“I have been wanting to try this place for years and keep forgetting about it as it is located in a small strip mall on the other side of the tracks (literally) so I tend not to think of that side of town for dining.I was greeted immediately and sat at the bar. I have favorites I like to order in order to gauge the quality of the place and chef.First, the disappointment: the futomaki was plain, uninspiring, and plain dull. Not worth the $14. And a futomaki is a traditional roll that allows for a lot of creativity. I have had some stellar futomakis. Not so here.I had a bottle of junmai ginjo at $24 dollars. It was smooth... almost too smooth. The rice polish is 55%, same as one of my favorites, Kikusui junmai ginjo that has more distinct characteristics. While I have no complaints per se, I would look for something else next time.The nigiri was very good. Good taste, generous cuts/portion size, and the uni was great. Very fresh. Thank you Santa Barbara!I'd give the place a 4.5 to be more fair. I'll be happy to go back, but with more realistic expectations.“
“This is our favorite sushi's restaurant, the service always Great! Even if we order to go they even offer tea, and y daughter's love it!! So yes do yourself a favor and try our local restaurant in san carlos great place for a great sushi!!“
“My family loved Ozuma, too, but Owada consistently serves some of the most flavorful sushi anywhere on the SF Peninsula. A little pricy, but absolutely worth it!! Owada’s Chirashi Combo bowl is one of the better dishes I’ve had, with lots of variety in bite-sized pieces.“
“Really a great and cozy place for delicious sushi and dinner. Very romantic and I would recommend it as a sensual dinner experience for that 3rd or 4th date! ?Food is priced around $10-20 a plate. I went with 3 others and we all got whatever we wanted and paid around $45-60 each with tip.Parking: Parking located behind the sushi restaurant! Area is blocked off and labeled "For customers only"“
“The food was so good. In my long experience as a food critic, the service was amazing. I had a delicious ramen that tasted like pork ramen. I especially recommend their ice cream. Manager Paul T was very accommodating.Kid-friendliness: Loved kids“
“The food was good, but the show that the cook put on was great. It is entertaining, especially for the kids. Unfortunately, because he cooked on the same grill, everything some of us had to wait for our food, and the vegetables came once we were done with our meet and rice. So after all it is ok and it looked clean.Kid-friendliness: YesParking: Hard to find.Wheelchair accessibility: Yes“
“Ideally I would have to say I would give Robin a 3.5 stars. Upon arriving to the restaurant, it was storming outside and there were no signs for us to find the place. When we entered, we got greeted by friendly staff members and got seated. I think what makes Robin a bit more unique compared to other omakase places is that you can choose your own price range and the chefs accommodate with what you had picked, but in my opinion I would have preferred them to give a set price to choose from. Inside of the restaurant was beautiful, I loved the interior design, but if you're looking for a quiet/intimate omakase experience this is not the place for that. Music is pretty loud and the parties around us were talking with their outside voice , which I didn't mind because like I mentioned the vibes at Robin is definitely more casual. In terms of the quality of food, I would have to say, while everything was super fresh and good, nothing stood out to me. On top of that, every omakase I've been to so far, I would have been full 80% in but we left Robin still hungry. Our total came out to be $470, and I would have expected to leave full. I wished they had taken out the potato chip nigiri and the noodle dish, because I would have preferred to receive more fish. The nigiri that was part of the courses was super small, and as I mentioned, while everything was good, I was not amazed. Still highly recommend if you've never experienced omakase before, only tip is to book at the bar seating bc you'll get the full experience that way.“
“Quaint clean hole in the wall, tucked back in a business industrial park. Staff is friendly, attentive and the food is of quality with plenty of selections for anyone. I liked it so much I went for 3 evenings in a row, ate and drank something different every time. I went right when they opened at 5pm, go early, fills up quick on some nights! Worth it.“
“One of my all-time favorite sushi restaurants. Always busy and always worth it! Haven’t had anything there I haven’t liked yet.We typically order the omakase and add a couple more items like the toro and blue shrimp. Their plates are delicious as well, but I definitely recommend the omakase hands down.The reason I love their omakase so much:1. Always fresh, always yummy2. They season based on the fish. So, they don’t just have one sauce that gets added to everything. There is a journey to taste.3. You get a dessert!As I said, place is always busy. If you are able to make reservations, recommend that but I sometimes have a hard time reaching them over the phone. Otherwise, get there 15-20 min before they open and prepare to stand in line for a bit.“
