50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Menlo Park

“One of my top 10 restaurants. Love the interior decorating, and of course the food is incredible and creative. It's created and delivered with the upmost of care.

I like the concept of pay-what-you-want, we got the middle tier-ish and had a lot of really unique and fresh food. Dishes include uni from Hokkaido and Santa Barbara, triggerfish, scallops,band many others.

Almost everything about this restaurant was perfect. My only change would be the music, it was fun but didn't seem to match the mood. Not a deal breaker though.“

“This place is ASTRONOMICAL. Sushi is cheap for the area, is extremely flavorful, and the attention to detail on some of these rolls are just chefs kiss. I come here very often to get food and it is highly enjoyed by me and friends. If your in the area and are craving sushi this is the place to go. One (extremely) small downside is for the tuna. Sometimes it's color is very light and is sometimes chopped in smaller rolls like the smaller tuna roll. Other than that everything is PERFECT“

“We were looking for a new place to try and Octopus had some great reviews/ pictures of their sushi rolls. After looking over the menu we decided to head on down. Friendly staff got us seated right away and we started with a round of appetizers. Gyoza, chicken karaage and a Toro Nigiri special started off the night and everything was delicious. Ordered 4 rolls and a bento box combo and everyone was extremely satisfied with the food. Can't wait to return and explore more of the menu“

“This place is a hidden gem! Almost every dish’s we ordered was absolutely delicious. My favorite was the beef tongue — it’s not even on the menu, but if you get the chance to try it, don’t miss out. It was tender with just the right amount of chewiness, and it paired perfectly with rice.
The staff here are excellent — very attentive and genuinely make sure you're well taken care of. Their service really adds to the overall dining experience.
The only downside is the parking. The lot is pretty small, so it can be a bit of a hassle during busy times. But honestly, the food and service more than make up for it. Highly recommend!“

“Definitely a hidden gem! Got salmon nigiri and Curry Katsu. The salmon slice was thick, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount and quality. Katsu had a nice subtle crisp to it even covered in curry. Beef yaki udon was really really good, Highly recommend and worth it. We will be back :)“

“Good sushi for good price“

“From the warm greeting everyone receives when walking through the door to the attentive and super friendly service, this place is amazing! The sushi was outstanding… hands down the best sushi I’ve ever had! The texture, taste and presentation was top notch. Wish there was a location on the east coast!“

“Many promotions going on, they have eat for under $10 and I was more than full. Also they have a gift card deal and more discounts when leaving a review that I am taking advantage of! This place is very well priced and you can tell everything is fresh. I saw the girl cutting up all the vegetables from scratch. Very honorable place, really liked the kake, similar to miso soup in my opinion“

“Great place For the best sushi in the Bay Area.“

“All their yakitoris were seasoned well and I loved both the salted and soy options. You order through a QR code using your phone so you won't have any issues with flagging down a waitress whether you're seated on the first or second floors.“

“Easily the best sushi in the area. The fish selection is seasonal. The preparation is thoughtful and appealing.

The restaurant is tiny and seats 12 patrons. The decorations are a little kitschy but the food is worth it. This is one of the few sushi restaurants I keep coming back to.“

“So many veggie options! They have a large section of vegetarian sushi, some of the best I’ve had. Very creative! Nice fusion dishes too like sushi tacos!! We ordered several veggie dishes and all of them were excellent. Casual atmosphere, friendly staff, and easy parking too.“

“Attentive and lovely service, wonderful food that’s well worth the price, and a simple spartan jnterior. The whole staff was amazing and patient and took the time to explain things. The food was excellent and a wonderful mix of flavors. The presentation was simple but elegant.“

“I'm SO glad someone mentioned 'mom & pop' - this place reminded me of the local places I grew up going to in Hawaii... (& hard to find here)

The Bento boxes are so oishi!!! The salmon teriyaki serving was huge and cooked perfectly (both pieces)... We also got chicken katsu & chicken teriyaki - both were great. Veggies - cooked & a side salad... Great value for the portions.

