I don't think I've ever had standalone Burmese cuisine before, but Mandalay definitely set the bar high for me. The Balada was by far my favorite dish here. The pancake was just so crispy and light, almost like a croissant, and the curry dipping sauce was fantastic. Not super spicy, but enough kick to make sure you know its a curry. If I were to go back, I would just order this twice instead of a standard entree. The Mandalay special noodle is mixed in front of you and features a cleaner flavor. Each ingredient stands out on its own despite being mixed in together, and overall is a very light dish that leaves you feeling refreshed rather than heavy. Overall fantastic spot, would recommend. read more

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Can't say I loved it can't say I hated it but pancake appetizer was heavily oiled with no flavor and the main dishes were tiny for $23 The pork belly was great, noodles were good but again surprisingly expensive for the portion I would recommend searching elsewhere considering food price etc read more

We were really looking forward to the opportunity of dining at Mandalay last night. However, it was unfortunate that ALL of our dishes were highly over salted, including the otherwise delicious hot & sour soup, tea leaf salad, and 3 ingredients entree. The food was so otherwise tasty, we were confused why this problematic over seasoning occurred throughout. The after-effect was the need to continually drink water for several hours. The coconut rice, tea and "margarita" were wonderful. The other disappointment was how servers continually "hovered" over our table, taking plates just as a fork was placed down, and starting to clean the table before we even got up. Felt more like a diner than a restaurant! Have things changed that much since earning the James Beard award? read more

I got Mandalay for takeout, and I have to say I may even like it better than Burma Superstar!! Their beef curry was incredibly tender and flavorful, the special noodles were so munchable, and the tea leaf salad was fresh and delicious with more toppings than leaves! I love the amount of delicious Burmese restaurants around, and this one is up there! read more

We had a fantastic birthday dinner at Mandalay for a group of eight. We sat outside in their heated parklet, which made for a really comfortable and festive setting. The service was attentive all evening and the food was excellent. We started with the vegetable pot stickers and vegetarian samosas, both great for sharing. Then we had the table-side mixed tea leaf salad and the mango salad, along with their house special samosa soup (we ordered a double). They thoughtfully portioned it so everyone at the table could enjoy it, which was perfect. For the main course we shared three entrées - a curry chicken, a pork with vegetables and a green beans dish with four orders of steamed rice, and it was more than enough food for everyone. We ate family style and shared. To finish, we had the fried banana and the creamy rice dessert--such a nice sweet end to dinner. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Tea leaf salad - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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TLDR : Great place, delicious food and quick service Such ana amazing place for some Burmese food. Loved their mango and tea leaf salads. The chili lamb and the special noodles were amazing. The ambiance is nice and cozy for a good meal with friends and family. Overall a great experience. read more

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Everything we ordered was absolutely superb! The papaya salad was one of my favorites -- so flavorful and perfectly balanced, with chilies and oil on the side if you want an extra kick of spice. The basil eggplant was delicious, cooked just right and full of rich flavor. The chili lamb was incredibly tender with no gamey aftertaste at all -- you honestly wouldn't even guess it's lamb! The fish dish was amazing too, perfectly prepared. We left completely satisfied as always... burp! (Excuse me! ) read more

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Came here for my first time dining out at a Burmese restaurant! Was very difficult to decide what to order since there were so many unique dishes that looked delicious. - Mandalay special noodle: fried egg noodles and rice noodles in a yellow chicken curry sauce. Felt a bit sweeter than Thai yellow curries I've had in the past - Tea leaf salad: chickpeas, peanuts, tomato, sesame seeds, and some fried onion/garlic mixed in a tea leaf dressing. Very refreshing! - Mango chicken: my fav of the night! Amazing mix of sweet, savory, and spicy. I've never had cooked mango before and I'm a fan The restaurant was very colorful and full of decor inside and had plenty of seating! Walked in on a Thursday evening with no wait and experienced very quick service. The only thing is that the portion sizes were a bit small given the price, it was over $80 after tax and tip for the three dishes read more

