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Mon-Thu. 10:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"I don't know what people are complaining about. I love their food! I never ordered delivery from them, but when I went into this restaurant…" read more »
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Conveniently located next to the 33-bus line stop at 18th and Mission, this literal hole in the wall serves some of the most flavorful food in the city at unbelievably affordable prices.
The place is run by, three angry looking Asian grandmamma chefs. Hard to tell if they are really mad or if they are just concentrating really hard on cooking the food. Eyebrows are permanently fixed in the upset position.
The small menu pairs together time tested traditional ingredients with simple dish concepts to create food that is surprisingly complex in flavor. In a few words... this place may not look like much, but everything taste delicious.
The Tea Leaf salad is as good as or better than any other in the city (including Burma SuperStar and Mandalay) and at half the price. Ultimately, in a battle of tea leaf salads, I'd put my money on this horse to win, because at the end of the day good restaurants are defined by their VALUE. (Quality to price ratio)
The catfish chowder has a savory aroma that will make you want to lift the bowl up directly to your mouth like you were drinking the remaining milk from a cereal bowl and with its great flavor it is absolutely worth a try. Good for casual soup cravings and fantastic if you have a cold (or the h1n1 virus.)
The house noodles with beef was off the charts tasty delicious and is definitely a must. The beef is very tender and explodes with flavor... I'm talking fireworks in the mouth good. The noodles are cooked to a perfect texture and absorb the components of the sauce very well.
Parking situation is horrendous, that is if you plan on driving to this place. You are definitely better off taking the bus, biking, or walking if you do not live in the surrounding area.
Simple counter-style dining that can only accommodate 10-12 people at any given time. Meaning long lines and long waits. Go before or after peak dining hours and you will not have any problems snagging one of the few counter stools. Take-out is also easy and convenient with temporary illegal parking available in the back alley.
A meal for two will set you back no more than $15-$20. In the value department it is always a great option and does not leave you with that heavy/greasy feeling often associated with this type of cuisine.
YAMO eat at this restaurant whenever I'm in town.
Recommended
People thought this was:
When the only thing u can rave about is the price, that's not necessarily a good thing. I'm really sorry if this review offends others who like this place. But this is SF, we have lots of asian restaurants that are much better than this place, so it merits only 2-stars.
This is a true hole in the wall with only a few coveted counter seats available. I love how this tiny space has survived for many decades. Somehow all these years, the 2 older asian women manage to greet and handle customers, take orders, answer the phone, serve drinks (includes opening coconuts), cook, package to go meals, and wash dishes all day long. They are amazing!! so they get no complaints from me if on a rare occasion sometimes they appear to be grouchy.
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And I do remember that I raved about their house noodles and the rice dishes in the past when I was still a college student. Now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, food quality matters more. Yamo is just not that good. If u try many of their dishes, you'll taste the same horrible raspy sauce that's not even authentic. Sorry these night pics are not as sharp.
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Sorry Yamo, I won't B there.
People thought this was:
Yamo is a good place for a lot of food that is quite easy on the wallet.
This tiny counter sitting is compelling in the restaurant experience that you may be seeking. It is super small--either expect to wait or come early or late or as I do pick up and take home (prefer eating my order at home to enjoy with beer or wine). No beer or wine license and strict warning about bringing your own. It could be a perfectly sunny day and yet inside it is dark and reddish.
I am fascinated by the three cooks working what seems to be nearly effortless work but upon closer inspection is a careful and learned way of cooking. This must be brutal work--cooking and waiting all at the same time. It looks like it must be super hot with the gas burner cooking all day.
I enjoy the curry chicken--Burmese style--hence no coconut milk or tomatoe or cream. Very spice and the potatoes pick up the flavor of the spicing quite well and together don't become a filler but a great accompaniment.
So when you think this might be a Burma Superstar Jr. it isn't but presents a much simpler fare. I do like coming here for inexpensive takeout but for several reasons it is not my destination restaurant to bring family and friends. A great place to watch an amazingly orchestrated cooking experience.
