Came here for lunch around 12:30 on a Tuesday and suprisingly there was no line. May have just missed the rush cause the line is usually out the door for their hot food. I took this opportunity to try their hot bar and got the Beef Curry over rice with a Tonkatsu(sold seperately). The food here is delicious and well made. The curry was really good and although not top tier, holds its own with some of the other establishments in the city. The Tonkatsu was pretty good, but on the small side, but for under $ 2, it was a good side to add on, One of my favorite things here is their Wasabi Potato salad. It taste refreshing on a warm SF day as a potato salad should, but there is that kick of Wasabi that not only makes it more refreshing, but pretty cleanses the palate effectively. You can also get the potato salad and other prepared bento boxes on a side line, which is usually much shorter. These boxes are prepped everyday and are pretty good in quality if you just want to grab something really quick. A tad on the pricey side, but on par with everything else in the Ferry Building price wise.
Andrew H.
Tu valoración: 4 Oakland, CA
Japanese quick-service deli. As of June ’16, Vegan options are limited to just a few items: the agedashi tofu, the spicy burdock salad, the hijiki soybean salad, and the avocado roll. Delicious nonetheless! My go-to vegan lunch option in the Ferry Building.
Vinson H.
Tu valoración: 1 San Francisco, CA
When I first came here the food was great. Medium size portions that involve salad(Hijiki seed weed is my favorite), chicken, pork, etc. They even had a dinner night. Don’t know what happened to that. Strike one was around Friday at 5pm, I was served cold to warm Japanese beef curry. I mean really. I get you are busy, but put it in the microwave or something. Final strike, I found a PLASTICPENCAP in my Hijiki salad! I told the manager about it, and didn’t ask for anything else besides watch out when you serve this. I can’t believe the quality of this place. Not my place to go any more.
Sangita A.
Tu valoración: 1 San Francisco, CA
Probably the worst sushi experience I’ve had in this city. Ordered this on UberEats today and ordered the Shrimp/crab roll. It was a disappointing 5 pieces of sushi that were 80% of rice. I mean the pieces of crab were wrapped TWICE with rice. that’s a sushi no-no in my books. Avoid if you can and definitely don’t spend the exorbitant money I did for a lousy dish. I even asked for a refund and have not heard back… –Hungry Hungry Pongy
Ben M.
Tu valoración: 1 San Francisco, CA
Wtf. Typically really like the main and salad options but today, my hijiki seaweed salad came with a ROCK inside it. Yes, a ROCK! Bit hella hard into it but good thing I have strong teeth. Going to call manager abt this asap but be aware and chew at your own risk! See uploaded photo for size which is abt the size of a penny wide.
Kristie C.
Tu valoración: 4 Palo Alto, CA
love this little japanese joint — get a pre-made bento box or pick from the counter like at whole foods. $ 9.79 including tax: main + side + rice //— the food — \\ — quality, tasty food that’s affordable and allows you to mix-and-match what items you want. lots of healthy options, but also lots of fried options if you’re feeling like you want to splurge — options: bento boxes, don buri, onigiri, rolls, salads(rotating but hijiki, mushroom, etc), soups(rotating but miso, carrot ginger), etc. //— my food — \\ — tofu/chicken patty: very delicious and flavorful, loved that they added hijiki inside for a different texture /taste — sesame salad: hefty portions depending when you come. marinated and not drenched in that creamy white sauce that some places do. healthy + highly recommended — rice: even the rice texture was great will definitely have to come back
Sara L.
Tu valoración: 3 San Mateo, CA
After eating lunch here with my boyfriend, I’m confused as to how Delica has kept its 4 star rating. Lunch combo plate($ 10.50): — Chicken dumplings: Tasted good, but it only came with two and they were both cold, even though it’s under the category of «hot food» :( — Eggplant salad: Really good flavors. Comes with ground pork, which I enjoyed, but just a note for the vegetarians out there! Probably the best tasting part of our lunch. — Salmon chowder: It was okay. Could have used more salmon, and the soup itself was a bit watery. The large beef curry($ 11) wasn’t very large, and again, it was just okay – Not as flavorful as other Japanese curries that I’ve had. Tender beef chunks, but no potatoes, to my disappointment. Overall, our lunch was good, but definitely not great. My biggest complaints were the cold chicken dumplings and the small portion sizes.
T. C.
Tu valoración: 2 San Jose, CA
I don’t know why I even came in here… I mean Japanese food I am all in but this place is meh! To clarify I only tried the cooked items on the far right of the restaurant. I tried the sweet/sour chicken, crab croquette, Chicken dumpling w/side of rice. All items were cold not just a little cold… real cold! Threw it away to be honest, they have better chicken at Safeway to go. The customer service was horrible the asian lady kept getting frustrated with customers.
