- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
B Star Bar
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
127 Clement St(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 933-9900
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 3:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
824 reviews for B Star Bar
Review Highlights
"Tea Leaf Salad: Amazing and very unique flavors."
(in 265 reviews)
"a must try place before or after Burma Superstar."
(in 347 reviews)
"My favorite is the curry pot pie - yum yum."
(in 51 reviews)
Loading...
824 reviews in English
-
Review from Leslie S.
Vallejo, CA
1/29/2012
I live in Vallejo, but my mom still lives in The City and this is one of her regular haunts...so I have been here many times in the past and have always loved it. But, yesterday was truly the best ever!!
I had the Jook with shredded pork...AMAZING!! I think it is one of the BEST things I have ever eaten and like all of us here on Yelp...I have had many fantastic meals with lots of great food!
I wish I could remember exactly what all was in it...LOVED the pickled mustard greens, fresh ginger, peanuts, cilantro, green onions and shitake mushrooms. The shredded pork was so tender with a sweet and slightly spicy marinade. It had a dark purple 100 year old preserved egg in it that was wonderful as well.
I had to take an order home to share with my sweetie who had to work yesterday and am fighting the urge now to not drive back for more!
YUM!!!! B Star ROCKS...for it's amazing food and excellent service! -
Review from Riley M.
Corona, CA
2/3/2012
I think I will just stick to the original when it comes to this debate of Bstar vs Burma Superstar. A few weeks ago we were sent over to Bstar from the original, Burma Superstar. The host told us that the menu was the same, but it's Not at all. Of course they have the famous soup and the tea leaf salad. But they literally only have two dishes from Burma superstar.
After getting seated and already decided the waitress comes over and starts talking about some mussel dish. What made us uncomfortable was one, she was so persistent with wanting us to try them, that we ended up ordering them just so that she could put our food order in, and two, this lady was not even dressed like a server so we thought some random was talking to us about mussels.
TIP: start your meal with a sunset on clement. It's my new favorite cocktail!!
The mussels were alright. We stayed clear of the really Big ones. The sauce was tasty but I wish it was thicker or came w rice... Something.
Highlights for us were the food... grilled calamari... enjoyed the seabass, though the portion was on the Shabby side and we also tried the oxtail dish.
TIP: End your meal with the rice pudding.
Downfalls... Service. We had tried to get her attention a few times but I guess our waitress was on a break or something because she was having a great time at the bar with her wine. Can u say neglect?
Not the same menu as Burma Superstar so that in itself was disappointing. The person who came up with the concept to have a restaurant modeled far too similar to the original (but really isn't) is a Super Genius.
I hope this experience was a fluke. I don't know if I would give it another go. -
Review from Eila S.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
I came here on a double-date with my boyfriend, his brother, and his brothers fiance. We originally planned to go to Burma Superstar but the wait was so ridiculous. The hostess at Burma told us that they have a sister restaurant a few blocks away that has almost the same exact menu.
The service was amazing. Our server was such an attentive and sweet girl we couldn't help but rave about her. The food was delicious. I am not normally someone who eats spicy food because I can't handle it but for B Star, I sucked it up and chowed down. -
Review from Natasha I.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
Friends from South bay came visiting and wanted to try something novel, Burma Superstar leaped to mind. But whom was I kidding, an hour wait time was standard there. The people at the reception suggested B star, their little sister. B-star is a cute n intimate place which even has an indoor patio at the back. The food is scrumptious and their menu is a little varied (albeit great) than Burma superstar. They have the staple faves n a bunch of other good stuff listed as well. Such a pleasure knowing you B-star.
-
Review from Ying F.
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this place!!! Bit of a wait but totally worth it. They have great happy hours and the dinners are just wonderful.
Dinner:
-Platha Dipper ( My favorite!! Must order this!)
crispy flaky Burmese layered flatbread with a curry dip - $4.5
-Mango Salad with Fresh Citrus over Grilled Trout
served with coconut rice - $15 (It was just ok. I thought the trout was a little dry)
-Lamb Curry (super tender and delicious!!!)
organic lamb braised until tender with coconut rice and a pickled mango slaw - $14.5
Note: Try to go there earlier. I came for a late dinner and most of the things I wanted to order was out. Such as the sea bass, tacos, and potpie! Coming here earlier next time for those dishes. -
Review from Nelly L.
