Yakiniku Shodai

Yakiniku Shodai serves a wagyu tasting perfect for special occasions - Review - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"Yakiniku Shodai is all about wagyu. The Japanese restaurant in Civic Center should be reserved for any blowout occasion when you want beef so tender it seems the cows spent the majority of their lives in an infrared sauna. There’s an a la carte menu (weekdays only), but you’re here for either the $150 or $225 tasting menu. They're both a parade of wagyu cuts, vegetables, and seafood, grilled right in front of you, with preparation that’s more traditional than swankier Japanese steakhouses like Niku. Each piece of wagyu practically dissolves upon contact, like the velvety yakishabu don with an egg yolk sauce or the oyster blade brushed with BBQ sauce. Filler courses, like the seasonal seafood or zucchini and mushrooms, are nice, but not particularly memorable. video credit: Julia Chen video credit: Julia Chen video credit: Julia Chen Pause Unmute You’ll feel pampered the entire two-ish-hour experience. The staff-to-diner ratio is about one-to-three, so you’ll be attended to more than a toddler in a nanny-share, down to the constantly full banchan, and grilling that’s dialed in to the nanosecond. Even if you’re not concerned about specialized cattle pedigrees, and you simply like eating exceptional meat, save this place for your next milestone or a pre-show splurge at any of the theaters nearby. RESERVE A TABLE WITH RESERVE A TABLE Food Rundown Shodai Set At $225 per person, this is the priciest tasting menu option—but it also covers the most ground, from US and Australian wagyu to Japanese cuts inspired by yakiniku spots in Tokyo. Highlights from the occasionally changing menu include the gyu katsu sando between lightly toasted milk bread, and the yakishabu don that’s draped with a raw egg yolk and truffle sauce. If you’re ready for an all-out beef bonanza, this is the way to go. photo credit: Julia Chen Tasting Set This is the abridged version of the Shodai Set. It runs $150 apiece, and covers the same Australian, American, and Japanese wagyu cuts, with less of the more filling dishes like the yakishabu don or katsu sando. But you can always add them on the side." - Julia Chen