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    Cafe Okawari

    4.5 (547 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 7:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    CAFE OKAWARI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Okawari

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    Chicken Katsu Curry Rice ($21.50) - add jidori egg ($3)
    Cherylynn N.

    I like Japanese sandos the way I like my mini walking clouds... FLUFFY! Sadly, Cafe Okawari wasn't it but more on that later. Since opening in 2019, Cafe Okawari has been on my list to visit. Since they're only open on the weekdays and street parking is i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-y difficult, stopping by was a challenge. Fast-casual service with limited seating indoors and outdoors. Bus your own table afterwards. Limited Menu; Specialty - Chicken Katsu Curry & Japanese sandos (sweet + savory). F O O D * Egg Salad Sando w/ jidori egg ($13): https://tinyurl.com/khwxepnc I liked that the jidori egg was perfectly jammy, but the rest of the sando was underwhelming. The egg salad was bland, and the shokupan wasn't as pillowy soft as I'd expected. Instead, it had a drier texture that felt more like American white bread. * Chicken Katsu Curry Rice ($21.50): https://tinyurl.com/cwedbaze + Add jidori egg ($3) The katsu curry was fine but expensive for the portion. Crunchy and tender, the chicken katsu (thigh meat) sat atop a bed of perfectly cooked rice - soft, chewy, and sticky, yet with each grain still distinct. The curry was plain tasting and I wish it came with some veggies. The onsen egg is a must add for that silky richness. IMO, you can find better katsu curry in the city for the fraction of the cost ($15-$18) at Curry Hyuga, Nippon Curry, Fumi, Volcano Curry, etc. S E R V I C E We ordered for dine in (outside) but they packed our order to go. When I brought it up, they basically said, there's nothing they can do. Bummer since parking was so hard. Considering how busy they were, our order was ready in several minutes. Overall, after waiting all these years to try Cafe Okwari, it didn't live up to the hype. I'm obvs in the minority but I wonder if the ratings are inflated because they have a prime location to AI/Tech offices, Oracle Park, and Caltrains.

    Egg Salad Sando w/ Jidori Egg
    Francie M.

    A great work lunch spot. I needed something quick so I ordered an egg salad sanwhich and green tea lemonade to go. I love egg salad sandwiches so I had a high bar. This blew me out of the water. It was not too sweet, not too mayo-y, and something about the bread was even better than milk bread in Japan. It was slightly chewier and heartier while still being super soft, and had an indescribable taste - like butter? The green tea lemonade was unfortunately short of the matcha/lemonade flavor. I'll have to come back to try their protein bowls and curry when I have more time Logistics: - indoor and outdoor seating - extremely limited street parking nearby, but walkable from light rail, Caltrain, buses, bike trail - if you order takeout step back outside and they'll hand it through the window

    Eui L.

    Simple and rich flavors, three working male professionals, three different curry bowls, three different styles. Service was quick and efficient. They'll bring the food to you if you eat outside or at the table. Receive over the counter for the bar seating. Ambiance is modern with a nice wooden touch. Plenty of outdoor seating Curry n rice Katsu curry n rice Tender chicken curry n rice $9 curry you can't beat it.

    Chicken Katsu Sando
    Sylvia Y.

    Came here for a late lunch. Cafe Okawari is conveniently located by Caltrain. The inside is simple and not too large but there are a few tables as well as counter seating. Service was very efficient. I got the chicken sando and it arrived to my table less than 1 minute later. I was suspicious at first because I thought they were serving me an old sandwich but I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken was warm, juicy and delightfully crispy. Portion was just right for the price. It was filling but not heavy. I would be back for a quick lunch if I'm in the area again.

    Sake Cup - pretty easy to drink from this thing
    Amitaabh M.

    Stumbled onto this place in a mild hunger panic on the way back from the city, looking for something Japanese before jumping on 280. Yelp delivered. Parked easily on the side street, walked in around 3:30 in the afternoon, no hassle. The place has an authentic Japanese cafe feel, the kind where the menu has things you don't typically find at your average sushi spot. I had my eye on the sandos, specifically the Chicken Katsu Sando, but landed on the Spicy Tuna Don instead. Good call. Spicy yellowfin tuna tartare over well-seasoned sushi rice, topped with sesame, furikake, green onions, with a little radish and cucumber on the side. The tuna was very fresh, the rice was on point. Service was quick and polite - they even have an outside window for takeout. One nice detail: a neat dollop of wasabi is pasted along the inside wall of the bowl, which is a clean way of letting you control exactly how much heat you want to mix in. Tasteful presentation, but don't let that fool you. It has a legitimate kick, so calibrate accordingly. Paired it with their Honjozo dry sake cup, which was a nice complement to the meal and exactly the right call for a mid-afternoon bite. The sandos looked great on other tables and I fully intend to go back for the Chicken Katsu Sando - and then go try the wine bar next door to it. which was pretty tempting.

