Modest sushi handroll bar, appropriate dining format because sushi handrolls should be made to order and eaten immediately. Good for lunch or light dinner given the simplicity of the menu items - predominantly handrolls. Sushi tacos were tasty - recommended. Chopped fish mixed with complementary mix of sauces, green onion, and mild jalapeño served on a well-battered nori chip. Truffle hamachi carried good balance of flavor. Overall, the handrolls were enjoyable and served one at a time so the nori is still crunchy. On one hand they were simple - protein, rice and maybe one more ingredient in the handroll. I'd be interested to have curated imaginative rolls, but I can appreciate keeping it simple as long as good ingredients. Dined on Tuesday for dinner and no problem getting seated. Best seats are at the bar for best enjoyment of the handrolls, though there are a few tables for lower seating. The stools are backless, so not conducive to a long meal at the bar. This may be considered a relatively pricey meal, but quality sushi should not be a cheap meal. From what I could taste, their fish was well prepared. read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - Hokkaido Scallop - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The handrolls were delicious and decently priced. Apps were great - got their fried calamari and truffles hamachi. However, I would give this place a 3.5/5. We were one of the few tables in the restaurant but it felt like it took a bit of them to get our food delivered. Being a group of 3, we ended up not receiving our orders at the same time and the apps came later than the handrolls. Soy sauce bottles were empty and had to be switched out. Their service didn't quite make a good impression for me. read more

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Nice handroll bar . Simple menu but with many good selection. Their Toro and scallop spectral rolls are good . I like my salmon belly but dislike the soft shell crabs . It has too much batter and I cannot taste any crab . Too oily as well . Clean and organized. They can make you a to go box as well . All the different hand rolls will be individually wrapped . Good place to have a beer and chat with friends . read more

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Not cheap but the fish was super fresh and it was good to try a variety of their appetizers and hand rolls. Enjoyed the Chu toro roll the most but all the others were good also - salmon, salmon belly, tuna, hamachi, avocado cucumber, Ikura salmon roe, and the shrimp tempura and sukiyaki rolls too. Soft shell crab, cold tofu, and calamari were very good. Will be back - very clean and sleek modern design inside. read more

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This place has no line on a Sat night so decided to eat here. They were accommodating. Place is small but clean. The rolls are just okay. Pretty expensive for what you get. I left still hungry...the rice is just regular sushi rice and the seaweed is soggy. The rolls also tend to just lose all its contents as you eat them. Combo C 3.5/5 Scallop was worth it but the other raw ones weren't that good. Unagi and shrimp tempura were my faves of the night just cause of the sauce. Chu toro 3/5 Just ok. Flavoring was not that good and it was diced into cubes which I didn't care for. Spicy tuna 2.5/5 Flavoring again was off and was way too spicy. Cold tofu 3/5 Standard nothing special Gyoza 4/5 These were pretty tasty but the sauce to dip wasn't good (too sweet). Overall it was worth trying once but I'll have to wait until I'm back in LA for hand roll bars. read more

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We went the night before Valentine's Day, and thank goodness my boyfriend booked in advance they were only accepting reservations that night, which was totally understandable for Valentine's weekend. The place is small with an intimate vibe. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, which always adds to a great overall experience. We started with salmon and hamachi sashimi, and both were incredibly fresh and creamy. Then we had the takoyaki, an absolute must-try. We were seriously considering ordering another round lol For hand rolls, we ordered: * O'Toro * Soft Shell Crab * Wagyu Beef * Salmon Belly * Uni Every single hand roll was perfect!! Everything tasted fresh and absolutely delicious. We also got two orders of oyster half shells (three per order, so we had three each. We love oysters OK). We ordered the oyster and uni shots as well, and they were so good! I must say this isn't a place you go to when you're super hungry, because you'll want to order everything and it can get pricey. Our total bill for two was over $300. Was it worth it? Absolutely. But we'll probably need to wait a while before going back HAHA read more

