The Stanford Business Reporter

      Without getting into a longwinded exegesis of Book X of Plato’s Republic on the disutility of imitation, we are different food critics than those other guys. (Editor’s note: due to the hectic pace of JD/MBA life and several sun-filled days in Salvador do Bahia, Brazil, Frances Hsieh lost all initiative to eat anything other than tri-tip at churrascarrias and was temporarily replaced by Ritchie Oriol.)  We prefer eating cuisine that is so exotic that we have never tried it before and thus have few if any comparisons to base it on save the five senses that we have held dear since our births.

      In a double blind random control test, we decided to venture into two distinct exotic cuisines and just go for the pure Coke taste test. 

Café Silan

      Café Silan is a relatively new (N.B. opened September 2000) Kurdish restaurant on Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Menlo Park with a charming wood paneled restaurant that only has a few tables and a muted light that is reminiscent of quaint cafes in Paris.  Kurdish cuisine mirrors the diaspora of the Kurdish people.  The Kurds are spread out among Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, with a cuisine noted for its Mediterranean nature with Middle Eastern delicacies.

 Bryant: 

      After sitting down, I was enchanted with the feel of the restaurant…it felt comfortable for all phases of life.  As soon as I tasted some of the delicious cold kelemi (grape leaves stuffed with rice and seasonings), I was eager to try more of the Kurdish cuisine.  The Kurdish version of lentil soup, germî , was served at nice temperature especially on a chilly NoCal evening. 

      Unfortunately, nothing else panned out like the appetizers.  The hevir u gost (very thin pizza dough with veal, lamb, tomato, onion, bell pepper, and parsley) was sort of soggy and after folding it to get a better handle on it (like a NYC pizza) the soggy taste was not pleasing to my stomach.  Perhaps I am intolerant of the combination of veal and lamb.  

      Nonetheless, I persevered (for my loyal audience, of course).  The beef medallions in pomegranate sauce with bulghur wheat pilaf were very tasty but more due to the brilliance of the sauce than the meat which was adequate at best.  The homemade bread tasted quite good but the dew (sweet yogurt drink) was simply too sour for my typical taste buds. The ava rezî (a beverage made from dried fruits) was too sweet for anything but a “stick and move” strategy, which still brought on a few ice cream headaches.  The moral of my Kurdish cuisine tale is that exotic cuisines take a little while to get used to and some things taste awesome but others just miss the mark.

 

Yamin Win Restaurant

      Yamin Win is an inconspicuous strip mall restaurant in the bustling metropolis of Los Altos with one exception; it specializes in Burmese cuisine (N.B., Yes, we know that the country formerly known as Burma has been the Union of Myanmar since 1989, but Burma is still the commonly used reference just like Prince is still called Prince).  Contrary to popular opinion, Burmese cuisine is not a simple amalgamam of Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisine.  Of course, there are many similarities between all of those cuisines and Burmese fare but then again there are many differences.  Considering that no one would go to McDonald’s to eat Italian food and similarly, who would go to a Burmese restaurant for Chinese, Indian or Thai food.  Thus, we will disregard the non-Burmese parts of the menu.

 Bryant: 

      Once again, I felt my gastrointestinal expectations rise after the scrumptious appetizers came to our table.  The chicken palata (pancakes with Burmese chicken curry) was perfect, the chicken was crispy, the pancakes were light enough for a starter, and the dough tasted fresh from the oven reminded me of dessert.  The baya kyaw (deep fried green beans) resembled falafel without the intrinsic yumminess.  The le pat thok (tea leaf salad) was also very tasty and left me hungering for more Burmese cuisine.

      Disappointment reigned supreme when the entrees were brought out.  The lemon grass soup honestly was worse than toilet water, the Burmese style beef jerky was tougher than my leather belt and tasted about as grand as eating the worn sole on my loafers.  The house special crispy chicken was alright but not as delicious as the appetizers.

      On the good side, the jao jaw with coconut milk and tapioca that I drank was a very nice refreshment to cool down my insides…unfortunately, not one morsel of the meal was spicy enough to need the jao jaw.  The Burmese hot coffee also proved another adage that good condensed milk makes Thai, Greek, Burmese and a whole bunch of other coffees taste good but similar.  Service was atrocious.  If the server has her back to you and is typing away on IRC or trying to get tickets to broomball, it is a problem.

 Ritchie:

      While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the clinical, nondescript décor and the virtually empty dining area should have tipped us off that we were about to embark on a meal we would soon forget.

      Mixed metaphors aside, I was a bit disappointed at how bland our entrees were.  The Burmese beef jerky certainly had the chewiness of jerky, but without the requisite payoff in flavor.  The house special crispy chicken was adequate, but not worthy of a special trip.

      On a more positive note, Bryant was justified in his heightened expectations for our meal after sampling the appetizers.  The le pat thok (tea leak salad) was distinctively tasty and had a surprisingly crunchy texture. Without question though, the highlight of the meal was the chicken palata, essentially a Burmese version of roti with chicken curry but with a thicker, yet still flaky, pancake.

      This is essentially a Chinese restaurant that put a Burmese shingle on the façade.  Judging from the brisk takeout business, Yamin Win is probably decent for takeout but not for dinner.

Café Silan

867 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park, CA

(650) 326-5404

11-10

 Food: P

Ambiance: H

Service: P

 Yamin Win Restaurant

305 Second Street

Los Altos, CA 94022

(650) 941-9676

M-Sat 11-3; 5-9

Food:P(takeout)/LP(eat-in)

Ambiance:LP

Service:LP

 

 

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