I recently went here on an early Saturday evening and we were lucky because we only had to wait maybe 15 minutes. As noted in other reviews this restaurant is about the size of my closet.
The busy grandmas do a good job turning over the customers but if you don't like sitting in a hot kitchen while you eat this is not the place for you.
We had two bowls of noodles and water is mandatory to wash down all the greasy goodness. This place is an absolute hole in the wall and you must try it. It was good and worth what we paid. I'll be back.
Long wait and I mean longggggggggggggggggggg...
Yamo is really cheap and when I mean cheap, you can't really find anything above 10 bucks or even above 7 bucks. I love the food here, especially the cold noodles which remind me of a noodle salad. It has tons of flavor and makes me go wow. The samosas are awesome and so is the house noodles. The curry chicken is standard while the mango chicken is above average. I would stick to any of the noodle dishes at Yamo.
The food is definitely homemade because you can see all of your food being made right in front of you and the 7 other people sitting next to you. The downside, yes, the restaurant only holds 8 people. The wait is killer because you can wait an hour before 2 seats are available. Ordering togo might be a better option but that can take just as long or longer since togo orders outnumber the actual diners. I have gone here several times and the staff is nice and very entertaining. Others know what I am talking about when I mean entertaining...
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I would give 5 stars for the "hole in the wall" atmosphere and the endearing two ladies sweating away in the kitchen area orchestrating five hot skillets and a boiling deep-fryer.
In terms of food, I absolutely loved the Tea Salad (tea leaves, cabbage, tomato, onion, dried shrimp, and crunchy beans and sesame seeds). The beans were definitely the secret ingredient, adding a nice crunch and nutty flavor to the dish. However, I think the Yamo House Noodles with Beef is what is making me "EH" about this place. The beef was nice and tender. However, the egg noodles were sauteed with not enough garlic and SERIOUSLY a quart of oil. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FREAKEN greasy. I've made noodles with more yummy garlic and less oil then what was in that bowl. I felt pretty gross after that.
It's a great place to go late at night after a few beers and you are HUNGRY...but if you already have a muffin top like me...go with caution. :)
Yamo is really cheap and yummy. I really love eating their food. esp yamo cold noodles, they are really fkin yummy.
getting sick from all orifices is not yummy.
I always get the shits after yamo. I figured it was because it was spicy.
But this morning around 4am was my second getting vomity sick after yamo.
I am not a vomiter I don't normally vomit even on half a fifth of whiskey.
I'm fkin done. can't do it.
wtf yamo why have you scorned me!
People thought this was:
Love Yamo! One of the few places I don't mind waiting nor the lingering smell of grease hours after.
Even though I don't usually go for greasy, oily foods, I always get the Yamo House Noodle with Beef (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Screw you, irritable stomach! Something about the way they cook the beef, its so-dang-good. It's lean, yet tender and flavorful. Reminds me of rehydrated beef jerky, if that makes any sense at all.
New discovery: The Yamo Cold Noodles (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Cold noodles, chicken, cabbage, onions and cucumbers with "House Special Flavor". This flavor is a mixture of sweet sauce and chili flakes. First taste might be odd. But couple bites later, you'll be hooked. Great dish anytime!
Cash only. No delivery. And oh, those ladies love Chinese-speaking boys. lol.
People thought this was:
YAMO = YUMMO!
besides being on the slight greasy side, the food was delicious! i had the tea leaf…
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I've never eaten IN the restaurant, but I've got take our a couple of times and I absolutely recommend their chicken or tofu curry with noodles...it the best! Has potatoes, chicken, onions and green bell peppers in curry with fired noodles on the side! YUM! The ladies who work there are a gas and little cooking robots-I swear! They are fast and to the point, but not mean. Grab a couple of orders for the office here...you can't beat the prices either!
Edit: OKAY! after reading some if the comments I have to add...YAMO is not a clean place! It is not a nice place to sit and chat with friends. They have NO seating. IF YOU DO WAIT FOR SEATING IT WILL BE A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME SO CALL FOR TAKE OUT. THEIR FOOD IT ABSOLUTELY GREASY and OILY and WONDERFUL...if you want a salad, don't come here. This is pure Burmese comfort food...I'm plugging the chicken curry with noodles again. Eat it.
