Two Fish Myanmar Cuisine

Myanmar (formerly Burma) or Burmese cuisine is not well known in this one horse town. The options are slim to none. The last and only acceptable resto that served this cuisine was Royal Myanmar located on the outskirts of the refugee homebase, Clarkston, they were pretty much the only real deal Burmese joint but they closed down in 2018. The Pouch wrote up that review back in April 2017 but sadly, they were a total let down. It wasn't a surprise they shut down, it was only a matter of time. What exactly is Burmese/Myanmar cuisine you axe? It's basically an Asian mutt, a mix of Chinese, Indian, Thai and Malay cuisines. Fast forward a few years later and the owners of Two Fish finally got a brick and mortar shop in the new Clarkston Market complex. The owners have tested a takeout business from their home for a couple years and the community backed them with plenty of support. Their ethnic comfy food is attracting new customers from around the city. It's not a destination spot but if you're looking for a taste of Burma, this joint is a good start for the uninitiated. I love these from rags to riches stories, it makes me want to support them even more because they are not bastardizing the cuisine to fit all palates just make a buck. 

One thing about this complex, the units are not full operating kitchen compliant, meaning they can not cook on premises. All food is prepared off premises and brought to the unit and are prepared and reheated to order. So, you have to be patient. Let's take a first look... And see if the Pouch approves. Fuck me, I hope they deliver the goods because I really don't want to IBS-D all over them like with Royal Myanmar... Or myself. At least not again today... Sometimes, Waffle House is not the cure for a hangover... Flush.

Tea Leaf Salad, fermented tea leaf mixed with shredded cabbage, tomato, roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, fried yellow split peas, fried garlic and dry shrimp, $7.99. This is the best known national dish of Burma... Because it is so customizable. And this version was pretty much spot-on classic. It's refreshing and so fresh and so clean clean on the palate.  

Papaya Salad, shredded green papaya mixed with cherry tomato, bean, dry shrimp, crushed peanuts, Thai chili peppers and lime juice, $9.99. Looks great but I think they are missing something in their description... It's so obvious... Here's a hint, they look like tiny watermelons... Thai eggplant! But I am totally OK with that. If they want to change it up a bit, I'm down with it. It's a well constructed papaya salad. It's not Thai style but you can ask them to make it as spicy as you want. I didn't go crazy on the heat because I wanted to taste the actual flavors of each ingredient... And it was pretty good. Next time, I will go full ass flaming hot.

Mohinga, rice noodle and fish soup, catfish cooked with ginger, garlic, onion and lemongrass served with boiled egg and crispy peas, $7.50. The national noodle dish of Burma, errr, Myanmar, whatever. It's a hefty bowl for the price. Shit, you can't even get a SMALL bowl of pho for under $10 anywhere anymore, so, this noodle bowl is a great deal and also authentically homemade. This is one item that you must get if you never had Burmese cuisine. It was hearty and satisfying and quite tasty, too. The "sheet" of crispy peas reminds me of the Chinese bubble waffle.

Kyay Oo Sigyet, rice vermicelli, mixed with pork, meatball, intestine, tofu, quail egg, garlic and choy sum, $9.99. I fucking love anything offal and this noodle bowl was not awful at all. I love they keep the broth separate... Kinda like a tsukemen. But the broth here is light and subtle and not thick and salty like the tsukemen. Of course, this fat fuck always inspects each ingredient and right away the Pouch noticed that the quail eggs were missing. They were quick to bring out a few quail eggs to make up for the mistake. You may be tempted to dump the broth into the bowl but don't. Just dip each ingredient into the broth and swirl and then eat it. It's a totally different experience than slurping and shoveling it all down your facehole. I like this noodle bowl a lot. It's definitely homey comfort vittles.

Chicken Biryani, $10.00. This is not on the menu, it's a special. They come in tin boxes in the grab and go cooler. But they will warm it up for you if you want to eat it there. It's a hefty portion and comes with a quarter cheekan (leg and thigh, dark meat naturally!). It's not like the Indian biryani you had before but it definitely has its roots. It is very flavorful and the chicken is fork tender. It's addictive and you just want to keep eating it even with all the other dishes on table. Tis was a good dish. 

If you want a taste of pretty authentic Burmese grub, this is the place to go... The refugee central of Atlanta, shit, maybe in all of Georgia. The food was all good and I will need to try all the other items on the menu sooner rather than later. The owners are humble, appreciative and hardworking, I would go back for that reason alone... They are the real deal mom & pop shop. So, for all y'all roundeyes... Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk if you truly believe in supporting local businesses. They are legit. So, the next time you hear a G.I. ask, "What do we get for 10 dollars?" 

You can reply, "Anyting you want..." 

"Anything?!" 

"Anyting... On the menu." 

Git ya som... tum! 

This initial visit and sampling made the Pouch go... Pump pump... Squirt. 

980 Rowland St

Suite 4130

Clarkston, GA 30021