We tried the Thingyan Festival menu at Burma Burma, and here's why you should too

I bet very few of you’ve heard of the Thingyan Festival. 

I hadn’t either, until I walked into Burma Burma this week. The Burmese New Year celebration, usually marked by the joyous splashing of water in the streets to signal the old being washed away by the new, takes place in mid-April across Burma. It’s not just a water festival, though – it’s equally about sharing a table with friends and neighbours, and good food’s a non-negotiable. 

Burma Burma, across ALL Indian outlets, is doing a limited edition Thingyan festive menu to mark this glorious celebration. ALL outlets, from May 1 until the end of the month. There’s plenty to look forward to – both in terms of comforting fare as well as food that’s going to expand your palate considerably. 

What to expect

The idea of Thingyan, at its heart, is one of celebration as a community. Hospitality’s taken very seriously in Burmese culture, and Burma Burma, despite being a chain restaurant, absolutely nails this bit. You start with a traditional handwash, where a large betel leaf is dipped in sandalwood-infused water and brushed across your palms. Service is quick, warm, and affable. 

Folks who know that Burma Burma’s a vegetarian establishment won’t be disappointed to learn that the entire menu’s vegetarian. The restaurant plays into the heavy use of fresh vegetable produce used in traditional Burmese cooking, and trust me when I say this as a true-blue carnivore: you won’t miss the meat. 

The menu’s pretty varied. Starters involve small-portioned street-style eats, there are salads galore, and the mains are dominated by various preparations of rice bowls of different kinds, in true homely Burmese style. Dessert’s easily the most playful part of the whole affair. 

Starters

The drinks are pretty flavour-rich: a hibiscus lemonade that combines hibiscus tea with lime, condensed milk and brown sugar jelly, and an ice plum soda, with pickled plum, honey, black grass jelly, and fizz. Very in line with what certified beverage girlies like to concoct at home. The lemonade in particular’s got a fascinating flavour profile. 

The starters heavily echo the energy of Burmese night markets: lotus stem crisps with a fantastic coconut mayonnaise; street-style rice crêpes with a fresh pea shoot salad, peanut-coconut sauce and chilli oil; the New Year parcels, with soy-seasoned cabbage & sprouts salad tucked into delicate tofu pockets. A bit of a fusion dish, too: the Palata Sando – a Malabar parotta-like bread filled with mock-meat and radish salad. Easily my favourite of the night. 

Everything packs a massive punch flavour-wise. Surprisingly, it doesn’t overwhelm. 

The salads are intricately worked. I normally run a mile away from anything that’s too suspiciously green and leafy, but the crunchy shiitake and radish salad with batter-fried mushrooms, radish, onions & tamarind chilli oil was absolutely incredible. The same can be said about the Summer Salad: a playful combination of grapefruit and sweet lime with pea shoots, pickled ginger and plum dressing.

There’s a pleasant interlude between starters and mains in the form of a pastry chef pulling up with an in-house fruit leather, thereby breaking by food-coma reverie. The combinations are vibrant: pineapple and coconut, muskmelon and mint, tamarind with chilly salt, and raw mango and kokum. 

The mains

The mains marry fragrant rice with stir-friend veggies and curries, garnished with crispy fried onions and peanuts, and served with bowls of clear veg soup, fresh garden vegetables, and a sweet-spicy dip.

The Mohinga rice bowl, for instance, is inspired by the bright flavours of Burma’s beloved national dish. Jasmine rice infused with lemongrass, ginger and shallots are paired with a hearty red pumpkin and peanut curry, alongside a soy-garlic stir-fry with mustard greens, mushrooms and radish, and a chill-butter edamame and broad beans stir-fry. Tofu parcels filled with soy-seasoned cabbage and sprouts complete the bowl, served with hand-pounded tomato-peanut and roasted cashew-coriander chutneys. It is quite the affair. Very elaborate. 

Dessert

You get to go two routes: the traditional Burmese favourites in contemporary form, or you may flag down a popsicle vendor (yes!) and pick something from his little station. Or you can just do both, like I did. 

The traditionals include something called a Banana Bliss, inspired by Ngapyaw Baung, which features a golden banana mousse with a rich banana caramel centre and soft banana sponge, served with chilled coconut milk. 

The popsicle stall is a whole different affair. The flavours are unparalleled and so unexpected when you stop to consider the Indian palate: Citrus Ice pairs kumquat marmalade and lemon curd with a fragrant kaffir and lemongrass salt; Milk Tea Toffee blends Burmese Milk Tea (Laphet Yay) with jaggery caramel and ginger candy for a gently spiced sweetness. Tropical Sunrise combines papaya and pineapple with rosemary chilli salt, while Coco-Mint Crush brings together tender coconut, honey mint, nata de coco and candied ginger for a cooling tropical treat.

You also get to spin a fortune spin wheel, where you can stand to win another free popsicle. Charming. 

Dates: May 1–31, 2026

Outlets: Multiple, across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh. Zomato and Swiggy delivering. 

Price: Small plates at ₹450 each; rice bowls at ₹650 each, beverages at ₹350 each; desserts at ₹450 each; popsicles and fruit leather at ₹100 each

A typical meal for two: About ₹1,800 and up