Friendly and prompt service! The limited cheese tonkatsu was delicious and the perfect amount of savory and umami. Came on a Wednesday evening and our group of 5 was seated promptly. read more

Ganji - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Overall this is a nice spot. Each time I've been here it's usually raining or cold outside. So the warm miso soup is a must and it's yummy. The last time I got the cheesy katsu which I thought was delicious. It was around $33 and it came with a side salad, rice and a miso soup. It isn't usually too busy when I've stopped in. They have plenty of seating to accommodate. They have the door open while dining so if it's cold outside it will get a bit cold inside also. The menu has a few options which I like because it's not overwhelming on what to choose. Great food and the guy that has helped me each time is very nice always smiling! read more

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Came here on a rainy day and our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. Their portions are very generous so we obviously ordered too much. We started with the fried tofu and it was perfectly fried into small bite sized pieces and seasoned. We ordered the chicken skewers and at most Japanese spots these skewers are tiny. But not here. The meat was tender and the sauce and were complimented by the mushrooms. The katsu was my favorite. The sauce and the cheese pull with the rice and salad melted in my mouth. I could eat this every day. read more

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Katsu world~ we got the corn cheese katsu, ganjieeeee katsu and salmon katsu. The set meal is nice because it comes with miso soup, salad, rice, and some fermented vegetables leading to a comprehensive meal. fyi the salmon katsu is like 1/4 the size of the pork katsu - looks like the "fish" in fish and chips- so keep that in mind if portion size is your thang. Our server was friendly and the food came out quick. Ambiance is upbeat jpop. Cute vibes and decent food. read more

Ganji - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Convenient location, friendly service, and good food! The cheese on my katsu was very tasty read more

Ganji - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here on a BUSY warm day while there was a festival happening in Japantown. Wait to get seated outside was a bit long (as expected), but was well worth it as the food was excellent. Was got a bunch of menu items to share among 5 of us. Fried Calamari- super fresh and delicious. Delicate and sweet/salty flavor. Crowd favorite for a reason and they do it well. Hamachi Truffle- a bit pricy imo, but conveniently came with 5 so we each got one and it was very flavorful. Almost like a mini 1-bite sashimi salad Katsu- we got the kanji (slow cooked pork with cheese), chicken katsu, and spicy katsu. And wow it was all so good with massive portions. It's clear they take quality control seriously as all the katsu was perfectly breaded with a crunchy outside and tender inside. Our favorite was the spicy katsu, but heads up it definitely has a kick! We also loved that all the katsu came with a cabbage salad (really tasty accompaniment), rice, and some pickled veggies. grilled Mackerel- I honestly wrote this off when my friends ordered this as I'm not a big mackerel person. But WOW was this so good. The fish was not very fishy and it was grilled expertly. The sauce that came with it didn't overpower the flavor either. All the food came at once which was a bit hectic given how big the plates were. My recommendation for them is to provide extra bowls/plates and utensils when it's clear a table is sharing family style. But that's a very minor note for a place I'll absolutely be revisiting. read more

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Found this location on yelp we were spending the weekend in San Francisco for my birthday and I knew I wanted to go to Japan town for dinner so when I opened the app and this place popped up right away, not even knowing it was in Japan town it worked out perfectly. We got there at about 720. The server did let us know they were gonna be closing by eight, but they assured us it was OK to stay and eat a party of three walked in shortly after us so we didn't feel bad. We have been wanting to try what they are popular for so my husband got the fiery tonkatsu and I got the cheesy tonkatsu. Both were really good definitely different from anything. We have tried as far as the cheesy one. It was slow cook seven hours had gravy and onions. It was just like a smothered pork chop. It was pretty delicious. The fiery one was even better for my taste buds. the sauce was absolutely phenomenal . We both really enjoyed it, but I think the star of the show was the Hamachi truffles. I don't know what type of sorcery went into those, but when I say refreshing appetizing and delicious. It was just that. The plating being each bite on the spoon is perfect especially because it is to be eaten as one bite and the sauce not being all over a plate to attempt to soak it up would be disastrous, especially once you tasted how delicious it is so it is very thoughtful to have it in a spoon. The only thing is I think those wooden spoons have been through the dishwasher too many times because it was a little rough on my lip and I didn't care for that. I kind of felt like I was getting splinters on my lips. Other than that, everything was phenomenal as I stated previously with all the delicious food I don't know if I would be back so soon maybe just for the appetizers so I can get those truffles again, but that's not taking away from this establishment, it was very clean very cute. The service was decent. It's just there is so much amazing food in San Francisco. It's hard to go back Anywhere twice. Definitely check them out. You won't be disappointed. The food was really good. read more