“Tiny restaurant with a smattering of tables and a chefs counter. Definitely try for the counter if you’re alone or a party of 2 (or 6)Do not attempt to walk in at least on a weekend; saw 2 or 3 couples make an attempt only to be sent away“
“The amazing thing was the super fresh, raw tuna. I haven't eaten something so delicious in a long time.Also very child-friendly, service was unnaturally attentive, a bit annoying. The plates would be snatched away from us immediately after the last bite... and given back immediately after a sip of water... This made us a little uneasy.“
“Sushi Shin is an amazing premium sushi experience. The seafood is extremely high quality. Most fish are from Japan but are super fresh. Seasonality of seafood is also emphasized. Highlights of the meal were "fish cheese" and monk fish liver. The space is cozy and elegant. Sake list is quite impressive. Chef was fun, personable, and did a great job on explaining the food. Service is top notch as well.“
“What should I do in Japanese restaurant while some americans are talking too loud?In a situation where fellow diners are being too loud in a restaurant, it's generally best to handle it with tact and politeness. Here are a few steps you could consider:1. **Self-assessment**: First, check if their volume is indeed excessively loud or if it's a normal conversation level for a public place.[I put the earplug on to protect my hearing.]2. **Move Away**: If possible, ask the restaurant staff if you can move to a quieter table.[This is a small place.]3. **Communicate with the Staff**: If moving isn't an option, you might consider speaking to the restaurant staff or management. They are usually trained to handle such situations diplomatically.[Staff is busy and understaffed even for bringing dishes to the side of our desk.]4. **Direct but Polite Approach**: If you feel comfortable, you could approach the individuals directly. Do so politely and calmly, expressing that their conversation volume is a bit high and is disturbing your dining experience.[Some of them speaks Chinese but they just pretend to ignore our complaints. ]Remember, every situation is different and requires a judgement call. It's important to stay respectful and considerate in your approach.[I am wondering what else I can do to deal with this situation?]“
“We felt so lucky that we were able to catch this place on a busy Sunday afternoon with barely any wait. The food tasted so authentic in a setting to match. The chefs are exposed and you can watch them work their magic. We tried the tapas, the sushi, the specials - nothing disappointed! It came out quick and hot with bold flavors. Just how we like it. Highly recommend checking this place out! Very cozy, intimate vibe with smooth jazz over head. Coming back soon!“
“THE SPOT for sushi in the peninsula. We walked in at 7pm on a Saturday, sat within 10 mins. Terrific goyza and the “mango secret” was the best veggie roll I’ve ever had.First drinks are free! Great service, incredible value. Sign me up! YUM.“
“Gotta love small places like this where the owner is on deck and takes pride in his restaurant. Value to price was awesome. Bunch of Stanford students drive out here probably for this reason. The lunch sashimi bento box was outstanding. Cheers and ty for having “
“Sashimi is generally good quality here though I had a large bone left in my sashimi piece last time. Tempura is good ingredients with crispy coating but lacking a lot of lace. Dining room is very small with the tables very close together. Sometimes that’s fun, sometimes not. Menu specials are a good bet for fresh, unique dishes.“
“Excellent sushi with many offerings not found elsewhere such as Hokkaido sea urchin and scallops. The delicious baby squid nigiri has the cutest pair of tiny squids about the size of a pinky finger. Pictured next to a pair of disposable chopsticks for scale. No “
“An understated Japanese restaurant, the layout is accommodating, the seating is comfortable, tableware are authentic and elegant. The service is professional and attentive. The menu choices are plenty, every dish was delicious. Try the beef tongue, duck and eggplant along with the garlic edamame.“
“Found this spot on yelp. My friend made a reservation over the phone. It wasn't that busy for a Thursday evening. The fish tasted fresh. We mainly got nigiri. Also tried one of their daily special hand roll. It was uni and toro. Soooo good!! The service was a little slow but food was good.“
