Royal Rangoon

We have become regulars, having found dishes that we are addicted to. We love the mango salad, and the samosa salad. The salads are entrée-​size salad with like 8 or so interesting ingredients that your server mixes together for you and puts fresh lemon juice on – the flavors meld extremely well. It’s worth reading their menu.
Other dishes we liked and would get before settling on these have included the mango with tofu, the tofu salad, a chicken dish the SO liked, the coconut rice, the string beans, and I can’t remember what else. Some dishes we tried didn’t particularly resonate the way they were executed here (garlic noodles). We haven’t tried the tea leaf salad here, though I hear it tends to be popular.
The staff is efficient and professional. The wait has never been long, and parking has not been difficult to find. It’s a bit noisy and some of the tables are very close together.
Well worth a try – you just might find a dish you are completely addicted to.

So the food here is delicious. I came here on my birthday wanting Burmese food and couldn’t get into Rangoon Superstar on Telegraph. I had the tea leaf salad, a chicken dish and the garlic noodles. I felt the tea leaf salad was my favorite because I love how the waiter comes and tosses the salad at your table. However the service here was awful. I had to wait at least 15 minutes and everyone else seemed to be seated right away. I only had a party of two. I also did not get my order taken for the longest time. Every time I tried to flag someone down they would say I cannot take your order it is not my job. Finally I found the one guy who is allowed to take your order and after he did so the food came out in an okay time. I really want to go back but do not want to deal with the service.

Meh– everything was just ok. Except the service which was poor as they rushed us (even though the restaurant was practically empty) and then brought out our food like 20 minutes apart… which, if your dining with 5 people, is a problem.
–Garlic noodles were bland and cold.
–Tofu dish was flavorless.
–Palata with Lamb was disappointing.
–Tea Leaf salad was pretty good. Not as good as Burma Superstar, but not terrible.
–Mint Jalapeño Chicken was pretty tasty.
Did we just order all the wrong things? I don’t know, but I probably wont go back to find out.

Had the palata with coconut chicken curry, the garlic noodles, and the minted jalapeño pork; all were super tasty! The milk tea was delicious as well.
Great service and great food, I’ll definitely come back.

Great décor and exceptional service! Tea leaf salad and house shrimp curry were exceptionally tasty! And the waiter was very thoughtful and talked with me about the Burmese dishes and how they were made traditionally. Enjoyed everything about my experience here. Highly recommend this restaurant!

We were craving Burmese and tried to go to Burma Superstar in Temescal, but were disappointed to find it closed. We started to panic, wondering how we would score some burmese to ease our fix. (Sidenote, First world problems are real, we struggled for 3 minutes until we found Royal Rangoon, fine I lied it took literally a minute to find another Burmese restaurant).
We got to Royal Rangoon slightly disappointed but hopeful. We ordered a ton of food that started with Platas and the samosa soup. The Palatas are rotis with a nice curry. The Palatas were full of buttery goodness and fluffy, the curry was flavorful and was a perfect complement. Onto to the soup. Dang I can’t even describe the unique flavors and feelings of ecstacy we had with each spoonful.
As for the main courses, we ordered their special, shrimp with Jalepeno and a noodle dish. Both were awesome. Sorry can’t get into much detail right now because I am in a bit of a rush. All in all. Go to this place its really good and of equal quality or better than Burma Superstar. I’m glad that we now have two options to help with our Burmese addiction.

I came here for dinner with a large group
Of people. Our large group have eating restrictions and are a bit high maintenance. In my the service that goes with large group dinners is not that great. BUT NOT HERE!!! Tun was our server and he was Amazing!!! He remembered me by name, no ones food got messed up– he went above and beyond what I expected. He defiantly gained a customer!!! The staff here is friendly sweet, and caring. The food was delicious and the ambiance is quite nice as well. They have a nice selection of beer and wine and a great smile. Thank you so much Tun!