This place is such a trip. When I poked my head in here after finding this place on Yelp I was really blown away. I definitely felt like I stepped into a different world. I hope they never renovate because SF definitely needs places unique places like Yamo to contrast the glitsy pretentious restaurants out there. I definitely like this place and will go back again, I mean hey can't beat the prices but I can't really give it more than 3 stars. Potstickers were pretty bad and I love potstickers...springrolls were also eh but better than the potstickers. Mango chicken was not nearly as good as I expected it to be since previous yelpers had reviewed it so glowingly. It was super spicy and I really had hoped they would have wanted more chicken with my plate of mango. The black bean fish was pretty tasty though.
So definitely check it out and keep going...decent enough food and I love the simple set-up. I really felt like I was back in the Philippines at times.
I love this place! The wait can be horrendous as there are only about 8-10 seats available in this literally hole-in-the-wall. Your surroundings while sitting in this restaurant might scare you, but hey, the food is hella cheap and delicious! You can see the ladies working their butts off cooking your food right in front of you. If you're lucky enough, you'll sit where their dish dryer is at and get some vibration for your arms.
The Yamo House Noodles is a dish you should definitely try. It's yellow noodles mixed with fried garlic and their sauce and choice of meat. Delicious!
The Yamo Cold noodles reminds me a lot of the infamous Burma SuperStar's Rainbow Salad, except less ingredients and much cheaper. The cold noodles are really mouthwatering. I probably prefer this dish over the House Noodles.
Did I mention the food here costs on average $5? Talk about Deal Steal!
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I only thought this place was ok...
Seats only like 8-10 people. Might have to wait long. Better to order takeout.
I thought the 3 old Chinese ladies working there were really cute. They kind of reminded me of my mom and her friends. Btw i find it interesting how Cantonese speaking ladies were cooking Burmese food.
Tried the tea leaf salad. That's the only dish I liked so far.
Tried house noodles and stir fried noodles. They were ok.. Quite oily. Also reminds me of regular Chinese food.
The portions they give you here is quite small. 3 plates barely fills up 2 people.
The price is ok.. $$ might add up since you will be ordering more food because of the small portions.
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I like watching people cooking in a large wok, with the fire blazing on the wok. It reminds me with the hole in the wall place back home.
Tea salad is great, crunchy and spicy. The samusas are great, crispy and the filling is tasty too. My friend got the beef curry. I think it tastes good but tad too oily and way too much peppers. I hate bell peppers in Asian food bleh.
The lady that took order is very sweet. She was very apologetic when she forgot the water too.
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Ehhh...All I have to say is that this place is pretty overrated by many. The food is below average for Burmese food. Coming from a Burmese background, I feel that I have a good taste for Burmese cuisine yet the food here is not great. The service is fine but eating here is extremely uncomfortable. The food is very greasy and they probably use a lot of MSG. The three cooks look like they are mad at you and that they only care about making food and not about the customer. All in all, I would say this place is pretty average.
Great noodles and food. There might be a wait but the food at the end of this experience is completely worth it. Food is delicious and fresh, the price is unbeatable and the location is on my way home. I could not ask for more.
People thought this was:
Not sure what all the hype is about, frankly. Unless it's from folks who really like to get their hole-in-the-wall fix on, bc yes, Yamo is that. So go if you miss cramped, intimate little spots - it's on par with all the holes we miss overseas (and NY). And yes, the 3 old ladies are adorable.
But I have a hard time advising anyone to go for the food itself. I don't even have to be a foodie to say that. It's mediocre at best, and bad / gas-producing at worst. And it's not like anything I ever ate up and down the Burmese border. I'm just sayin.
This tiny, divey restaurant is a trip -- I'm so glad I finally checked it out. Came for lunch one day on a sunny Mission afternoon. Didn't have to wait for one of the few bar stools, had my order taken right away by the woman working in front of me. It did take me a while to figure out you don't order at the register, though.
