A couple of months ago we were headed down Clement Street in search of a good place to get a nightcap and we couldn’t help be amazed by the fact that Burma Superstar had a hearty group of people outside even though it was 10:30 at night. If this were New York, midnight dining wouldn’t be blog-able, but in San Francisco, especially in the Inner Richmond, restaurants close their doors at 11 and sidewalks are rolled up and put away promptly at 11:30.

We like Burma Superstar and always relish the opportunity to savor the Rainbow Salad and the Samosa soup, but the 2-hour wait can be a bit much and believe it or not, there are actually other places to get Burmese food in San Francisco.

A couple of alternatives in the Richmond District are Mandalay and Pagan Restaurant. Both are little more affordable and neither require some sort of Disneyland-esque FastPass system to get through the line. Mandalay is at California and 6th Avenue, only a few blocks from Burma Superstar and Pagan is a bit more of a jaunt at Clement at 33rd Avenue.

There’s also B Star Bar, a new restaurant from Joycelyn Lee, the owner of Burma Superstar, but Burmese cuisine isn’t its only focus. B Star describes itself as “an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary Asian fare,” but with fish tacos and a po boy sandwich on the menu we think that Asian fusion might not be a big enough blanket description. In any case, we’ve been twice now and both times we’ve had decent meals—during our most recent trip we had a seared tuna salad (with avocado and sweet potato chips), which tasted a lot like the seared Ahi tuna salads you’ll find on most California cuisine menus, which means it was good, but it also means it wasn’t anything we hadn’t had before. They do have some of the Burmese menu items you’ll find at Burma Superstar such as the tea leaf salad and Burmese garlic noodles, but since Burmese isn’t their only bag, don’t expect a complete Burma Superstar replacement.

Burma Superstar [MenuPages]
Burma Superstar [Official Site]
Mandalay [MenuPages]
Mandalay [Official Site]
Mandalay and Pagan Restaurant [Official Site]
B Star Bar [Official Site]

Photo via http://flickr.com/photos/eliazar/2345898355/

A recent thread on Chowhound discussing the best Turkish destinations in the Bay Area prompted us to bring up one of the Haight-Ashbury's better hangouts, Kan Zaman. Since opening in the early 90s, Kan Zaman's exotic atmosphere (Edward Said would have had a ball there) and bountiful hookah pipes continue to make it a crowded weekend destination. Plus, as some online photos can attest to, there are bellydancers aplenty. Alas, menus are not as plentiful, so it's up to your, dear MenuPages users. Help us out. Email us a menu or fax it to 415-358-5770. Let it be known: we want Kan Zaman.

Kan Zaman, 1793 Haight St (Btwn Cole & Shrader), 415-751-9656

Try as we might, we can't track down every single menu in the city. That's where you, dear user, come in. Menu Mission is a feature where we make a plea to our users to send us an commonly-requested menu.

Old Mandarin Islamic is an old-school kind of place ... as in centuries-old. It's one of the only places in the Bay Area that serves authentic northern Chinese hot pot. For those of you who haven't experienced a Chinese hot pot dinner, it involves dipping thinly-sliced meats and vegetables (we recommend Old Mandarin's lamb) into hot oil and then dousing the quickly-cooked meat with a very complex, very spicy sauce concoction. It's amazing and pretty much unlike anything you've ever had. It's even Chowhound-approved.

Also, for you non-Muslims hanging out in the Outer Sunset, they are BYOB.

Old Mandarin Islamic, 3132 Vicente St (btwn 42nd Ave & 43rd Ave), 415-564-3481

Try as we might, we can't track down every single menu in the city. That's where you, dear user, come in. Menu Mission is a feature where we make a plea to our users to send us an commonly-requested menu.

In the underground world of San Francisco dining, Chowhounds and Yelpers reign supreme. It's only the tough, intelligent diners that uncover--rather, are willing to uncover-- the hidden gems beneath the gentrified veneer of the fair city.

One of these so-called diamonds in the rough is the Mariposa Cafeteria. Tucked away somewhere between the cutesy stretch now known as the "Dogpatch" and the not-so-cutesy stretch known as the "projects," the Mariposa Cafeteria is a place you don't just "pass by." It's destination dining.

The Monday special is roast pork. The Tuesday special is also roast pork. The Wednesday special is .... you get the idea, but they actually have a sign that spells it out for you. In other words, opt for the roast pork. They'll pile it in a (now-illegal) styrofoam clamshell over rice and if you can finish it in one sitting, the next one's on us.

But we need a menu for the little dive. Send it our way via email or fax (415.358.5770).

Mariposa Cafeteria, 1599 Tennessee St, (Btwn 25th& 26th St), 415-285-5105

This is the tart tatin from Le P'tit Laurent, the newest venture from Laurent Legendre, the man behind the successful Clementine. The little French bistro is located in the ever-growing Glen Park restaurant row [sidenote: Glen Park is totally the new Noe Valley, FYI], near the corner of Chenery and Diamond.

