34 Best Japanese Restaurants in San Mateo

“Sherash offered impeccable service at our power hour lunchtime, Friday afternoon. The photo you see was a completed service after only 27 minutes from him taking our order. Our chef Brian came from the other Benihana locations (we recognized him from our past trips) and cooked up our food to perfection.

I would highly recommend for a lunch break!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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!!“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“good food great service and accomending.“

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

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

“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.“

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

“The Omakase is always great there, my favorite from the 8 course was the anago. They always update the menu based on seasonal availability of the fish, so its very good. It’s more of an eclectic style of sushi but still enjoyable if that is your style. We also had these fried greeneyed fishes that were stellar. They were incredibly well seasoned and perfectly crispy. The wagyu-tacos are also a must get everytime I go. I got a snow crab handroll that wasn’t quite what I expected but the salmon truffle handroll is amazing. We got the green tea ice cream for dessert and they also gave us a yuzu cheesecake that was delicious. It somehow tasted like passionfruit and yuzu. I’d go back again for that cheesecake!“

“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.“

“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!!“

“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.“

“One of the only places in the Bay Area that you can get traditional Chicken Katzu Don made with dashi, egg and onion. I have dreamt about this dish and living in the East Bay it’s hard for me to get it. Apparently they are still open over 25 years later…I might have to make a pilgrimage.“

“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! 😂“

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

“Authentic Hong Kong style Chinese food with high quality food.
The quality of the food here is a highlight. All that is familiar with Hong Kong style Chinese will agree.
Everything we have ever ordered had always been up to our standard and we have had Chinese food all our lives.
The food is not too oily, not too sweet, not too salty. All the flavors are very balanced.
The HK milk tea is was made in a traditional and authentic way. The bitterness and sweetness is well balanced.
I highly recommend this place!“

“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.“

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

“I’m happy to support The Backhouse. I’ve ordered from them twice now, the $450 deluxe platter, and both times were excellent. You can tell the owner takes pride in her preparation, selects high quality fish, and the rice is cooked and proportioned perfectly. Most importantly, you get to enjoy delicious meal in the comforts of your own home.

Ordering through their website may seem daunting, but it’s actually pretty straight forward. They are also accommodating as I selected the wrong date and corrected with a link they provided. I didn’t have to call or speak to anyone. Their ordering website is intuitive and well designed.“

“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.“

“Excellent selection of sushi 🍣“

“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“