I had the house (egg) noodles with chicken. Really nice flavor, spicy without being deadly. A bit oily, but not swimming in it. Next time, I'd like to try something with more different ingredients. The pot stickers and rice paper rolls looked good. Intrigued the by coconuts.
I used to love this place until... they put chicken in my food which I took home and when I called back to get a replacement and drive the 5 mile round trip, they hassled me really bad and were so jerky that I was afraid to pick up the "replacement". I was on the phone for 5 minutes while they argued, loudly about weather or not to make me a replacement. Whaaa?
Seriously, not worth it at any price. I am so bummed, my memories are tarnished and I will not go back.The sad thing is that I have eaten there 50+ times over the years, and maybe 40 of those times were really great. But this last one was so bad...
Two stars because of the previous decent experiences.
After getting over the extremely long lines at the SF St. Food Festival, my boyfriend and I, ventured down the Mission to Yamo. He'd been before and could not stop talking about their noodles. When we arrived, the place is literally a HOLE in the wall. It's the size of a medium sized kitchen! Literally only sits 8 at the counter and that's it! We waited for a bit but he insisted it was worth it!
The prices are great with everything at about $5.25 or so. I opted for the house chow fun with beef which was soooo good. I finished the very generous plate. It was oily but what else can you ask for with a place like this. Along with my yummy chow fun, I had fresh fresh coconut juice. Mmm..I'm making myself hungry. If I only lived in the area, this would be by go to "to-go" spot. The two women who cook, order, clean and own(?) the place are non-stop and friendly. I'd love to come back here and try more things on the menu!
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Love love love the Mo Hing Nga (fish chowder) and the house noodles. Prepare to wait if going for lunch. There's probably less than 10 bar seats in there. The ladies that work there are quick. Guess to get you in and out of there. Kind of a greasy spoon, but those are generally the best places!
Yummy Burmese food in the Mission. Whoodathunk?
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yes, they messed up my order and gave me curry fish instead of what i wanted. and yes, its also incredibly greasy, which was compounded by my choice of noodles instead of rice (soaks up the grease better). and there is also close to no space in there and can get really warm. and i almost felt sick when i finished my meal even though this was probably because i'd been doing the my-boyfriend-is-vegetarian-so-i-guess-i-am-too diet and had just eaten a ton of fried fish
whatever. its so damn cheap. and the service is so quick.
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wtf?
Why did i never see this place? Vegan friendly and just friendly in general. I had so much fun watching the grandmas cook. My friends tea bag (haha teabag) broke and one of the grandmas happily (like a jolly lil dumpling) got him another one. The food was great. Why? 1. no MSG. 2. fresh 3. cheap
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Granny and family's home-cooked meals ? You had me at Granny !
I had been here on two separate occasions and the teeny little joint with barely enough room for 7 bar-stools didn't disappoint.
Both times I started with the tender coconut water to quench my thirst and cleanse my palate.
The potstickers initially looked store bought as it was frozen solid when they plonked it down on the pan to steam them but boy, was I wrong once I took a bite and felt the texture of the dough as well as the meat inside. It was definitely way better than any frozen brand and convinced me that it has to be house-made. The only caveat ? The ginger was pretty strong so that took away a bit from the delightful experience.
The shrimp spring rolls were pretty good but were neither noteworthy nor disappointing. The one dish that disappointed were the obviously 3P (processed packaged products) samosas and I will leave it at that.
The main dishes (or entrees) are, in my opinion, what makes Yamo.
The first visit, I had the shrimp curry with steamed rice. The sauce was creamy and the vegetables served to enhance the whole dish very well. The shrimps were well done and 'bouncy' (as in not overcooked).
On the second visit, I had the Chicken curry with steamed rice. I enjoyed it thoroughly but alas I possess neither the elquence nor the artistry to describe it in a mellifluous poetic form. So just take my word for it ! Alright ??? (so that settles it)
I was told that their house-noodles are fabulous and no prizes (no, not even a discount coupon) for guessing what I'm going to order next time.
Go eat at Yamo ! You will not be disappointed !