Thus far, reviews have been pretty positive across the board, both on Yelp and Chowhound. We're offically intrigued.

As always, send menus to us via email or fax (415.358.5770).

Le P'tit Laurent, 699 Chenery St (Btwn Carrie St & Diamond St), (415) 334-3235

[Photo courtesy: Yelper David G.]

It's almost as if yesterday's success story inspired MenuPages users, because today, we received yet another menu from a prior Menu Mission. Coincidence or not, if you guys keep this up, we just might have to make this a regular feature. We're scared too.

In any event, we've been jonesing for Sotto Mare's menu for weeks now, and the North Beach seafood destination doesn't disappoint. You'll find daily specials and some staples--like chowder, sand dabs and crab louis--along with some cheapie items ($1 oysters, clams) perfect for a post-work outing.

The menu, interestingly enough, is short but not sweet. In lieu of a "traditional" dessert menu, Sotto Mare supposedly presents the diner with this thank you note: "After 12 years (in the restaurant business) and 62 years of life, coffee and dessert are bad for my diabetes, gout and cholesterol. In good conscience I cannot serve this to my customers. ... There are lots of places here in North Beach where you can have an excellent espresso and dessert, rub elbows with poets and even learn a little Italian. ... Mille Gracie."

Sotto Mare [MenuPages]
Earlier: Menu Mission: Sotto Mare [MenuBlog]

[Photo courtesy: TruthDig]

Yesterday, we put in a plea for a menu in our regular Menu Mission feature. Lo and behold, before the day could break, one of our users--a dear "Roger from North Beach"--sent us a menu for legendary dim sum spot Dol Ho.

Like most dim sum menus, prices are moderate. You'll find a cornucopia of standard buns and dumplings, along with some fun ones too (beef tripe with ginger, shark fin dumpling). Anyway, we hope you check out Dol Ho and report back here. Those Chowhounds can't say enough nice things and they're usually pretty knowledgeable about this food thing.

Dol Ho [MenuPages]

Here at MenuPages, the two types of menus we have a hard time getting our greasy paws on are brand-new restaurants and small, hole-in-the-wall joints. Dol Ho is the latter. We mentioned Dol Ho earlier today, and with all the positive energy it's getting on Chowhound, we figured we should turn to the MenuPages community to help track down a menu for the dim sum place. To whet your appetite, here's how one Chowhound describes it:

Its main constituency consists of elderly Chinese people who are very nice and very serious about dim sum. Everything I have had there lately has been excellent, but the real phenomenon is something called chicken and rice. The people there are so happy when the chicken and rice cart appears that it makes you want to cry. What a great place.

Dol Ho, 808 Pacific Ave (At Stockton St), 415-392-2828

Dol Ho is a national treasure [Chowhound]

[Photo courtesy: Leland Wong via Yelp]

Try as we might, we can't track down every single menu in the city. That's where you, dear user, come in. Menu Mission is a feature where we make a plea to our users to send us an commonly-requested menu.

Last week (or thereabouts), Mexico DF opened in the former Long Life Noodle Company space off the Embarcadero. It's a combined effort from Victor Hugo Juarez and Felipe Sandoval, the man behind the popular Maya. Upscale Mexican always seems to be hit or miss. We're anxious to see which side Mexico DF falls on. Thus far, the Yelp reviews have been mixed, with varying reports on the drinks and service, and the posters at Chowhound are similarly divided. It seems that the folks at DF are still getting the kinks out; we suppose time will tell if they stay out.

As you can tell, Mexico DF's website is not yet up, so send a menu on over or fax it to us at (415) 358-5770.

Mexico DF, 139 Steuart St (At Mission St), (415) 808-1048

The thing is, Happy Bakery and Deli is neither a bakery nor a deli. In fact, it's not very happy either.

But my, is it addictive.

With Sunday's big-time write-up in the Chronicle, Ocean Avenue's best undiscovered secret is now teeming on the big time, and Happy Bakery and Deli's soy sauce chicken may be the next food du jour in the city. The Chinese dive, complete with Depression-era prices, thrives on off-the-menu items:

The formal menu, such as it is, consists of about a dozen items, most of them variations on the soy sauce roast duck, chicken and pork. The uninitiated will find the duck, with its glistening skin and tantalizing layer of moist fat, darn tempting, but the soy sauce chicken is a must. Made with chickens touted as being high in protein, low in fat and containing 48 percent less cholesterol than most chickens, they are perhaps the plumpest, juiciest white birds I've ever eaten. The crackling skin hovers over the soft meat, oozing a salty-syrupy soy baste that's so finger-lickin' good I wonder briefly (as Mike Myers did of KFC in the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer") whether "they put an addictive chemical in it that makes you crave it fortnightly."