The Food: I’ve tried 2 things here – the tea leaf salad and the garlic noodles and both are wonderful.
The tea leaf salad is the first time i’ve ever tried a salad like this – whoever thought of this idea knew what they were thinking. It’s not boring like a lot of salads before, and i would actually eat this even if I wasn’t interested in a healthy meal. As a warning though, this salad may be an acquired taste. I’ve had friends who never cared for this and I’ve had friends who have loved this salad. It’s a hit or miss.
The garlic noodles were pretty good, it tastes exactly like you think it would taste like. The noodles were well baked and the amount of garlic was just right.
Our friends got the milk tea as well, and were happy with their choice. They said it was actually some one of the best teas they’ve ever had!
The Atmosphere: Good atmosphere! I came here the day after graduation and I thought it would be super crowded but it actually wasn’t too bad, we got seats fairly quickly. Also, special shout out to the staff, they are SO nice. They were accommodating to our group and always checked in on us. We asked them to take pictures for us and they were super willing and even took a solid 5 minutes taking us to their «best picture taking areas».
Recommendations: Tea Leaf Salad and Garlic Noodles

I’ve been here a bunch of times and the experience always varies. Sometimes it’s solid, and sometimes it’s a bust. Our most recent experience was a flop. We sat at our table for 25 minutes, totally ignored. I get that sometimes that happens, but 25 minutes is a bit much, no? Shoulda brought a deck of cards! Or perhaps Settlers of Catan???
The food also really missed the mark. We ordered: the Burmese Rice Salad (rice, dried shrimp, bean powder, fried garlic, onions, cilantro, lime), Rangoon Lemon Grass chicken (chicken with chili, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, green beans, red bell peppers, lemon grass), Burmese country style beef (beef in red curry with onion, garlic, and red chili), and a few veggie dishes. To start, the Burmese rice salad shouldn’t be under the «salad» section. It’s 99% rice and no vegetables. There’s literally no green in the salad, doh. Note to patrons: don’t order a side of rice if you get this salad, there’s no need! The chicken was chewy and fatty, which was disappointing. The only thing our table devoured was the garlic broccoli. We capped off our night by waiting 30 minutes for a check.
I love Burmese food, but Royal Rangoon is hit or miss!

The short version: good approximation of Burma Superstar, with quieter atmosphere. But the service is a travesty.
The Good:
— Quieter than Burma Superstar
— Food is practically as good as Burma Superstar (and the menu is a mimic)
— No wait and they take reservations, unlike Burma Superstar.
The Bad:
— Service was insanely slow.
— Food runner tried very hard to deliver our meal to our neighbors.
— Rice and appetizer came after all the other food had been served, eaten, and cleared. Nice.
The Ugly:
— Service was downright hostile when it wasn’t just bad. Our waitress must have been the owner, judging by her age and behavior, as no staff member would have dismissed my polite requests with such venom. She dismissively said «Americans» to my face at one point. After a long day of moving I really didn’t want to be seated on top of someone else – in the awkward floaty space in the middle of a restaurant. It was all the stranger given all the empty space elsewhere. There were so many available tables along a wall on this Tuesday night. Just no way, with some nastiness to go along with the bad service.

Good deal on lunch specials! For $ 11 I had the minted jalepeno beef that came with rice, and their house soup and salad. Their portion is pretty generous for its price and I had to take half of my order to go. I was also able to use their check in offer for a free soda.
Service was a little slow and the place wasn’t close to being packed.

My husband and I came over here for a friend’s baby shower.
The interior is very nice, The service is stellar… They’re very attentive and they make sure we have everything. Also, the timing they put the food out was perfect!
Food is over the top. Really really rich in flavor. Our favorite was the mango salad, mango lassi, lamb curry, coconut rice and the mango chicken. Portion is really generous too.
Soo, overall. They gave me everything I want in a restaurant from ambiance, service and amazing food. I can’t ask for anything else.
I highly recommend this place!

