SF Burmese Restaurant Kayah Opens at Thrive City Near the Warriors’ Chase Center | Eater SF
"An addition to the roster of eateries at Thrive City in Mission Bay from the team behind Burma Superstar, this new restaurant emphasizes expanded Burmese street-food and charcoal-grill cooking. As owner Desmond Tan says, "It’s going to be a lot of fun creating some of these street foods that we think people will find quick and delicious." Tan notes that "A lot of dishes we compiled [are ones] that our customers love from our restaurants, and some new dishes offer a different style of cooking," and that "That charcoal grill is something we’ve never experienced [at our restaurants] and we’re really excited about that." The menu pairs charcoal-grilled skewers—Jidori chicken thighs glazed in a fish sauce caramel and Burmese curry-marinated American wagyu—with dishes prepared in a smoker, steamers, and a wok; new small plates include mini samusas filled with curried peas and potatoes and a split pea fritter served with tamarind raita sauce, while staples like the tea leaf salad, fried chicken, and mohinga (the Burmese fish chowder that comes with a fried halibut fillet) remain. Tiffins, the stackable metal lunch boxes popular in Burma and India, are offered as a sampler of curries or stir-fries together with the tea leaf salad and roti. Beverage director Humberto Galeano’s Lychee Express is made with rose vodka and lychee-dragon fruit syrup and incorporates "a touch of aquafaba, or chickpea liquid, to add a layer of foam to the drink without the use of egg white, keeping the drink vegan for those who prefer it." The Oo-Beh folds in ube with rum, pisco, and coconut—Tan calls it an "homage to the Filipino community"—and other cocktails will use kitchen ingredients such as pandan. Designer Jon de la Cruz of DLC-ID collaborated on an interior that uses accordion doors for an indoor-outdoor feel and is swathed in blues, celadon tile, and warm neutrals. Reflecting on the group’s rise, Tan says, "We came from a hole in the wall on Clement Street to a place where we have a partnership with the Warriors and Thrive City. To be here, I guess we did something right, a lot of things wrong, and in the end, I feel very grateful and blessed that we’re here." The restaurant debuts on Tuesday, November 12, and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week; reservations are available at OpenTable." - Dianne de Guzman
