Burma Burma: Ankit Gupta’s Culinary Odyssey: Introducing Burmese Flavors to Indian Tables

Hunger Pangs Pvt Ltd.’s co-founder and director, Ankit Gupta, is in charge of the Burma Burma Restaurant and Tea Room, a chain of Burmese restaurants in the nation known for its authentic Burmese food served in a contemporary setting and paired with a well-chosen assortment of teas.

Ankit began his work with the Taj Group of Hotels as a Management Trainee after receiving his degree in Hotel Administration from Rizvi College and his Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management from the American Hotel and Lodging Association in 2008. Gradually, he rose through the ranks to become Assistant Manager at Mumbai’s famous Taj Mahal Palace and Tower.

Apart from his career path, Ankit is a third-generation hotelier, since his family has a four-decade history in the hospitality sector.

First question: Could you briefly describe your journey and how Burma came to be?
Our goal when we founded Burma Burma was to provide a true reflection of the Burmese flavors and tastes that I had grown up with to the Indian mainstream. My personal ties to Burma and its food had a significant role in the restaurant’s conception and inspiration. Inspired by my mother’s Burmese ancestry, I set out to investigate the idea of a specialist restaurant in 2011. My mother prepared Burmese food at home a lot while I was growing up, so it was a big part of my childhood. Friends and relatives would come over for dinners when they smelled my mother’s cooking, and our house had a special pantry filled with Burmese delicacies. My curiosity about Burmese culture and its delectable cuisine was piqued by these recollections.

Between 2011 and 2013, I went on several trips around Burma with my Head Chef, Ansab. We ate in houses, sampled street cuisine, and bought goods from their lively street markets, fully immersing ourselves in the local culinary culture. My mother’s treasured recipes and this immersive experience came together to create the idea for Burma Burma, a specialist Burmese restaurant and tea room.

We hosted pop-up dinners in Mumbai and Goa to test the waters and expose Indian diners to Burmese food. We were pleased with the positive feedback we received, so I told my school mate Chirag Chhajer about it. In 2014, we jointly launched the first Burma Burma restaurant in the Kala Ghoda neighborhood of Mumbai. This project combined my experience in the hotel sector, my strong cultural ties, and the food and cultural insights I’ve gained from traveling to Burma many times.

Our first goal was to introduce Indian guests to the depth and diversity of Burmese food while also incorporating genuine Burmese fabrics, artwork, and craftsmanship into our restaurants. Myanmar Burma is a celebration of my familial ancestry and Burmese culture, not merely the many aspects of Burmese cuisine. It was very touching to see how eager and enthusiastic people were to taste the meal I had loved as a child.

We have had a very exciting journey since our founding in 2014. We now have nine restaurants spread around Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi NCR (Delhi, Gurgaon, & Noida), and Mumbai. We opened our second restaurant on Brigade Road, the center of Bangalore, in the middle of 2023. on August of the same year, we opened a second location in Palladium, Ahmedabad. Subsequently, we opened our first restaurant in October 2023 in Knowledge City in Hyderabad and our second location in December 2023 at Mall of Asia in Hebbal, a rapidly expanding North Bangalore neighborhood. With our new retail offering, which is offered both in-person in our restaurants and online at Shop Burma Burma, we have expanded our reach even farther than the restaurants. Shop Burma Burma’s retail line has new ready-to-cook sauces and pastes, snacks, and spice mix in addition to a variety of teas, souvenirs, and giftable products from Burma, all of which provide the country’s authentic taste and unique flavors. We introduced a selection of small-batch, artisanal ice creams in the summer of 2023, which are sold both in-restaurant and retail settings. The most comprehensive menu launch we’ve ever had reflects our dedication to ongoing innovation in our food and beverage offerings.

Our annual trips to Burma provide new ideas for Burma Burma. We’ve evolved in a number of ways, including restaurant design, food research, and cultural representation. This continuous journey blends history with modern flare, reflecting the vivid growth of Burmese food itself.

