The soft-serve ice cream is tasty & the service quickly moves the line along, however the ambience of the place is just hostile, starting with the total absence of seating indoors & a total lack of investment in their outdoor space. I steer my friends away from Somi Somi to other dessert options like Meet Fresh down street or Urban Ritual next door who both have seating
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 3
Kenneth C.
Friday night, we'll before any rush, I ordered 5 taiyaki nutella... It took 25 minutes! Just so you get an idea, when I got there, there were 10 people ahead of me and 4 people waiting for their order, ok, no big deal. However, when I left, there were well over 50 angry and impatient customers waiting for their food. Also, there's a mobile order ahead option, BUT it's never turned on... what's the point?!?! Food is good, but service is absolutely horrendous. Don't come here unless you have a lot of time to spare, because they are slowwww
Kianna D.
This place is amazing!! A must-try. The ube and Thai tea swirl soft serve was fantastic. Can't go wrong with Nutella filled taiyaki. Unfortunately, there is no seating inside or outside. We will definitely be back!
Brian H.
These 5 stars go directly to Trang, would have been 2 if it wasn't for her! My family and I decided to pop in for a snack after dinner and it was packed. I noticed it was only Trang holding it down, and I mean she was killin it! Unfazed and poised, she was taking whatever was thrown at her and kept customers happy. I'm not sure exactly what happened here but this definitely shouldn't have happened. It was an extremely stressful situation, even for us customers. I along with other customers were talking about it and was hoping we could have helped somehow. Not sure if the manager or owner knew about this but if I was in their shoes, I would've stepped in to help, Valentine's Day or not! Trang crushed it. Give her a darn raise or promotion!
Natasha H.
Interior is clean and spacious, but isn't meant for sitting and lounging. It is on B Street, which is pedestrian only. Parking can get tough during peak hours. The menu alternates a few flavors of soft serves and fillings for their taiyaki. My mom swears by the milk soft serve, but as someone who is lactose intolerant, I always go for the taiyaki. All the flavors are good, but my flavor is the classic Nutella. Taiyaki is 2 pretty big pieces for $4.50 which I think is a good deal given the prime DT San Mateo area. I love the option to get the soft serve in a taiyaki-like cone as well. They also provide unlimited toppings on the soft serve. Service is good, but be prepared to wait. It's often quite busy after mealtimes. Between waiting in line to order and waiting for your taiyaki to cook, it can take upwards of 30min on any given night. Still, a super nice treat and always consistently yummy!
Jonathan C.
First time coming to this location. They have tables, but unfortunately no seats. In addition to single serve flavors, they have weekly swirls. Decided to go with the upside down matcha/Ube swirl with taro filled taiyaki. You can also add some free toppings (cookie, strawberry, cereal flakes). The flavors of the soft serve were on point, but wished the taiyaki came out a bit hotter and crispier on the outside. Overall, it's nice when you want some Asian inspired soft serve, but there are ice cream shops with better overall flavors.
Kytana M.
Usually, me and my friend are always looking forward to a good dessert time at SomiSomi. Everything about it always tastes so delicious. Not this time. This trip, although the service was quite fast, less than a five minute wait, what we were about to taste was not expected. Me and my friend got our order, got the napkins then walked out. Walk and talk while about to eat our delicious usual SomiSomi, or so we thought. We both got the new flavor, Thai tea and milk. We began to eat it but me personally, I thought "hm why is it a little sour." My friend had tried it before and said it tasted just like the thai tea. A few minutes later my friend then brings up and ask if I also taste the sourness. I tried to justify the sourness but it just was not working out. Not only was the ice cream sour, let's talk about the macaroon topping. It was just the top of a macaroon and it was overall stale. We were debating on going back to get a remake but at that point we were just disappointed. Not all SomiSomi trips are like this one but it was heartbreaking to not enjoy a usual delicious dessert.
A지현
I ordered matcha & milk ice cream with fish shape cone that is filled with castella! Very delicious and the toppings were free. The staff was friendly as well - I would love to visit again!Who would have thought of putting a custard bar inside a bungeobbang? It was really delicious and went so well with the ice cream! I'm just thankful that they gave me free toppings.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tori Nguyen
Such a great experience. They have great soft serve flavors to go with the taiyaki and so many filling options. They also have a good amount of soft serve toppings to choose from! The filled taiyaki come hot and crispy and are just so good. You can get either 2 or 5 and mix the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oreo & Ube Soft Serve, Upside Down Ahboong Taiyaki with Ube Filling and Mango Ube Swirl
Ana Carolina Comandulli
The waffle fish was cute and delicious and the matcha ice cream was oh! so creamy!!! Loved it!
