The musubis are pretty bomb! Tried their unagi+crawfish, salmon+crawfish, & loco moco. The place was busy but it was easy to get in and get out. There's some good hawaii-based treats and snacks there like the Hurricane Popcorn. read more

I will probably give this places 2 more goes, as I feel like this is a place where once you find "your" go-to, nothing can beat it. Continually staying optimistic as while the price was far from super friendly, some items were sold out so I feel like I might be missing out on some of the better items. Items tried: -Unagi Crawfish Musubi (5/5): Yes. Unagi was cooked well and the crawfish is such a nice texture. it was soggy but it was soooo good. -Tuna poke (2/5): fish had some fishiness and minerality, not much in terms of tuna flavor. It was far from the impact I felt when I had a different market from San Jose's Poke. -Tako Poke (3/5): well cooked octopus, lightly sauced but nothing amazing -Flank Steak Musubi (1.5/5): I wasn't a huge fan of the rice to meat ratio, and the steak flavor was covered by the sauce. If you really want to try it, go for it. It was not for me. The seaweed felt bland. -Side of rice: Good cook on the rice. Might be dry for some but it was similar in texture and grain separation to the rice i make at home. Nothing to write home about, it's rice. read more

* SIGH * What happened to the aloha spirit? I'm going to blame TikTok...for inundating staff. Takahashi Market is a San Mateo institution that's been around for over 120 years which says, A LOT! Long before social media, they had already built a loyal customer base. I hadn't been to Takahashi in several years but we popped in for a quick, wallet-friendly lunch while we were in the area. While they have a curated selection of Hawaiian and Japanese specialty groceries, I think the heart of the business is their food counter. M E N U * Poke, musubi (over 12+ varieties), and lunch plates. Brown rice available. F O O D * IMO, their best item: Mochiko Chicken ($10.95) - crispy, golden, and flavorful with a nice savory sweetness. * Their Loco Moco ($10.95) with one marinated beef patty hits the spot when you're craving a comforting meal. But, the gravy is too salty. * They always nail their over easy eggs! The yolk flows out like molten lava. * The "viral" 7 inch log-sized Musubi ($6.96-$14.95) are too rice heavy for me but they make a decent, filling meal on-the-go. They sell out fast so you have to get there at opening time. * Their traditional Poke ($32-$44/lb) with limu and green onions is good quality but pretty expensive. You have to pay extra for 'inamona: roasted, crushed candlenut. -- Love the fresh chunks of buttery salmon but it seems like they changed the accompanying sauce? I'm a spicy food feen but the heat ends up overpowering the salmon. S E R V I C E On my most recent visit, I was disappointed by their customer service. There's one particular person who came across as unfriendly, and my interaction with him felt cold and dismissive. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Prompt food service. A M B I A N C E Hole-in-the-wall with five tables outside. Overall, it's great to see Takahashi Market thriving after all these years and continuing to serve the local community esp those missing a taste of the islands. I know they've always operated with a small staff but with their growing popularity, I hope they're able to get the extra support they need so the aloha spirit doesn't get lost along the way. read more

Takahashi Market - Salmon Poke (8 oz-$18), Mac Salad ($1.95), Loco Moco w/ one patty + one egg ($10.95), Spam & Eggs ($9.95) - 5 outdoor tables - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came here for a light lunch on a Saturday afternoon - it was consistently busy with people coming in/out but we were able to get a table to eat outside. The workers were really friendly and helpful with orders and questions. Gives off a great neighborhood market feel. We picked up a ebi musubi and salmon poke from the back. We wanted a different type of musubi but they were sold out for the day. The musubi we got was delicious though, as well as the poke, so no complaints! It was nice being able to eat it right outside the store. The musubi was nice and warm, and the poke was super fresh. Overall I would definitely come back here if ever in the area! read more

Takahashi Market - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

My favorite place for musubis or a quick casual take out lunch. Takahashi Market has been around for four generations since 1906 and specializes in fresh poke, assorted musubi, and lunch plates for to go or dine in (there are tables in the front). They also sell Hawaiian cookies, groceries, and cooking ingredients. Today, I came right at opening 11 AM and grabbed bacon, spam, egg musubi and loco moco musubis to go. It's $10.95 each but each serving is generous and has 2 pieces. In my opinion, better than the musubis at Osaka Market in Foster City. read more

