Great sushi place. Have been coming here for years. Excellent quality. Friendly service. Highly recommended.

My bf called me at noon today and told me to meet him downstairs. Since this was the middle of the workday, I was definitely surprised. I hopped into the car and we drove along the Embarcadero in SF until we found parking. We got out, sat on a bench overlooking the water and what does he have for me? Sushi Monster! Lately, I've been really disappointed in the sushi offerings and have pretty much stopped eating sushi altogether, much to the bf's disappointment. However, there is one roll that I absolutely adore and never get to eat cause I'm so far away, and that is the Victoria's Secret roll from Sushi Monster. It's shrimp tempura rolled in rice, topped with salmon and then baked! Then, they top it with this spicy mustard sauce....IT IS TO DIE FOR! And that was the wonderful lunch time surprise from the bf (isn't he sweet)! Give sushi monster a try. When I lived in Belmont, I'd go here all the time. The prices are a little high, considering you can get sushi for super cheap in the city, but it's definitely worth it. They use quality ingredients, the couple that runs this restaurant is so nice and the service is always excellent. read more

Being a student of the local university, I've driven past this place everday for a couple of years now. I finally went in and gave it a shot because of their signage, "Fish and Chips." I'm not a fan of sushi, but many of my friends are, so this would bring a nice variety to have everyone happy. The fish and chips are awesome. They are huge, so the two piece is enough for the average person. It was basically an entire fish that was cut right down the center. The setting was great, with Korean dramas being played on television. The staff was friendly as well, making conversation without it coming off as forced. There's a small parking lot behind it, but your best bet would be to park one block down, on the street, next to the Safeway. Will definitely be here again! read more

Sushi Monster - 2 piece fish and chips - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, California

First customers in the restaurant. Ordered Bento box with salmon, gyoza, Saba, hamachi Kama, fried oysters, and sushi roll. The salmon, Saba, Kama were dry. The fried oysters were good. After receiving our food I never saw the waitress again, even though i wanted to order a beer and another item. Finally the soup was too salty. Oh well, I will not return. read more

Traditional close midday for their break. Soda is canned. Crowded. Customer restrooms. So far I've only had sushi at this location. It's pretty standard in that sense. I have nothing against it. The place is kinda small so when it gets crowded (which I haven't gone in the maybe 5-7 times we've went when it wasn't crowded) it's a bit hard to move around without bumping into each other. The little monster is cute! Definitely attracted me to this location! read more

One of my favorite sushi locations! I have lived in the area for a while and would always pass this place when driving to school. My family and I decided to check it out and we're super impressed. The tempura halibut roll is by far one of my favorite things in the world. The Belmont roll was a bit spicy but super enjoyable. read more

This is the absolute best Sushi restaurant on the peninsula. I love Sushi Monster! Yum, yum, yum!

One of the best sushi place around! My niece and nephew are picky eaters... But as it turns out, they love Sushi Monster... I mean it... They LOVE this place! Their go-to orders are Lion King and Caterpillar roll. My sister's go-to is the Spider Roll. I haven't figured out which ones are my favorite, so I guess I'll have to keep coming back here to try everything You really can't go wrong with this place when the kids request to go to Sushi Monster for dinner. read more

Wow, we are truly appauled at the service we got. My husband and I don't go out often. I'm pregnant and he works a lot. We arrived at Monster Sushi thinking it was a nice spot. We were told to pick a table. We picked one near the window. The shade was down and the ambiance was nice. About halfway into our meal, one of the ladies (the older one), came and put the shade up. I can't tell you how much this ruined the whole experience. My eyes are very sensitive to light and it was just super weird. I asked the other server to put it down again. She did. Then the other lady came and tried to put it back up. I asked her to please leave it down. She said the place needed light. OMG, it was like 8pm. Every table has an individual light. It was not dark. She could have waited until we were done to put it up. We got the rest of our food to-go since we felt we couldn't enjoy it. Restaurants need to know that if you want us to spend money to support your business, then act professional. Don't argue with customers. We spent $136 for a horrible experience. Oh and their good isn't that good. Had way better sushi other places. Do not go here!! read more

If your in town and in the mood for sushi! This is the place to make it happen! Fantastic place! From the moment you walk in you feel welcome. Very nice selection; be sure to check the daily specials. read more

