Minako Organic-ish Japanese Cuisine

I wish I could give this place 5 stars but since it does serve meat dishes 4 is the highest Happy Cow will let me rate. Owner was very kind and knowledgeable about vegan ingredients and I enjoyed chatting with her about various topics while waiting for the food. We ordered tofu katsu and kara age tofu and both were extremely delicious. They have house made tonkatsu sauce that has a nice tangy flavor. Both dishes were fried well, no oily taste. Both dishes came with an inari and some vegetable sides. I will definitely be coming back when I'm in the area

We came here for take out - the only option - and waited an extremely long time for a few rolls. The owner was friendly, but I would not go back for the food. The rolls were very messily prepared and ingredients and rice were falling off. There was also ingredient contamination between rolls.

Great authentic Japanese cuisine, been here twice but already love the place, I got chicken curry both time, great taste imo.
Highly recommended.
Ps: If the chef see this im sorry for making you work more but your food is so tasty 😭👌🫶🏼

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

the karaage tofu changed my life!
call ahead if it's close to closing time. Judy is the sweetest!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Their homemade curry is really good. Great comfort food!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is great food with fantastic service and friendly owners. A lot of care for the food and ability to make most everything gluten free.
They also keep a book of gluten free and other places shared by other people. From local, to out of state, and even out of country.

The only downside is the limited hours, so we can only come by occasionally during lunchtime.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food is great and the service is very friendly. We’ve been multiple times now and everything we’ve gotten has been really good. They have a lot of vegetarian and gluten free options which are clearly marked on the menu

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu, Chicken Teriyaki Don and Chicken Karaage Curry with Inari

Needed to eat before flight found this place close to airport. All vegan ran by family. Very nice ladies. Got the bento box with tofu katsu and sushi tasted great all sauces are home made. Not a lot of seating it is all outdoor.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

True quality is measured not just in flavor but in fellowship and Minako Japanese has both in spades. Judy and her mother offer a menu that easily accommodates both vegans and folks with celiac desease. Home-grown ume plums and meticulously stewed sauces will convince you this is about as authentic as it gets. Just remember to pull yourself away from the meal long enough to chat with the ladies who make this place so special!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vegan, Roll

Thank you very much for the great sushi and all the great recommendations. Definitely my favorite place around San Mateo.

Delicious homemade food.

This place is an absolute gem! Family-run, welcoming, and serving up flavors you're not going to find elsewhere. Plus, it's safe for folks who are gluten-free or vegan.

Minako operates out of a small takeout window with a couple of chairs out front. Judy, working front of the house, is so kind, fun to chat with and instantly became one of my favorite humans on the Peninsula. (If you're gluten free, ask Judy if you can check out her handwritten composition notebook filled with GF-friendly restaurant recommendations throughout the Bay and as far as Hong Kong, Italy and of course Japan.) Judy's mom is in the kitchen, preparing everything to order with ingredients made in house. Be patient, the food is well worth the extra care that's going into making it.

You can taste the skill, thoughfulness and family history in the flavors, especially the small details. House-toasted sesame seeds bring a nutty pop to a chirashi bowl packed with high quality fish. Chicken katsu curry is topped with a complex, tangy sauce that takes a month to prepare, and the vegetables in the perfected balanced curry change with the seasons. Tamagoyaki is made in-house (in increasingly rare thing with most restaurants sourcing the egg dish premade).

What a spot!!!

Authentic Japanese food. Pretty good vegan selection.

Care and attention are paid at this tiny family-run establishment that flies under the radar. My favorite item is the tofu katsu curry with a very complex set of flavors and the perfect texture (not too thick, not too thin). Really nice vegan/vegetarian sushi with pickled cucumber, umeboshi, and other options. The only drawback is not much ambiance in terms of seating. There is no indoor seating. There are two tables along the sidewalk (no shade, bring a hat). The host is super friendly and goes out of her way to make you feel welcome and valued. This feels like authentic cooking your own grandma might prepare with love.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Tofu Katsu, Vegan, Roll

Lovely little family-run restaurant. Mostly take-out, but a couple sidewalk tables. Owner Minako very kind, polite, friendly, and willing (at non-peak times) to accommodate our request to use nondisposable containers. Delicious, lovingly prepared food. A true gem--wish I'd discovered it earlier!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5