Takahashi Market - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I have been ordering take-out and catering from Takahashi Market for years. I have been happy with all my orders. Recently, I catered a lunch with 12 people and ordered trays of furikake chicken, salmon teriyaki, edamame-mushroom rice, kalua pork and cabbage, and spam masubi -- everyone was really happy with each dish. In the past, I have also ordered their loco moco and haupia, which are like comfort foods to me. Their pokes are fresh, but I have had higher quality raw fish. I would stick with the cooked items and you will feel like you're eating in Hawaii. Now they have a warming case full of all types of spam masubi. Many people just come in to grab some for an easy lunch, or even to take on a flight. My favorite type is still the basic spam masubi. Staff has always been genuinely friendly and helpful. The market has a mom-n-pop feel, and the food is spectacular. read more

Takahashi Market - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

I tried the fresh Musubi ... based on reading on-line reviews! They did not disappoint! Now l am hooked! Ooops! Good thing l live in Moss Beach and not closer! read more

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Some legit Hawaiian poke and lunch plates at this spot. Ahi poke comes in a good sized container with the sauce on the side (and rice). If you're not into raw fish, I've also had the Furikake Chicken and the salmon musubi which are both solid. They have outdoor seating if you want to eat your food onsite, or you can take it to go. Prices are pretty affordable too for the plates and staff is friendly. Small parking lot in front of the store as well but I've never had a hard time finding parking here since most people are in and out quick. read more

Takahashi Market - Ahi Poke - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've been coming here for a while but today I grabbed a haul of stuff. I bought ... --spam musubi --salmon musubi --ahi tuna poke --salmon poke --seaweed salad --macaroni salad --edamame rice Everything is fresh here. Although the poke can be a little expensive, it's worth it to have a filling, protein-packed meal. You can grab poke and rice and your meal will be $15. The store is small but mighty - they have sweets, fresh food, preserved food, sauces, spices, fruit, drinks, and more. This is my favorite Japanese market. read more

Takahashi Market - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

This market is needed in the city. I make it a point to stop here whenever I'm driving through San Mateo. The staff inside are super friendly every time I venture in. They have a really good, unique selection of musubi burritos. For the price, the quantity and quality really hit the spot. I love the pork and cabbage one and the classic spam egg bacon. They cut it right down the middle, which makes it an easy quick bite now and another for later. They also have poke in the back along with other delicious options. The market has a small takeout kitchen built in, with a menu near the front cashier where you can order. There are a few tables outside and a little parking lot out front. I also tried the loco moco from the kitchen and loved it too. The only thing I'd say is the gravy could use a bit more seasoning, bt the two over easy eggs on top of the patty were great and it came with a good amount of rice. You can pair it with the mac salad from the fridge in the back to complete the combination. read more

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Been more then 12yrs since I been back here but the food and service is still consistent Here is everything sampled and how it all faired Loco moco - 2 beef patties with 2 over easy eggs smothered in gravy with way to much rice. Made fresh when you order which is always a good sign when you have this type of dish, patties are decently proportioned, i think its just way too much rice lol but for the portion you get you, can't really complain, its allot of food lol My son ordered the mochiko chicken he stated perfectly deep fried chicken with perfect seasoning didn't even get to sample he finished it before I could nibble on his usually leftover he left nothing but excess rice lol Wife had the shioyaki salmon delicously seasoned not sweet, portion heavy, cooked all the way through, she would order this again Got a premade spam musubi for my daughter, they make two but package as one long musubi Also sampled the tako poke (octopus), seasoned perfect, not rubbery or stale tasting, even though it was prepackaged it tasted fresh made, definitely ordering this again So many more options offered definitely will come back to sample more Food **** fresh and piping hot Price $$ Service **** Ambiance *** small seating in front, meant to take to go, clean but limited seating read more

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Enjoying a beautiful Sunday with Miki Katsuyama Novitski. Enjoyed an amazing lunch at Takahashi Market "Coceodo". Snacks: Honolulu Cookie Rice Cracker - Fire Hot Lunch: Tuna and Salmon Poke Loco Moco Mochiko Chicken It is such a cute market, just like the ones in Hawaii for the beach bummers. Service was wonderful and fast. A must try. read more

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Small hole in the wall market. If you're a musubi fan, this is your spot. They have a lot of different musubi flavors. They also have plate lunches. The loco moco musubi good idea but missed. Salty and the gravy on side was salty too. The salmon/crawfish musubi is interesting combo. Small parking lot in front of market and outdoor seating available. read more

