Top Burmese

Top Burmese
Restaurant information
StateOregon
CountryUnited States

Top Burmese is a small chain of restaurants serving Burmese cuisine in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, in the United States. Owners Kalvin and Poe Myint started the business in 2019.[1]

There are multiple outposts in addition to the original restaurant on 21st Avenue in northwest Portland's Northwest District. Top Burmese Bistro Royale has operated in Beaverton since 2020, Top Burmese Burma Joy opened on 23rd Avenue in the Northwest District in 2021, and Top Burmese Ambassador opened in Hillsboro in 2022. Top Burmese expanded beyond Burmese cuisine with Old Asia Teahouse, which opened in Beaverton in 2023. Top Burmese began operating at Portland's Moda Center in 2024.

Description and history

Original restaurant

Top Burmese began as a "virtual restaurant" in early 2019, operating via delivery and take-out. Delivery platforms included DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats, and order could also be picked up at the kitchen on 16th Avenue in northwest Portland's Northwest District.[2][3] The first Top Burmese restaurant has operated on 21st Avenue in the Northwest District,[4] since September 19,[5] 2019.[6][7] The menu includes laphet (fermented tea-leaf salad with sunflower seeds, sesame, and peanuts), samosas,[8] and paratha served with paprika and turmeric-based curries.[9] The restaurant is most known for the tea leaf salad.[10]

Outposts

Top Burmese Bistro Royale opened in Beaverton in 2020[11] and has an "Indian-influenced" menu.[4] Robots help serve food at the restaurant.[12]

Top Burmese Burma Joy (or Burma Joy Noodle House) is located on 23rd Avenue in the Northwest District and has focused on Chinese-inspired noodles since 2021.[13][14] The restaurant served Tea Leaf "Laphet" Dumplings during The Oregonian's annual Dumpling Week in 2022.[15]

Top Burmese Ambassador opened on Hillsboro's Main Street in 2022.[4]

Top Burmese for the first time branches beyond Burmese cuisine with their new restaurant concept centered around tea. Old Asia Teahouse & Restaurant features assortment of loose leaf tea from various regions, paired with pan Asiatic dishes from Burma, Singapore, and Malaysia. Top Burmese's Old Asia opened in Beaverton in 2023.[16]

Top Burmese began operating at Moda Center starting with 2024-25 NBA Season in October 2024, selling its popular samosas, night market style chicken wings, Burmese curries, and salads.[17][18][19]

  • Food service robots at Top Burmese Bistro Royale
    Food service robots at Top Burmese Bistro Royale
  • Sign for Top Burmese outside Burma Joy, 2022
    Sign for Top Burmese outside Burma Joy, 2022
  • Exterior of Burma Joy in northwest Portland, 2022
    Exterior of Burma Joy in northwest Portland, 2022
  • Top Burmese Restaurant Portland Oregon
    Top Burmese concession at Moda Center

Reception

Nick Woo included Top Burmese's Ametha Ohn Htamin in Eater Portland's 2019 list of 13 "stellar" curries in the city.[20] The website's Waz Wu included the samusa thoke served by the original restaurant and Bistro Royale in a 2020 overview of "where to find satisfying vegan soups in Portland".[21] Wu also included the restaurants in a 2021 list of Portland's "most comforting" vegan noodle soups",[22] and a 2023 list of the city's "primo special occasion" restaurants for vegans and vegetarians.[23] Eater Portland has also included Top Burmese Bistro Royale in a list of 16 "exemplary" restaurants in Beaverton.[24] The Oregonian included Top Burmese in a 2021 list of "Best New Portland Restaurants".[25] FSR Magazine listed Top Burmese as "America's Top 50 Independent Restaurants for 2024" in their July 2024 issue.[26]

References

  1. ^ Russell, Michael (2021-12-10). "Top Burmese's fermented tea leaves might be tame, but golden samosas leave you wanting more (restaurant review)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  2. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-02-12). "A Delivery-Centric Burmese Restaurant Just Opened in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  3. ^ "With Top Burmese, the Cuisine of Myanmar Officially Lands in Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  4. ^ a b c Russell, Michael (2022-02-02). "Top Burmese heads to Hillsboro with upcoming 'fondue and grill'". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  5. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (October 4, 2019). "Portlanders Can Now Eat Fermented Tea Leaf Salad on NW 21st". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  6. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-09-19). "Korean-American Barbecue Spot Kim Jong Smokehouse Has Closed on NW 21st". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  7. ^ "Top Burmese Introduces Portland to the Flavors of Myanmar, and They'll Bring It Right out to Your Car". Willamette Week. 15 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-08-15. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  8. ^ "The Top Five Places to Eat in Portland This Week". Willamette Week. May 8, 2021. Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  9. ^ Woo, Nick (2019-06-05). "Portland's Incredible Southeast Asian Restaurant Scene, Mapped". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  10. ^ Pierce, Pamela (2020-02-07). "Understanding the Origins of Top Burmese's Famous Tea Leaf Salad". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  11. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-02-21). "Burmese Tea Leaf Salad Is Coming to Beaverton". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-03-07. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  12. ^ "From dairies to restaurants, robots could be the future of food". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 2022-01-30. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  13. ^ "Top Burmese Opens Burma Joy Noodle House in Northwest Portland". Willamette Week. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  14. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-09-13). "New Northwest Portland Restaurant Burma Joy Explores the World of Chinese-Burmese Noodles". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  15. ^ "More than 30 restaurants join Dumpling Week 2022". The Oregonian. 2022-01-25. Archived from the original on 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  16. ^ Wong, Janey (2023-02-09). "The Top Burmese Team's Next Restaurant Will Explore Asia's Rich and Varied Tea Culture". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  17. ^ "Rose Quarter - Concessions Guide". www.rosequarter.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  18. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Launch 2024-25 Season With Divisional Matchup Vs. Golden State". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  19. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers games at Moda Center: What to know before you go". kgw.com. 2024-10-22. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  20. ^ Woo, Nick (2019-07-25). "13 Stellar Curries in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  21. ^ Wu, Waz (2020-12-01). "Where to Find Satisfying Vegan Soups in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-01-13. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  22. ^ Wu, Waz (2020-02-19). "Portland's Most Comforting Vegan Noodle Soups". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  23. ^ Wu, Waz (2023-02-10). "Portland's Primo Special Occasion Restaurants for Vegans and Vegetarians". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  24. ^ Garcia, Krista (2017-09-07). "16 Exemplary Restaurants in Beaverton". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  25. ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Michael Russell | The (2021-12-10). "Top Burmese's fermented tea leaves might be tame, but golden samosas leave you wanting more (restaurant review)". oregonlive. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  26. ^ Klein, Danny (2024-07-09). "Meet America's Top 50 Independent Restaurants for 2024". FSR magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-10.