SHOWA Le Gourmet Tonkatsu

The best dining experience I've had in SF! This omakase spot specializes in katsu and offers such a unique experience. They only have 18 seats a night and reservations are hard to come by. I managed to snag a reservation to celebrate my birthday after a week of checking for openings online.There's about 10-12 courses and everything was amazing and beautifully presented on Japanese dishware. It started off with some Japanese amuse-bouches, then a delicious uni negitoro tartar don, 4 different kinds of katsu with 1 surprise additional mushroom katsu, beef tongue, donabe rice & a dashi broth, and some noodles to finish off the savory portion. The dessert was a watermelon shaved ice. I also loved the katsu sauce which they make in house with seasonal fruits. I finished everything and really enjoyed it! Was so full by the end of the meal.Everything was delicious and the service was amazing! Joe was wonderful, he's extremely nice and welcoming. He explained all the different dishes and the recommended way to eat them which was very helpful. They have a small team of only him, the chef and an additional server and they did a wonderful job. The different courses were well paced and they were very attentive. They only have one seating a night so you never feel rushed. It definitely enhanced the dining experience. Since I was celebrating my birthday, they gave me a lychee mousse cake on the house which was really thoughtful. We also asked Joe if he could help us take a picture for us and he went above and beyond with making sure the lighting was perfect for the picture. Thanks Joe! Also the overall vibe of the restaurant is great. Upscale modern Japanese, very sleek with some natural materials. I don't normally mention bathrooms in my reviews but this bathroom was the best restaurant bathroom I've been in. It's mostly wood and black inside, very sleek and modern. The toilet is black and so was the toilet paper. The sink was made out of a rock. They also had some amenities like mouthwash, toothpicks, lotion, etc. It's $150 pp not including tip but it's well worth the price! Usually I don't try restaurants with this price point but I'm so happy i splurged for my birthday. The quality of the food, the service and the overall dining experience definitely lived up to the price and made for a very memorable dinner.

I can't recommend this place enough after the phenomenal experience we had as a group and a sweet treat from my friend for the SO's birthday! We got seated mid-dining room, but tbh the place so really small and intimate. Every table is exquisite and the decor is beautifully done. I know this is rather strange, but the bathroom is GORGEOUS. I mean, black, sleek, sexy, upscale, and just overall way too nice for just a bathroom. But the features in there are awesome. They have little flavored mouth wash pods from Japan! Now, while I loved the decor and the bathroom of all things, the food was obviously the star. Each piece of tonkatsu was delicately done, incredibly expertly fried and paired with just the perfect set of ingredients and sides. Each piece was incredibly fresh, and their sake on the menu is also one of the best things I've had. The entire meal is designed to make you quite full, which is a huge departure from this type of restaurant where often times you walk away and head to el farlito after (JK!). The service was also quite next level, so much attention and care into each description, each service, and overall each interaction. Perfect.

The food was incredible we added extras including lobster and wagyu katsu. Everything from the service to the atmosphere was great. My favourite was the uni toro make you own handroll. All the katsu's were cooked to perfection equally crispy outside and tender inside. They provided a special katsu sauce with sesame seeds which went well with the katsu but I ate it without the sauce too and found it quite enjoyable. Price was well worth the quality in my opinion and I can definitely see why this place has been getting so much hype. I'm glad my fiance was able to secure a booking.

Wow, what an experience! (TYSM to the friend who invited me).Everything from the staff, decoration, menu, dishware, and even the restroom was amazing. The staff, Joe, was super kind and explained every dish and how to best eat every piece. The presentation of every piece of food was beautiful and tasty. It was a 10 course meal that lasted about 2.5 hrs. It was definitely an unique and fun experience and everyone should try SHOWA! Ofc if you're here trying to find the menu you won't. I believe the menu is different every day but you'll find a sample menu on their website. Don't worry about what's on the menu, just be prepared to eat! There are also add ons but tbh I think the 10 course meal is plenty! Btw yes you can get extra rice and cabbage :)

Pre-fixe tonkatsu in SF -- very impressive! You wouldn't expect to find this kind of place in this neighborhood. Exterior is deceptive, inside very posh, with great attention to detail, quality decorations, tableware, glassware, etc.Food was top notch! Great starters. There was a good variety of katsu pieces, all well breaded, with good flavor. My favorite was the seafood katsu offerings, since they are more unique. Also got the Crab Croquette as a supplement, and it was probably my favorite here-- super creamy with good crab flavor. Personally I found the pork katsu slightly on the drier side, but still some of the best Ive had in California. Overall the pre-fixe course was very well designed and balanced. Toward the end they give you rice and noodles, so you will definitely leave satiated. Highlight of the entire meal really was the staff here-- Joe and Chef Koji were top notched, and you really can feel their passion for food and attention to detail. I also chatted with them some about the menu and I was impressed at level of detail they invested in created such an amazing and still well balanced katsu meal.At $150 base price, this is def a splurge of a place, but its an impressive experience from start to finish on food, ambiance, and service. -- also, they only do one serving a day. So after you finish you really can just sit and continue to chat and enjoy the vibes.I spotted pic on yelp, and so i had to confirm. yes toilet paper is black, triple ply -- talk about attention to detail.

