Excellent tea leaf salad, moist and crispy at the same time. Loved it. The rate for Burmese Indian rice is very less. Very close to Indian biriyani. :) read more

Burma Ruby - Burmese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

What's the saying? When it's good, open a second restaurant, right? Rangoon Ruby has definitely been a hit and continues to remain packed to the point that the same people opened up pretty much the same restaurant down the street in a flashier, higher foot traffic space right on University Ave. The space itself may not be that much bigger than its older sister but it definitely is a flashier version, with a tall bar display and changing neon lights. They seemed to have ironed out some kinks other reviewers pointed out because we came as a large group for a birthday, ordered a ton of dishes and everything came out pretty swiftly. What to get: palata and tea leaf salad for starters. The green beans, pea leaves, eggplant with shrimp, lemongrass pork/chicken are all good. If you like sweet entrees the mango chicken is nice but I found it a bit too sweet, and I really like mangoes. Go big and get duck in your garlic noodles too. The best part: birthday celebrations here are met with what looks like a firework going off in a bowl of ice cream. It is definitely a catchy way to end a dinner. 7/10 people were sure it was peach ice cream but we were told it was mango. Either way, can you go wrong? If you are looking for something different than Rangoon Ruby, this isn't it as the menu is literally the same. It would be cool if the two places had a couple of unique items. If they both stay super active parts of the Palo Alto dining scene, I hope that's where they are headed next. read more

Was informed by Rangoon Ruby that they have a new sister restaurant, so we came here instead. The decor is modern with high ceiling. The place still has plenty of seats around 6:30, but very packed later. The seating space is very tight. All the usual Burmese dishes, which I am not an expert about. All the food are on a saltier side for me (especially the tea leaf salad), but I love the mango fish dish and palate. A bit awkward when we overheard the manager(?) getting mad at one of the staff's ordering mistake, and because all the tables are packed together, everyone heard, from the look of it... read more

My boyfriend and I came here for dinner on a weeknight. We made a reservation ahead of time, but there were plenty of tables available when we arrived. We got some flack for being too early(?) for our reservation--service overall was not the friendliest. We ordered a curry dish and the tea leaf salad. Both were good, nothing exceptional. I grew up in a Chinese-Burmese family and still prefer my Dad's cooking! Rice is not included with entrees. We were asked if we wanted rice, but were not told that it would be an extra charge--after the meal, we saw the $2.50 charge for a single bowl of jasmine rice. Overall, I enjoyed the food here, but it's a bit too expensive to be a regular date night spot for us and not quite nice enough to be a fancy splurge. read more

More like "Boo-ma Ruby" Food was just ok... Got the tea leaf salad, that was good but a little overboard on richness. The salt and pepper calamari was not what we expected... Very battered, and no salt and pepper? Salmon crisp also way overly battered. It was like a Mai ploy drenched fried to hell Panda Express type thing. Fiery beef, poor quality beef.. Chinese food flavor profile. I will say the Ruby string beans were really good. Overall... A sad way to spend $130 - one of those times that you feel you definitely didn't get what you pay for. Basically got $50 of chinese food for more than twice the price. Doesn't seem like Burmese food. Two stars for the friendly staff, place looks nice too... It's just the food needs to be better. Sorry... That's the truth! But, also most importantly, we wouldn't go back. read more

We highly enjoyed our meal at Burma Ruby. Everything we had was unique & flavorful . We shared the green leaf salad, a simple tofu & samosas appetizer. The salad is a signature Burma salad, very unique & delicious. The samosas were crispy with a potato filling. The tofu was simple & also crisp on the outside & soft in there the middle. We shared a spicy tofu & green bean dish, a very unique cat fish dish & the lemon grass chicken. The ambiance is loud & the dishes are slightly expensive but Burma Ruby offers unique dishes & flavors. read more

My family and I came here for an early Mother's Day dinner and were not disappointed! The waitress was very friendly and got our drink orders right away and brought me a glass of water upon request (I'm glad they do this!). Appetizers: Lettuce Wrap - They were able to make this a vegetarian option for my mom. The waitress was also kind enough to inform us that the sauce provided with the wraps contains fish sauce. Palata - We ordered this "spicy" and boy was it spicy! The coconut chicken curry was delcious, but a little to hot for me to handle! Tea Leaf Salad - We ordered the vegetarian version of this one as well and it was still incredibly tastly. It was a great crunch to it and has a flavor profile I've never encountered before! A must try! Main Course: Mint Jalapeno Chicken - I didn't find this dish too appetizing, it was a little bland for my taste. Others at the table did enjoy it though Veggie Kebat - I thought that these veggies had AMAZING flavor, it was actually one of my favorite dishes that night Burmese Pad Thai - nothing to special here, it tasted like pad thai and the noodles were cooked well. read more