Albertino M.
Tu valoración: 3 San Francisco, CA
Time: 12:21pm/59°F rain off/on Purpose: Slow months from Jan-mid March. Businesses tends to cut back on spending, thus hurting my tummy, but not income. OTH meals are hard to come by during this period, so I had to chance a local place. Ambiance: Delica is actually located in the back side of ferry building itself. There’s a patio area seating overlooking eastbay cities with eye popping views. That’s probably the best feature for this place. Once inside you’re met with a cafeteria/gourmet like set up of pay before eating. A J-hook counter with a section for cold/hot food. Open air beverage fridge nestle between showcases. Full kitchen behind counter with overhead menu board. Couple of retractable crowd control belt along with a table set up for grab and go goods. Self help utensil organizer to your immediate left when leaving. It’s a self explanatory set up with mostly items to go kinda place. I wouldn’t necessary say good for business lunch, as no waiter service and plastic wear is use. Can’t get more informal than that right? May be ideal for first dates, as I’ll do first dates due to the views here. Staff: Full kitchen staff with a balance of both genders. Mostly late 20s to early 40s staff. BOH kitchen people just look up only when they need to, but head always staring down working. FOH people seems more engaging and helpful. I was never left alone for more than 15 seconds without being acknowledge. I like how they handle situation finishing up on current customer by letting me know that I’m next. This interaction give us both a sense of not being a ghostly figure. You know what I mean? Cleanliness: Grade A, all hot/cold food kept in separate containers and display section cases. Grab n go items kept together in see through container with either tape(cold) and rubber band(hot). Self help utensil area kept neat and organized. Blackboard well written and legible. Patio seating area well maintained during lunch not busy like weekend. Eats/Drinks: Katsu bento box $ 11.25 and salmon roll $ 8, and bottle Itoen green tea $ 2.50. I pay only katsu bento, salmon roll OTH. Once lid pop open looking at katsu, I knew it was just mediocre. The meat inside wasn’t glowing white, and fiber were tighly compress, it look like process dried chicken tender. Worst of all, it was near or outright cold. Eating fried food of any kind when its cold means no crunchy exterior. In this case panko wasn’t crunchy, but mushy like. Rice was just standard steam white with toasted black sesame garnish, very standard. Green bean salad wasn’t all that due to overload on dressing. Not saying it wasn’t good, just tone down on dressing squirt bottle. Spicy bourdock root salad fare better. I like this salad itself, and would eat it when ever a chance is given. Why I like it? Mainly in parts of lotus roots and konnyaku. The spicy mix of braised burdock and wild mizuna gave this salad a unique twist. Putting a zingy flavor on bite after bite. Quite a enjoyable salad thumbs up for this side. Hand roll salmon was alright, but should’ve added another sliced or two of salmon. Reason for this is simple. The center look good, but the ends shows plastic film ends. That itself makes you wonder? How much you’re paying for salmon to plastic ratio? I can safely say nori and brown rice was done perfectly. However, rest of the fixings just didn’t deliver for me. A mess to hold and eat as well as bland tasting with pickled ginger no help. Salmon of grilled or smoked have this distinctive taste and look especially from Scotland. I didn’t taste anything close to it, a 4oz package from Nova Scotia would have done the same. So, why the description salmon kama? Main Features: Sushi rolls of hand roll and bento boxes. Products/Services: Salads, donburi, deli, soup, sushi rolls, bento, dessert, grab n go, hot/cold food, sold by weight or pieces, catering/buffet, assorted bottle/can beverages, CYO bento allow 48hrs advance notice, takes plastic(no minimum). Punch Lines: Indoor ferry building, eye popping views, pleasing flavor, drool-worthy, harried staff, always buzzing, light bites, zippy service, lively atmosphere, business lunch, casual, pretentious, nothing out of the ordinary, tucked away in ferry building, patio seating, satisfaction. Tradeoffs: It’s almost as fast food as it gets. Difference is organic/free range this and that, so price will sound more reasonable to the untrained. Final Thoughts: The only reason this place is doing well, is because what we already know, and that’s location. Of course, a inevitable touristy area people will pay anything for something to satisfy a growling stomach. I don’t see this place any better than the ones on Geary Blvd. The driving force here is out of towner who settle on first Japanese place they see. If this place was out in the avenues with real competition, I don’t think it’ll stand a chance, IMHO.
Tina R.
