This place is literally on the bridge, connecting the Japantown shopping centers. So it's pretty small and narrow. Not really accessible if you have a wheelchair. It was kind of difficult already with my husbands crutches. A wheelchair could be possible if they sit you at the very front entrance. We wanted to go because they have napolitan and we were very happy that we went. The staff were nice. They keep to themselves and check in on you just enough. There's anime on the shelves if you want to read and relax. Love that they had a warning that some of them may not be suitable for kids. They don't split bills, so heads up if you're going with multiple people. Our boys really liked their curry and katsu. They were able to make it not really spicy and it was just right for them. Napolitan was so good. The serving size was just right. At first I thought it might be too big, but because it was so good, I scarfed that thing down. This will definitely be our spot to go back to when we're in Japantown. read more

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I've been going to the Japanese Trade Center since I was a little kid. It's been a huge part of my life. This was one of those places that I always passed and would think to myself "I need to stop there one of these days." Well I finally did and it was quite good. The curry I got would have been the perfect level of spice for my wife, who's fully white, but next time I think I'll go up a level or two. It was still good and full of great flavor, but I expected a bit more from the level of spiciness I got. The young guy that was helping me was very nice and attentive. There was this person visiting someone who worked there, I think she was a nurse who worked nearby, who was chatting with her friend (the other server) at such a volume I wonder if the nurse lady knew that inside voices were even an option. That was a little distracting but I don't blame my server for that. I don't care if employees at places want to chat, that's fine. Just be aware of the volume. Overall I'm very glad I went here and the food was delicious. read more

On the Bridge - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We came to Japantown on a busy weekend (foolish? maybe so) and stopped by this place for dinner. Despite the fact that it was a small restaurant, our group of 5 only had to wait about 5 minutes to get seated. We got the mentaiko spaghetti, two currys, seafood spaghetti and mushroom spaghetti. The food arrived fairly quickly and we were famished, so we dug right in! It really hit the spot especially since it was a cold and windy day. I wouldn't say any dish was bad, but my favorite was the seafood spaghetti and mushroom spaghetti. Highly recommend this place! read more

It honestly hurts my heart to leave such a negative review because the staff here seemed kind, attentive, and genuinely proud of the food they were serving. I did not come in with especially high expectations given the lower reviews, but this spot had been on my list for a while, and I still wanted to give it a fair try. The location is definitely appealing. It sits right on the bridge you cross while shopping around Japantown, so it naturally draws you in. We were seated pretty quickly as a small party of two, but after that, the pacing slowed down. It took a while for our order to be taken, and the food took about 20 minutes to arrive. I ordered the creamy mentaiko pasta, which is a dish I usually love and also enjoy making at home. Unfortunately, this version really missed the mark for me. The pasta itself tasted like basic boxed pasta, and the sauce had an odd consistency. Instead of being creamy and coating the noodles, it was served more like a thin soup. The mentaiko flavor was also very minimal, so the dish lacked the rich, savory flavor I was hoping for. Overall, I really wanted to like this place, especially because the staff seemed so sincere. But based on the food and overall experience, I unfortunately would not recommend it to anyone looking to try new spots in Japantown. read more

On the Bridge - creamy mentaiko pasta - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

This restaurant is literally on the bridge, between the two wings of the west building of Japan town. The menu is huge, with Japanese dishes, they have Loco moco, which is Hawaiian, they have European and Japanese style pastas and Japanese pizza. I've never heard of a curry pizza before. The place is relatively small, but well kept, and the employees were very friendly. I decided to sit at the counter, it was fun watching the anime on the TV screen right in front of me. I decided to go with the Japanese curry spaghetti with chicken. The order comes, and it was huge! The spaghetti was great, the veggies were tender, and the pasta was perfectly al dente. the curry sauce, which I could definitely smell as they brought the food to me was very savory, and the chicken was extremely tender and flavorful. I asked for it mild, and that's what I got. Just enough of a spice that it made my tongue tingle, and it put just a tiny bit of sweat on my forehead. Just a totally fantastic meal. I finished the whole meal, except for a little bit of spaghetti. I left stuffed. Food, soda, tax and tip, the price is a bit on the higher end, but for the quantity and quality of food, it is definitely reasonable. I want to come back and try more things. Thanks. read more

