We visited Noma Sushi on a Thursday evening and got seated right away with no reservation. This spot was tricky to find, since it was tucked away and quite small. The vibe was very casual with no frills. I started with a Miso Soup, which was expectedly good. We also got the Spicy Tuna Tartare Tacos to share between the 3 of us, which was perfect because it came in 3 pieces. My friend and I then ordered the Bluefin Lover's roll and Double Hamachi roll to share. Both of these were awesome! The fish was so tasty and fresh and the flavors went together really well. It was hard to pick a favorite between the two! I also tried a bit of my other friend's Geisha roll, which was nice but less memorable. Service was friendly and quick, and pricing was pretty standard. read more

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This little hole in the wall ish sushi spot was pretty spot on for some quick and fresh sushi. Bit hidden 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. read more

Noma Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

No wait for my party of 4 on a Sunday lunch. Pretty small restaurant but cozy. Service is good, food came out fairly quickly. We shared the salmon sampler appetizer and 4 rolls: spicy crunch, mango spider, noma roll, and bluefin lovers. Salmon sampler was pretty good. I wasn't a huge fan of the smoked salmon but I loved the regular salmon and salmon belly sashimi. My favorite roll was hands down the mango spider. I usually love rolls with mango, and this one was so fresh with a LOT of crab on top. I also liked the spicy crunch roll and noma roll as well. The bluefin lovers roll was surprisingly my least favorite - I had the highest expectations for this roll due to the seared bluefin tuna and the black truffle, but we felt like it ended up being too heavy and too much. I think it would've been better if it were just the bluefin tuna with truffle on top as sashimi, without the rice/roll part, but just my opinion. Portions were very generous with thick cuts of fish and prices were reasonable. Overall I'd recommend this restaurant for solid sushi! read more

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Omg, this sushi place is really good! All the rolls were delicious and included the following: California roll, lion king roll, and the volcano. I was amazed that they don't use too much rice. We also ordered the omakase 15 pc sashimi and the fish was super soft and fresh. We really enjoyed everything!! Service is great as well! read more

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I really wanted to try this place because of its Mom & Pop show/hole in the wall vibe. To me, these type of Japanese places tend to have really great food. I was not disappointed. We started off with a chicken karaage appetizer. I appreciated the size of each piece as it's just right for a bite size. The chicken wasn't too greasy either. I would order it again. We tried the Four Seasons roll as it's part of their special. It feels like a crab roll with a mountain on top (side way). I really tried to have the whole thing in one bite but it is a challenge. The flavor is on the lighter side. The Noma roll was my favorite from this meal. I could taste the flavors of all the elements except for the jalapenos. But it was still very delicious. They were so generous with the crunch. Baked lobster roll was also great. A little bit mushy, but the strongest flavor of all the three rolls that we have ordered. The portion overall was quite big in comparison to sushi places in the area. I was quite full! There aren't many parking spots right in front of the restaurant, so I would recommend the street parking nearby! read more

My new favorite sushi spot! We came here at the recommendation of a couple neighbor friends. Boy were they spot-on. It's a small spot, always has a good football/baseball/basketball game on (yay!) and the sushi is amazing. Seriously top quality. The sashimi is large fat cuts, not thinly trimmed. The sushi is expertly low rice - just the minimal amount to coat the fish and stuffings. I have been back twice in 10 days and I plan to waste/invest lots here LOL. read more

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In San Mateo for the weekend, I was craving Sashimi. Looked for a few places that didn't look like reservations were required and found Noma. Had a good experience. First, if you can, do make a reservation. I got there early but as I dined, the restaurant filled up and people were waiting outside as I left. Me, party of one - usually never have a problem. If I got there ten to fifteen minutes after I did, I would have waited. This was for a seat at the counter. Guess I was lucky that night. Too bad I didn't buy a lottery ticket. The chefs behind the counter didn't really interact with the counter guests. Service was handled by the two different servers who seemed to tag team the entire restaurant. And they were busy. Overall, service was ok. There were a few instances where I had to wait but then again ... first world problems. As for the food, I really enjoyed the Sashimi and Shrimp Tempura. See pics. The tempura was done like I've had in Japan. Generous cuts of Sashimi - if you like it that way. I felt the Squid legs were ok. The batter was uneven and not golden brown all the way through - some pieces were crunchier while others were on the soggy side. Not that it was bad. I cleared the plate. Like I mentioned, the place got busy. Not a lot of seating - maybe just over a half dozen tables plus the bar. If it matters, there's a TV but the evening I was there, a Worship performance was on. No sports. It was a good experience. I'd go back. Other places I'd try before I do, but I'd definitely go back. read more

