Had a great evening here with a bunch of friends. Very casual spot offering Hawaiian and Japanese Foods. Extremely nice that we went during happy hour. Prices could not be beat for the generous portions of food that we ate. Owner and staff were very welcoming and accommodating to all our needs. The food was so ono delicious! We forgot to Even look at the regular menu since we were stuffed with the happy hour foods. Loved the spam fries and special dip. Very crunchy and not salty at all. The katsu curry is always my favorite. The curry flavor and texture is always on point. The Taisho fries remained crispy throughout the evening. Jenny's oxtail porridge was just the right consistency for jook with shreds of oxtail. Such a nice comfort Food on a cold evening. The Mac salad tasted homemade and the chicken wings were meaty and succulent with the two dipping sauces. All in all, it was a wonderful evening spent with good friends and food. Thank you Taisho - we will be back

Fun karaoke and amazing happy hour spot!! Went with a group of friends on a Sunday night and sang our hearts out for 2 hours. The prices for a VIP room for 15+ people and food were super good given this is in the heart of San Francisco. The food was impressively good for a karaoke bar + restaurant! The curry portions were insanely generous and I was pleasantly full after a $6 order... yeah you read that right! You can get pitchers of Sapporo and drinks for very affordable price too. I lowkey wanna gatekeep this spot for how great it is but also posting my honest thoughts here to support this local business!! I will be back!

The owners are so nice, they even offered free shots of Sake! The food was great. We got the Spam fries and a curry dish. Delicious!

Taisho was the perfect stop for happy hour snacks and nice cold beer. We popped in before going to a gig around the corner at the theater on Van Ness. It was happy hour so we got a picture of beer, edamame 'guacamole' and chips, pork nachos, Gyozo, and my favorite: four chicken drummies at bargain prices! The drummers were so crispy and delicious and we're a good size. The food we bought for two Was way more than we actually needed. Delicious. Great price. Nice people. plenty of things to look at and sports game on the TVs. Next time we come, we have to run to karaoke room. Will be amazing. I'm sure. Last visit June 6. 2024. Weekday. Thanks to Victoria for getting us in and making us feel welcome. Thanks to the kitchen for getting us in and out in lightning speed. Our pleasure to meet the owner as well. Nice touch to thank your patrons (a long loathing art it seems). We'll def. be back!

We were sad when our go-to karaoke spot, Yama Sho, closed down... and thus were overjoyed when it was reborn as TaishoSF! The new owner has carried on the legacy of Yama Sho with much of the same decor (as a tribute to the Yama Sho owners, who we learned passed away). But the menu, the kitchen, and the karaoke equipment have all been dramatically upgraded. The food is now Hawaiian-inspired, and delicious. A plate of kalua pork nachos is the perfect dish to share while belting out off-key power ballads with your friends. They even have a Dole Whip machine, one of only a few places in the Bay Area that have one. The karaoke machines have been upgraded to touch-screens, and have an expansive library of songs. There's bound to be something for everyone. My only nitpick (as a Broadway nerd) is that Yama Sho had a few more Broadway musicals in their database, but that's probably not a big deal for most (cooler) people, haha. Another nice new addition is the generous happy hour, which runs from 5-7 and features bargain prices on the food (which are an even crazier bargain by SF standards). The food is good, the staff is friendly and responsive, the karaoke rooms are clean, and there's an old Street Fighter II arcade machine in the dining room... what more could you ask for? RIP Yama Sho, but the legacy endures. We will definitely will be visiting TaishoSF again soon.

Food was great but the energy of the bar and karaoke was top notch. Went in for late eats and it turned into way more. Ownership gave us gratis shots and dole whip to sing karaoke and I wasn't going to disappoint. They had several mics so everyone could join in on the fun! Great time at a random spot that I will definitely making my way back to!

This place is a hidden gem and I was pleasantly surprised how spacious Taisho is. As soon as my boyfriend and I entered the establishment, we were greeted with warm smiles and seated promptly. Our waitress Victoria was amicable and guided us through the menu items to see which food items would fit our palate. Kalua pork super burrito - (5/5) I typically do not enjoy kalua pork since it is typically overcooked and dry but the pork was tender and succulent. The edamame sauce was light, creamy and really elevated the burrito. Chicken karage curry- (4/5) karage was cooked to perfection and was well seasoned. The curry itself was rich and had good depth of flavor but I personally like mine spicy. Would love to see a spice jar for people to add to their curry. Overall great spot to hang out and even karaoke! Will definitely be back to try their other items.

