I had such a great experience here! The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, and the…read moretraditional Tatami dining rooms really make it feel like a unique experience compared to your typical sushi restaurant. We ordered the otsumami box, golden hand roll, premium beef katsu, garlic edamame, and the salmon & akami cone, and honestly everything was presented so beautifully. You can tell a lot of thought goes into every dish, and I loved that the menu has a good variety whether you're in the mood for sushi, small plates, or something a little more filling. The atmosphere was incredible. It feels peaceful, intimate, and is the perfect spot for a date night or celebrating something special. The staff was also incredibly kind and welcoming, which made the whole experience even better. I'd definitely recommend checking this place out if you're looking for a Japanese restaurant that's a little different from the usual. I'll definitely be back!

Arrived around 5:45 weekday dinner and had no wait for 2 people. Menu is expansive with lots sushi,…read moreyakitori, noodle and rice options. Service was prompt and restaurant is bright and clean. Kaisen don was expected portion for the price and all the seafood was very fresh. Beef katsu was interactive and you could cook it to your liking on a hot plate and was accompanied by salt and two different sauces as well as salad and rice. Overall great experience and food was good

I love udon and Udon Mugizo definitely hits the spot. Their udon is made in house and is bouncy and…read morehas a nice chew. I came on a warm day and opted for the tempura zaru udon, which is a cold dish. The udon was presented on a bamboo mat (zaru) with ice underneath to keep the udon chilled. Sesame seeds, grated ginger, green onion, nori, and a light dashi were on the side, where you can customize the ratios yourself to make a dipping sauce for the udon. The tempura were very crispy and light, and the meal was overall delicious, reasonably-portioned, beautifully presented, and perfect to enjoy on a warm day. Service was great, friendly and helpful. The San Mateo Udon Mugizo location is spacious, bight, and clean. It's a big difference from the SF Japantown location.

Finally tried Udon Mugizo! We went on a Sunday for dinner and waited about 15-20 minutes before…read morebeing seated. The creamy mentaiko udon seems to be one of their most popular dishes, but we weren't in the mood for a rich, creamy bowl on a hot day. We ended up trying two different udon dishes: Cold Tempura Zaru Udon - Served with plain chilled udon, a small bottle of dipping sauce, and a separate plate of tempura. You pour the dipping sauce over the noodles in the bowl and enjoy it alongside the tempura. It reminded me of eating soba in Japan. I really liked this dish because the simple preparation let the chewy texture of the udon shine. The tempura was lightly battered and crispy without feeling greasy. Tonkotsu Udon Deluxe - Think classic tonkotsu ramen, but with thick, chewy udon instead of thin ramen noodles. The deluxe version came loaded with pork and toppings, making it an incredibly hearty and satisfying bowl. Overall, I really enjoyed the quality of the noodles. If you appreciate chewy, freshly made udon, Udon Mugizo is definitely worth checking out!

I've been here a couple of times now, and I've enjoyed the food every visit. I usually order the…read moreTokusei Ramen, which comes with a light pork broth. The noodles have a great chewy texture. I've also tried the tuna tartare, and while it's good on its own, I don't think it pairs particularly well with ramen, so I usually skip it and stick to the noodles.

In the mood for dipping ramen as I have not had it in a long time, and my partner suggested going…read moreto Taishoken as she felt it was as good or even better than Japan when she went. We were headed toward San Mateo and were able to check in when we were closer, it looked like there were about 7 parties ahead of us so we walked around. About 20 minutes later, we got the message to be seated and walked on back. The place is nice, very intimate, you have the tables right in front of you when you walk and the chefs on the right side behind the counter making the food. No Tv's but I was able to catch FIFA on my phone! We both had the Tsukemen dipping ramen with pork, and damn, was it yummy! Broth was great, the meat was tender, the egg was perfectly cooked, and things mixed extremely well with each bite! I'm also a sucker for Karaage chicken, and the Karaage here did not disappoint, perfectly crisp, tender inside, and the sauce was delightful, washing it down with a cold Sapporo was great after a long day! I'll definitely be coming back to try the other items on their menu, like the duck!