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Noma Sushi is a hidden gem located 2 blocks from El Camino in a mixed residential/industrial area off Highway 92. Staff welcoming and friendly. While waiting, staff behind the sushi bar shared the names of the various rolls they were preparing as they knew it was my first time . Totally appreciated Ordered the following to go: SALMON SKIN SALAD. Basic mixed greens , 2 sliced grape tomatoes and nicely crisp salmon skins. Sounds odd but delicious!Salad came with 3 sauces: sesame dressing, ponzu and unagi sauce - good but wish the salad had more components 4/5 DRAGON ROLL - shrimp tempura with unagi. Nicely prepared shrimp tempura made fresh so it was crispy, (not rubbery) vs sitting around with a generous topping of eel and perfectly seasoned/cooked rice, fresh avocado and cucumber. 5/5 NOMA ROLL - server recommended as one of their popular ones with spicy tuna, salmon and tuna with crunchy panko flakes and their special sauce. It was good but will skip next time as the texture of the fish melded too much for me. Restaurant easily missed due to the small parking lot in front blocking the non-de script exterior. I'd return to try other items as Noma Sushi has a variety so you won't get bored. Inside about 10 - 4 seat tables along with 5 seats at the sushi bar. Free street parking. I wouldn't recommend dining with a large party on the weekend unless you make a reservation. Pricing on the higher side with like places but for the quality, worth it. read more

Noma Sushi - Salmon Skin Salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This was a hole-in-the-wall find and I was not disappointed! Its parking lot is super small so I'd recommend parking a bit away and walking over. I typically get the Ninja Heart roll and if I'm feeling extra special, the seared bluefin toro with uni nigiri. Both are so good - fish was so fresh and melts in your mouth! read more

Noma Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

We got the Sake Toro (Salmon Belly), oh my goodness. Delicious!! HUGE cuts and they were thick!! The salmon was seared perfectly and soo buttery and fresh! 10/10 recommend! The rice proportion was perfect as well, same with all of our rolls. More fish/toppings than rice. We also got the Hot Summer, which was 8/10, the salmon on top wrapped the entire piece, and it was so thick!! The only part we didn't enjoy was the tuna part but that's a personal preference. It was diced spicy tuna which was our bad. However this roll was SO TALL! We were stuffed!! The crab filling is also snow crab and not imitation crab. Which made the flavor profile 1000x better. The last thing we got was the Giant Roll, which is a soft shell crab with mixed fish. This was AMAZING! The soft shell crab itself was the perfect texture and crispy. Some sushi places we found the soft shell crab to be a bit soggy but this place was delicious! The fish pieces on top were also huge and fresh! The service was spectacular as well. The servers were very attentive with filling waters and doing check ins with how our food was! We are not from this area but this was definitely worth the drive. read more

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I did a DoorDash takeout, so I don't have any insight to the service or dine-in for this place. The total for my order was around $28. I ordered the Lion King Roll and Unagi. The Unagi came with two pieces, and the Lion King Roll was eight pieces. The Unagi tasted really good and not overly saucy. I wished it came with more pieces. The Lion King Roll was saucy and flavorful, not really spicy at all. I would prefer a bit less sauce with the roll. Not sure why, but I didn't feel very well after finishing the sushi. I wonder if it might've been out too long since it went through DoorDash, but it's hard to say for certain. Another con I had from my sushi was that the Lion King Roll wasn't cut through all the way, so when I picked up a piece with my chopsticks, the bottom half was stuck to the whole roll and ended up falling apart. I think the sushi here was really good and flavorful, but I'm a bit disappointed by my experience. If I ever decide to try this place again, I probably wouldn't do food delivery and would try dine-in instead. read more

Noma Sushi - lion king roll & unagi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

My go to spot whenever I am in the San Mateo area. It's a cute little spot tucked away in a little corner. The sushi is always fresh and delicious. Service is on top. I recommend checking this place out. read more

Noma Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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First time here with my boyfriend, quick service not a lot of people (it was pouring so I can't say much about that), but the staff was friendly instantly and all throughout. It was nice and clean in there and a little small. The menu had a lot to choose from, but there are a lot of spicy rolls compared to non spicy so if you're looking for non spicy rolls you have little to choose from!!! my bf and I got the mango spider roll and 49ers roll. I really enjoyed the 49ers roll! the lemon ontop was the right amount of zest and made the roll very refreshing. For a "simpler" roll it was quite tasty. the mango spider roll was lacking a bit of flavor but we finished it regardless. Looking forward to coming back and trying a spicy roll when my bf is in the mood ha! read more