“I don’t normally write reviews but this place I just HAD to. I didn’t take pictures of all the food but we got the black truffle edamame, uni nigiri, sweet shrimp nigiri and the 20 pc sashimi. All of the food was too good! I was very very impressed, the sashimi melted in your mouth and perfect texture and the uni was just perfect. When I tried the edamame I was very impressed and it was very reasonably priced! I will say going into it I was definitely a little annoyed since we waited a lil long ngl and so was my mom due to being really hungry but the staff was still very sweet and accommodating, she even gave us free shots and tried to get us a table asap !! I will definitely be coming back and recommending this place to my friends :) it was raining really hard and super windy when we came as shown in the video but still definitely worth the meal.“
“Superb dining experience! Wonderful presentation for all of the dishes, and all the sushi, beef, and sashimi was fresh and well prepared. Excellent selection of sake, along with a very attentive staff that took care of every little detail. Can’t wait to go back for another meal soon!“
“Whoa! 5☆ Excellence! Great Fresh Fish on a Monday, let me tell you: When you order something CRUNCHY here, it is! No cold, soggy dish room tempura or deep-fried - it is HOT and CRISP - crackle in my mouth GOOD. So excellent here - fantastic bar service, great comfy vibe and deeeelicious sushi. I will be back fo' sho'!“
“I ordered the “Deluxe Chirashi Bowl” on DoorDash and was satisfied with the meal. Some points:1. Overall, the cuts of fish are very high quality. I applaud them for this. Chu-toro was cut generously.2. The sauces are too overpowering. It felt way too salty with how much ponzu was drizzled. Traditionally, chirashi/kaisen don bowls should highlight the fish. I felt like I was tasting too much sauce for my liking. The rice was not enough to “balance out” the saltiness. Then, there was also this sour-sweet relish that, by itself, could be good. But they drizzled so much of it I couldn’t taste the fish/rice anymore. Overall, too much sauce.3. I appreciated how they added their “signature touch” to the chirashi bowl with puréed yam. It balanced the salmon.4. Presentation is very good. I liked how they scored the salmon. Good touch.5. For a deluxe chirashi bowl, I was let down with only a single piece of uni and a single piece of amaebi. Usually, uni should come in two pieces? Somewhat understandable, since Santa Barbara uni is expensive these days (I’m pretty sure it’s Santa Barbara uni).6. Rice is okay—nothing special unfortunately. I admit I have pretty high standard with my sushi rice though.“
“Fantastic sushi place! We've been here before and we keep coming back. The salmon toro is the gem on the menu worth trying. All the sushi sashimi and rolls are top notch. They also have an entire section for vegetarian friendly sushi. This place has something for everyone.“
“A bit heavy on sauce/ seasoning with A5 wayu dinner plate. The nigiri premium is pretty good. Good place for casual dining.The decor in house is absolutely charming. However, one thing I'd like to mention is that I love the artwork carving out "Kyosho" on the wall with the light shining through it. However, I would recommend considering laser cutting for a cleaner finish, it is hard to unsee those rough edges when paying close attention to decor details.“
“You only realize why it’s hard to score a reservation at this 8 seater sushi counter until you try Chef Yoshizumi special sashimi and nigiri tasting menu. Nestled in downtown St Mateo, this Japanese oasis that looks like your neighborhood sushi joint have some of freshest & tastiest seafood I have ever tried. From the Japanese delightful Amberjack to buttery Kinki(Japanese rockfish) to delicious Bonitos nigiri to sea eel nigiri from southern Japan that literally melts in your mouth. Watching the knife action of Chef Yoshizumi was a real treat, he was kind, nice and always smiling. Service was on point and their Sake tasting and choices were delightful and complimentary to the fish courses. The egg custard cake at the end was scrumptious but we didn’t really like the almond custard dessert. Definitely worth the trip and worth another visit.“
“A hidden gem in EPA! This place is pumping out awesome food! We came in a group of 7 people and sat down pretty quick. We sat outside in the patio seating and it was very nice a cool breeze came through there and the decor was nice. We looked through the menu and started to make our order. The food was good the vampiro tacos are on point I loved the shrimp ones very good! The sushi rolls they had were also smack! Enjoyed the salmon roll we had. Beer and seafood you can't go wrong with that! This place is a must try spot right next to Pal market on university before you head to the bridge. Thank you to the friendly staff and awesome chefs in back!“