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First time going to Taki Nori HandRoll Bar! I went on a Saturday afternoon. I was able to get set B, which came with 4 rolls. I think the set is about $2 cheaper than getting the same rolls individually. You're given a menu and dry erase marker to fill out. The rolls came out fast and were great! Staff was friendly. The inside is clean. Will be back! read more

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You can order hand rolls one by one here, which is great if you want to try a variety. Everything was very fresh and delicious, though it is on the pricier side. Their Taki special was my favorite -- This hand roll filled generously with thick cuts of fatty toro (tuna), uni, and caviar, and sprinkled with golden leaf. The textures balance beautifully. Iwas amazing and priced at $25. Overall, great food and great service. I would absolutely come back next time I'm craving something light and high-quality Japanese food. read more

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We came on Friday night before 6pm and sat at the bar. I wish the bar stool had some sort of back support for people with back issues like myself. They deliver the hand roll one at a time. I learned from a prior visit that you cannot let the hand roll sit for more than a minute otherwise, the roll will get soggy and it will be hard to chew. I enjoyed the shrimp tempura special, salmon and sushi tacos. The servers were attentive. read more

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Big fan of this spot! Loved the bar layout and the servers were really nice. We only ordered a few apps for a snack but they were outstanding. The tempura was unlike your usual tempora, it was super crispy and had a great taste. The sushi tacos were so crunch and yummy. Didn't even get hand rolls so I'm excited to go back! read more

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Stopped by for a quick dinner before a movie with my two kids after our original plan fell through since that place was closed on January 2nd. We joined the waitlist and were number one, but when we arrived the restaurant was completely empty. We sat at the counter and ordered Combo C, five hand rolls for $35. The ingredients were fresh and watching the chef make the rolls one by one was fine. No conversation, no show, which I did not mind. The hand rolls were good but nothing memorable. Definitely not wow. For the price, they were not worth it at all. Seven dollars per hand roll is a stretch, and these were just okay. I had high expectations for the scallop hand roll after reading other reviews, but it was disappointing. It looked great but tasted meh. The only one that stood out slightly was the salmon belly. We also ordered chicken karaage, which tasted like heavily breaded popcorn chicken from a bubble tea shop. Too much breading and not something I would order again. With tax and tip, the bill came out to $180 for three people. For that price, this was a one time visit for us. read more

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Good spot for hand rolls in San Mateo. Went right at opening and got seated immediately. Got the O - Toro / Fatty Tuna, shrimp tempura, scallop, unagi rolls along with the miso soup. I sat right at the bar and so I could see the rolls being made. Service was great and so was the ambiance. read more

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Food was great! Very cute spot! I got the salmon and roe box. With an appetizer(not pictured) of truffle hamachi. read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - Salmon and roe box - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Clean, affordable, and yummy. This place was empty other than one other table on a Tuesday night. It seems like they have a lot of takeout orders. Crispy chicken was great - not dry at all and good flavor. The rolls had a healthy portion of fish and came out at a good pace! read more

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First time visiting this spot, which focuses mainly on sushi hand rolls. The décor is pretty nice, and most of the seating is sushi-bar style, which makes it fun to watch the chefs at work. Menu selection is a bit limited--there aren't too many rolls to choose from. I tried six different rolls. The Ama Ebi (raw shrimp) was fresh and tasty, but it didn't come with the deep-fried shrimp head. For $15, I was expecting that, so it felt a little pricey. The soft-shell crab roll was solid, though honestly the soft-shell crab appetizer is the better deal since it comes with the whole crab. Overall, the fish was fresh, the atmosphere was good, and it's definitely a place I'd come back to revisit. read more

