31 Best Japanese Restaurants in San Mateo

“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.“

“Gonna give it 4 stars because while the aburasoba is good I'd like them to make mazesoba too, which has more complex ingredients, preparation, and flavor. Mogomogu in Sawtelle, LA sets the benchmark for great mazesoba on the west coast.“

“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 had a life changing dessert here. If you enjoy sweet potato, you must get the beniimo ice cream. The crust of the sweet potato is indescribably light and crispy, and the inside is hot and pillowy with the familiar taste of sweet potato. The vanilla ice cream compliments the hot sweet potato so well. It wasn’t oily at all even though the description says it was fried.

The skewers are also good, notably the chicken thigh and enoki mushroom wrapped in bacon. So juicy and tender and hot. Daikon salad was pretty refreshing as a palate cleanser.

We came on a Friday evening with no reservation and surprisingly got seated very quickly although there was a long waitlist. The skewers smell so good from a block away.“

“good food great service and accomending.“

“I found authentic sushiya in Bay area!
I went here for the first time and I enjoyed my dinner. They have great selections day by day with special fishes that I’ve never tried before.
Everything were very fresh and price were reasonable. I will definitely come back later to try different seasonal fishes.“

“Came here with a buddy and made out for about $50 or less. We ordered 3 rolls and split them, which was enough food for the two of us. The portions were fairly well sized and reasonably priced(for current bay area sushi prices). The fish tasted fresh, and they had plenty of options. They were not very busy and the waitress was friendly. I enjoyed the mostly wooden decor, reminded me of the more old school sushi places i grew up with. Mini bonus for me is that they are in the same spot my childhood chinese restaurant was at!“

“Super happy to have found Minako and Yoko-san again! Yoko-san's cooking is still homie, comforting, and delicious as ever. Be sure to come visit, relax, be delighted by the carefully made dishes from Yoko-san, be awed by the handwritten menus, and enjoy the chats with Minako!“

“Awesome place for a quick snack. Super easy to order on the app and have ready in minutes. Never disappoints. Its a little dreary when you walk inside but other than that the place is great. I'm sure it's more bustling during a weekday lunch time, just never been there around that time“

“Amazing service, food and drinks are fantastic! We were helped by a server Logan, she’s been the best part of the experience at Tokie’s. Fish is super fresh, I highly recommend getting Tokie’s roll and seared scallops (aburi sushi). Yum! Can’t wait to come back.“

“Great little place. Been here twice. The chefs greet you as you are walking in. I didnt notice it because of a loud diesel passing by out of place but the chefs greet everyone as the come in, even the obvious deliveryman that was lost. I should know by now, this is just a standard in japanese culture and i should keep this knowledge with me when walking into Japanese establishments. The environment is nice. Feels a little cluttered but i definitely dont sense it when having a seat. I love looking at the booth side. I believe it is called "Izakaya" decor. It is a cozy feel, especially in booth. The Bathroom is western style, modern, and clean.The hostess is very sweet and endeering, always smiling. I ordered a sushi lunch combo and very well worth the price. Along with miso and salad you get to choose two fish items, which i went with salmon nigiri and spicy tuna roll. The rice portion was standard, the salmon was doubled and doubled again. Ill attach a photo but you know how other sushi places charge six bucks for two pieces? This place basically gives you 8 pieces of fish as it basically covers the rice entirely. Again, the rice was a normal portion. The spicy tuna looks like it was handled a little too heavily but the taste was there.Is this something I can always expect? Probably not, just extra salmon maybe paired with an aggressive sushi chef for the day, but I am coming back for sure!

Parking: Parking get a little cramped on school days lunch and dinner hours.“

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

“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.“

“The American wagyu cut of meat was great and the fact that it's included in the ayce was a great deal. $48 pretip for 1 person, I paid 60 because the guy waiting the bar and on the deli slicer was so nice. Goma and ponzu dipping sauces were great too.“

“Best teriyaki spot on the Peninsula...they have other equally delicious things there, but I seem to ALWAYS get the #1 - Chicken Bowl with Xtra sauce on the rice...I've been eating at this little gem for at least 15 years - never got a bad meal there yet 😎“

