took the time to make sure it's well done even if it's take out. We also ordered the tofu appetizer which we crisped up a little in the toaster oven. It was as good as new. Entrees- the first beef curry dish and a mild (no jalapeño) eggplant curry. The beef curry was too hot for me. We'll pass but for those of you who don't mind the heat- enjoy. The eggplant curry was sweet and flavorful. Hubby enjoyed it immensely. We'll definitely do more trips out here to get our Burmese food fix. Oh- word about the service- owner himself helped us out and he was super friendly. They are taking all precautions during the pandemic. Support them if you can!! read more

Hidden Gem in Wheaton. Don't underestimate out side look. The restaurant had nice and relaxing atmosphere. Tea leaf salad is to die for. Service is great we love it. Will be back soon . read more

Comfy place with a casual atmosphere. The service is great, good-humored and courteous. We went last week (Feb 2024) after a friend's recommendation and we were not disappointed: some exotic spices combination with more than 3 vegan options available. I'm the only vegan in the family, but in a coincidence we ordered 3 vegan options and I we sampled from each other. Two of the options had shredded "Beyond Burger" as ingredient: super yummy. If you ever tasted Beyond Burger, you'll know what I mean. Burmese people like hot food (apparently) and even after we asked the waiter for "no hot at all" the food came slightly chili-hot, but it was bearable and well-seasoned, so we're good. Along with my family there were another 4 or 5 tables occupied with patrons (that was about 1/4 of its capacity), mostly young adults in their 25-30 years old range. We plan returning in a couple of weeks to try out different dishes listed on the menu. read more

Wasn't sure what to expect, but was extremely happy with my food and the service was extremely friendly and helpful. It was the first time eating this style of food and can honestly say. "Go Try it!" read more

So, I've been dying to try this place for awhile. Since I live in Milwaukee, driving down to Wheaton, Illinois is a rather long haul. But, it's the only Burmese place I know of in the Midwest. Finally, I took the family and gave Pa Lian a go. The fried bread was really tasty. The sauce for it was even more tasty, we're off to a good start. The tea leaf salad was good, but not Bay Area Burmese amazing. The chickpea tofu was yummy. And, the noodles were good but not mind-blowing. We were a bit put off by the bottle of warm water on the table and no tea or anything great to drink on the menu outside of American soda. Overall, it's fantastic that Pa Lian exists. It's far better than most places. But, given I've been to actual Burma and eaten one of my top 5 meals of all time in Bagan, and lived on the West Coast where Burma Superstar has a line around the block, Pa Lian didn't quite send me to nirvana. Still, it was good, better than good. And, that says a lot. read more