Well, let' see....well, I think in this case it is safest to run a whole bunch of reviews, which are on the whole very positive indeed with of course some dissenters..
Cafe Mingala
- Nearest Transit Station:
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68 St. - Hunter College (4, 6, 6X)77 St. (4, 6, 6X)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
- $$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
112 reviews for Cafe Mingala
Review Highlights What's this?
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"Highly recommend pickled tea leaf salad and banana leaf fish." In 21 reviews
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"...was raving about the thousand layer bread in sweet coconut milk." In 11 reviews
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"Coconut Rice: sweet and savory, simultaneously." In 8 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
112 reviews in English
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Review from Lissa B.
This was my first time trying Burmese food so I'm not an expert. I enjoyed the tea leaf salad very much which seems to be pretty popular based on other reviews. The thousand layer bread in coconut milk dessert was also amazing and reminded me of the Middle Eastern dessert, Umm Ali.
The atmosphere inside was pleasant and the staff were kind. I recommend this place if you also want to try Burmese food.-
Soup that comes with the lunch special
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Tea leaf salad- a must order!
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Review from Samantha C.
Manhattan, NYThe upper east side may be a haven for blazer-clad older white people, but this Burmese restaurant rises from the construction on 2nd Ave as a welcome respite to what is an otherwise less-than-exciting neighborhood.
I have only been here once. We ordered the appetizer sampler (I recommend the triangular fried appetizer stuffed with lentils - samosa-esque), I got the spring ginger salad (Yum! - very gingery), and my boyfriend the pork with star anise (...or something along those lines, kind of like Chinese Char Siu - according to him).
I will return, and report back. -
Review from Shwetha V.
New York, NYFOOD: Amazing! Its the only bermease food in the city. Try the Moinga and tea leaf salad.
ATMOSPHERE: Cauual dinning. Def not a fancy date place. The seats are a bit old. The decor (wall paintings of Berma) is amazing. The service is good--they are constantly refilling your drinks. The prices are great. -
Review from Silvia D.
Manhattan, NYI haven't had Burmese food but was not impressed. I don't know if it is the cuisine or the actual restaurant, so I will try another restaurant in case. went for lunch, the accompanying salad was lettuce with dressing. very slow service, had to rush out as I was on my lunch break. food was tasty-cross between chinese and indian food. rice with chick peas was good. wanted to order dessert to go but they were out.
atmosphere is very casual. will not be returning, I am sad to say. -
Review from Paul H.
Decor:
-In the words of Allene T. "very 1980s"
Service: 1/5
-non-existant, had to get up twice to ask for chopsticks and our check. Didn't even come to see if the food was good (it wasn't)
Food: 1/5
-What the heck? How can you mess up Beef Curry? The meat was overcooked and dry. I was trying to drink water as I chewed because it was a chore to swallow the 4 beef cubes that came in this $14 dish.Listed in: The Yelp 100 Challenge -
Review from David C.
Manhattan, NYFirst Burmese dining experience. One of those tucked away hole-in-the-wall spots in your neighborhood you walk by dozens of times without knowing it exists. Gave it a chance last night. Casual atmosphere, attentive service, delicious food. We tried the Lemongrass Duck (not the best prepared duck yet flavorful, a bit drowned in the sauce) and the Beef Kow Swear Kyaw (another tasty dish). Look forward to returning to try more of their menu -
Review from Angelina K.
Manhattan, NYI wanted to try Burmese food, and after searching on Yelp seems like this is the only Burmese restaurant in New York. Good thing its also in my area!
Followed the reviews as to what I should order for the first time trying it and got:
Mohinga- I knew that this soup wouldnt really be "my type of soup" but I still wanted to try it. I was right ,but it still tasted good.
Tea leaf salad- I was most excited about trying this salad once I heard the name! I loved it, but for $8.50.. probably wouldn't order it again.
Thousand layer bread- so tasty! will definitely try the coconut one next time.
Coconut rice- loved it!! The coconut rice here is soo good. I always order coconut rice at Malaysian places, but I think all it has is the aroma not the taste. The one here actually has a rich coconut flavor, sweet and yummy.
Pretty sure I'll be coming back to try other menu items!-
mohinga
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Review from Stephen G.
Manhattan, NYA good place to try if you'd like to sample Burmese food....I mean, how many Burmese restaurants are there in Manhattan compared to Thai? They were doing pretty robust business on the Thursday night that we went here, which is nice to see. But they only had two male servers and weren't exactly shaking and moving for us.
