As a fellow Taiwanese, I was so excited to stop by and try the bentos and dishes you can normally…read moreget at the night markets of Taiwan. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many dishes on their menu and will definitely be back to try them all! My cousin and I ordered two bentos - the Taiwanese sausage and the braised pork, gua bao, oyster pancake, oyster noodle. All are insanely authentic -- which is rare in the bay. We have been looking high and low for authentic Taiwanese food, and this was close to home. Cute little shop; worth stopping in to try! Great service.

We had a fantastic experience at Chopstix & Taiwanese Bentos. We ordered the chicken cutlet and the…read morebraised beef bento, and both were spot-on. Flavorful, hearty, and cooked to perfection. We were initially really hoping to try the fan tuan (Taiwanese breakfast roll), but it was sold out when we ordered. Mid-meal, the owner came over to our table to let us know they might be able to make one last one for us and they actually pulled it off! Delicious food, great owner, and amazing staff. We will definitely be coming back!

Even it is special event day, the reception Alvin still being patient. He has a good service and…read moretry his best to help us. The food also is very good. We ordered half and half soup. The meat is great quality even it is all you can eat. If you looking for good food and services. This is a best option.

LOVE! I'm really…read moreimpressed with this place. My boyfriend ran a half marathon in the morning so we figured Korean bbq would be a great place to celebrate after. We came here as soon as they opened. I love that you have the option to do both or either bbq or hotpot. They have a salad bar with condiments/sauces, one for appetizers, and another for desserts. Each table is connected to a conveyer belt that rotates things you can have for your hotpot but you can also take stuff for bbq. Meats were pretty good. Definitely best enjoyed with people but would absolutely be coming back. One of my favorite places that I've been to. Waiter was nice and even helped us bbq a little. Casual and fun atmosphere. They have a big tv or screen behind the bar and had soccer on.

I've come here twice now and I didn't realize I never left a review the first time I came! So now I…read morefeel I have even more to say how you much gotta come to Kajiken! Both times I've come I hadn't had to wait very long and our second time was with a large group including kids. Our server was great in helping us preorder before we could get seated and we only waited 15 minutes. We all ordered the same things: half of us ordered the original aburasoba and the other half ordered the homura aburasoba and the food came out quickly. They kindly gave us little bowls for the kiddos and forks and all the kids loved the noodles and the adults shared a large pitcher of beer. All in all, best aburasoba and one of my favorite spots in San Mateo!

Overall: 4.1/5 [dine in]…read more There was a line on Friday night but it moved fast. The seating inside is pretty tight so your table is basically an inch from the next one, almost like a communal dining experience. Nikumori Aburasoba ($18.50): Spicy pork, pork slices, green onion, and ajitama. The spicy ground pork was delicious and they were generous with the thin pork slices, though those weren't as good as the ground pork. The ajitama was perfectly jammy. The aburasoba flavors were okay but less flavorful than mazesoba, which I now know I prefer. Wagyu Roast Beef Aburasoba ($25.50) + Chashu ($1.75) + Spicy Minced Pork ($3.95) + Ajitama ($2.50): Wagyu roast beef, crispy onions, green onions, butter onion sauce, yogurt sauce, and raw egg yolk. The chashu was average but the wagyu roast beef was thin and incredibly tender. The yogurt sauce and raw egg yolk made this one pretty creamy which I actually liked more than the Nikumori. Ume ($1.50): Did not like this at all. Hard pass.

After driving by it many, many times (and most times seeing a line of people), I finally was able…read moreto go for brunch on a Sunday. What a delight it was. They had specials and a regular menu. The food was so clean, not oily or heavy. Good variety of drinks and the menu has great options as well. Service was also great. For a place that gets so busy, the servers and wait staff were very accommodating and knowledgeable. Two thumbs up!

Went here for brunch and it was a decent brunch place. We ordered the Chicken Croffle and the Crab…read moreCake Eggs Benedict. The highlight of the meal is Chicken Croffle. Chicken croffle tastes like popcorn chicken and the flavor was delicious. It is a good combination of sweet and savory especially with the waffle & syrup. Highly recommend this dish. Crab Cake Eggs Benedict on the other hand, I would pass next time. I wasn't a huge fan of this. However, the potatos were great! I would just get a side of that. It was very crispy and flavorful. Service was great. Restaurant is a bit small but the decor is cute. You can make a reservation in advance. Street parking.

