Burmese Chicken Noodle Soup from Yamo

M. Ladd

Block out the ambient hubbub and take your time.

​

Number 44: Burmese Chicken Noodle Soup from Yamo

Watching the three women who work at Yamo can be a lesson in noisy efficiency. The Mission hole in the wall is full of the sound of sizzling, bubbling, scraping, and chatter. All or most of the 10 seats are inevitably taken, and there's likely be a queue. Judy is the woman who takes orders and phone calls while talking with the other two ladies in a steady patter. With the heavy volume of to-go business, Judy might come off slightly gruff at times.

Eating at the counter has its merits (mainly: less of a wait for food), but you'll have to get used to rubbing elbows with those sitting next to you. Judy will not allow you an extra seat, even if you weigh well over 300 pounds and look like an offensive tackle. When your bowl of Burmese chicken noodle soup ($5.25) arrives, she brings you wooden chopsticks for navigating the egg noodles in coconut-chile broth, with bite-size chunks of chicken, thinly sliced purple onion, and cilantro leaves. (It also comes with a big soup spoon, essential for getting that last drop of soup.) Given the chaotic buzz that permeates Yamo, it's tough not to gobble. Wait it out. Breathe a little. This rich soup deserves a slower take, all the better to catch the buttery-coconut aromas and careful spicing.

Yamo 3406 18th St. (at Mission), 553-8911

Craving more? Check out these previous links to our countdown:

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