Anyway, send us a menu or fax one to (415) 358-5770.

Happy Bakery and Deli, 1548 Ocean Ave, (415) 337-8198

Today's Special: Happy Bakery Soy Sauce Chicken [SFGate]

[Photo courtesy: Kurt Rogers/SFGate]

Living on the coast, we might get a little spoiled with the abundance of fresh seafood that comes into the city, but when a new restaurant with extraordinary fish arrives on the scene, it's worth noting. A bevy of excellent seafood restaurants have opened within the last year. From the Joseph Manzare's Pescheria to the North Beach Lobster Shack and Woodhouse Fish Company, each place has its own distinct style.

Sotto Mare is no exception. According to some recent reviews, the subtle restaurant--headed by owners Gigi Fiorucci and Giovanni Toracca--is gaining quite the reputation as a reasonably-priced seafood destination for the kind denizens of North Beach. The oysters (which cost a dollar) and clam chowder especially have received praise from Yelpers and Chowhounds alike.

Additional note: Sotto Mare also sells fish retail.

Sotto Mare, 552 Green St, Btwn Columbus and Grant, (415) 398-3181

Try as we might, we can't track down every single menu in the city. That's where you, dear user, come in. Menu Mission is a new feature where we make a plea to our users to send us an commonly-requested menu.

As far as procuring menus, we're usually all over new restaurants, since most recently-opened restaurants have official websites with their menu online. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Essencia, the "long-awaited" contemporary Peruvian joint manned by Postrio and Hawthorne Lane chef Anne Gingrass. Miriam Morgan had a little tease about the menu earlier this week:

Starters include a deconstructed stuffed artichoke, with the heart and leaves fanned out and topped with quinoa salad in lemony vinaigrette. A spicy yellow pepper sauce complements a delicate ceviche of paper-thin halibut.

Main courses offer upscale takes on Peruvian dishes, such as roast pork tenderloin and a creamy lentil-rice mix, topped with bacon and a fried quail egg. A lively cilantro sauce covers lamb with peas and asparagus, paired with a rich risotto.

Essencia, 401 Gough St (At Hayes St), (415) 552-8485

With all due respect to the Hard Knox Cafe, Powell's Place and the newish farmerbrown, San Francisco is notoriously sparse when it comes to soul food. Chief among the few standouts is Blue Jay Cafe, an unassuming little eatery on the cusps of the Divisadero divide. It's so small that some reviewers say that you might not even notice it. Well, let's take this opportunity to get it noticed on MenuPages. Email us a menu or fax it to 415-358-5770.

Blue Jay Cafe, 919 Divisadero St (Btwn McAllister & Golden Gate), (415) 447-6066

[Photo courtesy: Flickr]

Rounding our little Hayes Valley afternoon, we turn our menu-seeking eye towards Sebo, one of the finest Japanese joints in the Bay Area. It's a Chowhound favorite and a home to some excellent sushi chefs. The combination of sleek and modern aesthetic and ultra-fresh fish take the sushi-lover back to Japan. Or just to Japan, if you've never been there ... nevermind.

Anyway, Sebo's been open for a year or so, but we are still seeking out its menu. Email us one or fax it to 415-358-5770.

Sebo, 517 Hayes St (At Octavia), 415-864-2181

[Photo courtesy: Flickr]

Nothing beats a good ol' dive.

And nothing beats a good ol' Mexican Mission joint.

Hence our intrigue regarding El Maya Yucatan, which recently surfarced on our radar after a glowing review from Chowhound elder statesman rworange. Nothing says the Mission like tortas de cochinita and unmarked squeeze bottles of an as-yet unidentified spicy substance. So, rworange and the rest of you Chowhounds, you've done it. You've piqued our interest in this "working man's place." Now can we have a menu?

Extra points to anyone who can explain the roles of the three managers, who by the looks of their respective surnames, appear to be Vietnamese and Polish. Because, you know, the Yucatan is home to lots of Vietnamese and Polish people.

Email us a menu or fax it to 415-358-5770.

El Maya Yucatan, 2022 Mission St (At 16th St), 415-252-8810

[Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan (get it?) photo courtesy: Adventure Pics]

We figured we'd round out the day with one final ballpark-neighborhood post.

In a world slowly succumbing to Starbucks, Crossroads Cafe persists. Part bookstore, part coffeehouse and part Euro-cafe, Crossroads is a local favorite for brunch (we recommend the waffles) and cheap eats. It's your quintessential neighborhood cafe, and as most neighborhood cafes are wont to do, they change their menu often and don't have a website. So it's up to you to share the wonders of Crossroads with the masses. Email us a menu or fax it to 415-358-5770. Godspeed.

Crossroads Cafe, 699 Delancey St (At Brannan St), 415-836-5624

(Update: an astute user pointed us towards a photo of the Crossroads Cafe menu online. Much obliged. We'll have it up on the site ASAP.)