Shwe Myanmar

Gaaaaahhhhhh! No, Shwe Myanmar, NO! Say it isn’t so. I just found you and now it appears that you’re closed?! Oh my goodness, what to do? I just got review of the day TODAY for your dinner hole and now this. I am just beside myself, come back!!!

They could have told me that, because it was Sunday evening, that many of the items on the menu were not available when they sat me down and gave me the menu, instead of when coming to take my order after I’d spent five minutes musing over the offerings.
But fortunately what I wanted was not among them, so I got it: chili lamb. General style and appearance was rather like the cumin lamb in some Chinese restaurants: stir-​fried with heavy seasonings, with jalapenos and onion bits mixed in. But there was no cumin: instead there was basil, and a slightly sour overtone to the overall taste. But interesting and delicious, and the lamb was still tender and detectably lamb under all the spices. This was good stuff.

Enjoying take out tonight from Shwe Myanmar; it’s become a staple in our restaurant lineup. Every time we eat in or take out we include the Roti Platha, Samusa soup, Tea Leaf salad and the awesome hot Burmese Tea (like chai but with a hint of chocolate flavor). Tonight we added sesame chicken (solid) and the chicken kebat, which was delicious. Always plenty of food and we love the proprietor — she always offers to explain the dishes and I appreciate that she reads back our order every time and when we pick up– I’ve never gotten home and found I was missing something.
Having stood in line at Burma Superstar in SF many a time, I can’t recommend this place enough for equally delicious food with less hassle and more friendly service. And the tea… I the tea!

Wonderful place! Went here with my boyfriend and his family. Had the Burmese signature tea lead salad which puts a new song to the palate, the lamb curry was o.k., mint chicken was a complex bite that englightened each sense, the prawns were great, the platha was amazing– the perfect cross of puff pastery and chewy filling. A wonderful spread.

¹⁄₃₁ Sunday Brunch date on cold day looking for comforts food =))
1^st timer here… knew about their opening news before while I had ramen across the street …
Parking — Street parking (not bad)
Ambiance –Casual with the traditional music =))
Service — Fast & Friendly
Space — Comfortable (reco for gathering with friends & date)
Food: —
I usually order Tea Leaf Salad at Burmese Restaurant …
I am on a Noodle Kick this Winter …
Ordered: —
–Roti Plata (LOVE IT!) Remind me of Roti Canai from Malaysia ! The curry chicken sauce go so well with the Crispy Roti! Comforts food MUST HAVE!
— Moh Hinga (LOVE IT!) Staple of Burmese food ! Winter Comforts Meal (Catfish Chowder Noodle Soup) with their house Chilis with Lime (if you LOVE Noodle with SPICY KICK this is must order)
— See Jet Kauser (Garlic Noodle) with Pork
Not the best I had (due to pork made of Char Siu) but my hubby love it…
**Winter Comforts Food 101**
FYI**Price online it’s OLD Price**

First I must say entering the restaurant was clean, warm, and inviting. I was greeted immediately. And they remained attentive throughout my service. Nice ladies. Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It had been a long time since I had Burmese food and I couldn’t find the one word to describe it. Then it came to me. I remembered the garlic. Lots of fried garlic and jalapeño peppers. I loved it. The food is somewhere between Indian and Thai. But don’t expect to recognize that as they have their own unique way of laying delicious flavors. We started with their Samusa Soup with Burmese style vegetarian soup with samusas, falafels, lentils, cabbage and onions. Wonderful curried soup on a cold rainy night. Followed by Tea Leaf Salad (Lap Pat Thut) imported Burmese tea leaf, mixed nuts, fried garlic, peanuts, romaine lettuce, sunflower seeds, tomato, sesame seed, dried shrimp (or vegetarian). This was so good and totally an original flavor. Next we had the Garlic Chili Shrimp. Wok tossed with cabbage, onions, garlic, and was lightly spicy. The garlic is sliced like almonds, deep fried, and generously sprinkled over the top of the food. Each portion was big enough to share. I would return and recommend this business. Medium spicy might be a little too spicy for many. I would recommend mild just in case.

The food is incredibly fresh, quality ingredients and unique flavors. The tea leaf salad, rainbow salad, roti with chicken curry, beef kebat our favorites. Please support this local gem.

