Rangoon Ruby - Burmese, Palo Alto

445 Emerson St, Palo Alto CA 94301
(650) 323-6543
Parking: street parking and parking lot across the street
Hours: Lunch Daily 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner Sun-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10:30pm
http://www.rangoonruby.com

Last Visited: July 9, 2016

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

I had heard coworkers talk about Rangoon Ruby, so I thought I would give it a try.  They tout themselves as the best Burmese Cuisine in the Bay Area.  Long story short, it's a good place for those that are completely new to Burmese cuisine, but the flavors are extremely mild.  This is good for diners desiring an explanation of each ingredient and whom are more interested in the service and setting than the food.  I gave the food three stars for appearance - it looks the part and is plated nicely.

Upon arriving, our party was greeted by a host whose sole job was hosting.  Throughout our entire lunch, she stayed at the hosting station, but was checking her phone when she thought nobody was watching.  Bench seating lines a portion of one wall and the bar lines the other wall.  Each table has white tablecloths with square plates.  Modern photography collages decorate the walls.  The chandeliers also have a modern feel.

After being seated, it took some time before we were attended to and it wasn't quite busy.  Service was friendly for the most part and the busboys seemed to be the most attentive.  My server was seemingly absent at times, but could be seen chatting with folks behind the bar.

- Tea Leaf Salad - Tea leaves, fried garlic, yellow beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, and dried shrimp are served with a wedge of lemon.  Although the ingredients are fresh, and the server takes the time to explain each item, I found the quantity of lemon to be lacking and the whole dish lacked spice.  A traditionalist would also say that lettuce should not be used - cabbage is typically the primary base.  Fresh but bland.  Nice plating.  $14

- Nan Gyi Dok - Rice noodles are topped with coconut chicken
sauce, yellow bean powder, cilantro, red onion slices, and fried onion.  A hardboiled egg and fried won ton strips accompany the dish.  Although nicely plated, the coconut chicken was once again mild and the dish was closer to room temperature than hot or cold.  It lacked flavor compared to the authentic version.  $14

Tables are close together which could be uncomfortable if you have a larger personal space bubble or just don't want your neighbor to hear your entire conversation.  You also won't find anyone Burmese except the owner/chef.  During our meal, the server came to top off our water and promptly spilled it on our table and floor.  While she apologized, it was strange that nobody came to wipe off the puddle on the floor.

If you want to bring guests to try Burmese food and fear that they might be frightened of strong flavors, this is a good spot for nice presentation and setting, but if you want authentic food, you may try another place.

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.

Burma Superstar - Burmese, SF

309 Clement Street
San Francisco CA 94118
(415) 387-2147
Parking: street parking
Hours: Sun – Thurs 11am to 9:30pm (closed 3:30 to 5pm), Fri-Sat 11am to 10pm (closed 4 to 5 pm)

Last Visited: December 30, 2005

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $ to $$$

Burma Superstar is a very popular hangout in the Richmond. It’s a cozy place with great aromas of warm spices. On any given weekend evening, you’ll find the place packed with a growing waiting list. In winter, if you’re not there right when it opens, you’ll wait about an hour and fifteen minutes before the next set of tables will become available. There’s a park bench outside and a few precious cushioned seats inside, but otherwise, you’ll be standing around. Toby and Uncle J suggested Burma Superstar as a great place to try.

Burma Superstar has been open since 1992. The windows in the front bring in some natural light. One wall has bench seating and the colors of the room are green, white, and rich burgundy. The back wall is painted burgundy and there are mirrors that make the room appear larger. The columns in the room are covered with cloth and beads. There are also interesting lanterns with bright blues that look like jewels in the room. Some of the other decorations displayed include Burmese wood figures, funky vases, tapestries, masks, framed pictures, and fans. There are also fresh orchids and potted plants around the room.

As you enter the restaurant, the fragrant spices wrap around you. When seated, water is served. The tables are covered with a white tablecloth and a glass tabletop. Chopsticks, forks, and white plates are set on the table.

On weekdays, Burma Superstar offer lunch specials around $7 to $10 each plate. For $1.50 more, you can add a Thai iced tea or ginger lemonade to your lunch. Many of the dishes are served on white square and rectangular plates adding a feeling of clean lines to the presentation.

- Tea Leaf Salad – A bed of chopped romaine is placed over extra virgin olive oil. On top of the romaine are diced red tomatoes and fermented Burmese tea leaves. In small piles surrounding the lettuce are peanuts (sometimes these are replaced with sunflower seeds), dried shrimp powder, chopped jalapenos, fried garlic slices, lentils, and sesame seeds. A wedge of lemon is squeezed over the tea leaves and the server mixes the salad in front of you. For newcomers, the server reviews the list of ingredients indicating each one on the plate. After all of the ingredients have been mixed, the server leaves the table. This salad has a very refreshing and nutty flavor. It’s a signature dish at Burma Superstar and almost every table can be seen ordering it. Each item offers richness to the flavor combination and the salad has a great mouth feel. The lemon lightens and brightens the mixture. 5 stars – A must try. $7.75

- Burmese Samusas (with chicken or vegetarian) – Triangular shaped pastries are filled with potatoes, curry, and spices. The menu describes them as raviolis. The filling is wrapped in an eggroll wrapper and deep fried until golden brown. The pastry is served with a sweet and sour sauce. After eating the tea leaf salad, my palate had been overwhelmed, so though the filling looked well seasoned, it was very mild. The wrapper is very crisp and light. I would recommend eating this before the tea leaf salad or ahead of other dishes to get the full effect. The samusas are also available with chicken. Good. $7.75

- On Noh Kauswer (Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup) – Noodles are cooked with chicken and sliced onions in a coconut soup. Right before the soup is served, fried wonton skins are mixed in with the noodles to give extra texture and thickness. By the time they have reached the table, the wonton skins are softened. Fresh lemon juice is squeezed into the bowl to lighten the richness of the coconut milk. This was very filling, but also very unique. The soup is thick and rich with the coconut soup coating each noodle. Without the lemon, this would be too much, but the lemon juice adds just the right balance. Good. $8.75

- Nan Gyi Dok (Mild Coconut Chicken Rice Noodle Curry) – Thick rice noodles are tossed with chicken, softened fried wonton skins, sliced onions, and a mild coconut curry sauce. Unlike the on noh kauswer soup, this is a much lighter sauce (with a flavor similar to the soup) that gently coats the noodles. The nan gyi dok is presented on a square white dish. You can eat an extra serving of this dish without feeling too full. Good. $8.50

- Tofu Vegetable Kebat – Tofu is stir fried with onions, yellow squash, carrots, string beans, tomatoes, and green chilis. The sauce is a bit red in color. Although I couldn’t find the green chilis, I did notice some Thai basil. This was a colorful assortment, but I didn’t care for the way the tofu was cooked. Much better dishes can be found elsewhere. $8.75

- Burmese Style Curry (Beef or Mutton available) – This evening, I selected beef. Large pieces of beef are stewed in curry until absorbing lots of the spices. It’s a rich brown color with great flavor. Tender and delicious. Good. $10.75 beef/$11.75 mutton

During my evening visit, they were training one of the servers. Their efforts were very detailed and it reflects their dedication to quality in service. Service for my lunch visit was good. They’re friendly folks, but waiting for the check can often require flagging down someone.

Overall, my two experiences at Burma Superstar (once for lunch and once for dinner) were very good. The service is friendly and not intrusive. The wait can be long, but the fare is unique. The tea leaf salad is a must try. A great place to check out.