Yamo

Didn’t even get to try the food yet. Was rudely interrupted on phone with order. Need attitude check.

Authentic Burmese/​Chinese food + cheap + quick = happy stomach/​wallet

Tiny, hole-​in-​wall place where you squeeze in, they whisk dishes away to signal for you to eat faster and 15 mins later you squeeze out.
Not as high quality food as the other famous Burmese restaurants in SF, but it’s only $ 6 per dish. I also like that they have grass jelly drink!
—- DISHES —-
Tea Leaf Salad: 2.5 stars
Definitely not as good as Burma Love, Superstar. The good places use a concentrated tea leaf paste chock full of umami, this one was a watery tangy spicy sauce that missed the mark for me.
Fish Noodle Soup: 4.5 stars
(Mohinga curry) Comforting home cooked food.
Black Bean Fish: 3.5 stars
Pretty standard similar to Chinese restaurants, comforting. Would eat if ill.
Vegetable Curry: 3 stars
Bland but nice cardamom spice flavour. Good selection of veggies from zucchini to eggplant, mushroom okra cabbage broccoli carrot and green beans.
Cold Noodles: 3.5 stars
Spicy.

I don’t understand the high reviews. I love Burmese food and this is nothing like what I’ve had. I support hole in the walls and really wanted to like this place but the food was not good. at least it was cheap.

I’ve been here twice, and want to come back enough times to try everything on the menu! I’ve had the tea leaf salad, fish stew, and some dry noodle dish (don’t remember the exact one), and they were all delicious. Egg rolls, I could have done without, as they were pretty generic. The only downside is that the head lady in charge is not the nicest, but so it goes. Worth it, for the deliciousness!

There are about 10 seats at the counter so you might have to wait a bit but this place is cheap, has great noodles, and a chill atmosphere.
The food is cooked by little Burmese grandmas so you know it’s legit, then they’ll kick you out when you start slowing down haha.

SO GOOD. Seriously. Eyes rolling back into your head good.
Was looking for a cheap + quick, late solo-​lunch and found my ideal spot here. Only about 8 spots at a counter and a very «gritty» feel. Once you get a menu from one of the women bustling around behind the counter and order, the food is served very quickly. I ordered the coconut chicken noodle soup and it was truly incredible; the red onion with the coconut milk broth was a unique, perfect combination and the soup was cheap (7 dollars), came in a huge portion, and was full of delicious noodles. I am not a soup person at all – in fact I don’t even really consider it to be food, nevertheless a meal – but this soup was definitely a meal (and a very memorable one at that).

The food: Being a vegan it is often hard to find places on the cheap side with delicious entrees but this restaurant exceeds those requests. Everything on the menu is $ 10 and under, which is honestly really refreshing when you live in the city. I get the stir-​fried vegetable with noodles and I am never disappointed. I believe it’s $ 6.50 if, I remember correctly, and extremely worth it. Of course my diet is limited so I can’t experience many of the other things on their menu but my friends love everything else on it! We were able to feed four people with $ 25! Amazing.
The restaurant: Now please understand this is a hole in the wall restaurant so don’t be expecting the best aesthetic. It is extremely tiny. The restaurant is basically the kitchen with a countertop and 8 stools; however, if you’re just going to eat there then who really cares? It’s usually very busy so I’d suggest getting it to go if you can.
The service: Truthfully, I will admit that the service here isn’t the best but it isn’t horrible. I feel as if some people got spoiled off American restaurants and their high-​standards for customer service. This restaurant is not like that. They aren’t entirely rude but they will be if they feel disrespected. Just keep in mind that there is NO PHOTOS, it is CASH ONLY, and to be considerate of the people waiting to dine in. Know what you want, order it, eat it and leave. I’ve noticed people being upset that they rush them but when their restaurant is that tiny they just want to serve as many people as they possibly can. This isn’t a restaurant were you sit and chit chat as you eat. You eat your food and leave. If that’s too much pressure for you just take it to-​go.
Overall: Highly recommend this place if you are looking for a delicious cheap lunch/​dinner.

