A solid sushi spot where I always feel relaxed and can take my time dining…read more FOOD: 8/10 The sashimi is fresh, and depending on the roll, it's either really good or not quite like what you'd expect from other sushi spots. I also love pairing it with sake to round out the meal. SERVICE: 9/10 Service is always standard and friendly. Everything also normally comes out in a timely manner, which makes the experience smooth. AMBIANCE: 8/10 The restaurant has a cozy, warm, and inviting atmosphere. It feels comfortable and relaxed, making it a great spot for a slow, enjoyable meal with friends or family. Overall, this is a great place for a comforting dine-in experience for sushi. I'd definitely come back when I'm in the mood for something warm, filling, and satisfying.

I haven't had a good hot bowl of beef sukiyaki in a while. Hot pot is not the same for me. Fuji…read moreSukiyaki has vegetable, chicken, seafood, and beef sukiyaki. I ordered the beef sukiyaki, and it had strips of beef, tofu, vegetables, and clear noodles. The broth is made of soy sauce and sweet sake. It wasn't too salty or too sweet. The California roll with tobiko was just right. My pal ordered the chicken and he had no complaints. We came by about 12ish and there were a few people seated but no wait. A few more people and couples came in after us. They took our orders, delivered plates & utensils, and then our food. There were two waitresses and one sushi chef. We did not see the kitchen. It was an old-style Japanese restaurant, not very fancy. It's located on the other side of the railroad tracks from downtown so parking was easy. I would come back if I was in the area.

Tokie's in Downtown San Mateo was a nice restaurant with solid food, delicious cocktails, and quick…read moreservice. We honestly just went here by chance but ended up enjoying it more than we thought. What we ordered: Cocktails: We tried Nori Noir and Cloud 9. Cloud 9 was especially memorable and is my favorite, served with a little bubble on top that looked like a cloud. Both cocktails tasted as good as how they looked. Tokie's Special Roll: a tempura shrimp roll topped with tuna and tobiko, which had a nice combination of texture. Their house sauce was a surprise Bill's Special: made with fresh salmon, cucumber, avocado, and tobiko. Very light and fresh. Hand rolls: very well made, we ordered soft shell crab and spicy hamachi. I honestly prefer soft shell crab more, as it's very creamy and crunchy - also one of their popular dishes. Glazed chicken wings: another popular, very flavorful and worth the hype The restaurant wasn't crowded when we came, service was quick, I will recommend it to my friends

Tokie's Japanese Cuisine has been one of my go-to spots for years, even back when they were in…read moreFoster City. No matter what you order, you really can't go wrong--everything on the menu is consistently amazing. The atmosphere is always warm and welcoming, which makes every visit feel like you're coming back home. Diane and Victor are incredible hosts and truly make the experience special. I've known them for a long time, and Victor never fails to greet me with a shot of sake--something I always look forward to every time I walk in. Their rolls are absolutely to die for, but as someone who appreciates traditional Japanese flavors, I always find myself going back to the sashimi. It's fresh, clean, and really lets the natural flavors shine. If you're looking for great food, great vibes, and even better people, this place is it.

For starters...i went for my birthday and got forgotten at the end :( as the person next to me…read morereceived a bouquet which was a little upsetting given the price point, but staff was still incredibly nice and apologetic about it. Regardless, this was a great omakase experience. Definitely no frills. Each piece was so delicious and intentional. Absolutely loved the different textures presented throughout all the dishes. Hospitality was also so sweet, had great explanations for all of the sake tastings. There was appx. 8 seatings. Probably one of my favorites in the bay.