Ithaca, NY
1/18/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
First of all, I have been to Burma Star, the original, which is also a 5-star experience. Here at B-Star, their food is more of an Asian fusion, I'm told. They have a lot of the same popular selections (such as tea leaf salad or ginger beer!), but they also have Brussel Sprouts! (more on this later).
My friends and I were a crowd of mixed experience: one of my friends has been here and loves their food. The rest of us have been to Burma Star and all of us loved their food except for one who was not impressed, to everyone's disbelief. Therefore, it was our mission to change her mind.
Everything was delicious. We got the rainbow salad because the tea leaf was too strong of a taste for the skeptical friend. The rainbow was very refreshing. I liked the pumpkin stewed pork the most...
But the appetizer basically stole the show. Yes, I'm talking about the brussel sprouts. They are roasted and browned to chrispy delicious perfection! It has inspired us all to attempt to make the same dish again and again. It has these crispy rice things on it that is very hard to duplicate. If you are not a brussel sprouts fan, this will most likely change your mind. If you have never had brussel sprouts before, try this first and be prepared to have your mind blown. These tiny little cabbages are little pockets of happiness.
I can't wait to come back to try more items from the menu.
P.S. Coconut rice is also a must.
To sum up:
Coconut Rice
Brussel Sprouts
Pumpkin stewed Pork
Rainbow Salad
Ginger Beer! (also called Burma Cooler)
Kinda hungry thinking about it now... -
Review from Eileen E.
Los Angeles, CA
1/2/2012
Ah another winner during one of my many visits to SF!
B Star Bar is really cute and clean on the inside. They were also helpful when I had to make reservations (yes, they do take reservations and I'd recommend them) and had to change my party size from 6 to 3 an hour before we came in. Also, the restaurant is pretty small. I think they'd probably only take party sizes with 6-8 people max.
I think the trick to ordering at b star bar is to stick to dishes that are saucy and SPICED. Go with what the Burmese do best - infusing flavor! So, for example, the ahi tuna was very bland and of course it was given its lack of sauce, but the porridge and lamb curry were really good. Also, even though I didn't order it, they serve a banana milkshake with honey, cinnamon, and cardamom that another yelper said was really good and everyone around us ordered it too.
B Star Bar also serves American brunch items which looked good, but why order American at a Burmese place? Although, I will say that the French Toast stuffed with red bean and marscapone that they serve sounds amazing.
The lunch prices were also very reasonable. Every dish is around $10-13.
So, I'd recommend based on what I had:
Lamb Curry ($13) - this lamb was very tender and covered in a spicy and tangy curry sauce. They put cilantro and freeze-dried mangos on top so it adds a hint of sweetness.
Shredded Pork Porridge ($10) - I asked that it didn't come with a preserved egg because I don't like preserved eggs. But it had cilantro, big chunks of pork, and tangy pickles in it. Mr. V really liked this dish due to the wide range of flavors that it contains. It is a very savory dish.Listed in: Favorite Restaurants in San…
-
Review from Cath M.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
My sis was going to take our party at this pasta spot (I don't know the name) but it was closed so we ended up here.
We came in almost closing time (but thankful that they let us eat still) and service was prompt and friendly. We got seated in the back (party of 5) and given menus and water.
Our group ordered a bunch of stuff so like always, I'll only review what I ate...
- Salt and Pepper Fries with curry aioli = this was really crispy... good but the pepper was a bit too much... that it became spicy.
- Chicken Curry = in the menu it says with "chicken bones" and folks... they weren't kidding... it tasted in between chicken masala and Japanese curry equals this... I wasn't a fan. The bone chunks (they're tiny) threw me off. Every bite I had to spit something out and that's no way to eat. The coconut rice was good... other than that, wasn't a fan.
- Lychee Me = mimosa with lychee... I was thinking more potent and bigger portion but that didn't come... it came out in shot glass size and it was watered down... really... I couldn't taste any alcohol because it wasn't THAT good... it honestly wasn't there.
Overall... friendly staff... fast... prompt but the food didn't really impress anybody in the party... so we probably won't be coming back unless it's one of those "feed us we have no other choice but to go here" moments... -
Review from Jessica t.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/27/2011
Still one of my sure thing favorite restaurant spots in the city.
For a formidable appetizer to hold you over - I highly recommend their vegetarian samosa soup with a side of coconut rice. Pour that rice into your soup and get ready for a satisfying hearty brew.