“Very good, delicious and above all very varied, everything we have eaten is in excellent condition in portions and above all the flavor is very Sinaloan, the prices are very affordable and the service is fast and careful, the family atmosphere is excellent ?“
“Was around the San Mateo area and decided to try this new place. They have a variety of Japanese food options but doesn't specialize in anything. They have fried/grilled tapas, sushi, ramen, donburi, bento boxes, and more. They open until midnight which will be great for late night eats with a couple of drinks. Service was decent and space was large. Ankimo - great deal (10$) for a decent size and taste fresh. Curry with pork Katsu - not much meat and it was a lil tough to chew. It seems like the cutlet was uneven fried. Curry was not anything special. Crazy monkey roll - eel inside and hamachi/sake on top. Classic roll, I would recommend ordering a side of spicy Mayo for extra flavor!“
“During the pandemic ordered takeout from here many times as they offer dinner bento boxes for around $20 for 3 items. They have their own website to order online for pickup (they do not deliver). Their food is pretty good and consistent quality, usual choices I select are katsu, saba shioyaki, California roll, spicy tuna roll, mix tempura, or beef short ribs. Bento box also include rice, miso soup and salad. Wait staff are friendly when picking up order. Plenty of free parking is available in shared lot of business plaza.“
“Joy has been my wife and I's go to sushi spot for over 6 years now. We are always happy with their quick service, accuracy of our orders, and the size, price and quality and variety of the rolls. Even our to-go orders are always complete and accurate, which is hard to come by these days. We enjoy the low-key ambiance and the upstairs seating section.“
“Came here for my birthday dinner. Parking was easy since we had an early reservation. We were seated promptly. Service was a bit hard to flag down—the partitions that made each table feel like a private dining experience was a double edged sword. But once we did manage to flag someone down, they were very nice.They put all our sushi on a boat, balled up wasabi on either end, and stuck birthday candles into them. It was a nice touch.We ordered fried oysters, agedashi tofu, chicken karaage, and seaweed salad for appetizers. Our favorite item was the spicy citrus scallop roll, we would order that again.“
“The service here is unparalleled- the owner, who's also the one taking the orders most of the time, is so incredibly friendly and a real joy to talk to. I've been here so many times and talking with her is consistently a highlight of my day. The food here is also delicious - there are a lot of options, including the chicken teriyaki and various sushi selections. Nothing I've had so far has been a miss. The indoor seating is a bit smaller so I generally get food to go, but the option is certainly available for those who are interested“
“On the cheaper side for food, and it's amazing. Haven't tried their ramen but tonkatsu curry is great.Takoyaki is more on the soft side, and karaage isn't crispy— but good. It's a different style— liking it would be preference.“
“Been coming to Higuma since the original owner and the place has certainly gotten better with the new owner. Food and the decor are much better now, but as a result the place is even busier than before. Totally worth the visit, just once or many more times.“
“We love the quesabirrias, mango ceviche tostadas and campechana! But what brings us back us the warmth and attentiveness of the servers Liz and Karina.The owner Luptia and Arturo are a hoot!The kitchen staff Andrea and the gang are awesome.“
“Cannot say enough great things about Tokie’s! We find ourselves coming here more and more. Everything here is just done right. It has the dining area with bar seating, frequently playing sports. But it’s sectioned off so it doesn’t impact the diners. Cocktails are great, the sake is great, the food is great, the prices are great, it’s all just great! Our service is always fantastic (Sho is the best) and you can tell the owner not only cares about his establishment, but also his community.“
“We all enjoyed our dinners here. I'm not a raw fish fan so I had the tonkatsu, which was excellent. I prefer it served over a mound of shredded cabbage but it was very good, lean and pounded thin. The salad and miso soup were great. My dinner companions had a variety of sashimi and other sushi and seemed to enjoy them quite a lot. We will be back!“
“This is great Japanese food and sushi. Recommend hamachi carpaccio and really anything on the menu. Service is a little disjointed, but still decent. Drinks are great too. Chef could do less guest fraternization, but if he's the reason the food is so good, whatever. The value is really good here, but another annoyance is that the menus and the tables are "sticky" - this is maybe not to say "not clean", but noticeable and shows staff is not instructed properly.“
