Review: At Bamboo Ridge, a new citizen brings his Burmese-Thai skills to Allentown

After cooking on two continents, Hla Thu get to feed people his favorites

Thai beef salad at Bamboo Ridge

Buffalo is a city made by immigrants. In the heart of Allentown, Hla Thu is staking his claim to his own American dream at Bamboo Ridge. Born on Ramree Island in Burma, Thu immigrated to the United States in 2015. In 2023, he became an American citizen.

In November, with help from customers and friends, he opened Bamboo Ridge, his restaurant at 244 Allen St. With a professional resume that includes two continents and four kitchens, Thu offers a broad selection of Burmese and Thai dishes, along with Chinese and Vietnamese dishes whose popularity across national boundaries has made them part of the Southeast Asian canon.

Lapeth thoat, Burmese tea leaf salad (A24, $9.99), comes as a huge surprise to first-timers. Olive-drab fermented tea leaves are tossed with diced tomato, shredded cabbage, and a kaleidoscope of crunch: fried garlic, fried beans, peanuts, and sesame seeds. The whole shebang is dressed in garlic oil and lime juice, for a stone cold vegan stunner of a salad.

Burmese tea leaf salad at Bamboo Ridge

If you’re aiming to get acquainted with Burmese cuisine, my top two suggestions are tea leaf salad and Burmese coconut curry chicken noodle soup (S4, $14.99), ohn noh kouk swe. Soothing coconut broth, golden with turmeric and thickened slightly with chickpea flour, hides fat egg noodles, and chicken. Sliced hardboiled egg, sliced onion, and crunchy noodles adorn the surface. Squeeze in the lime wedge, give it a stir, and enjoy some Burmese comfort food.