Suburban diners don't have to go far to find some of the top restaurants in the Midwest, according to a recent Yelp list. And Yelp says you don't have to go to Myanmar to enjoy authentic Burmese cuisine.
The repository of business reviews galore recently published their 2023 The Top 100 Restaurants in the Midwesta list that includes restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Nine suburban restaurants were among the 21 Illinois restaurants selected. What came in at number two on the list might surprise you.
Tucked away unnoticed in a shopping center in Wheaton, Pa Lianhas been bringing authentic Burmese dishes to the suburbs since 2018.
Pa Lian Burmese Restaurant in Wheaton is open for lunch and dinner six days a week.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Owner Tawk Zalian, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Malai, said business has exploded since the list was released last week.
“We are overwhelmed, but we are truly blessed. We never expected that,” Zalian said. “We are very honored to be recognized after all the hard work.”
It's been so busy since the news broke that Zalian hopes some people interested in trying the restaurant, located at 254 E. Geneva Road, for the first time will stop by. He said last Friday they opened for dinner at 4:30 and by 4:45 the dining room was full.
“Customers are what put you on a list like this, and we love our customers,” he said. “We want to take care of everyone and make sure you have a quality experience.”
A staple of Burmese cuisine, tea leaf salad is a signature dish at Pa Lian Burmese Restaurant, ranked the second best restaurant in the Midwest by Yelp.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Zalian said Burmese cuisine is hard to define as it's really unlike anything else people are familiar with.
“For most people it's an unknown cuisine,” Zalian said. “There are influences from India and some Asian spices, but it's very unique, the flavors and textures are different and something you've never had before.”
Zalian suggested the uninitiated try the Tea Leaf Salad, a traditional Burmese dish that is crunchy and slightly bitter thanks to fermented tea leaves with fried fava beans, yellow beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, sliced tomatoes, cabbage and lime.
The most popular noodle dish on the menu is the Shan Noodle, which features flat noodles with chopped chicken curry topped with onions, gai choy, fried onions, peanuts, sesame seeds and fermented black beans.
The menu also includes a number of vegan and gluten-free options.
Discreetly tucked away in a strip mall in Wheaton, Pa Lian Burmese restaurant was just named the second best restaurant in the Midwest by Yelp.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
The couple, who share cooking duties at the restaurant, have lived in the US for 18 years and in Wheaton for the past 13.
“We like to cook. We love to eat,” Zalian said. “My wife and I had no business knowledge, but we love our kitchen and want to share it with everyone. It's our American dream.”
Yelp said restaurants were ranked based on a number of factors, including overall volume and reviewer ratings over the past two and a half years.
The eclectic top 10 includes a variety of cuisines, ranging from Somali to Mexican and Latin American to Hawaiian. Vietnamese/Yugoslavian fusion restaurant Sunset Pho Caffe in Chicago came in at number five, one of 12 Chicago restaurants to make the list. Blues City Deli in St. Louis took first place.
Pa Lian Burmese restaurant in Wheaton was just named the second best restaurant in the Midwest by Yelp. Their Shan Noodle dish, with shredded curry chicken, is a menu favorite.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Other suburb winners include:
20: Kuma's Sushi Bowl701 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills.
21: Bomba Burger8530 Waukegan Road, Morton Grove.
24: Asadoras Argentina Burgers4542 State Route 71, Oswego.
38: HD Kitchen27 Huntington Lane, Wheeling.
54: Chez François Poutinerie22 E. Chicago Ave. #120, Naperville.
57: Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant101 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville.
64: Gummy3124 S. Route 59, Suite 140, Naperville (Note: Gumii is on summer break until August 22).
67: Big Ed's BBQ4030 Northpoint Blvd., Waukegan.