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The best part of my family's lunch visit to this place was Shefu-san! That alone made the visit worthwhile...as this chef was so friendly and entertaining! He was the one who took our orders and after that, stayed for a little while to talk and share a joke or two with us. The best part, indeed! The place was a little crowded, owing to the fact that it was a little strip on the bridge crossing between the buildings at Japan Center. Walking to your table might require a little care to avoid bumping tables. A bit of a squeeze there, but not to worry. The place was nicely decorated. The service was great, and the staff were always ever attentive to our needs. The food was really enjoyable...my hamburger steak was really good - not overdone, and seasoned well. The rest of the family also enjoyed their fare. If you are in the area, this place merits a try! It did not disappoint. read more

On the Bridge - Dining on the bridge...nice and comfy setting. - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

===TL;DR=== - Pork katsu curry don level 3 spicy - Chicken katsu curry don no spicy ===TMI=== Who knew japantown is bustling on a Tuesday evening. Wanted to see if there was a line at marafuku and without a doubt, lines were long. So I've attempted to see if there was something with shorter or no line. I remember I've visited this place at least 10 years ago so thought to give them another try. Literally a narrow restaurant "on the bridge". This place welcomes you with loads of drink options to choose from, anime playing, and tons on manga on the side shelf of the seating area to choose from. There were only really 2 staffs working that day. One mainly took orders and one busted tables afterwards so be patient with their services. Food wise.... It was alright. Not the best but also not the worse katsu I've had. The chicken katsu flavor was better than the pork one here... for some reason the curry base was different. But boy, level 3 spicy was uppppppp there. I can still handle it but the spiciness took over the rest of the flavor. read more

On the Bridge - Pork Katsu Curry don level 3 spicy Chicken - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We picked this place mostly because we didn't want to wait in the long lines of other restaurants. Came in around 1PM with only a couple tables left available, but they were able to seat 4 adults. It was a bit of a squeeze because of how small the place is, but it was no problem. Chef-san came and got our orders and chatted us up for a little bit. He was super charming and probably made it all the more enjoyable to eat there. The food itself was okay. I thought my pasta dish could've used a little bit more seasoning, but was packed with a lot of chicken thigh meat. The rest of my party ordered hamburger steak, a Loco moco, and a mentaiko pasta. They all enjoyed their dishes, so mine was probably just the only lackluster dish. The other servers would also help with tables and was super quick, so it was honestly a nice place to try out. Just don't expect it to knock your socks off. read more

On the Bridge - Mentaiko Spaghetti - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've always passed by this place and was told it was a really good spot so I finally got to check it out myself. I was a bit disappointed with the dishes my friend and I got, plus the service was a bit slower considering how there were only two people that seemed to be working that night. If there were most workers it would probably be more helpful for those who were working there. I was starting to feel bad by the workload they had but they did as best as they could so can appreciate that. It took a really long time to have our food ordered and made so I had lost my appetite by the time the food came out. It was also super stuffy inside and fanned myself with the menu, so it was a little uncomfortable for me. The layout of the place is really cool and I liked seeing all the mangas around, but I probably wouldn't come back. The food itself was a great portion but unfortunately sooooo mid. I got the curry udon although it tasted super watered down, and my friend who got the curry katsu udon expressed the same but with the saying "tasted like water with oil" read more

On the Bridge - Curry Udon - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was disappointed in the poor quality of the food. Most of it seemed premade, possibly frozen and prepackaged! Ordered beef curry medium but the curry was very mild and the beef smelled and tasted very old. The service was excellent considering there only seemed to be one person doing all of the front work. Sad to see a legacy restaurant go down the tubes. read more

Normally, you go to a Japanese restaurant and you expect sushi, tempura, ramen, udon, or other of the main stream dishes of Japanese cuisine served thought the USA. This is not that time of restaurant. You will find other confort dishes served in Japan but not typically in Japanese restaurants across the USA. Venture out of your confort zone and try Japanese curry, sweeter and milder than other curries (such as Indian). Ask for recommendations from the staff and open your mind to new things. Enjoy! read more

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First, I'll mention some of the positive aspects of our visit. I really enjoyed the decor with manga all around, photos, and drawings on the wall. They have a unique menu with many interesting options. The service was nice and overall my group had an enjoyable experience here. Something that we could not quite understand was the portion sizes. For the base price of around $19, for example, I was given a meager amount of spaghetti, which was lightly dressed/topped. My friends who ordered the mentaiko pasta felt similarly. Unfortunately, we left hungry. read more

