Rangoon Bistro (N) — Restaurant in Portland

What a pleasant find! Incredible flavors, friendly service, great portion sizes, amazing value for money.

Typically when i try foreign cuisines, a common feeling is that, some of the flavors seem to have been dialed down or rounded out by the chef, perhaps to make it more suitable for the local palate. Such an experience usually leaves a tiny void, that gnaws at the back of my head, yearning for fulfillment, despite everything else being great. Rangoon Bistro did not leave that void unfulfilled.

Their flavors were bombastic! They didn't seem to leave a stone unturned and truly seemed to showcase the authenticity of sharper flavors where the dishes needed it. Heat, acid and salt were liberally used, but all in a well balanced way.

The Mala Aloos were a great savory appetizer, perfectly seasoned with salt and heat to start our journey, armed with a mason jar of tamarind soda. I wish the tamarind soda packed more punch, with a higher intensity of tamarind and maybe with a salted rim or just some spiced salt on top. I must add that despite the feedback, the tamarind soda was thoroughly enjoyed by myself and my friends.

In the case of Wat Nanyoe, the pork sparerib dish, served atop perfectly cooked Jasmine rice, soaked in the most delicious hot and sour summer time broth, the authenticity and harmony of their flavorings really shone through, with each intense flavor peaking on its own tempo, during the devouring of the broth soaked rice. The ribs were of course fall-off-the-bone and very juicy.

Coming to Shan Khao Swe, the pork noodle dish, this captured my heart. While this unassuming bowl of savory brown noodles, covered by a layer of shredded pork and crushed peanuts, had milder peaks than Wat Nanyoe, it had an incredible balance of umami, which immediately made it my favorite. The noodles and the pork were perfectly cooked and the variety of textures really complimented the flavors of this dish.

My friends enjoyed their fried chicken dishes and beef and potato curry dishes as well. For the price, i was very pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes. My stomach and my heart were both full by the end of the meal. While i did not take any prisoners, ermm i mean leftovers, all the rest of my companions did, despite ordering 1 entree per head and only 1 Mala Aloo for the table of 7 people.

Service was prompt and friendly throughout. Ordering had to be done at the counter, but the food, plates, cutlery, napkins, water and drinks were all brought to the table. Common restrooms are available behind a secured gate 2 doors down, whose code is available just by asking.

I would definitely return to try the Thokes and the other dishes next time. Seems like they have a rotating menu, so i need to be back before the next change. I would also love to see what they have in store for us at Bone Sine, which is opening right next door.

For a night where our initial plans fell through and we stumbled upon this place, this was an incredible find and I cannot...

Sometimes you get a big surprise in a good way, and this was one of those times. I went here on the say so of Portland magazine & though my experience with city booster mags isn't spotless this one really worked out.

Overarching comment, the food has some bite but it's no more than a lower third of "hot ones".

We had the fried chicken, chicken salad, pork dumplings (a special), and Chinese broccoli. The star for me, weirdly, was the chicken salad. Don't think the bland but crunchy "Chinese" chicken salad, this one has a fantastic blend of flavors, spicy, savory, and with beautiful hunks of luscious chicken thigh.

The fried chicken was similarly fantastic. Really crispy, moist, and with a blend of flavors the colonel never even HEARD about. Don't miss the coconut rice and "sweet" chili sauce, more piquant than sweet IMO.

Everything was beautifully prepared even the stuff I didn't talk about. The service and atmosphere are very casual. You order at the bar and they bring it to you. Small but very nice selection of wines and similarly for the beers. They have a craft cocktail menu though I didn't partake.

Cool place. I'd be here every week if I lived within 100 miles,...

Food: 4-5/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Ambiance: Casual

We ordered the half fried chicken, tofu nway and a special, which was ground pork over rice noodle, very similar to a pad thai. I’ve only had a small sample size of Burmese restaurants, but comparing RB to Burmese places in San Francisco, RB’s dishes seemed authentic and at least had authentic SE Asian flavors. The ingredients are very flavorful in the noodle dishes. I really enjoyed the tofu sauce in the tofu nway, the special dish was like a Burmese pad Thai. I thought the fried chicken was satisfying, but if you’re looking for a “best fried chicken”, I’m not sure this would be it. The house sauce for the fried chicken is a sweet and sour sauce. Staff were extremely friendly. Portions are normal sized. Restaurant is an order at the front and self service water, utensils type of place such as Nong’s. I’d come back again when I’m craving Asian...