One of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in SF that you probably haven’t heard of…. Kappou Gomi

Let me just start off by saying that Kappou Gomi isn’t for everyone.

These days, here are the common types of Japanese restaurants you’ll find: the ones with cream cheese sushi rolls, omakase this, omakase that, wannabe ramen spots, yakitori/izakaya restaurants, and shabu shabu.

Gomi is so far on the other end of the spectrum of these places, that you probably haven’t heard about it or ever experienced it.

It’s a lost art in our culture today.

If you can appreciate the attention to detail and the traditional Japanese presentation of food… then this place is for you.

At first you walk in the door, and its nothing crazy… you really can’t judge a book by its cover. There’s outdated carpet with outdated covers and chairs.

This is the last place where you think would serve exceptional food.

Its also one of the most confusing menu that you’ll ever find.

But is so, so satisfying.

I mean… how many ways can you cook crab? Apparently… 8 times.

Flounder?  6 ways. You can get it steamed with sake, simmered in a special sauce, or deep fried 3 different ways.

Shrimp? You can choose between 7 options.

You get the point. The menu is extremely overwhelming.

My tip? Go in with a game plan. Get a combo of cooked and raw food. You simply can’t go wrong.

You can think of it like ordering tapas, where the portion sizes are small and you order a bunch of dishes to share.

Alright, enough talking, here are some pictures:

(ps: lighting was bad, so these might not do it justice)

Unagi (eel)

Beef Tataki 

Grilled Squid

Butter Salmon

Miso Cod

Sashimi (hamachi and salmon)

Fresh oyster of the day

Salt grilled flounder

Not photographed, but a MUST GET: the hand made udon noodles… it’s some of the best udon I’ve ever had in the states.

So to sum it all up… if you can appreciate good food, presentation, and a delicate attention to detail, then Kappou Gomi is for you. While it may hurt your wallet a little bit, just know that you’ve visited one of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in SF without actually going to Japan.

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