Tu valoración: 3 Daly City, CA
The food looks pretty unique and healthy a bit here. Their crab croquettes are hecka good, but their shrimp cake is salty. All their batter and tempura items are crunchy and thin!
Crystal Y.
Tu valoración: 4 New York, NY
Tasty but overpriced. Great selection, sushi, bento boxes, soups, curries etc. Plenty of veggie options. I got the mushroom curry and it was delicious, but for $ 10, I wish there was some veggies or tofu in there, instead of just button mushrooms and thin lotus slices.
Desi D.
Tu valoración: 3 Petaluma, CA
I really like this Japanese grab and go place. They have alot of salad and meat choices and they are really good. I would have given this a 4 stars if not for the snotty Asian cashier lady at the counter today(lunch time) who was rude and impatient. Maybe she was the owner that’s why she had an attitude. Not fit for customer service for sure.
Viet N.
Tu valoración: 3 Fremont, CA
LOL at Unilocal for thinking I actually like this place enough to come back repeatedly… Delica is an ideal Japanese grab-n-go place, offering plenty of ready-to-go bentos. You also have the option of ordering various sides along with rice and soup, with the sides ranging from potato croquette to teriyaki chicken to tofu agedashi, and even tempura. However, seeing as how it’s located at the Ferry Building, all items are more expensive than the usual average downtown SF lunch fare, and to be honest, the food I had wasn’t too impressive. Ordered a bento box for $ 15, which came with 9 different types of food, which included 4 different sushi rolls, 4 salads, and a meatball looking thing in the middle. All the items were just satisfactory in taste to me, with nothing standing out other than the roll with the purple rice(only because it was purple). Maybe I’ll come back after a little while, but there are plenty of other options for quick Japanese food around.
Julie L.
Tu valoración: 3 San Francisco, CA
Based on the photos and prior reviews, I was excited to try the 9 item bento. Loved that there was variety but everything fell below my expectations. The pieces of sushi were dry while the small bits of salad were almost the same w/very few distinguishable ingredients. Ordered the shrimp cake, crab croquette and 3 chicken dumplings. While the shrimp cake and crab croquette were equally enjoyable w/the deliciously moist filling, we both didn’t like the chicken dumpling. Not only did it not look like a dumpling, I just couldn’t find anything that is worth $ 2+/piece…especially the flavor. We also shared a miso soup and the salmon chowder but the portion was ultra small for a bowl size at $ 7.50. Flavors were«just ok».
Steffi C.
Tu valoración: 4 Fremont, CA
I have become quite fond of this place. A great spot for lunch. Be sure to get in before 12. The line can get long but they do move quickly. I often get the main + soup + salad combo. The chicken dumplings are great. I also like the Kakiage tempura. Carrot and ginger soup is my favorite among the soups. Also try the Spicy Burdock and Lotus Roots Salad . The bento boxes look good. Will try it sometime. Overall worth the money!
Julia K.
Tu valoración: 4 San Francisco, CA
Randomly came across this place while exploring the ferry building. I got two salads and a main and I believed it was 10.50 . The main dish I got was the sweet spicy chicken which was a bit cold for my liking. The two salads I got however were amazing ! I got the spicy burdock salad and the mushroom salad and really enjoyed both. Burdock salad reminded me of one of my favorites side dishes and it was the first time I came across somewhere that made it how I liked it. The mushroom salad was also really tasty ~ not too salty not too bland . Overall really enjoyed the food !
Brian L.
Tu valoración: 5 San Jose, CA
I thought I had found the only curry I ever had when I went to Muracci’s. Then I discovered Delica. Delica is one of those really peculiar places. It’s a Japanese deli nestled within a corner of the Ferry Building, rather unassuming and I hadn’t found it until the last of my weeks in the area. ‘Tis a shame. I was craving curry, and Unilocal led me here, just mere steps from the office. I got the large Beef Curry, which came at a pretty penny of about $ 11+. I had to say, it was simple, but it was just solid curry. No fancy bells and whistles, but it just tasted great. I only wish I had more bang for my buck, which I do get at Muracci’s with the addition of a nice kick of spice. The various fried food options look really interesting, and I’ve got to try those sometime. Hopefully I get a chance to swing by the Ferry Building sometime soon, since this is a real hidden gem. TIP: Can’t go wrong with the curry.
Isabella B.
