B Star Bar

I was looking for a (very) late lunch after an impromptu Imperial Spa visit, so headed over to Clement knowing I could find something. I didn’t know Burma Superstar had a little sister, so popped in here since no wait. I sat at window bar to watch passersby and appreciated nice, non-​hurried but attentive service throughout my meal, despite pushing closing time. I had the lunch special so I could try two things. I had to have the tea leaf salad since there is nowhere in Marin for me to get this. It ended up going so well with the ‘mini platha’ – kind of like tastier fried naan, accompanied by a coconut curry dipping sauce. The sweetness of the sauce went so well with that complex, umami-​laden salad. It was enough food to satisfy me, but maybe a little light for $ 13. They have an excellent tea choice, and my oolong added another layer of flavor. My tummy and tastebuds oh so happy at this interlude!

Good Burmese food. Not as popular as Burmese Superstar, so it is a good alternative if the line is too long down the street.

Yup. It happened. I’ve joined the cult ranks and am obsessed with the Tea Leaf Salad. The mere thought of this dish has enough pull to snatch me from my Marin trails and has me B-​Star-​Lining to Clement St. to indulge in thee goodness. Because I don’t «DO» lines (see my bit about lines and personal space issues in the lemming lines at Sol Food), I get there crazy early, just like Grandpa. Yep, 5pm dinner for the girl. After that, I have plenty of time to head to Sport Basement to wait out the obnoxious Northbound traffic back into Marin. Extra star for playing all my dark 80’s British alt-​pop.

Four of us arrived at around 11:30 on Saturday, and were seated immediately at the last available table! Major score.
The brunch menu is a mixed bag — it’s got lots of standard brunch menu items, but also some «fusion» things. I opted to order off the standard menu, since it is a Burmese place after all.
I ordered «The Lunch» which was a small samusa soup + small tea leaf salad. The flavors of the soup were good, but could have used a little more oomph. I might say that they toned down the soup to be more standard-​palate friendly. The tea leaf salad was ok, but also seemed to be missing something special. I wish they used cabbage instead of lettuce for a better texture.
I’d stay in south bay and hit up Kyusu next time I want tea leaf salad.

It was 8pm on a Friday night and we were on the verge of hanger, post art show stroll. Burma Superstar had a 1.5 wait (expected), but the sweet hostess checked in at B Star for us to see if they could squeeze in two. We were told 15 – 30 minutes (fine), and were pleasantly surprised that it was really only a 2 minute «wait». On a Friday night. Score.
Food wise, we were stoked AF. How could their fresh veggie spring surpass all of our previous expectations of what spring rolls taste like?! They did. We were in awe. And being too overwhelmed by hunger and possible food options, we both ordered the pork jook bowls. Daaaaaang. Perfect combination of warm, spicy, savory, sweet, texture, and comfort. It’s what you’re supposed to eat on a drizzly Friday night with your favorite new friend and a few glasses of cheap white wine.
Five stars, easy.

It’s getting late, you’re already past the point of reasonable hunger, and the rain is falling in sheets. Why on earth would you wait outside at Burma Superstar for another hour when you could make a mad dish two blocks up the street and sit down to the same superlative food as soon as you walk in the door? I just don’t understand that madness.
You’ll find a plethora of vegetarian options, all clearly marked, and almost all naturally or easily veganized. It goes without saying that the tea leaf salad is a must for any visit, lunch or dinner, but the real sleeper hit of this menu is the mushroom jook. Leave out the egg and you’ll receive a deep bowlful of richly umami, soul-​soothing rice stew, hearty enough to make you forget the El Niño storms just beyond the thin restaurant walls.
Don’t wait around or follow the crowds. It’s so much better to step into B-Star’s warm embrace.

Great food, wonderful service and even better drinks! It was my first time here and I will be back! Lamb Curry was amazing, tea salad was the best part of the meal and their mojitos were refreshing.
I will definitely be back, plus it beats standing in line at Burma Star. :)
It’s pretty much amazing!

This place is just outright delicious. Went here for lunch with a large group of coworkers, so we ordered a bit of everything. My favorites included: the pumpkin pork stew with coconut rice, the mini platha and the samusa soup. The pumpkin pork stew was flavorful and juicy, with just the right amount of spices. The mini platha was the first to go on our table, we had to order extra. Lastly, the samusa soup is slightly spicy, so if you don’t enjoy spicy, stay away.
Overall, the service was okay. The food was superb. And the atmosphere was intimate. This is definitely a good date place. I’d come here again!