People thought this was:
o! m! g! this is the SMALLEST restaurant i've ever seen! pretty much a bar facing the kitchen. totally divey with poor ventilation. three employees were there this afternoon (early early dinner, around 4:30), one person cooking, one person serving, one person prepping (and all three doing order-taking and what not).
i had the tea salad and the yamo noodles with beef. mmm. the tea salad was a bit spicy but better than burma superstar's. i loved the noodles. tender, flavorful beef on top of al dente thick noodles. mmm.
the older ladies are efficient if not a bit surly. at first i was kind of offended, but i think that's just how they are. they sense things. without asking, you will get a box for your leftovers when you're ready, and you'll get your check when you're ready, too.
definitely will go back, although i'm afraid of crowds, so it's gonna have to be an off-hour visit.
thanks to eileen s. for taking me here!
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Fresh, excellent, cheap: Asian food kicks your ass again!
Also: good selection of condiments.
The place is a grubby little hole in the wall, but really sweet ladies behind the counter (what is up with me and the "really sweet ladies" phrase in my reviews?!), attentive, and it just has this nice and homey feel to it.
And it's definitely scruffy in there.
But it's soooo fresh. They cut up whole vegetables and then cook them and give them to you on a plate. That sounds simplistic, but it's something special to see a whole zucchini disassembled and turned into food right before your eyes.
No idea how authentically Burmese the food is, but it's Asian-ish, light on the oil, and tasty-cakes, baby... TASTY-CAKES.
And cheap. I swear they don't charge much more than the raw cost of the ingredients.
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Yamo's Cold Noodles rock my world. Perfect combo of hot, cold, spicy, and tangy. I was drunk the first time I had them, so I had to go back for a sober confirmation - and they were indeed awesome. One of my favorite hole-in-the-walls in the city.
Wish there wasn't such a wait most of the time, but it is worth it. $3.50 appetizers and $5.25 entrees. Can't beat that. Have only tried 1 of their rice dishes (the curry prawns), and that was disappointing - no flavor! But the noodles and appetizers are great.
Also love the ladies who run the place. When one guy asked her what was good, she shrugged and said, "Nothing." Ha, that is why there is a 10 person line at the door!
i don't understand the hype. i got the curry chicken with noodles and it was greasy as can be. the tea leaf salad was alright. they could have held back a little on the garlic. after flossing, teeth brushing, tongue brushing and mouthwash, it still had my breath humming the next morning.
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Although I ended up getting something pretty greasy (which I can't stomach most of the time) the food isn't all that great like people are making it out to be. Not bad, just overrated. Maybe it's good to white people or Americanized Asians.
I'm close to giving 2 stars like Emily Y. did but I'd like to give it one more chance since there were others that sounded refreshing and good.
I came here because i wanted to experience more of Burmese food after eating at the really expensive "Burma Superstar". Being the broke ass that I am, the idea of cheap foodies thrilled me. So, I came here with some roomies and I ordered the samosas, the mango chicken, and a fresh coconut. All of the food was SUPAH hot, so that's always nice. The mango chicken was bland and the samosas were too hot to tell how good they were because my taste buds were all swollen. Everyone else said their food was really good but i didn't try it. I'm definitely gonna come back since it's so cheap.
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Ghetto. Grimy. Grueling.
If Cordon Bleu on Polk and California is a hole in the wall, Yamo is a mere crack in the sidewalk.
Too cheap to get a facial?! Go to Yamo on a hot day for a full sauna...fo free! Refresh and rejoove with Yamo's hot cold noodles! Hot in spice, cold to the tongue (actually more lukewarm, but flavorful and packs a punch nonetheless!) Tossed with chicken (lots) and veggies (little).
Elderly asian ladies toss, saute, and scoop from their endless vats of rice. they don't speak. they rarely smile. but they durn well try their best to get your order out to you right quick! (not very quick)
But at the end of the day, $5.25 for a tasty, filling, cultural dinner ($3.50 for any appetizer, $1 for drink) is a great way to keep it real in the Mission.