Unfortunately my dining partner and I were bummed to learn that they no longer carry their incredible salmon pot pie anymore and have instead replaced it with a similar tofu dish. The replacement sounded tasty enough, but lately my dining partner and I have been trying to stay away from tofu - so we both ended up ordering items on their menu that didn't pack the same punch that - that blissful pot pie used to.
Still a lovely restaurant and their staff are unbelievably sweet, I just hope that their salmon pot pie will resurface on their menu.
Trust.Listed in: Vegan Friendly Spots
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/19/2010
...
gimme the beat boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your tea leaf salad and drift away...
oh… Read more »
-
-
Review from Chrissy H.
Boston, MA
The food here is pretty amazing. I like the way that they cooked the pumpkin with rice and pork. The drinks here were pretty tasty too. The highlights were 1) great tasty food that is well made, 2) great atmosphere to eat in because the restaurant was spacious and the staff were friendly, and 3) great location because it was on a pretty lively street.
The bad things were 1) the food wasn't anything too special, 2) the wait can be extremely long as I was told to come here because he Superstar sister restaurant was full, 3) the food was overpriced as the bill came out to be pretty high, considering I only ordered two dishes plus drinks. This place is a little overhyped. -
Review from Julia P.
1/7/2012
Love this place...it's a good alternative with many of the same dishes as their more famous doppleganger, Burma Superstar.
Came here Friday with my name on a list at both places. This place opened up first so I naturally came here instead. They have a large dining area in the front and a large one in the back (somewhat hidden away).
The dishes were served quickly and carefully. We shared family style - lamb curry, chicken curry noodles and jook. Dessert with black sticky rice and fried bananas.
Had a glass of Anchor Steam along with the food which went nicely.
Will definitely be back. I'd advise putting your name at both places as they're just a few blocks away from each other and go to the one that's opened first unless you can wait for Burma Superstar.
Parking in this part of the city is a b.... -
Review from Chad E.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
We all know the food is amazing, so I'll save that for the end of the review.
I would like to start with how amazing their wait staff is. It's rare that I come across a joint in this city that doesn't have a wait staff full of entitled hipsters or lazy twenty somethings. It probably has a lot to do with SF not having a tip credit. B Star, however, was not affected by this annoyance when my friend and I were dining there.
We were quickly sat and immediately tended to by a smiling member of the staff. She was super friendly and approachable. We ordered our usual samusa soup and basil chili tofu and we were going to split the famous tea leaf salad (if you like a spicy salad with a bit of crunch, you must try this salad). The server chatted how the soup was one of her favorites as well and asked if we'd ever had it with coconut rice. What a great suggestion! It sent the dish over the top - spicy soup with a sweeter rice mixed in. So good. I was actually upset that I hadn't ordered that for myself.
We were each going to order a beer and the fantastic server reminded us that it was happy hour and suggested we split a pitcher as that ended up being cheaper. I've rarely had a server offer to help me get a better deal, more kudos for that.
Even though they were incredibly busy during the dinner service, it always looked like the server was having a great time and always smiling.
If you're looking for a great place to get some really delicious asian influenced comfort food and have a pitcher of ice cold beer - you should def. check this place out. -
Review from Anna P.
Oakland, CA
1/9/2012
Delicious brunch on the sunny, heated back patio.
Do it yourself mimosas (try the lemon ginger!) were amazing. Our group chose a variety of meals that were all delicious. A couple people got there early so ordered a sandwich as an appetizer. They got an ahi tuna/bacon sandwich complete with black pepper fries that came with a curry-mustard-mayo sauce that we could have eaten by the spoonful.
The pork tocino with sunny-side up eggs & garlic rice was delicious. Everyone that had the jook was amazed by the flavors!
You will NOT be disappointed. -
Review from Annie S.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
I love to have brunch here.
When i really want to treat myself and have a great meal, this is the spot
I get the breaded chicken hash every time with a Banana shake.
Also, last time I went my friend got the chicken salad, and he said it was the best chicken salad he'd ever had in his life.
Really great flavors, reliable service, I've got nothing bad ot say about this place.
GO HERE. -
Review from Melody T.
12/28/2011
Underwhelmed.