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Super no frills hawaiian market Dimly lit, if it was very clean, I wouldn't know. Kitchen seemed standard. Also dimly lit and hard to see if there were any messes. Quick and easy lunch, great value for money Lots of different type of musubi to choose from Got the mochiko chicken musubi, out the door for $10 in less than 5 mins read more

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Small market with lots of Hawaiian food and products. Perfect place to get all the stuff you miss from Hawaii

We stopped here after checking out the downtown market nearby. It was a short walk a few blocks away, but they do have a small parking lot and street parking here at Takahashi. They even have some tables out front if you want to eat there! The market is small but packed with lots of things. We ended up selecting their musubi - loco moco and salmon. They aren't cut into traditional size pieces, and more like a burrito! The loco moco musubi was definitely our favorite, and it came with a delicious gravy to dip. The salmon musubi was okay but definitely a lot more dry, and it actually tasted better when we dipped it into the loco moco gravy as well. Great stop if you want to grab some tasty food and drink on the go without going to a traditional fast food spot. read more

Takahashi Market - Inside of spam musubi - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

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If you're in the area, this is a good place for lunch because everything's made fresh and hot. However, the pricing is pretty steep, especially for musubi they have different types (such as spam, eel, shrimp, chicken, etc.) it ranges up to $15. I prefer their rice plates, especially their pork. They also sell other food items and snacks. They have a range of different spam cans. Some seating outside, but it does get packed quickly. They have a small parking lot very limited. There is meter street parking. read more

What an awesome market! Prices are surprisingly affordable in n everything. Tons of musubi options when we arrived just after opening on a Saturday. The staff are super friendly and helpful. We didn't know rice comes with the poke and they even went to get it for us. The standout for me was the loco moco musubi. You HAVE to get it with the gravy, just ask for it at the register. I could eat a whole pile of these until I couldn't walk. The best loco moco gravy I have had since Hawaii. This is going to be on rapid repeat for us. read more

Takahashi Market - Loco moco musubi with gravy - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love coming here for their Hawaiian poke, words honestly can't describe how fresh and delicious it is!! You can find their daily poke selection toward the back of the store. I always go for the hamachi poke, which comes with a chili oil sauce that's so addictive. They also give you free rice, which is such a nice bonus. I'll be honest...they're known for their large-sized musubi but I still haven't tried one... I promise I'll review it next time I'm back For now, I'm usually just here for the fish read more

The market offers a variety of Hawaiian style poke, ready made musubis, and plate lunches. I was fortunate enough to find a good selection of poke available on a Sunday afternoon. I ordered the furikake chicken plate and grabbed hamachi poke. The poke was reasonably priced and comes with the option of white rice or brown rice. The hamachi was buttery, fresh, and the sauce it came with paired really well. The furikake chicken was delicious, crunchy, and had a generous amount of rice. I'm not too fond of aioli, I may ask for the plate without next time. Otherwise, the chicken was juicy and crunchy. There are a few tables at the store front. If you're like myself, I couldn't wait to eat this at home so I sat and ate right away. This was a great experience and I can't wait to trey the other plates. read more

Takahashi Market - Furikake Chicken with egg - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Yelp did it again with introducing me to hidden gems I would otherwise miss. Takahashi Market rests in the outskirts of downtown San Mateo. This humble family owned Hawaiian food and speciality market is such a delight to the greater San Mateo area. I was craving a small snack and thought a spam musubi and a Hawaiian Sun would be the perfect snack. Obviously since I arrived close to 3pm, they had ran out of their popular grab-and-go musubis and several other things on their made to order menu. The friendly staff had suggested the Loco Moco, but after realizing that was also out, offered a quick explanation of the remaining items. I ended up ordering a Furikake Chicken (photo included) which was delicious, made with generous portions, and something I would gladly get again. I opted for one of their coconut water with pulp. While waiting I noticed that most of their items are imported from Hawaii. They also have the cutest t-shirts and tote bags if you're wanting to support this lovely business. I'm so grateful to have discovered Takahashi Market. It's such a friendly establishment with good vibes. read more

Takahashi Market - Furikake Chicken - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

Huge variety of musubis and a selection of snacks, hot plates and poke. One of my favorite food places in the Bay area. A 4 oz side of salmon poke and a musubi log is worth the hour trip for me. I recommend trying all of the different musubi yourself but my personal ranking so far is 1. salmon belly 2. salmon and crawfish 3. mochiko chicken 4. spam and bacon. Salmon belly is more expensive otherwise I was looking at around $10 for a musubi log that easily splits into two. read more

Takahashi Market - Mochiko Chicken musubi - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

Big fan of their salmon belly musubi, and got to try their mochiko chicken loco moco for the furst time. You line up to order the plate lunch items, but the musubis are in the side cases where they are kept hot. They can be a hit or miss in terms flavor as a couple times I found them more salty or dry. Prices have gone up over the years but i think the plate lunches are still pretty reasonable. read more

Takahashi Market - Mochiko Chicken Loco Moco - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

My boyfriend and I got three musubi and the macaroni salad. The musubi are pretty sizable and you could get full from just one but because there are so many great flavors to choose from, it's hard to get only one. We got the unagi, salmon belly, and loco moco. While all of these were delicious, the loco moco stood out. The macaroni salad is on the sweeter side but had great texture and flavor as well. Food: 10/10 I also picked up some furikake and snacks here since the prices are reasonable and the variations they have can't really be found elsewhere easily. The service here is quick and the staff are friendly. This helps with the ambiance and really, this place feels like a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of day to day life. Just being able to sit outside, take a breather, and enjoy good food.. this level of peace is pretty hard to find nowadays. I highly recommend giving this place a visit. read more

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I like that they have food on the go. We got two Musubi's, macaroni salad, nachos and two drinks. Everything was good. The two musubi's we bought were pork musubi and bacon shrimp musubi. The musubis are pretty big. And the kalua pork nachos were yummy but didn't have many chips. I would come back to try the other musubi's. Theres also other plate lunches to try. Poke is on that list too. And the market has other snacks you can pick from. They have some tables outside. You can eat there or take to togo. And a small private lot in front. Kind of reminds me of local shops in Hawaii. I miss my hometown. read more

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The plates were super delicious and so filling. Not pictured we got a spam musubi which my daughter loved. They have a variety of musubi, I would recommend coming when they open, as there were people waiting to go in even before opening time and many people coming in after, specially for their food. read more

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3.75 I've come here quite a few times for the various musubis and have generally liked all the items. I've tried the BAM (bacon and spam), steak, and Portuguese sausage musubis. Out of those I liked the BAM musubi the most. Unfortunately my recent visits have felt like the musubi filling amount has gotten smaller and smaller! read more

Reminds me of a market in Hawaii Market is loaded with Hawaiian/japanese snacks and drinks. Theres fresh poke, rice, musubis, and more! Cons: It is kind of pricey.. this mini salmon Sashimi was $8... and the seaweed $3.33 (reasonable). Pros: - they have their own parking lot (but it's pretty limited on the weekends) Overall, good quick grab! read more

Takahashi Market - Salmon Sashimi + Seaweed Salad - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

Takahashi Market | San Mateo 1. Mochiko chicken with rice 2. Hawaiian sun green tea lychee Takahashi Market is a local, family-owned Japanese and Hawaiian grocery store located in San Mateo that not only sells grocery items but also serves food. They offer Hawaiian-style plate lunches like loco moco, spam musubi, and mochiko chicken. As a chicken lover, I had to try the mochiko chicken with rice and a can of Hawaiian Sun green tea lychee. The chicken was delicious, though I do wish it had been a bit crispier. Otherwise, it was a solid 8 out of 10! read more

Takahashi Market - Mochiko Chicken - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

If you are near San Mateo, this is a great place to pick up lunch. They also have tables outside, so you can eat there while your food is still hot. They have a wide variety of musubi offerings. Last visit, we tried the unagi/crawfish musubi. It was really good. (Musubi is a dish where they take a protein and wrap it with rice and a sheet of seaweed (Nori). Unagi is eel.) We also tried the kalbi musubi, but it wasn't as good. The filling was a little light and the total roll had a dry texture due to the ratio of rice to meat. If you are a spam musubi fan, you can get it here. They have small parking lot and ample street parking. read more

Food is always on point here! Fresh and made with that real LOVE and authenticity. A crawfish unagi Masubi and small poke is my go to here! Made very fresh and the flavors complement each other very well. Never thought I'd love a Masubi that did not have spam in it but here we are! The workers are always nice and make it feel like you're at home with how accommodating and attentive they are! Always will come back here! read more

