Burma Superstar

What you need to know

Burma Superstar has served Burmese food on Clement Street since 1992. Joyce Lee and Desmond Tan took over from previous Burmese owners and have run the restaurant since. Over thirty years on, the line is still long.

The Food

The tea leaf salad is the dish the restaurant is best known for. Fermented tea leaves tossed with fried yellow beans, sesame seeds, dried shrimp, jalapeños, tomatoes, and lime. Sour, spicy, and salty at once. Mixed tableside.

The samosa soup is another long-running Burma Superstar menu item.

The rainbow salad layers 22 ingredients including four types of noodles. The platha (buttery layered flatbread) goes with any curry. The menu runs into Burmese home cooking: mohinga, garlic noodles, and a rotating selection of curries.

The Space

Modest, usually full. Servers move quickly, tables turn, the kitchen keeps up.

Practical Info

Price: Entrees $14 to $22, full meal for two $40 to $60
Reservations: Limited daily slots through Yelp Waitlist up to 14 days ahead. Walk-ins welcome; expect a wait.
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily; weekend dinner has the longest waits.