Tu valoración: 4 San Diego, CA
My two«in a pinch» meals when I’m at the Ferry Building consist of either a grilled cheese sandwich at Sidekick or a curry bowl at Delica. For $ 9.50/regular portion or $ 11.00/large portion I can get curry that can fill me up for at least a good portion of the day. If I get a large the portion size amounts to 2 meals. — Their to-go containers are durable and microwavable. — Their meat source is Prather Ranch, which also has a space in the Ferry Building. Their stew meat is some of the best meat I’ve had for beef curry. I’ve had their beef and veggie bowls and though I prefer the meat curry I can recommend both bowls. The mushrooms are not too rubbery and can be as dense as a light meat and there’s something to be said about those addicting lotus chips, which I can easily munch on by itself. The beef bowl has super-tender meat and potatoes absorbing the thick broth. The only reason for the 4 star is that the proportions are a little off — there is a good portion of rice even for small and the dish could use a little more meat. The best part about this curry is that it makes good leftovers when microwaved. This was a huge plus for those long study sessions back when I was a SFSU graduate student.
Sara C.
Tu valoración: 5 Seattle, WA
Oh, Delica. Delica is like an impossible yet passionate mutual love. I know I love Delica with all of my heart, and Delica loves me, but due to geographical differences and career aspirations and all the other factors that come with a complicated love, we just can’t be together. But in the rare moments that we are together — it’s magical. Whether we’re at an airport or in the parking lot, if I have some Delica with me, I know I’ll be having a great day. Your crispy croquette kisses and sweet gomae green beans. Your sultry hijiki salads and homey, familiar agedashi tofu. When I look at you, Delica, I feel like I’m home.
Linda X.
Tu valoración: 4 San Francisco, CA
Solid choice for food at the ferry building! There’s so many options displayed in the glass casing. The people that work here are really nice and offered to make some of the food fresh for me since the ones they had left had been sitting out for awhile. I really liked the crab croquette($ 4.50). It had crab with creamy sauce in it. It’s a little pricey but very tasty. The scallop and potato croquettes($ 2 each) were also really good. The chicken dumpling with sweet chili sauce($ 2.25 each) were unique but I probably wouldn’t get that next time especially for the price. My boyfriend ordered the large beef curry($ 11). It was a huge serving size of rice with tender beef and potato curry. It was super hearty and filling.
Natalie L.
Tu valoración: 4 San Francisco, CA
I must say the Assorted Sushi Bento is so cute! I’ve been dying to try, there are preset 9 items that can be sushi, salads or small dishes. I love the idea of just trying a bit of everything. Everything was delicious and presentation was on it’s A game for sure. I would definitely come back next time to try their sushi rolls and curry! OHCASHONLY. Had to walk to the ATM and get cash: D
Robbin A.
Tu valoración: 4 South San Francisco, CA
Ordered from Delica for catering and it was pretty awesome. Do note that they have a 5% presentation fee. Essentially, there are few things more astounding than getting BUCKETS of Japanese curry delivered to your workplace. The platter of croquettes was beautiful, but I guess that a bucket of curry can only be so fancy. The truth of the matter is that Japanese curry is beautiful in itself, and I think they just knew that. The main problem is that I only wanted 2 pounds of salad, sure that no one would be so vegetarian that they’d only eat salad… but the lady was absolutely sure that I would need 5 pounds of salad. Next time, I will rely on my salad math and think, «Okay, at Whole Foods, when I go to the salad bar, I usually get way under 0.5 pounds of salad. Way under. And that’s only because mine wasn’t just lettuce. There are 3 – 4 vegetarians. That’s about 2 pounds of salad. Done.» Anyway, so that’s just a cautionary tale on how to order for catering. Delica is fantastic and has some damn good curry. The croquettes were absolutely my favorite. The chicken katsu was a LOT smaller than I thought it would be. I’m used to getting those huge cuts from Japanese restaurants, but these are maybe the size of 3 – 4 McNuggets. Not very big. I should’ve cut down on the salad and ordered about 20 more pieces of that, because that was gone in a flash despite there being meat in the curry(and some were veggie curries). All in all, it was a good experience, but I’m more likely to eat there on my own than go again for curry. For a small group of around 30, that was not the best experience, and I ended up going way over budget after I included the tip. But food-wise, it was delicious — my guests were all basically in love with the comforting flavors of the curry.
Natalie C.
Tu valoración: 5 Pleasanton, CA
If you have ever wondered what home cooked Japanese food tastes like, this is it! I’d have to say that after going over to my Japanese friends’ house for a number of dinners and doing a homestay in Japan, I might know a thing or two… Not much, but a bit. The meal I got brought back lots of memories of combining things that you might think don’t go together, but end up being great! Don’t go into it looking for the typical lunch special you find at most places. Just think of delica as being your mom going into the kitchen, grabbing the seasonal vegetables and preparing it in a creative way, and sending it all with you in a bento for school. The green bean salad was a surprise fav. I felt a little worried for some reason… But it was creamy and delicious. I also loved the use of takenoko and celery in another salad! I got to sample the wasabi potato salad and regretted not grabbing some. Definitely going back!