Noma Sushi - mango spider roll (back) and 49er roll (front) - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

It was great, reasonably priced with hard to find sashimi specialities such as the halibut engawa. Will return for sure! The kids enjoyed the rolls! Very filling! Would give it 4.4 stars read more

Omg omg omg !!! This place is DELICIOUS!!! Okay first things first Parking... they have a small parking lot but there is street parking too. The location is very cute small and intimate. I do recommend reservation if you can. Staff was very kind and welcoming The sushi!!!!!!!!!! Omg the Noma roll is a must along with the blue fin wow they all melted in my mouth soooo yummy I could have ordered 2 that's how tasty it was Seriously can't wait to come back and try more especially My two favorite ones Overall 5 stars!! read more

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We were originally going to eat at another spot but the previous spot was too loud. Called this place last minute, and they were able to accommodate our party of 10. Service was excellent, the server was very helpful in choosing what rolls to order. We were all shocked by the portion size the rolls, bento, udon, tempura and chirashi were all a generous portion. Aside from the portion size, the fish was fresh and delicious for the sashimi and the rolls! Overall my family and I were very happy with the service, portions, quality and reasonable pricing! Glad we came upon this hidden gem! Will definitely come back again read more

tl;dr Order a 7-piece omakase and roll for a solid meal. Free street parking on the area. Came on a Monday afternoon and was surprised by how busy it was. They have a variety of rolls, sushi and non-sushi options. It seems that many of their options are on the spicier side. Double hamachi roll: Spicy sauce, but fish was flavorful. Tried both the 7 and 10 piece omakase: The 7 piece was solid enough that I would probably recommend this plus a roll over the 10 piece omakase. Great flavors and portions are very generous. Fish was fresh. FYI, if two people are interested in the 7-piece omakase, it's actually cheaper to order it a-la-carte. Unexpectedly, we did find a bone and a scale in two pieces, which did detract from the experience. They were apologetic and gave us complimentary mochi ice cream dessert. Closed on Tuesday. read more

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My SO and I came here on a Friday for lunch and it was surprisingly empty. That made me a bit worried--where was everyone?? But hey, it's their loss. Because we really enjoyed everything we ordered! The prices and portions were very fair. I really appreciate that they don't sacrifice quality just to offer low prices. Service was fine, but it was clearly not a busy day. Not sure if that's how it always is, but I enjoyed dining in a calm environment. It's our new go-to casual sushi restaurant! read more

A bit of a hole in the wall, location wise. Their parking lot only has 4-5 spots total but wasn't hard to find street parking. Service was fast and friendly. Plenty of open tables, but space inside is small. Sashimi was fresh and tasty. Overall decent local spot for lunch. read more

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solid sushi and izakaya! i agree with the other reviews saying it's a hidden gem. little to no wait most of the time, great service, and good portions for the price. we ordered the agedashi tofu, karaage, and the bluefin lovers roll. the tofu was just okay - it had an interesting flavor that didn't seem quite right (i'd skip this). the karaage was really beautifully crispy and juicy, super savory as well (not spicy at all). the sushi roll was also beautiful - large portions of fish with a great rice to fish ratio! they definitely balance it nicely so that you're getting a good value. not necessarily a standout or anything but good sushi, relaxed ambiance, and no wait. it's kind of a good no-hassle dinner spot read more

Not bad for door dash meal House salad 3/5 Typical house salad. Nothing great about it. Miso soup 3/5 Typical miso. Agedashi tofu 3/5 Nothing exciting Geisha roll 4/5 For almost $20 I got 8 pieces. Sushi was fresh. This roll has no rice in it which is what I wanted. Chicken karaage 3.5/5 Lightly breaded and small pieces for easy eating. Portion was good. Probably better if eaten at the restaurant when it is fresh. read more

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I was looking for a place to meet a friend for lunch on a Thursday at noon in between San Jose and San Francisco and stumbled upon this place on Yelp. The location was very unassuming off of El Camino with a good amount of street parking. When we arrived, there were only a couple other tables occupied. Service was very quick and friendly. Along with our order of a teriyaki salmon bento box and a nigiri omakase, we got complimentary miso soup, edamame, AND mochi ice cream! The restaurant has very simple interior without any frills, but they go above and beyond with service and food was all very tasty! read more

