B Star Cafe

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benchiaramonte

Joined 5 years ago

Spillover from Burma Superstar, Pas mal. Comfort food from hell. The green curry puff pastry covered salmon potpie is tons of fun and hits the spot this time of year. They have some of the Burma Superstar favorites but much better cocktails than their big brother. Since it's in my hood I give it props, and because it is hard as hell to get into Burma Superstar on any given day.

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adorkable25

Joined 5 years ago

This place is AMAZING! Always has great service! Can be crowded though.. My boyfriend and I have started to become regulars here. The service is always stellar, even when they are busy. The food is spectacular!

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raisaacs

Joined 6 years ago

Exquisite Burmese Cuisine. I stumbled on Star B while looking for a new place for lunch. That was more than a month ago, and since I only get free a couple times a week, I haven't yet eaten my way through ALL their menu, but I am diligent and am at least part way to that goal. It is slow progress, since I find it hard to resist their Kau Soi, a spicy yellow curry noodle dish with chicken, chopped pickles, sliced egg and sprouts that hands down beats any other Burmese curry I have tasted. I've wasted the opportunity to explore new items several lunches on that delicious same old same old. Michael remembered my favorite draft by the second time I visited. Joyce, the owner, was gracious when I shared that I thought the spicy pad thai was too sweet for my taste. It seems that I was in her camp in the creative struggle by which she and her husband Desmond are experimenting and designing the menu. Each of the lunch dishes I have ordered comes quickly, and with evident focus on the presentation. Nothing has been careless, either in preparation or delivery. And there continue to appear astonishing new things on the menu as the identity evolves. I have an especially critical love of green curries, and did not expect to have my favorite (Bangkok 900) rivaled by a Burmese house, but the Star B green curry under a puff pastry lid was perfect - rich, with well balanced flavors, and a proper assortment of contents in the sauce. Aside from the pad thai, there is nothing I wouldn't highly recommend and nothing I won't happily order again, putting off - perhaps indefinitely - my quest to try everything at least once. I hope they prosper.

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tjoady

Joined 6 years ago

Delicious food, attentive service. I have to disagree with the other reviewer who said service was poor. We went Sunday night at 8:30pm. The place was pretty active even for a new restaurant on a Sunday night. We were promptly seated, our drinks ordered and arrived. We ordered our appetizers and entrees and they arrived quickly. I was asked if I wanted a refill on my drink. The wait staff came back at least three times to ask how the meal was (and it was great). It was really quite normal if not attentive service. I experienced nothing unusual.

The tea leaf salad seemed different from Burma Superstar's in presentation but tasted essentially the same, I think. Maybe a bit more lettuce. The veggie samosa soup was yummy like Burma Superstar's. The tacos we had (cod and portabella mushroom) were good -- love the flavors of the salsa. At that point, the two of us were so full we took the Burmese veggie dish home.

Quite decent portions and tasty flavors at a reasonable price, good service, and pleasant ambiance (though a bit loud in the reverberating room). I did not see the things the other reviewer complained about at all.

Doesn't Recommend

jmou

Joined 6 years ago

bad service.. worse food. i'm not one to complain about restaurants.. i work at one, and usually appreciate food and service of all types.

that being said, this place is terrible!

burma super star is awesome.. b star however is a lame attempt at a trendy fusion restaurant/bar... and it does not provide.

we got an app (chicken saytay) which actually was good, a summer salad (which was awful!) the dressing was revoltingly sweet, cod tacos (the cod tasted like a sponge left out for days), and the vegetable shan noodles (more like a soggy tomato soup with cilantro galore).

so do i recommend this place? hell no!

oh and the service sucked.. our waitressed only talked to us twice, once for our order and once for the check. and it's slow slow slow service.... it took 20 minutes just for a salad.

NEXT!

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

This Burma Superstar spinoff is just blocks from its older sibling, but a unique menu has it standing proudly on its own.. The Rundown
Those expecting a mere overflow spot for the always-packed Burma Superstar (a short distance up Clement) will be pleasantly surprised to find that this next-generation spot distinguishes itself with a separate, and equally tasty, menu of food and cocktails, a brighter atmosphere and a back patio. But they'll be dismayed to discover the large fan base who have already figured that out--and are in line ahead of them.

Our Take
Some may take a dim view of the more intense lighting. We ourselves prefer dining in more flattering shadows. But the owners have obviously put thought into the space--a two-section, pale-yellow-with-chocolate-highlights room dominated by a hammered-copper star and guarded by two small chinthe (lion-dragon hybrid) statues. When we visited, the Burmese-garden-themed patio wasn't quite finished, but it looked like promising outdoor dining for a neighborhood which needs more of that.

The drinks menu offers an array of decaf and high-test teas, plus soju cocktails such as the "I know kung fu," a refreshing choice which hides its delayed-impact kick to the forehead behind a ginger infusion and a little bit of sweetness. The deviled tea eggs starter puts the emphasis on "devil" with a surprising but managable amount of hellfire in its sauce. Pair it with the skewered chilis (served with dried bonito flakes) to get things going with an eye-opening, but perfectly managable, level of heat. (The three-kinds-of-fried-mushrooms assortment is better for those who'd rather leave the adventures in spiciness to others.)

Basil chicken with chilis and fresh, flat and light noodles is a safe, pleasing bet for an entree, while the short ribs with pineapple-fried rice and a sunny-side-up egg are a recommended combo--the fruit flavor subtle when it easily could have been cloyingly sugary. When it's time for real sugar, though, the lychee gelato is a better pick than the ginger ice cream served atop chocolate