Food was decently fresh, but they seemed terribly unorganized. We called in from San Francisco after running an errand in San Carlos and thought we'd pick up takeout here on the way home. It was Saturday night at 6:20 when we called in our order. I was a little surprised when they said it would take an hour but we decided to try anyway and used the time to go shopping. An hour later, we arrived to pick up the food. They had three sushi makers and about five putting together the orders and they didn't seem to be that busy. I paid the bill and they asked me to wait outside (in the freezing cold). After 20 more minutes and seeing that there were at least five to seven people who came after me and left with food in hand, I went back in to ask them how much longer my food was going to take. They dug underneath at least 10 order slips and said they would be out shortly. They came out about two minutes later with a very light apology. Aside from being very annoyed, the food was good but on the expensive side for what we got. We ordered katsu curry, rainbow roll, BOM roll, jalapeno poppers, ikura, and chirasi. All that food and they gave us two pairs of chopsticks and two napkins:( read more

My Korean isn't as good as it used to be, but I'm pretty sure the guys behind the bar were discussing substitutions to make various rolls, given that they chose to open on Labor Day and had only few fresh choices remaining. The place was busy, as usual, despite the prices, and the service was sharp. They have a big menu of sushi rolls, teriyaki, tempura and a large selection of Japanese dishes. Koreans often do sushi better, but given the unfortunate history, I've never understood why they bother trying to say "welcome" in Japanese while speaking Korean amongst themselves. In any case, the big problem here is the rice, which is hard and not proper sushi rice, and the prices are too high, considering this is neither highly refined nor particularly authentic. But they try hard, and if you're not picky, it's OK. I'd give them another star if they dropped the pretense and bought some of the high quality Japanese rice grown in California. read more

Had lunch here a few weeks back, the food was great! Service was excellent, we were greeted by Allison and Kat served us some delicious sushi!! Thanks for always welcoming us to Sushi Monster!! read more

Sushi Monster - Afoa Insurance loves Sushi Monster! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, California

We had two Chirashi bowls last night as takeout and they were delicious! The fish was really high quality, good portions, all at the right temperature. None of the pieces were even remotely fishy, which can be an issue even with high quality sushi places. Our only complaint on the meal was the high price tag ($24/bowl) and the limited amount of rice included with the meal. Luckily we had made rice at home earlier in the day and could easily supplement the meal with some additional rice. The owner was extremely friendly and obviously cares about her customers. The staff accidentally forgot to give us the miso soup that came with our meal. After we left, the restaurant called us back to see if we could come grab the soup (we didn't even know that the meal came with soup). Since we were already on the freeway at that time, the owner offered to give us a $3 refund on our meal, which was very generous. Overall, would recommend! read more

Sushi Monster - Chirashi Bowls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, California

Best sushi on the peninsula. Kind of an unassuming place. But very friendly staff and excellent fresh sushi with some interesting but not over sauced rolls. Well crafted food. I just wish they didn't have tvs. read more

I just ordered a really nice lunch for us and it was just lovely. The Sushi Monster staff was very kind and sincere. We had combo E (California Roll and salmon!) and chicken-don with egg. Everything was fresh, clean and delicious! Let's do our part and support our local restaurants! read more

Ok Sushi Monster. You're long overdue for a review. My friend in college introduced me to this place over a decade ago and it's amazing. I live in San Mateo and have tried a ton of sushi places there (I mean A LOT. There's so many there) but I drive to Belmont for sushi monster because it's by far the best. First off, they've got Sapporo on tap and you can get a frosty mug of it which pairs perfectly with their food. They have delicious salad and miso soup (salad is super plentiful and fresh) and their assorted tempura is BOMB. I love their mussels but my favorite things are the crazy roll and the firecracker roll. The firecracker roll is an incredible explosion of deep fried spicy tuna with yummy sauces and toppings. THE. FREAKIN. BEST. And their crazy roll? It's their most expensive roll for good reason. It's HUGE and has just about everything you could ever possibly want on a roll. The fish is always fresh and the sauces always flavorful. Besides having the best sushi and great beer, they also have the best waitresses. Each and every one is super sweet, attentive and seems genuinely happy to be serving you. Who doesn't want that? Everyone I bring here loves it just as much as I do. Sushi Monster holds a special place in my heart. It's one of my favorite restaurants and I hope it sticks around for many more years. read more