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My party and I came here solely because they are dog friendly, and we were sooo happy we did because the food was delicious! We all got a different item and they were all tasty. The fish, oyster and of course the pork katsu. Agedashi tofu was also yummy. Service was excellent given we were one of two tables seated outside and there was a small wait for the tables inside. They came out frequently and never forgot about us. There's also a single heat lamp that kept us warm. Definitely coming back for more read more

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Food, service and ambiance were all wonderful. Very unique muscles in udon . Yummy, yummy, yummy read more

Ganji - Updated menu 5.14.2026 - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Service: horrible. We sat in outdoor seating because there wasn't seating inside but when seating was available inside, they refused to move us to an indoor seating. They said there was a waitlist when we saw the list -- no one was on it. We watched from our outdoor seating for 30 minutes while eating and up until we paid, the inside has been bough seating to fit my party and more. The staff was rude, inattentive, and didn't want to help us when we had 4 toddlers with us sitting in the scorching sun. We were going to leave but had already placed our food orders. Will never be coming back to this place again. The food-- as you can see, the chicken katsu was smashed flat, but it was so thin.. I was eating breading with a side of chicken. Both this and the katsu sando was dry and not worth the price. read more

Ganji - Katsu Sandi - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I ordered soft shell crab katsu $20 and my friend ordered fish katsu $22. The price is a bit higher than I'm used to for katsu, but they have seafood here. It is very crispy and yummy. Portion is also good sized since I was able to have some leftovers due to eating a big breakfast. It comes with miso soup, salad, kimchi, seaweed salad, and rice with the katsu and sauce. It was 4 other tables along with us on a Sunday afternoon, so not too crowded. The waiter checked with us a few times so it was attentive service. read more

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They have the Takoyaki balls to beat. Fresh ingredient Takoyaki and you can tell it's home made. The Ganji katsu came with rice salad pickles and miso soup. The service was great they even added regular katsu sauce. So accommodating. The Ambiance was cute and Rosie for a date night. read more

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The service is friendly and helpful, and the food is delicious. Love the robust appetizer menu. Felt like a bunch of queens up in this place. "This is a banger." read more

Ganji - Yum - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Was looking for a lunch spot for me and my pup to stop into during a work break, so when I walked by this spot I had seen multiple times, i finally gave it a try! The girl taking care of me was so kind and attentive and even brought some ice water out to my dog without me even mentioning it. The chicken katsu was so crispy but not dry, plus you get a miso soup, rice, and side salad! This is one of the few places to eat in Japantown with seating outside and now that the rain has let up, I had to take advantage of the sunny outdoor seating. read more

Ganji - Chicken Katsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here with a hungry stomach on a Friday evening at 8 pm. Thank god there wasn't a long wait so we got seated quickly and the place was pretty packed. We ordered chicken karaage to start and it was just average, lightly crispy on the outside, but the chicken wasn't juicy on the inside. We then ordered galbitang to share and the meat didn't fall off the bone. The soup itself didn't really taste like galbitang I've had at other places. In fact it tasted more like pho lol. We also got a katsu sandwich that was a generous size. The cutlet was fried to perfection and this was the item I enjoyed the most. I would skip on their cocktail, it was really sweet. read more

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We split a chicken katsu between 2 ppl easily. Everything came out hot, and was very delicious. The portions are ginormous, so I recommend sharing a katsu and some apps if it's just two people. read more

Came late Sunday at a time lots of other restaurants are closed- perfect early dinner before heading to an event later w our party if 6 - Easy to make a reservation & the portions were generous. Love the set menu w soup & salad. Faves were the truffle hamachi & crab & fish katsu. Pork katsu with & without cheese were delicious too. read more

