Sriharsha A.

Went here Saturday lunch with the whole family, nine people, and they handled it pretty well. We made a reservation on a short notice but they were able to accommodate. Staff had great energy the whole time, which helped because food kept trickling out over almost two hours The samusa was fine, nothing too special. The platha had a solid crunch with a soft inside, but the vegetable curry dip tasted more like lentil soup than anything else. All the appetizers came with a spicy, vinegary red sauce that tied everything together. The fried tofu was the best one though, crispy but crumbles when you bite it, and that sauce on the side made it even better. The tea leaf salad had a strong umami and sour flavor, heavy on the sesame like taste. The garlic noodles were bland on their own but worked as a base. For curries we got the lemongrass tofu, mango tofu, black pepper tofu, and burmese eggplant. The burmese eggplant was one of the best things we ordered, sweet and savory. Lemongrass tofu was the other one to get, balanced and not spicy. Mango ran sweeter, black pepper ran hotter. Skip the pineapple rice, it tasted like plain rice. The basmati biryani was great, it had flavor and held up under the curries. For dessert, we got the sticky rice with mango ice cream, warm rice, tasty ice cream, worked together well.

Jacob M.

Chef Burma has been on my list to try for a long time. I'd only had Burmese food once before, and while I remember enjoying it, nothing really stuck with me. The restaurant itself is very nice inside and has a great atmosphere despite being just off the busy main street. Service was excellent from start to finish. We were seated quickly, got drinks right away, and the staff went above and beyond with recommendations. We definitely needed the help because the menu is huge and honestly a little overwhelming on a first visit. We ended up ordering the tea leaf salad, wok-stirred spicy noodles with shrimp, fiery tofu with vegetables, lemongrass chicken, and two orders of rice to share among four people, which ended up being the perfect amount. The tea leaf salad was unique and delicious. It's a Burmese staple with great textures and flavors ranging from crunchy and fresh to salty and savory. Really good. The fiery tofu was another standout. It was savory, umami-packed, and had a nice char. Their style of tofu is really unique and almost meaty in texture. The noodle dish was tasty, but surprisingly lacked any spice despite being called spicy noodles. Thankfully, our awesome waitress brought out a very spicy chili paste that reminded me a lot of sambal, which really kicked it up a notch. The shrimp was also very fresh and meaty, and you could tell it was good quality. The lemongrass chicken was good as well. The chicken was incredibly tender, likely velveted, with a nice savory flavor that felt balanced and not overpowering. One detail I really appreciated was how well all the vegetables were cooked across every dish. It's something that often gets overlooked, but nobody wants undercooked or mushy vegetables, and everything here was cooked perfectly. Overall, I was very impressed with both the service and food quality. The menu is so large that I'd absolutely come back to try more dishes. That said, while everything ranged from good to very good, I wasn't completely blown away by any particular flavor. I almost wonder if I just didn't order the dishes that best fit my palate. It's hard trying a new cuisine when you have no prior experiences to compare it too. Either way, it was a great meal, great service, and a great introduction to Burmese cuisine. I'm looking forward to learning more about the food and coming back to explore the menu some more.

Micaela Angela E.

Chef Burma is such a spacious, yet cozy space that is facing 16th street. The service was fantastic -- waitress who assisted us was so sweet and attentive. The food was incredibly delicious. My friend and I never had Burmese food before, so everything we ordered (except the calamari) was all new to us. I'm glad that we went here on a whim, because I definitely will be back!

Dang Y.

I've been wanting to visit here and finally did. I noticed that their menu is the same as My Burma in Davis. Same owner. I've been to the My Burma in Davis and have tried many dishes there so wanted to try something new. Ordered the Burmese chicken biryani which is the eighth in my chicken series trying chicken dishes. Chicken is very tender and fall off the bone. Topped with a yummy sauce you can barely see the chicken. Goes perfect with the rice I believe with turmeric. Forgot the name of person who helped me and she's very attentive. I enjoyed my dinner and I like the ambience of the place. I feel this place can be where you can celebrate family birthdays, graduations, etc. This is definitely one of the chicken dishes on top of my list. Will come back for it or try other dishes. Thank you.

Clarissa B.

The restaurant is beautifully set up, and the weight staff is both knowledgeable and kind. The glasses of water are always full. I have been twice now, and I still can't get that coconut rice out of my head. It literally gets free rent 24/7. I tried the mango shrimp last time and it was amazing, and I will probably go back and get another portion of it later this week.

Jasmine C.

We went to Chef Burma because my friends and I wanted to try something new. We all ordered different dishes to share, including two lamb dishes, a shrimp dish, and coconut rice. One of the first things we noticed was the open kitchen layout right next to our seating area, where you can see the cooks. Almost immediately, some of my friends felt irritation from the strong cooking aromas, especially from frying onions. Overall, the food itself was different and enjoyable, and we liked being able to share everything family-style. However, toward the end of the meal, we found what appeared to be a cockroach nymph in one of the dishes. We were very upset and had a difficult time getting our server's attention, needing to ask another staff member to help after about 10 minutes. When our server came over, she seemed embarrassed and said she would speak to the manager. She returned and said the manager would be comping one of the dishes, which felt a bit unusual given that we weren't even sure which dish the issue came from. A little later, the manager came over and asked, "So what's the problem, ladies?" When I explained what we found, she quickly responded that they "don't have roaches" and asked to see a photo. While I understand wanting to clarify the situation, the interaction felt defensive rather than apologetic. Ultimately, our entire meal was comped, which we appreciated, but the overall handling of the situation left us feeling unsettled. For context, I've had a much different experience at another restaurant where I once found a small piece of a butter wrapper in my steak. In that case, the manager immediately came over, apologized, and comped the entire meal without hesitation. That contrast made this experience feel even more surprising.

