SHAN TOFU, BURMESE SAMOSA, AND EGGROLLS try the rice, and it was excellent as I’d hoped it would be! I enjoy all things coconut, so I savored this tender rice that had an excellent coconut taste, and was somewhat sweet. Tha later told me that in Burma, coconut rice is generally served only for special occasions, but I think I’d like to eat it daily! My guest and I served ourselves some of each of the entrees and prepared to eat our first ever Burmese meal. The green beans were definitely a favorite, lightly sautéed so that they were still a bit crunchy, and were mildly spicy. They tasted very similar to sautéed green beans that I’ve had at Asian restaurants, so this was a familiar dish. The pork pumpkin stew consisted of chunks of tender pork and pumpkin in a light sauce, which complemented the coconut rice. The pork was seasoned well and was very flavorful; however, the dish seemed to include more pumpkin chunks than pork. When eaten alone, the pumpkin tasted a bit bland, so to enhance the taste, we ate it mixed with rice and sauce from the entree. The presentation of the sesame chicken was beautiful, and the ample portion consisted of a mound of crisply fried chicken cooked in a “sweet and sour” type of sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds. We both 36 MARKETPLACEcontracosta.com november 2015 enjoyed the crispness and sweet, yet tangy flavor of the chicken, and agreed this would be a dish we would definitely order again. Worth noting is that diners can choose varying levels of spice when ordering food at Hornbill, from mildly spicy to very hot. No meal is complete without dessert, and Hornbill offers six different interesting choices. I selected the coconut pudding served with coconut ice cream, and my guest opted for the fried bananas with ice cream. I did not expect the coconut pudding to be served in round, fried portions dipped in authentic Burmese batter. There were five pudding balls served around fresh strawberry slices with a generous serving of ice cream in the center. The pudding was served warm, and the smooth consistency and lightly sweet flavor of the centers of the battered dessert was very pleasing. My guest’s dessert featured four slices of bananas fried in the same batter as the pudding, and was also served with ice cream. Both desserts provided a light, satisfying finish to our meal. From our seats near the kitchen, we observed many dishes as they were en route to other diners. Lovely presentation and generous portions were definitely the norm. Upon our arrival, only one other customer was present; however, ten additional parties came to dine that evening— good business for a newer restaurant on a typically slow evening! The diner who was there when we arrived told us that she loves Hornbill’s food, and told us that this was her sixth meal here in the past three days—a nice tribute from a loyal, repeat customer. The word is spreading about the community’s newest ethnic restaurant and Hornbill’s popularity is steadily increasing. They have already earned a yelp rating of 4.5 stars, and customers who check-in on yelp before dining receive 15% off of their check. The head chef is a wellexperienced Burmese chef, having worked for another Bay Area Burmese restaurant for many years. If you’ve been looking for alternative local dining options with excellent food and appealing atmosphere, you owe it to yourself to visit Hornbill Restaurant. Hornbill is busiest on Friday nights when live music and dancing is featured from 7:00 PM until closing. The venue has a stage and a dance floor, complete with a disco ball, and plenty of seating, making this a convenient, close-to-home location for Friday night dining and entertainment. Enjoy! COCONUT RICE AND PUMPkIN PORk STEW
Contra Costa Marketplace - Nov 2015
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