The 25 Best Restaurants In SF - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"Showa is a singular experience. You won’t find any other restaurants in SF serving a katsu-centered tasting menu with four types of panko, house katsu sauce made from local fruit, and beverages imported from the chef’s hometown in central Japan. There are no misses across the $150 10-12 course experience. A piece of fatty bluefin is fried and served cradled in a rich house tartar sauce-laden lettuce wrap. Beef tongue and chunks of pork with a crispy herb panko-ed crust are complemented by endless bowls of dashi and sweet pea-studded rice. But it's not only the food that makes dinner here memorable—it's the small touches. Whether it's the warm scented towels between each course, the activated charcoal toothpicks and lychee-flavored mouthwash in the bathroom, or the gift-wrapped receipt that ends the meal. Reservations open up on Tock 30 days in advance at 12pm. Since there’s only one seating per night (and no solo reservations allowed), they tend to go fast. Try checking daily for any cancellations." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez