Food was really tasty Service on fire love this place see you soon ! Ambiance is perfect

Best ramen in the Bay Area!! The broth is so flavorful and I like that you can add more garlic with the roasted garlic on the table! Been here twice so far and each I time our order exceeded expectations! Staff and service are also great! read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ordered the miso and pork ramen. It's like the ones you buy in the frozen section at J-markets. Char-siu tastes like the one you at Nijiya. Not a fan of the miso they use (red?). We also asked for green onions on the side (fyi $2). read more

Himawari - Miso ramen (near). Tonkotsu (far). - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

There are a few perfect ramen places in San Mateo, and this is a hot spot that you should check out. I'd recommend the Delux one. But they're so many choices if you like spicy or mildly spicy. You can have some sides to go with. The portions are enormous, so you don't over-order, or you will add 2000 extra calories to your daily calorie budget. I also love tofu here, and I order every time I come here. Price is reasonable too, ranging from $13-$16 per ramen dish. *** See the new menu *** have new ramen read more

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By far...the best Ramen in Peninsula. And the ambiance of classic Jazz makes it so warm and welcoming.

How have I not written a review on this place?! I come here whenever I crave some ramen because it's so yummy! My favorite of all time is the butter corn ramen! I literally order this every time no matter what... It's just so good!! Also I love their soft boiled eggs!!! They just make it so well here and I like that it's still a little runny. I've recommended this place to friends and they loved it as well! read more

Himawari - Shio Butter Corn Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love the interior design. It's not fancy but the seating is comfortable and the music is cool. They seat you fast (but I do go after lunch rush), serve you fast, and constantly check on your table. They have dedicated experienced service staff they are highly efficient. This is perfect for me who is always on a tight schedule! All the ramen is good! But other than ramen I highly recommend you the fried chicken! Just be careful not to burn your tongue and mouth. It comes out hot and steaming ... and I rush to eat it! I'm a fan! read more

This must be ramen week for me; 3 different ramen places in 5 days! Came with Ellen and Shirley (aka "Birthday Twin" but are birthday is in April) after trying to go to hot pot but having them be packed. We put our name down on the clipboard and waited maybe 5 minutes before being seated. We had already looked at the menu so we were able to order right away. For an appetizer, we chose the chicken karaage. For ramen, we got the deluxe ramen in miso, the deluxe Tan Tan Men, and the Kanitama Ramen. The deluxe ramen and Tan Tan Men came out first. Both of them came with the standard toppings of roasted pork, bamboo stems, and Japanese spring onion. Both of the orders came with egg which came whole but was nicely boiled to perfection. Both my friends enjoyed their ramen though deluxe orders are good for when you're hungry! I opted for something new, the Kanitama Ramen which was essentially a snow crab and carrot omelet that sits atop of your whole ramen bowl with the soy ramen noodles underneath. The omelet was fluffy but lacked the snow crab (most likely imitation crab but not enough to know) so it tasted like a carrot omelet with a hint of crab. Anyone who knows me knows I love egg so I didn't mind the lack of crab but this bowl still filled me up! Know that this ramen is only the omelet and the noodles; no boiled egg, pork, etc. The chicken karaage came out last and it was piping hot out of the kitchen! It was nicely fried but we had to pull it into pieces to allow it to cool. The sweet mayonnaise dipping sauce paired with the lime made this one of the best chicken karaage I've had in awhile. Worth ordering! I'd come back again and order something different but definitely a solid destination if you have a ramen craving and don't want to wait hours to sit and then get your food! read more

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Amazing ramen!! The food was very tasty and definitely worth it! The service was great - staff was friendly. A must try in the area! read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

On this rainy day, what else do I want besides Himawari's ramen and jazz music! Their chicken karaage is our favorite side dish. Just try and thank me later! read more

