The Ten-Year Trail: Looking Back at Burma Burma’s Decade-Long Journey

It was in 2011 when Burma Burma’s co-founder Ankit Gupta travelled to Burma with an idea to explore the launch of a speciality Burmese restaurant. For Gupta, this was a lot more than just an idea because of his mother’s Burmese roots. “She moved to India after marrying my father, but her Burmese roots had a great influence on me,” muses Gupta. He recalls having a separate pantry filled with Burmese ingredients and his mum cooking for friends and family—making this an integral part of his childhood. “All of this inspired me to delve deeper into Burma’s culture and culinary landscape.” 

During this research trip for the speciality restaurant, Gupta, along with Head Chef Ansab Khan, travelled across the country, eating at the homes of friends and family, exploring street food culture across different regions, and visiting local markets to source ingredients. They paired their extensive research over multiple visits to Burma with Gupta’s mother’s heirloom recipes for this restaurant.

Launching Burma Burma 

To test the idea of a speciality Burmese restaurant and to gauge customer feedback for a relatively unknown cuisine in India back then, they held several pop-ups in Mumbai and Goa. After they were a huge hit, Gupta reached out to his school friend, now co-founder Chirag Chhajer, with the idea of a restaurant. Thus, the first Burma Burma restaurant opened in 2014 at Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda. 10 years on, they now have 13 restaurants and delivery kitchens across Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. The idea behind Burma Burma has always been to showcase the depth and range of Burmese cuisine to Indian diners and expose them to local Burmese handicrafts, art, and textiles through their restaurants.

How Burma Burma Introduced Burmese Cuisine to India

The culinary landscape in India was very different in 2014 when Burma Burma opened. Gupta talks about how most diners are unfamiliar with Burmese cuisine, and the idea of a vegetarian restaurant focused on a niche like Burmese food seemed unconventional and risky. These challenges became their biggest motivators. Chef Khan also agrees that one of the biggest apprehensions was that people had very little knowledge and information about this cuisine. “We had dishes like samosa soup and parotta and we didn't want people to mistake it for fusion food. We wanted people to try this unexplored cuisine,” says Chef Khan about the time when they opened Burma Burma. He recalls how people were interested in the ingredients they used, the techniques, and the regional food of the country. 

Throwback to the First Menu 

Gupta admits that initially, many diners thought that Burmese cuisine was a blend of Indian and Thai flavours. “Introducing this cuisine meant taking the time to educate people about these unique ingredients and profiles, like the earthy, savoury kick of fermented tea leaves, the tanginess of tamarind-based curries, and the distinct balance of savoury and sour that defines Burmese dishes,” explains Gupta. 

Their first menu, says Chef Khan, revolved around the food of Yangon, also known for its migrant Indian community. The menu had dishes that Indians could relate to such as samosa and parotta apart from the use of chilli, turmeric, and garlic. These flavors were appreciated by Indian diners, making it easier to launch the menu. Later on, their menu evolved as they kept visiting Burma frequently and dwelled in their regional food from different tribes as well. 

The Key to Staying Consistent for a Decade

The menu at Burma Burma appeals to people of all generations—from people in their 20s to the older generation in their 50s—Burma Burma is always packed with people of all age groups, at any point of the day. Gupta believes that maintaining the excitement around Burmese cuisine for over a decade is a journey rooted in innovation. From sourcing the finest ingredients to preparing everything in-house, the team explored new ways to reinterpret Burmese classics while maintaining quality. Besides the food, there is also attention to the decor and ambience of each restaurant to give an immersive experience. From the decor to the music, each element is designed to transport the guests to Burma. 

Reflecting on their 10-year journey, Gupta recalls their very first restaurant opening. “It was a surreal moment,” he says, “filled with excitement and a bit of nervousness. Watching guests walk through the doors, seeing their reactions as they experienced Burmese cuisine and culture, many for the first time. It was a feeling I’ll never forget.” Co-founder Chhajer also echoes the sentiment. He recalls a family from Burma who dined with them and expressed their heartfelt gratitude after their meal. “This moment stayed with me because it captured the essence of what we set out to do with Burma Burma,” he says. “This encounter affirmed our mission and reminded me that food goes beyond taste—it’s about evoking emotions and connecting people to something bigger,” he concludes.