Now someone mentioned the curry was 'watery' - that IS Japanese curry. I didn't order it this time, but that's on my list to try on our next visit.

This is the perfect comfort food place - simple, tasty, good value - all prepared and served by a very nice couple.“

“Great service, food was delish. Chef made special sushi dish ( not on the menu) that was FIRE! My new to go place.❤️❤️❤️“

“This place is pretty small but cute. There are not that many seats inside, and most people seem to be taking food to go. I got the tonkatsu quesadilla for $12 and it was essentially cabbage, corn, and tonkatsu, and cheese inside a tortilla(?) shell. It was an interesting item, but tasted pretty good.“

“friendly staff, monstrous upon great broth“

“I love ❤️ to meet my friends here for private gatherings to plot steps fit really big and bold new ideas. My preference is for the 7:17 (give or take) omakase at the bar followed by a night meeting around a square or round table. Each person has two people to talk to at the bar (Me - Jeff- Elon - Mark - Lauren - Priscilla - Sergey- - Larry - Larry - plus 4 additional guests if others can attend - Camelia Me 12 Camelia Typically my wife returns home early by Lyft or Uber but I stay out later and sometimes overnight in Woodside at a suitable location.“

“Tokie’s Sushi in San Mateo is an absolute gem. The food is consistently fresh, beautifully prepared, and full of flavor...from the sushi to the cooked dishes, everything is done with care and attention to detail. You can truly taste the quality in every bite.
And don’t skip the craft cocktails—they’re just as impressive as the food. Creative, well-balanced, and perfectly made, they pair incredibly well with the menu and really elevate the whole dining experience.
What truly sets Tokie’s apart, though, is the people. The owners are incredibly kind, welcoming, and genuinely passionate about what they do. The staff is just as amazing, friendly, attentive, and always making you feel like a regular, even on your first visit. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, which makes the experience even better.
If you’re looking for outstanding sushi, excellent craft cocktails, and top-notch service, Tokie’s Sushi is a must. Highly recommend and can’t wait to keep coming back.“

“We love it! This is party tray. Fresh, tasty, thick fish.
Love it every time we order to go, or eat in the restaurant.
There's plenty of parking next street, so that's not a problem at all.
Love their friendly and fast service!“

“It’s always cozy and the food is good. Everyone is friendly.“

“The service was great and the food was fresh. I loved the shrimp tempura and the different sushi options - of which there were many.“

“It was a nearly empty Monday night. We waited a minute before being acknowledged by staff and seated. The interior is spacious and bright. We ordered takoyaki, karaage, tempura udon and mentai cream udon. Enjoyed the takoyaki and karaage, however the mentai cream udon was a little too salty, even before mixing in the mentaiko. I was unable to finish it due to saltiness. Portion size was good and could be shared between two people. We did have to flag down a waiter for water when it seemed like they forgot.“

“Biked over from our hotel and grabbed a table without waiting on a Saturday evening. Plenty of tables inside, good lighting, and nice staff. Large sushi roll menu. We started with the spicy edamame and it was great, to an addicting point. I got the monster roll and the spicy hamachi. Good quality fish, rice was solid, and the ingredients tasted fresh. Solid spot for sushi.“