Showa is truly a gourmet tonkatsu focused fine dining experience. We made a reservation around 2 weeks in advanced. Their tonkatsu was delicious. The pairing and ordering of food were also super well thought out. I enjoyed the crispy and fresh katsu. The somen was very refreshing. The cream puffs however were super stale and was expensive for the quality. The menu is also on the expensive side.

The food and the server is top notch quality. Wil definitely Come back simply the explanation and server

Hands down the best meal I've had in the last several years. From start to finish, our entire experience was expertly crafted and handled with care and attention to detail. Managed to snag a reservation for two on a Saturday evening. We were immediately greeted at the door and led to our table. A wonderful Sakisuke set was waiting for us. We particularly enjoyed the mochiri manju caprese. The texture was almost exactly like mozzarella cheese. Each course was presented beautifully and the front of house manager, Joe, was more than willing to explain each dish. He was so friendly and kind throughout the meal. Our favorite dishes were definitely the uni toro tartare which was served as both a hand roll and on a homemade rice cracker. Both versions were delicious. My favorite katsu course was the crab croquette. It was so buttery and perfectly fried. It is worth noting that the katsu dipping sauce is seasonal. The one we were served was made with fig and peach. As we were celebrating 10 years together, they were kind enough to provide us with a bonus dessert! We definitely appreciated it and it was a special way to end the meal. The restaurant itself is beautiful. Joe informed us that he and his partner had curated and built out the interior fixtures themselves. You could definitely feel the love that went into it. There were only 14 diners during dinner service so it was an intimate and personalized experience. We had the best time and hope to be back in the future!

Dinner review. Tonkatsu omakase.先付け | Sakizukeもっちり饅頭カプレーゼ | Mochiri Manju CapreseItalian-Inspired Caprese Salad with Homemade Sesame Tofuお浸し | OhitashiDashi-Marinated Blanched Greens海ぶどう | UmibudouSea Grapes from Okinawa, Japan.しらすだし巻き卵| Shirasu-Dashimakitamago Rolled Dashi Omelet Infused with Juvenile White fish.スターター | Starters雲丹ネギトロといくらのタルタルミニ丼 | Uni Negitoro Ikura Don Chopped Bluefin Toro with Hokkaido Bafun Uni, Enhanced with the Richness of Ikura尾長鯛キノコ餡かけ | Onagadai Kinoko-AmkakeLongtail Red Snapper from Kagoshima, Japan, blanched with Mushroom Dashiカツのテイスティング] Katsu Tastingカニコロッケ | Crab CroquetteCustard Filling Encased in Short Grain Nama Panko, Enveloped with Dungeness Crab太刀魚| TachiuoSilver Belt Fish from Chiba, Japan, Breaded with Rice Panko Breadingメンチカツ | Menchi KatsuFlavorful Iberico & Wagyu beef Patty with Herbs Blended Dry Short Grain Panko30日間熟成赤毛豚ロース | 30 Days Dry-Aged Duroc Loin KatsuExceptionally local farm Duroc Pork, Aged 30 Days with Fresh Long Grain Nama Panko〆素麵 | Shime Somen (The Concluding Course)Shime Refers to The Final Dish in A Japanese Meal, Delicate Somen Noodles in a Refreshing Dashi Dipping Sauce.アラカルト追加 | Add-On À La Carte 自家製豆腐雲丹とキャビア | Fresh Tofu with Uni & Caviar- $29 Homemade Tofu Topped Bafun Uni and Exquisite Caviar (Serving Per Guest)クマエビ焼 | Kuma Ebi Yaki- $49Grilled Giant Tiger Prawn (Serves 2 Guests)デザート | Dessertsすいかかき氷と手作りもち | Suika Shave IceHandmade Watermelon Shaved Ice with Freshly Made Mochi and Menji Red BeanOverall, "as good as it gets."

A unique, true to the origin Japanese culinary experience. SHOWA has a well-thought-out presentation of robust Washoku (和食) routine, with the casual and friendliness of modern Yoshoku(洋食) flavors.Chef Koji and Joe start you off with traditional kaiseki ( 懐石) menu items, like pickled appetizers and fresh sashimi straight from Tokyo's Toyosu market. The almond tofu caprese is worth mentioning by itself. The main entrees are substantial Tonkatsu pork cutlets and wagyu items, unapologetically Yoshoku style, rigorous and true to tradition, yet so casual without the strict rules and formalities you might encounter in similar Kaiseki or sushi omakase settings.The final dessert paints a Japanese springtime sakura Motif: pink shaved ice with matcha mochis, topped with sweet red beans, Kanten (寒天) and Yokan jello. The dessert send home the message that you are dining at a Japanese restaurant.The interior decor is contemporary japanese style with blends of paper, birch/walnut and black wood. The dinnerware is specially curated just like a traditional Kaiseki setting.SHOWA is an unpretentious eatery. One would have been tricked to believe this is a fusion style restaurant. But with second thought, every item on the menu is true Japanese. Well, maybe not the cheesecake.