Noma Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Lowkey think i got food poisoning from this place but the portions are sizable. Parking is just street parking, the restaurant itself is almost kind of hidden. The family platter combo is good for ~3 people. read more

Noma Sushi - Family Sushi Combo - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Love this little spot but since it's so small, it can be very busy. Sushi is always delicious. Service is always very friendly. It feels like if they have a lot of to go orders, the pace can slow down. read more

A hidden gem. The food is really good and the staff is friendly. There is a small parking lot outside but plenty of street parking as well. Their specialty rolls are good, but some were falling apart before I could pick them up off the plate they came on but it still tasted good. read more

The sushi is real, it is authentic, you might not like their real wasabi and their home made soy sauce. If you have not been to Japan, then you might not like their real tuna. It is small, but somehow fits so much with 6 tables of 4, 2 tables of 2, and a bar for 7. Two chefs makes it quick and super good! Parking sucks, only 5 spots in a tiny lot, and try coming after 5pm for some street parking. Repeat yes! read more

TLDR: Big portions, fish to rice ratio biggest I've seen. Feeling sushi after a workout? Come here! But other than I believe the perfect bite needs to be more balanced. ~fooOoood~ Hamachi carpaccio: sliced way too big to be a sashimi slice, easily could've been 7 slices instead of 5, usually don't feel the jalapeño but definitely a kick from this one. Bluefin tuna and 49er roll: both good, fish to rice ratio will be the most generous you'll ever see lol. You're getting the best bang for your buck but also feels like fish overload. Amaebi: wasn't as sweet/fresh as I'm use to. read more

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Well done sushi spot. Had the ribs for the first time and they were excellent. Service is always great. Very small hole in the wall. read more

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Such a gem spot. Their sushi portions are big. You really get your moneys worth it here. We had to grab a fast dinner here and they were so nice to push my dishes to make first. We got hamachi sashimi, 2 rolls, sushi rice, and few orders of nigiri. They were so filling that we have to togo some of it. Love this place!! Please follow me if you like my vibe or my IG: eatwithjennime TYSM read more

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There food are amazing, that place its self is so cute. Their service is great.... I will recommend this place to all my friends. read more

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service was fast and amazing! it took like 20 mins to get our food. Not much tables but we went during 5pm and there wasn't much people either. We were served our miso soups right after ordering. Best miso soup ever! Super tasty and flavorful. The nigiri's were amazing to try! The spicy tuna roll was super good, loved how there was a lot of fish. Bluefin lovers roll literally melted in my mouth and also loved how there was not a huge amount of rice. Would come back and recommend! read more

Noma Sushi - Spicy Tuna Roll (top), hirame nigiri (left), salmon sake (right), wagyu (bottom left), walu nigiri (right), Bluefin Lover's (bottom right - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is a small establishment, with decent sushi and subpar service. The server was not friendly. Talking to her made us feel like we were bugging her. The sushi here is pretty decent though. The bluefin lovers was exceptional! The chu toro nigiri portions were huge, definitely worth the money. read more

Hidden gem of a sushi restaurant. Had the Chirachi bowl, grilled asparagus, pork belly skewers, everything was top notch delicious and fresh. As far as the ambience, it is small with only a few tables but doesnt feel cramped. Definitely recommend this place for good quality sushi. read more

I was recommended to come here based on the $4 fresh wasabi and excellent rolls, which I live for. Noma is a bit secluded and definitely in the cracks. But definitely worth a try as every item I've ordered came out delicious and fast. I definitely recommend the bluefin lovers roll if you're a toro fan. It just melts in your mouth. Probably my favorite roll there. Appetizers like carpaccio and fried squid legs (Geso Ashi fry) hit the spot. After trying a lot of their menu over the 4 times I've been here, the quality of the food and fish freshness hasn't faltered and they never fail at service. They were very accommodating and understanding when I invited my party of 10 to come, joining tables to seat us all. Plenty of parking on the streets. Their popularity is definitely rising as it was filled each time after the first visit. Prices may be a bit on the higher side but they aren't steep, and it's bang for your buck. Come check it out! read more

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We strayed from our usual Japanese restaurant and I am so glad we did! We celebrate the New Year in our Japanese Family with Japanese food and soup made by my brother-in-law. We ordered many things such as Teriyaki Unagi (not our favorite) , Salmon Katsu (not my favorite), Salad, Cucumber Salad (not pickled enough) with and without seafood, Seaweed Salad (so good!), Edamame (boring), Nigiri (great), Sushi like California Roll Tamago (incredible and generous portions), and Lamb Chops (very good). They make a homemade wasabi that we really liked that tasted fresh. There was this unique wonton chip topped with spicy tuna that was really interesting and yummy. Highly recommend. read more