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I love a good handroll place and this one didn't disappoint. Great service and fresh ingredients! I don't recall which set I got but I enjoyed every handroll and the fish was so fresh, melt in your mouth type. We also enjoyed some sake. Id recommend going early since it isn't a very big restaurant. It was quite busy by the time we left on a Friday evening. I will definitely be back! read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We got about 9 different hand rolls! Definitely enjoyed the Uni, O-toro, and Yuzu Toro the most. Service was pretty steady. Our rolls came out in batches of 2-3 at a time so there was a little bit of wait time in between. If you order a lot, I would be prepared to stay a little longer. It is a great place if you are craving hand rolls!! Protip- if there aren't reservations online, you can definitely walk in. We weren't able to find any online and upon arrival we were seated almost instantly. read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - O O - Toro Roll (left) Yuzu Toro Roll (Right) - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love this spot for lunch! With cozy bar seating and an open kitchen, they serve each hand roll one at a time, paced to match how you eat. As a slow eater, I really appreciate never feeling rushed. It's honestly like dinner and a show watching everything come together right in front of you. Serving the rolls one by one also keeps the seaweed perfectly crispy for every bite... and let's be real, there's nothing worse than soggy seaweed! I recommend Set C: it's my tried and true. Just the right amount for lunch with a great variety of fillings. My favorites were the salmon belly and the scallop. Both were sweet, rich, and honestly had me considering ordering seconds. Next time I come back, I'm definitely thinking about trying the uni hand roll. They're pretty generous with the uni! One small note: since the kitchen is open, it was a little awkward at one point to quietly witness the chefs disagreeing on portion size. It didn't ruin the experience, but it might be something better taken to the back so guests can keep enjoying the show. read more

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3.7 stars the portions were generous, and seaweed remained crispy for the most part, which is a plus for me! the fish was fresh and the meal was overall solid. appetizers could use some work, especially the nori tacos - it was basically veggie salad on top of crispy seaweed. personally, the meal was on the expensive side for handrolls. read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - Snow Crab, scallop, Yuzu Toro - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Cozy spot for hand rolls. I definitely prefer sitting at the bar because it feels more fun and they usually have sports in the TVs. I like the B and C combos, depending on how hungry you are. Come try everything! read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

We did a last minute reservation on a Monday night and there wasn't any wait. We were seated at the counter with 4 ppl as the few tables were occupied. Bar seating is probably most ideal for the food since they deliver immediately. I tried several rolls, salmon belly, soft shell crab, chutoro, unagi, and hamachi and loved them all. They ran out of cucumber and gave us avocado instead for all of them which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you're looking for a quick eat of reasonable quality, this place hits the spot. read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - Soft shell crab roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This is my third or fourth time to Taki Nori, San Mateo's sleek spot focused on hand rolls. My kids were a bit too young until recently to sit at the bar stools, and there are only two regular-height tables. This review is about our most recent visit (earlier this evening in fact). The experience here is built around the bar format, where rolls come one at a time so the nori stays crisp. It works: the shrimp tempura hand roll was straightforward but done right, with hot shrimp against warm rice and crunchy seaweed. The salmon belly roll was fresh and balanced with avocado and crunchy garlic. From there we leaned into the premium side. The Hokkaido scallop hand roll was a favorite: silky, sweet, and topped with tobiko for some pop. Ama ebi came open-faced with caviar, clean and delicate. The A5 wagyu roll was buttery and indulgent, seared just enough to melt into the rice. (They even show the wagyu certification, which adds confidence you're getting the real thing.) The showpiece was the Taki Special: chopped toro piled high, crowned with uni, caviar, and even a dusting of gold. It's dramatic and indulgent, the kind of signature roll that makes the Ultimate Combo worth splurging on at least once. Other bites helped round things out: gyoza with a crisp, hearty shell and spicy dipping sauce; sushi tacos that were fun and crunchy, though heavier and more fusion-style; and an uni shooter that was bold and briny, more of a one-time adventure than a repeat order. Even the salmon sashimi, while basic, had a thoughtful touch with a dab of pickled wasabi on top. Service was steady: the three of us took turns receiving our rolls one at a time at a comfortable pace. The bar seating gave a good view of the action. The space has a pretty casual energy, seems very conducive to pop in for a quick bite. Prices climb quickly once you start ordering wagyu, scallop, and uni. Me and my two kids pretty easily hit $300 (before tax & tip) and still had room for dessert afterward ... but the quality was there, and the premium rolls felt like they justified their price point. Overall, this is a nice change of pace for downtown San Mateo. Not your everyday sushi night, but if you want to see how far hand rolls can be taken - from simple salmon to wagyu and uni topped with gold - Taki Nori delivers. read more

