Taking up a suggestion on a comment on my last post on Laksa/Singa/Malay food, I hit up BO LAKSA KING’S esp since its super close to my hood. This is a true hidden gem in that its really kinda hidden and really a gem. Its basically a small little take out (hawker) stall inside the Joyce-Way Food Market which is just north of Joyce Station (on the east side of Joyce street). I went there for the Laksa (and its def guuud) but to my pleasant surprise, I found a dish offered here that Ive been looking for ever since I tried this well known Burmese restaurant in Oakland/San Fran……..(continued under the cut)

BO LAKSA KING’S
4910 Joyce Street, East Van (just north of Joyce Station)
604-339-0038 (call for take out)

So when I sat down and ordered the laksa and started speaking to the lady at the counter (wife & husband team run the joint together, Bo is the establishment’s namesake), I asked where she was from and she replied that she’s from mainland China and her husband Bo was from Burma.

“Oh, Burma, eh? Yeah, i tried this nice Burmese restaurant in Oakland and tried this really unique dish Ive never tasted anything like before, its not like Indian, Thai or Chinese flavour, its…..”

“Picked tea leaf salad?” she asked.

“Umm….they called it the Fermented tea leaf salad…” but apparently its the same thing and a staple dish in Burma, often served when you have guests over for tea and stuff (as Bo was telling me). Bo explained that this leaf only grows in the southern coast of Burma so hence its uniqueness. What’s more, there are no Burmese restaurants in Vancouver (none that I know of, none that I could google and none that my new Burmese buddy knew of either). So….yeah, though it was just a quick lilttle stop before dinner for the laksa craving Ive been having, this joint was totally a sick little discovery (thanks “denniss” for the tip!).

It combines a menu of the best of South East Asian food: things like laksa, satay skewers, roti canai (from Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand) and pickled and ginger leaf salads (both Burmese). Looks like they also tailored some of these SE Asian treats westcoast style as they offer various wraps as well: roti/”Asian beef” or “Asian pork” wraps. And with Bo being originally from Burma but having lived in Malaysia and Thailand as well and with a wife from mainland China, I’m sure they got their pan-Asian cookin down pretty dam good.

You can order for take-out as well: 604-339-0038 (tell em VIA sent ya!…..oh, and hit yall back after I go back for the tea leaf salad, stoked!)