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Tried Noma Sushi again, and honestly, I wouldn't go back. The service was fine but not great--our waitress seemed new and needed extra time to write things down. She was nice enough, so no big deal, but overall, the service wasn't spectacular. The food was disappointing. The miso soup was terrible--bland and had an odd bleach-like taste, probably from the bowl. Sushi was just okay; nothing special, just fish. The portion sizes were generous, so at least you get decent chunks of fish, but the quality didn't stand out. The oysters were passable but not particularly fresh or delicate--they had a bit of chew to them. The ambiance is what you'd expect from a small sushi spot, nothing special. When we arrived, they told us to sit at the bar, but we asked if there was a table available. Instead of a clear answer, they just pointed at a table where a man was already sitting... Um, awkward. Pricing was about average to slightly above, which wouldn't be an issue if the food justified it, but it didn't. I've been here before and don't remember it being this bad, but after this visit, I don't see myself coming back. read more

Noma Sushi - Omakase Sashimi $58 - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

This place is a bit hidden, we were seated immediately after arriving on a Thursday evening. It gradually got busier and it seems like it's a popular spot for takeout. I had the beef teriyaki, chicken karaage, and my bf had the 10 piece omakase nigiri. The chicken karaage was a massive portion and delicious. My bf and I both really enjoyed our meals. My beef was a generous portion and my bf said the fish was very high quality. The service here was amazing, the older woman who served us gave us a complimentary mochi after noticing it was my bf's birthday after checking his ID for drinks. She also continuously checked on us and the younger woman who boxed up our leftovers was super sweet as well. I would definitely come back if I was in the area. read more

Scallop Inferno Roll - 2/5: this was a seared scallop roll with spicy tuna, wish it had more cucumber because the texture was on the mushier side, flavors also weren't complementing Bluefin Lovers Roll - 4.5/5: this roll not only had an abundance of toro but also truffle + fresh wasabi so definitely worth the price, it was almost too buttery, would order again with a side of rice (or nori chips but don't think they offer that) Chef's Choice Combo (10 pieces) - 5/5: we were trying to order the omakase set but ordered the combo, which consisted of 5 different pieces of nigiri, all of which were really good (some of the pieces looked chewy/lean but they were all fatty) Salmon Skin Salad - 5/5: large portion of salmon skin that was perfectly fried Only complaint is that their wasabi is lowkey weak so I think it's worth it to pay an extra $4 for fresh wasabi. Overall, amazing value for the quality and quantity of fish! read more

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Small, nondescript, no frills sushi spot in San Mateo where the prices are reasonable and the portions are ample. The chicken karaage, hamachi kama, and shrimp tempura came out hot and flavorful. The sake don had a good amount of salmon And the chutoro sashimi was thick, fatty, and buttery. I also like that they have the teriyaki sauce on the side for the beef teriyaki bento. We had to flag the staff a couple of times to get their attention but they were friendly. There's also plenty of parking space in front. Will go back when in the area. read more

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The weather is warming up and we didn't feel like cooking, so I went to Yelp in search of sushi! Stumbled upon Noma Sushi in San Mateo! It's a nice, modern restaurant and not in the busy part of San Mateo. So you can find street parking with ease. It's more of a neighborhood spot for those who live nearby. Unless you're like me and searched Yelp. I don't think we would have found without Yelp. But glad we did! Here's what we ordered: BEEF TATAKI ~ Tender rare beef for my daughter. She enjoyed this! I tried a piece and it was tasty, soft with good flavor. 5/5 DELUXE SUSHI ~ This was my dish. Pleasantly surprised that the California Roll had real snow crab in it! Fish was fresh and you get a decent amount. Enough to fill me. 5/5 WALU ~ A fish not many restaurants have anymore. Due to its laxative effect, it's been banned in Japan and Italy. It's not dangerous to our health and can be enjoyed in small amounts. There were 5 pieces in this order, so 3 of us shared it. It's unfortunate it's become rare. I enjoyed the walu and its buttery texture and taste! 5/5 FRIED UDON ~ Noodles were a bit more cooked than I would have liked. But they put in a good deal of veggies and meat. 4/5 We should have ordered some sushi rolls too, but reluctantly didn't. Most places make smaller rolls these days. But then we saw our neighbors' rolls! They were looking good! Regretting that we didn't try their rolls the first time! So for sure, we will be back to try their specialty rolls! read more

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