If you don’t wanna wait for Burma Superstar two blocks down, you can settle for this. B Star Bar is their sister restaurant and is pretty good as well.
My family was super hungry and there was already a long line for Burma Superstar right before it opened so we went here instead. We were seated immediately — no wait whatsoever, woohoo!
We were brought to the back. A little cramped sitting on the wall… but it was okay. Heaters on the ceiling made dinner warm and cozy. Perfect for the ridiculously cold weather outside lately…
We came during happy hour so we ordered the following to start off:
— spicy drunken steamed mussels: these were soaked in a tomato chili sake broth and they were SOOOOOOO good. definitely satisfied my mussel craving from last night for sure!
— grilled calamari: it wasn’t the typical fried calamari and i never eat it without the breading usually, but i gave it a try and it was really good. it was chewy, soft, and tangy. a healthier alternative to fried calamari!
— tea leaf salad: always good! must get at every burmese restaurant!!!
As for the main courses, we got the following:
— rainbow salad: i love this. it’s a salad with around 14 ingredients… green papaya, cabbage, bean thread noodles, rice noodles, egg noodles, tofu, onions, fried garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, potatoes, wonton chips, fried onion, chili oil, tamarind dressing, dried shrimp powder, fish sauce. it can be shared among 1 – 3 people, but can be upgraded to larger portion for a group of 4 – 6. super refreshing and great if you’re not looking to have something heavy!
— pumpkin pork stew: this was my FAVORITE out of all the dishes. the squash and the pork were perfect and very soft. i totally recommend this!
— pan roasted sea bass: yummy with the garlic soy glaze drenched on top of it! wish it came with some mashed potatoes or rice, that would’ve been great! you can order that on the side if you’d like!
— steak tomato kebat: ehhhh, this one wasn’t too great. it was really salty. don’t get this.
For dessert we got:
— coconut affogato: kinda tastes like almond joy, but it was really good!
— mango & pear sorbet: mango was really good, but didn’t like the pear too much.
Overall, a great experience! :)

5 stars for the tea leaf salad. You def get the original size (bigger), not the smaller size they hook you up with at B Love.
Fries? Good.
Wine selection? Good.
Veggie eggplant? Good.
Their samosa soup is a fave, and that tea leaf salad, yo. I could live on those two.

As my good friend Mike G. says, it’s Burma Superstar with reservations… how can you go wrong?
We’ve come a few times now, and it is pretty much as advertised. Good food, friendly service, and all with the convenience of reservations.
I’m not sure if there’s actually much difference in the food these days, but for whatever reason I’m not as enthusiastic about the food as I used to be at Burma Superstar. Or maybe we ordered poorly. Anyway, they take reservations?
Go-​to dishes: Tea leaf salad and samusa soup.

Excellent lunch alternative if you’ve already missed the first wave of seating at Burma Superstar.
The lunch specials are great. We had the garlic noodles with chicken, which I should warn you, emphasize the garlic and the tea leaf salad. The salad was indistinguishable from the Superstar version, albeit without the mixing at the table (part of the fun, I know). As sides, we got the samusa soup, which was interesting but probably nothing I would order again, as well as the butternut squash soup, which was a little bit more flavorful than your standard, hearty winter soup.
Oh, and the platha with chicken was excellent. Like a green scallion pancake with a tasty light curry sauce for dipping.
Actually, given the convenience, there’s a pretty good chance that I prefer this place over B superstar.

I am writing a review for their brunch, as my last review was for their dinner.
Their brunch is just as great as their dinner! The dishes were reasonably priced, they had great flavor, offered a wide range of meals from more authentic Burmese dishes to more American dishes, and the portions were huge!
Service was great as usual too even though they’re always busy!
I will come back!

I like the covered patio & that they accept reservations. They were able to accommodate a group.
Satay Bites — chicken was dry & small portion. 3 bites of chicken per skewer.
Platha — greasy & soft. Wish they were crispy. The yellow curry dipping sauce was good.
Rainbow Salad — tasty with a variety of flavors & textures.
Pumpkin Pork Stew — nice, rich sauce.
Miso Cod on Egg Noodles — delicious although a small cod portion.
Pan Roasted Sea Bass — yummy and again, a small bass portion.
The miso cod & sea bass were our favorites. Friends liked the sangria. I liked the mango lassi & fresh coconut juice.

