BURMA SUPERSTAR, Richmond District, SF

The Champagne Supernova Supper Club ventured into the Richmond District of San Francisco on a Friday evening to check out the popular Burma Superstar. Like sardines, 6 of us piled into a 4-door and made the trek across the Bay Bridge. We were pleased as punch to zip through the carpool lane without having to pay a toll. The drive through the city was just as speedy, but once we got to our destination finding parking wasn’t so smooth. With considerable effort, a space was secured a good 4-5 blocks away.

Burma Superstar, like all renowned restaurants in the city, is anti-reservations—no matter how big of a party you’re dining with—so we were mentally prepared for a long wait. And wait we did. The stars seemed to be aligned for us though, since Burma Superstar has a clever way to keep hungry and impatient diners from twiddling their thumbs. We were looking at a wait of a page and a half, which was approximately an hour to an hour and a half. However, we were allowed to put down a name and cell phone digits. This freed us up to enjoy some pre-potations nearby at The Plough & the Stars. This Irish pub seemed to be the perfect niche to down some tasty Irish and English Beers, catch a football game and listen to live blue grass. Word to the wise though, the musicians weren’t too savvy with their equipment, much to the dismay of sensitive ears. The best sound in the pub that night was Burma Superstar calling us for our table.

Burma Superstar was a tiny hole in the wall. Kitschy Southeast Asian knick-knacks adorned the wall. The lighting was a bit harsh which seemed to compound their cramped and loud atmosphere. This isn’t a good place for a 1st date but is recommended for divorced couples, merely because intimate and romantic conversation would be impossible over the din. The menu selection was impressively extensive. There were tasty choices for carnivores, herbivores and pesco-pollo-vegetarians. The service was attentive, friendly and funny. We were concerned about the spice factor, and our waiter joked that although our food would have a kick, it wouldn’t “kill us.” Much like our trip across the bridge, after ordering, our dishes were delivered with speed. The presentation was colorful and saucy, as we’d expect from SEA cuisine. A run-down of our selections is as follows:

Rainbow salad- our appetizer had 22 ingredients but all we tasted was spice.
Sesame chicken- tangy and sweet, perfect crunch factor.
Curry eggplant- little eggplants, mild and tasty.
Coconut Chicken Flour Noodle Curry- the nutty flavor couldn’t save it from being boring.
Burmese-style curry & shrimp- fresh flavor, shrimpalicious.
Tofu vegetable- mild flavor, tofu was good and hearty.
Coconut rice- wonderfully meaty, the perfect pitch of sweet and sticky.

The libations were the standard fare with an SEA twist. We ordered the white wine sangria that tasted like sunscreen. The lychee mint julep was a pleasant mouthful of lychee. Like boba drinks though, be careful sucking through a straw or unexpected gelatinous fruit will be coming through the pipe. With stomachs bulging we had to decline a peek at the dessert menu.

Overall, Burmese Superstar is a bubbly and vivacious feast for all the senses. Although the ambiance is none too impressive, the dishes are definitely worth the wait and that’s saying a lot considering the price of admission on a weekend night will be a test of patience and hunger.

Burma Superstar Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
309 Clement Street (between 4th Ave & 5th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 387-2147
www.burmasuperstar.com/