By Beth Bodner
The Richmond District's Mandalay restaurant was one of only six recipients nationwide of the 2024 James Beard Foundation America's Classics Award. The Burmese restaurant, located at California Street and Sixth Avenue, has been a stalwart for tantalizing Southeast-Asian cuisine for 40 years.
If Burmese food is unfamiliar to you, envision a fusion of Thai, Indian and Chinese flavors, each dish served with a prideful touch. Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar shares its borders with India, Thailand, Laos and China, which greatly influences its culinary landscape.
Richmond neighbors and visitors can't miss Mandalay's bright yellow facade when traveling on California Street in the Inner Richmond. The large dining room is festively trimmed with wall hangings and other cultural artworks. The entryway is overflowing with congratulatory flowers and cards from customers and local restaurants alike.
Mandalay's owners, Sherry Dung and Kevin Chen, are extremely hospitable, kind and vivacious. Mandalay has been buzzing with excitement over the past month ever since the news broke that the restaurant was named a James Beard Foundation America's Classics winner. The prestigious award is given to local restaurants that have timeless appeal and reflect the character of their communities.
Mandalay restaurant owners Kevin Chen (left) and Sherry Dung have operated their eatery since moving to the Richmond from Burma 40 years ago. Photo by Beth Bodner.
Dung and Chen expressed surprise about the award; they had no idea they were going to receive such an impressive distinction nomination. Ever since late February when the news was published across the U.S., the phone at Mandalay has been ringing nearly nonstop.
Dung and Chen expressed tremendous gratitude for their Richmond neighbors. Sherry emphasized that "without neighborhood support, it wouldn't have been possible for (Mandalay) to be here for 40 years." The owners further shared that they do not offer menus to their regular diners. They delight in the joy on customers' faces when they know someone's order by heart.
Dung has a tip for newer Richmond restaurants: Focus on operations and get to know your customers.
The couple immigrated to San Francisco from Burma about 40 years ago. They met in Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) before moving to California. Chen said he liked San Francisco immediately; he particularly loves the weather and nice, intelligent people. Interestingly, he was previously a geologist, which he joked was "a little different" than his current work.
Dung grew up in Burma and spent some time in Taiwan with her aunt to learn about and work in the restaurant culture. She and her mom share a deep appreciation of food. Her mom taught her how to cook, and to this day their favorite weekly activity is to go out to eat together.
Mandalay's bright colors and festive cultural artworks have welcomed diners into the Richmond District landmark for 40 years. Photos by Eitan Kiin.
Both Dung and Chen proudly disclosed that Dung is the mastermind behind Mandalay's recipes.
The couple loves to travel at least once a year to see new cultures and experience new flavors. Dung is eager to get more folks interested in Burmese food. The second most popular item on the menu at Mandalay is the Mandalay Special Noodle. The mild dish features flat noodles, chicken, lime juice, and dried thin noodles on top. Dung brought back the recipe from a trip to Burma about 15 years ago.
The star of Burmese cuisine is the tea leaf salad. According to Dung and Chen, the salad, which offers a unique texture, is ceremonious. They expressed, for any special occasion in Burma, tea leaf salad has to be served. Mandalay's tea leaf salad is served without lettuce because that is how the king and queen liked it. The leaves used in the dish grow at high altitudes in the Shan State of Myanmar, near the Chinese border. Kevin explained that the baby tea leaves used in the salad are soft and delicate, different from the leaves used to make drinking tea.
The restaurant is named after a city that was once a royal capital in Burma. Mandalay was rich in culture and food and was home to the last palace of the Burmese monarchy. Today, Mandalay remains a popular city and a commercial hub in northern Myanmar.
Dung and Chen are humbled by their award and are constantly seeking to improve their restaurant. Mandalay is a certified Ocean Friendly Restaurant, which is a nationwide program operated by the Surfrider Foundation. The restaurant's Ocean Friendly stamp certifies that only reusable foodware is used for onsite dining, no styrofoam is used, and paper straws are provided only upon request, among other eco-conscious standards.
Mandalay is located at 4348 California St., at Sixth Avenue. Learn more at mandalaysf.com.
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