Know Before You Go:
1. Bathroom hidden in back, but personal hand sanitizer recommended
2. Cash onnnlaayyyy
3. Gern phob? Take it to go a la Dolores park!
Cost
$5.25 ALL entrees
$3.50 ALL apps
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What is wrong with you people?! Four stars?! C'mon, my grandma can cook up better food than this joint and she's not even that great!
Came here with my boy toy and lucky us we didn't have to wait for 2 out of the 8 seats there total. This is truly a hole in the wall eatery. I love it! Great place to rub elbows with strangers, profess your love of cock sauce to the whole table, watch the women behind the counter cook up a fire and hear them yell in Cantonese (not Burmese as someone else stated) about how the bills are all mixed up.
The lady recommended we get the mango chicken. A MISTAKE! Everyone knows that one of the basic rules in cooking is to season the food. What I got was a plate of uber blandness. At least the chicken was tender. I was tempted to pour soy sauce all over my dish and mind you, I rarely do such a foolish thing.
Where was the spice in our spicy curry tofu?! Where was that rich, the extra kick in flavor that usually accompanies curry? It wasn't there. It was all forgettable. Took me almost an hour to even remember what we ordered...
The only good thing that I got out of it was how I paid under $15 for the entire bill. If you're solely looking for a cheap-eat place, this is it. If you're looking for real 'Asian' cuisine, try some place else.
I'm a believer in second chances, I might give this place another shot and try their fish soup as someone else mentioned...
People thought this was:
i been to yamo about 4 times whenever im in the mission and feeling hungry. maybe i was just lucky bc each time i never had to wait. but this place is pretty small, with stools that can barely fit 10 people.
anyways, it was interesting to me seeing chinese lady cooking burmese food. like chinese food, its very oily. the plates are small, that's why its $5 per plate.
this is what i had:
tea leave salad: it was crunchy, small and pretty salty. i've had better ones..
The yamo cold noodle: this is actually pretty good. the beef was good and the not-so-appetizing-looking- noodles are tasty. probably the only thing i really enjoyed.
i dont even remember the rest of the items i've ordered here, partly because most of them reminded me of Chinese food.
i dont dislike nor excited about yamo, only that they are pretty cheap.
Oh, yelp, you did not steer me wrong. Yummy hole in the wall.
4 of us came here at noon on Saturday = no line to wait. When we left though, there was a line out the door. It's just one counter; they cook behind it and you sit in front of it. Maybe 8 stools and luckily some coat hooks to hang your bags from. I got the cold noodles; it was spicy but not ice-cold like I was hoping for (hot day!). My friends got the mushroom tofu and the black bean fish. All yummy for $5.25 an entree. Don't get too excited by the size of the rice wrappers for the spring rolls; they're small but it's only $3.50.
I commented that it was pretty clean for a hole in the wall. A exclaimed "What?!" Remember, it's hole in the wall standards. It is possible I was blinded by the cheap prices and yum-o (someone has to say it) food. What impressed me is there's a bathroom in the place. Apparently, it's hidden behind the wall.
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Yamo is a great place to go for a casual date or by yourself. Just don't bring an entourage because the place is essentially a hole in the wall that can fit approximately nine people at any given time.
Food: 4 stars. I definitely will come back to try more dishes, but thought that the chicken noodle soup was excellent, especially for the price ($5.25, are you out of your mind?). The soup is a hearty blend of coconut noodle soup with chicken, onions, and cilantro. it was very flavorful, but don't expect it to be spicy. The fresh coconut is interesting, but wasn't for me because of the aftertaste.
Service: 4 stars. Kudos to the charmingly busy yet funny Chinese ladies that work behind the counter. It may be hard to get their attention at times, but they are fun to watch at work and are friendly with anyone who strikes up a conversation with them.
Atmosphere: 3 stars. The hole in the wall aspect is a bit charming, but the place is definitely a bit dirty looking. The crowd can be eccentric at times. For example, someone waiting in line for a seat started practicing qigong, an internal Chinese meditative practice which uses slow graceful movements similar to tai chi.
Hits: Chicken noodle soup.
Misses: The crowd can be creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky.
