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

Creative and delicious,felt like I took a trip to Japan we will be back for sure.......read more

This location is so pretty and its so convenient too because it is surrounded by all the other…read morerestaurants and sweet treat options (so you can get dessert afterwards :P) I love how the portions here are huge and you definitely get your money's worth. I would say that nothing beats the udon here whether it be the other non noodle dishes or other restaurants. Udon mugizo udon noodles are thick, chewy and super bouncy.

My go-to udon place!…read more I recently went on a weekday afternoon, around 11:15am and it was relatively empty. It started to get more busy closer to lunch time, as expected. The servers were nice and attentive towards us. Out of the countless times I've gone, I've never had a bad experience with the service! I typically always order the Mentai Cream Sauce Udon, but this time I also ordered the Spicy Garlic Edamame. The udon was delish as usual, with the flavors all mending perfectly without being too heavy. (If you're lactose intolerant I would highly recommend taking a lactaid prior). The edamame on the other hand was just okay. I love me some edamame but this one just felt like they slabbed on some spicy chili sauce on top so the flavor didn't catch as well as I thought it would. Overall just not the flavor profile I had expected for this. Even on busy days it's never too loud, but it's always a good hustle and bustle noise. Definitely recommend for people who haven't tried before!

Been here many many times and each time I've enjoyed the Mazesoba. I've tried the soup ramen and…read morethe dipping ramen which are exceptional too, but nothing beats the Mazesoba. Taishoken does this dish so well, even better than other restaurants where Mazesoba is their specialty. This dish really does not get the attention it deserves here. Today in addition to the Mazesoba we also ordered their fried squid, and wow it delivered! Worth ordering everytime in our future visits! They usually are very busy, but they have online waiting list you can set a time you think you'll arrive and they are very good and efficient with seating and waiting times. Can't say the same for a few other ramen places also in San Mateo. The service here is very consistently excellent too. Parking is hit and miss on the street but around the corner are the garages and that is very reliable. This is a great go to when in San Mateo.

First dipping ramen experience and it was definitely solid! Had the spicy tsukemen and it was…read morepacked with flavor. Noodles taste fresh and are delicious. I loved the spice level and it's a good amount of food. The real star for me though was the chashu don. Omg I could have eaten this as my meal. Also had the takoyaki- would probably skip this next time. Personally too much sauce but the flavors were good.

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 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.

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.

solid food and experience…read more burned my fingers on the handle of a hotplate. it might be to wrap it with something and make it easier to move the hotplate for the scallop dish around the table good curry

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

I go to this place for 3 years The food is fresh and the…read moreservice is great I highly recommend this place

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.