Great Burmese and Thai food with plenty of vegetarian options. We’ve been a few times and have been really happy with everything we’ve tried.
The service is great… prices are low and the selection of dishes really can’t be beat. Oh… and when they ask how spicy you want the food… spicy IS spicy.

The place is clean, staff friendly and the food is yummy. We got the tea leaf salad and the burmese chicken curry. Both were very delicious. I also really enjoyed the Burmese hot tea. Meal was perfect for a cold wintery San Rafael night.

I am very very familiar with Burmese cuisine and was quite excited to try this spot. I was very impressed with the food. Everything was as it should be… flavorful, fresh & unique. We ordered quite a few items and each one was stellar. Some highlights were the Tea Leaf Salad, Nan Pya Dok, Samusas, Coconut Rice and Vegetable Fiery Tofu.
The service was wonderful and attentive as well! Both individuals assisting us were kind and helpful.
I cannot wait to go back and will be frequenting this restaurant on regular basis.
Thank you for coming to San Rafael!

Welcome to the neighborhood! I’m ecstatic about this place and hope to return with a large group. You must try the layer bread under the appetizer menu which is served with a delicious chicken curry and the 22 ingredient salad. Don’t forget to save room for the fresh mango sticky rice.
The owner of this place is so kind and attentive and came to our table to speak to us to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. I hope this place succeeds. I certainly will be frequenting it on a weekly basis. Thank you for offering authentic cuisine and healthy options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike!

We stumbled into this restaurant a few months ago after our plan A for dinner was closed for a private party. Glad that serendipity brought us here, as the service was great and the food was excellent. We had the tea leaf salad and a chicken curry entrée; highly recommend both but especially the tea leaf salad.

Sorry, this is certainly no Burma Superstar or Mandalay Restaurant. If you like quality, fresh, Burmese food, served in a classy or hip space, with a wide number of options for mostly vegetarian, non-​soy or gluten dishes– perhaps look elsewhere.
We’ve been excited about having 2 new options for Burmese food in Marin. We decided we’d try Shew Myanmar first. My partner has some food restrictions, so we called ahead to check on the offering of dishes with no-​gluten and no soy. The employee answering the phone assured us we would have plenty of things to choose from and options.
Arriving at this restaurant, we noticed that it has a kind of simple, cheap, Chinese food restaurant feel and décor. The artwork is Burmese but the feel is utilitarian and inexpensive. Simple is certainly ok, if the service and food are good. Unfortunately, our waitstaff didn’t know much about what is in the food nor did they have a strong grasp of English– so asking questions about the ingredients and concerns about avoiding soy and gluten were mostly met with blank stares, «I don’t know“s, and let me go ask the chef replies… which is ok for a newer restaurant and waitstaff unless it seems like not knowing what is being served is the fault of the customer and having to learn by asking the chef is an inconvenience.
When our food arrived, it looked fairly appetizing but it also had the distinct look of being made with canned or jarred pre-​made sauce and the taste was a bit shy of what we have come to expect at other Burmese restaurants on the other side of either bridge.
A little more than $ 50 for 3 entrees (including 1 salad dish) and 1 non-​alcoholic drink left us feeling like we will not be back anytime soon.

We were not impressed. We arrived around 6:30 on a Saturday night and got the last table. I came in a few minutes after my companion entered the restaurant. When I sat down a server came over and asked if we were ready to order and we stated we just got there and didn’t have a chance to look at the menu. The noise level was noticeably high. My water glass had lipstick on it and the other water glass had dishwater streaks. Another server came by about two minutes after the first and asked if we were ready to order. I asked if they had a wine list and was informed they had a Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet and I asked which winery were they from. She left and came back and showed me a bottle of some wine I’ve never heard of. I assumed all the wines were from the same winery. I chose water and my friend got a beer.
The server came back with a beer and a hot glass that seemed to have come right out of the dishwasher. We waited about 15 minutes for someone to come back and take our food order. At that time she asked for in ice her beer glass. We also asked a few questions about some of the dishes, such as did one have cilantro, and the server couldn’t answer any questions about the ingredients in the food.
We both got chicken dishes. Chicken stew, which was not thick like the stew we are used to, and a dish that had fried chicken. Neither dish impressed us. The coconut rice was good, as well as the rice with cardamom, raisins and cinnamon.

A Burmese restaurant in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown San Rafael is just what the doctor ordered. Having recently set up shop in, what I believe, was the erstwhile Pa’s, they are definitely off to a great start and firing on all culinary cylinders.
The lunch menu has a good variety of dishes, and priced reasonably. I had the chicken curry lunch plate which came with a side of rice and tea-​leaf salad. The chicken curry came with a chunk of potato (besides, of course, the chicken), and was delicious. It may not look like much in the picture but it was enough to satiate most people. The tea-​leaf salad was pretty good — nothing outstanding but not the least bit disappointing either.
The star of the meal, however, wasn’t something I ordered; it was what a friend ordered. The spicy mint chicken. It was duh-​lee-​shious !!! I would give the dish five stars. I don’t know how to describe it but it simply called out to me. It’s a dish that’s on the drier side with a little spicy glaze-​like sauce on it, so some diners may want to get a second «saucey» dish if having them with a side of steamed rice.
I am ready to go back again (I have been ready since yesterday!)

Give me their Burmese Tea all day and all night long, put me in a floating bubble filled with that stuff, thank you.
My boyfriend says he hopes they will steal that pointless crowd from down the street because the puerto rican restaurant did not impress him at all. This little Burmese place stole his heart though.
Maybe not the Roti, a lil’ greasy but everything else made up for it.
He got the Burmese Lamb in the tear drop dish and was so happy like his tears dropped. They kick up the spice for you too. He got their thai Singha beer, nice and refreshing, and we always love Tea Leaf Salad. Now this is a phase for me that it was like my fourth Burmese restaurant in three weeks so these guys can really keep up with the best out there. I think the owner was checking on everyone, she was a real sweetheart, cute and quite the social butterfly.
Get over here before the crowd down the street moves here
5 stars

It’s nice to have some better Asian food options in Marin, and Shwe Myanmar is no exception. Burmese food in San Rafael! Get excited!
I tried their Moh Hinga, a catfish stock soup with noodles, chickpeas (ground up), onions, cilantro and a hard boiled egg. It was very delicious, but quite a small portion.
I think it’s safe to say that most of their lunch offerings are reasonably priced at around $ 9.00. I stole little tastes from my coworkers’ plates and found everything we ordered to be quite tasty. That being said, the portions are too small for me to be regular.

So excited to have a new restaurant in downtown San Rafael. And the owners of Shwe Myanmar are certainly brave to move into that spot on B St — good for them!
Arrived for the lunch special on a Wednesday at 12:30. Happy there was no problem getting a table and was amazed the place was so busy for being so new. (always a good sign)
Ordered the beef curry lunch. The SALAD was amazing! Crunchy little things in there made it so interesting! Really really great. The curry was good although not spectacular. The meat was overly chewy; the sauce was nice (not too spicey). Next time I’ll try the chicken.
Waitress was attentive. Service was good. My bill got a little messed up but she straightened it out easily enough.
Will definitely return to try more dishes.

Finally made it back for a second helping. The restaurant definitely picked up in business since the first time I came here, and that’s great (and not surprising) to see. I’m also not sure what changed since last time, but the restaurant felt more inviting and warmer (décor and lighting-​wise). Another noticeable and positive change was the wait time after ordering; we got our entrees within minutes. The service was still friendly and attentive.
So this time I tried the Burmese Fried Rice and Nan Gyi Dok (chicken curry thick rice noodle), both of which I’d order again. Oh yeah, and I ordered the Rainbow Salad again, of course (drool-​worthy). Next time I visit will be for the curry lunch special!

Shwe Myanmar ends the decades old tradition of thai food being offered here. now it’s Myanmar eats or burmese. didn’t check but believe there’s no more elephant pic on the wall. regular menu is pricey. went for lunch. choice of samosas or curry.
eats: beef curry lunch special (8.99) w/​tea leaf salad
–tea leaf salad
abridged version with shallots, shrimp, lettuce, red onions, tea leaf, etc., already mixed
not as elaborate as other burmese places
vinegary tasty, reminds me of chinese chicken salad
–beef curry
beef very tender, tasteless, brownie points for being edible
curry flavor slight, multtiflavored, some msg aftertaste.
3.5 stars for lunch, uncertain about regular menu.
take outs:
–service uneven. waited for food while waiter cleared tables.
–only l waiter on duty, no buspersons.
–no check ins, just refilled water.