Shwe Taung Restaurant

🇲🇲 MYANMAR / In an Arcadia storefront that slowly transitioned from Japanese to Burmese, the menu is now 100% focused on the cuisine of Myanmar.

🇲🇲 MYANMAR
📍 305 N. Santa Anita Avenue,
Arcadia, San Gabriel Valley
🅿️ Small private lot and street parking
🥤 No Alcohol

📸 All photos by Jared Cohee
for Eat the World Los Angeles

Over the past 16 months or so, some exciting things have transformed this tiny restaurant from some fairly generic sushi rolls to the county’s newest Burmese joint. Many Burmese people have come to the United States over the past few decades and obtained sushi-making skills, a story similar to how Cambodians got into the donut business in Southern California. In late summer 2023 Lotus Kitchen opened here by one such entrepreneur, who added just a couple Burmese dishes as an addendum to the menu.

They recently decided to sell the business this summer to another Burmese person, and this has resulted in an elimination of all of the sushi offerings and a vast expansion of the food from Myanmar. And since most people in Southern California can easily get some takeout sushi close to home, this transformation is probably for the best as the San Gabriel Valley now has three great and one so-so option for Burmese food.

No matter whether this is your first or tenth time sitting down here in Arcadia at Shwe Taung, ask for a plate of royal tea-leaf salad ($13.99, above). This dish of fermented tea leaves and all manner of other tastes and textures might be one of the finest ways to represent Burmese food as a whole. It is done very well here, with slivers of purple cabbage that give their version a unique look.

Sometimes people familiar with Thai food will accuse Burmese cuisine of being bland and oily. Shan noodles ($12.99, below) could encapsulate both of these derogatory statements, but is delicious in its own way regardless. Swirl in the spoon of chili oil and the pickled vegetables and enjoy those subtle flavors that rise with a mild heat and sour kick. The small soups that come with many noodle dishes can be sipped on their own or added to the bowl as desired.

Even better is a plate of nangyi tote ($13.99, above) which serves chunks of curried chicken and thick rice noodles. After you take a good photo, mix everything on the plate together and give it a few squeezes of lime (or lemon). If you have been to Myanmar, this preparation will bring back vivid memories of some of the great versions you had on the street.

Earlier in the morning on those days in the country you would have of course been eating mohinga ($13.99, below) a fish noodle stew. They give you all the fixins on the side here to maximize freshness, but pour all of it in and mix well before starting. If you like a little kick, be sure to ask for some dried chili flakes to add to the bowl.

Well-mixed mohinga.

Shwe Taung also has a good range of Burmese curries to choose from, which play a prominent roll when sitting down at restaurants in the country. These dishes usually arrive with a dozen other plates of fresh vegetables and other finger foods to mix and match with bites of rice. After a bite or two of each, you will see the true height this kitchen is flying.