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This place has amazing hand rolls! First, great location and it's set up like a bar just like an omakase restaurant which helps with the atmosphere. I liked the sake backdrop. I thought it was a bit on the pricey end, however the hand rolls were delicious. I got the combo C and it did not disappoint. That comprised of 4 rolls: 1) Scallop 2) Amaebi 3) Wagyu and 4) Uni with Tuna for $65, however I was plenty full. The Amaebi, Wagyu and Uni rolls are topped with caviar and the Uni roll is painted with gold sauce. Absolute perfection. Will be back! read more

Food is perfect everything you ask for love going here. One thing to not it is a little expensive

It was the only one of the few decent sushi place opened at 2pm. Love the bar table and vibe inside the hand roll bar. The seaweed was good. Sushi really fresh, especially love the sweet shrimp hand roll. It's one of the best sweet shrimp I've eaten in the Bay Area, although I was a bit disappointed it didn't come with the head fried. Sushi came pretty quick since there wasn't many people at the time. Love the soft shell crab appetizer as well. read more

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Wanted to finally check this place out and strolled in with no wait on a football sunday and was seated at the bar and our order was placed relatively quickly as you just mark what you want on a erasable menu. Had various types of rolls (spicy salmon/ shrimp tempura/ soft shell crab/fatty tuna) and all were decent with the exception of the soft shell crab which uneventful but surprised that they did not warm up the sheet of nori as other hand roll places normally do which is a nice touch for the crunch so nothing special about this place and surprised to see the pricing on the scallop rolls which was unusually higher than other places. Just watch for the menu that it is completed unmarked before submitting as a chicken karaage was marked from a previous customer but even though it was in error and the hostess was going to cancel I still devoured it. Overall service is quick and the atmosphere but I have had better hand rolls elsewhere. read more

Came here on a friday night with a friend with no reservation around 6pm and was seated immediately! Lucky! We ordered Combo B and sides of hamachi sashimi. The fish was all great. The sukiyaki beef was also pretty good but not something I would order next time because I'd prefer to stick to fish. The snow crab handroll was too mayo-y though. I had to add lots of wasabi to help balance it out. Overall good and would come back! I think next time I would pick my handrolls individually and maybe try some of the special ones read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - Hamachi sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

We came here on a Saturday afternoon for my birthday lunch, and it wasn't crowded at all. We sat at the bar and got to watch the chef make all the handrolls right in front of us! The vibe is cute and fancy casual, and all the rolls were so good. We shared Combo C and the Ultimate Combo, and the presentation was on point, especially the Ultimate Combo. They replaced the lobster with tuna tartare, which I didn't mind at all. The Wagyu was delicious, and the final Taki Special was the cherry on top! tuna, uni, caviar, and gold flakes, wow! Everything was amazing, and we had a great experience. Definitely coming back! read more

