Stopped in by myself before my flight! The vibe is warm and inviting, exactly what you want for Izakaya. The service was excellent--the staff were friendly, happy to explain the menu, and checked on me regularly. I ordered the Mini Uni Don. The uni was fresh and satisfying. The portion was just right for one and it came with seaweed to make little wraps. The combination of the rich uni and roe oil with the lightly seasoned rice and a touch of wasabi was absolutely flavorful. The only minor note was that the special scallop sashimi was a bit plain for my taste; it lacked the expected sweetness. Perhaps make it a carpaccio would elevate it. Wish I had time to stay for a drink! I'll definitely be back to try more on the menu. Highly recommend for a quality meal. read more

Drunken Monk - Mini Uni Don - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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Whenever we're in the area, we try to stop by Drunken Monk for dinner. It's a cute, casual, but nice and intimate izakaya spot with a great mix of traditional and modern dishes. Whenever we come, we usually start off with a few skewers. Be sure to hear what skewers they have on special, those are usually pretty tasty. I also like the wagyu and chicken meatball. For appetizers, my go to is the crispy chicken skin -- the pieces are so crunchy and nicely seasoned! I also like the corn tempura as a starter. You really can't go wrong with any of the dishes! The service is also really great, the servers usually recognize us and are so welcoming. Definitely a great local spot worth checking out! read more

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Great small Japanese Izakaya in downtown Menlo Park. Service was excellent and it was our first time here , we went for dinner on a Sunday night before going to watch a show at a music venue down the street. We ordered their corn fritters tempura, fried oysters, and sukiyaki which were all very good. Their house mocktails were also refreshing. We'll definitely be back. read more

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Been eyeing this spot ever since they opened and I'm so happy I got to finally try this gem. When you walk in, you're welcomed with a warm & cozy ambiance. The interior isn't that big but the food is what makes this restaurant busy almost always. The corn tempura was delicious, perfectly crispy and the right amount of corn. The sukiyaki was huge, the American wagyu option is delicious as well. In addition, we got udon on the side to enjoy the broth with. Overall, service is efficient, parking can be difficult but they do have some space in the back. The food is worth coming for & I hope to come again to explore more of the menu! read more

Drunken Monk - Corn Tempura - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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The dining experience is exceptional, a culinary delight that will leave you uplifted and inspired. Taste and services so good! read more

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Having been back less than 2 weeks from an epic trip to Tokyo and Kyoto where I had some of the best Japanese food of my life, I was not really feeling any kind of urge for Japanese. Nevertheless, my coworker was about to fly out that night and Menlo Park was on the way to SFO, so I figured we'd try Drunken Monk. It had been on my TDL for several months so I made a same day reservation at a reasonable time. Parking was a bit challenging, as cars speed past by the dozens. I found a spot a couple blocks away and walked back. Inside, it was a bit loud due to the densely packed dining room. The business was hopping. Mostly younger Asians with their friends and partners. Our waitress told us that there was a special guest sushi chef working on Tuesday and Wednesday nights doing a $125 omakase set. We stuck to the a la carte menu with an order of several Yakitori skewer dishes and the ochazuke. The absolute highlight was the piping hot Tsukune, skewered chicken meatballs with sauce and egg yolk on the side. I also ordered Momo (thigh) and Soriresu (chicken oyster), Tori Kawa (fried chicken skin chips with lime), Corn Kakiagi (corn tempura) and a Ochazuke that was topped with a thick cut of unagi (marinated eel). By the end of the meal, my well-traveled co-worker and I were both impressed by the quality of the food and the friendly service. The staff were politely checking on us regularly and kept our glasses full during the meal. Despite the fact that the business was created by non-Japanese owners, Jerry Liang and Khloe Mak, they managed to get it right in this case. I returned a couple more times. Once for dinner and one business meeting for lunch. Both times the food was enjoyable, but the lunch menu pricing is astronomical. The Gyudon and Oyakodon are $35 each, while the Kaisendon, kind of like a slightly nicer chirashi bowl is $78 with an optional $30 uni addition. They also have three udon sets that range from $32-$35. I got a Mapo Tofu Omelet Set. It tasted pretty good with the right amount of flavor and spice but can't recommend it at that price. And they don't offer any Yakitori during lunch. For reference, their American Wagyu Sukiyaki Nabe dinner set is $78. It comes with a choice of rice or udon, two eggs, mushrooms, cabbage, carrot and daikon. Without the Yakitori options on the lunch menu, you can easily spend over a hundred for a lunch there. To top it off, there was a very defined fingerprint near the rim of the glass that the waitress was about to pour Lychee Oolong soda into. I guess you could say that my lunch experience paled in comparison to their dinner. I'd recommend sticking to dinner for the best experience at Drunken Monk. read more