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Absolutely love this market. I come here often for their musubis and ready-made entrees. Otherwise I think the market's product prices and fresh cold food (i.e. poke) can run a bit expensive. The only musubi I have tried and not enjoyed is their chicken that I felt was quite dry and overcooked compared to the others. read more

Our first time coming to Takahashi Market was completely by chance. We were not planning to stop but happened to pull into the lot. Parking is small and limited, and the place itself is not very fancy on the outside or inside. But what they lack in appearance they more than make up for in the food. This spot truly proves that great food speaks louder than looks. We tried the poke with hamachi and salmon and the price felt like a great value for the quality. They make some fantastic poke. The spicy sauce they use is unique and really well balanced. I normally do not even like salmon poke but this one was honestly delicious. We also picked up fried rice and mac salad and everything we had was on point. They had musubi that we did not get to try this time, but we ended up grabbing some chocolate chip cookies. Those were a surprise hit. Perfectly crispy on the outside, not hard, and just really good. I was honestly impressed. We met the owner and the customer service was great. The person at the register gave us suggestions and every recommendation hit the mark. You can tell they care about what they serve and how they treat people. Overall I left ultra happy with our visit. I will definitely be back to try more because this place showed me that sometimes the most low key spots serve the most memorable food. read more

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This is a great spot on the outskirts of downtown San Mateo! Just a couple blocks away from the main area, it has a very small parking lot which we did get a spot in, but street parking is available as well. There's some great Hawaiian groceries like drinks and shortbread cookies and other snacks and sweets, but we primarily came here for lunch with friends. There are some tables outside for seating, and it was relatively crowded around 2pm on a Sunday, but we did get a table that someone had just vacated. We got the salmon musubi (they were out of unagi by that afternoon sadly), as well as ordered the salmon teriyaki plate lunch and the salmon and hamachi satsuma age at the counter. The salmon was cooked very well and I'd say a large portion size for the price, especially in the Bay Area. We really enjoyed the salmon and hamachi patty, it was very savory also well cooked. The salmon musubi was fine, but the things ordered fresh at the counter were definitely tastier. Would definitely recommend if you're looking for a really affordable lunch, or Hawaiian goodies, in San Mateo! read more

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Love that this is a no nonsense family business. Plate lunches are good, but you can probably make/get most elsewhere for the cost. For true items that you would eat in Hawaii, i would def get their poke and Lau Lau plate lunch. We will def come back for those items, sour green apple gummies and ling hing powder. I can't believe you can't find sour green apple gummies in any candy stores now. Nowhere. and glad they ling hing powder. I know I've asked years ago and the owner told me he wasn't allowed to sell it in the store. Although they have a lot, i would probably park elsewhere and walk. So much to see in downtown SM, too. Just a pain to get in and out of that small lot when it gets busy. read more

Takahashi Market - Mochiko Chicken Loco Moco. A few pieces of chicken. - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California

Japanese Hawaiian grocery spot that also serves big spam musubi, fresh poke, and solid Hawaiian-style rice plates. The service was super friendly and fast. They've got some outdoor seating, but it's also perfect if you just want to grab something and go. I went on the weekend, so most of the musubi were already gone, but the poke was really fresh. My favorite thing by far was the furikake chicken - crispy, crunchy, juicy, and covered in this super tasty sauce. Would definitely go back for that alone! read more

On top of the terrible customer service. The viral musubi's were definitely not as advertised. read more

Absolutely amazing food. It tastes absolutely great. It was super cheap and super quick service. The food came out in like 5 min. I WOULD 1000% RECOMMEND!​ read more

Small little Japanese market that sells Hawaiian food. My typical go to for a delicious salmon belly musubi. I also got the unagi musubi as well, but it was a bit fishy and I wished it was prepared a bit more because it was too gooey for my liking. They alao have a variety of rice items, but the portions and the quality has been lacking. The mochiko chicken looked so little and it was pretty dry this time, the curry did not help. read more

When I found out Takahashi market sold my favorite chi chi dango from Oahu I was so excited! I used to buy their chi chi dango before I'd leave for the mainland. It is more expensive here but it does satisfy the cravings. Hopefully they sell the mochi with fillings in the future! My favorite flavors to buy were the melona and lychee :0 so happy to eat these again! read more

Takahashi Market - Grocery Near Me - San Mateo, California