On the Bridge - Daikon Spaghetti - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

I hate to negatively review restaurants that look like they're an institution but this place just really missed the mark on my visit. Nothing tasted good and the chicken in the pasta dish tasted old and on the verge of going bad (as someone who has frequently tasted too-old chicken while learning to cook in college, I would know what bad tastes like). Tuna salad was ok. Place is mostly non-Asian weebs but that is to be expected in Japantown on a weekend. It was also a huge pain to flag anyone down, even just to get a seat. Will not be back! read more

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Got seated immediately, love the service! Food was served well and quickly. I found the hayashi rice special good except that it was kind on the salty side if you like it that way. Love the streamed cartoons on the screen, I actually enjoyed it! read more

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I always passed by this place and wanted to try it so finally and coincidentally, on cherry blossom weekend I made plans with a friend to eat here. They use a queing system for open seats so you literally have to just wait in line to be seated. I'm not sure how busy it usually is but we waited maybe 30 mins as it's a small restaurant. My friend and I both ordered curry and a corn cream croquette! The flavor of the croquette was quite good! It had a hint of curry and I believe its dairy free which is pretty unique. My only complaint/comment is the outside breading was a bit thick and heavy which ends up being my comment for all their fried things... I ordered the menchi curry (breaded and fried beef patty) and my friend ordered shrimp. I personally was not a really big fan of the curry sauce, it was very thick and so vegetabley instead of smooth. and as I had mentioned for the croquette, the breading was too thick and overly crispy for my liking. I really wish i tried the pasta instead, I feel like I would've enjoyed that much more, but for the curry there are other better places in the area. read more

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Like many others, we've passed by this spot many times and it always intrigued me. We decided to stop by on a Saturday for a few small bites. It was 2 of us and we got seats quickly at the cute bar area. The staff was welcoming and the older Japanese man was so kind and funny. We ordered beer, wings, and shrimp pops. Everything was really good! I would return to try their other menu items! read more

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Very quaint restaurant in Japantown! Anime on the tv monitors, manga on the shelves lining the windows and a Japanese Italian menu! Decided to try their sizzling seafood plate and Seafood Japanese style pasta! We were pleasantly surprised that both were definitely delicious!! So glad that we stopped in! read more

On the Bridge - Sizzling seafood platter - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Stopped in this cozy little cafe/diner spot while in search of some quick bites while we were in town to see a show at the Fillmore music hall. We were craving Japanese food, so why not go to Japantown for the best selection & experience? After walking through the Japan Center mall, we chose this spot due to its central location, interesting menu, cute decor, and homey feeling. I think that it was a good decision and here's my review. First of all, I like the layout. More of a diner than a restaurant, this place only has a couple of small tables. The majority of the space is taken by the large & long bar and huge! array of alcohol, including imported Japanese beers, whiskeys, sakes, and non-alcoholic beverages. The selection is pretty incredible, and not unlike going to a bar or diner in Japan. Hard to decide what to even try given the over abundance of choices, the drink menu is seriously long, extensive, and varied. Prices are very fair and along the lines of s simple diner. Service was tough, given there was only one worker to serve, bus, and attend to a full room of diners, families, and solo drinkers & eaters. But, he did the best that he could, and he was nice, efficient, and attentive (while he could). Since we were going to a show that would last late into the night, we wanted quick, simple, and light bites rather than a heavy, big, and complex meal. We chose salad, agedashi tofu, and my favorite okonomiyaki. Washed it all down with some nice & light Japanese domestic beer which tasted great and was served ice cold. The agedashi tofu was well-seasoned and draped with a gravy consisting of green onions, sautéed mushrooms, and garlic. It was a bit heavier than I had expected due to the thick and abundant gravy that was drowning the simple taste of cold tofu. The salad was huge! but the dressing was more of a strange gravy than balsamic or vinegrette and kind of a miss for me due to its tangy lumpy tomato flavor and consistency that was more like a gravy or pasta sauce than a dressing. The okonomiyake was less of a savory pancake than im used to in Osaka, it came out in the form of a pizza. They were really heavy with the sweet okonomiyaki sauce and it over-powered the dish, as well as became messy while eating with our hands... had to make a few trips to wash my hands between slices because everything became sticky & messy while holding the slices. The bonito flakes were very generous and tasty, but the crust became soggy due to the excessive sweet sauce. The mayonnaise was good and not overly dumped on like other okonomiyaki dishes that I've tried. I did not like the presence of cheese in a dish that was supposed to taste like Japanese seafood, it was weird. So, this okonomiyaki is more like a true pizza than a savory pancake. It also had more crust & dough than toppings, so that dominated most of the dish as well as overpowered the taste. The menu is extensive, ranging from Donburis, to curry rice plates, some noodles & entrees, and some bento boxes. I think that next time I come here, I'll try more appetizers and stay away from the plates & entrees, they just seem too heavy and saucy for someone trying to eat light to stay awake for a late night concert. Takoyaki, edamame, Musubi, seaweed salad, and a donburi or soba noodle bowl will be my next adventure when I come back here. So, the food tastes more like Japanese diner food, which is what this place is supposed to be. It's heavy, saucy, messy, and very filling. I think it's best to come here to try out some varietal beer or sake, and sample appetizers if you're trying to eat light, quick, and cheap. The decor is quirky, with a lot of things like toys, magazines, plushies, and signage to look at. It's just fascinating & interesting to look at the bar selection and pick from there. Each drink has pictures, details, descriptions, and prices on a separate drink menu. Good place to come to try out some drinks and sample some appetizers, but maybe not for a light dinner or authentic Japanese entree. Good place to come if you are really hungry, drunk, or hungover and need to eat greasy, saucy, and messy food to soak up all of that alcohol. If it was open 24-hrs, this place would make a killing! File under: Japanese bar/diner serving heavy comfort food & appetizers/snacks to soak up all of the alcohol. read more

