Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends
Burma Superstar
309 Clement Street (between 4th Ave. & 5th Ave.)
San Francisco 94118
(415) 387-2147
Cuisine: Burmese
Pluses:
Fresh and unique dishes, friendly atmosphere, a small but pleasing wine list, spectacular sangria and non-alcoholic fresh fruit drinks including coconut and avocado
Minuses: The wait for a table can be long
Don't Miss: La Pat Dok (tea leaf salad)
Prices:: Inexpensive
Overview:
Open for lunch and dinner daily
No reservations
Credit cards accepted
Street parking
Completely non-smoking
Wheelchair accessible
In a neighborhood virtually seething with Asian restaurants, this cozy spot stands out as a true gem, filling up nightly with hordes of 20- and 30-somethings who wait patiently on the sidewalk or across the street at the The Blue Danube coffeeshop (owned by the same folks who own BSS) for a table.
The restaurant's Burmese specialties offer a welcome jolt to the jaded palates of a town so “foodie” that it’s hard to think of a cuisine that isn’t already passé. Every bite of La Pat Dok (Tea Leaf Salad)— shredded lettuce, tomatoes, dried shrimp, fried garlic and shallots, sesame seeds, peanuts, and split yellow peas topped with a dollop of tea leaves (hand-carried from Burma)—is a palate-awakening burst of salty, sour, sweet and crunchy morsels coated in just the right amount of the tart, lemony dressing. Salt and Pepper Chicken sounds dull, but the tiny nuggets of perfectly crisp fried chicken sprinkled with salt and crushed red pepper are unavoidably addicting. Curry dishes are rich and complex, and stir-fries are surprisingly delicate and chock full of bright, crisp veggies.
Once you’ve eaten at this superstar among neighborhood eateries, you’ll want to tell everyone you know about it, but I’d bet good money that you’ll at least try to keep this “secret” to yourself.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.