Will S
Google
Daughter wanted karaoke and Katsu curry for her birthday. There was no hesitation on where we were going to go.
Before going check the menu, know that this is not a regular/typical Japanese restaurant where you get the usual tempura, sushi, teriyaki, sukiyaki, etc that you can get at any number of average neighborhood places anywhere around CA. This is well prepared and presented Japanese/Hawaiian comfort food, the kind you might eat in Hawai'i. No Hawaiian food yet like lau lau, stew, braised short rib etc but one can hope.
'Local boy' owner serves the type of Japanese based local style food you'd expect to find in HI. Also unlike typical Japanese restaurants, TaishoSF has a great selection of Sake, from the affordable house sake, to more high end stuff that anyone will know from the first sip how much better it is than the run of the mill stuff, my personal favorite so far is "the one with 72 clocks".
They also have other tropical style drinks and even Dole whip which you don't get at a standard Japanese restaurant. The food is also very reasonably priced which was a mandate by the owner in keeping with the 'local' style. Another unwavering standard is the focus on food quality. Whether a place sells expensive food or modest homey food, making sure the diner receives a well prepared meal should be EVERY restaurant's prime directive, and TaishoSF delivered that on every dish we ordered. We ordered 15 dinners, many appetizers, and Dole whip. Every dish was consistent and delicious.
Had at least 5 orders of Gyoza but couldn't get a photo, they swarmed them as soon as they arrived! The wings were very good and the sauces were good. The Kalua pork quesadilla is excellent, they have a secret sauce that adds a different flavor, been eating Mexican food for many years, even worked at a taqueria, this has a good twist. Katsu curry and curry Loco Moco are hearty meals but if you don't like curry (like my other daughter) you can just get chicken Katsu plain.
The karaoke system has so many choices and genres, you'll likely find your favorite song. Didn't find any Samoan songs while casually perusing (one of our party is Samoan) but maybe they have something, can't say for sure 😃.
You can get use of a Karaoke room with a minimum purchase, check the website for details.
We had a great time and will be back for more!