First Look: A New Generation Makes Richmond’s 28-Year-Old Burmese House Its Own

Cooking has long been second nature to Raviana Sailo and Jedidiah Van Din Thang. Sailo, a refugee from India of Mizo descent, and Van Din Thang, a Chin Burmese migrant from Myanmar/Burma, met in Australia and have cooked together at a number of community events in the 15 years since they met.

Now the pair, along with Sailo’s partner Daniel Kyi, who grew up in Myanmar and moved to Australia for high school, have taken the reins at Burmese House, one of the few venues in Melbourne dedicated to Burmese cuisine.

The restaurant, which opened in 1998, sits just off Bridge Road, where trams rattle past and traffic hums. Inside, though, the pace softens. Hospitality here feels instinctive rather than performative, less a service style and more a way of life.

When we arrive, Sailo is stationed at the open kitchen’s 14-burner stove, pressing neat holes into panipuri shells. “Are you hungry?” she asks, a question that lands less like a formality and more like a promise.

Burmese food sits at a cultural crossroads, shaped by Chinese, Indian, Thai and Malaysian influences. But the team resists rigid definitions.

“We’re still learning what authenticity means for us,” Sailo says. “For me, it’s the flavours and recipes passed down through my family. That’s what’s real. That’s my memory.”

The takeover itself was unexpected. In late 2025, the pair were at Burmese House for a staff dinner. At the time, they were working together at Psylaw, a volunteer-run non-profit supporting migrant communities from Northeast India and Myanmar, as they built their lives in Melbourne. Midway through the meal, they overheard the owners Sam Soe Htike Lwin and Milon Pang discussing plans to close without putting the business on the market.

“It was as close to love at first sight as you could get,” Van Din Thang says. “It’s always been a dream to show the Australian community what Burmese food actually is.”

The purchase was swift and not without risk. “We bought it without seeing the books,” Sailo says, laughing. “Our lawyers told us that wasn’t a great start.”

But the decision felt inevitable. Burmese House couldn’t simply disappear. Its history remains visible. Yellowing clippings still line the exposed brick walls, anchoring the space to its two-decade presence on Bridge Road.

What’s new is the menu: seasonal, generous and rooted in memory. Chef Aunty Yadanar leads the kitchen. She initially applied to be a kitchen hand because she doesn’t have any commercial training, “but once we tried her cooking it was game over,” says Sailo. Van Din Thang works closely with Aunty Yadanar, but all three founders are involved in the kitchen. “It’s a team effort where we all help taste, and cook as needed, just as we would at home,” adds Sailo.

Lahpet, the punchy fermented tea-leaf salad found on many Burmese tables, sits alongside nan gyi thoke, a nutty chicken noodle salad slicked with turmeric and chilli oil, and Sailo’s take on panipuri – a nod to the cross-cultural influences that Burmese House represents. 

There’s also a good variety of desserts, including Burmese tea tiramisu and bein mont, a traditional rice flour pancake served with a scoop of silky coconut ice-cream.

Expect these offerings to shift throughout the year. “Burmese culture is deeply rooted in harvesting from the land and eating with the seasons,” Van Din Thang says. “Our menu will follow that rhythm.”

Operationally, the pair are ultimately shaping Burmese House as a cafe-restaurant hybrid. They’re also thinking beyond the dining room. Burmese House aims to create employment opportunities for migrant families, stay-at-home parents re-entering the workforce and young people seeking supportive mentorship.

Burmese House
303 Bridge Road, Richmond
(03) 9421 2861 

Hours:
Tue to Thu 5pm–9pm
Fri to Sun 11am–3pm; 5pm–9pm

www.burmesehouse.com.au
@burmese.house