This may be a good stepping stone for people who have never had burmese food or who may be adversed to "asian" food hence the "asian fusion", but after a meal here I much prefer the "legit" straight up burmese food at burma super star.
It was more of the cooked fish mains that were not very impressive, along with the price.
- brussel sprouts app - good
- platha - good
- samosa soup - SERIOUSLY? not sure if this tastes the same as the burma superstar one everyone RAVES about, but this was .. something i would never order again. but maybe b/c im not a fan of sweet and sour ..soup.
- curry chicken w/coconut rice - VERY good, but bigger serving for less money (i think?) at burma super star. this is one of my favorites, there were only 4 pieces of small chicken for $14!
- sea bass - meh
- cod w/garlic noodles - those were garlic noodles? they tasted like some sweet and sour concoction
Not tempted to go back, I'm a burma super star girl. -
Review from J L.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I really wanted to love this place. The menu options looked SO delicious - lots of pan-Asian comfort food favorites. My man and I ordered the pork jook, lamb curry, chicken and shrimp biryani, and tea leaf salad. The salad and the jook were our favorites (the salad is the same as Burma SuperStar's)...we thought the other two dishes were just so-so. That would have been forgivable, but our hot dishes were NOT HOT (in terms of temperature). The jook, though tasty, was actually sort of cool... I guess I could call it "room temperature" since it was a chilly night. Also, our servers were really nice people, but we were in the back room and the place felt really understaffed; we had to do quite a bit of hand-raising to get our orders taken, drink refilled, etc. Overall, the evening was a let-down.
-
Review from Priyanka D.
Mountain View, CA
1/14/2012
I love this place! I've been here twice and both times the food was awesome. The Sambusa soup is simply delicious! Its worth making a trip to the city just to have a bowl of the soup! The waiters and waitresses are always pleasant and the service is good.
The only part that I don't like about this restaurant is the long waiting line. Inspite of making reservations we waited about 20 minutes for our table. It was a really cold winter evening and we had to wait outside in the cold for our table. It would really help if they could make create a small waiting area inside the restaurant for cold evenings. -
Review from Jason S.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
Everything we ordered here was delicious. The tea leaf salad was awesome and I know the mid week cravings will be coming. The pork stew and trout were excellent as well. The Sunday night wait was only about 20 min which isn't bad at all given the popularity of this place. I also liked the atmosphere and decor as well. Pricey than your average thai place, but still reasonable at $30 per person all said and done for splitting an app and two entrees. Especially when you consider how good it is.
-
Review from Dennis L.
San Francisco, CA
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
On a night when there was a 1.5 hour of wait time for Burma Super Star, they directed us to B Star for a 20 minute wait instead. B Star has a nice seating area in the back with heating lamps to counteract the cold air in the back.
Had a late lunch so we all shared a couple items;
Tea Leaf Salad - Good, had an extra kick of spiciness than the one over at Burma Super Star. For a group of 4, they suggested the large portion of the salad, which was more than enough. Definitely a good dish to order when in a Burmese restaurant. Consistency is off when compared to the sister restaurant. Ours was a little more sloppily prepared.
Samosa soup - This is usually a hit or miss and tonight it missed the mark. The soup was overly sour and didn't feel like it had much substance. When thinking soup, I rather order the Mohinga or catfish soup.
Curry chicken - had great flavor served on a bed of coconut rice. The sweet coconut slices through the spiciness to balance out the curry chicken. Of all the Southeast Asian curries, I think I prefer this one the best.
Cod with garlic noodles - first thought was whether it would compare at all to the tastiness of the cod and garlic noodles at The House. It did not! Pass this dish for other dishes. The few pieces of cod were thrown together in soggy bland noodles.
Other items that caught my eye were the curry pot pie and the banana eggrolls for dessert. For being the sister restaurant of the most popular Burmese restaurant in the City, B Star's menu seemed to lack many Burmese dishes. It seemed to be a mix of Asian fusion. Personally, I dont see why they couldn't create another location of Burma Super Star. They would be far more successful. -
Review from Aletta C.
Petaluma, CA
1/7/2012
The food was awesome (mostly), the servers seemed pretty confused.
Best brussel sprouts I've ever had! Never would have thought fish sauce, Parmesan cheese and puffed rice could make anything taste good, but these things are de-lish. Both my kids (3&5) liked them too.