I ordered a custom tray for a large group celebration and we were pleased with the quality and…read morenovelty. The fish were fresh, the rice was seasoned, and the garnishes were interesting. The owner was communicative via text and E-mail. Pick up was from a ghost kitchen. Menu was difficult to find online, but here is the link: https://twodotsco.typeform.com/to/eUm9sISf?typeform-source=linktr.ee The tray was beautifully decorated. At $6.25 per piece of sushi, the price was similar to nice sushi restaurants. I probably would not order from here frequently, but only as a special treat.

The Backhouse was first on my radar two years ago on Valentine's Day when my husband surprised me…read morewith one of their beautifully curated omakase boxes for a cozy night in with sake. Everything was really good and thoughtfully prepared, and it made for such a fun and elevated at-home date night. This past week for my mom's 60th birthday, I decided their party platter would be perfect for celebrating. They were very responsive and easy to coordinate with, which made planning simple. You do have to pick up from a ghost kitchen in San Mateo, but the process was efficient and smooth. The platter itself was beautiful and the quality was just as good as we remembered. Fresh, flavorful, and nicely presented. Definitely a great option for special occasions or when you want something a little elevated at home.

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 is probably my 5th or 6th time at Noma. My experience is mixed but generally good!…read more I've only gotten sushi here and can say the variety of specialty rolls are plenty and the fish is pretty fresh. If you want a bit of everything on your sushi plus tempura crunch, get the Noma roll. That's my go-to. Their scallop inferno is also nice when you want a clean and simple roll. When you have an earlier dinner (like I did this time around; 5:30pm), the service is great with the food coming out in a timely manner. I've come during prime dinner time (7pm) and the wait can be long given how small the restaurant is. And a few times we'd put our order in and it would take a good 20-30 minutes to get anything. Even when we ordered a beer and all they have to do was go to the refrigerator, open the bottle and serve it to us, it wouldn't be done until we ask about it again. A lot of folks call in to reserve tables too so if you know you want to go there, call for a reservation to avoid the wait. They have a small parking lot for like 5-6 cars otherwise there's street parking. Overall, solid sushi spot!

Today was our second time coming here. Arrived around 12:30pm on a weekend and there was a slight…read morewait, but luckily it wasn't too long. The service today was outstanding! They were super attentive, and asked if the modifications for different orders were the same. And when they made a small mistake, they quickly noticed without me even pointing it out, and resolved it. I was very impressed. Skewers are tasty. Note for self: between the beef and the lamb skewers, we actually preferred the beef. Maybe because it's a bit more fatty. Garlic sauce on the eggplant and vermicelli scallop is slightly spicy, but not too bad, probably from the garlic kick. Would come back again! Also it's super kid friendly surprisingly. Lots of high chairs and lots of kids eating there.

First time trying this place for my sister's birthday. I made reservations for a party of 6 about…read moretwo weeks in advance, and I'm glad I did because when we arrived around 7 PM, the restaurant was packed and busy. Just a heads up, they only accept phone reservations for groups of 6 or more. If you have fewer than 6 people, it's walk-in only. Ordering is done through a QR code where you can add items to your cart. I actually liked that multiple people in the party can scan the QR code and add items themselves instead of having one designated person order everything or having separate carts that no one else can see. The only downside is that it can be easy to accidentally over-order if someone adds something you were already planning to get, so I recommend reviewing your cart carefully before submitting. Since this is a skewer restaurant, you probably won't get super full from just ordering skewers, so I recommend getting some main dishes as well if you want to feel satisfied without spending too much on just meat. Service was pretty quick and the skewers came out in a reasonable amount of time. Unfortunately, they were sold out of a few items we wanted to try, which was a little disappointing, but maybe that's a sign I'll have to come back again. Everything we did try was delicious. The skewers were well-seasoned, and they also have extra seasoning available at the table. They allowed us to bring a birthday cake, stored it in their freezer for us, and provided plastic forks and paper plates, which was a nice touch. Our waitress was also very friendly and attentive throughout the meal. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and would consider coming back when I'm in the mood for skewers. I don't think it's somewhere I'd crave all the time, but I have no major complaints. Parking can be a little difficult, but luckily we were able to find public parking at the garage on Flores Street.

Best Japanese food on the peninsula! Fresh and delicious & amazing selection of sake.read more

Super fast service, delicious sushi every time!! Place is small but cute!…read more If you want fresh, delicious sushi, come here!

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.