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Located in downtown San Mateo - you'll have to find street or nearby garage parking. We had a reservation and they seated us right away. The interior is pretty small, with mostly bar seating and maybe a handful of tables. It's a small cozy setting and pretty quiet. Only one bathroom for entire place. Service was friendly but minimal interaction. When you sit at the bar, you can see them make the rolls, and they place them right in front of you. The food comes out one by one pretty quickly. We were bummed that they were out of the sushi tacos because we were looking forward to trying it. Everything else was available. We didn't come that close to their closing time, and it was a Saturday night, so it was odd that they ran out of one of their seemingly most popular appetizers. We tried the spicy edamame, truffle hamachi, combo C, soft shell crab roll, and yuzu toro roll. Truffle hamachi was great - I loved the flavors of everything put together, and the jalapeño gave a nice kick. The soft shell crab was one of my favorites - simple but you can taste the quality of the crab. Honestly the shrimp tempura was one of my favorites. The tempura was freshly made and lightly crisped and tender on the inside. We thought the yuzu toro was okay - while the toro was good, it was pretty thin and the yuzu flavor was very subtle - I don't think it was worth the extra $$. The scallop was very fresh and yummy, but there was a strong wasabi flavor with each bite - perhaps with the rice? Definitely on the pricier end given the portions, but overall good quality. Hopefully they adjust portions on the sushi tacos so they don't run out easily again! read more

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Cool experience sitting at a sushi bar-centric place. They have 14 seats and one table for two, and another for four. I came in for dinner with the bestie & her bf. Mark which items you want on the laminated menu. I ordered Combo A for $15: 3 set hand rolls consisting of shrimp tempura + cucumber, sake salmon, and spicy tuna. Man that tuna packs a punch! Much spicier than I've ever had. The shrimp had a sweet unagi sauce that I wasn't expecting. Hot and tasty though. Salmon was fresh but I had to dip it in wasabi-soy mix for flavor. I also ordered the three piece gyoza and fried calamari rings. Great apps! It was an interesting experience eating at the bar. Sushi chefs rolled the hand rolls in front of us and placed them on the parchment paper covered stone plate once done. Food was prepared in a timely manner so it was a quick dinner. Make a reservation for prime time dining. The place filled up after 6pm on a Saturday. read more

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One of my go-tos. Very chill vibes and quiet. Love that the rolls are made to order in front of you. Service is always lovely and they always make sure to wipe and clean as needed. The sushi is always fresh and taste delicious. They changed the menu recently but I still love all the different options! Please note if you dont enjoy raw seafood and only prefer baked or cali rolls I would recommend you skip this spot. This is pretty traditional focusing on just ingredients over fusion read more

Stopped by at 5pm on a weekday and it was basically empty, which was great because we grabbed 2 seats at the bar.Eating at the bar is always more fun because you can see the handrolls being made and they serve you one by one so the seaweed doesn't get soggy. They have a good selection of fish but the standouts for us were: chu-toro and salmon belly! It was a little tough to get the server's attention to get the menu back to order more rolls and they never came to refill water... but the sushi was made very quickly. Parking can be a little tough in downtown San Mateo but if you park a little further away and walk, you'll find spots. read more

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We came by because sushi Sam was fully booked. This place is very small with bar seating and just 2 tables. Ordering is easy, you mark your order on the menu. We ordered one of the combos that provides 4 handrolls and a few others hand rolls. They serve it on a plate in front of you , traditional Japanese style. The Waygu beef roll was amazing.., slightly seared to get that aroma . Spicy tuna was also quite good. The blue crab was good but a little too much mayo. Overall a bit pricy for a casual place but good experience. read more

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Weeknight dinner. No wait. Mostly bar seating. We sat at a table for 2 by the door which was perfect for us to catch up. I got combo 3 and added a roll. I was satisfied but I could have eaten more. Not a budget dinner but I enjoyed everything we ordered. Parking can be challenging if it's a date night. read more

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Solid 3 stars. I love hand roll experiences and this covers that, but just quality and space is lacking just a bit compared to Kazunori or ROL in So Cal. You sit at a bar and they bring the hand rolls out to you. The place is quiet so you don't need to yell. Things that could be better, but are fine: - There's only one restroom for everyone and while you're back there you'll notice some places that could be cleaned better. - The fish is served a bit colder and not as fresh, but not bad! Ginger and wasabi also mid. The pieces also didn't let me taste the fish as much, some flavors were stronger and didn't complement. - Soy sauce containers were messy and sauce residue on sides/table. - One person was seemingly dedicated to service walking around but failed to notice the water needed to be refilled for some time. All that being said, it was good/fine. My favorite items I had were the Shrimp Cucumber and Hamachi respectively. The tempura was pretty freshly fried. Everything else I tried was okay due to quality and/or sauce/garnish over powered the meat. read more