Platha dippers are a must. Warm moist bread that I think is the love-child of naan and a savory crepe. The curry coconut dipping sauce is perfectly suited, not overwhelming but so yummy that we used the rest on another dish.
Green papaya mango chicken salad was really good as well. Not soggy at all, the fruits and veggies are light and crisp, dressing is sweet and tangy with the perfect amount on spice. The chicken was crazy-bland, but mixed into the salad you couldn't tell it was barely seasoned.
My kids ordered the waffles with fresh cream and strawberries. Whatever. They were good (okay, okay, the kids LOVED them) but really? American brunch in a Burmese restaurant?
Curried tofu and portobella sandwich was eh. The bread was dry, tofu was well cooked, but the portobello was tiny. Redemption: the pickled veggies on it were awesome and carried the whole sandwich. Another reviewed suggested sticking to saucy dishes, and in this case, I have to agree.
Now, my friend ordered the Burmese CHICKEN Salad. She's happily chowing down, having a nice time then all of a sudden, throws her fork. What the heck? She speared a shrimp. And she has shrimp allergies. So she pops an allergy pill and calls the waiter over. At first they didn't believe us, but there it is on the plate and its the only shrimp at the table.
Granted, they took the plate, rushed her out another salad and comped her meal, but still messed up the experience for us. In addition to that little fiasco, the servers were less than attentive and we showed up at the end of the lunch rush. With 4 kids at the table, most servers understand that time is of the essence to prevent melt-downs, but there were several times when we were brought half a table's worth of food/drinks. A 10 minute wait between serving main dishes for 6 is awkward at best. Serving one 9 year old in a plastic cup with a straw, the other with a glass is strange. One server even came to the table when we were finished and asked to take our plates. We said yes, she took one (out of maybe 10?) and never came back.
So crap service aside and a narrowly averted anaphylactic crisis, they redeemed themselves by comping not only the deadly salad, but also 3 desserts to share. Coconut ice cream was okay, but I'm not a fan under optimal conditions. Lychee Gelato was hella good, and I didn't want to share with the rug rats. But the Black Rice Pudding was amazing. Black sticky rice with coconut cream and a scoop of coconut ice cream, I couldn't get enough. Lightly sweet, chewy, warm with the cold ice cream on top, this stuff is divine.
So, I'm def coming back. There were too many things on the menu that I wanted to try. Maybe next time we'll skip the late Saturday afternoon lunch and get in for some drinks... without the kids. -
Review from jessica s.
Honolulu, HI
12/27/2011
I like this place. Yummy food, great service.
There is no real waiting area, so it always seems cramped and small. Always call ahead and put your name on the list or reserve a table online. They only seat you if everyone in your party is there. -
Review from Paul Y.
San Jose, CA
12/26/2011
*** Review written in list style for easy mobile browsing ***
Dishes gotten, in order of preference:
Salmon Ochazuke -- 5 stars (light, refreshing, crunchy rice)
Tea leaf salad -- 4.5 stars (nice combination of ingredients)
Thai style Curry pot pie -- 4.5 stars (good curry, in pot pie form)
Kau soi -- 4 stars (like pad thai)
platha dipper -- 3 stars (not too different from indian style)
wish I tried:
Yellow bean tofu -
Review from Bryce D.
Palo Alto, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came in with a group as the place was closing. We still got good service and the staff was still friendly towards our group. I got the chicken curry for my meal. It was alright, but the bones (which they warn you about on the menu) kinda threw me off a bit. I didn't see anything else on their menu that I will be having to come back and try. I'm sure if we are in the area and in the mood we may stop by again.
-
Review from claudia l.
Pasadena, CA
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friends and I were looking for places to carbo load prior to the Nike Women's Marathon. We decided to stay away from Italian food since pre-marathon heart burns from acidic tomato sauce is no bueno.
One of my friends, now based in SF, recommended that we try this place. She picked us up and drove us to Burma Superstar (main restaurant) where it was a two hour wait. They kindly made a reservation for us for the B Star Bar. They have some similar foods (like the tea leaf salad), but over all a different menu.
I have never tried Burmese food and to my surprise it was delectable. The tea leaf salad had a lot of textures and flavors; the salmon dish was full of aroma and surprises; and the appetizers were just right. I would have given this place 5 stars had it not been for the crappy service. It took a while to order and we kept having to flag our wait staff down.
Every time I'm up in SF and have time to wait, I'll back back for more! -
Review from Callie S.