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This place it's a shame! We didn't see the sign that said "no outside food allowed" we were already sitting down and they pointed at us the sign in a rude way! No customer service, no communication no nothing if you want to pay to be treated like sh't this is your place . It was just a crepe, come on! We were there to eat not to hanging around. read more

Still so good. Took take out earlier last week. More fun to eat in, but had to grab on the run. My oldest (grown up ) daughter has loved this place since she was really young. Not sure if they are the same owners all these years, but the consistency in the food quality and the cuteness has always remained unchanged. read more

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One of those places I've walked past countless times growing up and still hadn't been to until last weekend. And in the end, it was just alright. Went on a Sunday afternoon and got seated right away. We decided to sit at the counter, which is visually interesting with all of the anime collectibles set up, but it could also use a good dusting and refresh. Staff were friendly enough but a little cool. The older man (going to assume he's the owner) was very friendly, however, and chatted with us for a short while when he came out from the back. Food here is really expensive for what you get. Big prices, small portions. My brother and I split the croquettes, which were very good and pretty standard size. Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy inside. But my portion of curry don was really small and I was still pretty hungry at the end of my meal. I'm also confused by the menu's spice levels. It can go all the way up to some insane level of heat, according to what's written, but for the curry I was just asked if I wanted mild, medium, or spicy. I went with spicy and my dish had zero detectable levels of heat. That was the mildest, most un-spicy curry (Japanese or otherwise) I've ever had. I'll give the curry this much: it had a flavor that felt very homey and definitely wasn't a cubed or packaged curry. It claims to be homemade on the menu and I think that's accurate. True comfort food. Just not a whole lot of it. My husband liked his okonomiyaki and mentaiko pasta, but the pasta was an especially small serving, too. He easily finished both. Not sure I'll be back here again. On the Bridge is an institution and I love supporting our local, longtime businesses. But this wasn't a great first impression. read more

On the Bridge - Katsu Curry Don - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

If ever you are in Japan Town, there's this little cute place that's literally on a bridge. I've gone to On the Bridge at least 4 times and I love food and hospitality each and every time. This place is what I would call Japanese version of comfort food. The meals are so hearty and filling. Their curry dishes are so rich and delicious and they have their spin on spaghetti dishes as well. I tried the Chicken Rice Au Gratin which was a cheesy mouthwatering experience and my partner had the Okonomiyaki which was a little different from the ones we used to get but it was also very tasty as well. If you decide to come here for the first time, I would recommend getting the LocoMoco Curry which was by far one of the best I've ever tried. read more