Hurts me to write a poor review, but probably best to just avoid this spot if you've ever had decent ramen. If you really have an inclining for ramen and have nowhere else to go, this would be fine, but I wouldn't revisit or recommend. Me and my wife both ordered the tonkatsu ramen, and unfortunately it barely had any flavor. That rich, buttery, salty flavor was not to be found. Instead it felt like we were given an instant mix in some warm milk. Even the cha-su was forgettable; dry, thin and overcooked slices. The noodles were the last nail in the coffin; hardly warm, too undercooked (past al-dente), and felt stale. Really disappointed, especially because we went on a Wednesday night around 6:30 and it was raining, so the ramen would've hit the spot. read more

Came on Sunday around 6pm. We were lucky and there was one table left so there was no wait. I ordered the Tonkotsu DX. They gave a generous portion of meat but the pieces were very fatty. The broth was so salty that I had to add water to finish the rest the meal. The noodles were super generic and similar to the ramen you can get at supermarkets. If this dish wasn't $18, I would have left and ate somewhere else. This place is probably one of the worst ramen restaurants I've ever been to. I'm not sure where they are getting their good reviews cause I was definitely swayed to come here after seeing their rating. read more

Himawari - Tonkotsu Dx Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Pre-movie, we wanted ramen. We have our favorite spots but we were open to trying something new. I read the other reviews by Yelpers and have to agree, my tonkatsu ramen was more on the watery side. It was lacking that flavorful broth. We also had the pot stickers and they were fine. Friendly service. The restaurant has two rows of seating and records decorating the walls. Parking is on the street or the parking garages one block away. Review #32 of 100 in 2021 read more

After chillin at the park under the blazing heat, we decided to cool ourselves down with a hot bowl of ramen *eye roll*. Tan Tan Deluxe - I had tan tan noodles elsewhere and fell in love. I thought this would be somewhat similar but in ramen form. The broth had lots of flavor. I got the deluxe because it comes with lots of pork. It looks spicy but it wasn't; could've used some heat Overall, good service, huge portions read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

I really loved the jazz theme of the restaurant- it was cozy. I ordered the miso ramen and I wish I got the tonkostu instead. I wasn't in love with my meal since the miso broth wasn't very flavorful. The food also came out incredibly fast which actually worried me because it seemed like the broth didn't have enough time to soak in the flavors. Despite this, I would go back to try the tonkostu ramen soup. read more

Came in with party of 4 last night -- 3 of us are having stomach issues -- I'm guessing the food was unsanitary as it's the only place all 4 of us ate. 2 of us have very bad diarrhea read more