Redwood City, CA
12/15/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Sister restaurant to Burma Superstar. Shorter wait times, no wait if you book on Open Table or call ahead to put your name on the list.
Tea leaf salad and samusa soup prepared exactly like Burma. Basil Chili Tofu's pretty great, and I'd recommend the Chicken and Shrimp Biryani.
Get coconut rice with anything you order. And they have pretty yummy mimosas at Happy Hour! -
Review from Derek N.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
...nice place to nosh during lunch.
...waltzed in without waiting.
...place did get busy quickly.
...okay, had the:
s/p fries as app and then
the chicken/shrimp biryani
...good flavors and good textures
...i had a good experience with the parking (close-by and no ticket)
...i'll come here again -
Review from Julia D.
1/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
LOVED the Brussels sprouts! SO MUCH. Probably some of the crunchiest, saltiest delicious ones I've ever had. I definitely know that Brussels sprouts can taste rancid and gross, so big up to B Star! I didn't love my noodle dish--warmish veggie noodles. I think my taste of being a non-spicy eater is not the best combo for B Star. The sangria wasn't muddled enough--tasted like white wine with floating fruit--not well blended, but hey, you can't be perfect all the time, right?
-
Review from Karen T.
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I give them 3.5 stars. All the food was really good solid 3.5 stars but the prices were so not right. It was pretty expensive for the 2 of us. We had grilled calamari, rainbow salad, Krouquets, and duck skin rolls. Oh a beer and a mojito also. Everything was tasty but I was still hungry leaving. Also $37 out of pocket per person
-
Review from Elisha G.
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ahh, the sister restaurant of Burma Superstar.
If you don't want to wait an hour and a half at Burma, you can come here and enjoy a similarly good experience. Their famous stuff: Tea Leaf Salad, Rainbow Salad, and Samusa Soup, don't compare to the ones at Burma, but they will still satisfy your craving. I think the Tea Leaf Salad is the closest and the best.
However, their entrees here are much better than those at Burma. They have more flavor and they are more complete dishes. They're a little smaller and have more of a fine-dining feel to them, but just much more delicious. We had the curry chicken and the miso cod last time, and both were cooked extremely tender and moist. Delicious. -
Review from Kelsey L.
Irvine, CA
11/28/2011
Had a great dinner here. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable about the menu and were awesome about bringing things on the side since I'm vegan. I had brussels sprouts, butternut squash soup, fries, tea leaf salad, and basic chili tofu. All were great. The tofu is definitely spicy and the waitress had said they could put the chilis/sauce on the side, but I noticed when she repeated our order she left that out and I should have said something because that detail was missed. That's understandable, given she was taking a large order and setting other things aside to make dishes vegan, so I don't really mind. Oh, also had the black pudding dessert (ice cream on the side), which was wonderful. All in all, really nice, friendly place with delicious food.
We made reservations at 5, when they opened, and I'm glad we did. Our group of 5 would have had a hard time getting seated otherwise - this place gets busy! And I know many of the folks who go to B Star were sent over from Burma Superstar which fills up even faster. So, definitely make reservations! -
Review from Danielle S.
San Francisco, CA
1/18/2012
B Star is fantastic. I wasn't sure I wanted to try it given Burma Superstar is right down the street and is a sure thing, but I was surprised at how great this place is. It's a major go to spot for me. LOVE!
-
Review from Ann S.
Updated - 11/4/2011
UPDATE: I tried out the Tea Leaf Salad. Tasty and fresh! A very unique salad.
Customer service is great as always.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/30/2011
A must try dish would have to be the brussel sprouts. No joke, it is phenomenal. It has this buttery… Read more »
-
-
Review from Andrew C.
We were searching for a spot on Clement to eat after Fleet Week viewing with the parents-in-law (PIL). Surprised they agreed to B Star, an Asian Fusion spot from the owners of Burma Superstar, since they are not known to be the most adventurous of eaters (don't go to many ethnic spots. never tried sushi (fear factor). etc).
Anyway, we were seated in the covered back patio area which had the occasional breeze and a nice complement of gas space heaters to keep things comfortable.
Service was very friendly and *very* accommodating. The first bottle of wine we ordered was sold out so they brought tastes of other wines for us to choose from. Also, the PIL were debating a couple of dishes so the server brought a sample of the curry sauces to help them decide because they didn't want anything too spicy.
