All Asian Food-on-Sticks-Inspired Restaurant Opens in Washington D.C., USA

Following the successful opening of Southeast Asian salad shop Bandoola Bowl this spring, owner Aung Myint expand his presence with Sticx at 1728 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington D.C., USA.

Occupying a 2200-square foot, 20-seat space, the new fast-casual concept will explore the rich tradition of Asian street food, focusing on styles of barbecue from Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Burma, as well as sushi, all served on sticks. 

Myint and his business partner Yo Sangkhankaw were globetrotting in Asia when the idea for the restaurant came to them. First they were in Bangkok, Thailand when they chatted up a street vendor who exclusively serves mu ping—grilled pork skewers.

"People love food on sticks" he said to Washington City Paper. “[In Bangkok], there were so many of them. We were doing the calculation in our head. Oh my god, it is possible to need half a million sticks a day." 

When they finally reached Myanmar, the pair hit the night markets Myint was never allowed to visit when he was living there as a child. "I was young so my parents never asked me to go out at night," he says. "We sat down at one of the stalls. What if we just have a store that has everything? All of it. That’s where the idea came from."

As reported by Washington Business Journal, Sticx's sushi offerings include hosomaki, chumaki, tuna rolls, shiitake mushroom rolls and more, in addition to hot dishes like Thai-style mu ping pork and Burmese grilled chicken, pork, beef and shrimp. There will also be vegetarian options in the form of cooked okra, zucchini and more.  

Myint, 46, was born in Myanmar and came to the United States at the age of 16. He has lived in D.C. for about seven years, with the rest of his time in the states living in Maryland where his extended family currently resides.

With the support and cooperation of his family, he has been running Mandalay Restaurant and Cafe in Silver Spring since 2004. He said he wasn’t planning for his two new restaurants to be so close to one another, but it happened as a consequence of his desire to own the space Sticx will occupy.