I'm not experienced with soba, so I'm not sure what makes a good vs great soba, but everything we…read moregot was very yummy imo! I liked the flavor of the dipping broth for the kamo zaru better (it had duck), but I liked how the ten zaru dipping broth was cold. The tempura that came with the ten zaru was very crispy and yummy. I really like how their assortment was very unique. For example, it came with scallop, tamago, and brussel sprouts. The duck meat that came with the kamo zaru was SO TENDER and flavorful. The agedashi tofu was solid, but nothing special that special. Portion size was good! Lots of noodles, but as usual, soba places don't have much protein options. Servers were very nice, and place was very cute and clean :) Great experience overall.

Yikes! Did I go to the same restaurant as these 5 and 4-star reviews?!…read more We arrived mid-day on a Saturday. A few others were at tables but it was a mostly empty restaurant. There were a few staff running around keeping the front of the house so it wasn't a matter of work force but it took almost an hour to get steamed broccoli as the first of our order to come out. Not sautéed or cooked with finesse. While we were waiting for any food to come out, a couple of tables were seated after us but served their whole order while we waited for a dish to arrive at ours. Then came beef pan fried dumplings which were burnt on the bottom after waiting almost an hour for anything to come. We got a couple more dishes before we finally called it and just got the check. Flavors were bland, nothing stood out as delicious in flavor, texture, or overall bite. Even the vinegar used for soup dumplings wasn't the right type of vinegar. Service was slow, the food was subpar especially for the time it took to get anything on the table. Total waste of time, energy, and opportunity. Never again. The whole vibe felt like a quick service fast food experience rather than what we hoped to get out of it. Not for me clearly.

There are a few dumpling places in downtown San Mateo, so I was curious to see how this restaurant…read morefared. I went on a Saturday at noon and there was just one couple dining; when I left, there were 4-5 more groups. The inside of the restaurant looked aesthetically pleasing. The bathroom was quite old but clean. One of the 2 dispensers was out of soap, which I had hoped they would check as part of the restaurant opening and closing procedures. Our waiter was very friendly throughout the meal and offered food suggestions for us to consider. Beef pancake roll - unique seasoning. I liked how they included shredded lettuce for that crunchy texture. It was wrapped in green onion pancake, so it was a bit oily and required some chewing. My dad didn't care for this. I initially thought this isn't bad but by the end of eating my half, I was ok not ordering this again. I think it's worth trying once. Beef stew noodle soup - beef was flavorful but I needed to chew it a bit, so if you have elderly loved ones with dentures, keep that in mind! Noodles were al dente. My mom didn't like how the portion is very small. Pork & crab meat XLB (Xiaolongbao, soup filled dumplings) - First thing I thought when the server placed the bamboo steamer down on the table was, 'wow, these are SO small'. But regardless, I could definitely taste the crab, and the broth was flavorful and plenty. If I were to dine here again, I would order this. Chicken & vegetable boiled wontons in chicken soup - The skin of the wontons was springy and unique. The broth had sesame oil but otherwise was pretty mild/bland. My mother liked the broth from the beef stew noodle soup more. Pan fried chive dumpling - contained egg, glass noodles, and a lot of garlic and chives. Very yummy and would get this again. Pork & shrimp potsticker - was juicy. The skin a little thick. They came with a tiny side of sweet, sour, spicy pickled veggies. I thought this dish was mediocre. High tail shrimp & pork steamed dumplings - The pork was dense, which wasn't necessarily bad. The dumpling was slightly juicy but wasn't broth-filled. My mom didn't care for this dish. Overall, I would rate this restaurant a 3.5/5 but will round it up. My mom thought the food was quite mid and admitted it as such to the waiter after we paid the bill. I'm honestly not sure if I would return, given all the wonderful other cuisines/choices here in the downtown area - perhaps if I'm craving chive dumplings or crab dumplings again.