Question 2: WHAT IS THE PUBLIC’S PERCEPTION OF BURMESE FOOD?
From the first day, we have had a really positive reception for our food and drink offerings. The Indian palette is well-suited to the variety of flavors and textures found in Burmese cuisine. We’ve created a menu that is sure to please everyone, going far beyond the typical Khao Suey and emphasizing small appetizers, crisp salads, and substantial main courses. Incorporate a diverse range of sweets from across the world into Burmese cuisine. Overall, Burmese food contains a lot of complex flavors and textures that are also familiar, so most Indian eaters would find it simple to adapt to.

When diners realize how much variety we have to offer, they often react with surprise and excitement. It is very popular with people of all ages, and many of our patrons visit our restaurants often from other cities.

3. WHY GO VEGETARIAN AT A RESTAURANT? A PARTICULAR REASON?
Burma Burma is the result of years of study, undertaken during our several journeys to Burma, where we were motivated to provide a taste of this lesser-known Indian neighbor. We launched Burma Burma in 2014 with confidence since we thought the food would be appealing and would suit the Indian taste. Since then, it has expanded to other locations in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad. Our goal was to create the most genuine Burmese experience possible by bringing back to India the indigenous delicacies, spices, and artifacts. By the end of 2023, the brand will have expanded to 11 restaurants and delivery kitchens spread across eight cities thanks to persistent efforts.

It was a deliberate decision for Burma Burma to maintain a vegetarian cuisine. We think that by experimenting with different textures, cooking methods, and flavors, the essence of Burmese food may be successfully captured in its authentic vegetarian form. Given the prevalence of vegetarianism in India, we wanted to make sure that Burma Burma would be a kind and inclusive destination for everyone. Visitors come to sample Burmese food, yet there are so many alternatives available to them that they never seem to miss or bemoan the lack of non-vegetarian options. And it’s exactly the kind of food that we want to achieve. Visitors are thrilled with the selection, flavor, and presentation of Burmese cuisine when they come to our restaurants and experience its immense diversity and flavors. And in the end, that’s what matters.

Vegetarian meals are common in native Burmese cuisine, with meats being added as toppings or broths. There is a good chance you may encounter a diverse selection of vegetarian foods when exploring Burma. We believed it was essential to highlight the vegetarian component of Burmese cuisine via our menu selection since it is so important and forms the basis of the cuisine. We’ve done extensive study on traditional recipes and have included them in our menu. Our goal was to provide a healthy eating environment that is appealing to everyone. Even though meat is a staple ingredient in certain cuisines, we’ve chosen to imitate the flavors and textures that people may miss by utilizing meat substitutes like tempeh and faux meat. This enables us to accommodate vegetarian tastes in addition to providing a full menu that captures the spirit of Burmese food.

QUESTION 4: GIVE US A SUMMARY OF YOUR PLANS FOR EXPANSION.
Currently, we run 11 restaurants and delivery kitchens in 8 Indian cities: Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Mumbai as well as three restaurants in Delhi. For Burma Burma, the year 2023 was very busy as we expanded the brand to three new cities and opened four new restaurants.

Our third Burma Burma in Mumbai, after the restaurant in Fort and a delivery kitchen in Santa Cruz, is slated to debut in February 2024 at Oberoi Mall in Goregaon.

We are always looking into new markets and locations that may work well for our brand. In 2024, we want to explore other cities where we think there may be a future for a restaurant chain similar to Burma Burma.

We were bootstrapped for the first nine years of our adventure. The first fundraising campaign was completed in December 2022. Negen Capital was the primary investor. The fundraising round had a total value of around 2.1 million dollars. We are in the midst of seeking capital for our Series B round. By 2025, we want to build 7-8 restaurants, hence we are soliciting expansion funding.

In September 2023, we will also be launching our new line of retail items under the Shop Burma Burma name.