    Joyce C.

    egg sando was unfortunately not up to expectations... the bread was not fluffy nor soft and the egg filling lacked flavors. it was also very cold. def have had better egg sando in the states. the chicken katsu curry was not bad tho! the chicken was well fried. crispy on outside and juicy inside. curry was your standard curry. not spicy. in terms of service the cashier was nice and the food came out really fast. besides that everything else is kind of self service so it's hard to rate. for seating there was some inside tables and bar seats as well as outdoor seating overall this place was kind of just average. not sure if i would go back

    Iced matcha latte
    Anchal A.

    This review is for their matcha only, not food. Stumbled upon this place and I'm surprised I haven't heard of it before! I got a plain iced matcha and it was so. good. The matcha flavor was strong and the drink overall was creamy. I got it less sweet but did end up adding splenda in it later on. They have a lot of food which smells delish, haven't tried it yet tho!

    Menu
    Brittany D.

    Japanese sandos? yummmmm, some of the best in town I must say. If I'm in the mood for a chicken katsu sando, I come here. Why? Because it's consistent and just the right amount of crisp. I also love their fruit sandwiches. I think tho the katsu sando is the best texturally with the softness of the bread and the crunch of the katsu. If you don't believe me, try for yourself!

    Chicken Katsu Sando
    Erica W K.

    One of the best katsu sandwiche places in the Bay Area! Cafe Okawari has been on my list for the longest time and I'm glad I finally got the chance to try it. I went on a weeknight at around dinner hours at 6pm and the place was busy but not packed. I managed to find a spot very quickly after ordering. We first ordered at the counter and then the seats are self-served. I got the fried chicken katsu sando with their house soda. The katsu sando is 5/5. The chicken is juicy and tender. The outside is crispy. The pickled cucumber and the lettuce are so refreshing to pair with the katsu. The bread.. let's talk about how amazing it is. The bread is fluffy and milky. What stands out to me is really how soft and fluffy the bread is. I took one bite and immediately know that this katsu sandwich would be bomb. The house soda is just alright, solid 3/5, nothing too surprising. I would definitely come back for the sando again!

    Chicken Katsu Sando + Dirty Matcha
    Jamie T.

    Staff members are friendly and polite. Orders are made fairly quickly. Love that! It's fresh and delicious. My go to is the chicken katsu sando and dirty matcha. Bon appetite!

    Chicken Katsu Sando
    Wendy L.

    Tried the Chicken Katsu Sando since I was in the area and it did not disappoint! $17 feels pricey for a sando, but it was a pretty hefty portion that left me very full. The bread was soft and pillowy, the chicken was super juicy, and there was a perfect amount of thinly shredded cabbage that added the right amount of fresh crunch. I do wish the breading was slightly crispier/thicker, and that there was bit more of the tonkatsu sauce, but those two changes probably would've made the sandwich overall more heavy (I appreciated how light it was despite being a fried chicken sandwich). If you're a saucy, strong flavor type of person, you might find the sandwich too plain flavor-wise, but I'm sure you can ask for some tonkatsu sauce on the side, or order a side of curry sauce to dip your sandwich for an extra fee -- another Yelper recommended this so I might try it next time! I also ordered an iced strawberry matcha latte to-go and it was solid. FYI you can adjust the ice and sweetness (which would be adjusting the amount of strawberry puree they use). I got light ice and default sweetness and the sweetness was just right. The strawberry balanced the matcha nicely, but I wish the drink was a little less milky and that the strawberry flavor came through more. Overall, I'm sure there's other better sandos and matcha lattes out there, but as some reviewers have pointed out, there's not a lot of places that have this casual Japanese cafe-style offering in SF or even The Bay in general, so this place is a keeper! Service was fast during Monday lunch hour -- I ordered my food at the front, sat at the counter, and got my food in literally 3 minutes.

    Jenna M.

    Stopped in for lunch on a weekday and was pleasantly surprised! The area has so many options and this is a great one with coffee and meals of varying sizes to please all! The curry katsu plate is a pretty solid size with tender yet crispy chicken and rich curry! Highly recommend if you are in the area!

