“You should definitely try the fermented tea leaf salad,” says Nelson Biak, owner of Burmese restaurant and market Lyan, to rescue me from decision paralysis caused by the extensive menu. Lyan’s offerings include a mix of Burmese specialties and dishes influenced by neighboring countries, and I wanted a sampling of everything. Best to start with the owner’s recommendation.
Burma, now recognized as Myanmar by most of the world but not the United States government, is situated between eastern India, southern China, and Thailand. It was a major seat of power in Southeast Asia from the 16th through 19th centuries and acted as a point of commercial and cultural trade. But British colonialism, military rule, and civil war precipitated class separation and genocide of minority ethnic groups. Many Burmese fled the country, seeking refugee status in other nations.
In 1995, Biak’s father gained asylum in Germany. Four years later, his family joined him. Biak was 10 years old when he arrived in Germany in 1999. His family opened a market, carrying on a business they previously ran in Burma. Biak says his mother continued to cook Burmese dishes for the family, but she restricted her son to chopping up cabbage and carrots. It wasn’t until he was a teenager, he says, that “I learned to cook with my friends. I’d find recipes online and make them until they tasted the same as food at home.”…