So last weekend, the CGP and I were treated to dinner by friends to a Burmese restaurant in Falls Church, Myanmar. Burmese cuisine is clearly influenced by both its Thai and Indian neighbors, yet still different. Lots of curries, in the sense of a long braise, but the flavor profiles are unique to their cuisine. This is a hole-in-the-wall family-run establishment with modest prices — plan for laid-back service and food to arrive as it’s ready, not necessarily in an American-style soup-salad-main. You MUST order the mango salad. We adore the Ohn-no Kaukswe (Chicken Noodle Soup With Coconut) and have been known to go there JUST for this soup if one of us has a cold! For entrees, I can personally recommend the Spicy Curry Beef, Mutton Curry (goat), Shrimp Pumpkin, and Coconut Seafood Curry. As usual at this joint, we ate until we were uncomfortably full. The food is THAT good.

Once we were back at home in our loose-fitting jammies (seeing a theme here? I like to sit around my house in my jammies), I wanted to whip up a cocktail that would complement that meal. I grabbed some Thai basil from the front garden (garden of weeds mostly) and some pantry staples and assembled a couple of these, my Thai take on a mojito.

Thai “Mojito”
Serves 1

1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 – 5 Thai basil leaves
2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
About 6 ounces (1/2 can) ginger ale
Ice

Muddle the sugar, lime juice, and basil leaves in the bottom of a large glass. Add the vodka and stir to ensure the sugar is dissolved. Fill the glass with ice then top off with ginger ale. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a basil spring or a lime wheel.

Cheers!