Only reviewing the dishes I tasted . . .
Duck Lettuce Cups (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Well seasoned and tender duck. The crisp romaine was slightly awkward and not very "cup" like, but was adequate for the task. Very popular around the table.
Thai salmon green curry pot pie with side of rice (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) You can also choose a side salad. The puff pastry on top was under-cooked and dense / soggy on the bottom. The curry itself was delicious. The salmon was slightly over-cooked, but still moist and flavorful.
Ochazuke (grilled salmon, pan fried rice, green tea broth, poached egg http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Ochazuke is Japanese and typically leftover cooked rice, but this version had toasted rice and so with the green tea broth the dish tasted like Genmaicha (http://en.wikipedia.or...). To me it was an improvement over the standard, but purists might cringe. Hey, it's fusion right?
The PIL ended up with the Lamb Curry and said this was one of the best lamb dishes they'd ever had. The g/f was shocked as was her brother.
3.5 stars for the food. rounding up for the service -
Review from Liwei Y.
1/3/2012
The wait here is super long (about an hour) even though they originally said 15-30 min. Originally wanted to go to Burma Super star but the wait there was even longer! This place is Burma's sister restaurant. I ordered the green plate here and it was delicious!! I cleaned off the plate and didn't leave a even a single scrap of quinoa! I love quinoa and have basically replaced rice with it since quinoa is more nutritious and a good source of protein. The vegetables in this dish were also cooked perfectly. I was recovering from food poisoning from the day before and this dish did not upset my stomach :)
-
Review from kat c.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/15/2012
Came here for dinner and ordered:
tea leaf salad: My first time having the burmese tea leaf salad. It was okay; I can probably easily get the ingredients myself and make it at home, so probably won't order this dish again in the future
kou soi: this dish was okay
tofu curry pot pie: huge disappointment.... the menu mentioned different kinds of veggies like green peppers, eggplants etc but I saw none in the curry, which only had a few cubes of tofu. The pie crust was good however
some japanese style salmon dish: this was my favourite. this one they poured in some tea to soak the rice before served
Overall it was a good first time experience trying out burmese/fusion food. It's a good place to bring guests to if they want something different and not too expensive- this place is cheaper than those high end restaurants in SF but more expensive than the nearby chinese restaurants in Richmond. The presentation of the food was nice, decor was okay. But a lot of their salad and curry dishes you can probably get them cheaper somewhere(or just buy those packaged curry sauce and make it yourself). -
Review from Theodore O.
Pacifica, CA
11/4/2011
Came to Burma Superstar, but they were busy and suggested that we try their second location down the street and that they would call ahead for a table for us.
The food was still very good at B Star - so I'm glad we took their advice. We started with the "Sticky Fingers" which are pork riblettes. They were messy but awesomely tangy, sweet and delicious. We also tried some samusas which are great as always - I love samusas.
For entrees we had the osa buka and the pumpkin pork stew. Both were good - but maybe not amazing. I think I enjoyed the fennel and osa buka more but the pumpkin pork stew definitely had its moments - both about 4 star good.
Thanks for the great time B Star - Hopefully I'll be back to you or the real BSS soon. -
Review from Laura W.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
B Star dishes are either huge hits or narrow misses for me.
Tonight's HITS: Tea leaf salad (perfectly spicy, nutty, juicy, and crispy), Triple mushroom appetizer (three types of luscious shrooms fried in tempura batter), Sunset Soju Cocktail (sweet rice wine with orange and cranberry juice), Lychee Me Mimosa (perfect balance of champagne and lychee flavor, complete with a floating lychee fruit), and the Warm chocolate cake with ginger ice cream and berries (OMG biggest hit of the meal!! We exchanged the ginger ice cream for coconut - *highly recommend!*)
Tonight's misses: the entrees. Wah wahhhh...
We ordered garlic noodles with duck - sounds good, right?! We didn't realize it was a cold noodle dish. It wasn't very saucy or meaty, just kind of bland and slippery. We also got the chicken curry which was better, but not great; the chicken was on-the-bone and super tender, but the curry sauce had barely any sauce. It was mostly just a dry pile of lentils around the chicken. The coconut rice on the plate was fine, but not as coconutty as they make it over at Burma SuperStar!