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Thinking about which cuisine we haven't had in a long while and Burmese food came up. We've been to Mandalay Restaurant years ago and wanted to revisit this spot. It was very busy when we got there, but we managed to grab a table after a few minutes. They decorated the ceiling with LED lights, so it was difficult to take pics of the menu without having some of the lighting reflect back! ***OUR PICKS*** TEA LEAF SALAD ~ salad prepared with imported Burmese tea leaves, toasted with lentil seeds, grounded shrimp, fried garlic, green peppers, sesame seeds, peanuts and dressing. This dish is very popular and always a nice starter. Enjoyed this tasty salad! So different from the typical leafy salads. Though seeds can get stuck in your teeth. Grab some toothpicks. 4/5 MANDALAY SPECIAL NOODLES ~ Burmese flat noodles with mild coconut chicken, yellow pea powder, lime juice, onion and fried thin noodles on top. Good coconut flavor but it wasn't as tangy as we would have liked so we asked for more lime slices for added zing! 4/5 VOLCANO BEEF ~ recommended by the server. We thought the sauce was a bit too sweet and needed some balance. 3/5 Their food is about 4 stars, but it was expensive for small portions. Nothing was leftover and we didn't start off starving. My guy was still hungry after this, so he topped off after we got home. read more

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I have enjoyed every dish I have gotten here so far. The service is always friendly and courteous--even when they are busy. My most recent visit involved a group of 11 folks and the staff was very accommodating. Everyone left happy and full! My favorite dishes so far: Mandalay Eggplant (the eggplant was perfectly fried and crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside with a delectable sauce), Mandalay Special Noodle, and Basil Spicy Pork. All of their drinks are also fun and yummy! I recommend this restaurant to any of my friends and family who are visiting and want to try Burmese food. read more

A staple for authentic Burmese food, verified by my Burmese peeps. Gotta get the go to's, tea leaf salad, catfish stew, chicken coconut stew, eggplant and Burmese noodles. All good every time I go. Doesn't deviate which makes this place a solid choice for Burmese everytime. read more

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I'll start by saying the staff was more than friendly. While not the most attentive, they absolutely created a welcoming environment for my guest and me. That warmth, along with the restaurant's interior charm and family-owned feel, is easily its strongest quality. Unfortunately, that's where much of my praise ends. The menu feels gimmicky and, to be blunt, it sports above-average prices for below-average quality and portions. There was also no shortage of upselling. Nearly every item we ordered was met with a push toward a special. This extended beyond the food. Even after clearly declining drinks, the beverage menu was presented to us a second time. It felt less like thoughtful service and more like coordinated up-charge action. We ordered three entrées, beginning with the house noodle special. There's little to say about it beyond its laughable portion size. At $26, it arrived looking closer to a handful of noodles than a proper entrée, and that is not an exaggeration. It was about half the size of the image displayed online. To make matters worse, the timing was strange. Our second dish arrived 13 minutes later, followed by the third another 6 minutes after that. Dining out is meant to be shared, and serving entrées in waves nearly 20 minutes apart makes that difficult. We waited until all entrees arrived, inevitably having the staff microwave the first entree. We also ordered the Walnut Broccoli Chicken and the Spicy Basil Eggplant. Despite being entirely different menu items, they tasted remarkably similar, both largely drowned in a heavy sweet chili glaze that overpowered any individuality. I will say this: the chicken was clean, and the vegetables tasted fresh. But fresh ingredients alone don't make for memorable cooking. Beyond its charm, this place simply doesn't have much to boast about. It isn't especially original, leans heavily on gimmick, and ultimately delivers an experience that falls short of what its pricing suggests. I wouldn't bother returning. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - entrees - house special noodles/ walnut broccoli chicken/ basil spicy eggplant - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had a wonderful dinner here on a Sunday evening. Even though the place was busy, we lucked out and were seated right away, no waiting! ​The service here is truly exceptional. Everyone was friendly, and we were fortunate to have Shelly as our server. She is a genuinely warm person who provided perfect menu recommendations and ensured our food arrived quickly. The service was fast and attentive throughout the meal. ​For the food, the Noodles were the absolute highlight; they tasted fantastic and are a must-order! The Tea Leaf Salad and Chili Tofu were also delicious. (The Samusa Soup was the only item that was just average for us.) ​The ambiance is lovely, and for those driving, there was plenty of street parking available, which is always a plus. Highly recommend this spot!! read more

