Burma Superstar Restaurant

07/05/2008 Posted by Chester08

We ordered take out because we had heard that if you don't get there at 5:30, you'll be waiting for at least an hour. We arrived at 8:00 to pick up our food and there was an hour and a half wait. The staff was very friendly. They got our order right. We ordered the Mango beef, the beef was chewy and the sauce was too sugary. We also tried the Nan Gyi Dok, it was ok, a little slimey. Both dishes left us feeling greasy and wondering what all the hype is about? Maybe we ordered the wrong dishes, but we won't be returning to try it out again.

Pros: good for large parties

Cons: some dishes not that great

11/27/2007 Posted by newenglandtransplant

We've been trying to eat at Burma Superstar for months but can never seem to get in. Just the other night we were driving by and decided to try our luck. As luck would have it we were able to get in and I'm happy to say that the food was delicious. We started with the Tea Leaf Salad and Vegetarian Burmese Samusas with a sweet sauce. Both were terrific with just the right amount of spices. The salad is tossed tableside. Our main course was the Broccoli, Coconut Rice and the Lamb Burmese Style Curry. The Curry had a spicy (hot) kick to it but not too hot. The serving of broccoli was more than enough for 2. It was so big that we couldn't finish it. All in all it was a terrific dinner. The tables are very close together so it's easy to hear others and be overheard. This place is worth every penny. Oh yeah the wines are reasonably priced.

Pros: Staff, Quick Service, Reasonably priced wine list, Food

Cons: parking, cramped tables

09/16/2007 Posted by foodielover

Unless it's a restaurant like French Laundry where you can't get in for months, I'd recommend that you go at lunch time (I've been told it's the same for French Laundry, chances are better on weekdays) to get a table. We arrived at 11:30a on a Sunday, and there were only 8 other people in the restaurant. Even after we finished, there were only 15 others dining. It's the same menu for dinner, no lunch specials or rates. It's overpriced for the food, but we really liked the Tea Leaf Salad, which wasn't overloaded with tomatoes, but the dish was delicious, tangy and a nice blend of flavors with a tea leaf-like pesto, lettuce, dried shrimp (optional), bits of fried garlic, peanut & sesame seeds. They mix the dish up at the table. Yummy but steep for nearly $9. The See Jyet Kaukswer (noodles, garlic, duck or pork) was bland unless you mixed in the spicy sauce served on the side. I didn't like this dish as much. The chili lamb was good but so hot (can't be prepared mild, only moderately hot or hotter!) that they couldn't fill my water glass fast enough. All that came to almost $40 for 2 persons for lunch which is expensive, in my book. AND, we only had tap water. How this place made it into the SF Chronicle's "Bargain Bites" edition is beyond me. The waitress was friendly. Perhaps they can't handle the crowds in the evenings, but lunch was a breeze to get in and given the same menu, it makes sense to avoid the dinner scene by eating earlier if you're going to try the food.

Pros: Liked the Tea Leaf Salad, nice ambience

Cons: Pricey, parking, crowds/lines at dinner, no reservations

07/24/2007 Posted by agentred

I still can't figure out the hype. I'm a huge fan of international cuisines ranging from Russian to Cambodian, but do not enjoy the food here. I don't know if it's Burmese food in general or just the way they prepare it. I won't eat here again. The food is simply not good.

Pros: near great crepe place for dessert

Cons: bad food, crowds

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

07/04/2007 Posted by leezer

My wife and I went to this highly recommended supposedly SUPER restaurant and were sadly disappointed. The staff there was really friendly especially the person that I called on the phone to be put on the wait list, which I highly recommend. However, our server was terrible. She was inpatient, not friendly, and rushed us to order. Moreover, the food was just as bad. We ordered the Tea Leaf salad that was supposed to have tomatoes in it. I believe the restaurant ran out of tomatoes because there were almost none. When the people next to us ordered there Tea Leaf salad, there were none in theirs. The shrimp pumpkin dish seriously lacked flavor and was below average at best. The coconut rice was sticky, over-cooked, and not good. The best part about the evening was the Chimay Blue beer. To sum it up, I will never go to Burma Superstar again. I would recommend any other restaurant in Richmond over this place.

Pros: Price

Cons: Everything Else

06/23/2007 Posted by chocolorac

I must confess that any of my true sentiment regarding the restaurant and food is clouded by the ridiculous wait time we experienced. Our group of 6 waited 2+ hours on a Saturday evening, and ended up being seated after 9PM. However, I will note that the wait time appeared more acceptable for smaller parties. After hearing much hype, I had been waiting to check out their food. Everything was decent, but nothing blew me away as being a specialty that I'll be seeking to repeat. The food was good, the staff friendly, and the service prompt (which helped appease the frustration and hunger from the long wait). All in all, in my book of repeat value... let's just say next time, I'll try the other many places in the area.

Pros: Quick service, Good Food

Cons: Long wait time, Not for groups, Nothing extraordinary

06/18/2007 Posted by ms_new

I went with my friends anticipating a fabulous meal given all the wonderful reviews. We went right at the opening time for dinner to avoid the long wait and about 5 minutes afterwards, there was a wait. We ordered many of the Burmese specialties and I was underwhelmed by all the dishes. The samusa tasted exactly like a traditional Indian appetizer I've had. The noodles with duck were somewhat bland. The casserole was by far my least favorite dish because of the spice mixture and the dryness of the rice. Given the price, $14 per person without drinks, there are much better restaurants out there.

Pros: Pleasant staff

Cons: Food was underwhelming, area was crowded, price was expensive for what we got

02/16/2007 Posted by al04

A 20-minute wait in pouring rain was definitely worth it to eat at this place. The staff was genuinely friendly and kept apologizing for our wait, even though it really wasn't in their control. Once we sat down, we ordered a pitcher of the Burmese cooler, chilled beer with ginger and lemon flavor. It was the perfect drink to go with the spicy and flavorful dishes that we ordered including the samosa soup (definitely recommended), fried rice, chili curry eggplant, and other tasty dishes of which I forget their names (lamb, chicken). The point is, it was all excellent and I would definitely go back.

Pros: great ethnic food

Cons: the wait to get in

11/24/2006 Posted by tf2001

We always come here with a group and order a bunch of different entrees for family style dining so we can try as much as we can. All of the food we've tried is incredible and has interesting flavors. They also have really unusual tasty drinks on the menu. The place is small and we've always had to wait for a table but I highly recommend it - go with friends so you can try more!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

11/17/2006 Posted by yarahb79

My fiance and I got into the habit of walking in the streets of SF and crashing a crowded restaurant with a long waiting line.This way we got to try Burma superstar.It was totally worth the wait of 30 minutes. The food is a mix of Chinese and Indian and one of the rice side order was so persian with the raisins and onion cooked with it. It's a small place but cozy.If you want to try Burmese food you should definitely try this amazing restaurant.I added it to my fav list :)

Pros: Good food,a great place to introduce ppl to Burmese food

Cons: Long wait,don't take reservation,too tight.