A local Burmese restaurant will soon see its food on the shelves at major West Michigan retailers. Amazing Myanmar Asian Cuisine said it will debut 10 food items in three Meijer locations as well as Bridge Street Market this December. The dishes hail from Burmese and Thai backgrounds and include staples like rice noodles, pad thai and fried rice.
When Min Tun and his wife decided to open Amazing Myanmar Asian Cuisine last year, Tun said they wanted to share their culture with West Michiganders far and wide.
“In Meijer you cannot pick up a lot of Asian dishes. So before we opened, it was sort of our dreams and goals, we want to serve into our community, friends and neighborhood," Tun said.
But by the time their restaurant got off the ground, the pandemic threatened to bring it back down.
“We opened in 2020 July 16 which is a tough time," he explained.
With a mantra of resolve, they opened their doors. Not only were they serving customers inside their restaurant, but they put in countless hours behind the scenes on a separate project — to bring their Burmese and Thai dishes to local retailers like Meijer and Bridge Street Market.
Tun jokes the eight to nine months he spent working with production centers was like a kid with an endless supply of homework.
“It’s a long process and it took time, but finally we did it," he explained, "...They're going to love it. That, I guarantee."
With food hitting the shelves in December, Tun said he hopes the venture will help his business survive the pandemic’s backlash.