Very good, and super inexpensive. Place was busy but we didn't wait more than 10 minutes. Recommend getting in a bowl since it
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ziqi L.
I was in San Mateo downtown for dinner and wanted dessert. Then I saw Somi Somi! I've been to this place a few times already. I do like their ice cream. It's very soft and creamy. I placed my order and it was ready within minutes. I got the upside-down ahboong, with matcha and milk tea ice cream flavor with custard taiyaki. I like the taiyaki that they make. Next time, I would try a different ice cream flavor tho, the matcha and milk tea ice cream was good but not like super good. And I like trying new things so, I would pick a different option of ice cream next time. When my order was ready, they gave me the option of adding any topping if I wanted to, so I added sprinkles. I go to Somi Somi often, in San Mateo or their other stores, it's a great small dessert place.
Jenny W.
Ice cream here is really creamy & thick in the most delicious way possible !! The matcha and milk is a nice complimentary pairing. Can't wait to return to try more flavors. On a Friday evening, line was long. I opted for a cup so I didn't have to wait for a waffle fish. Still took 20 mins. People order from a single kiosk. Then one person makes the fish waffle combos and another person served the ice cream with choice of toppings. They definitely need another person back there, but would def return bc it's a fun, happy, and delicious spot.
Diane H.
OMG!! I love this place. My daughter would pick up a variety of taiyakis!! Thank god she doesn't go often. I can eat one everyday for the rest of life.
Maggie L.
Somi Somi in San Mateo proved to be the perfect sweet escape after dinner, offering a variety of options that I hadn't seen before. There were other desserts around but Somi Somi stood out with its impressive variety. The one here in SJ doesn't have a lot of options, which is kinda sad. The long line had us initially hesitant, but the efficiency of the service pleasantly surprised us - the wait was shorter than we thought. The star of the show was undoubtedly the taiyaki paired with the ice cream. Opting for the Thai Tea and Cookies 'n Cream flavors, we were treated to a heavenly combination of textures and tastes. The taiyaki, warm and perfectly crisp, harmonized flawlessly with the velvety cream. The sweetness was just right, and the generous portions left us struggling to finish, even with sharing. The Thai Tea flavor was a revelation, capturing the essence of the beloved beverage in a delightful frozen treat. Cookies 'n Cream, a classic, was equally satisfying, and together they made for a dessert experience that lingered on our taste buds. It also wasn't too sweet or overpowering, which is so nice for those that aren't sweet tooths. I probably won't go again to the San Mateo one since it's pretty far but will go to the SJ one when I need a sweet escape.
The soft-serve ice cream is tasty & the service quickly moves the line along, however the ambience of the place is just hostile, starting with the total absence of seating indoors & a total lack of investment in their outdoor space. I steer my friends away from Somi Somi to other dessert options like Meet Fresh down street or Urban Ritual next door who both have seating
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 3
Friday night, we'll before any rush, I ordered 5 taiyaki nutella... It took 25 minutes! Just so you get an idea, when I got there, there were 10 people ahead of me and 4 people waiting for their order, ok, no big deal. However, when I left, there were well over 50 angry and impatient customers waiting for their food. Also, there's a mobile order ahead option, BUT it's never turned on... what's the point?!?! Food is good, but service is absolutely horrendous. Don't come here unless you have a lot of time to spare, because they are slowwww
This place is amazing!! A must-try. The ube and Thai tea swirl soft serve was fantastic. Can't go wrong with Nutella filled taiyaki. Unfortunately, there is no seating inside or outside. We will definitely be back!
These 5 stars go directly to Trang, would have been 2 if it wasn't for her! My family and I decided to pop in for a snack after dinner and it was packed. I noticed it was only Trang holding it down, and I mean she was killin it! Unfazed and poised, she was taking whatever was thrown at her and kept customers happy. I'm not sure exactly what happened here but this definitely shouldn't have happened. It was an extremely stressful situation, even for us customers. I along with other customers were talking about it and was hoping we could have helped somehow. Not sure if the manager or owner knew about this but if I was in their shoes, I would've stepped in to help, Valentine's Day or not! Trang crushed it. Give her a darn raise or promotion!
Interior is clean and spacious, but isn't meant for sitting and lounging. It is on B Street, which is pedestrian only. Parking can get tough during peak hours. The menu alternates a few flavors of soft serves and fillings for their taiyaki. My mom swears by the milk soft serve, but as someone who is lactose intolerant, I always go for the taiyaki. All the flavors are good, but my flavor is the classic Nutella. Taiyaki is 2 pretty big pieces for $4.50 which I think is a good deal given the prime DT San Mateo area. I love the option to get the soft serve in a taiyaki-like cone as well. They also provide unlimited toppings on the soft serve. Service is good, but be prepared to wait. It's often quite busy after mealtimes. Between waiting in line to order and waiting for your taiyaki to cook, it can take upwards of 30min on any given night. Still, a super nice treat and always consistently yummy!