What a cozy and cute spot for delicious yakitori! It was super easy to make a reservation through Yelp, which I highly recommend since the restaurant is quite small and got packed fast. Parking can be a bit difficult since their lot is so small, but luckily we were able to snag a spot on the street. Our server was super thorough in explaining the menu since it was our first time visiting and also informed us that an experienced sushi chef was visiting for a short time so they had a special sushi menu. We decided to go with appetizers and a bunch of yakitori to share, as well as refreshing Asahi draft beers to wash everything down. The fried chicken skin (tori kawa) was perfectly crispy and all the yakitori was so good! The meat quality was amazing and my favorites were the negima, tsukune, and gyutan yakitoris. All yakitori came seasoned and also had extra flavor enhancers like lime, hot mustard, or numbing powder that we can add to the yakitori. I need to explore Menlo Park more and I'm glad this was one of the first spots I've discovered. I need to come back to try their sukiyaki set, which seemed to be their most popular since almost every table had ordered one. read more

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Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Price: 4/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 TL;DR: Such a cute, cozy, & delicious izakaya. The staff is incredibly nice -- we were a little late to our reservation but they were really accommodating & friendly and even gave us a call to check in with us. Waitress took the time to walkthrough their menu, daily specials, and their limited-time special sushi menu that's going on right now. We had such a pleasant experience and would def come back to try more items. Matcha Yuzu Mocktail (*3.5/5*): the matcha quality is really good but it feels like it drowned out the yuzu which I didn't really taste. The toasted marshmallows were a nice touch that gave it a little sweetness. Lol I wasn't a huge fan of the tiny ice cubes since with every sip, I kept getting ice chips in my mouth but that's just my personal preference haha Tori Kawa (*4/5*): this was delicious! the skin is crispy and seasoned well, like chips -- goes really well with the lime, togarashi, and honestly wasabi. Corn Kakiage (*5/5*): the tempura is really light, fluffy yet crispy, and the corn is sweet and goes really well with the seasoning -- one of our favorite dishes of the night Beef Tongue (*5/5*): has a nice char to it, it's tender yet has a nice chew to it; goes really well with the flaky salt they have on the side or wasabi Sunagimo [chicken gizzard] (*4/5*): really enjoyed the soy glaze they grilled it with, it has a nice bouncy chew but it felt a little overcooked; still delicious :) Kanpachi Nigiri (*4/5*): this was on the limited-time sushi menu. the amberjack has a nice bouncy bite to it yet was still melt in your mouth-y; but for the price, doesn't really feel worth it Mapo Tofu Omelet Don (*3.5/5*): the waiter recommended this don over the gyudon so gave it a try. personally thought the mapo tofu is alright and lacking a little flavor, but the omelet was absolutely delicious -- it's creamy, slightly sweet, and savory. my friend really liked this dish tho, he'd give it a 5/5 American Wagyu Sukiyaki Nabe (*5/5*): the star of the show. the broth was a perfect balance of sweet & savory and all the veggies inside soaked up the broth perfectly. The wagyu was so so good -- really marbled, fatty and buttery. When you dip it into the sauce & onsen egg, it takes it to a whole nother level. It's def pricey but it's honestly so worth it to try it at least once. read more

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A small restaurant with limited parking spots, however, I easily found street parking! The inside was dimly lit and I really liked the ambiance of the place. Our waitress was really attentive, checking up on us frequently :). I went on a Saturday night and it seemed quite busy, so I recommend calling ahead to join the waitlist or setting a reservation for larger parties. The dishes were very reminiscent of what I've had in Japan and my favorite of the yakitori was the beef tongue! We ordered the corn kakiage, scallop carpaccio, chef's choice omakase, beef tongue and wagyu skewers, and the miso panna cotta. I highly recommend the corn kakiage as it was perfectly crispy and flavorful! The lychee amazake was cutely presented, with flowers on top. The chef's choice took you through a number of different fish and I found that I highly enjoyed each dish presented to us. For dessert, the miso panna cotta was something we had never had, and we appreciated the well balanced sweet but salty end to our dinner! The dinner was not cheap, however the quality and service we received was delightful. We will definitely come back to try more dishes! :) read more

