Burma Superstar

Burma Superstar, at 309 Clement Street in San Francisco's Inner Richmond, is a Burmese restaurant that helped introduce the cuisine of Myanmar to a wide Bay Area audience. The kitchen serves dishes that blend Burmese, Indian, Chinese and Thai influences, designed for sharing rather than as a formal tasting sequence. The emblematic dish is the tea leaf salad, tossed at the table or in the kitchen with fermented tea leaves, fried garlic, nuts, beans, tomatoes and lime. Other signature plates include samusa soup, coconut rice and garlic noodles, plus curries, noodle dishes and vegetarian options. The dining room is colorful, busy and noisy, with close tables and a mix of neighborhood families, students and visitors; the dress code is casual. Drinks include Burmese-inspired cocktails, beer, wine and tea, though the food remains the focus. Reservations are accepted online at burmasuperstar.com, and walk-ins often wait, especially on weekend evenings, so booking a few days ahead for dinner is sensible. Lunch is served Monday to Thursday from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM and Friday to Sunday until 3:30 PM; dinner runs Sunday to Thursday from 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM and Friday and Saturday to 10:00 PM. Typical spending is about $20 to $35 per person, with sharing plates helping control the bill. The restaurant sits on Clement Street, a long commercial strip with Asian groceries, bookstores and restaurants, a short bus ride from Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor, which makes it an easy lunch before or after a day in the Richmond District of San Francisco, California. Visitors unfamiliar with Burmese food should start with the tea leaf salad and one noodle or rice dish.