Mandalay opened on February 4, 1984, as San Francisco's first Burmese restaurant, a role credited with helping lay the groundwork for the Bay Area's Burmese food scene. Owner Kevin Chen took over the restaurant from his uncle in 2003 and has kept it running in the Richmond ever since.
The menu centers on homestyle Burmese cooking: tea leaf salad, noodle soups, and flaky paratha are the signature dishes, served in a neighborhood, casual setting.
The dining room itself has a distinct identity — a bright yellow space strung with paper hearts, leafy garlands wound around the wooden ceiling beams, and ornaments and umbrellas hanging overhead, giving the room a layered, decorated-for-every-holiday feel.
More than four decades in, Mandalay has built a following of longtime regulars and has been included on citywide lists of notable San Francisco restaurants.
The menu centers on homestyle Burmese cooking: tea leaf salad, noodle soups, and flaky paratha are the signature dishes, served in a neighborhood, casual setting.
The dining room itself has a distinct identity — a bright yellow space strung with paper hearts, leafy garlands wound around the wooden ceiling beams, and ornaments and umbrellas hanging overhead, giving the room a layered, decorated-for-every-holiday feel.
More than four decades in, Mandalay has built a following of longtime regulars and has been included on citywide lists of notable San Francisco restaurants.