The Hindu Made of Chennai conducts food trail through Burma Nagar 

A food trail through Burma Nagar in Ennore was conducted by The Hindu Made of Chennai on Saturday.

Around twenty participants joined the trail, curated by culinary consultant Shabnam Banu, who led them through the neighbourhood’s signature Burmese-Tamil street food.

The walk primarily covered two street-side shops, where participants had dishes such as Atho and Mohinga at a stall run by Taj, a Burmese-Tamil vendor who has been running his shop at the same spot for 40 years. They also tried Naan with Paaya, as well as Burmese drink Molesa at Mahendra Food Stall, which begins serving breakfast from as early as 3:30 a.m.

“We chose Burma Nagar for the food walk because it was trending on social media, but with a lot of misinformation. This walk is not just about eating food but covering the culture through the food walk,” says Ms Shabnam. “Many Burmese-Tamil families have settled here, and their Atho is far different from what we find elsewhere. From just 11 shops, the area now has 70 Burmese-Tamil food outlets,” she added.

Sharanya, a musician who took part in the walk, said she never knew about the Burmese Tamil community in Ennore and was interested in the event for both its history and its food. “I only knew about the Burmese Tamil restaurants in George Town but not about the community here. I have always enjoyed the walks conducted during Madras Week and this one has been particularly fun,” said Ms. Sharanya.

The Hindu Made of Chennai is presented by Casagrand and powered by SRM. In association with Union Bank of India. Associate Partners: Tata Tea Chakra Gold, Tata Coffee, Hell Energy. Food walk partner: Annam by Shabnam. Tourism sponsor: UP Tourism. Hydration partner: Parry Foods. The 40-day celebration is also done in partnership with Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, Greater Chennai Corporation, Greater Chennai Police, Greater Chennai Traffic Police and Namma Marina, Namma Pride. Radio Partners: Big FM, Fever FM and Radio One.