Last week, my MySpace Interests were just like any other college student’s: Popular Overrated Sexual Comedy, Hot Gurlz, Chillin’ wit Friends, Random Inside Joke, etc. However, this week there has been a new addition to my list: Burmese food.

Burmese food? What the hell is Burmese food? I didn’t believe it either, but apparently not only does Burma (Myanmar, for the pretentious among us) have an illegal military junta that violently suppresses its citizens, they also eat! (Too soon?) And how did I come to discover this little known factoid, you might ask? Well, it just so happens that we, in the heart of our dear city of Palo Alto, have our very own Burmese restaurant!

Located about half way down Bryant St., right off University Ave, Rangoon Restaurant’s comfy dining room, decorated with artistic designs of golden pagodas and Burmese country scenes, has been serving affordable, family-style food to its loyal fan base for years and continues educating newcomers in the delights of Burmese food.

So then what is Burmese food? Well, if Rangoon Restaurant is any indication, it’s apparently mostly Chinese food. Though proclaiming to be a Burmese restaurant, the menu of Rangoon Restaurant is about 75 percent classic Chinese dishes, including everything from beef and broccoli to sesame chicken. However, the obviously Burmese dishes they do offer, usually denoted by names such as “Spicy Burmese Curry Chicken” and “Burmese Tea Leaf Salad” were quite different from their Chinese counterparts. Burmese cuisine, much like Thai food, seems to focus mostly on coconut milk-based curries and complex sweet and spicy dishes, and is also quite good. To begin the meal, we ordered an assortment of appetizers, both Burmese and Chinese (I mean, there must be some reason they feature so much Chinese food on the menu, right?).

We started with some egg rolls, Burmese samosas and Burmese tea leaf salad. The egg rolls were pretty standard: not bad, but nothing to write home about. However, the samosas — spiced potatoes in a fried wonton skin — were excellent. The Burmese tea leaf salad was fresh with lots of crunchy nuts and sesame seeds, though apparently is an acquired taste since half our party (myself included) loved it, while the other half absolutely did not.

For the main course, again, we ordered a mix of Chinese and Burmese food. The orange peel chicken and scallop stir fry were both good, well prepared and flavorful enough to be satisfying, but again nothing incredible. The “Spicy Burmese Chicken Curry,” while not spicy in the least, was very tender and flavorful with well-cooked potatoes and chunks of chicken. And with the addition of homemade hot sauce, the lack of spice was not a problem. Also, the sauces with the dishes were quite good, especially poured over rice. Which brings me to one of the highlights of this restaurant. The coconut rice that was served with our meal was excellent, just like sticky rice in appearance, but with a sweet coconut milk taste that got rave reviews from everyone at the table. It was a perfect companion to the meal and gave that unique flavor that we were hoping for from a Burmese restaurant.

Though the food was, for the most part, good, the service was not quite up to par. We were seated right away and got water and tea without asking, but this high level of attentiveness did not last. The food came out speedily enough, and the servers were very generous and helpful when called, but after our food was served, the waiters left us pretty much alone for the rest of the night. Our waters were never refilled, and once finished with the meal, we sat for about 10 minutes before we had to ask for the check. Once we got the check, nobody came by until we flagged them down again. Though this was not a huge problem, since it gave us a nice chance to relax after the good-sized meal, everyone at the table noticed it. Once flagged down, the waiters were very nice, but their inattentiveness was somewhat disappointing after the tasty meal, though by no means did it ruin the experience.

Although the service can be somewhat lacking at times, the exotic tastes of Burma and the affordable prices at Rangoon Restaurant make it a great place for a nice meal on the weekends when kitchens are closed. While offering decent Chinese food, the Burmese food was clearly the star, and a great treat for anyone looking to try something new. With familiar dishes to keep picky eaters happy and more exotic fare for adventurous palates, Rangoon Restaurant offers a variety of choices for any party. Although the service can pull the experience down a bit, the cheap prices and variety of good dishes are more than enough to leave a good taste in anyone’s mouth.