Burma Superstar

When we asked for restaurant recommendations in San Francisco, about 90% of the responses we got included Burma Superstar. We are so glad we listened because we were treated to probably the most delicious meal of our entire time out here.

Burma Superstar has three locations, but we went to the one on Clement St in the Richmond area of the city. Word to the wise – the restaurants do not take reservations so plan to show up right when they open or prepare to wait awhile. They do, however, give you free hot tea to sip on while you are waiting! The restaurant itself is fairly small but cozy and the service is beyond spectacular. From the host standing outside who answered all of our random questions about living in San Francisco to the extremely attentive waiters who explain the food, make suggestions, and were just downright warm and friendly.

Now…the food. We had such a hard time deciding what to order but we took some recommendations from San Francisco natives and Yelp.

• Tea Leaf Salad – apparently they get the fermented tea leaves from Burma. This salad also has lettuce, fried garlic, fried lentils, fried onions, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and a simple dressing of just lemon juice. It was flavorful, very unique, but probably could have used more tea leaves. I loved that they explained the ingredients and mixed it for you right at the table so it didn’t get soggy.
• Vegetarian Samusa Soup – I have never seen anything like this. It is a soup with broke up samosas, falafels, and vegetables. The magic ingredient in this soup is the mint. It was so tasty. I thought that the samosa and the falafels would be too soggy and they were soft, but for some reason it really worked with the soup. I can’t tell what the base of the soup was – maybe lentils?
• Tofu Vegetable Kebat – Stir fried tofu with onions, tomatoes, squash, carrots, green chilis and mint leaves. The menu said it would be spicy but it wasn’t nearly as spicy as the food at Mandalay in Silver Spring. This entree was, like everything else, packed with flavor. And when I say flavor, it’s different than the usual flavors that you are used it. It’s hard to explain…you will just have to try it for yourself.
• Coconut Rice – jasmine rice with coconut milk , topped with fried onions. We could have eaten just this rice and been satisfied.

The Verdict: If you find yourself in San Francisco, DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE. It was that delicious. And, they support Aung Sang Suu Kyi (see the pic of the back of their menu). Their vegetarian options are clearly marked and almost anything can be made vegetarian. They also know what vegetarian means and will make sure nothing you order has fish sauce in it.  The items above came to about $40 but it is totally worth it. Why aren’t you on your way there right now?

Burma Superstar supports Aung Sang Suu Kyi!

Samusa Soup

Fermented Tea Leaf Salad (pre mixing)

Tofu Kebat and Coconut Ride

Duangrat’s

A thai-mless classic for us!  I stumbled upon Duangrat’s a few years ago by accident.  I was amazed by the Rt. 7/Leesburg Pike’s international corridor between Eden Center (Rt. 50 & Rt. 7), Seven Corners, and Bailey’s Crossroads (Columbia Pike & Rt. 7).  You can pretty much take a culinary tour of the world within this corridor and is one of my favorite places to be adventurous.  I have taken Aparna to a few spots here – Song Que Deli, Raaga and Duangrat’s.

Duangrat’s is always delicious and is one of our go-to Thai spots (if we decide to venture out of VA).   Aparna got a taste of Duangrat’s last year and she has fallen in love with it as much as I have.  We also like the service here – they recognize us when we walk in…not because we go there often, but because they really do remember a face.  It is a one-of-a-kind local restaurant that has its roots here in the DC area.  Started back in 80’s, they are still serving up amazing meals.

• Menu – Vegetarian items clearly have their own section.  However, you can always ask them to make a dish vegetarian and might have to remind them to not use the fish sauce.
• Total – Be prepared to spend between $40 – $50 for two people.  Average price for a dinner entrée is about $15.  A bit more expensive, but worth the cost our opinion. Plus, we always have left-overs and makes a great lunch the next day!

The Verdict

If you want really good Thai food with a unique decor and a family feel…this is the place for you.  Be prepared to spend a bit more than what you might be accustomed to at a Thai restaurant, but totally worth it!  If you are looking for some deals, go on a Tuesday night, where you get a free bottle of wine with $40 purchase.  Either way, you shouldn’t be let down and is worth the venture out to VA!

