50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Millbrae

“We passed by the restaurant quite a few times that we would come here for a special occasion. We finally did and were delighted with its set menu offering. Every dish looks beautiful, tastes delicious. I particularly like its use of radish and savory herb and the special decor , a few herb taste like mild wasabi which really enhance the flavor. Price wise, maybe at the high end of a regular lunch but certainly an affordable meal for special occasion. Reservation recommended.“

“I had pretty low expectations for a sushi place attached to a La Quinta, but this place was spectacular. The fish was fresh and prepared well, the presentation was very nice, and sitting at the sushi bar was a cool experience. Service was a little slow, but they were absolutely packed with customers. It's not hard to see why. I've paid twice as much for sushi half as good. This place was excellent.“

“Very cute to-go place. Perfect for a quick lunch pick up especially if you work in South City. I got the unagi with egg (savory with a hint of sweetness) and takoyaki which were both hot and fresh! I want to try the fruit sando and pork sando next time.I purchased it at the Kei Sushi location.“

“Great sushi 😋😋🤤🤤. Feel like mom and pa places in Japan. Cozy feel!! Really like and enjoy.“

“Amazing sushi! Easily one of the best we’ve had in a while — everything was so fresh and flavorful. I love the idea of half rolls; it’s such a great way to try more kinds of sushi. The staff were super attentive and efficient. We’ll definitely be coming back!“

“Our family enjoys eating at Naked Fish in Millbrae. Their sushi rolls and bento boxes are always delicious. There are many options to choose from between the menu and their daily specials. Their food is presented well and amply portioned. Their service is consistently good and the servers are attentive. Whether we eat a late lunch or dinner with family and friends, we always leave this place full and content.My only criticism of this place is the location. Because the gym is directly above it, more specifically, the weight room, you can hear the weights dropping on the floor on certain occasions and it’s distracting. However, because we enjoy eating here more than anything else, we tolerate the noise on the few instances it’s happened.There is ample parking around, both on the street and in the parking lot next to it.Overall, I recommend you try this restaurant if you’re in the neighborhood.“

“Good place!

We went for lunch at 1pm waiting for our flight.

They have a bunch of different things: sushi rolls, nigiri, rice bowls, noodles. We went for tuna nigiris and two rice bowls: salmon teriyaki and gyudon (meat). Both very good, fresh, decent portion. Nigiri was good too, you can see both chefs cutting fish right across when you enter to the place.

It was a busy day but overall the speed was good.

Pricing is actually decent, despite being in the airport. You can check the menu I uploaded for reference.

Would swing by again if in SF!“

“Really good Chinese BBQ place. All of the bread items we tried were flaky and tasty, highly recommend the brown sugar one. The skewers were all solid, and I appreciated that the beef had a more teriyaki-style flavor, because too much cumin starts to get a bit sameish. In that regard, you should consider getting an order of the lettuce leaves to use as a wrap for the skewers, it's a great palette cleanser and adds some nice texture.

Would love to go again, but it's a bit far from my house and Chinese BBQ isn't something you can do too frequently.“

“Everything was incredible !
Was welcomed and helped by a very kind lady who spoke Spanish!
Food was off the charts from the beef noodle soup to the dumplings and chicken nuggets !
Ordering and payment was easy
And we can’t wait to come back ! We stayed a long time just relaxing and playing games
Thank you all for a great experience 😌😊“

“We had an amazing dining experience! The food was fantastic, and the host was incredibly friendly and helpful. We followed his recommendations and ordered the chef’s choice bowl, sushi tacos, salad, and toro—and he was absolutely right. Everything was so delicious, I nearly swallowed my tongue! I think my favorite was the sushi tacos—they were out of this world. Highly recommend!“

“Picked up from this place and was SO delighted! Everything was so fresh and flavorful perfect texture and well balanced!
Here’s what we got:
Romeo & Juliet Roll- the salmon and scallops were both perfect! Large size!
Tekka Roll & Negihama Roll- just great staples
Crab Cheese Puffs- honestly the best I’ve had!
Salmon Toro - perfect texture, super buttery!“