TLDR; family owned, kalua pork burrito is smack, karaoke rooms, worth your try! Wife and I were near the area and stumbled upon this new Japanese/Hawaiian fusion restaurant and decided to give it a try- worth noting they also have 10+ karaoke rooms so it seems like a great place for weekends to go sing your heart out! Ambiance- 4/5 We came on a Sunday for lunch and the place was huge; I could easily tell this place gets filled Fri/Sat nights. I was told they had just started expirementing with lunch hours so perfect timing. Plenty of tables and they also have counter seats if you wanted to watch all the kitchen action. Only reason I gave it a 4/5 is because I know they're new owners and could possibly change up the vibes. Customer Service- 5/5 (Tip- try to get Nick as your waiter!) Our waiter, Nick, was extremely attentive from seating us to walking us out. He took the time to explain the restaurant history, the menu, drinks, and all they have to offer including popular items. It's a family owned restaurant which makes it that much more important to support this business! Nick was so kind to have let us try their house sake and even brought out a bowl of a their oxtail porridge to taste (oxtail porridge was delicious! Very distinct beef/rich flavor). If you're reading this, thanks for everything Nick! Ok now the good stuff.. Alcohol (not rating)- wife got a guava cart and I opted for the Far Yeast Kagua Rouge. It's an creamy ale with a a sweet/bitter balanced flavor. Very refreshing yet strong enough for a big boy like me : ) Food: Karaage (4/5) and Angel Wing Gyoza (4/5) chicken was def juicy with a crispy outer layer, the dipping sauce was a Japanese mayo spicy dip which paired perfectly. The presentation of the gyoza was very intricate, they're banded together with this crispy chip crust with a soy sauce/vinegar based dipping sauce. Katsu Curry- 5/5 like the karaage, chicken breading was perfectly crusted and moist in the inside. The curry was piping hot when it came out- had potatos, onions, and carrots in the curry for a hearty sauce. Comes with a large scoop of rice with furikake seasoning and a side of ginger which was really refreshing. I would rate the spice on the curry a mildium (in between mild - medium lol) which is perfect for our taste buds. Kalua Pork Burrito- 5/5 This was my favorite- tender and well marinated pork shoulder with a creamy spicy mayo-marinaded rice and some veggies and cheese. The pork flavor was very rich and earthy as if they actually use banana leaves to marinade! This flew me back to Oahu and I was pleasantly suprised by how flavorful and creamy the texture was. It was a very distinct taste that I could only get in Hawaii. It also comes with chips and homemade salsa- I would buy their salsa! My next visit I'm definitely going to try: Furikake Fries, Teriyaki or Portobello burger, oxtail porridge, and def the dole whip! All in all, I'm extremely excited to see this place grow and have already let my freinds know about this place. We want to go together for a karaoke session soon and will need to update my review on how the experience is at night. I'd urge you guys to support this family-run business!

There's something about the interior of TaishoSF that makes you relax and know that you're in for a good time. Is it the light blue paint of the interior juxtaposed with the dark woods, is it the cavernous high ceilinged main room, is it the multi-level labyrinth of Karaoke rooms (I believe there are 11 rooms of varying size) along with the large second floor banquet sized hall? Yep, there's something about these beautiful old SF buildings that look small on the outside but are surprisingly big and mesmerizing when you explore them. Makes you wonder the stories behind this Beauty of a building. TaishoSF along with the nice digs has an eclectic choice of bar foods, drinks, snacks, comfort food that will satisfy your palette. Did I mention that they are one of three or so locations in the city that has a Dole Whip machine? Yep, that non-dairy treat (has Pineapple and Pineapple Creme) that you remember from Hawaii or Disneyland. One thought, please add a Dole Whip Float like Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room. Along with drinks, there's a good variety of fried foods like Chicken Kaarage, Spam Fries served in a Spam can, Battered Fried Portobello Burger, - all crunchy good without being too oily. I know what you're thinking, I've got a fried food fetish, but hey you're in a Kaaroke / Bar and the saltiness and crunchiness of fried food pairs well with drinks and singing. For you people looking for something more substantial, they have Curry Katsu, Spam Musubi, salads, and other items to choose from. I look forward to coming back to one of the many Kaaroke rooms, possibly try to get an invite to a rumored BTS Army party coming up, or just hang out and talk to one of the owners who has the perfect personality for being a host. Rooting for this new place in an old Queen of a building.

Stumbled into this spot only to find out it had opened to the public just 2 hours ago!! Being that it's location is right across the 24hour fitness on Van Ness, I saw Kenji passing out the menu and couldn't resist eating at a restaurant that JUST opened. Plus, an after workout meal?! I like to call it: FATE. We were able to catch their pop up menu and prices. We ordered karaage and chicken katsu curry, on top of that we got complimentary sake and dole whip. The karaage was no lie probably one of my favorites. It's crispy, not too bread-y, and has some juicy chicken. The boyf loved the chicken katsu and thinks the curry was delicious. We both thought that both dishes could have a bit more spice/have the option for spice. But that's just our crazy spice food palette speaking. (Side Shichimi pls) The dole whip was on point! The boyf kept saying "MMM" after every bite. He claims it to be the best dole whip in SF (Fighting words, I know). I thought the flavor of their dole whip was super similar to Hawaii but not Hawaii consistency. This spot is spacious. High ceilings, open bar set up (they are working to get their 47 license), and the downstairs has private karaoke rooms you and your friends can rent out for X hours. Happy and excited I was one of the first people to enjoy this new restaurant. I believe in this delicious spot and can't wait to do drunk karaoke here with my friends! Thank you Kenji, Darryl, Nick and team for a great experience on your opening day! Rooting for this spot and will be here after many gym sessions.