The jook is so good. Seriously. When I wake up on a cold morning and look out at all the fog covering the Outer Sunset (so like every day) it makes me want some B Star jook. This is some really good congee, but it is not cheap! Prices start at $ 11 for a bowl of rice porridge.
This is where Asian fusion meets brunch. How can we resist?!? If you are expecting a «typical» congee, this is also not it. But if you want a delicious fusion flavor packed meal I highly recommend the shredded chicken with thousand year egg. Lots of greens here with cilantro and mustard greens. Nice spice from the chili oil. A change in texture with pieces of peanut and also some fried wonton pieces. Mix it all together with the egg you you have some powerful flavor! Not just a side dish! Highly recommended.

Couldn’t get a table at Burma Superstar so we jumped over here and got a table within about 15 minutes on a Sunday evening. Came with a group of 7 and ordered probably half of the menu. Everything was pretty yummy and very flavorful. My favorites were the lamb curry, BRUSSELS SPROUTS, and tea leaf salad. We also had pitchers of the soju sangria and the B Star cooler.
The mushroom pot pie was surprisingly very spicy so be careful on that one.
Service was great and attentive, they even seated us without our entire party being there. Prices are pretty reasonable, though I think the portions could be a bit bigger.

I was under the impression that B Star was just as good as Burma Superstar, but I was sorely misled! While there is some overlap in the menu, namely classic items like the Tea Leaf Salad, most of the menu is fusion-​like and not Burmese at all. We got the tea leaf salad, roti w/​curry dipping sauce, pumpkin pork stew, and mussels, and everything was just pretty average. Pumpkin pork stew and mussels were both under seasoned and the stew needed more pork! I will say that the roti appetizer was delicious though. Buttery and flaky on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside. I’ve had the tea leaf salad numerous times at Burma Superstar, Mandalay, and Mingalaba in Burlingame, and I didn’t enjoy the combination of flavors here as much.
I hate to make it all about comparing to another restaurant, but when Burma Superstar is just down the street, a shorter wait really doesn’t make a difference to me if the food is not as good and just as expensive. On the plus side, the service was very friendly and they have a wait list where they take your name and number and call you when your table is ready.
Unfortunately, B Star just didn’t get an A-​rating from me. Perhaps I didn’t order the right thing… but I probably won’t be back.

If you’re looking for a non-​traditional, Asian-​fusion, comfort food-​style brunch place, B Star hits the spot. With minimal wait time (less than 15 minutes) for weekend brunch, B Star is a good alternative to your traditional eggs benedict.
The lychee iced tea is a refreshing starter, consisting of only two simple ingredients: iced tea and fresh lychee fruit. The infusion of the delicate and sweet fruit in the tea really brought out its light and aromatic flavor. I paired it with the Pork Tocino brunch dish, which is a restaurant favorite. The grilled pork was very fatty, but very flavorful, sweet and slightly tart. The garlic rice was very aromatic, but not too garlicky. Two over-​easy eggs sat on top of all the pork and rice, so popping the yolks yield a nice creamy and runny sauce to smother all over the rice.
B Star has a menu section dedicated to jook (aka Chinese porridge or congee), with both meat– and vegetable-​based versions. Their chicken– and pork-​based jooks are topped with mounds of shredded pork (aka pork sung or pork floss), chopped cilantro, pickled greens, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, peanuts, wonton crisps, and a preserved thousand year old egg. With such a wide variety and colorful array of ingredients, this dish is exciting and the perfect comfort meal on a chilly day.
B Star also has a decent dinner menu, though not as extensive in selection compared to that of their sister restaurant Burma Superstar. But if you want the basics — tea leaf salad, rainbow salad, a few curries, and garlic noodles — and don’t want to wait in a long line at Burma Superstar, give B Star a try. By the time you finish your meal here, you would be just starting to sit down at Burma Superstar.

I came here for brunch to try something that isn’t bacon, eggs and pancakes. I’m glad I did because having tea leaf salad to start your day is a wonderful feeling. You’re still getting the tea, just in a different way. The tea leaf salad is probably their signature item and it just doesn’t disappoint me ever. I also tried the chicken and shrimp biriyani, which kinda tasted like a curry to me. I suppose it was still delicious but not life changing. The one good thing is that they use humongous shrimps. They were plump and plentiful. Friend had the pork tocino with garlic fried rice and loved it.
To end my power breakfast, I decided to get some coffee. I’m a huge fan of the vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk and was excited when I saw it on the menu. Regardless of where they got the coffee or what brand, that thing was strong. I literally felt energized enough to do a second meal after drinking it.