My third time here and I'm so sorry I neglected to write my review until now! Chef Yoshizumi never…read moredisappoints. It's a bit pricey but it's likely the best omakase experience in the Bay Area. Every course is well thought out and delicately prepared. Top quality on freshness and the flavors chef kiss. Chef Yoshizumi's calm demeanor transports you back to Japan. With quite a bit of omakase experience around the world, I can say that Sushi Yoshizumi's is truly a one of a kind experience with his attention to detail, the obvious expert cuts of top tier fresh fish, the private limited seating of the restaurant, and the front row viewing. If none or some of these things don't matter to you then maybe the price point may not be worth it. But it's definitely worth trying at least once if you love sashimi! As others have said before, booking reservations can be tricky and must be done a month in advance. Check website for specifics!

AYCE sushi in Downtown San Mateo! Came to Ultra Sushi on a Saturday evening and it was overall a…read moredecent experience. Though on the pricier side ($45.99 per person w/o tax + tip), the quality of fish is better than most AYCE sushi spots that I've visited in the Bay Area. My favorite things to order were their Sake (Salmon) Belly Nigiri, Fish Crush (fish on fried shiso topped with salmon), and Robata (skewers), but you can't go wrong with any of the sashimi or roll options! Service was a bit lacking but we did go on a busy Saturday evening. We had to call a waiter or waitress to give us the tablet to order each round, and we ended up making it to 5 rounds within the 90 minutes they give for the AYCE. They also have a rule for ordering where each person can only order one starred item per round - which I found a little strange at first. I did appreciate how the AYCE came with hot sake though! We didn't have a reservation and almost had to wait an hour, but a spot was open where we squished our party of 5 to a 4 person booth (I'd recommend making a resy). The overall decor of the place is nice, while the ambiance was pretty busy but relaxed. It's in a prime location on San Mateo downtown which was also a plus. I think I would definitely come back another time if I'm looking for an AYCE sushi place!

I was not going to make this review but it has to be done…read more It was my first time here with my kids, big sushi fan. We decided to come here for dinner with my brother and best friend, who was just here for lunch a week before. Their experience was good because the pricing for lunch is $9 less for the same exact menu. They had the full menu, which included the UNI, SCALLOP and that's all we cared for to be honest. We got there during dinner hours and were seated right away, party of 6. The place was nice and modern inside and staff was friendly. System: The way it works is that 2 non-star item and 1 star item per person per round. No problem, or should I say there is a problem. They DID NOT have UNI and SCALLOP available to order. So I'd ask about the ame-ebi and there is an additional charge. Now, these are like the main star items and they're out! So now we are just having oysters and so call Wagyu nigiri. Oysters were not the freshest and the rice fish/beef ratio on the nigiri was OMG, SMH. Well, at least it comes with free soft drinks and sake. I would not recommend coming, especially for dinner at $60 per person after tips and tax. If you are going to come, come for lunch and call first see what they Don't have. Now, their sashimi is pretty fresh but that's about it.

Noma has officially become our go‑to local sushi spot -- and for so many good reasons. We love…read moresashimi, and theirs is always fresh with noticeably larger cuts than our previous place. Their specialty rolls are excellent too, with a great variety to choose from. One thing we always order is the spicy garlic edamame -- hands down the best we've had anywhere. We never want to share, so we always get two orders. The tempura batter is light and flaky, and another family favorite is the Hamachi Carpaccio, which is consistently outstanding. The restaurant is on the smaller side, and a little hidden, but don't let that fool you. The quality of the sushi and rolls is exceptional, and this has become our go‑to spot. We've already recommended it to family and friends, and they've loved it as well. Fresh sashimi, great rolls, amazing edamame, and consistently excellent quality -- Noma is absolutely worth a visit.

This little hole in the wall ish sushi spot was pretty spot on for some quick and fresh sushi. Bit…read morehidden and tucked away in this parking area but not too hard to spot. Plenty of parking around also. There was no wait when I came on a Thursday night. Service here is really friendly. Got the 10 piece omakase set and quality to price was solid. Each piece was fresh, buttery, and love how they include real wasabi on it.