If You Like This Place, You'd Probably Like: Burma Superstar, Rangoon, Nan Yang, Mandalay.
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1. Find the place.
2. Wait in line.
3. Let the feisty little asian ladies boss you around.
4. Order your food, while you're waiting in line.
5. Wait in line some more.
6. Find a couple stools.
7. Your food arrives.
8. Add your sriracha sauce, pickled peppers, and some fried chili sauce.
9. Eat.
10. Sweat.
11. Drink.
12. Finish eating.
13. Pay in cash.
14. Wipe the sweat
15. Give high fives because you just fucking scored.
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Whenever I'm in the mission and not in the mood for a burrito (weird, I know but it happens!) and only have $6, I always give Yamo a call! I've never went in and sat down for a meal, but I like to call ahead, order, and pick it up 10 minutes later. So cheap and easy!
One star off for the tea leaf salad I ordered once which was super tiny and didn't fill be up. Other than that, it's been a regular stop for me!
Literally a hole in the wall "Burmese" eatery. The door opens up into a narrow "hall" that is only wide enough to let one person (I'm talking about a size10 max person... well below the US weight/size average of 163lbs/size14) to squeeze past, bounded by a wall on the right, and a narrow counter top/seats lining the left. Three Burmese ladies man the kitchen space, which is immediately behind the counter: One is in charge of all wok related cooking, one takes orders and prepares ingredients for the wok lady, and the last one takes orders and cleans up after patrons.
Yamo is very simple and straight forward. You wait for a spot to open up, order your food from a limited (but extremely cheap) menu, watch your food being cooked, chow down, pay the bill, and leave. I highly doubt that it is authentic Burmese food... it tastes very Chinese to me. However, it IS very much homestyle cooking, which is nice, especially since nothing costs over $6. Pictured below is the "Yamo noodles"... regarded quite highly on yelp, but turned out to be a bit of a bland disappointment. If I lived in the Mission, I would probably return to Yamo for it's cheap and easy eats.
People thought this was:
3.5 stars
I stumbled upon this restaurant when I was blog surfing. This past weekend, my boyfriend and I ventured down mission to find this hole in the wall. The food is absolutely delicious but you WILL have to wait awhile (depending on the number of cooks working and the line of customers) for it. When we arrived, there were 3 female cooks working their butts off for a small line. The place itself can hold maybe 10 sitting customers and the rest order to go. There's no order when serving their customers and it seemed like it's easy for them to forget your order, especially when there's a long line of customers.
Anyway, my boyfriend and I hadn't eaten all day and we ordered the tea salad, mango chicken, and yamo house noodles with chicken. (You can also order fresh coconut drink, which they will cut up open for you on the spot!) The mango chicken with rice was very good. It didn't feel heavy in your stomach and the vegetables were pretty fresh. My favorite was the tea salad. I didn't see them make it but I think they have this mixture of nuts or something that goes really well with the salad. The house noodles were super garlicky and it was good!
This is a good place to eat if you have a lot of patience waiting for food but I suggest not to go during lunch rush.
People thought this was:
Yamo is tucked away on a side street in the Mission district. This 8-seater, open kitchen boasts as a legit establishment for Burmese fast food. Inexpensive, filling, fresh.
Black bean tofu could use more black bean sauce.
Tea leaf salad has a nice flavor but it has too much oil for me.
Interesting must have experience in The Mission. Suitable for quick meals, cheap eats and strange encounters. I met a patron who brings in his own eggs because according to him fried rice must have eggs in it.
People thought this was:
Wow $3.50 for all appetizers.
The main entrees are $5.25 each.
The ladies hell of ignore you.
The place is crazy small with just a counter space for people to sit in a row.
And one of their refrigerators is just a standard household one.
This place is cuuuuute.
I'm so in love with the Yamo house noodles with beef.
I think I'm going to be here a lot more.
People thought this was:
Prix-Fixe Dinner
Neighborhood: Financial District
OPEN @ 10:00am Sat & Sun
Neighborhood: Mission
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Burmese
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Burmese
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Burmese
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Vietnamese
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