You know how certain establishments have developed certain themes? Hipster, luxurious, casual, romantic, etc. Yamo has fully embraced the theme of Rage.
This thematic rage centers around the owner, who is an angry asian lady with a perma-​furrow between her eyebrows and a sharp berating voice. You can quickly separate the crowd dining in: those who did not grow up in an asian household with looks of terrified confusion on their faces and those who don’t bat an eye because they were raised by a doppleganger in the form of an angry tiger mother.
Despite the dinginess of the cramped space and the uninterrupted din of an angry asian lady taking orders over the phone («WHAT DO YOU WANT?!»), the food is a bang for the buck. Delicious noodles at ridiculously cheap prices. My go to order is the house noodles with pork (chewy bouncy noodles, crispy roasted garlic, fresh generous cilantro), a tea salad (watch that spice), and a grass jelly drink to wash down the dryness of the food.
Make sure you stop at an ATM on the way — cash only.
And 10 points if you can catch a rare chuckle or smile from Lady Rage herself before she remembers she’s fury incarnate and puts her mask of anger back on.

Total hole in the wall goodness.
If you get claustrophobic this place might not be for you but they do takeout.
Has the Yamo house noodles with pork — super tasty pork and the noodles were like garlic noodles. I added some sriracha sauce to give it some spice.
The fish chowder noodles were like a bowl of flavorful soup with rice noodles.
Potstickers were super plump homemade tasting potstickers. Too much cabbage for my liking but you can’t turn down homemade flavor (at least it tasted like it)
I want to try the cold noodles next time and the curry!
Super tiny spot on 18^th that if there’s no seats you’ll be waiting out on the street
Drinks are from the fridge only, including bottled water (eg no water service)
Maybe 12 seats at the counter. So you watch them cook and do everything. Is it the most spotless kitchen well maybe not but if you have major food allergies you probably shouldn’t go to little spots like this.
I think there was a sign for the restroom but I didn’t venture back there.
Cash only.

Yamo is totally a hole-​in-​the-​wall. I love how they keep the rolling street cans behind the counter without a care in the world. The health inspectors probably got paid off.
Cleanliness notwithstanding, I can totally dig the vibe of this place. With just a few stools and a long counter, it’s real intimate. Dishes are whipped up posthaste, and come out fresh, if a little small. But that’s ok — everything is around $ 6!
This is one of those places you go to when you’re broke, not when you want Foreign Cinema 2.0.

If you’d like to experience a shit show, COME ON IN!
I decided to make the trip over to Yamo because not only do I love noodles, but i also like to support small businesses and this one seemed to have high ratings. I came on a weekday during lunchtime and there were a couple open seats so I sat myself. Theres only 9 seats in this restaurant and it wreaks like oil so i suggest you do not stop in before any major plans or with a nice outfit because you will walk out of feeling/​smelling like you just took an oil bath.
FOOD: I got the house noodles because it seemed like the hottest item on the menu. The noodles took about 15 min to make and you can see everything that goes on in this kitchen since you’re sitting and staring right at it. The noodles came out with a couple of pieces of marinated meat, green onions, cilantro, and fried onion toppings. When i ordered these noodles i assumed that the noodles would be in some kind of sauce + meat ontop but i was completely wrong. These noodles were SOOO bland and soggy and it was just basically the tiny pieces of marinated meat that reminded me that i wasnt just eating bare noodles out of a strainer. I couldn’t help but to grab the nearest siracha and cover my noodles in them. I instantly thought to myself.” WHY IS THIS PLACE RATED SO HIGH??!“
now.
THE SHITSHOW: You can automatically tell that the boss lady or the master of the other workers is the old asian lady with curly hair that has a loud, rude, high pitched voice. She doesn’t have any manners whatsoever or any sense of customer service for that matter. She speaks to everyone as if you’re being scolded or something. The establishment is so dirty with ingredients, bowls, plates, sauces, napkins, spices, stains, oilspots, you name it– just laying around the the shelves and areas where it should be kept sanitized and I was so shocked and my friend happened to text me asking where i was while i was dining and of course i took this opportunity to try to show her where I’m at. As i lifted my phone to take a picture of the dirty kitchen, the asian lady yelled «NO PICTURES!!!» while shaking her finger in my face and giving me the dirtiest look ever. The couple next to me also sensed this awkward once in a lifetime dirty and extremely rude tension and he just looked at me with that face of «this lady is crazy.» so i knew i wasn’t alone here. After the phone incident she became extra extra rude to me. after i put my chopsticks down she said «YOURE DONE!» and took away my bowl. After taking away my bowl she threw my receipt at me. THREW!!! i was in such disbelief and felt so insulted by this stupid asian lady that i slapped my money down for the meal and walked out of there.
As I’m writing this review Im still in disbelief and pissed off about what happened. This establishment needs to get shut down. The lady handles money and then handles food right after with her bare hands (i observed her behavior carefully) without washing them, this restaurant looks like its run by a hoarder, the noodles taste like NOTHING, they don’t have cups of water, it smells like shit in there, no customer service, CASH ONLY, apparently NO PICTURES, i just have nothing positive to say about this restaurant. I also question anyone who gave this place such high ratings… like… why… i wish Unilocal had an option to give business’s negative stars. The whole meal I was waiting for a cockroach to appear somewhere in the kitchen.

