Mandalay

Rife with Christmas decorations and knickknacks, the 28-year-old Mandalay, San Francisco's first Burmese restaurant, looks like it should have descended into mediocrity. But dishes like the tea salad, moo hing nga (fish chowder), and shrimp with sour vegetable are still as vivid as ever, and the balada, or flaky flatbread with curry sauce, is impossible to resist. See our previous coverage.