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what a lovely place to grab a quick bit to eat with my girls during the cherry blossom festival. They had a dedicated menu for the festival along with their full menu. The staff and service was superb!! even though it was busy and they had quite a line out the door. We ended up ordering the skewer and cheese katsu to share for the 3 of us. The server was attentive and fast for all of our needs. Ganji is located in the walk way in JApan town in the city. The food is great and very flavorful! Service was also great. If you want a quick good bite to eat, make sure you stop over at Ganji!! read more

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I happened to come to Japantown to buy some special stationery so my husband, my 5 year old son and I stumbled upon this Ganji restaurant for the first time. I booked it in advance as I saw good reviews here, and it didn't disappoint me at all! First we ordered half a dozen Miyagi oyster they were so fresh! And I ordered the mussels udon for my son and he finished the whole bowl of mussels by himself!! The soup with some herbs was just the right flavour and not overpowering. It was so comforting with udon. The omakase don was very freshly prepared with a special fish called white maguro. Yummy! Overall I would highly recommend here. It's good for a family meal. I will come again! read more

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It was a very very delicious cheese katsu. At first I thought the price was a bit expensive for a katsu, but the portion was huge. Usually the cheese katsu Ive tried before had the cheese inside the katsu, but this one had the cheese melted outside of the katsu which was interesting. It also comes with grilled onions on the bottom of the katsu with the sauce, and it harmonized with together very well. The service was also friendly and the waiter came by to fill up the water and check on how I was doing. The inside of the restaurant was super clean and I had a great experience dining here! read more

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First time here and we were not disappointed. Everything was delicious! Started off with the Hamachi Truffle. Had a great truffle flavor that was not too overpowering. The Fish Cake Udon was packed with different types of fish cake. My kids devoured it! The Tonkatsu was fried very nicely. The outside was crunchy and inside was not dry at all. The curry sauce was so good with the tonkatsu. Definitely recommend this place! read more

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GANJI at 1740 Buchanan in Japantown in the Nihon Machi square by the main Kinokuniya Mall Japan Center. People are nice, greeted and seated right away. Decor is nice, modern, clean aesthetic. Came looking for shrimp tempera udon but none to be seen. They do not have shrimp tempura udon here. NOT to be disappointed on my hunt for udon, had instead for a nice meatless meal: MUSHROOM TEMPURA, fried seasonal mushroom w/tempura sauce. Mushrooms were enoki and either oyster or Trumpet mushrooms. The enoki mushrooms were like little alien hands and tasty with the accompanying dipping sauce! AGEDASHI TOFU, fried tofu in Dashi broth and generously garnished w/bonito flakes. My go-to fav to order any where I can get it. The order did not disappoint and would definitely order again. LIVE MUSSEL UDON, pan-fried black mussels and udon noodles in a nice housemade Dashi broth. The mussels were generous and yum! Udon and housemade Dashi broth was heavenly. Looks like GANJI'S specialty might be their KATSU entrees. So I've got to come back to try their CHEESE TONKATSU, CHICKEN KATSU, SALMON KATSU, FISH, CRAB, TAMAGO KATSU, and what would be a fav for me. KAKI (OYSTER) KATSU! And the CHEESE TONKATSU seems to be the house favorite here. I'll be back. See you there! read more

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Food (B+) Had the fiery tonkatsu (B+) The actual cutlet was good and cooked well, but I wasn't a big fan of the sauce. I think i'd prefer it if it was slightly less spicy or would try it with the curry next time. The truffle hamachi (B) Tasted good, but is definitely just an appetizer and not something I'd say is really worth trying again Service (A) Took a while for the server to actually take our order, but once he did the service was definitely A+ read more

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The Katsu here is actually unreal. Please refer to the heaping pile of chicken katsu in my picture to see what I mean. And it not just the portion size I love, the katsu itself is tender and delicious. While the menu might see limited to some, the magic here is the Katsu. Service was also excellent, as well as the small plates! Especially the truffle hamachi ... delicious. 10/10 I will be back for more katsu. read more