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This was my first time eating Burmese food and it was delicious. We came here with six people there was a long line so it's important to make a reservation in advance. Especially if you come with more than one person. Our server new the menu front to back and give us some wonderful recommendations. They took into accounts are dietary restrictions we had two vegetarians and two shellfish allergies as well as lactose intolerance. We sat outside and it wasn't too bad if they had heaters. They had string lights and it was a really nice cozy vibe. No one was overly formal some people did dress up more. We tried various foods and the total came out to about 127 per person. The food was great and I would definitely come back to try other options. For me this feels like a special occasion vibes and not a weekly dinner place. read more

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The place was so beautiful on the outside and on the inside! The restaurant was decorated with traditional ornaments and arts. The place wasn't super busy but it wasn't empty either, seemed like there were a few returning patrons from viewing their interactions. Staff were very friendly! It looked like a family establishment. The menu was very straightforward and traditional. We weren't very hungry so we only ordered a few dishes to share but wow the food was amazing! I wish we ordered more stuff. Definitely recommend all the dishes we got! Cant wait to go back and try more dishes! This place is definitely a GEM! read more

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My last few visits has now put Mandalay at the top of my list for Burmese restaurants around SF. The most visit visit took place last weekend. My friend wrote her name/number on a paper wait-list, we were pleasantly surprised that a real person called to share that the table is ready. If Mandalay incorporated a digital waitlist and notification system, it'd be a real game changer! Prices have definitely gone up over the years. A tea leaf salad now costs $20! Not sure about other days of the week, but weekends they seem to include specials. Our table of 5 shared the branzino fish special, it was very unique looking, and the taste wasn't bad either. The entree included sweet/sour sauce, which isn't my fav, but others in the group liked the dish. The hit entree of the night was the spicy chicken with aspragus, everything was sauteed nicely, and not too spicy, just the right amount of kick. This paired really well with the coconut rice (rice not included, ordered rice as a side). Overall, service was attentive. They close at 9pm, last call for the kitchen was 8:40pm, and by 9:15pm, bright lights came on and most cusotmers were scrambling to leave. The staff isn't shy about ushering people out. There are a handful of Burmese restaurants in this part of SF, and Mandalay has kept up with the competition. I'll be back again in the future. #18/2025 read more

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We arrived on a busy Sunday night and thankfully were seated. They crammed 4 of us into a small table that would typically be for teo people. I noticed they were cramming the last few tables with 2 more seats as compared to the other tables that eere filled beforehand. Service is a bit too attentive as I felt we were asked the same questions 3 times. ie asked if we wanted dessert 3 times, asked about being ready to order, etc. Although, this is certainly better than bad service. We got the tea leaf salad, nan gyi dok, mandalay chicken, crispy half chicken, and 2 coconut rices. The food was fresh and quickly arrived one after the other my favorite was easily the mandalay chicken. It had so much meat and flavors mmmm. Tea leaf salad was great in that it was!'t too crunchy. Most tea leaf salads feel like they'll break my teeth and this one was fine. Overall, very delicious and top tier food. read more

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I had been hearing about this place for a while and finally tried it. I'm so glad I did! This restaurant is absolutely worth the wait. Everything we ordered was so good! The flavors are vibrant and I could tell they use high quality ingredients, which really makes a difference (the incredible mango they use!) I'm looking forward to going back to try other items on their menu! Quick Tip: even if you join the yelp waitlist, make sure you check in with the host when you get there to make sure you're officially added to their list. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Tea Leaf Salad - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've tried this restaurant countless times... and I must say it's a hit every time. I've never had a bad meal or dish ever. The customer service is very friendly and accommodating. I have tried a good portion of the menu but keep coming back to the Volcano Beef, tea leaf salad, mandalay special noodle, and chicken with asparagus. The servers remember us even though it's been a long time. This is my favorite Burmese restaurant. read more

Oh my... I love this place. The food is EXCELLENT. So many delicious flavors with fresh and aromatic ingredients. The service is great; accommodating and professional. The atmosphere is cool. Somewhat casual, but very decorative and almost festive. I recommend trying everything on the menu! I've been here twice, and I shall return. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Burmese Style Noodles - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Burmese food is unique. I started with the tea salad. It's delicious. Presentation is amazing with the stirring in front of you. Lots of different flavors and textures, it's inviting. Also had the soup samosa. The samosa was soggy but the sourness of the soup had different layers. Great. The special noodles was also enlighten my taste buds. It was good. The curry was soso. It's a combination of an Indian and Chinese curry. I'm not a fan of either. My grief was slow service but friendly. Nice try. read more