Food was above average though: we particularly enjoyed the Shan Tofu Kyaw (fried yellow bean curd), Picked Green Tea Leaf Salad, and the Pork Curry with Potatoes. Also OK were the Festival Noodles Fish Soup (Mohinga) and Coconut Chicken Noodles Soup. Had Semolina Cake (San-Nwin Makin) for dessert, which was OK. I think I will return. -
Review from Danielle T.
Manhattan, NYI mean, it tasted a lot like Thai, Chinese, and Indian food combined. I guess that kinda sounds like Burma.
The place was charming, with wobbling boothes and old people. The furnace sounded like we were in Burma.. -
Review from Greg S.
New York, NYWow, people are idiots.
I've been a diner at Mingala for years, first at their (now closed) Village location, now at 72nd st. Let me address the negative nonsense petty "Yelpers" have posted below:
"It's not authentic Burmese" -- uh.... not entirely true, but you don't want "authentic" Burmese food. It's dog excrement. Mingala wouldn't survive a day serving that crap. What they DO serve is awesome pan-Asian, which is why you'd come here to begin with.
"the décor is no good" -- oh, please. Take that yuppie crap to the parking lot.
"I had to ask twice for chopsticks" -- What you ordered, is not eaten in Asia with chopsticks. How tough it must be, trying to prove your cultural cred, a white person wanting to show others how he knows how to use chopsticks!!
Gang- give this place a try, it's old school NYC ethnic food, served by real people, in a real setting WITHOUT the play-acting, 30 year old wanna-be foodies.
What kind of loser signs on to yelp to whine about a $15 meal? -
Review from Rowena Y.
Just a few steps away from my apartment lies a hidden gem. Truly a hidden gem as it is overshadowed by the 2nd avenue subway construction and scaffolding. As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. While the decor and lighting may seem a bit of a drab, the food hits right home especially when your stomach craves for something sweet, spicy and carby.
It's hard to describe what Burmese food tastes like. In fact, I never knew what Burmese cuisine even looked like until coming here. Don't expect anything exotic but expect familiarity in terms of taste. The ingredients and style are a mixture of Thai, Indian, Malaysian and Chinese. If you're a fan of all four cuisines, then you're in good hands.
Here are a few dishes I've tried so far:
1. Pineapple Fried Rice - I know it's probably not the most authentic Burmese dish but I have to say it's one of the better pineapple fried rice dishes I've had. Although it did lack some pineapple dices, the rice itself was cooked really well with herbs and other ingredients. One dish can possibly serve up to 3-4 people.
2. Crispy Garlic Pork - Anything deep fried makes it an excellent comfort food. The pork slices are thin, which makes it tender and easier to chew. It serves with a sweet chili sauce. But portion-wise, I thought they were being a bit stingy and definitely deserved at least 10 pieces for $13.95.
3. Beef Curry Potatoes - I have to say this was my favorite one. I love curry especially on a cool day and it was perfect weather for it. The beef cubes were tender and the curry sauce just hit the right spot. It serves in a little small pot and if you plan to eat with a group, I would order more than one just because I think I can finish one by myself. (I know, I'm such a fatty like that)
Overall, the service was friendly and welcoming. Even though they don't seem to attract enough business due to the surrounding constructions, the staff still treated everyone with high spirits and grace. I guess I can finally tell my friends that there is finally something good to eat and worth trying in the Upper East Side and that is Cafe Minalga! -
Review from Jeff Y Laura K.
Manhattan, NYTry their coconut rice. The mango chicken was a little too sweet for my taste but very tasty.
I am definitely coming back for more. There is a lot to try here. -
Review from Stephen B.
Upper East Side, Manhattan, NYFirst of all, I love their lunch special. For $6.95 you can get a main course, plus soup or salad, and the course comes with rice (unless it's a noodle dish). I've tried several chicken items, with my favorites being the basil chicken and ginger chicken. I've had the chili chicken off the lunch menu, and it wasn't particularly great. I've had more flavorful Burmese/Thai food, but for the price it can't be beat. My friend always gets the chicken curry, and really likes it, but I can't comment as I've never tried it.
Off the lunch menu, I've had the mango chicken ($13.95), which is absolutely delicious. Had it several times, and every time it was amazing. Perfect mix of sweet and spicy.
They also offer cheap house wine ($5) which is pretty tasty, and they give you a giant glass of it.
I've been here for the lunch special at least a dozen times, if not more. It's always the same people working, and by now they know me and my friend's usual orders :)
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