“Good for lunch. Really value for your money. I had the sashimi lunch set and my wife had the chicken wing and salmon sushi set and both were really fresh and good. Will definitely come again ! Weekdays - reservations not really needed, but I've come by on weekends and you should make reservations.“

“Lunch special is great value.
The ramen always has so much noodle. It’s not the best ramen, but it’s fairly cheap, consistent quality, good value. Everything comes out so quickly, and this location is very convenient.
The only thing I did not like one time was the fried pork (?) that came with my tantan ramen tasted kind of old.“

“super yum! i had the garlic chili tonkatsu ramen and unagi chazuke and they were great! the chazuke was very satisfying and addicting to eat - the unagi was perfectly cooked and seasoned with a sweet sauce! i felt like the garlic chili tokatsu ramen was a bit overcooked but still very fragrant. a sleeper hit was the shishito pepper tempura - crispy and flavorful!“

“Family operated business establishments are always the best!! Food is superb!! Price is competitive!“

“We love Hangetsu for our family sushi dinners! The sushi is excellent, and my kids adore Chef Charles who always whips up something special for them. The ambience is lovely for date nights as well!“

“Fast and kids favorite ever things delicious“

“First of all the owners are absolutely delightful. We got take out and it blew our socks off! Hands down the best egg I have ever had in my life....Seriously, I had waited a long while to come here and when I got a reservation for my husband's birthday it was a magical, moment. We were delighted. We traveled through taste and it suspended time. Satiated and joyous. Wakuriya is the best Japanese I have had in my life. I cannot wait to dine inside, but until then I will treat myself to their fare every month. Truly, a delight of sight, smell, texture and taste. I feel lucky to live in the neighborhood, to be so close to this 魔法の場所. Much Love Everyone, may you eat well, be well and visit Wakyuriya.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Maybe it was just because I hadn't eaten all day, but the food here was something else. Transcendental experience. Ate some of the best donburi of my life and I felt full after only finishing half because the portion sizes are huge. Great experience for sure 🙂‍↕️“

“Wonderful vegan sushi & friendly owner. I tried the shiitake avocado & spicy vegan rolls, both were delicious. Looking forward to visiting and trying other menu items soon!!“

“This was a great meal! The side salad/soup/apps/entrees came out of the kitchen fairly spaced out so it felt almost like a fine dining experience. Did take a while so know that it is a whole dining experience - not just a quick meal out to eat. I got the Saba no Shioyaki grilled and liked that better than the sushi my partner got. The tempura was amazing and so was the Age Dashi Tofu appetizer!“

“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“

“very good and fresh food for lunch“

“So give this place five stars. I also read all of the reviews. Some reviews were negative one stated food took too long but they must have been slammed, the other reviews seemed to be mired with personal issues. One guy had a seemingly decent review about the chirashi, however I found this to be amiss. One photo showed food but it must have been chewed. It was not an accurate or good review. The rice was firm but not mushy. They had a decent amount of portions on par with pricing. So in all they had great service and great food. Some of the other reviews may have been biased by competition or lack of education.

They earned my review for an order on takeout. Well put together everything was there not any headaches or bs.

They got their five stars today. 🙏“

“HIGHLY recommend Tekka House! The quality of the fish they serve is top notch - great flavor, texture and presentation. Also the truffle wagyu nigiri was the best wagyu we’ve ever had! A very delicious meal!!“

“We love Tokie’s and have been regular users since the mid-80s, when it occupied a tiny space in Charter Square in Foster City. They expanded their space significantly but were the casualty of redevelopment. Their old location was displaced by a primary school. The newer location (on 4th Ave in downtown San Mateo) has very nice ambience but the parking can be a challenge during peak demand times like Friday and Saturday dinners. We bring many of our friends to Tokie’s and the response is always very favorable.“

“Came here for the first time and I’m impressed! The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the beef teriyaki and it was cooked perfectly — tender, flavorful, and the sauce was spot on. The presentation was beautiful as well. My wife had the Sushi Salmon Paradise and loved every bite, and my father devoured the Megabite roll. We also had the tempura string beans with onions — crispy, light, and just downright delicious. This place is a welcome addition to the neighborhood — you’ve got to try it!“