Got in and out within 30 mins. The coconut noodle soup is amazing. My husband get the dry version and his was awesome too. Worth coming back

This place was an absolute treat. Our friends had asked us to go out to dinner here. We have had Burmese food only once before. I must not have been that impressed as I don’t remember it. That will not happen this time!
We ordered a bunch of dishes and it was fantastic. The coconut rice was amazing as was the tea leaf salad. From there we pretty much took our servers advice. It was definitely the way to go and he did not serve us wrong.
Good was great, service was great, all around we loved our experience here and we will be back

Formerly known as Rangoon Superstars, Royal Rangoon is one of my favorite Asian restaurants in Berkeley. The food is Burmese, which other than Burma Superstar in SF, I don’t have much experience with. But I can say that the taste and quality are great, and definitely worth the price!
The inside dining area is clean and modern, perfect for a casual dinner with friends or a small dinner date. There is also a nice bar area. The service has always been great — I believe the restaurant is family owned, and the owners are always very accommodating and patient.
My favorites to order are the garlic/​duck noodles, the chicken shrimp biryani, the jalapeño mint chicken, and the tea leaf salad. All of these are pretty popular items, and for good reason! But everything else that I’ve tried or seen looks like it’s great quality, and I’d love to explore the menu more than I already have. They also always have delicious fresh coconuts to sip from while you’re enjoying your delicious dinner. :)
Overall, I will definitely continue to go here and recommend this place to friends. I don’t go too often, but when I’m feeling something Asian and a bit more upscale than the typical Chinese takeout, I go for this and am never disappointed. I tried ordering for pick up the other night and grabbed my food in 15 minutes, all with the same portion size and taste. So all around, Royal Rangoon is a great restaurant!

This place was pretty recent, wasn’t here a year ago when I was last in Berkeley. Not a far walk from downtown or nearby neighborhoods.
I had truthfully never been to a Burmese place, but I love Thai and Indian so I figured I would like this. My friend is vegetarian, so he got the green beans and tofu dish which he devoured, and my less-​vegetarian self got chicken biryani. The portion was large, it was worth the high price. I would say it was my favorite biryani yet.
The waiters were very attentive even though it was packed, and food was served rather quickly. Definitely will go back when I return again.

Think Burma Superstar… but with no lines, easier parking, but just as amazing food. Rangoon Super Stars doesn’t have the hype that Burma Superstar has, but definitely matches them in quality! The proprietor has an extensive background in Burmese restaurants, having been part of the Rangoon Ruby restaurant in South Bay for many years.
Every dish I’ve had here has incredible flavor, the service is excellent, and the atmosphere is very comfortable. I’m so glad they were finally able to get their liquor license too :)
I’ve heard that the restaurant will be changing their name soon. So look out for the same restaurant, with the same owner, but with a different name, in 2016!

I have been anticipating a visit to this Burmese restaurant for quite some time. Finally, I was able to persuade my friends to come join me for dinner. The rectangular interior was captivating, and came with different shades of brown to couple with dim lighting, cultural artifacts, and three separate dining areas. The place was crowded with hot plates coming out of the kitchen on a consistent basis. Echoing Bay Area’s enthusiasm for Burmese cuisine, I too, was expecting to be wowed.
The Tea Leaf Salad ($ 11) came with tea leaves, fried garlic, beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, lettuce, tomato, and dried shrimp. The salad was well composed with lots of textures and flavors nicely intermingled. Comparing to the one from Burma SuperStar, it also lacked the kick that brightens the flavors. The salad was good, but not the best I have ever tasted.
The Pumpkin Salmon Stew ($ 15) came with pumpkin, salmon, onions, garlic, ginger, and other spices. The stew was filled with chunky pumpkin and fresh salmon to the brim. The broth was creamy, complex, and delicious, but the pumpkin could be cooked softer to bring some finesse to the dish.
The Chicken and Shrimp Bryani ($ 16) came with braised chicken and shrimp baked in a clay pot with biryani, raisins, nuts, and spices. The chicken came in one humongous piece, making it difficult to share. The shrimp was tender and delightful, complicated by the subtle sweet and nutty flavors. However, the chicken was not fully cooked near the bones, prompting us to call the server to bring it back to the kitchen. When the dish came back to the table, we noticed it was still the same piece of chicken. We were disappointed, and wished the restaurant could have remade the dish from scratch.
The portion on the Coconut Rice ($ 2.50) was too little to share, but it was sufficient to round out all the complex flavors. Overall, prices on these dishes were steep, and lacked the robust spicy sensations of Burma SuperStar.
Service was decent but not memorable. Even though our water was consistently refilled, we were still not pleased with how they had handled the clay pot. With the number of Burmese restaurants in the Bay Area, I don’t think I will be returning any time soon.