“Wanted Pho kinda late, 9pm, and when looking around this place was open late. Stopped by, as expected seated right away as only a few people in the restaurant at that time. Waitress was great, right away brought a cup of water with extra bottle table side for refills. Already knew I wanted pho, but still looked at the menu, everything looked good, if i didn't have my heart set on Pho already would of been a hard decision to make. Ordered the Beef Pho, braised oxtail broth was delicious with shredded oxtail throughout the broth. Came with the typical, bean sprouts, lime wedge, jalapeno slices and fresh basil. Added some of everything. Didn't get a picture when my food first came out as I forgot and was hungry, but remembered when 2/3 through. Can't wait to be back in the area to try some of the other menu items. Would recommend if your looking for some food Asian fusion food.“

“Sushi was delicious and service was great! Not a romantic spot though because it’s loud but fun if your going with family and friends. Music is good!!“

“Had lunch there with few friends that had not seen in few years. One of the few places that serve porridge. N bake beef tongue over rice. Taste is average but the price is reasonable. Serve was really good n friendly. Good place to get together n visit n eat. Will come back again.“

“This place has very authentic sushi. Imported Japanese fish are fresh and flavorful. The other appetizers and rolls are excellent too. The only negative is they are very busy so our dinner felt a bit rushed. But if you are looking for good food, this place is one of the best Japanese restaurants on the peninsula.“

“I totally recommend YAYOI Restaurant SM Cebu City branch! For their great & delicious food and great staff, especially to our server Ms. Ygerne 🫶“

“Shiki in San Mateo has become my secret midday haven—my dependable, no-fuss escape from the grind of workdays. Whether it's a comforting bowl of udon or a beautifully simple sushi combo, there's a quiet satisfaction in knowing exactly what I’m walking into: clean flavors, fast service, and a calm atmosphere that gives me just enough of a breather to reset.“

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

“The sushi presentation was excellent and made me excited to dig in! Very unique and delicious assortment of sushi and flavors. I felt that the takeout sushi was more economical than if you were do a sit-down omakase at another location in the bay. Pick-up was quick and smooth.

It would have been great if I had recieved confirmation email within a week, instead of following up with the business. However, I understand that this a small business and it can be hectic for the owner to manage communications, logistics and sushi prep for several customers.“

“Thank you for the fresh Uni, and very awesome customer service. Highly recommend!!!“

“Great food and great people. I always have excellent service and great food when I eat there.“

“Cozy little Japanese restaurant with super friendly servers. The owner works at the counter. I come for Ishiyaki Hitsumamushi (Stone Bowl Seafood Rice) which I don’t think is served anywhere else. I also had tuna bone marrow for appetitzer and black sesame cheesecake for dessert. So many other dishes I want to try so will be back.“

“Oh, wow, YUM! The cheesecake might as well be from Tokyo. It has the standard light, fluffy consistency with a touch of sweetness that just melts in your mouth.

The tart…ohhhhoho! Loved it. The buttery crust crumbles and made me pick up every crumb with my sloppy fingertip. Don’t waste a crumb! It was just really, really good. Perfect with a coffee or one of their teas.

I had a tea with the cheese foam. At the last drip, I was licking the lid. No shame. Thank God for inconspicuous outdoor seating.

Save yourself a trip to Japan when you want some Japanese desserts. Uncle Tetsu can meet your craving! It is a steal compared to a flight on Zipair! 😂“

“Excellent selection of sushi 🍣“

“Great walkable neighborhood“

“Not my usual sushi diner, but we wanted to try out a new place. This restaurant has 2 stories with a staircase.

The service was average. The serving staff couldn’t speak English. We didn’t know Spanish so we had to communicate with body language to ask for some water. The staff that actually took our orders knew English, but he was missing the first 10 minutes, counting from when we finished scanning the menu.

The food was very good. Fresh sashimi and sushi rolls. The only thing that could be improved was the plain udon. As far as I know, even Japanese plain udon contains seaweed, fish cakes and tempura crumbs. This one had none. Literally, just udon and broth, not even chopped green onions.

Vegetarian options: They have veggie dishes, look for the descriptions.

Parking: Free parking after 6pm

Kid-friendliness: Kid’s high chairs and plastic utensils

Wheelchair accessibility: I think first floor dining area is for disabilities and elders.“

“Their all-you-can-eat option is the best deal going! Try everything on the menu- very fresh, so yummy and discount for cash payment“