Came here on a weekend and it was busy! The wait was about 20 minutes. Even if it was busy, the workers were patient and friendly! Ordered the fried eggplant, mandalay special noodles, pumpkin curry, and mandalay chicken. Everything I ordered was awesome. I'd definitely come again!! read more

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This was my absolute favorite meal the last time I visited San Francisco - I ordered far too much food for one person, but it was all so good. I got the tea leaf salad and the Mandalay special noodles, which was both so delicious. Both are must get dishes, but especially the noodles. So so yummy - I would go back and get these. I also tried their Mandalay special dessert, which is a bunch of fun random things like rice crackers and ice cream and jelly. This meal really sparked so much joy. read more

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They are James Beard winner for a reason. I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner there. Great food, attentive service and good ambience. - Mango chicken: it was so tender, a little sweet from the seasoning and tanginess from the mango. - Mohinga the fish chowder doesn't have that strong fishy taste. Good but not great. - Beef curry: good curry flavor, different from other curry I had - Tea leaves salad: great crunch, good flavor but very small portion. They doubled the portion for our table of 4 but I still think it was small. - Balada: prata with sweet curry sauce. My least fav of the meal. Nothing stood out read more

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Such a good time! The ambiance is super nice and colorful and speaks true to the Burmese culture. The food was so flavorful and complex without just having one strong flavor or incredible heat. We got the chicken curry and the noodles and the table side preparation of the noodles was such a nice touch and fun to watch. Also think they prepared it a lot better than we would have. The staff was attentive and did a good job managing the huge crowd and also the folks waiting in line to come get seated as well. Definitely want to go back for nice homey food. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Burmese Style Curry Chicken - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

LOVE!! this place has THE best Asian food I have ever had!! Tea leaf salad is amazing especially. definitely recommend!

I highly recommend this place! The tea leaf salad is so interesting and flavorful. All of the dishes had really good quality ingredients and interesting flavors. The service is also great, everyone went over the top to make us feel welcomed and taken care of. They explained all the dishes to us when we had questions, and everything came out fast and fresh. read more

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The decor in this restaurant is beautiful and imaginative. The servers were friendly and attentive and our lunch was delicious . Everything was very fresh and fragrant with spices; pan fried okra prawns, coconut rice, tea leaf salad and coconut chicken noodle soup. This was the best okra I have had anywhere, still firm and bright green and the sauce was amazing. Great restaurant. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Part of the interior - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Always fun. Always terrific food. Always very chilly -- bring a sweater! And decorated beautifully! read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Ginger Salad Noodles - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Roaming alone here today. Still the food is so tasty. I used to come here often when I lived in SF. It does not change a bit for the food quality and good services. However, the price is definitely increasing. I still see the owners come to greet the customer and take order themselves. Wait only a few minute to be seated today. Full house tonight. Lot of people celebrate the birthday. Fun atmosphere today which made my roaming alone not that bad. Must have here is tea leaf salad! read more

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It was my first time trying this restaurant and I ordered to-go. I ordered what seemed to be the top 4 dishes - tea leaf salad, noodles, mango chicken, and coconut rice. What I liked most was actually the coconut rice as it was perfectly seasoned, and I liked the sauce of the noodles a lot as well so I enjoyed that dish. They were both tasty, but I found the tea leaf salad lacking the veggies as it was mostly the peanuts/sides and the mango chicken didn't come with much chicken. Every dish felt like there was attention to detail and flavor overall. I love the homey feel of the place. Pickup service was accurate and easy at the front. Sit-downs look like they write their name on a paper waitlist. It's SF street parking. I like that they have an outdoor seating! read more

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Really good food and fantastic service as well. Would most certainly love to come back.