Ganji - Chicken Katsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cute little Katsu restaurant in San Francisco, Japan town. Very good service and the inside is very clean. My friend very much enjoyed her cheese corn Katsu and the portion was so big that she was not able to finish it. I had the fish Katsu, which was OK, the fish flavor was not amazing. If you order that, I would add curry to it. But I do appreciate that they have a protein, other than pork and chicken. I just wish that they had a tofu Katsu, that would be amazing. Solid restaurant try in Japantown. read more

Great service and clean restaurant. The portions of the Katsu are huge. You can share with 2 people. read more

Ganji - Chicken teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This restaurant is so pretty and incredibly clean -- everything from the seating area to the tables felt well cared for and welcoming. The atmosphere made it a really nice place to sit and enjoy a meal. The chicken karaage was delicious! It was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of flavor. The portion was generous and definitely hit the spot. Great food, great vibes, and a clean space. I'd absolutely come back and recommend this place to anyone craving good chicken! read more

Ganji - Chicken Karaage - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I have been eating Tonkatsu for as long as I can remember of my 72 years on this planet. I lived many years in Japan, both as a child and as an adult. And, I ate some great Tonkatsu there. The Fire (Spicy) Tonkatsu at Ganji re-awakened my senses to what outstanding Katsu can be. It was my first time at Ganji. I really like spicy foods. Hence my review is not relevant for many who have more pedestrian tastes. My Fire Katsu came to me in a sizzling platter, a large lean Katsu with a light fry batter on a bed of sizzling onions and red spicy Korean sauce. I learned later that the chef flattens the Katsu with a mallet before frying. It was fantastic. I will repeat. read more

I dined at Ganji for the first time during the Cherry Blossom Festival. We were immediately seated outdoors. I ordered the special Ganji katsu. It took a while for the food to arrive, and in the process a waiter spilled water over several patrons, which was remedied by a free dessert. The katsu sauce was very flavorful - rich and savory, and the grilled onions tasted great. The katsu itself was just fine. It was a little tough and not as seasoned as I would have liked (but fine paired with the sauce). The side dishes were pretty disappointing - the seaweed salad was quite fishy, the rice was a little dry/hard, and the pickled ginger didn't pair very well with the overall meal. For $40/person with tax and tip, I would have expected a bit more from the meal. The sauce was certainly the star. read more

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My first taste of this resto was when we arrived at the Cherry Blossom Festival. There was an outdoor food stand right outside the restaurant. They had grilled chicken yakitori for $15 each. We were hungry and didn't know how long the wait for food at the festival would be so we ate here. 3.5/5. Chicken was tasty and flavorful, well marinated, but the meat itself was not very hot. After the festival, we really wanted ramen being that we were in Jtown and all. Both nearby places had a wait and we didn't see that their ratings were that great. So we went back here to check in. There was no estimate on how long we needed to wait. It was starting to get really chilly and waited about 15 - 20 min only to get outside seating. But they had outdoor heaters so that was fine. Waters, menus, and eating utensils came within a few minutes. Since there were large photos of the cheesy katsu we figured we'd try this as it seems to be their popular dish. We also chose the corn cheese katsu and the regular pork katsu with no cheese, being adveristed as 7 hrs long (the marinade or the slow cooking process? IDK). Miso soup came out minutes after placing our order. Then that's when the long waits began. We waited 20 minutes before our Mushroom tempura arrived. It was good with a variety of hrooms. Alight tempura sauce. Then we waited another 15 minutes for 2 out of the 3 entrees to arrive. Another 5 minutes before DD's came out. It looked amazing and I had high hopes the katsus would taste just as good. At first bite, I tasted the sauce on top and was wowed by it. But as I cut into the 1st bite, it felt a bit mushy in the center. It could have been fat. But also meant undercooked. When I scraped away the sauce, if was one of those iffy situations where it was pink but the not the pink when pork is brined and can still be safely eaten. I didn't take a chance and cut into other thinner safer steaky textured pieces toward the ends of the cut strips. It was okay but still there were some pieces that were questionable. Sure I could have brought it to their attention but I waited too long and didn't want to wait longer to have it sent back, etc...So I ate about 1/3 of it. Those pieces were not seasoned and lacked flavor. The other 1/3 was fat or just tendoned pieces. The rest were the questionable pinkish pieces. The side radishes and seaweed were good. Rice was a bit dry as if it was slightly short of water when being cooked. DD'S corn cheese katsu... Pork was overly fried and dry inside. Cheesy corn was underneath which was on the verge of being burnt. The pork wasn't juicy at all. Hubs ordered their signature cheesy katsu. His was fully cooked. It just lacked flavor. A bit of salt in the panko and pork would have helped. The sautéed onions were sweet and nicely sweated out. But again, a pinch of salt would have done wonders. The staff were friendly, welcoming and efficient in getting tables cleared and orders in. Overall the food was lacking for me though it had high hopes to be amazing. read more