First time coming to this location. They have tables, but unfortunately no seats. In addition to single serve flavors, they have weekly swirls. Decided to go with the upside down matcha/Ube swirl with taro filled taiyaki. You can also add some free toppings (cookie, strawberry, cereal flakes). The flavors of the soft serve were on point, but wished the taiyaki came out a bit hotter and crispier on the outside. Overall, it's nice when you want some Asian inspired soft serve, but there are ice cream shops with better overall flavors.
Usually, me and my friend are always looking forward to a good dessert time at SomiSomi. Everything about it always tastes so delicious. Not this time. This trip, although the service was quite fast, less than a five minute wait, what we were about to taste was not expected. Me and my friend got our order, got the napkins then walked out. Walk and talk while about to eat our delicious usual SomiSomi, or so we thought. We both got the new flavor, Thai tea and milk. We began to eat it but me personally, I thought "hm why is it a little sour." My friend had tried it before and said it tasted just like the thai tea. A few minutes later my friend then brings up and ask if I also taste the sourness. I tried to justify the sourness but it just was not working out. Not only was the ice cream sour, let's talk about the macaroon topping. It was just the top of a macaroon and it was overall stale. We were debating on going back to get a remake but at that point we were just disappointed. Not all SomiSomi trips are like this one but it was heartbreaking to not enjoy a usual delicious dessert.
I ordered matcha & milk ice cream with fish shape cone that is filled with castella! Very delicious and the toppings were free. The staff was friendly as well - I would love to visit again!Who would have thought of putting a custard bar inside a bungeobbang? It was really delicious and went so well with the ice cream! I'm just thankful that they gave me free toppings.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a great experience. They have great soft serve flavors to go with the taiyaki and so many filling options. They also have a good amount of soft serve toppings to choose from! The filled taiyaki come hot and crispy and are just so good. You can get either 2 or 5 and mix the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oreo & Ube Soft Serve, Upside Down Ahboong Taiyaki with Ube Filling and Mango Ube Swirl
The waffle fish was cute and delicious and the matcha ice cream was oh! so creamy!!! Loved it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Very good, and super inexpensive. Place was busy but we didn't wait more than 10 minutes. Recommend getting in a bowl since it
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was in San Mateo downtown for dinner and wanted dessert. Then I saw Somi Somi! I've been to this place a few times already. I do like their ice cream. It's very soft and creamy. I placed my order and it was ready within minutes. I got the upside-down ahboong, with matcha and milk tea ice cream flavor with custard taiyaki. I like the taiyaki that they make. Next time, I would try a different ice cream flavor tho, the matcha and milk tea ice cream was good but not like super good. And I like trying new things so, I would pick a different option of ice cream next time. When my order was ready, they gave me the option of adding any topping if I wanted to, so I added sprinkles. I go to Somi Somi often, in San Mateo or their other stores, it's a great small dessert place.
Ice cream here is really creamy & thick in the most delicious way possible !! The matcha and milk is a nice complimentary pairing. Can't wait to return to try more flavors. On a Friday evening, line was long. I opted for a cup so I didn't have to wait for a waffle fish. Still took 20 mins. People order from a single kiosk. Then one person makes the fish waffle combos and another person served the ice cream with choice of toppings. They definitely need another person back there, but would def return bc it's a fun, happy, and delicious spot.
OMG!! I love this place. My daughter would pick up a variety of taiyakis!! Thank god she doesn't go often. I can eat one everyday for the rest of life.
Somi Somi in San Mateo proved to be the perfect sweet escape after dinner, offering a variety of options that I hadn't seen before. There were other desserts around but Somi Somi stood out with its impressive variety. The one here in SJ doesn't have a lot of options, which is kinda sad. The long line had us initially hesitant, but the efficiency of the service pleasantly surprised us - the wait was shorter than we thought. The star of the show was undoubtedly the taiyaki paired with the ice cream. Opting for the Thai Tea and Cookies 'n Cream flavors, we were treated to a heavenly combination of textures and tastes. The taiyaki, warm and perfectly crisp, harmonized flawlessly with the velvety cream. The sweetness was just right, and the generous portions left us struggling to finish, even with sharing. The Thai Tea flavor was a revelation, capturing the essence of the beloved beverage in a delightful frozen treat. Cookies 'n Cream, a classic, was equally satisfying, and together they made for a dessert experience that lingered on our taste buds. It also wasn't too sweet or overpowering, which is so nice for those that aren't sweet tooths. I probably won't go again to the San Mateo one since it's pretty far but will go to the SJ one when I need a sweet escape.