San Francisco II: Bi-Rite Creamery and B Star

It's been four years since my last visit to San Francisco, but it still feels familiar, which is quite nice...like the warm and fuzzy kind, you know? Kelly met me at the BART station when I arrived on late Monday afternoon, and we went over to her apartment so that I could drop off my suitcase. Then after Chrissy got off work, we went to Bi-Rite Creamery for ICE CREAM! huzzah!

It was impossible to find parking, so Kelly and I picked up ice cream while Chrissy waited in the car (thank you Chrissy for driving us everywhere! :D)

After sampling a few flavors, including Bi-Rite's famous Salted Caramel and Earl Grey Ice Cream, I went with a scoop each of Honey-Lavender (bottom) and Brown Sugar with Ginger Caramel Swirl (top).

The strangest sensation overcame me when I took the first lick of Honey-Lavender. It was so...so...familiar. I racked my brain, fairly certain that I haven't had this flavour combination in NYC or Hawai'i before.

Think.
Think.
Think.

And then! Oh yes! I had this exact flavors FOUR YEARS ago from Ici Ice Cream in BERKELEY! Remember this post? This was also my last trip to San Francisco...what a coincidence. I love funny coincidences like this!

The texture of the Honey-Lavender Bi-Rite was creamy and thick, rich, while the one at Ici was buttery, delicate. Love them both, though it was lavender and not honey that was the dominate flavor at Bi-Rite.

Kelly and Chrissy split the Seasonal Sundae, which was called "Afternoon Snack." This one was so good we ended up going back the following evening for dessert! The sundae includes scoops of roasted banana ice cream (super banana-y!!), with crumbled housemade graham crackers, drizzles of caramel sauce and whipped cream.

If that isn't drool worthy...then I don't know what is...

For dinner we wanted to visit Burma Superstar in Inner Richmond, but the wait was too long...(45 minutes for a party of 5 on Monday evening). So instead we headed to their sister restaurant, B Star just a few block up on Clement Street. Everyone ordered their own dishes, though Kelly and I decided to share three plates...I prefer eating family style :)
First up was the Vegetarian Samusa Soup. We ordered the large size, and they spooned them out into individual bowls for us. A thick, almost stew-like Burmese soup with falafels, lentils, cabbage and potatoes. A big bowl could most definitely make a meal.

Next up was the Triple Mushroom. Three types of mushrooms: Fresh Oyster, Shiitake, and Portobello, lightly batter and fried with tempura sauce to dip.

And finally a large dish of Pranther Ranch Lamb Curry with Coconut Rice and Pickled Mango Slaw. Overall impression? Enjoyed the food, especially the Samusa Soup. The menu gave vibes of "modern, fusion" Asian without being overly cheesy or dumbed down. One thing worth nothing is that many B Star dishes overlap with those at Burma Superstar, but are priced slightly higher. Is it worth the price difference for slightly "nicer" atmosphere? Never know till you try! On my next visit, will make sure we get into Burma Superstar :)

Bi-Rite Creamery
3692 18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 626-5600

B Star
127 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 933-9900