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Excellent menu and presentation. Although we did not have a reservation we did not have to wait long. Great selection and timing wonderful proportions read more

Awesome atmosphere for friends gathering and sharing good food. Staffs are nice and welcoming as well~ Only problem is parking lot is very narrow and limited space, with no visible signs to indicate parkable space vs not parkable space. Suggest owner to post signs to help customers so we don't Need to move cars in between meals. read more

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Hidden gem in Menlo Park! If you're looking for a cozy dinner environment with friends, family or a date this is the perfect spot. Make reservations in advance and secure your spot at this quaint Japanese restaurant! They're known for their skewers and sushi! It is on the higher end as each skewer is around $5-$14. But I recommend ordering one skewer of the ones you want to try and share it to figure out which ones you'd want to reorder again. Love the service because the staff was so friendly and shared all their recommendations. If you can try any of their specials or off menu items I'd suggest trying the higher quality sashimi. They often have uni or scallops shipped from Japan and they're so much richer in flavor and often sweeter. read more

Drunken Monk - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

We were looking for Yakitori skewers for dinner and decided to give this place a try. The skewers menu is majority chicken - so you would think their chicken skewers were good - but they were all so mid. First of all its $6-$8 for one skewer of chicken. So with that price point I would expect the chicken to be cooked well and seasonings to be on point. It all tasted normal to me... nothing special but nothing bad. Beef tongue was tough.. not worth the $$$ Chawanmushi lacked seasoning. Berkshire Pork Sausage tasted like a lil smokie... Pork cheek/Wagyu Beef wasn't great as well. The only thing we liked was the fried chicken skin. My husband enjoyed the bacon wrapped tomato (but this ones a bit hard to mess up) I really wanted to like this place because the ambiance is very cute and minimalist - but we'll just head to San Mateo/San Jose for more bang and flavor for my buck. Service was great - attentive and sincere read more

We really enjoyed this restaurant. came here on a whim and was happily surprised by the ambiance and quality of the food. I will say I found the majority of the menu to be overpriced. American Wagyu sukiyaki was $78, while it tasted great i didn't feel like the price was fair. The snow crab was decent as well, our only complaint with the service was that the waitress didn't introduce the snow crab special and explain what was on the plate. For a restaurant that charges so much, i at least expected to understand what i'm eating. Drinks were also fantastic! Overall, it was good. I will probably be back to try some of the other menu items. read more

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Food is way over priced. Cocktail cost $19 and taste like water. Sukiyaki costs $78 and full of cabbage the bottom, our pot was not even get boiled as I gues they run out of gas cooktop. Izakaya tastes plain but costs double than other places. I don't know why this restaurant has high reviews but in our opinion we'd better go to those ones in San Jose. read more

Drunken Monk - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

We came to celebrate a friend's birthday. We made a reservation and time was honored upon arrival. Service was great as the staff allowed us to eat the cake we brought & even had candles for it! So sweet. I will be fairly honest that this spot used to be another Japanese place, and it is very different now. With a mix of izakaya eats and appetizers . It seemed the hot menu item was the sukiyaki which was good but really pricey for the cuts of meat. The quality is great just price and portion is higher than other areas, then again you're in Menlo Park The drink menu was probably the most worth of price. The lighting is def in the mood style- low dim so you can't see the food with chill lofi music read more

Drunken Monk - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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What a new hidden gem next to Ducky's car wash on El Camino in Menlo Park! I came here with two friends to have dinner. We made ressies on Yelp and were mmediately seated upon arrival. Everyone around us was eating the sukiyaki which comes with American Wagyu for $72 or MP for Hokkaido A5 wagyu. We opted to share a bunch of starters and yakitori instead as $70+ for sukiyaki seemed a little steep, especially when I often make my own at home. Corn kakiage (tempura corn) - dish was average, battered nicely but nothing overwhelming Hiyayakko (silken tofu topped with bonito and green onions) - this was a really delicious dish Karaage - dish was average, I've had better karaage Yakitori (each order comes with one skewer) - we ordered two of each chicken thigh with leek, wagyu beef, chicken knee, pork cheek, chicken meatball (came with a marinated raw egg yolk for dipping), chicken breast with yuzu and chicken wing. All of the skewers were grilled by binchotan and were really juicy and flavorful. My favorite were the chicken meatball and chicken knee. Green tea mochi for dessert was also really good. Service was excellent. Our server was so attentive throughout and at the end of dinner, brought out sake and poured us each a glass along with a glass herself to drink with us. She also offered to take a picture of us to commemorate the night. Dinner for three came out to $100 per person including tax and tip. It's pricey for izakaya, but worth it for a special occasion. The restaurant is quaint and cozy so best to make ressies to ensure you get seated right away. Parking in the area is really tough. They have a small parking lot in the back, but since cars were parked along the side of the narrow alley, it was difficult to get to. I found parking two blocks away. read more