We tried to walk in at around 6:45 on a Saturday night just two of us. We waited for maybe 25 minutes. The staff was so sweet trying to get everybody sat down as quickly as possible. There is a paper waitlist on a clipboard that you want to put your name on. Even though you put your phone number down, you should just stand there and wait cause I don't know if they call people. Once we were sat, the service was very quick. The food is all absolutely excellent. The mango lassi is perfect. The tea leaf salad is the best I've had in San Francisco. The decor is very sweet and cozy. It makes you feel very comfortable. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Balada - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The tea leaf salad here might be the most authentic (?) in town, but it was too salty for me personally. The focus is on the tea leaves for sure. After eating a few bites, the server asked me how the tea leaf salad was, and I asked her if they had any cabbage or lettuce for me to add to it. She agreed to ask the kitchen and bring me something, but she never returned with any cabbage or lettuce haha. I guess she didn't like my request lol. The other two noodles we got were good. We were here for an early dinner so we were one of the few tables. Different servers stopped by every 3 minutes to ask how we were doing. It got real annoying. They might need to assign servers to certain tables. I like when servers stop by once or twice once the food comes to see if we need anything else or want to order more items but they kept interrupting. The owners need to hire some friends or secret shoppers to try out the restaurant. Of the Burmese restaurants in town, I like the decorations here the most. The bright yellow walls and wall art make me feel like I'm in a SF Burmese restaurant vs some other city. I think it be nice if they hung even more lanterns or umbrellas from the ceilings. Instead of the Christmas looking garland, they should use fake versions of plants that are native to Myanmar. The plates/dishes they use are cute too. read more

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Came here for lunch with a friend after eyeing it for a long time. The dishes really lived up to the hype! The interior is decorated very culturally rich and vibrant and it almost felt like you're in Burma. We got three dishes to share. All the dishes have amazing texture and flavor. The tea leaf salad is amazing! Everything was mixed together to give a super crunchy texture and rich flavor. But it's not a salad in the traditional sense so don't expect too much greens or veggies. We also got the mandalay special noodle and mandalay beef. The beef is sweet and tangy with a crispy texture. The noodle is cooked perfectly with very rich flavor from the curry chicken. The service was very attentive and fast. They also help mix the dishes and explain the ingredients. Would love to come back to try more! read more

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SF has a few good Burmese restaurants and this is one of them! It's in the Richmond and has a very bright and fun interior, the decor is eclectic and has the southeast Asian vibes. The tealeaf salad was punchy and flavorful. It didn't have any salad greens which is probably it's more traditional form. We also enjoyed the coconut chicken noodle soup, Singapore curry noodles, and the Burmese beef curry. Some of the portions were smaller than expected but all the dishes were very flavorful and delicious. The servers were very kind and nice. I had accidentally spilled some soup on the table and they were quick to help me clean it up and brought more napkins. read more

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The place is so inviting as you enter. It's very homey and fun with decorations and colors. I have decided the wood ceiling paneling adds the homey feeling. ordered beef noodles, Mandalay soup and chicken curry. Prices are on the high and the portions were on the low side but everything was extremely tasty. Their drink menu is extensive as you wouldn't expect from a Burmese place. Got the soju spicy margarita and it was good. Service is good. With so many options in the city for food, it would take time to go back but it would be on the list to do so. read more

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We came last night 3 of us with reservations, the server has many's carrying duties like drink, food, checkups etc, it's Friday night so is packed, Food in small portions. Even though is cute designed interior, sadly inside restaurants so freaking cold like outdoor ok plus 5 degree up i guess after we ate some appetizers we got the pork spring roll which were crunchy and bacony taste, we got tea leaves salad that need more color cabbage or tomatoes, like I wrote the portion tiny, so the main course just arrived in small bowl too, our side were coconut rice which were my favorite thing weird, they cooked it to perfection., we got pumpkin chicken curry and basil beef which to sweet for us. We don't have room for dessert. There for we feel like we will not came back. Is always nice to bring some left over. I felt the portion were smaller side. read more

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Great interior and such a good dinner spot! Loved the unique tea leaf salad. The mandalay special noodles was also a favorite. Service felt like it was lacking in terms of attentiveness/availability but the servers were very sweet and mixed our food items. read more

Mandalay Restaurant - Tea Leaf Salad (Lap Pat Dok) - Burmese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here thinking it would be good since it won the James Beard award but was disappointed! The food was very oily! The crispy white garnish had a smell like it was expired and old. I don't really know what else to say....it just wasn't up to my expectations of what a James Beard restaurant would be like read more

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