Ganji - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We had an early family dinner here. Located directly across from the Japantown mall, Ganji is a family run spot where you can grab many different types of Tonkatsu dinner, including cheese (mozzarella) and pork together, or chicken, and salmon. They also have sashimi and soup, but katsu is their house specialty. We decided to order a mushroom udon ($18) in a dashi broth and a couple of unagi don's ($33.). We thought the unagi don price was towards the high end. On reflection, we probably should have ordered the house speciality. Service was very friendly and efficient. Food was solid, to a-okay. read more

Ganji - Unagi Don - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Beautiful interior, kind and attentive staff, delicious japanese korean fusion food. It washort walk from my wife and my hotel and I love tonkatsu so it was an easy choice. read more

Ganji - Fish Cake Udon, classic comforting flavor - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Amazing service amazing food prior to this meal. I didn't believe in an afterlife I now think we'll be eating this food and whatever heaven we end up in.. read more

Food is absolutely phenomenal with a great service. We got the Omakase Don and chicken Kats and we love it. Our server Gina is super friendly. Absolutely great time for lunch or dinner. read more

Ganji - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Please try this spot if you like katsu! Super high quality katsu and really good service. They were attentive and very welcoming. The chicken katsu was so fresh and the perf amount of breading. Definitely a comforting meal with some sides as well. The chicken katsu dish comes with a side salad, miso soup, rice & pickles / pickled radish. Don't forget to pair it with an ice cold asahi ;) read more

Ganji - Chicken Katsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I finally got to check the place out! I got the chicken katsu for 22 dollars and the takoyaki for 8. The katsu was very filling and flavourful and the portions were huge too! It cane with a side if salad and miso soup! The takoyaki was really crispy and the swuid was tender too! I came around 6:30 on a monday so it wasnt crowded at all. The staff were really friedly and the food came out super fast! read more

Ganji - Mr. Tako Balls - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Incredible spot in Japan town. Great service, soju and katsu/tankatsu. Great location surrounding shops, amazing value for very large portion size. Highly recommend! read more

Ganji - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went on a Saturday and there was no wait. We were seated right away which was nice. They have seating inside and outside. Service was quick and they checked in with us a few times throughout our meal which was nice of them. We got their ganjieeeeese katsu to share. It comes with miso soup, a bowl of rice, and pickled vegetables. Serving size was enough for the both of us, but we we were disappointed in the katsu as it was very dry. It was not the best katsu or the worst that we have had, but it is a nice spot to get something to eat if you are in the area. read more

Friendly staff, decent food and fast service. Came on a friday night with my pup and family. We made a reservation and was seated quickly. The staff was attentive and turned on the heater immediately. We ordered right after and staff brought water, shared played quickly. They were very nice and brought my pup a plastic container of water. The appetizer came right after. The hamachi truffle had a lot of awesome reviews and i had high expectations. It was just ok. The katsu, oyster katsu, hamachi kama came and all the food was alright. A little dry but still good. They checked on us pretty frequently, which was nice. Not sure if i will frequent regularly, but will keep on list for sure for dog friendly gatherings. Total came to about $35-40/person. read more

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Tasty bites, Yelp Sake freebie, and you cannot go without getting the sizzling curry katsu. Quality size for the price, mega crispy and tender katsu. Service is on point with attentive and friendly staff and the ambiance had a chill intimate vibe, perfect for a date night or family dinner! With so many options to choose from in Japantown SF, I would definitely recommend Ganji! read more