“Kurodai - Black Seabream Nigiri 3 very strong wasabi, bitter, fishy
Ao Ebi - Blue Shrimp Nigiri 5 very chewy texture, slightly seared, slightly sweet
Hon Maguro Chu-toro - Medium Fatty Blue Fin Tuna Nigiri 5 fat evenly distributed, not stringy at all, melt in your mouth
Negitoro Hosomaki - Supreme Fatty Bluefin Tuna w/ Green Onion (Maki) 4 fatty, rich, fresh, flavorful
Oyster Shooter 2 juicy raw oyster, raw quail egg, tobiko, sake, ponzu, tabasco, very strong alcohol, bitter
Baked Baby Scallop 5 two baked Peru baby scallop, juicy, presented on shell, uni, mayo, unagi sauce, green onion, creamy, rich, flavorful
Iku-Uni-Himo 4 soy sauce marinated ikura / large fish eggs, way too salty, uni, mashed monkfish liver, white truffle oil, flavorful
Mentaiko Yaki Udon 4 pan fried thick wheat flour noodles, crunchy seasoned cod roe, crispy bacon, stir fried thin udon, flavorful
Yuzu Cheesecake 5 glazed crust, strong citrus flavor, creamy“

“This place is busy for a reason. Which could also be seen as a con. But the yakitori is good and most of the other food is above the bar for great. We had a very friendly server but could tell some of the other servers were not as friendly. The only major con would be the price. If you’re hungry you’ll be spending a pretty penny to eat here“

“Came here during the week for their popular lunch special and it did not disappoint! For less than $20 I got chicken teriyaki (get it with crispy skin), salad and California rolls. The lady who workers here (I believe is the owner) is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I will definitely be back and encourage others to give this place a try!“

“Absolutely amazing❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ best sushi!“

“A great Japanese restuarant offering halal hibachi and sushi rolls. Small but cosy ambiance.
Personally love their dinner hibachi (Steak & chicken , steak & beef both). They serve hibachi with a soup and some salad which is great stuff. The spicy tuna rolls and the Californian rolls are worth the treat. I personally feel the hibachi serving should be slightly more but I don’t mind the current serving as well.
What I did not like was yakisoba, it had very less veges. Service overall is great. Must try if you’re looking for halal Japanese good food. However, it’s a bit pricy comparatively.“

“I came here to take a couple of onigiris to-go on to my plane ride the next day. I got the salmon ume and the tarako. You order from the screen as soon as you get in, and the options they have is quite impressive. I stuck to some typical flavors and was really happy with the salmon ume one. I usually get mentaiko, which is a spicy tarako, and the tarako seemed like it was cooked and not raw? I wouldn't recommend the tarako if you're expecting it to be like mentaiko. However, it was really good and even though I ate it the next morning, it was still really delicious. I'd come back for sure and would recommend this place.“

“good food great service and accomending.“

“Waited approximately one hour to be seated. Spoiker: it was well worth that wait. I ordered the tonkatsu ramen and pork buns. I can't decide which part was better, the noodles or the broth! The pork buns were priced just right at $8 for 2. Some of the best I've had. You are all so lucky to have such a wonderful ramen bar in your community. I am from Maine and will be sure to stop by this establishment every chance I get once I am in town.“

“Sushi Kuu has a nice variety of dishes. Among them, they offer 2- and 3-item bento boxes with a good selection of options. I appreciate that they don’t put limitations by having customers choose one item from one column and another item from another column. You can choose anything on their list.

I had the bento box with saba shioyaki, miso salmon, and chicken katsu. My son had the bento box with beef short ribs, tonkatsu, and spicy tuna roll. We really liked them.

Service was excellent!“

“the sushi was so delicious and very reasonably priced for the quality :) I loved all of their unagi rolls, especially the black dragon roll that has an entire eel on top! I also really liked the salmon sashimi, the 49ers roll, and the caterpillar roll.

the waiter was also so kind, we will definitely be back :)

I forgot to take a picture until we’d eaten almost the entire roll lol but the rolls and fish were so plump and so fresh!“

“Cozy and casual Japanese spot. Great vibes with the Japanese posters and anime theme music playing.

The food is outstanding for such an unassuming spot. Everything is super fresh. We ordered the edamame, a spider roll, chicken karaage, and a tempura bento box.

The Tempura in particular has the perfect light batter and I appreciated all the small side dishes that came with the bento.

