Best Restaurants for Birthdays in Walnut Creek

Wow! I feel like it's so cliche to call a restaurant a "hidden gem" just because it's in the suburbs or not upscale or something like that. I'll refrain from using the term especially since the place was packed when we went for Valentine's Day. Add in the eye-catching building it's located in and this place is anything but hidden. That being said, Burmese cuisine in general is a bit of a hidden gem. Not very commonly found in the western world but so delicious. Our dinner at Burma 2 was oh so delicious! We started with samosas and chicken lettuce wraps. The sauces that came with the two dishes were great accompaniments however the dishes were great on their own. For salads, I had heard that their tea leaf salad was something of a specialty and it didn't disappoint. It has some common traits to an ordinary salad except kicked up a notch with nuts for a crunchy texture and the actual tea leaf itself provides a unique bitterness that I've never had in a salad before. My partner got the mango salad which he preferred because of the fresh, bright, sweetness of the salad. Our entrees were the Burmese shrimp and the basil and chile beef. I swear I could eat both of these dishes everyday for the rest of my life. The words: Depth. Of. Flavor. The shrimp had an incredible combo of sweetness and umami that came out so savory and mouthwatering. Also, I have to give props to the kitchen for perfectly cooking the shrimp. I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor of the beef as well. I thought it would be overly sweet like something from a Chinese takeout place however the flavor was so much more complex and savory. The chile came through beautifully and pairing it with the basil made it all taste very well spiced. Finished with a fried banana and ice cream for dessert. My bet is they don't make the ice cream in-house but regardless it was a perfectly sweet pairing with the banana which was beautifully fried. The lychee martini is decent; the wine list is better. I'll be back.

For my first experience food is great! The customer service top tier and engaging to assist in ensuring the experience is enhanced. The food is great value in my experience getting the ribeye. The sitting area pretty dull average compared to RH in Sausalito Area.

And yet again we had a fabulous dinner and time at La Sen. We have been enjoying/loving this restaurant for at least 10 yrs since they were located in Concord, CA. We even have a special table next to the wine wall. Every time we walk through the door, we are greeted by smiles and "welcome back". My husband is a wonderful chef and spoils me every night for dinner, BUT he doesn't prepare roast duck breast. That we save for our La Sen dinner. Because the portion is large, we always do a split plate, which is just enough food for each of us. It is always cooked to perfection. Hot crispy skin outside and medium rare inside, lovely sauce on top with a polenta square and perfectly cooked veggies. A lot of restaurants try to rush through the service, La Sen servers understand that it's the whole experience to be enjoyed and expertly time each course to allow the savoring of tastes and nice quiet conversations of table diners. The other shout out I have is their mushroom soup. It is by far the best I have ever slurped. It is a special soup du jour and glad it's been offered for the last three times we have been there. It is so decadent and glides down my throat putting a yummy content look on my face. My husband gets their calamari frits, which he says is one of the best he has ever tasted.

This is my favorite Spanish restaurant in the Bay Area. The food is exquisite with tasty paellas. My favorite is the Tomahawk Paella. The have excellent mixologists with delicious drinks. The service is excellent and friendly. Be prepared to wait several minutes even if you have a reservation, as they restaurant is always busy. I highly recommend this restaurant.

We just had our first visit tonight and everything was amazing! From food down to the service! The only thing was we waited a little longer than expected but everything else was perfect. We had the porterhouse in truffle split into 2 cause I could barely finish a whole steak. Creamed spinach, chocolate sin cake, broiled salmon & fries (for our 5 year old), blueberry mojito & our server was so kind to give us a small slice of cheesecake :)