Come here for a front row seat of hilariously bad service. Make a game of how bad it will be.
One example:
— A man was ordering take out and began laughing at something he saw in the kitchen. The chef yelled out «NO LAUGHING!!!» And then she proceeded to curse about the man in Chinese.
We ordered an extra dish and got a glare. They’ll rush you out when there’s a line. I feel like I’m inconveniencing them by eating there and giving them my money. They are who they are. No excuses and no apologies.
The food was only okay. I really liked the spiciness of the tea leaf salad. The mango chicken was horrible goo– we’re talking panda express style. The house noodles were okay, though we preferred the cold noodle salad (all bout that oil, mmm).
Cash only, seats about 10 people at the counter. You can barely tell this place exists (hole-​in-​the-​wall). Really cheap food ($ 5– $ 8 a dish). They don’t have tap water– you have to get bottled water.
This place is amusing. I will leave it at that.

Tiny restaurant with maybe 6 – 8 spots at a bar. Lots of people take it to-​go.
Don’t be fooled by the low prices of around $ 6 – 7 per entrée. The portions are pretty tiny. I got both the Yamo House Special Noodles and Tea Leaf Salad, and I easily finished both. The noodles were pretty remarkable. Half of the noodles was coated in sauce and the other half was completely unsauced. Upside was that there was a lot of garlic. Downside was that there was only garlic, noodles, and cilantro. So whatever you imagine that tasting like, it’s pretty spot on and unremarkable. The tea leaf salad was surprisingly pretty good. Spicier and more vinegary than other tea leaf salads I’ve had.
Yeah, service was a little intense. Make sure you are ready to order when the lady asks you. She doesn’t seem like the type of person I would want to get on the wrong side of. Cash only.

Had high expectations coming into this place after all the hype… and it definitely met up with my expectations! If you go into your meal mentally prepared that the service would be horrible. it’s actually not too bad and kind of funny. Only about 8 seats in the whole restaurant and 3 old ladies working. One cooked, one cut vegetables and the other one (lady with the fro) is the one that like to yell at everyone for being slow and telling people they are «annoying» in Burmese (I only understood because it’s similar to Cantonese) as she takes the orders and quickly cleans the tables…
As for the food, I ordered 2 entrees… (and got yelled at for ordering 2 because the lady thought I wouldn’t be able to finish both… which I did :))
I got the Yamo House noodle with pork which was absolutely AMAZING! the noodles were perfectly chewy and the roasted garlic gave it such a simple but flavorful taste. ($ 6.50)
I also ordered the black bean with fish over jasmine rice dish which was good but nothing to rave about.
The House Noodle though… sooo good that I had to get one TO-​GO to bring to my mom in Los Angeles tomorrow. I got lucky as they are cash only and I only brought a 20 dollar bill.

Don’t get the hype.
I love beef chow fun so I decided to try theirs.
Portion was small, price was high, lady yelled «WHO ORDER CHOW FUN!?» The lady also seemed unhappy when I wanted hot sauce and soy sauce.
Will I come back? Maybe if I brought a date to show them a hole in the wall place, but based on the food, I probably wont.

Yamo, with its 10 counter seats, questionable ventilation, & curt service, reminds me of how SF restaurants used to be in the 80s. If I’m being kind, I’d say its got quintessential SF character. If I’m being real, I’d say I think it’s their relatively cheap prices, not the food’s flavor, that’s kept them in business all these decades.
My lunch partner had nothing good to say about their house fried chow mein & curry fish (I don’t think «tastes like fish nuggets» was a compliment.)
Tea leaf salad had no actual tea leaf flavor, tasted more like a spicy, vinegary cabbage slaw. As for serving size, you absolutely get what you pay for, not that we wanted more.
My house noodles with chicken was greasy, but oh-​so-​bland. Every couple bites I might get a taste of fried garlic, but it wasn’t enough to lend the flavor that the noodles were sorely missing. Surprisingly my favorite part of the dish were the bits of tender chicken breast.
If you’re looking for good Burmese food, look elsewhere. If you’re looking to show your out of town friends the «edgy», grimy, or unique SF food scene, I guess Yamo would suffice as a decent example (with a disclaimer that there’s much better Asian food in the city.)
Cash only.