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Delicious miso soup, BOM, Dancing Ebi and Combination D (beef bulgogi). The salad wasn't that great; just lettuce, carrots, and some kind of dressing (sesame vinaigrette, maybe?). Very worth the reasonable price, and ready within 15 minutes for lunch on Monday! read more

Sushi Monster - Dancing Ebi and BOM - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, California

To be honest, I do not know how this place still exists! How many years now? I believe it is still around because there are only 3 sushi places in this small tow. I went there and the sushi is very messy and the prices are quite high. read more

Sushi Monster, I have missed you! Back in the area for annual visit, had dinner here last night. Same great food and service! In the area on business for a couple of weeks. Found this place on Yelp. Delicious food, very friendly service. We will be back! read more

Always good, but always so busy! Location is on busy Ralston Ave, but there is parking in the back. However, they are always busy, but probably because their sushi is good. Their non-sushi items are also good, kids love their donburi and tempura. If you go, I'd try to go a little earlier so that your wait times won't be too long. Space is small, so parties larger than 6 probably aren't a good idea. read more

Found this restaurant on Yelp, and it did not disappoint! Serves lunch till late and give you monster portions (pun intended). ;-) Fresh sushi, yummy rolls, great lunch specials. No wait! Good place to pop into on a weekend to grab a filling bite to eat. read more

We were there on a Saturday night and there was no line. However, they seems to have a lot of regular customers and is busy. The sushi is very average. The cut of the fish is generous but the rice portion is small. We ordered both nigiri and rolls. I understand that the sushi rice portion is suppose to be small at authentic Japanese restaurant but this is not, so I would expect a bigger portion to fill my stomach. The sushi rice is not tasty and presentation is not consistent. Service is friendly and fast. read more

From our experience, the service was EXTREMELY slow here. We had to keep looking around to track down the waitresses. However, I can say that I'm a fan of the food! We ordered the spicy tuna roll (which was our favorite) in addition to the Monster Crazy Roll (which is definitely NOT worth the price though). I would come back again :) read more

Always reliable. Always good. Always great customer service. It's one of those places where you know you can take out of town guests and they will always have a great meal. Thank you sushi monster. Even on those quiet nights their food is still delicious and fresh. read more

Service is extremely friendly and food comes out fairly fast! read more

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Came here on a Saturday night around 5:00pm. Luckily it was not super busy and we were seated quickly. We got the Lion King and the Rainbow Roll, both were in my opinion somewhat underwhelming. The lion king had baked salmon as well as a slice of jalapeno on each piece. The fish wasn't seasoned at all and was a bit dry, overall did not have much flavor. The jalapenos did not add very much flavor either as the spice was toned down a ton and it did not really compliment the fish at all. The Rainbow Roll was average. It was very small. I was surprised at how little we received and was not sure if the portions were worth around $13 dollars per roll. The flavor was good just a bit too pricey. Also had the assorted tempura, the menu stated we would get 3 shrimps but we only got 2. Not sure if I misread or not. The tempura was battered nicely and had a wide assortment of veggies. Overall, I probably won't be coming back as the prices were quite high and the food itself was just okay. read more

Nice Japanese restaurant in downtown Belmont with ample street parking. I've only come here for lunch and had the lunch special of Salmon cheeks which came with a miso, rice, and salad. The salmon was grilled to perfection and fresh. They also have hamachi cheeks as well but that is more popular so they had already run out by the time we went there for lunch. read more

Really fun little Sushi spot on Ralston. Very inconspicuous. If you blink, you'll miss it. But once you're there, it's a great time. They're one of the few places I've been that has Kawaba, which is an awesome Japanese beer. More expensive than Asahi, Kirin or Sapporo, but you get what you pay for. Sushi Monster always has excellent service. Very attentive. My wife and I have invited friends back to Sushi Monster and we've always had a pleasant experience. I'd say the best part is, apart from the food, the restaurant gets loud because it's such a small place. But that's a good thing, in my opinion. Great for Friday nights. Order a few beers, maybe some warm sake and enjoy a fun dinner with friends or family. When it comes to sushi, I'm still pretty late to the party. Their Lion King rolls, Chicken Karaage and spicy tuna rolls are my repeat preferences. Can't go wrong with that. read more

