Happy Myanmar Cafe - Burmese, Daly City

2025 Gellert Blvd #200-201, Daly City CA 94015
(650) 449-1378
Parking: strip mall parking lot
Hours: Tues-Thurs Lunch 11am-2:30pm, Dinner 5pm-9pm, Fri Lunch 11am-2:30pm, Dinner 5pm-9:30pm, Saturday 11am-9:30pm, Sunday 11am-9pm, Closed Mondays
https://www.facebook.com/happymyanmarcafe

Last Visited: September 2, 2016

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Helen told me about Happy Myanmar Cafe which opened a couple of months ago.  Although she warned me that the moh-hingar (catfish soup noodles) wasn't very good, she still felt it was worth trying and recommended trying some of the other dishes.  Located on the side of the shopping center, it's not visible from the street, but go into the driveway and it will be the first visible restaurant.  The decor is clean and modern and ordering is done through their handheld system.

We arrived a bit before 6pm on a Friday and the place was very busy with only one main server.  It took longer than usual for someone to come out and seat us (everyone was in the kitchen) and it took longer than usual for our order to be taken.  The server was too busy running around bringing water to various tables and addressing the take-out orders. A little after 6pm, the second server arrived and service got slightly better, but you could see that they were a bit inefficient - walking around multiple times to bring the same table water (more cups for different people) and walking past empty used plates multiple times before picking them up.

The kitchen makes up for the slow turnaround of service as each dish comes fairly quickly.  While we were on our first serving of salad, the other dishes came out quickly.  If you were to treat the salad like an appetizer, the timing was rushed, but if you expect it to come out like other Asian restaurants where the order and speed don't make sense, you'll be fine.

- Ginger Salad - Although I usually order a tea leaf salad, people seemed to be very happy with the ginger salad here, so I opted for this instead.  The mix of shredded pickled ginger, lettuce, tomato, fried yellow beans, sunflower seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, dried shrimp, and bean powder which the menu says is served with one slice of lime came pre-mixed without any lime (it was already squeezed in it).  If you're looking for a place to explain all of the ingredients to you and mix the salad in front of you, you'll be sorely disappointed.  However, you'll enjoy the refreshing bright taste of the ginger and the crunch from the other ingredients.  Of the three dishes I ordered, this was the best one and I would highly recommend it.  With all of the nuts, it's also very filling.  Excellent. The only suggestion would be to serve it like you would a tea leaf salad with the ingredients separated and mixed tableside.  $8

- Ohn-noh Kaut Swe -  This is one of the dishes I always order when trying a Burmese restaurant.  Like other classics, it seems that every restaurant has a slightly different take on the broth/soup even though the ingredients are the same.  Flour noodles are served in a creamy coconut soup,  with dark meat chicken, three slices of hard-boiled egg, thinly sliced red onion, fried wonton, and according to the menu, one slice of lime.  Once again, there was no sign of lime anywhere and it was sorely missed.  I like how the lime typically balances the heaviness of the coconut soup, but none was found.  The fried wonton was no longer crispy and the broth/soup texture was not to my liking.  I usually like the soup to be more creamy and thick or more broth-like.  There also isn't enough red onion to make the flavor stand out.  Fair. $8

- Chicken Biryani - The menu describes this as biryani rice with house special chicken.  The long grain rice is pan fried with fried shallots and raisins, and the house special chicken is curry chicken made with large chunks of dark meat. Cashew halves and whole pieces are sprinkled on top of the rice.  When the sauce from the chicken is on the rice, it's a good combination and I liked the flavor of the chicken. I thought the rice on its own was a bit dry and the shallots were soggy.  I wouldn't order this again - it would be better just to get the chicken and steamed rice.  I took this home as leftovers and added water as I fried up the rice; it was a lot better as the rice plumped up a bit.  Good flavor, but fair overall.  $12

When it came time for the check, I waited a while, and though we asked for a box to take home leftovers, the check didn't come until we asked for it.  I later learned from the owner that he has trained his staff to not bring a check until it's requested.  While I understand this philosophy, it's good to educate your customers and let them know that they can ask for it when needed or to bring the check and let people know to take their time. Without this guidepost, I just felt like I was waiting forever.  Based on this experience, I would order the ginger salad for takeout and leave the rest.