Came here with a couple of friends, one of whom has been here many times. In fact, one of the women knew which dish she would order! We didn't order much since we weren't that hungry, but we got some sort of sweet chicken, spinach, and garlic noodles. The garlic noodles were the flat kind, and they didn't have as much flavor as garlic noodles I've had elsewhere (more at like Vietnamese restaurants). I probably wouldn't order that again. I also got a fruity drink that was nice and strong and came in a a neat tiki cup. Chicken was good, from what I remember, but nothing outstanding. Prices are on the more expensive side, but they are on par with the other restaurants in this area. Staff was nice and the restaurant was clean. read more

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Came here for a small snack inbetween lunch and dinner. It's a nice prime location with seating that opens out to the street. Perfect for late summer weather. tried some of the recommended dishes. The Tea Leaf Salad. Good for the first few bites... but it's super rich. lots of oil I needed a beer to cut through all the oil. Also had the Nan Gyi Dok. Good flavors... the noodles where a little mushy. Change the noodles and the dish would be much better. read more

Great food, great service! My husband, his family and I (total of 6) came here for dinner on a Thursday evening without reservations. It was my birthday and kind of an impromptu univ ave dinner plan. The hostess was super kind to find us a table within minutes. We ordered the tea leaf salad, palata, veggie curry and mango tofu with some Burmese-Indian rice. Everything tasted great. We really enjoyed ourselves! After a hearty, satisfying meal, they surprised me with a dessert, which was on the house :) overall they took great care, the food was awesome and we had a lovely evening!! Oh and the lychee martini was fantastic!! read more

Ordered tea leaf salad and northern tofu. Both were v good. Infact they replaced lettuce with cabbage in tea leaf salad and that was so filling. read more

Went for Burmese food here a couple of weeks ago. There were very few people in the restaurant. We were seated right away, but had to wait almost 10 minutes for someone to take our order. We got the tea leaf salad and pumpkin stew. Both were brought out at the same time. The pumpkin stew was cold and bland, it had no gravy at all. I asked for hot sauce, and the waiter brought me ketchup, it was sweet more than hot. Neither the food nor service were worth the high price. We will not be returning. read more

Had the most pleasant meal last night. It's amazing how caring wait staff can make your evening. Thank you Desire and manager Darel on my requests for vegan dished. My daughter loved the sesame chicken! Still amazed how u catered to us in such a crowded setting. The chicken kebat was to die for. We found a new regular spot. Thank you for a great birthday experience Rangoon!! P.S. Love the birthday candle Thanks again for going the extra mile. read more

We were a party of 18! We made our reservation and everything was setup. (All good there). We asked our server if we could order in groups (so that we can split checks accordingly) but we got to know that they generate one check per table and accept 3 cards only. Common, how hard is it ? Even denny's does it. A friend of mine ordered a drink, drink didn't arrive. Told the hostess, and got it a little later. End Result, we were charged twice. We noticed once we got back. The chicken shrimp biryani didn't live upto the expectation. read more

Good food, but little things made it just okay. They charged us for every soda refill (fountain, not can) but didn't tell us ahead of time. Also, we had a large group and they wouldn't let us use more than 3 cards, forcing a few people to pay for others when they aren't expecting it. This place has potential because the food is good, but they are petty enough to leave a little bit of a bad taste in your mouth. read more

Really bad food, small portion, and even using expired peanuts in the Burmese pad thai noodles

Tea salad had rancid nuts. Served on a small plate and so impossible to mix. Smaller portion than before Covid. Palata was OK. Used to love the place but not this time. Understand management knows of complaints but has yet to correct the issues . read more

Great young lady who made the awesome 'Green Envy' drinks... will be back next time to try the food.

This place is NOT recommended for couples. It was unbearably loud the entire time. I think the issue is they let so many large table groups to dine in which means everyone is talking over each other and it just gets louder and louder. The kitchen (or maybe it was the server?) also screwed up because we basically got entree #1 at the 20min mark, our 2 drinks at the #25min mark, then entree #2 at the 30min mark, and then our appetizer at the 40min mark. Ummmmm cmon that's laughably bad. And we were there at 8:30pm, it certainly wasn't a packed restaurant so the kitchen had no excuse. The waitress was also pretty unapologetic about it and you could tell she probably gets complaints a lot to the point where she's just over it. SUMMARY: 1) painfully loud environment, too many large parties, NOT good for couples 2) received entrees first, then drinks, then appetizer last. Terrible kitchen pacing 3) not the best wait staff GRADE: F 0/10 read more

Great food and wonderful service. General manager was fantastic. Highly recommend the garlic noodles! Staff was passionate and knowledgeable about the food. Super yummy! read more

We were a big group of friend Ordered different foods and drinks .. overall it's a good experience but not great Prices are ok kinda expensive the place is so busy and loud but I understand it was Friday night They might need to explain more about their dishes on the menu My plate was totally different than what I thought but it was ok Tried some of my friends dishes they were ok too I don't know maybe I'll give it another try!! read more

The food is pretty good but somehow we were the only diners and we barely got any service.

