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Desmond Tan (restaurateur)
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Desmond Tan (born December 7, 1966) is a Burmese-American restaurateur, food entrepreneur, and cookbook author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the owner of Burma Inc. and the founder of Burma Love Foods, a company producing Burmese-inspired packaged food products.[1] Tan is a co-author of the cookbook Burma Superstar: Addictive Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia (2017).[2]
Early life
Tan was born in Yangon, Myanmar (formerly Rangoon). He immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 and settled in San Francisco, California, where he grew up in the Richmond District.[3]
Career
Burma Superstar
In 2000, Tan acquired Burma Superstar, a Burmese restaurant on Clement Street in San Francisco that had been operating since 1992.[4] Under his ownership, the restaurant gained broader attention from regional food media and became known for dishes such as fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke), coconut chicken noodle soup (ohn no khao swe), and mohinga.[5]
The popularity of the original location led to additional Burma Superstar restaurants opening in Alameda and Oakland.[6]
Expansion and related restaurant concepts
Beginning in the mid-2010s, Tan expanded operations through Burma Inc. with new concepts under the Burma Love brand. These included Burma Love locations in San Francisco and Menlo Park, Burma Bites in Oakland, and Teakwood by Burma Love, which opened in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood in 2023.[7]
In 2020, Tan launched Burma Bites with financial backing from DoorDash, a partnership reported as an example of a delivery platform investing directly in a brick-and-mortar restaurant.[8]
Tan later introduced Kayah by Burma Love at San Francisco Thrive City[9]
In 2025, Burma Love was included in FSR magazine’s list of the Top 50 Independent Restaurants in the United States.[10]
Media exposure
Burmese cuisine received increased national exposure through food-focused television programming, including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, which featured fermented tea leaf salad.[11]
Burma Love Foods
Authorship
In 2017, Tan co-authored the cookbook Burma Superstar: Addictive Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia with food writer Kate Leahy.[14] The book documents Burmese culinary traditions and presents recipes adapted from dishes served at the Burma Superstar restaurants. It also includes background on Burmese ingredients and cooking techniques, and received coverage in food and lifestyle publications.[15]
Awards and recognition
Tan’s restaurants and food products have received recognition from industry organizations and regional publications, including:
- Good Food Awards – Fermented Tea Leaf Dressing (2017)[16]
- NEXTY Awards – Best New Condiment (2020)[17]
- SoFi Awards – Best New Product, Condiments Category (2020)[18]
- Specialty Food Association Business Leadership Award (2021)[19]
- Best Burmese Restaurant – SF Gate Best of Bay Area readers’ poll (2025), for Burma Love.[20]
- Fastest-Growing Private Companies – San Francisco Business Times (2025), listing Burma Inc. among the Bay Area’s fastest-growing private companies.[21]
- FSR Top 50 Independent Restaurants – FSR Magazine (2025), for Burma Love.[22]
Legal matters
In September 2016, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Burma Superstar by current and former kitchen employees alleging violations of California labor laws.[23] In June 2020, the case was resolved through a settlement totaling approximately $1.3 million, which was distributed to eligible employees.[24]
Restaurants
As of the mid-2020s, Tan’s restaurant group includes:[25]
- Burma Superstar (Alameda, Oakland)
- Burma Love (San Francisco, Menlo Park)
- Burma Bites (Oakland)
- Teakwood by Burma Love (San Francisco)
- Kayah by Burma Love (San Francisco)