Hey, if you’re in the Mission and want a singular experience akin to meeting someone like the Soup Nazi in San Francisco, then you have to eat at Yamo! But really, the lady that people are dubbing the «Angry Asian Lady» is not very bad, so don’t be scared. As in most Asian restaurants, service is not going to be super friendly, but the food is good and inexpensive.
And you really have to see this place to believe it. It is TINY! One counter, 10 stools and that’s about it. You can see all the kitchen action from your seat! There is a refrigerator at the end of the counter with water and sodas, so help yourself with the water/​soda and that will be added to your bill.
We both ordered the House Noodle dish, with pork as my protein of choice and beef for the hubby. We also ordered the egg roll which was just okay. I wouldn’t order that next time. It’s a little greasy and could be tastier. We both liked the house noodle dish though. The noodles were nicely cooked and garnished with scallions, fried garlic and cilantro. The bits of pork were tasty but it wasn’t very much. The hubby liked the bits of beef on top of his noodles too. If you have a big appetite, definitely order something else other than the noodles. A bowl of it may not be enough to alleviate your hunger, and with most dishes priced at $ 6, one can certainly afford another dish. Just make sure you have enough cash. They only accept CASH!
When we left the restaurant, there were lots of people outside waiting for seats and waiting for their to go orders. Popular place! If we’re in the Mission again and are craving Asian noodles and we happen to have cash in our wallets, maybe we’ll eat here again. Perhaps I’ll try their Tea Leaf salad next time and more of those noodles!

Yamo is a «quick-​fix» Burmese eatery with a limited menu, almost the opposite of Zagat-​rated Burmese restaurants in the area like Mandalay and Burma Superstar. It’s small, cramped, family-​owned, not very sanitary, has an open kitchen, offers simple comfort food, and everything on the menu is under $ 10. Yamo fits all the criteria of a «hole in the wall».
If you’re lucky to find an empty spot on the 8 seat counter, go hang up your backpack on the wall, take a seat on the bar stool, read the sticky menu, and better order within a minute or else you will get on the bad side of Yamo’s impatient waitstaff. Between three people, we shared the samusa, tea leaf salad, and a Yamo chicken house noodle. That’s not enough food for a real meal here, so we got scolded by the waitress. If only she knew we chose to eat light because we had a dinner reservation 3 hours later…
The samusas were generic, they reminded me of deep fried hot pockets stuffed with a mild meat filling. Based on its texture, the samuas was definitely a frozen food product and not homemade. The supplied dipping sauce was the sweet and sour type that accompanies egg rolls.
Tea leaf salad (lahpet thoke) was not very memorable. Actually, it tasted even worse than the ones I’ve eaten at Burmese restaurants in LA. Yamo’s salad was overall crunchy which I found satisfying but the flavors were very very mellow. It sorely lacked the pungent and bittersweet flavors that I expected from mixing fermented tea leaves with other ingredients in the salad, which is what makes this Burmese salad so unique. Instead, the salad tasted sweet and garlicky more than anything else.
Finally, Yamo’s house noodle was simplistic and ordinary, yet almost everyone else in this hole in the wall had a bowl in front of them. Egg noodles were boiled in some oily broth, then batched drained, served with some pan fried boneless chicken, peanuts, and green onions. What’s so special about it? What’s Burmese about it? Even after the chef drained the oil, the bowl of noodles was still a grease bomb. Not worth the $ 6.
As others have already mentioned, you won’t find service here. The three ladies who prepare your meal are not very friendly, so it’s best to eat fast and get out ASAP. The chefs appear to speak Taishanese, a Cantonese dialect, to each other and joke around. Well, the damage was $ 19 for this disappointing meal. Not worth it for the snack-​size portions and uninspiring flavors, not worth a detour to come here. I would only recommend this place as a cheap introduction to Burmese food.

Service here is speedy, snappy and sassy. Yamo’s personality is really something else, even among hole in the wall places.
Upon arrival you’ll either be greeted by a long line or a single server barking «what do you want!?» as soon as you step foot in the doorway.
Seating is extremely limited — a single bar strip facing the kitchen so take it to go if you have more than 3 people.
The food is flavorful and tasty! Portions are more than fair for the price but you won’t be full. Recommend ordering appetizers if you’re hungry.
We ordered the Yamo House Noodles and Chicken Mango. Chicken mango was spicy and noodles were nice and chewy!
Come here with an open mind and don’t take any of the snapping at personally! They run a tight ship here and each party will get ragged on for something different. For us it was asking twice for water, for the group after us it was asking for extra chili sauce.
You’ll have to look beyond the grease /​rough edges and not sweat the little things here. All part of the Yamo experience! :)