Rodney H.
Tu valoración: 5 San Francisco, CA
Yeah, it’s been 6 years since my last review for Delica, and with this update, it still a solid 5 stars for me! I just love coming here! First and foremost that I should mention, I just had their Beef Curry for the first time and it’s probably one of the better Japanese Curries I’ve had in the city. I got the regular sized curry and it was a pretty hearty bowl with a good amount of tender beef cubes and potatoes. And from their hot food section, their crab croquettes are still the thing the get! Regular Beef Curry w/Crab Croquette – Their salads are still some of the tastiest ones you can have in the Ferry Building. I still recommend getting the 2 salads and rice combo with their Burdock Root Salad and Lotus Salad. Their bentos have the perfect balance of veggies, carbs, and proteins. They’re always something worth stopping by for lunch. 4 item Bento – Other than their prices being higher than most Japanese markets, simply because it’s in the Ferry Building, I really can’t see any other flaws with Delica. Their food is totally fresh and delicious!
Alexandra S.
Tu valoración: 4 Vancouver, Canada
Don’t let the lineup scare you off! It moves quick, and it’s worth it – you’ll get a generous serving of Japanese goodies you can choose yourself. We had the veggie karaage(fabulous!), spicy chicken wings(yum) and really awesome sesame spinach. All really tasty, and a great meal to enjoy on the picnic benches outside. The only downside is that even though our kids usually love Japanese food, there wasn’t anything here that fit in their repertoire — nothing plain enough(all rolls, no ngiri that I saw, and generally, not a lot of sushi). The miso soup went over OK but other than that, not really a great place to eat with kids.
Benita M.
Tu valoración: 3 San Francisco, CA
If you have the Paypal app, make sure you clip the coupon. You can get $ 3-$ 4 off from this place if you pay through the app. What a steal! Depending on what time you come, expect a line and a wait. Once the line circled to the place where they sell honey, took about 20 minutes until I got my food. One thing I like about Delica is how fresh their food is. Everything here looks delicious however, the price puts you off. They sell ONE crab croquette for $ 4. ONEPIECE. Please just kill me. I usually get the lunch combo, Main, Salad, Soup, which is about $ 9.75. My favorite so far is the Tofu salad. It does have a heavy cilantro taste(which I hate) but there’s just something about that salad that is refreshing. I also always get the salmon chowder(It is $ 1 extra with the combo) because I love my chowder. For Main items, anything fried is good haha. I’ve had the pleasure to try the crab croquette and the pork cutlet. Both were fried well and the insides were cooked nicely. I also tried their Japanese Beef Curry. I like how big the portion is for a regular $ 8.50. Taste was just ok… I think I will stick to the main items on display. On regular days, I would not come here because of how pricey it is and the small portions. However, I will take advantage of the Paypal deal!
Janice C.
Tu valoración: 4 San Francisco, CA
Welcome 2015 with a new and healthy you. Delica makes it easy to eat healthy going by way of organic, gourmet Japanese-California fusion style cuisine. What does this mean to you? a bit pricey for quality food that’s really good for your body. Here’s a local’s tip: get the bento box for a cheaper lunch option! The eggplant salad was so delicious! I wished she gave me a bigger serving though. I love the comforting warmth of their carrot-ginger soup, packed with beta-carotene which is essential for sharp eyesight and free radical repair. Ginger is a known aphrodisiac, so no other explanation needed ;-) Protein is necessary for building muscle and helps delay hunger pangs longer than simple carbs. The tofu-chicken patty is filling and tasty. Supplement it with croquettes if you’re looking for a fried treat. Don’t be intimidated by the long lines, the staff are trained well in handling a busy lunch crowd. If it’s a gorgeous day, sit outside and get some Vitamin D. How about that? All the essential nutrients you need with gorgeous bay views to boot? Cheers to a healthy you!
Em L.
Tu valoración: 4 Sacramento, Estados Unidos
For pure cultural confusion, I’m writing this in Spanish. Delica sirve comida japonesa. La comida es deliciosa~ Yo come(accent over the e!) un «Potato Croquette.» Se cuesta $ 1.50 por uno. The Potato Croquette was sturdy, hearty and filling. A fried mezcla of mashed potato and onion, the pc is fried and crispy on the outside, soft and white on the inside. With a ginger barbecue sauce you can drizzle on top, it was the perfect end to my meal of healthy greens. The staff were profoundly friendly!