    Chicken Katsu Sando
    Chastity V.

    5 stars for the Chicken Katsu Sando! The panko fried chicken thighs are juicy, paired with the right amount of mayo and sauce and cabbage on delicious milk bread. We ordered at the counter and were able to get seats for 2 people around 11:50am on a Wednesday. Our food was served to us within 12 minutes. My friend and I split the seasonal Mango Cream Sando for dessert (3/5), which was mildly disappointing only because the mangos weren't sweet. I also got the green tea lemonade (4/5), which was decent.

    Chicken Katsu Sando

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    3 months ago

    I love their katsu plate and sando! The food comes up fairly quick with reasonable price! Good for a try if you live closeby!

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    1 month ago

    The chicken and egg sandwiches are pretty tasty. It's a great, comfortable spot to eat breakfast.

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    18 days ago

    GREAT FOOD AND GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. Ella was very helpful and had great energy! If you're in the area you should definitely stop by.

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    Page 1 of 14

    Cafe Okawari Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cafe Okawari

    Can one order and pay for a loaf of milk bread by itself?

    I don't know what do you mean. In my opinion, you should try and it's really delicious!

    Can the onsen tamago bowl or potato croquettes / curry be made without onions or garlic?

    The onsen tamago bowl can be made without onions and does not have garlic in the dish. The potato croquettes dont have onions or garlic in them. The curry cannot be made without onions.… 

    Hey is your chicken halal? What brand halal is it?

    Due to supply chain issues we are not using Halal chicken at this time

    What brand oat milk do they use?

    Califa Farms

    View All 8 Questions

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    I went here on a Thursday around 5:54pm for a quick and early dinner to go and there was no wait!…read more I ordered the TABLT and a Potato Salad. I loved how the Potato Salad had thick cubes of potato in it, since that gave it a nice bite without it being too mushy. The TABLT sandwich was also really good too! The sandwich was thick and has lots of meat in it. For the sandwiches, they also let you choose what bread you want it on and I chose Dutch Crunch which went well with it. The sandwich was very filling too, so I ended up only eating half of it. I'd recommend this place! I like how stuffed they make their sandwiches, but I've only tried one sandwich from them so far so I'll need to try more later.

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    The Boys’ Deli - Sanfranpsycho Sandwich

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    Finally made it to The Boys' Deli after my buddy hyped it up for years. It's an unassuming market…read moreon Polk with a sandwich counter in the back that is absolutely popping off. Three people working a tight space with three toaster ovens, and everything comes toasted by default. Their DNA is from pizza making, and it shows. The menu has around 40 sandwiches, so I asked the guy behind the counter for his two favorites and started there. The Godfather: Genoa and pepper salami, oven gold turkey, provolone, and garlic spread on Dutch crunch. Great texture, warm from the toaster, and the garlic spread ties it together. A San Francisco classic done right. The San Franpsycho: it normally comes with honey turkey, but they had rotisserie chicken on the spit so I swapped it in. Gouda, bacon, pesto, garlic spread, and remoulade. The pesto comes through right away and the chicken tastes like real rotisserie. Fair warning: it is messy. It drips. Do not eat this in the car. I could not find a clean way to eat it and ended up taking half home to finish. In their defense, I went rogue with the chicken order so that might have messed up the flow. If you're a sandwich person in SF, put this on the list. I'll be back soon.

    We were in the area and wanted a quick bite! Our friend suggested The Boys' Deli for one of their…read moresandwiches. We ended up getting 2! Cozy neighborhood deli with friendly and fast service. ***OUR PICKS *** SANFRANPSYCHO ($17.99) Honey turkey, smoked gouda cheese, bacon, pesto, garlic spread and remoulade (spicy Mayo). Yummy with a little kick! If you want to have it even spicier, add the pickled jalapeños too! 5/5 ITALIAN SUB ($17.99) Salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, oil and vinegar. This is what an Italian sub should taste like! 5/5 Now, we had some tapas before grabbing the sandwiches, so we weren't entirely hungry. But these sandwiches were delicious and hit the spot! For not being hungry, the sandwiches were taken down without regret! Loved the crispy Dutch crunch bread that they used. Both sandwiches were very good and I can't say I liked one over the other. We would definitely come back again when the sandwich craving hits!

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    4.4(1.6k reviews)
    1.6 miNorth Beach/Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill
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