I've been to B Star one other time and had a similar experience with the entrees. I remember being less than impressed with both the Chicken Birani and the salmon pot pie. I wish B Star would amp up their game on entrees - everything else is sooo delicious.
When deciding between 3 and 4 stars, I had to take the fantastic service into account. From adding our names to the wait list to getting delicious drinks at the bar to watching our server mix the tea leaf salad, we were treated like V.I.P. guests. Even in a packed restaurant, I felt like we were the only ones there because everything came out perfectly on time with a smile! That bumped up the B Star experience for me in a big way. I think we'll be back on Mojito Mondays for discounted pitchers and some more scrumptious appetizers! (Maybe another round of chocolate cake, too...) -
Review from mary ann b.
South San Francisco, CA
Came here for a late lunch started off with:
Appetizers:
Platha dipper
Schezuan Salt & pepper fries
Drinks:
Lychee ice tea (ask for honey)
Mint lychee smoothie
Main dish:
Shrimp & pork won ton soup
Platther ranch braised ox tail
Dessert:
Black rice pudding
Service was excellent because both servers were very attentive and helpful.
Will I be coming back? Oh hell yes! I can't wait to try other items on the menu. The food was melt in your mouth, lip smacking, finger licking, delectable, succulent, scrumptious, exquisite, delightfully pleasing to my palette, freaking divine =) -
Review from Cecilia T.
San Mateo, CA
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here on New Year's Eve with my hubby and another couple. We did shared plates and I was simply amazed at the food and the prices! we ordered 10 dishes and paid only $104 pre-tip. (average $10/dish). For the quality and uniqueness of the food, we were very surprised at the great prices. It contributes o my 5 star rating. This is a great spot to bring out of towners since Burmese food is uncommon and the asian fusion combination with mexican, chinese ,etc just makes this place special. But what made me bump this place from a 4 star to the 5 star was the Black Rice Pudding. See comments below.
YUMMALICIOUS:
-The Chicken jook - if you like thousand year old egg, definitely get this dish. The porridge rice is tasty and satisfies the Taiwanese lust for "breakfast" like dishes but for dinner.
- Lamb Curry - verrrry yummy. The flavor is great and the lamb is tender and succulent.
-Tea leaf salad - My best description is that it's unique - the tea leafs are grounded and sprinkled with lemon juice by the waitress and basically serves as the dressing on this healthy and unique tasting salad. Refreshing with a thai flair.
- Platha dipper - this "flatbread" dish was SO yummy and great for groups. The bread is mexicanish and moist and soft and really good, while the coconut dipping sauce was lip smacking with exclamation points.!
- Black rice pudding - for me, this was the crowning achievement of this spot that really made it a 5 star experience for me. The black sticky rice was SOOOOOOOOO yummy that my eyes were wide the whole time i ate this dish. It was doused in coconut milk with a scoop of yummy ice cream on top.
PRETTY GOOD:
-B star crispB Sprouts- this was tasty but a bit burned. apparently they are known for this dish as well but I thought it was decent but not mind blowing due to the burned edges on the sprouts.
OK
- Taco duo (mango, onion, radish, guac, ginger) - i'm not really a taco fan especiallyh soft shells so i have no comment on this. Wasn't memorable for me.
- Fried banana eggrolls - good if you're not overly stuffed from the main courses, but i was rather enamored with the black rice pudding to notice this fried banana dish.
-Pumpkin Curry - not memorable but still tasty, Just not as unique in taste as the other dishes.
- Dragonwell gelato - very tasty but not unique so it was rather forgettable for me.
Service is very nice and so is the ambience. -
Review from Eleanor C.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
this is my brother's family's go-to restaurant and for a good reason. the food is always consistent, unique and delicious. My favorites on the menu: Platha dipper (Roti is always good with a yummy curry sauce), Sticky Fingers (sweet and sour spareribs), tea leaf salad (yup, don't have to wait 2 hours at Burma Superstar for some yummy tea salad!), kao soi (curry noodles with chicken), the mushroom appetizer (tempura mushrooms), green curry pot pie and my favorite dish of all salmon ochazuke (basically a japanese inspired dish of pan fried rice, salmon topped with a green tea broth and a poached egg...sooo yummy and delicious and better than any japanese restaurant). Slightly on the more expensive side for asian food on Clement street, but worth it and we'll always go back when we want some southeast asian comfort food with a twist!