Nice handroll bar . Simple menu but with many good selection…read more Their Toro and scallop spectral rolls are good . I like my salmon belly but dislike the soft shell crabs . It has too much batter and I cannot taste any crab . Too oily as well . Clean and organized. They can make you a to go box as well . All the different hand rolls will be individually wrapped . Good place to have a beer and chat with friends .

I love this spot for lunch! With cozy bar seating and an open kitchen, they serve each hand roll…read moreone at a time, paced to match how you eat. As a slow eater, I really appreciate never feeling rushed. It's honestly like dinner and a show watching everything come together right in front of you. Serving the rolls one by one also keeps the seaweed perfectly crispy for every bite... and let's be real, there's nothing worse than soggy seaweed! I recommend Set C: it's my tried and true. Just the right amount for lunch with a great variety of fillings. My favorites were the salmon belly and the scallop. Both were sweet, rich, and honestly had me considering ordering seconds. Next time I come back, I'm definitely thinking about trying the uni hand roll. They're pretty generous with the uni! One small note: since the kitchen is open, it was a little awkward at one point to quietly witness the chefs disagreeing on portion size. It didn't ruin the experience, but it might be something better taken to the back so guests can keep enjoying the show.

Great service, great food, & great ambiance! Sashimi comes it big cuts! Chefs & waitresses are…read moresuper kind! Group shots with the staff ;) Definitely recommended!

I don't know what is better, the sushi or the service! Great atmosphere and the food melts in your…read moremouth. Such great, layered flavors. Definitely sit at the bar for a fun time with the chefs!

The crispy fish skin combined with the aroma of eel creates a very delicious fried rice. I did not…read moreexpect to find such a good Japanese restaurant in a location that is quite far from the center of the food district. Besides the fried rice, the tuna and salmon sashimi are large, fresh, and high quality. Many times when I eat sashimi that is not very clean, it upsets my stomach and makes me want to use the restroom. However, the food here is both clean and fresh, and I had absolutely no discomfort after the meal. I also ordered chawanmushi and stir fried udon, both of which were very well executed. I would give full marks to this restaurant for both its sashimi dishes and main courses. The service is good, the environment is clean, and the dishes are priced normally, perhaps slightly on the higher side, but the value for money is reasonable. The only downside is that parking around this area is quite difficult. Overall, however, I would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys omakase and appreciates high quality Japanese cuisine. 酥脆的魚皮加上鰻魚的香味，交織成一盤非常好吃的炒飯。我沒有想到在這麼偏離美食街中心的位置還有這一家好吃的日本料理。除了炒飯之外，鮪魚和鮭魚生魚片大片又新鮮，很多時候我吃不乾淨的生魚片料理會想上廁所，這家的食物又乾淨又新鮮，我在餐後完全沒有不良的反應。我也點了蒸蛋和炒烏龍麵，也是表現的非常不錯，我對這家餐廳的生魚片料理和主食給予滿分評價，良好的服務，乾淨的環境，正常且略為高價的料理，但是性價比合理。美中不足的地方是這附近停車非常困難，不過總體來說，推薦給喜歡吃Omakase的各位老饕。

Came here to celebrate a birthday and really wanted to love it. Unfortunately the experience fell…read moreflat for a few reasons. Pros: More affordable omakase pricing, including the Uni option. Uni and Toro pieces were delicious Hamachi Carpaccio melted in your mouth Probably one of the most flavorful Yaki Onigiri i've had at a Izakaya spot Cons: There are a lot of positive reviews here for the Iku-Uni-Himu dish. We thought it was... odd. Taste is certainly subjective but I would not order this again Top Secret was another highly rated dish and tasted flat Amongst the 10 piece omakase set I'd say 5 were tasty. The rest were ok, and almost all of them required dipping in soy sauce (good omakase generally does not) Mochigo Ebi tasty very heavy and greasy The service felt surprisingly "fast casual" as well. Our dishes came out quickly and the server kept asking us to move stuff around to make space. Don't expect a slower dining experience. All in all, ok spot to try out once to see if it's your cup of tea.