On the Bridge - Chicken Rice Gratin - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've always walked past this place in the Japantown mall & I've always been super curious about it. This is a very underrated gem in Japantown. It features different Japanese cuisines and Japanese-Italian fusion dishes as well. I got the Okonomoyaki and Mentaiko cream spaghetti. It was my first time trying mentaiko spaghetti and I've been wanting to try it for years! It was so good and the okonomiyaki was my absolutely favorite as well. The decor in the restaurant is also very homey! Reminds me of my time visiting bars in Japan. I especially want to give a shoutout to the owner, Nakamura-san. He is an amazing person. I was surprised that he greeted and chatted with all his guests in the restaurant. He made sure to make small talk with everyone. Nakamura and I had a great conversation. I told him about how I'm studying Japanese in university & my trip to Japan. He told me about the history of Gotokuji temple and recommended I go.. he is a kind soul and very joyous. He also gave me a Caplico sweet! I will definitely be coming back to try more of the menu items. Thank you Nakamura, you are such an amazing soul! read more

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This place is just ok. The curry tastes premade, not fresh. The meats, the chicken and pork are not seasoned well. Rice was made yesterday- at least. I don't understand how this place is so famous. Food tasted about as un-fresh as you get. Service was ok, the main guy is funny and sweet. But he came around and asked how my meal was, I started to be honest, and he cut me off told a joke. He didn't want to hear that we weren't enjoying our meal. Appetizers were good. That's why it gets two stars instead of 1. All the portions are incredibly small for what you are paying. read more

On the Bridge - Curry and old rice. - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have gone to this joint for over 15 years. the family is super nice, My friends have known them for ages. The food service is impeccable and the meals are delicious. This staple deserves all the love. read more

This place is great! When you first come in you're hit with a wall consisting of all the bottles of alcohol that they sell. Our server was super nice and she recommended me the chicken katsu curry and it was delicious! I also got a Matcha IPA which I would get again! This place also serves interesting options as well. I didn't get pictures but my friend got a nato veggie pizza which he liked... for me? No. For the adventurous? Sure. Will definitely come back here again; especially for the alcohol options. read more

On the Bridge - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

Japanese people in Japan eat a lot of food that does not get served to Americans in Japanese restaurants. The "product mix of Japanese restaurants" is based on what a set of Korean restaurant entrepreneurs thought that they could sell to Americans in the 1960s and 1970s. A lot of the choices were based on dishes that both Japanese and Koreans like to eat - such as sushi and chicken teriyaki. a) Even in the 1960s and 1970s there were Japanese dishes that did not show up in this standardized product mix. Fancy alternative forms of tofu and hot pots were conspicuous examples of what was a long list of omissions. One of the biggest omissions is curry. Curry is not just an Indian and Thai thing. Curry is as Japanese as cherry blossoms and kabuki theater. Japanese curry is mild and typically sticks to a relatively constrained range of spicing and flavors. It is often a convenience food served by busy moms when they don't have time for a fancy cook. There is store-bought factory-made instant-curry and there is pride-of-the-kitchen artisanal chef restaurant curry. A good locally made restaurant Japanese curry is great great eating. b) Japanese food changed over time just as American food has changed over time. The "original menu" Korean-Japanese restaurant menus ossified in time never taking any of these new developments into account. In particular, the standard American Japanese restaurant menu ignored the fact that Japanese food globalized. Asian adaptations of Western dishes are not empty imitations of Western recipes. Virtually every Western dish they experimented with got a rethink. The food you get in a "Western" Japanese restaurant is unlike anything you could get at home. You get unique and distinctive Japanese dishes. ********* On the Bridge specializes is these two great omissions of the American Japanese standardized restaurant menu. They do curries. They do globalized dishes - as they are served in Japan. I am sure somewhere someplace in the US there are other restaurants that do this. But On The Bridge is the only establishment that I know of that specifically speaks to this niche. User Alert: Just because a dish is rarely served in the United States does not mean that dish will be an amazing taste sensation that will change your life forever. Both Japanese curries and Japanese globalized food tend to be comfort dishes. They would go in the same category with America's macaroni and cheese or Britain's scotch eggs. You are always happy when you eat them - But you would not go out specifically to treat yourself to these if you just got a major promotion at work. This is simple hearty everyday fare. * * * I had a typical dish off of their menu. Chicken and mushroom spaghetti. It was just what it sounds like. Spaghetti with stir-fried chicken, sauteed mushrooms, scallions and some diced tomatoes. It was not "red saucy" by any stretch of the imagination. It tasted like a chicken and mushroom omelet where someone swapped out the eggs for cooked spaghetti. I was perfectly happy to eat it. But the sky did not open up revealing Mount Fuji and Mount Rushmore melding in a cosmic transubstantiation while John Philip Sousa hoisted the Rising Sun. The sky did not even open up to reveal Sailor Moon. It was a nice lunch of chicken, mushrooms and spaghetti. Later that day in Japantown, I WOULD have a coffee croissant that opened up the universe to reveal divine visions. (Anderson's Bakery if you really want to know.) * * * Still lunch is lunch and comfort is comfort. If On the Bridge were anywhere near my house, I would eat there all the time. read more