We'll definitely be back to try the Japanese curry and ramen.“

“Iki Omakase gave me one of the most enjoyable omakase experiences I’ve had. The food was excellent — super fresh ingredients, perfectly balanced flavors, and every course felt thoughtfully prepared. The uni was incredibly sweet and the toro literally melted in my mouth.
What made the night even better was the chef. He wasn’t just skilled — he was really funny and made the whole experience more relaxed and enjoyable. His jokes, stories, and interactions added a personal touch that you don’t get at many omakase places. You can tell he loves what he’s doing.
Service was warm and attentive, and the pacing of the meal was just right. For the price, this was absolutely worth it. I’ll definitely be back and will recommend Iki Omakase to friends!“

“It can get busy really quick and for a great reason! This was one of the best ramen in the area, flavorful, great portion and amazing all around. It was not heavy greasy and the noodles were perfect.

Hubby and I only got the ramen but will def come back for the mazemen noodles. Their sides were vary flavorful too.

Good atmosphere, clean, small and the staff were super friendly and knowledgeable of the food, really appreciated that too.“

“We dined at Kodawari last night. The sushi and sashimi were excellent. However, I had the soup and curry chicken katsu, and both were way too salty. Hopefully, Kodawari can make their cooked food (at least the ones I tasted) as delicious as their raw fish dishes!“

“We have been ordering from Yoshi Sushi via Uber Eats. The food is very good even after delivery. Well, we live about 1 mile away so delivery is really fast. I forgot to take photos of the sushi but it is very good.

Will I buy from them again ? Absolutely !“

“The food here was just amazing!! Everything was so fresh and flavorful and tasted authentic. Many of us dining had been to Japan this past year and we felt like we were back in Japan with the food and flavors. We felt really well taken care of and were so glad we decided to celebrate a birthday here. So highly recommend trying this place if you haven’t already!“

“We had a great lunch, so yummy and fresh foods. We love the taste so much especially their garlic rice very recommendable to all of you guys who wants to try a japanese food that’s really satisfied your cravings, so come and dine in.“

“ラーメンと言っているが、そばや焼き鳥など日本のメニューが複数ある。 日本で食べるような美味しさは無いが困った時やどうしても日本の味が恋しい時などは行ける。 まあ、悪くはないとおもいます。“

“First time here. Long line to get in but it moved fairly quickly. Had the Roast beef Aburasoba. Mind-Boggling GOOD! The flavor was out of this world! The service was fantastic!! I can’t wait to go back again!“

“Enjoyed the omakase and sake pairing. Fish was fresh and well prepared. There were a couple of pieces, e.g. hirame, I wasn't crazy about because they were chewy but that's a personal preference. Service was fantastic, super efficient. Highly recommend!“

“Incredibly delicious. Friendly atmosphere. Awesome.“

“Among the best Japanese food in Mountain View/Los Altos/Palo Alto area.“

“good place to dine and very clean“

“Great ramen!!! Fast and friendly service!“

“TASTY MEAL & COZY PLACE It was lunch time in San Mateo downtown and I wanted some different for lunch. The ambience was friendly, comfortable, and inviting. At lunch time, there were both the Lunch Menu with many Lunch Plates, multiple Lunch Combos, several Beef Curry bowls, various Donburi bowls, numerous Noodles dishes, and quite a few Nabe pots; and the Lunch Special with 8 different sets which includes soup, salad, and entree. My Curry Soba was delicious and the soba noodles were swimming in the curry sauce. Wow! Lots of sauce. It was heavenly delightful. Lunch Special #2 Bento Box - chicken teriyaki was tender, the tempera had a light batter, and the California roll added a nice touch along with soup, salad, and rice. There was so much food my wife couldn’t finish her meal The service was excellent. We were served with green tea within minutes of seating. The wait staff explained the daily special. The wait staff made the entire experience enjoyable. We had a TASTY MEAL at a COZY PLACE … at Hotaru Japanese Restaurant, San Mateo downtown.“