B Star Bar est le petit frère de Burma Superstar un peu plus loin sur Clement St. Il est commun pour ce dernier d’envoyer des clients ici si leur queue est trop longue. Je m’attendais donc a une cuisine très similaire. Si les menu ont quelques plats en commun, ils sont loin d’être exact.
Étant pour ma part fan du riz à la noix de coco de papa Burma Superstar, j’avais de grandes attentes de ce côté là. La chute fut rude. Je décelais quelques traces d’un goût de noix de coco dans mon riz mais cela né fit que raviver le souvenir de ma première expérience tellement supérieure. La nourriture fut servie tiède. À tout dire, celle-​ci arriva tellement rapidement que je me demandais si cela né sortait pas de sous une lampe à chaleur. Les quelques pièces d’agneaux furent très loin de contenter nos estomac, bien que nous né soyons d’habitude pas de si gros mangeurs.
L’addition arriva aussi vite que la nourriture, pour un prix trop élevé, pour une assiette froide et décevante.

Sometimes I wonder if B Star is affiliated with Burmese Superstar, and sometimes I wonder if there exists a third place called Urmese Super. Ok that’s a bit of a lame pun so let me get to the review.
Deciding between the menu of Asian fusion brunch and their lunch menu of Burmese food is the worsest of first world problems. (Maybe they should just concoct a tea leaf omelette to settle the problem.) Although I think their Burmese food has superior culinary prowess, there is no denying the creativity and thought they put into fusion brunch, which spans Filipino, Japanese, and Indian touches.
[THE BRUNCH NOMS]
(++) Pork Tocino w/​Garlic Fried Rice | B Star Favorite! Grilled jerk pork, 2 over easy eggs, tomatoes, and scallions ($ 11.50): My favorite too! Jerk pork is dry-​ish, but overall the runny eggs soak and mix into the rice very well and the BBQ pork adds a smokey kick.
(+/​-​) Tuna Don | seared tuna, gingered rice, scallions, pickled ginger, hijiki, daikon sprouts, sunny side up egg, furikake, avocado ($ 13.50): I love the refined presentation, but this is definitely one of those paradoxical dishes I am inclined to order for the presentation, and not so much for the actual food. It was tasty, but tuna portions are measly and this is more or less a pricey bibambap variation that’s not difficult to make at home (fun fact: furikake is rather easy to find at Japanese supermarkets)
(++) Shredded Chicken Jook with thousand year old egg | pork sung, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, scallions, peanuts, wonton chips, pickled ginger, shiitake, chili oil ($ 11): The jook is excellently photogenic and delicious as well. The porridge has the nice fluffy texture of authentic jook, and the toppings are quite a display. FYI the thousand year old egg is not actually a thousand years old so don’t get creeped out thinking you’re eating a fossil. It’s tasty as all egg products are, but the unique flavors are difficult to describe.
[THE BURMESE NOMS]
(++) Chicken & Shrimp Biryani | with peas, apricot, ginger, toasted almonds, egg, cilantro, and basmati rice ($ 12): On point, wonderfully pungent, and rich in spices. I like how it’s less greasy than Indian biryani, and they are quite generous on chicken and shrimp.
(+/​-​) Tea Leaf Salad | romaine, ginger, garlic, peanuts, sunflower & sesame seeds, tomatoes, lentils, jalapenos, dried shrimp, fish sauce, and fermented tea leaf ($ 10.75) The blend of flavors and textures is interesting and well done, but in my opinion they could have a higher toppings to lettuce ratio because the overuse of lettuce dilutes everything out a bit.
Conclusion: as fabulous as you’d imagine Asian fusion brunch + Burmese food to be, though I would recommend some dishes more than others. Props to the clean modern ambiance and friendly servers: grade A Star.

Restaurant fusion américain /​asiatique.
Les plats sont vraiment très bons, frais et légers.
J’ai pris une salade de quinoa, avec du saumon — un vrai délice.
En dessert, j’ai pris du riz gluant aux haricots rouges — très bon également.
Mais l’addition est salée!