Tyler S.

First I'd like to say their server Rachel is an excellent waitress. She was very informative and attentive plus interacted incredibly well with our young kids! We'd go back just to be in her section regardless of the food quality. But luckily the food was also amazing and very celiac friendly! If you have celiac this place is great for you. But if you don't it's still great. It's a complete win win for everyone! If you're in the area stop by and if you're not in the area detour and stop by!

Darci K.

I love a fun night out, and it's extra special when friends gather for our monthly dinner. The service was exceptional. A special thank you to Angela, the manager, and to Bella our amazing server. You made our dining experience perfect. We started out with drinks and appetizers. Fried tofu- a tasty dish, but out of all of our incredible nibbles, this one was my least favorite. I would've preferred for it to have more seasoning on the tofu itself, maybe even more sauce to share. Fried chicken wings- light, not greasy, lightly seasoned, and really tasty! Samusa- like a Samosa, but with lighter flavors. Curried potatoes, with a mixture of some green beans, carrots, with a vegetarian dipping sauce. Absolutely delicious! We dined on and shared numerous entrées, which is really the way to experience a restaurant, culinary abilities! Plus, who doesn't want to try everything they possibly can with friends?! Eggplant with garlic sauce- definitely a wonderful vegetarian dish. The eggplant was perfectly made, and the garlic sauce was not overpowering, and it made each bite of eggplant sumptuous. Mango shrimp- it's one of those dishes that is so pretty that you can't wait to dig in. Large shrimp, with sautéed veggies and lots of mango sauce. I love the shrimp, I'm just not a fan of mango and shrimp together. It's definitely a dish worth trying if you enjoy both. Basil chili lamb- I always love a good lamb dish, and especially when it's as perfectly made as this one was. It wasn't game at all. The meat was tender, juicy, lightly seasoned and absolutely delicious. basil chili beef- this was equally as delicious as the lamb dish. The beef was tender, and so flavorful! Coconut rice- omg! The race was light, fluffy, and the coconut flavor was not overwhelming. It was a lovely accompaniment to the entrées, and truth be told, we all inhaled our food and especially the rice. They're literally was not an empty bowl left behind. For dessert, we all shared dessert Platha. The mango ice cream was absolutely decadent and delicious. The platha was tasty, and the fresh banana with a mango ice cream made for a perfect bite! This is a great place to enjoy Burmese food with friends, family, a date night... It's a great experience! Parking is a tad tricky, but there are plenty of parking buildings around that make it so much easier. Reservations while not necessary, are highly encouraged. The restaurant was at full capacity during our experience, and with the lovely weather that we're experiencing, dining is available predominantly inside, but they do have some small seating outside. It all fills up quickly! Heartfelt thanks again to Angie and Bella. You two are rock stars, and thank you for taking such great care of us.

Maria M.

I would give it 7 stars if possible. Hands down best Burmese food ever tasted! Has plenty of table spaces and service is friendly and attentive. Everything on menu is soooo good but we loved their Mango chicken and pepper beef!! Out of this world. DEFO recommend it to everyone.

Abigael Osana T.

This place has been on my list for theeee LONGEST. The platha with the curry was delicious. I definitely recommend the mango salad if you're looking for something refreshing to eat over the summer. The lemongrass chicken was amazing and perfectly cooked. The garlic noodles were a great side to go along with our other entrees. Everything was fantastic and I couldn't have asked for a better meal!

Esien N.

My friends and I were driving down from Vancouver and one of my burmese friend wanted some authentic food before we continued our journey down to San Diego. My group of 5 had made a reservation at around 9:30pm however their last call was at around 9:15pm. We had called to make sure it was ok for us to come and Bella had let us know that we could order ahead of time. We were able to cut down our time to 8:30pm so I had canceled my reservation for 9:30pm. As a result, they had called me to reconfirm whether or not we were still coming and even changed our reservation to 8:30pm on the spot! When we got there, we were immediately sat down and taken care of by our server Bella. She was amazing! Always taking care of us and making sure we were doing ok even though we came late. We ordered the samusa, ohn no khao swe, lettuce wrap w chicken, mohinga, chef burma salad, fried banana with mango ice cream, tea leaf salad, and the lazy monk. Absolutely amazing and authentic. The dishes were a bit on the sweeter side according to a fellow burmese friend that had brought us here. Overall, amazing service and amazing food! Would come back to try their other dishes!!

Stacey L.

This place is a gluten-free Disneyland. My eyes went starry eyed when I saw "GF" written next to almost every menu item. The number of options was honestly overwhelming (which was a nice problem to have)! I went on a busy Sunday night and was surprised by how quick the service was. I considered ordering half the menu (for research obviously), but went with the waitress's recommendation instead: the (not so dry) Dry Curry Chicken, Mango Shrimp, and Coconut Rice. The Curry Chicken and Coconut Rice were definitely my favorites. Lots of flavor and super moist. I will definitely be back for more!

Salvina L.

We are huge Burmese food enthusiasts and was looking for a place to eat while we stopped by in Sac. The food here is flavorful, authentic, and exceeded expectations. Noodles for the ngan gyi thok were perfectly bouncy and love that the chicken was tender and boneless. The basil beef was my personal favorite. Both tea leaf and mango salads were refreshing and what we needed, and we both preferred the tea leaf. Our server, Brian, went above and beyond and was able to anticipate our needs before we verbalized them. He was extremely attentive and had a great sense of humor. He also had great recommendations.