Showa’s fun katsu tasting menu is one of a kind - Review - San Francisco - The Infatuation
"Showa doesn't miss a trick. The doors at this katsu-focused Japanese tasting menu restaurant in SoMa open at 6pm on the dot, just as a staff member waits behind a gossamer noren to usher everyone to their seats. By the time you get your butt in one of the upholstered chairs, the first course is already set: A martini glass with boba-like lotus sprouts, a stewed beef tongue hiding under a mini glass cloche, dashi-simmered turnips, and a bowl of veggies with tofu cosplaying convincingly as mozzarella in a sort of Japanese play on caprese. It’s a perfect preview of the meal to come. At the beginning of the $150 10-12 course tasting, you might eat a perfect uni negitoro handroll and a lettuce wrap with fried bluefin and tartar sauce that tastes like a superior Filet-O-Fish. The meal really finds its groove with the parade of katsu on sog-defying wire racks, though. That's when you'll be as locked in as a Dalmatian puppy hearing the treat bag open. Except in this case, the treats are pieces of fried pork made with fresh long-grain panko or skewers of crispy beef tongue and portobello. Grouper katsu with rice panko and pork katsu with long-grain panko. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth The sakizuke box with four different appetizers.photo credit: Carly Hackbarth The negitoro tatare don with bluefin toro and uni.photo credit: Carly Hackbarth The lava rock A5 wagyu is served on a sizzling plate with enokis.photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Pause Unmute If not for the unlimited bowls of shredded cabbage with house dressing and pickled vegetables, these five fried courses would feel rich as hell. But Showa has clearly anticipated this. Mouthfuls of tart salad defibrillate your tongue, shocking it back to life before more crispy meats. As you transition out of fried-ville to the grilled portion of the menu, the same balance is maintained, pairing fatty items like the grilled pork jowl skewer with refreshing dashi and rice studded with sweet peas. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Showa’s focus on fancy katsu may be singular in San Francisco, but what takes the restaurant from "unique" into "must-go" territory is their commitment to flairs on the side. Before the fried section of dinner, everyone sniffs a long, spouted vessel full of freshly roasted sesame seeds that smell like popcorn and can be used as a garnish for your katsu. And between each course, you’ll get a warm towel to wipe away any stray panko crumbs or smudges of mango- and fig-based sauce. If that doesn’t work, you can always clean up in the bathroom with activated charcoal toothpicks and lychee-flavored mouthwash. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Showa pulls all of this attentive service off with a 16:1 diner-to-staff ratio, which means the meal moves along slowly. And occasionally, there's enough time between courses for you to eavesdrop on another table's entire whisper-fight through the bamboo blinds. While we wish the three-hour dinner here had more consistent pacing, there's something pleasant about being forced to slow down and soak up a quiet acoustic cover of a 2000s pop song. So take a load off. A dinner with food this excellent and service that borders on pampering is a luxury worth the price tag and the time. How to get into Showa Le Gourmet Tonkatsu 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. Food Rundown Tasting Menu The 12-course tasting menu at Showa changes daily, depending on seasonality and ingredient availability—much of the seafood and meats are sourced directly from Tokyo or locally every morning.The katsu selection is why you’re here. These dishes are all supremely juicy and fitted for their respective panko suit, whether it's rice, dry, fresh long grain, or shokupan. The result crust is Velcroed tightly to the meat, making every bite crispy, even when dipped in fresh horseradish or gravy-like katsu sauce made with various fruits. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth Drinks Our favorite thing we've drank here is the Shizuoka grape soda, specially imported from the chef's hometown in central Japan. It tastes like the actual fruit and is barely sweet. Showa also offers a $95 four-pour wine tasting with bottles from Napa Valley, as well as those same wines by the glass, shochu, matcha tea, and one type of sake. Add-Ons If they're available, order the A5 wagyu on sizzling lava rock, and the Dungeness crab croquettes as supplements as soon as you sit down. Showa offers a limited number of each, and they will absolutely run out. photo credit: Carly Hackbarth" - Patrick Wong