Disappointed. Used to be one of our favorite go-to restaurants--classy, elegant, a nice evening out. Their outdoor dining is a real disappointment though--cheap plastic tables that look dirty. Not even white paper to cover them. Not a single heater ("you don't need them in the summer"...really? Apart from a few hot days, weather in Northern California always cools down in the evenings. The Slider Bar next door has better heating, with its firepit tables. To top that, service is also sporadic, and you have to keep waving down the staff to get attention, and get them to take your order. Food comes before drinks, hot sauce is forgotten (and they keep reminding you that they charge $2 for it now)...overall, we took some visitors there, and it was a big disappointment. The owners need to pay attention to how this branch is run, and step up their game, or they will lose clientele. Several of our friends have had similar disappointing experiences. read more

Seems like a sister restaur to Rangoon ruby, menu almost looks similar. Make sure you have reservations during weekend visits. Rangoon lemongrass chicken was very tasty & flavorful Love their coconut rice & jasmine rice. Not to forget their refreshing cucumber infused water . Their portions are perfect for 2 & too much for a one . Staff is extremely friendly.. read more

To begin with the restroom is right next to the kitchen. After having the food both of us are having a terrible night now. Stomach ache and nausea. Gonna stay away from this place. read more

Today I do not hesitate to give ZERO stars to this restaurant. Yelp should provide this function and not force customers to give one start when they don't deserve it! The owner sends me a message saying to call him and he would take appropriate actions. And the action is " tell your friends to stop the credit card payments from where they got he gift card" Can anyone believe this. I wish this place all the best! I so sure know the huge community where I belong to will hesitate to go here. I am glad I didn't leave my purse here. LOL!!! read more

The service was a bit slow. Didn't have a waiter come us about drink orders until he came to ask for our food order. Didn't come.ask about appetizers again until the main dish order. And then it took awhile for the beer to show up. However, the Mango Salad was amazingly tasty and fresh. We had three dishes we shared...they were all decently tasty. However, if you like spicy which I would expect then make sure you ask for extra spicy...their medium was bland, the beef dish we got was tasty, but needed heat to go with the sweet. And the Jalepeno Chicken was more salty than spicy again. read more

"Garlic Noodle" was very bad, elsewhere it never tested like that before. "Chicken Crisp" reminded us of Orange-Chicken from Panda Express, only four times more expensive. "Chicken Biryani" is a big piece of whole leg of chicken (or turkey) placed over cooked rice, what a joke. "Palata", essentially was one layered-roti cut into small pieces and served with salsa, Cost 13 dollars "Lettuce Wrap": all you taste is salt other than lettuce, never try this dish again outside of PF Chang. Stir fry shrimp with onion and tomato; they named it "Kebat" and priced $23 a la carte. Most interesting was the 20% gratuity included in the bill. For a party of 12 people eating lunch, with regular tap-water drink paid $35 each per person. Our Conclusion: - Food quality: bad. - Service: reasonable. - Gratuity: 20 percent added to bill. - Net Lunch Price: Extremely high: $35 per person (no drinks purchased). read more

We were supposed to dine at Rangoon Ruby but we were recommended to visit Burma Ruby because Rangoon Ruby is totally booked for the evening. Nonetheless, you don't find any difference in the taste. But Burma Ruby has better cocktails than Rangoon Ruby. Fiery Tofu and Lettuce Wraps are the best. read more

Pros: - Really pleased by host. We initially went to Rangun Ruby, the sister restaraunt(down the road) and they were packed. However, that host called Burma's host and got us seated. Very acommodating. Cons: - Maybe we ordered the wrong stuff, but for a pretty pricey place the food missed the mark. We ordered Eggplant curry, Mango Tofu and Rice. The mango tofu was too sweet to even eat. The rest of the food was better, but very oily. Ended up leaving a lot for waste. read more

Burma Ruby is the type of restaurant where you want to make sure to have a reservation, especially for a Friday or Saturday night and definitely for a Friday night on the day when Apple releases a new iPhone (iPhone 6). I arrived to find a packed restaurant, line of Apple fanatics out front the sight of all managers and staff hustling to serve every table. My friend and I were seated shortly after we arrived and ordered the tea leaf salad, chicken and shrimp biriyani and pumpkin salmon stew. The tea leaf salad is my favorite: a blend of flavors and textures. The definition of "yummy" should include a photo and sample of this salad. The chicken and shrimp biriyani and pumpkin salmon stew are enough to share among three people. A sign of a good restaurant is when they can handle a full house, get food out on time and clear dishes when all is packed and hectic. Burma Ruby is a very good restaurant. read more