As a Filipino child, instant noodles quickly becomes one of your favorite things to eat. Spending a few years in the Philippines as a child makes it even more so. It's an "anytime treat" and even as a grown-up, hearing the question, "Do you want instant noodles?" almost instantly makes me happy, even if I just finished an enormous dinner. Right about now, I'd give kudos to the Japanese for creating ramen. Except, it was actually created by the Chinese. (Shocking, I know -- because I just did a quick search to see if I could find the name of the genius who created it, and alas, my entire world has gone off-killer.) What the Japanese did create and then perfect was the "instant ramen" concept, which has since taken over the whole literal world. (Clearly, just my opinion here.) So as it turns out, ramen noodles in pork broth was a Chinese invention. Taking this and creating a massive food revolution -- that was all Japanese. In the Bay Area, our choices were somewhat more limited until the last decade; I believe, with the last few years showing a massive boom in ramen joints across the whole San Francisco Bay Area. As for my first time at this dining establishment, I'm pleased with Himawari. If I have an issue, it's with the noodles. The noodles are good -- don't get me wrong -- but they aren't really great "ramen noodles". Places I've eaten in San Mateo like Ajisen Ramen, Ramen Dojo & Ramen Parlor offer what I consider to be authentic and typical ramen noodles. The good noodles are clearly glutenous with a bit of resistance when you bite down, and a pleasant chewiness and stickiness while you chew because when it's perfectly cooked, it should be slightly under-cooked. The noodles themselves would also have a distinct, for lack of a better word, "ramen-y" flavor of saltiness. Ramen noodles are quite distinctive. Texture-wise, the noodles at Himawari lack that typical "ramen-like" consistency and lean more towards what I expect from a Chinese or Singaporean noodle dish. They separate easier, and lack a chewiness, and the flavor is a bit bland compared to what I consider great ramen noodles. This is not a bad thing as they taste fine -- my point is merely that it's not what I consider to be outstanding ramen noodles. The broth, however, hits home. I can hardly review a restaurant without at least tasting some other offerings on the menu. They offer some sushi rolls and they also have a good array of appetizers to share before your meal. The salads were ordinary but the chicken karaage might be one of the best I've had outside of homemade ones. They are dipped in a medium-weight batter and deep-fried to a deep golden brown, and however it is they do this, the inside is moist and juicy each time. Served with a "Japanese-esque" mayo dipping sauce and some lemon, this dish begs for a bowl of rice. Himawari is located in the heart of Downtown San Mateo. They are open every day of the week for lunch and dinner, and on weekdays, they serve food until 10:30 PM, with weekend closing times extending to 11:30PM, making it an ideal selection for Peninsula late-night dining. Highly recommended for those who couldn't wait at the other above-mentioned ramen spots in San Mateo, and/or for those who just landed from SFO! I was pleased with the service I received, with refills and ordering being effortless. Food prices are reasonable, and quite affordable for their generous portions. This is a good place if you are looking for a low cost meal in downtown San Mateo. read more

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I think I finally find the best ramen here. This place makes best shio (salt) base ramen. I tried Asari shio ramen which have clams and shio base with Garlic and batter. After I ate, I felt just like ate one of take shop in Tokyo. I recommend to anyone who like ramen noodles. Service is also good and quick ! Good luck for business. read more

Food is pretty good, prices are not extra pricey, the meats are big at least in the deluxe ramen bowls. It just taste slightly homemade. Also I would get the snow crab omelet, too small portion. Get the chicken karate instead, trust read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

very rude service! We have party of 7 and 4 of us arrived, my Mom is 90 years old and I saw the table is ready. I requested to be seated first but the Latino guy refused. We walked away immediately. read more

Their soup is the best, I'm actually in love with it. All the other ramen places do not compare to Himawari, they're good...they suck compared to this one. I'll love this place forever!!!! XOXOXO ^ written and reviewed by a 7y/o read more

1.50 for togo container. 3 of them. That is a deal breaker for me. Used to love this place but not gonna pay that again. The customer price gouging at these restaurants is too much. The ramen options in area are too plentiful. So probably won't go back. The ramen I ordered I didn't feel was as good and if you don't get Deluxe it has almost nothing with it. Prices have gone up, tipping has gone up. And now paying 50 cents for container that cost them maybe 1cent. I am out. read more

I believe they use MSG in their broth as I was really thirsty afterwards. That said, the broth was flavorful and the ramen was decent. I also ordered a side California roll and it was not worth the extra $ read more

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Himawari used to be my favorite ramen spot, usually ordered Tan Tan Men with a side of chicken karage(extremely hot goodness). Our last visit I tried a different dish, i believe it was the deluxe ramen with steamed pork. Maybe my expectation for steamed pork do no meet reality as the pork was a large piece where you can see the layers but this was an exception to my past experience with this type of pork. The pork was chewy, not tender and melting in your mouth. The pork was actually laborious to eat, my jaw became tired. All of my prior visits have been spot on goodness so I consider this last one an outlier. read more

