Burma Super Star Restaurant   

The audaciously titled Burma Superstar has a lot to live up to: It's one of only a handful of restaurants that claim to serve authentic Burmese cuisine. It's also one of a handful of San Francisco restaurants that draws crowds of people most nights for dinner, and in this city, your food had better be consistently good if you expect people not to blink at an hour-long wait. Start with "lat pat doke" (a salad of pickled green-tea leaves, tomatoes, cabbage and roasted nuts) or the unique and delicious rainbow salad comprised of no fewer than 22 ingredients, including four types of noodles, green papaya, tofu, onions, dried shrimp (or vegetarian) and a tamarind dressing. For dinner, try Burma's national dish called "moo hing nga," a rich stew of catfish and soft noodles in a spicy broth. Meat eaters will love the slow-cooked pork and pumpkin stew, and vegetarians can choose from an assortment of tasty dishes like the "poodi" (Burmese curry, made with potato), egg and okra curry, or tender eggplant served with garlic sauce. A variety of rice options, from straightforward brown rice to tan poi (basmati rice cooked with cardamom, cinnamon, raisins and nuts) are available to complement the complex flavors on the menu. Service, though occasionally forgetful, is unfailingly friendly. Prices are shockingly reasonable. With food this good for prices this low, it's no wonder there's always a line out the door and a dining room full of locals that dine here quite frequently.