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“

“friendly staff, monstrous upon great broth“

“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!“

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

“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“

“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.“

“Iki Omakase was an amazing experience, and one of the best we’ve had in the Bay Area. Chef Lee puts a lot of care and attention to detail in the 20 course menu. He ships his fish weekly, serves wet and dry age fish to perfection, and compliments with unique appetizers. One of the few omakase spots we would return to. Very highly recommend!“

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

“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.“

“I have been to Kiroro a few times. Each time either during peak or off peak hours I have received wonderful service. The staff is attentive and the chefs are masters in the art of sushi. The sushi and rolls are just absolutely delicious. I usually go for sushi tuna, eel, and salmon. It's all very fresh and cut to perfection. I would highly suggest this establishment to anyone looking for delicious food for a reasonable price (quality sushi isn't cheap).

Thank you for bringing joy to my palate Kiroro. I will definitely be back for more.“

“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.“

“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.“

“I love Onigilly!!! This location was wonderful. I came from a 30min drive away with my husband and baby and had a nice time. My Zosui soup was a bit delayed but a staff member gave us little ice cream puffs as an apology and it was very sweet. They were also kind and laughed when my husband and baby were playing games. Food was top tier and delicious, as usual. Above and Beyond.“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“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“

“Visited Yakitori Kokko for the second time. Expect classic izakaya vibes, well-executed grilled dishes, and a solid place for late-night dining with friends.

Highlights / Must-order items:
* Wagyu Steak – nicely seared, tender, and juicy
* Beef Tongue – thick cut with great texture
* Lamb Chop – well seasoned, no gamey flavor
* Steamed Clams – very fresh with a flavorful broth
* Grilled Scallop – sweet and tender (often sells out)
* Takowasa – smooth texture, great with sake

Small portions, great for skewers + sake flights 🍶. Ideal for casual dinners, late-night bites, or a first stop after landing at SFO.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Udon Mugizo is still a trustworthy place for udon. The tonkotsu one is still the best with perfectly cooked eggs and all the assortments on top. Somehow the appetizers like chicken karaage is not as good as before/ other branches. What I like about this branch compared to others is more relaxing vibe around the bar area. It would be really cool to serve the food across the bar rather than on the side though lol. Despite comments here and there, it is still a good place that I would come for udon over other chains.“

“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.“

“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。“

“Enjoyed omakase 8pcs with some age dashi tofu, nigori sake and the white peach panna cotta!“

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

“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 !“

“Cauliflower 3 not flavorful, grilled
Ikura Salmon Yaki-oni Benedict 3 egg & salmon on deep fried rice ball, not flavorful
Dry aged Salmon Kama 3 a little dry, salty
Thick cut beef tongue 4 crewy, flavorful
Ox-tail udon 2 only one pc
Uni Flan 5 pudding, salmon roe, spread on bread, flavorful, refreshing
Seafood Skewers 4 black cod, salmon, yellowtail, scallop, oyster, not flavorful, some juicy, some not
Aburi Oxtail 5 grilled braised, super tender, fall off the bone, miso ponzu sauce, flavorful
Wagyu Steak & Garlic Rice 3 not enough steak, medium rare, medium crispy rice“

“Wadaya hasn't left my mind yet. I love that the noodles are thicker than Kajiken. It makes for a chewier bite which I prefer. I'd say the taste is similar to Kajiken but maybe the flavor at Kajiken is a bit better. I definitely like the noodles here more. The absolute star of the show is the tiny scoop of rice they give you at the end to mix in with your extra sauce. I wasn't a believer at first until I actually tried it. Best bite ever. Holy.“

“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.“

“Ah, we are unfortunately disapponted. Came here early enough that we didn't need to wait in line. We ordered all the expensive items to try it out. We really wanted to like it but was left disappointed. The Otsumami bix is essentially presented in a way that makes it look unique but it's essentially sashimi in decorative cups. Too many white fish options like snapper, sea bass and amberjack which were all mediocre. One of the slots were used on picked wasabi. The tamago was way too sweet (too much sugar on top). At thes prices they should at least explained what each item was. Overpriced for what it's worth and in retrospect, the Otsumami box looked more beautiful than it tasted. The premium beef katsu was really tough. This will definitely not melt in your mouth. The cuts are too thick and tough, 1 out of 5. Your really need to gnarl it with your teeth. Kasien Don was probably the best item we ordered. Huge bed of rice but the uni, toro, crab, scallops, etc in top were good. It's best to share this. Lastly both the Salmon crunchy and Ginza roll were both okay. I liked the salmon crunchy more. Service was good; water and tea cups were always filled. Parking is ample. Overall, we had high hopes but spending $360+ for 4 people was an honest try. They made our money but not our hearts. Try for yourself, I hope it works out but for us, we were left disappointed.“

“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.“

“good place to dine and very clean“

“We came to celebrate my husband’s birthday and had a wonderful experience. The service Mouhammad provided and the meal Brian prepared were both outstanding.

My daughter has a gluten allergy and they took extra precautions to ensure her meal was safe. Her miso soup was specially prepared to meet her needs and delivered on a separate tray. When preparing the chicken fried rice, Brian used gluten-free soy sauce and seasoned it first to avoid cross contamination. He also used plain butter instead of garlic butter to be extra cautious.

It meant so much to use to be able to celebrate my husband while enjoying a completely stress-free meal for our daughter.

We are incredibly grateful for the extra care and attention and it gives us great confidence to return to your restaurant again.

The Shaffer’s ❤️“