Super cool spot. Wonderful drink selection, lots of beers and sakes and mixed drinks for anyone's taste. Service was a tad slow but I was enjoying my drinks so I don't mind. The seating area is small but I sat at the bar and enjoyed the Studio Ghibli movie that was playing. read more

Every time my bf and I go to Japantown, there's always a long line outside the door for this restaurant and one day we were lucky to have snagged a table. The waiter/host warned us that they had a table available but there would be about a 15-20 min wait for food, which we were ok with. They have a vast menu with different options like pizza, pasta, ramen and curry. We were curious about the Japanese pasta and pizza but we decided on the loco moco and chicken katsu curry don. We also ordered the takoyaki and a couple of alcoholic beverages. I enjoyed my chicken katsu curry don and liked that it came with an egg. My bf liked his loco moco. We both left our plates clean! The takoyaki was good also. I ordered a melon soju cocktail, which was really sweet but still good. The interior has a homey bar vibe to it and we were able to greet and thank the owner (I think it was the owner). They also have old Japanese manga books lining the walls and they play anime on the TV's. I will definitely be back to try their other food items! read more

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food came out fast but they were just okay. the gyudon was so soggy at the bottom--there was too much liquid so the rice was just swimming in gravy. the beef was alright but a little salty. the menchi katsu was presented nicely and I liked the crispness of the fried hamburg steak but I wasn't a fan of the inside texture and flavor, it was mushy and a bit too peppery for my liking. the curry was kind of chunky read more

On the Bridge - Gyu Don - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I stopped by On the Bridge on a weekday and ordered the hamburger steak with daikon sauce. I appreciated being offered a physical menu when I sat down. It's hard to find good Japanese-style hamburger steak nowadays, and this one didn't disappoint. The atmosphere was relaxed and perfect for a weekday visit. read more

On the Bridge - Japanese-style Hamburger steak on sizzling plate with daikon sauce - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

Oh gosh this place. Curry is good but service sucks so on average it's about 3 stars. I honestly don't even know if they even want customers because the staff don't greet us, don't check on us, take forever to give us our bill, and act confused when we ask for a to-go box. There was a lady there who was on her phone the entire time, even while refilling waters and standing at the cashier station. How is that professional? No idea how this establishment is run nowadays. In the past it was run by a cute family. Service was always slow then too, but they never ignored people. Recently it seems like new people have taken over the restaurant.. not sure if that is the reason for the poor service but it's a bummer! read more

Small restaurant in one of the smaller hallways in japan town! The restaurant has a lot of fusion food - we got the curry spaghetti and okonomiyaki pizza. The pizza had a LOT of fish flakes on it, so if you love those definitely will be a hit. The curry spaghetti was super flavorful and unique! The service was pretty fast as well. read more

Our group was looking for a restaurant in Japantown that didn't have a long wait and would be able to seat a group of 7. We ended up at this cute restaurant with nostalgic posters, manga volumes, and Japanese decor. Our server was chill and got us food and drink menus, and also took our order pretty efficiently. The food was okay for the price - more like comfort food vibes at decent portion sizes? We ordered a variety of dishes like locomoco and katsu don and mentaiko pasta (the creamy pasta dishes ended up being my favorite) and overall still had a good time at this place read more