Papaya Salad – spicy, tangy, right amount of crunchiness.  Ask for no-fish sauce or shrimp.  Simply delicious and great way to start an amazing meal.  If you are hungry, get this to start because it comes out really quickly!

Tofu Radna – crunchy vegetables, soft noodles, not too salty, and super garlicky YUM.  This is not as spicy as the drunken noodles, but just as much flavor.  They know how to make it amazing every single time!

 

Tofu Brahmh – the peanut sauce is delish!  We really have a hard time ordering anything else on the menu when we visit.  This is our go-to dish…just awesome!

Lycheetini – had a frozen lychee pop in it!  What an awesome drink…would totally recommend it.

Toki Undergound – late night Ramen

I was really excited to take Karthik to Toki Underground because of my obvious love for everything Japanese (even though this apparently has more of a Taiwanese influence) . My sister told me about an amazing ramen place in NY called Ippudo so I was thrilled to hear that there was a new place in DC. After reading many Yelp reviews I was convinced that we would have to wait 2+ hours for a table. However, we only had to wait about 30 minutes and they called us when our table was ready so we didn’t have to wait around aimlessly (there is no bar to wait at because the bar is used for seating). This place is easy to miss on the H St. NE strip – you have to look for the logo on the door and head up a narrow flight of stairs. The restaurant itself has a great ambiance – dark, exposed ceilings, skateboards as footstools, and what I am assuming to be Taiwanese cartoon characters as decoration. It definitely gave you a sense of being in another country so that was cool. 

• Menu: Vegetarian items are clearly marked. Dumplings (1 option), Ramen (1 option), Sides (depends), Desserts (all veg)
• Total: 33.20 not including tax and tip

Verdict: Fun experience, mediocre food. Waiters are very friendly and willing to explain dishes and help you decide.

 

Vegetarian Dumplings: The dumplings were not impressive. They were burnt and the filling was boring. The sauce, however, was delicious.

Corn: We ordered the grilled corn with spiced butter and crumbled cheese. It was pretty good but nothing to write home about.

Masumi Vegetarian Ramen: We ordered 1 bowl with extra noodles and we shared it. The broth was pretty bland and the noodles were sticky so it was hard to eat. It was satisfying but honestly nothing stellar.

Dessert: I was really excited about the almond cookies because I had read so much about them on Yelp and our waiter even said they were amazing. We waited 20+ minutes for 3 cookies and by that time I was falling asleep on the table so we asked for it to go. It was supposed to come with a glass of milk but I guess they couldn’t do the milk to go. So, we basically paid $7 for 3 almond cookies which did come out piping hot but honestly not cooked all the way through. Could have been delicious but turned out disappointing.  

But Karthik and I had a great time!

Thai X-ing

I think Aparna and I found our favorite Thai restaurant, ever.  For a few months now, we both have been itching to go to Thai X-ing (http://www.thaix-ing.com), located near Shaw-Howard on Florida Ave NW.  So, on a Sunday evening, with Preethi and Mani (my cousin and cousin-in-law), Aparna and I headed over to to Thai X-ing.  It is a no-frills Thai restaurant that just serves up deliciousness.  They focus on what they are good at, cooking and serving authentic Thai dishes.  Every Sunday, they serve a six course prix fixe Vegetarian menu.  Be ready to feast and take your time doing it!

All of their dishes have a twist. They are different from what you see in other Thai restaurants.  One such twist is that they serve food on banana leaves!  Yes, you heard me, banana leaves.  Now, I am speaking from experience here ( I am South Indian after all), but anytime you serve food on banana leaf, it just tastes a whole lot better.  You don’t find  a lot of places doing this…probably because banana leaves are hard to come by and expensive, but if you haven’t had a meal on a banana leaf before or are simply missing it, go now!

Another amazing twist is that the restaurant truly has a unique ambiance.  Not at all what you expect a typical restaurant to be.  You walk up to the restaurant and you think you are entering someone’s house.  You see row houses to your left and right and wonder if you arrived at the right spot.  You walk through a gate into the ground floor basement of a row house only to find dining tables and what seems to be a restaurant.  If you get a chance to sit upstairs, don’t miss out on it!  They have also converted the upstairs floor into a dining area.  It literally is in someone’s house.  You are eating in a dining room area with tables.  However, it gives a personal dining experience that you probably won’t get many other places. Tip: Don’t wear socks with holes in them because you will be asked to remove your shoes!

