Welcome
Nan Yang Restaurant,
established in 1981,
is the Original Bay Area Burmese Restaurant.
Thank you for visiting!
History
The name "Nan yang" originated from old Chinese sea-going maps. "Nan" means south and "Yang" means sea. Thus, "Nan Yang" refers to the area known today as south pacific. More specifically, Nan Yang refers to the countries in the southern pacific region: Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The regional cooking of this area is known particularly for its use of spices such as chili, cinnamon, coconut milk, curry, fennel and lemongrass.
"What is Burmese cuisine?" This is a particularly difficult question to answer because Burmese cuisine is so simple, yet so complex. Simple in the fact that the ingredients are basic and down to earth. Complex in that the way the ingredients are combined to compose a dish which is a very subtle in balance between spiciness, sourness, sweetness, bitterness and texture.
Burma, now referred to as Myanmar, is situated southwest of China, bordered by Thailand to the east and Bangladesh and sea to the west. Burma is cut off by mountain ranges to the north and the east and bordered by sea to the south. The earliest recorded history tells us that the first Burmese king, King Amaranth, ascended the throne in the year 1044 AD. At this time, Burma was a paradise unknown to the rest of the world. However, everything changed in 1844 when the British discovered and annexed Burma to the commonwealth empire.
Burma is endowed with rich natural resources, such as the priceless mooch ruby, the world's best quality jade and sapphires. The forests of Burma are abundant with teakwood, and rivers full of fish and shrimp. Buddhism is handed down from generation to generation and is practiced by the Burmese people in everyday life.