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Wow! Why is nobody talking about this place? Oh, because it's hidden in Menlo Park. This is now one of my favorite local izakaya restaurants because of how everything on the menu we tried were so good lol. The parking sucks though so you're better off finding street parking around the area. We ordered the American Wagyu with Udon. The best part of the hot pot was eating the himeji mushroom and it was so good. It was also served with two onsen eggs. The pork cheek is dangerous in a good way. I forgot how many we ordered, but it will damage your wallet. One bite of the pork cheek will keep you wanting more so order at your own risk. The nigiri comes with 2pc, so I got the Kamasu (Japanese Barracuda) and Zuke O-toro (Seared fatty bluefin tuna with garlic soy). It surprised me that there was wasabi in it, and it definitely cleansed my palate. I prefer the bluefin tuna over barracuda, but both were still good. All the drinks we ordered were so dang good. We got the peach chu-hai, matcha yuzu, and yuzu amazake. I can't really describe the taste when the name of the drinks already say for itself, but you could barely taste the alcohol in it. I need to come back! Our server was really nice and attentive and the food came in a timely manner, considering how busy it was. read more

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It's Menlo Park, of course it's going to be overpriced. The sukiyaki for 2 comes with one person worth of meat and mostly veggies, it doesn't even come with 2 rice so I guess they expect 2 person to share one rice/udon. For $72 cmon give us 2 rice so we can be full from small portion of meat and veggies. Also you would think the American wagyu meat would be nice and tender, nope it was very chewy and non tender. The skewers were good and tender but not worth the price. Overall wouldn't come back. read more

Drunken Monk - Sukiyaki - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Yakitori was delicious and beautifully crafted. We appreciate the time that was put in to the skewers and it felt very authentic. The skewers averaged about $7-8 per stick and we got one of each to try and share.We also got the premium sashimi because we were notified about the sushi chef that was visiting and it was a limited time, so we should try it. We got the 10 piece ($98), and it was 2 of each fish because I assume they wanted us to have a piece of our own? At first it did look disappointing, but the bites were immaculate. I don't know if i can justify the price still but it definitely left us feeling like okay that was kinda worth it. The Tuna Tartare with ankimo was a great starter and we also enjoyed the Mini Uni Bowl. And if you were debating between a bottle and carafe, who you kidding, just go with the bottle. It was quite busy on a Friday night so you should opt for reservations or Yelp's waitlist. It is a small restaurant with a warm, intimate setting, but it can be pretty loud when packed. Great for date night or intimate adult friends catching up. read more

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Fun izakaya experience at a premium pricetag Thought we'd check this place out for din. They have a diverse menu with plenty of skewer options. Highly recommended their leek chicken thighs and scallops. wasn't a huge fan of the chicken hearts (a little heme-y?) tho it might be an acquired taste. We also tried the corn tempura and clams which were excellent. The chicken skin was great too (especially for those who like fried chicken mainly for the skin). For the main course, we tried the sukiyaki with American wagyu. Came in a huge pot and a burner at tableside. You cook the wagyu yourself and it was actually quite tender. The broth was flavorful and filled with fresh veggies. They also provided a poached egg which serves as a dipping sauce. Overall, a great experience albeit a bit pricey, which is the only drawback. read more

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The stars of this show was the corn tempura (10/10) and chicken meatball with marinated egg yolk (10/10). The corn was perfectly crispy and seasoned. We were amazed on how they made such a simple ingredient into such an intricate dish. The chicken meatball was to die for. It melted in your mouth and paired perfectly with the marinated egg yolk. We had this meal weeks ago and are still dreaming about these dishes! The scallop carpaccio (9/10) was refreshing and we loved the zesty / yuzu flavor of the sauce. Sake clam was not too memorable and a little salty, but was very flavorful (7/10). Chicken oyster was so tender and crisp on top, amazing with the radish and pepper (8/10). The service was amazing, with our waitress checking in with us frequently and giving us recommendations as it was our first time there. Loved the ambiance was well. Interior was nicely decorated and dim, perfect for date night. We would 100% come back! read more