I went to Rangoon during lunch to catch up with a friend. The place was literally empty. According to the manager, the place isn’t too busy until dinner time. The customer service was excellent. The waiter knew what he was talking about and even asked if we had food allergies.
We ordered from the lunch menu, which included an entrée of choice, soup, salad, and rice. I had the chili beef lunch entrée with coconut rice… then the lights shut off. In the already dimly lit restaurant, the lights went off! We weren’t sure what was happening as they weren’t too prompt in coming to apologize or give us a reason for the lights shutting off. It wasn’t their fault, however, paying the bill became difficult because the credit card machine depended on electricity.
I left my card info with the server to be charged later. He then calls me the next day to tell me he undercharged for the rice so he’ll have to charge an additional $ 2 to the total. Come on! We had lunch in the dark at your restaurant and it was your mistake with undercharging me. Do you call all of your customers who you’ve undercharged to pay for the difference? No, you only did it to me because you still have my card information.
I doubt I’ll be coming back anytime soon.

Visit date: July 4, 2015
What I ate: Vegan samosa soup, samosas, fried tofu, mango tofu, rainbow salad, garlic noodles with duck, sesame chicken, palata, basil chili beef, broccoli and garlic
First time? Yes.
You should definitely come here with a group so you can try multiple dishes (true for any family style restaurant!). They also can easily accommodate a large group which is a hard thing to come by in the East Bay.
We tried so many dishes. Let’s talk food!
We started with the northern fried tofu and the vegan samosa soup. The tofu in the fried tofu is handmade. The outer texture was crisp and the inner like mashed potatoes. Served with a soy chili sauce, this was the perfect starter for our meal. The vegan samosa soup was warm and hearty, but I definitely prefer my samosas on their own (i.e. not in broth). Good thing we got them as an additional appetizer.
The palata was a fun dish to eat. I enjoyed the multi-​layers as it gave a nice texture. The mixed vegetable curry it is served with is a little lack luster and I actually like the palata on it’s own. The mango tofu had sweet mangoes and firm tofu. I didn’t get the mango flavor profile in the tofu, but I appreciated the textures and juiciness of the tofu. The sesame chicken was super tender and I really enjoyed the crisp, perfectly cooked snap peas. The broccoli and garlic dish was also another dish with perfectly cooked vegetables. The broccoli is cooked with white wine, garlic, and onions; the florets packed a lot of sauce.
The rainbow salad was one of my «test dishes» and it’s just not up to par compared to other rainbow salads I’ve had. It was lacking a salt component. We did get it vegetarian due to shrimp allergies at my table so perhaps this altered the flavor a bit. The dish was also too warm for my liking; it should have been a little more chilled to bring out the crisp vegetables.
The garlic noodles with duck was the other «test dish.» Again, they weren’t as great as other garlic noodles I’ve had, but it definitely had a strong garlic flavor and the duck was tender.
The fried garlic pieces were a little overdone, too.
The star of the meal was hands down the basil chili beef. Strips of beef with chili, onions, and basil. The salt and spice were spot on; textures and flavors were toothsome.
Bonus: They pack your leftovers for you and can easily split the bill x number of ways.