Burma Superstar

As I reflect on the trip I took to San Francisco, I can't help but to let my mouth water while thinking of the superb food that I had at Burma Superstar.  I mean, when you see a line at the door, you know it's going to be good place to eat.  The total wait time was about an hour maybe an hour and a half so it may be best to set reservations ahead of time.  Parking was hard to find and the restaurant was quite small and claustrophobic because the tables are in close proximity of each other.  Don't let that deter you from going there though.  Inside was permeated with aromas and spices.  The decor was quite simple with a few Burmese sculptures and paintings along the walls allowing the individual to absorb the Burmese culture while dining there.

Before going into the details of the dishes we had at Burma Superstar, I wanted to write a few facts about Burma since I'm assuming not many people know about this little southeast Asian country.  I sure didn't.  Burma is also known as Myanmar and it is located west of Thailand and Laos, and South of China.  From 1824 to 1948, the British ruled Myanmar and after years of mismanagement, Burma became one of the poorest Asian countries.  Foods from Myanmar are influenced by neighboring countries with a Burmese twist to them.

Burmese Garlic Chili Shrimp

The first dish we had was the Burmese Garlic Chili Shrimp.

These jumbo-sized shrimp were pretty garlicky.  According to their menu, the shrimp is tossed in a "garlicky infused oil, and topped with toasted garlic." Talk about garlic to the extreme.  I love it though.  Love it so much that I actually have another blog (click here) where I've gone to a restaurant that devotes their attention to the stinky herb.

Anyway, this dish was my least favorite dish out of the three we had.  It's not the fact that there was too much garlic or it was bland but when you compare this dish with the other two below, it just doesn't compare.  In my opinion, the Burmese Garlic Chili Shrimp didn't have as much flavor.  Still a great dish but if you are limited on how much you want to spend, then get the Burmese Mint Chicken or the Burmese Beef Curry instead.

Burmese Mint Chicken

The Burmese Mint Chicken and the Burmese Beef Curry are a must!!!  Chicken is my least favorite meat; I would consider beef, pork, or seafood any day, but this Burmese Mint Chicken blew me out of the water!  The chicken is minced into a blend of jalapenos, cloves of garlic, red chili peppers, and of course, mint leaves.  The mint is strong.  It immediately hit me when I took a small bite of it but it wasn't over-empowering the dish at all.  Just didn't expect the mint to be so flavorful.  The small chopped up pieces of the chicken absorbed the surrounding ingredients making it spicy too.  A combination I normally don't see in foods.

Burmese Beef Curry

Like the chicken, I really don't like curry either.  We ordered this just for Eric but of course, with an open-mind I took a bite of this curry and wow.  Just wow.  This was equally great as the Burmese Mint Chicken.  The wet Burmese Beef Curry is braised in a combination of spices and herbs with a mild spicy, curry flavor.  The meat was tender.  The dish was topped off with bits of cilantro--my fav.  We also ordered a side of their coconut rice, jasmine rice with coconut milk and fried onions, which went very well with all three dishes.

I was just surprised by this experience at Burma Superstar.  It convinced me that not all curry is evil (it doesn't sit well in my stomach) and that I have more options than fried chicken, chicken wings, and chicken nuggets.  To me chicken has to be deep fried or covered in hot sauce in order for it to taste good.  Baked/grilled chicken?  Yeah right.  Even though it's healthier, it's just not for me.  

I give this place two thumbs up!  It's authentic and original.  I've never seen a Burmese restaurant so it is a rare find here in the United States.  Luckily, I found one just for you!

<3 Lina Chen

 309 Clement St., San Francisco, CA 94118
415.387.2147.   www.burmasuperstar.com

Steak House: Clearman's North Woods Inn

After a long day of spending together, Eric suggested to get steak for dinner.  It was that or shabu shabu, but knowing my lover all too well, I already knew what we were eating for dinner.  I'd ask him multiple times which steak place we were going to, but he only responded with "you'll see."   As he pulls into the parking lot, my first impression was where are we?  We were at Clearman's North Woods Inn.

Funny name for a restaurant, right?  If anything the place itself looked really cheesy on the outside with fake snow covering the roof; the interior was that of a woodsman's cabin home: dark and dimly lit with a warm ambiance.  There was even a stuffed bear for decoration.   Surprise, surprise.   I wasn't too fond of eating here.  What  made me re-think about this place was that this place was PACKED!  By the time we had our names on the list, there was already about 10-12 groups ahead of us.   That alone was impressive.   I have to admit, my mouth was salivating by the time we got to Clearman's and knowing that I had to wait 45 minutes for a table was a tease. 

We don't normally order appetizers unless if it's a great deal or we can't wait for our entrees, but knowing that Eric loves shrimp cocktails, we couldn't resist.  There were five jumbo shrimps, slightly cool to the touch, laying on a  small bed of salad.  I wasn't all that impressed, but what could I expect since this place is more well-known for their steaks.  Later on our waiter comes to our table with slices of cheesy bread, salad that's drenched in bleu cheese dressing, and another bowl filled with sliced purple cabbage (for those who like to mix the cabbage with their salads).  

The salad and the cheesy bread hit the spot.  The cheesy bread seemed a little bit too cheesy after the first bite, but I made sure there was a 50:50 ratio between the salad and the cheesy bread  so  that there was a balance in my mouth.  I love bleu cheese dressing and so I couldn't help myself for another helping or two.  By the time my medium-cooked, 35 oz. porterhouse arrived I was hungrryyy and happyyy!  Presentation wasn't all that great but that didn't matter after taking a bite of this big juicy meat.  It's so good, you have to try it for yourself.  

We don't normally go to steakhouses, but when we do we go out with a BIG... SCRUMPTIOUS... BANG! 

<3 Lina Chen

7247 Rosemead Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91775

626.286.3579.   www.clearmansrestaurants.com