“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!“

“My brother and I were in from out of town trying to decide between a few restaurants, and were both SUPER glad we chose Sushi Kuu. We each got Curry Ramen (pork and chicken katsu) and split a NewNew Roll. The roll was awesome, perfect balance of flavors. But the ramen absolutely stole the show. The curry broth was insanely delicious. I would consider flying across the country again to get a quart container of it. HIGHLY recommend this spot.“

“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“

“My favorite Japanese restaurant in San Francisco! A couple doors down from a killer Chinese bakery as well!!“

“The best Shabu in San Jose and located in the perfect part of San Jose in Japantown, we love coming here to eat Shabu, it is so delicious. I highly recommend it *****five stars the owner Richard treat’s us great with so much hospitality, we just feel so welcomed and will continue to frequent his establishment.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Food and service was incredible. The sushi and ramen was delicious. We went for a birthday party and brought a cake. Without us asking, the waitress offered to store the cake in their own fridge and even gave us new clean plates to eat the cake with after we ate our food. Now I have 2 reasons to go back. The food and the service.“

“This location is in a small neighborhood strip mall. There are a few outdoor tables, good for those with pups, but yellow jackets might be present. Food is good for the price. They have beer on tap, plus bottles. I do a couple of the tacos & an IPA for a quick lunch.“

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

“Very friendly staff and delicious food. The variety is great! Definitely a go to place if you like Sushi 🍣 🤙🥇“

“I got the beef teriyaki and tempura lunch special for $12.95. With a tip still under twenty bucks. The beef was more tender than other places I've tried. The tempura was delicious and included one shrimp tempura, and the rest was vegetables. It also came with rice and a small salad. There are sushi boats here I'd like to come back and try. The staff told me for now, the boats are operating fridays and weekends only. While I waited for my to go order, I spoke with a very friendly employee who said the restaurant has been there for thirty years. This restaurant is definitely worth a try. I will be coming back. It's right next to lowe's in San Bruno.“

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

“Omakase tasting menu was amazing. This was my second time here, and it seemed even better than the first. The colours and plating were outstanding. The flavour profiles were delectable and riddled with subtle, yet distinct notes erupting from the aftertaste. It was surprise after surprise of flavourful tones. I was grateful that I selected the 7-course menu. My significant other had to surrender at dessert. The 10-course menu would have been too much (l experienced it the first time here). Overall, a memory to relish and cherish. Only one point of deduction: one of the desserts ordered was incorrect, but my spouse had already surrendered, it did not matter. Great job!“

“I got the tonkatsu curry rice plate. Very well priced for what you get. The place is nice, clean and simple.

The katsu is freshly fried.
You can definitely tell that the curry is made from scratch. It's light but not watered down. It's flavorful but not overwhelming. I think this is the first time I finished all the curry before the rice or the katsu. Is this is the best curry I've ever had? Not sure, my memory does not go that far back. I can say that this is the best curry I've had in the Bay so far. Give it a try, I highly recommend it.

Don't come in expecting something super rich and strong. This dish is beautifully simple, just perfectly ordinary in a comforting way.“

“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!“

“good food great service and accomending.“

“I’ve been going there for over 30 years. It’s the best tasting most reasonably priced Japanese food I have ever found.“

“Great food and excellent service. We had the tea leaf salad, Tonkatsu Ramen and Japanese curry. The Tonkatsu was tender and the breaded coating was crispy and flavorful. We were very happy with the curry and tea leaf salad. You can taste that everything was fresh and the portions were plentiful. We were stuffed and gladly ate everything because it was delicious! The owner is very nice and you can tell she cares about quality. We'll be back.“

“I was seated right away during lunch time and it wasn't too busy. My favorite and reason for my visit was to have the torikawa (chicken skin skewers) I also had the Bento with the shrimp tempura and shioyaki salmon. Everything was delicious 😋 I almost forgot to take photos as I was hungry lol... price was also reasonable.“

“Absolutely love Tomokazu! Every dish is fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The sashimi is top quality, and the rolls are always creative and delicious. The beef short rib and shioyaki saba were also amazing, even though I didn’t get a photo! The staff are friendly, the atmosphere is cozy, and this place never disappoints. One of the best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area! 🍣✨“