TLDR: 17/40
We would only describe two out of six of our dishes as “tasty.” The atmosphere is nothing special, the service is slow, and whoever sets these prices is, frankly, insane. We will likely not be back.
Food satisfaction: 5/10
Sonia: I would describe the Burma Love food as hit or miss. Some of our dishes were excellent, but others left me disappointed. Quick disclaimer: we ended up going twice because we forgot to take photos of our food, so we have more dishes than usual to review. I think our first night had the best dishes: the Hawker Garlic Noodles were phenomenal. They were thick, just the right amount of chewy, and incredibly soft. Not to mention the garlic flavor was perfect (and it didn’t leave me worried about garlic breath, which definitely warrants bonus points).
Geoffrey: If I’m ever back at this restaurant, it’ll be for the Hawker Garlic Noodles ($21). They had the creaminess of pasta alla carbonara, and the wide noodles thus brought melt-in-your-mouth flavor to every bite. However, between the dish’s lack of meat and medium/small serving size, it’s not particularly substantial and filling. So, upon running out of garlic noodles, I had some Coconut Chicken Curry, which tasted pretty standard and was definitely not worth $26. After wolfing down food we actually enjoyed, we were forced to turn to the Minced Chicken and Mint ($18). There was barely any actual meat inside the strawberry-sized pieces of fried chicken. The dish wasn’t particularly bad — it just wasn’t good.
Sonia: Unlike Geoffrey, I love prawns and was more than eager to try them for the both of us. The Chili-Garlic Prawns did not disappoint (maybe I just really like garlic). They definitely had a bit of a kick, but with enough bowls of jasmine rice (Geoffrey and I are self-described “rice fiends”) the spice was tolerable. Our second meal there was not nearly as good. We stuck with our favorite garlic noodles, but ventured out to try the Pork Belly Hung Lay and Burmese-style birria tacos. That turned out to be a mistake. The birria tacos felt like worse versions of steak quesadillas, and they were so greasy and filling that it was impossible to finish the gigantic slice.
Geoffrey: The Pork Belly Hung Lay also disappointed. It was literally just sliced pieces of pork belly. Not special. Not worth $28. Not good.
Atmosphere: 6/10
Sonia: Burma Love sits in a new development on El Camino Real, and the restaurant itself is quite nice. The shiny gold ceiling, statement fixtures, and artful photos of Myanmar — the country formerly known as Burma — on the wall make for a very pleasant dining experience.
Geoffrey: Burma Love has a nice space for sure, but the decor felt random. Overall, the interior design just didn’t create a cohesive vibe around the restaurant. Not horrible, but not great either.
Service: 3/10
Sonia: Our second meal at Burma Love was during a fairly quiet lunch hour, yet the service was not as attentive as one might expect. I constantly found myself awkwardly attempting to make eye contact with a waiter in order to order food or get the check. It’s worth noting that it took 20 minutes after we finished eating before we were offered the bill.
Geoffrey: It’s safe to say that if you only have an hour for a meal, skip Burma Love. The wait staff was not particularly outgoing and friendly either — something I would expect at this high-end price point.
Value: 3/10
Sonia: Frankly, I think the cheapest meals at Burma Love were the best ones: Hawker Garlic Noodles, Minced Chicken and Mint, and yes, the jasmine rice. However, the portion sizes for most of the dishes (except for the enormous birria tacos) were quite small for a family-style meal. I would definitely not give Burma Love a high score for value.
Geoffrey: Better, more substantial meals can certainly be found elsewhere. I only really loved the Hawker Garlic Noodles, and even these were pricey for their insubstantial portion size.
Uniqueness (bonus point): 0/1
While we did appreciate the mural of Myanmar that lined the wall to the bathroom, it was never getting the uniqueness point.