We actually went to the Rangoon Ruby location first which turned out to be full on a Tuesday night at 6pm. However they were kind enough to book a table for us at this sister location two blocks down. Same menu, but maybe even cooler atmosphere? Our group got the Tea Leaf Salad and the Mango Salad to share as appetizers and I got the Rangoon Noodle for myself. I think the Tea Leaf Salad is probably the must try since its a very unique dish. The Rangoon Noodle itself was good but not something that would stand out. I liked the atmosphere and the service was excellent. read more

This review is about the customer service as the food speaks for itself unless of course you have a hair in your rice, or a fly in your tea, but that's going to happen no matter where you go so let me move on. My original reservation at noon on a Friday was for 20 people but for whatever reason, the entire office decided to show up and increased the count to 32! Thankfully, the hostesses and manager accommodated us beautifully! Today was a special luncheon all around so I am very grateful for the staff and their willingness to fit us all in! Thank you Burma Ruby for making our office lunch outing a good experience! read more

Raquel was such a sweet waitress. The food was cooked to perfection--very unlike Nashville thai food. Highly recommend the Nan Gyi Dok--not spicy and very flavorful. Great outdoor seating too! read more

We came a group of 8 on Saturday noon, the food was delicious we liked it very much. Until suddenly one leg of the table broke and the whole table fell on my friend and the whole glass of milk ice tea poured all over her and her bag and her phone. Luckily it was the end of the meal and all the hot soups were done. The waitress came, didn't mention anything, just called someone and they cleaned the table silently. Like nothing happened, not even a word of asking if we were ok or to replace the drink. Not mentioning the drinks, maybe just ask: are you ok? ?? Afterwards the bill came, 20 percent of tips was included, we refuse to pay the tips, then she said: I'll call my manager. Finally came the manger, he said: this never happen to us, did you do anything? (Maybe this was because we came with 4 kids) But seriously! We didn't do anything how can you ask if we broke the table?! Anyway, it was not a pleasant experience at all, the people who are working in this place really are cold! read more

Pretty pricey (of course it's Palo Alto), but pretty good. Tea leaf salad is a must. Got the pumpkin chicken stew, which was okay. The chicken was a bit too dry/stringy for my taste, wish it was juicier. Their homemade ginger beer is well made. The coconut rice could have had more coconut flavor in it. LOVED the Chihuly lights!! One of my favorite artists :) read more

Went here despite a friend saying he'd tried it twice and it wasn't good. I ordered the rice noodles with chicken and yellow powder and was really disappointed. It was mushy and bland as if they'd boiled the noodles in plain water and forgot to take it off the burner. I added a bunch of hot sauce to try and add flavor but overall the food was not good and on top of that, overpriced. I should have heeded my friends advice. Service was friendly though. read more

This was one of my favorite restaurants up until the last visit. We had a reservation for 8:15 and we were already there before 8 pm. They somehow seated everyone around us and maybe even someone who showed up after us. The hostess was rude and finally got us a table around 8:45. The food was great, but again the service that day was very poor. And even the manager was not ready to listen/apologize. A fine dine experience can be totally marred with poor service. I hope they are listening. read more

I made a frivolous attempt to come to PA for the sole purpose of finding my grandfathers "favorite" Thai restaraunt (which he didn't know the name of) and find out it was closed to the dismay of two grandparents in their 80s who are hungry and need to take their pills. Determined, we trek on and after several menus looked at and environments scoped out, I point out this little gem. Satisfier with the setting , they approve. I'm a little concerned because they are both quite selective, and not incredibly adventurous. I'm enthralled because I love the food and can already smell the aroma of goodness soon to be consumed. So, the menu is amazing. Plenty or slighlty more exotic dishes, with plenty that will satisfy the more bland palate as well. For example they had a pad Thai which my grandpa ordered to my disapproval. The menu also offered a great selection of veg dishes which is always a huge win in my book. The food was very fresh, flavorful, and well prepared. The staff was fantastic as well. The setting is really nice. Modern with some inspiring art connecting you to the food. It is very open which is splendid with the great PA weather too. Overall, I was very impressed and will 100% return. Preferably with a more adventurous group so we can try some foods out together. read more

Good tasty food with a nice amount of spice! Tried both the lamb and the beef. The lamb could have been better. Service was sometimes a little slow to fill drinks but very friendly. read more

Burma Ruby - Burmese Near Me - Palo Alto, California