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Soft opening as of 12/7/2023, Drunken Monk is a pretty upscale izakaya that provides a more thorough experience to eating. It is definitely meant more for sitting and chatting while you eat your food, rather than just going in and out. It's a really nice place with a calm atmosphere. We made a reservation through Yelp to come on a Thursday night, and the service was super smooth. We were seated really quickly! When we got there, we ordered a few starters and a bunch of skewers. The highlight was the lobster skewer (which wasn't on the menu). It was really juicy and also super aesthetic. I saw a bunch of other people ordering the sukiyaki, and I'll have to come back to try that one. This place definitely isn't cheap - we ran ~$100 per person. Parking is a bit rough as it seems the parking lot is small. Overall, I think it's a bit pricey if you're looking for simply flavor itself, but if you're looking for a nice place to chat with a friend for a nice dinner then this is definitely the spot. read more

This place not only has a cute name, the experience once inside follows suit--it's very unique! The staff are very friendly, and we probably had three people helping out our table of five throughout our dinner. The portions are a little small so you might run up a bill quickly. That said, the food is absolutely delicious, and there's something for everyone here. It's not easy to accommodate all of the food preferences within my family. I highly recommend the Corn Kakiage, Gyudon, and Shishido Pepper and Wagyu skewers. read more

Drunken Monk - GYUDON Steamed rice topped with sliced beef and onion simmered in dashi and soy sauce broth, topped with an Onsen egg. - Izakaya Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Drunken Monk's vibe struck the perfect balance between fancy and casual, creating an inviting and cozy ambiance that set the stage for a memorable evening. The dim lighting and lofi music added atmosphere, making it a total vibe from the moment we walked in. We ordered the Hokkaido A5 Wagyu Sukiyaki that comes with two small bowls of rice (or udon), Yakitori (chicken thigh with leek, chicken meatball with a marinated raw egg yolk, and chicken wings). The sukiyaki hit the sweet spot; dipping meat into the raw eggs felt authentic and didn't make us uncomfortable. The Matcha Yuzu with toasted marshmallow and Peach Awazuke drinks were delightful and not overly sweet. Service was excellent, and we felt well taken care of throughout the evening. Parking was surprisingly manageable, as we found a spot in the small parking lot in the back. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to explore more of their offerings. Cheers!! read more

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The food here is yummy but a bit over priced in my opinion. I celebrated my birthday here with a large group and service was fast! We also did the uni tasting. I loved the wagyu shabu and chicken thigh skewer. The chawanmushi was silken and there was plenty of space for two baby strollers as well. Likely won't be returning because we can find izakaya for a better deal near us but you should check it out for yourself! Maybe if they have a special deal next time we will come back. read more

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We came here for dinner on a Thursday night around 8:30pm. The restaurant was pretty empty, so the environment was quite peaceful and quiet. We ordered an array of izakaya food to share - Sukiyaki with American wagyu: The sukiyaki soup was not sweet like other places; instead it was slightly herbal, almost reminding me of a Chinese herbal mushroom hot pot broth. It was nice and warm for a cold night. - Chicken momo skewer: The chicken was very juicy and there was quite a lot of meat for 1 skewer - Kurubuta pork sausage skewer: It was slightly spicy and has a good kick - Chicken skin: This was super crispy and reminded me of a thinner and less greasy chicharron. Sprinkling some lemon juice on top of it adds some zesty flavor. - Mapo tofu donburi: This was also slightly spicy and has a good kick! I was pleasantly surprised. Apparently the restaurant only opened recently in the beginning of October, so it's still developing its reputation around the area and expanding its menu. I really enjoyed the meal here and think the restaurant has good potentials for growth, so I'm looking forward to returning one day. read more

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Drunken monk is an izakaya with creative drinks and relatively simple menu. The parking was full when we got there--a narrow alley where there people were parallel parked leading into a small lot. We were able to find street parking half a block down though so it wasn't a big deal. There was no wait at 7pm on Thursday, although the restaurant was pretty busy. We got corn kakiage, Mapo tofu omelette don, oyakodon, and the unagi ochazuke. Loved everything except the Mapo tofu was a bit of a miss for us-- it conceptually was better than it tasted. For dessert, we got the panna cotta with yuzu shaved ice. The panna cotta was super smooth and the ice had a strong yuzu flavor, would definitely get this again. Overall, this place was quite good. The price was pretty steep though given the portions were fairly small. Looking around, most people seemed to get the nabe so we will have to be back to give that a try read more