“Came here a few weeks ago with my boyfriend on an extremely rainy night. The down pour was crazy!! When we got there, we only ones in the restaurant due to the weather and being so close to closing time. Had a fun, casual, intimate dinner and was thankful they let us in so close to closing time. 1) Service was amazing and attentive. The crew on that night was fun - blasting catchy music as they wrapped up. 2) Offered a free drink! 3) Food was tasty and reasonably priced. Really enjoyed and would recommend the deluxe hand roll! Also enjoyed their hamachi mango roll. (My boyfriend thought differently about the mango, but I thought it was a nice, flavorful addition) 5/5 would recommend!“
“My fiancé surprised me with this for Valentine's day and I couldn't be happier! He ordered the omakase box & the tuna box and both were impeccable. The flavors were so unique, the fish was so fresh, and the presentation!! Literally gorgeous. Pick Up: They have pickup locations in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Hayward. The SF location is in the Sunset district! They were on time & super easy to find. Pickup was seamless :) Tuna Box: There were so many new flavor combinations in this box that I haven't tried before and that work so well. For example, truffle and parmesan on tuna!? Both parm & tuna have such strong flavors and I was worried it wouldn't mesh well together but it was so delicious. One of my favorite pieces! One of the pieces had this pate on it, it was perfectly salty and creamy. The otoro piece - SO BUTTERY. Literally tastes like the quality of tuna I had in Japan. Omakase Box: I loved the variety in this box!! It was my first time having raw mini octopus and it had the perfect chew to it. I loved the uni w/ ikura piece, the uni was so fresh and creamy and the ikura burst with flavor. Both boxes come with freshly grated wasabi and a cute soy sauce bottle. The pieces honestly didn't even need soy sauce because they had so much flavor. We'll definitely order from here again!“
“Really cool hideaway type location! I am vegetarian and I ordered the wrong type of veggie sushi. It was too seafood tasting to me but they noticed and helped me get a avocado and cucumber roll without seaweed which was delicious. They have soda, beer, tea, apple juice. Yummy! ?Vegetarian options: Just order without seaweed if you do not like a fish or seafood taste. Also no seaweed salad :)“
“I placed an online order but needed to cancel it right away due to change in plans. The phone number is only a voicemail; there was no way to talk to a human. I left several voicemails; hopefully you got it in time!!Update: got a call from Alan, who canceled my order. Thanks!!“
“There were only 2 waiters for the whole place. I was already done with dinner when my second beer came. Needed to wait for everything. Food was good but almost eclipsed by not enough staffing. I can't blame the waiters but management yes.“
“We went to Araki Sushi for lunch. This lunch spot is located in the heart of what we call college row in Palo Alto. We were greeted immediately when we walked in. Given waters until everyone decided what they desired to drink. The menu is full of foodie possibilities. Two Friends got the Chicken Teriyaki Bento's. It includes soup, salad, steamed rice & 4 pcs California Roll. She added deep fried gyoza. Nicole enjoyed Eel Eggs. I forgot what it was called.... Ivan and Steven ordered the lunch special Roll combo. Any 2 Rolls $18.95. Any 3 Rolls $22.95. They're served with soup and salad. I enjoyed 8 pc deep fried California Roll. The portions are huge. They create everything fresh in front of you. Happily to say, we were full and ready to nap but hi ho back to work we go. Well definitely come back soon.“
“Great sushi. Not enormous portions but the prices reflect smaller sushi rolls. Great sushi, it came out very quickly. Staff was incredible and very nice. Would recommend. They have seating inside and public seating outside the restaurant. You can tell many people do carry out here.“
“Awesome people with good quality food at a reasonable price. Alex and his family have been serving great food for years now and they haven't cut any corners even when produce were at a ridiculous 3x price hike. This establishment is a local favorite and they're worth every dollar.“
“Magnificent sushi. Expertly crafted, and super fresh! I cannot praise it enough. You cannot contact the place by phone though which would have been helpful. Otherwise, this is my go to place for sushi and I travel some 60 miles to get there! Wilson makes it happen!“
“Very good food. Pleasant and fast service. Very good value for money. The venue is quite ordinary and ok to sit there, but a little more stop in for an all-evening place.Parking: Even on a busy Saturday night it was easy to find street parkingKid-friendliness: Many dishes that were easy for children to like like edamame, nigri, sashimi.Also several highchairs.“