Himawari - Jazz makes me happy, the music normally playing is jazz. The volume of the restaurant usually drowns out the music - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Not a ramen fan but I think I found a place I would go for some ramen! The menu consist of 3 different ramen base soups- Shoyu, Miso, & Soy. They also have a la carte items. They close after lunch and re-open @5:30pm for dinner. There are meter parking available outside the restaurant that charges $1.50/hr which is not too bad. We parked in front of the restaurant since people line up before the place opens. The restaurant is limited seating and is not a very big place. We order both ramen and a la carte items. For ramen, we ordered the Tonkotsu Deluxe which includes additional toppings than the regular Tonkotsu which does not include much toppings for those who aren't much a fan of ramen toppings. We also ordered chicken karaage, pork fried rice and NY roll. The ramen was very delicious! I usually don't resort to ramen since the taste can get tiring but the broth at Himawari is really good to just keep sipping on! Creamy but not heavy and def not salty. The meat was very tender. The broth did taste more on the ginger side but not overpowering. The chicken karaage was also good, it included salad and I believe was a mayo sauce. The pork fried rice was my favorite and can probably eat the fish by itself. The rice had chunks of pork belly which can be a meal within itself. read more

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Been going here for years. Himawari is always consistent with food quality and service. Love the jazz music playing in the background and all the records that surrounds the restaurant. I noticed they stopped giving out barley tea which was so refreshing. Bring it back, management! We always order the shio ramen and shio butter corn ramen. Both ramen comes with tender pork slices along with other toppings. Unlike other popular ramen shops in San Mateo which is heavy on garlic flavor, Himawari's broth is rich is plain pork broth and there's nothing wrong with that! read more

Himawari is such a special place. The food is great, and it's so unique in that the theme is JAZZ! There is great jazz music playing and there are jazz records up on the walls. It's amazing and you hardly (if ever) see ramen places playing jazz music. I love the butter corn ramen - both with the miso broth and the shio broth. The tan tan ramen is also great if you want something spicy. I'm not the biggest fan of tofu, otherwise the tofu salad would have been great as well. Be warned - they serve barley tea instead of water! It took me by surprise, but as long as you are expecting it, it's not bad. The barley tea has a flavor similar to (really weak) coffee, LOL. It's pretty good! But if you really want water, you can definitely ask for water as well. All in all, I love Himawari - it's one of my favorite spots and also a really nostalgic place full of great memories. I used to come here all the time in high school with my friends. TL;DR: great food, cool vibe because of the JAZZ! read more

I come here every time I'm in San Mateo. The place is small but the flavor is BIG! I'm picky about my ramen but the tan tan men deluxe is the best! Perfect rich sesame broth accompanied by fatty delicious pork and noodles. Adding in the soft boiled egg and cilantro (which I'm usually not a fan of) takes this meal to a whole other level. All tied together with a bit of spice..... I'm in heaven. I will always come back here! Looooove it! read more

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I went here for lunch and thought that it was a pretty average bay area ramen experience. Nothing really stood out particularly and nothing was particularly disappointing either, but for some reason I felt like a 4 would've been too high of a rating. The place is spacious and my party of 3 was seated immediately after we arrived at 1:45pm. They ran out of the deluxe tan tan men so I got the miso butter corn ramen. Service was quick and our orders arrived quickly. It was very interesting to see a chunk of butter in the ramen. Anyway, I felt like the ramen wasn't anything to rave about. The corn was good, butter was buttery, and the pork wasn't especially tender or fatty. I thought the broth, however, was a bit salty, but overall, satisfied my ramen cravings. read more

Himawari - Miso Butter Corn Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Only 3.5 stars? I do not understand! I've visited 10+ times already, great experience every time. They seriously have the BEST of the BEST spicy Tan Tan ramen, make sure to get the deluxe version, it'll blow your socks off! I'm now addicted to the favor, every time I would get the same thing cause it's just too good. My second favorite is their Gyoza. Lightly pan-fried, not overly chewy, exactly the way I like. Their kimchi is amazing, so is the pork fried rice. The wait could be long but if you have a small party you should get seated fairly quickly. They also have bar seating by the kitchen that is first come first serve, it's fun to watch the chefs cook. I absolutely Love this place. read more

