Pagan Restaurant — Restaurant in San Francisco

Pagan Restaurant was absolutely amazing. While down at the beach in northwest San Fransisco we were searching for a place to grub and came across this Burmese/Thai eatery. From the outside it's not much more then a hole-in-the-wall, but the experience could not have been better.

Pagan offers 2 menus and a blend of Burmese and Thai food. After looking at some reviews we ordered the Palata bread (Burmese menu), that turned out to be a flat bread made of a croissant like consistency that was heavy and amazing. If you ever see it somewhere, order it.

For food we went to the Thai menu. The dishes are share size so order accordingly. We started with a soup called Tum Yum with Prawns. This is a spicey lemon grass soup that was absolutely amazing. Again this is share size, and with a couple bowls each, we did not finish it.

For main course, we ordered Thai Spicey Pan Fried noodles (flat noodles, a dish similar to drunken noodles), and Cashew Chicken. Everything was super flavorful and extremely satisfying. One unique thing about this place aside from high food quality was food presentation. Each dish is worried over in the back before being served. The sides of the plates are wiped perfectly clean and arranged before being brought out, giving it the feel of a high end, high price restaurant (see pictures). A beautiful and delicious meal that I would recommend to anyone who finds themselves in this area. Portions are huge, prices reasonable and experience perfect. There is a ton of business coming in and out as clearly this is a popular choice despite it's small size.

For desert we had the Fried Banana and Icecream which was also delicious, but made differently then my wife was used to so she wasn't thrilled. I don't think it was made poorly, just different then expected.

I can't say enough about this place nor do it the justice it deserves. You need to...

The Thai side of the menu is the hook because that’s the food you feel safe with - Pad Thai right? Everyone likes Pad Thai. But then you scan the Burmese side of the menu and Biriyani rice catches your eye. “Have I had that before?” you ask yourself. Oh yeah, the frozen meal you get at Trader Joe’s! “Is that a Burmese dish? I wonder what it’s supposed to taste like?”

And that’s where they get you because Trader Joe’s can’t achieve the soft flakiness of the rice nor the intensity of cinnamon and raisin flavor nor the tenderness of the protein ( chicken, beef, lamb, or shrimp). Wow.

And if you’re willing to try Burmese rice you might as well enjoy some super savory rice noodles. Nan Gyi Thok allows you to sprinkle the chili flakes, cilantro leaves and red onions to your preference. Yum

Very polite...

this used to be one of my favorite places to get thai food in the city! their pineapple fried rice was heaven, and pad thai was incredible.

however, not sure if there's a new chef or rotating cooks or if the recipes have been reworked but lately it has been hit or miss for me. the recipes are inconsistent and sometimes not as tasty as they used to be. for example, the pineapple fried rice used to have more of a distinct golden color and in the past few months or so, sometimes it has had the color, sometimes it hasn't. it also lacks the sweetness it used to have (which, mind you, was never overly sweet just the right amount). last night, my eggplant tofu was undercooked, with the eggplant though to chew rather than soft and slightly mushy as expected. hopefully they can get back on...