- we did not receive the physical menu that customers both before and after us got. - although there was a qr code menu, no one informed us of this, so we sat for 10~ minutes twiddling our thumbs for a menu, t trying to give the servers the benefit of the doubt (looking back: we sat at the front of the restaurant, at the bar area, where the servers could see us and our lack of menu very clearly). - after finding the qr code menu (by ourselves, mind you) and mentally choosing our items, we waited for an additional 10-15 minutes for a waiter to take our order. - afterwards we decided to raise our hands to order, but it took about 3~ minutes of them passing by us for them to take our order--which they only did because we spoke up. - in the 3~ minutes (it's a very small store, and we had been waiting for 10-20 minutes for someone to come by), both servers passed by us several times, and made eye contact with us and our raised hands 4-5 times, but did nothing to signal their acknowledgement that they would come back to us. - this would not have been a problem, but in the 10-20 minutes we waited for someone to come by, we watched the servers go to other tables that didn't raise their hands to take their order, go to tables that did raise their hands to see their concern, clean a few tables, and otherwise. - so, after 3~ minutes of watching them avoid our hands, we finally spoke up and asked if we could order. -we ordered a miso ramen to split. we asked for an extra bowl, and she said there would be a sharing fee--we eventually found out that this sharing fee was $4.00 for our $19.90 (pre-tax) ramen. (note to self: always ask for the sharing fee before you decide to share) - our singular ramen came out to a total of $26.92, for, i kid you not--the most mid, horendous, disgusting, and expensive ramen i ever had. the broth was very oily--and not in a good, yummy, chasu ramen way--and had a weird flavor that was somehow flavorless and overwhelmingly disgusting at the same time. i am usually a huge soup lover (even when the soup is just average), but i did not want more than 2 spoonfuls of this broth. the soup made me feel sick in the stomach and had a icky, slimy feel going down my throat. the noodles were very clearly overcooked. the texture was sinilar to instant ramen noodles that had bren left on the counter overnight. - also, our food took 15~ minutes to arrive, which is reasonable. however, in that time, several people who came into the store after we ordered received their meals before us (within 5~ minutes). - although i personally believe this place deserves -800,000,000 stars, i must give it a lowly 1 star. please never come here, or if you do, leave before falling into the sunk coat fallacy that my friend and i fell into (that since we already waited for so lonf, what's a little longer? YOU FOOL, you're waiting for the worst experience of your life). - thank you for coming to my ted talk, and i hope you enjoyed the rant. read more

On the Bridge - receipt--sharing fee $4.00 for one extra bowl - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California

I am a tourist. I used to live in this area 30 years ago. When I came back to Japantown, I was disappointed to see almost all original restaurants has disappeared, and the new restaurants (after covid) are not almost as good. I saw the complex were super crowded, but not so many people are eating in the restaurants. But this "on the Bridge" is still same as authentic and original as 30 years ago! I ordered beef curry, and the curry has plenty of meat and is aged perfectly as it supposed to be. Thank you to the owners to preserve this restaurant as original as possible. Hopefully the restaurant stays as long as possible. Service is great, ambiance also great. read more

Been wanting to try this spot. We always pass it by. So happy we did this time. The food was great! The staff was friendly and fast. I think the owner even took our orders. Older gentlemen. So cute. Will be coming back to try other dishes. read more

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Restaurant in the West Mall [Japantown, San Francisco CA] It was a full house. Seating was limited when we arrived but there was some space at the long bar area so we said okay. S-L-O-W! Took a while for everything! Took awhile for someone to take our orders, took awhile to serve our food (like a long while), took awhile for someone to hand us our check even after we were long done eating, took awhile when I requested for a receipt... and no one checked on us. The bar is facing where employees go back and forth from the kitchen to the cash register so they can clearly see and can easily check on us. I had to exercise patience. Poor customer service on their part. They seem to specialize in Japanese-style pasta and Katsu but my daughter was set on trying their Locomoco which she enjoyed very much. I ordered the Shrimp Tempura Udon. It was okay. I ate a little bit of it but daughter finished the rest. LoL she was hungry. This restaurant is located at Japan Center's West Mall in San Francisco. Instagram: @sfonthebridge Review #3376 read more

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This restaurant has been opened for many years. Inside, you can see a little bar but has a lot of drinks that they're decorated. I enjoyed watching the Japanese cartoon :) while I was waiting for my food. The food was okay for the price. The service was okay! read more

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I was looking forward to trying out this curry spot in SF japantown, but the curry was really lacking in flavor. Not only the katsu was bland, but the curry itself as well which was disappointing. On the other hand, the takoyaki was flavorful with a nice crisp. Don't expect too much service as they do the bare minimum and you go up to pay. Something that stood out was that they have book shelves next to the tables lined with old manga books which was cool. read more

On the Bridge - Takoyaki and Pork Katsu Curry - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Francisco, California