Himawari - Deluxe Spicy Tan Tan ramen. Soooo good!! - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Super duper salty ramen. We had the miso butter corn ramen, shio butter corn ramen, spicy tan tan and wakame ramen - all super duper salty. I poured almost a whole cup of water into the miso butter ramen to mellow it down. But other than the broth, the portion was enough (not too big; not too small) and the noodles were chewy. The California roll was pretty bomb though! The soft shell crab was really creamy and light although the rice was a bit hard. The chicken karaage was crunchy with salt. The environment is nice and the staff are friendly. read more

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This is perfect for a cozy date night. My fiancé had been here before and had suggested me to try it. We're both mainly veg-heads, so we went for the delicious, abundant vegetarian tan tan ramen and hot green tea... I added bamboo shoots on mine and Jeff had an egg on his. The night was slightly brisk, which made the ambiance perfect. They had heaters and a canopy over our heads just in case. Jeff and I are musicians, so the jazz records on the wall were bonus points for us. The owner has great taste in both food and music :) Last but not least, our server was very attentive and killin' it. read more

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Started here for a first dinner-movie date night, before watching Shang-Chi. Can't remember what we had for ramen. They have some interesting and unique tapas, such as the pork kakuni. Crunchy, juicy and probably quite oily. Super satisfying. So many more to try! Only thing was the tables outside that were put right on top of driveway. The uneven floor made our ramen bowls constantly want to slide off the table. Waiters tried to put napkins to stop the slide. Shouldn't be that hard to fix the tables I suppose. read more

This ramen place is way over rated. Don't get fooled by those black record hanging on the wall. A classic decoration doesn't mean you are getting a classical cooked Japanese ramen. I came here with bunch of coworkers for a lunch party. Order a combo ramen + fried rice. The ramen tasted so unauthentic while the fried rice was way too plain. I would like to say the fried rice tastes really like home cook style though, which meant everyone can do it at home or you might be able to do a better job. If you are not too far from Trader Joe's, it has those prepackaged fried rice (could be Thai style though) which you can microwave under 2 minutes and it tastes much better. Price wise, it is acceptable in the San Mateo area, but you should spend your money wise. If you are craving from Ramen, please go for Dojo or Parlor, it is worth the wait. read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The ramen is so hard to chew. It is simply the instant ramen you buy from supermarket. Other than ramen itself, the soup base is good and the menu is interesting. They just need to change that ramen. read more

Himawari - Ramen is so hard to chew. It tastes like the instant ramen you buy from supermarket. - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Quite possibly the best ramen I've had in San Mateo. I love the jazz music always playing when we go and the servers are efficient and very friendly. When you're in the mood for ramen, Himawari is the place to go. read more

Wow we've been coming here for some time and it's been pretty decent, but today the tonkotsu ramen was SO BAD. It was super diluted with water, and you could barely taste the tonkotsu flavor. The soup started to turn pink from the Beni shouga (red ginger), that's how diluted the soup was. Japanese tonkotsu ramen is suppose to be bursting in flavor, and this was a major fail... rethinking of ever coming back here. Probably not for a while as I am getting PTSD from it... (/sad face) read more

Himawari - Tonkotsu Ramen...super watery and soup turned to pink from the red pickled ginger... gross - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Recommended by a mate. Surprisingly delicious ramen! Rice water was interesting but nice. Will be back for sure

I've tried this place only 2 times but I can say that is probably my favorite ramen spot! Thanks to my husband who introduced me to this place!!! read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Its a really big space for a ramen joint. The environment is nice, spacious, clean, and welcoming. There isn't a line when we came for dinner on a Thursday evening. There a quite a few options on the menu as well. I order the Shiro tan tan men and hubby ordered the tan tan men. They were both good, but can't say it's anything too special unfortunately. I really wanted to love it but with so many other ramen joints around, this unfortunately did not shine. It's not a bad choice if you are really craving ramen and don't want to wait at some of the more popular places. read more

Himawari - Shiro tan tan men (limited) - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California