Burmese (Myanmar) restaurants and general merchandise stores are scattered around Takadanobaba, Tokyo. "Mingalaba" is one of them. It's spicy but not spicy, and you can enjoy a lunch with an elegant taste even though it's volumey.

To Takadanobaba "Little Yangon"

Many people who have moved from Myanmar live in the Takadanobaba area, and it is often called "Little Yangon", which is likened to the city of "Yangon" in Myanmar. There are shops that serve local dishes such as Burmese and Shan who live in Myanmar, and among them, Mingalaba, which has been in business for over 20 years, is an old stock.

The 3rd floor of the "NT Building", which is a short walk east from the Waseda exit of Takadanobaba station. You can find it if there is a sign outside at lunch time. Although the entrance is small, the inside of the store gives the impression of being spacious.


When I picked up the lunch menu, the noodles were also fascinating, but I ordered "Spicy stewed pork with skin" (880 yen, tax included).

The bean soup is actually curry!

The first thing that came out was rice on a plate and a thick bean dish in a deep bowl.

Strange. I should have ordered meat dishes instead of curry rice, but when I tried to check with the shop staff, I was told that this was a set of soup and rice, and the meat would come separately.

By the way, the soup is delicious when eaten over rice. I suspect it's curry, but I try to do what I was told. Delicious. But it's curry. It's a bean curry. The spice flavor is strong, and the creamy soup is accented with chickpeas or a lumpy texture.


However, it is not as spicy as the bean curry that is often found in South Asian cuisine such as India. It just tickles my tongue.

It's spicy but not spicy!

Finally, spicy stewed pork with skin on the main dish. The volume is perfect with soup and rice. It's nice for meat lovers because it has a lot of meat in it. It's chewy when you take a bite, but when you chew it a little, it crumbles softly.


The seasoning is easy. Like the soup, it has spices and is reminiscent of Indian curry, but the spiciness is really modest, and it is the same as or weaker than the "sweet" in Japanese curry.


It is accompanied by a bright red seasoning. Well, maybe for those who want spiciness, when I scoop it up with a spoon and put it on the meat and eat it, it's not too spicy after all. Rather, umami is stronger.


According to the shop staff, the seasoning is made by adding anchovies, dried shrimp, garlic, onions, etc. to tomatoes and simmering them.

Although it is exotic in terms of fragrance, it is not only spicy, but rather delicious. It was a strange experience.

Mingara Rubber 2-14-8 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo NT Building 3F