Loooooooovvvved this food & service. My bro ordered so I don't know what I ate...scallion cake,…read morepork dumplings, chicken dumplings, spicy "numbing" noodles, several delectable soup dumplings, and more. All delish! Very interesting chive dumpling, plump, tasted kinda like yummy almost cheesy spinach. We feasted & made memories. Five spice beef shank. thin beef served on a dish cold, was the only unliked item. A bit dry/not much flavor. Hard surfaces/impersonal decor, but plenty of seating.

Good portion of tasty / a bit heavy tsukemen. The signature and duck tsukemen are both pretty good,…read morewith the duck one on the lighter side

So I saw this place on Check Please Bay Area and put it on my list. Finally the hubby and I went…read moreat opening time on a Sunday morning and loved it. We beat the crowds! It packed up real quick. First, the service was great. Everyone was so friendly and attentive. They had their eyes on the dining room at all times. Ready to help. And I noticed a few guys in the kitchen laughing and smiling while working. It made me feel good to see them enjoying themselves in that moment. And of course, the ramen was great. I got the dipping noodles and my hubby got "traditional" . Both were good but I enjoyed dipping mine into that rich broth. *warning - do not wear a white shirt. The calamari was also really good! Had a beer and sake. Will go back and try cocktails next time.

Delicious!!! Highly recommend and will be backkk…read more Def try the soy milk with it. Must be cold though!

Interesting concept for sticky rice!…read more Braised beef burrito was yums. Savory, crunchy and delicious. Surrounded by sweet purple glutinous rice! Enough food for a small person to finish. Soy milk was your usual sweeten soy milk. Wasn't a fan of the bag but it's cute to use for snacks if you wash it out after finishing it lol so can't complain. Thanks!

Hunan Mifen is another good spot worth trying if you love authentic Asian cuisine…read more I don't eat spicy food so I was happy that they have some dishes that is not spicy, I love the flavor of their broth, tasty not salty and it has a balance. I love that they have variety of appetizers and side dishes. Price is very reasonable for a freshly cook dishes. I would give them two thumbs up

Had low expectations coming here and was pleasantly surprised!…read more Food: T-he braised beef noodles were amazing. Noodles were chewier than most beef noodle soups I've had and the beef pieces were very tender and soft. The soup wasn't too spicy by itself and had alot of depth and flavor. -Pro-tip: There is a little self-serve station near the kitchen where you can get add'l condiments like cilantro, green onion, chili, and pickled daikon. SCORE. Add in the cilantro/green onion for a flavor explosion. -Ordered one of the combo noodles + 2 sides. For my sides, I got a blanched bok choy and a fried gyoza. The bok choy was needed to help cut the spiciness of the soup and to add veggies b/c without it, you'd just be having carbs, beef, and soup. Gyoza was a win too. Service: FAST and friendly, just how I like my non-fine dining restaurant experiences. You scan a QR code at the table and then choose an english/chinese option. If you have questions, you can ask the staff, but there isn't a TON of options to choose from, so make it easy on yourself and order a noodle soup. Ambiance: Ample seating at 1:30pm on a Sunday. Didn't have to wait, which was a big plus as all the other restaurants in San Mateo over near 3rd/4th and B street were packed. Overall: Highly recommend and would come again. This might be my favorite niu rou mian spot!

This place is consistently good and always has at least a couple people waiting outside of the door…read moreif not more. If you feel like a nice warm hug for your tummy, then get the Langzhou hand pulled noodles. The clear broth and light spice is so comforting for your stomach and it doesn't feel too heavy. You can choose your noodle thickness based on your preference. I typically go for the small rounds while my boyfriend gets the belt noodles - the complete opposite from each other! You can get out of there less than $20 a person, which is so rare in downtown San Mateo. Quick and easy meal for lunch or dinner.

Heard good things about out this noodle spot. Came around 11:30am and got seated right away. Around…read more12pm there was a line and the restaurant was filled. Ordered the chili oil noodles with beef. I was surprised it was not spicy at all. I even added the chili oil on the table and it didn't make a difference. The noodles were perfectly chewy. Just wish it was spicy!