Burma Superstar - So-So Meal - Report

[Dave MP]

Last night I ended up snagging a table at Burma Superstar w/ two friends. All of us had been there before - my last visit was well over a year ago (almost 2), while they had been more recently. We called when we were on our way, and were near the top of the list when we arrived, so the timing was perfect. We were in with no sweat. So far so good.

Overall, everything was fine, but the food was lacking in flavor complexity (everything seemed subdued) and almost everything was too oily. Service and atmosphere also lacked the excitement that I remembered at Burma Superstar - I got an overall impression of laziness, both in the food and service.

Samusa Soup was served not-very-hot. It was hot enough, but only barely so....1 or 2 degrees cooler and I would have sent it back. Flavor wise it was good, especially bites that included pieces of the samusas.

Tea Leaf Salad - Good but a bit on the oily side, tea leaves are as good as always - it's different than the version I'm used to at Larkin Express Deli, but I think it's lighter and more refreshing....but the LED version is heartier, crunchier, more flavorful, and IMO, better.

Rainbow Salad - Also lighter than the LED version, which is actually a rather heavy noodle dish. Shrimp paste was a lot lighter at Burma Superstar. Overall, good, but not as special as I remembered. The serving size also seemed smaller (but I could be imagining that too)

Eggplant Curry - Greasy but pretty tasty. Curry wasn't all that spicy and the subdued flavor was definitely happening here - maybe the excess oil caused this.

Pea shoots - These were also a bit too greasy, though very garlicky and tasty. Perhaps a tad overcooked, but overall a good veggie side dish.

Coconut rice - Two servings were presented in a larger bowl - generous serving, very good.

Ginger lemonade - Excellent, but maybe a bit pricey for a soft drink made with lemons and ginger.

We had a lot to eat, and we were all quite full. With 1 beer, I think the total bill was 66 dollars before tip for 3 people.

I am a huge Larkin Express Deli fan, so I realize I have a bias toward it, but we could have had a similar (but better) meal there for about 1/2 the price (granted, they are only open for dinner on Fri and Sat). But it was hard not to compare. I probably will not be rushing back to Burma Superstar anytime soon, and for their sake (and the dozens of people who wait in line every night), I hope that Monday was just an off night. Last time I ate there I felt like they were deserving of their hype, but this time, it seemed like they were just riding on it.

Dave MP

Link to my report on Burma Superstar from 2007: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/384549 NOTE: When I last ate at B.S, I had never eaten at L.E.D. or Yamo or Pagan....so I had much less to compare it to. Perhaps I'm just becoming a Burmese food snob? Who knows....

[Dave MP]

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