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Placed was packed for a Valentines dinner, lucky we ordered to-go like a few others, Ordered Monster sushi deluxe the chefs choice nigiri was great huge fish over little bit of rice, really good Cali rolls one of the best ive had, Yaki Soba with meat was really good as a noodle dish to share with the kids and they split the teriyaki salmon for the 2 kids was big enough to share for the family, and even my 6 year old loved the Grand Slam roll! Even eating togo at home the food tasted really good we will be back read more

Always great food and Allison is the nicest! She always remembers me and my husband Chris when we visit and I love coming here. When I'm tired, I just do take out and it's great too. I no longer live nearby, and I miss being a regular here. Great sushi! read more

Only a fan of their sushi items. Very fresh with a nice selection of rolls, they have some unique combinations. Favorites are the Oishi roll and Jeff Walsh roll! read more

I went here in Feb. 14th with my mom and brother and a friend. The wait was a little long only because it was a packed house. We ordered are food and that also took a while but the food was amazing super delicious. Bill was only in the middle bc we got the all you can eat. There hot cocoa was really good to. read more

Ordered two rolls via postmates based on pictures here and reviews. I couldn't even finish my food, it was so bland and not fresh tasting at all. Also the portions in pics look average and like a decent size, but I received a couple small pieces in two separate containers. There are so many other really good places around, this was a solid no for me. read more

Everything is so expensive The sushi taste like sugar Not recommend it for anyone who like Japanese food read more

I've only done take out and they have take out down (especially during COVID-19). Wonderfully fresh sushi, friendly service. Try a fried roll if you need comfort food (e.g. the Golden California Roll OMG). I've had a bento lunch box too...delish teriyaki salmon, gyoza and tempura. read more

Sushi Monster is Korean owned, with Korean sushi chefs, and an Indonesian server when we went there. However, the food isn't bad, and it is very reasonable. I came here for lunch with a friend, and it was a pleasant experience. If you get over the fact it isn't truly Japanese, but close enough for most Americans, then you should have a good meal. For lunch, they had a wide variety of choices, the usual Japanese suspects, and a smattering of Korean style/flavored dishes, most in the $10 or under range, so it is a good value. That is the saving grace of Korean owned Japanese places: what they lack in authenticity, they usually make up in good prices and value. Bring your Korean, Indonesian, and other non-Japanese friends here and they will enjoy it. kam sa ham ni da - ! Terima Kasih! read more

Many trips to Japan, and this restaurant, more than any other I've been to anywhere on the peninsula, most reminds me of the sushi restaurants I've visited in Japan. Could not more highly recommend this place. read more

I double checked to see if I'm grumpy today. Nope. I double-checked my taste buds. Nope. In that case Sushi Monster's food and I just did not gel. I was pretty underwhelmed the minute I walked through the door. The welcome wasn't particularly friendly, the dining room had no character and, worst of all, the smell of deep frying was overwhelming. I just knew I was going to stink of it when I left. The menu didn't scream eat me, the choice was too wide and the combinations too varied to get a feel for what they do best. As it turned out, nothing. From the underwhelming chicken noodle salad through the tasteless miso, all the warning signs were there so it was no surprise when the bul-gogi beef turned out to be moist but flavorless, the beef ribs stringy and dirty-tasting and the shrimp tempura could have been anything in breadcrumbs. My last hope was the sushi. Meh! I've experienced better. Well-made rolls but the flavors of the rice and the filling just weren't there. And, yes, I absolutely reeked of frying when I left! read more

I've come to Sushi Monster on several occasions, the last couple of times with a group of old coworkers. The sushi is Korean, which means along with your typical tuna, salmon, and other fresh fish favorites, you'll also get a few untraditional rolls thrown in for good measure. Some deep fried, others baked. Others slathered in mayo-based dressing dressings. A few of the names are pretty unforgettable. Like the G-spot, climax, or Victoria's Secret rolls. Nice. There's also a healthy selection of Japanese entrees, so if you're more into teriyaki than the seafood, they have you covered. While Sushi Monster isn't my favorite, it isn't bad either. The friendly staff is a definite plus. The only problem is the price--it tends to be a bit steep. I'd recommend trying out a few places in San Mateo before giving Sushi Monster a try. read more