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This is a Top Japanese Restaurant in Menlo Park California. Everything is top notch . No other Japanese Restaurant can out top Drunken Monk. And they have Very good service. read more

So happy Drunken Monk exists! It's hard to find great Sukiyaki around here and this place delivered. Everything we ordered was soooo good and tasted so clean and carefully prepared: -corn kakiage -gyoza -wagyu sukiyaki -a mock-tail (matcha yuzu amazake) They gave us some hand peeled marinated tomatoes to snack on while we waited. My boyfriend who usually hates tomatoes gladly ate half of them- he loved them! we also got some great homemade candy for dessert ( i forget the name ) that they also package themselves. I was very impressed not only my the menu, but my the menu presentation, staff friendliness & appreciation, and the cleanliness of the restaurant and the food. You can tell they care about their craft Will be back to try other menu items!! read more

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I debated 4 or 5 stars and decided to round up to 5! Food is absolutely 5 stars; everything we had was yummy with a special call-out to chicken oysters, scallops and tsukune skewers. The food makes this spot one of the top izakaya spots in the bay area. Ambiance is chill and comfortable. As others mentioned, there's a small lot behind the restaurant, along with street parking. Why the debate? 1) We had a lukewarm start as it took a little while for our table to be ready despite having a reservation. I'd expect them to work out operations aspect post soft opening. 2) Pricing is on the high side.For reference: chawanmushi was $21, and each tsukune skewer (which comes with a raw egg dipping sauce) was $12. Not highway-robbery expensive, still on the high side. Our total came in slightly above $85 per person after tax and tips. We'd definitely go back given the outstanding quality and flavors! I hope they work out the reservation timing kinks; that'd really round out the experience. read more

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Loved everything we had here! I came with a few friends for a small birthday dinner - we called to book a reservation the week before, and got seated quickly when we arrived. All the skewers were fantastic - well cooked, tender meat, and nicely seasoned. Our favorites were the negima, wagyu beef, and beef tongue. The chicken heart skewer was also well liked, even by the people in our group that don't usually like heart. The chicken skin and corn kakiage were also great appetizers to share - both were fried nice and crispy, and were great to nibble on. I got the mapo tofu omelet don and it was delicious - the mapo tofu had a nice amount of spice, and paired well with the soft tornado style egg. The mini uni don was probably the star dish for our group. It had a ton of uni -especially for the price - and everyone agreed that it's the best uni they've had. The uni and ikura both were sweet, and the uni had a rich buttery and creamy texture. The kama toro was also a special that day, and was extremely tender and rich. There's a small parking lot that fills up fast and is a bit narrow to get around in, but we also found plenty of street parking nearby. This was probably one of my favorite restaurants this year, and we're looking forward to the next time we can dine here! read more

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Came here last Thursday while still in their soft opening, reservations were easy and it wasn't too crowded (still under the radar right now) Split w a friend the wagyu gyudon, scallop carpaccio, tori kawa (chicken skin) appetizer, as well as pairs of negima (thigh and leek), tebamoto (drumette), soriresu (chicken oyster), and mune (chicken breast) yakitori Note that the skewers have generous portions of meat - it reflects the higher price per skewer and we were stuffed - couldve easily split 4 skewers instead of ordering 2 of each. The quality is top notch, juicy and tender and my first time trying soriresu but that was really good, one of my favorite cuts for yakitori now, and all credit goes to the server for reccing that to us. If you like chicken skin, the appetizer is cheaper than 2 skewers and comes with more chicken skin so highly rec going that route. The Wagyu Gyudon was definitely pricy for a beef gyudon but the wagyu beef difference shows - it was fattier and richer and higher quality than a typical beef gyudon, the soft boiled egg was a nice touch and portions were large (I'd hope they'd be with that price of $25 for one bowl) Service was extremely attentive, we were offered free cherry tomatoes for an appetizer since they were running behind on our order (it had only been 10-15 mins), servers were quick to offer more chopsticks when dropped, and were always regularly checking up on us for if we wanted to order more food or give feedback. Restaurant was nice and quiet though lighting a tad dark for photos, gives a more calm izakaya vibe vs what you might expect from one in Japan. Definitely will be back to try the sukiyaki and the rest of the menu, but the food did not disappoint! Prices were higher (we paid $70 each after tax and tip) but the quality is there and we wouldn't order as much yakitori next time knowing how big each skewer is. Drinks looked tasty but pricy... but maybe I'll try them some day read more

