KatanaYa (Japanese Ramen)

This is my review of Katanaya, a Japanese ramen restaurant in San Francisco.

Atmosphere
This place feels like one of those hole in the wall restaurants. The decor looks like as if the owners decided to add different crap on as time went by. Also you can see the naked pipes on the ceiling... But what really bothered me about this place is that, they had these lights on top of the bar which looked like something out of a Christmas tree. I guess the owners wanted to make the place look modern and hip, but all it did was made the place into one of those 1970s  hooker bar(I never been to one if you are wondering) with blueish pink lightning. The lighting in this restaurant can be better for a more enjoyable dining experience. I mean there are other hole in the restaurant in SF with great atmosphere. Overall katanaya falls short on providing a decent environment for eating.

Service
The service here is a little bit on the slow side but adequate. But you don't see that excessive smile on their faces when they serve you.

Food
The ramen here is one of the best I have tasted. The soup has that deep Donkotsu flavor and all the toppings on the ramen  goes very well with the soup. The noodle here is unexceptional as well, but when i went recently.... they over cooked the noddles just a little bit. The three type of sauce Sio(salt), Shoyu(soy sauce), and miso are very distinct and you can enjoy the different aspect of the soup depending on which sauce you order. Overall, if you want a descent bowl of ramen, katanaya is the way to go.

Price
Price Range: $8-$14 per person
The price here is a bit high for what you get. But it is understandable since it is in San Francisco and right next to Union Square. The quality of the food here is good enough to overlook the price.

James' Score
Atmosphere: 3/10 The (Seems like the owner didn't even try)
Service: 5/10
Taste of Food: 7/10 (good ramen)
Presentation of Food: 5/10
Price 5/10 (understandable prices)

Overall 5/10

Final Comment
This place usually have a long line in front of the restaurant and it deserves it.

Will I come back? Yes

The front face of the restaurant

 

The garish looking lighting above the bar... Christmas is here early guys! They should seriously rip these down.

Ktanaya Ramen (Shoyu)
I ordered a shoyu ramen here and you can really taste that refreshing soy sauce flavor that comes with the soup. The toppings were very satisfying! It had fried wonton, frided chicken, chashu, scalions, half of an egg sea weed. This was a tasty and a filling bowl of ramen. However, they over cooked the ramen noodles a little bit.

My attempted at a close up shot of the soup. I guess i need a better camera =/