• Menu – we didn’t receive a menu because we had the prix fixe meal.  However, looking online, their vegeterian options are clearly marked.
• Total – the price was $60.00 ($30.00 per/person for the prix fixe menu).  They serve you water and have a couple beverages listed on the menu.  You can BYOB.

The Verdict: If you want amazing Thai food, in a truly no-frills kind of environment, then this is the spot for you.  Bring some friends and enjoy an amazing meal that will leave you full and happy.  Aparna and I had an amazing time.  This is our kind of place!  It isn’t fancy, the food is amazing and you get what you paid for.  We are definitely going to come back…anyone want to join us?

Song Que Deli

Going across the river to Virginia has never been so delicious. There are few places that we have found in this area that we want to go back to over and over again. Song Que Deli has made it’s way on to this ever-growing list.

Located in the extremely popular Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia, the Song Que deli sits in the corner of a brightly-colored strip mall of all Vietnamese restaurants, grocery stores, bars, and a disproportionate amount of jewelry stores. Karthik took me here for the first time a few months ago and I was in heaven. For some reason I love East Asian cuisines and I love the whimsy in the variety of desserts, packaged candy, and unfamiliar snacks.

The speciality at Song Que is their banh mi. We wrote about banh mi in Columbia Heights here. The tofu banh mi at Song Que is delicious. The bread is crusty, the nondescript yellow sauce is tangy, the vegetables are wonderfully pickled, and the flavor of the tofu is strong but not too spicy.

Song Que also has bubble tea. Fantastic. Last time I got sugar cane bubble tea which was really good. This time I got guarana bubble tea (mainly because my favorite soda is made from its extract) and Karthik got taro.  Taro bubble tea has become his second favorite next to Thai Tea.  Both of us were satisfied. We also splurged for dessert – banana wrapped in sticky rice with coconut milk dipping sauce. 

• Menu: The menu is written up on the wall and there is only one veg item – the tofu banh mi
• Total: $11 (approx.)

The Verdict: If you are looking for good bahn mi with a bit of that cultural oasis, this is the spot for you.  The vegetarian food is delicious, the staff is helpful and the atmosphere is fantastic.  After you eat, walk around Eden Center to shop for other fun items. 

Pho 14

Our latest review is for Pho 14 in Columbia Heights, DC.  Pho itself is a Vietnamese noodle soup.  The soup comes in a bowl (regular or large) and has vermicelli noodles and vegetables/meat in hot broth.

Most people usually identify Pho with meat based soup, however, a select few places have stared offering Vegetarian Pho.  Now for the folks that think Vegetarian Pho is not going to be as satisfying as the meat based Pho, you are probably right.  However, for the vegetarians out there that feel left out when there is a Pharty (Pho Party), or a Photastic gathering, then V-Pho (Vegetarian Pho) is for you.  Okay, on to the review.

Aparna and I really love Vietnamese food.  Primarily because we think it’s fresh and healthy, and  absolutely delicious.  There are three things we love eating (but we are open to more).  The spring rolls in the rice wrapper, Pho, and Banh Mi…the Vietnamese sandwich. So, we got all three to share between us (we are gluttonous).

• Menu: The vegetarian items are few but easy to identify
  
• Vegetarian Items: Appetizers (1/9), Pho (1/23), Salad (1/5), Stir Fry (1/7), Rice Dishes (1/7), Vermicelli (1/8), Banh Mi (1/10)
• Tricky Items: Just remember to ask if anything has fish sauce
• Total: $18.58 for 2 people

The Verdict: Overall, we walked out satisfied.  We were full but didn’t feel gross.  We would definitely go back and take some friends with us next time! Pho 14 is small, casual, and kid-friendly.

Detailed description and pictures of menu items below.

Kushi – Japanese Izakaya

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Karthik and I decided to write our first review on Kushi – a self-proclaimed Japanese izakaya on 4th and K St. NW. I bought a Groupon for this place because I am pretty much instantly attracted to anything Japanese. In … Continue reading →