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High quality izakaya with a price to match. We had the kawa, chawanmushi, and Wagyu sukiyaki among others. Kawa was crisp. Chawanmushi was filled with umami Sukiyaki was flavorful but American Wagyu was not as tender as I would expect and flame under sukiyaki pot didn't stay lit for long enough. Overall high quality and price to match. read more

Been trying to come here for months, and finally was able to make a resy for an early dinner on a Thursday, the day of. Staff were super super helpful and attentive, and our dishes came out in a timely manner one after the other in a way that made us feel full by the end. As for the actual food, the corn tempura was crazy good and crisp, right out of the pan. Oyako Don was the best I've ever had, and ochazuke was solid although we got the unagi tail and it was pretty small... just another piece of it would've been perfect. American wagyu sukiyaki was absolutely stellar - it was filling for 2 and still shareable among 4. Lots of veggies, great onsen egg sauce, super soft meat and not tooo fatty. I thought the chawanmushi was a slight miss - it was super silky and great toppings, but $20 for this tiny af tea cup is not worth. Would love to try the sushi and the yakitori next time...but the price is scary indeed for $8-$15 average per skewer. Def a bit of a spend if you are trying to walk out full. Parking is pretty limited with their lil lot in the back, so make sure to come early! read more

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New favorite Japanese restaurant in the area! The ambiance is so cute and roomy, and feels like you've been transported to Japan. My husband and I made a reservation for lunch the day before. Highly recommend making a reservation as the restaurant gets busy. We got some nigiri, tsukune meatball, oyakodon, and niku udon. Honestly everything was delicious, but the oyakodon was the biggest standout to me. Portions are a bit small and it can get pricey (the udon and oyakodon were about $25 each), but it's worth it for the great quality and freshness. There is a parking lot in the back that's shared with the coffee shop, but spaces are limited. Service is great -- we appreciated the recommendations from our server too. We are already talking about when we can come back again! read more

Excellent food ruined by abysmal pricing. More like 2.5/5. Food was delicious but pricing was legit a 1/5 Had the uni don, the chicken meatball skewer, beef tongue skewer, corn tempura, and trout nigiri Everything was delicious but the portions were ridiculous. I am fine with paying a lot of money for food if the portion sizes are at least proportional to the quality and price that I am having Uni don $53 dollars for a 4-5 inch in diameter bowl. $12 for a singular chicken meatball skewer. Should be honestly two for that price. Same for the beef tongue skewer. Corn tempura was fine. Should have been like $8 max. Trout nigiri was delicious. $26 though for two pieces. Service was good. Decor and ambiance obviously made for social media. Great for pictures I ended up going to an Indian restaurant down the road for food after since i wasn't full after spending $140 for those above. Literally $20 per bite of food it felt like. read more

The service is excellent. The sushi dishes are all very fresh and delicious. The most amazing part is the yakitori; my wife and I love it. All of them are very juicy and tendered inside, yet you can smell the good smell of smoke from charcoal. They are crispy outside, but none of them are overcooked. Will definitely come again. Highly recommend read more

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An out of body experience-- every dish was incredibly delicious! The donburis are filling but I wish it had more sauce:rice ratio. My favorites of the night were the chicken meatball, beef tongue, sake clam, and the panna cotta. The walk in wait was extremely long so make a reservation! Great and quick service once seated though. Somewhat dark and intimate inside so excuse the poorly lit photos! read more

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Gyudon with onsen tamago was good but wasn't worth $38. Kitchen needs to work on its timing. My Gyudon was served first, so I waited till my friend's tempura set was also served before starting, which did not come out until 10 minutes later. By then my dish was lukewarm, which made for a subpar dining experience. When paying, we were splitting the bill and the server came back and said she charged it all on one bill by mistake and asked whether we'd like it reversed and charged correctly. We just opted to settled it via Venmo ourselves; honestly not too much trouble on our end but does bring down the dining experience yet another notch. Parking is tricky as well -- small lot and no parking on El Camino. Have to say I miss Gombei for its reasonably priced and good Japanese casual fare. Given other options in the area, I would not revisit. read more

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