I went here for a date night recently and thoroughly enjoyed the hand rolls. The hand rolls were very flavorful and tasted very fresh. When we entered, the server helped us immediately and helped guide us through how to order. It was also cool to see the staff prepare the rolls in front of us! The only thing I wish is that the portions were a little bigger because I eat so much, but I loved the place. read more

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If you're looking for a quick, light dinner then Taki Nori is the place for you. May be good for a solo dinner. The space is pretty small and they don't have many tables, so be prepared to get a seat the bar or wait a while. The service is nice and fairly quick depending on how busy they are. The bathroom is decently clean and gender neutral. The sushi tacos were the best part. We almost ordered a second round, but waited until all the food was there. The crunchiness of the base is very appealing. The flavor of the fish, in this case salmon, with the jalapeño and sweetness of the sauce was great! Totally recommend. The quality of fish for the hand rolls was very fresh. The veggies used like the avocado and cucumber were refreshing. The fattiness of the o'toro and salmon belly was perfect. It wasn't too overwhelming. The rice used in the hand roll was cooked and seasoned well. Pricing is pretty fair. Glad we decided to walk in for dinner on a Sunday night. Will definitely come again. Recommend for a more intimate setting rather than for a noisy group hangout. read more

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TLDR: Good sushi, smallish portions, slightly spotty service Seating is predominantly along the long bar counter on hard wooden stools. There are also two smallish tables up next to the front window that can accommodate 2 or 4 persons each. There are Big tv screens on the backside of the bar playing whichever sports game is on. Flag down the waiter, get handed a menu and a grease pen where you write in how many of each item you want. Hand it back to the waiter, and.. Watch them assemble hand rolls as you eat. It's kind of a semi-organized chaos in the prep area. Dishes seem to come out in random order. I was hoping that my Yuzu Taro would come out after my standard tuna roll, so for next time, I'll ask for my desired sequence to the waiter. The hand rolls here are cylindrical and significantly smaller when compared to the big conical hand rolls like one would get in a traditional Japanese restaurant. For example, the Tempura Shrimp Hand Roll itself is a bit small, but I suppose that matches the size of the other hand rolls you get here. That said, the sushi rice is perfect - room temperature soft and on point. The fish is delightful. The Nori is as it should be - taut and crispy crunchy as you bite into each roll. Yuzu Taro vs. Standard Tuna Hand Rolls: The Yuzu Toro looked and sounded awesome but in the end. It didn't seem worth it. You do get a wide slice of fatty tuna that was a bit thin for the $. The yuzu was very subtle - not really that detectable. If I had to do it again, ordering three standard tuna rolls for the same money would have been better for me. As if to make up for it, I still ordered an extra tuna hand roll to get back on track. The tuna in the standard tuna roll is cut into strips that allow your roll to be savored in small bites as opposed to one big chunk because the tuna sometimes doesn't divide easily. Soft Shell Crab Small Plate: A bargain at $9! Big and thick, lots of batter but also a good sized crab to begin with. Salmon Sashimi you get three big fresh pieces - Yum! Worth it! The sushi chefs here aren't conversationalists as they are heads-down focused on their craft. Flag them down if they missed anything.. The one waiter for the entire restaurant was a little hard to track down as he was running to and fro behind you, due to the fact that this is bar seating. They DO try hard here.. In the end, they all yelled out. "Thank you" as we left, so that's a nice touch! read more

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I ordered the combo c which came with shrimp tempura, hamachi, unagi, salmon belly, and scallop for 35$ and also the sushi tacos! the quality of everything was so good. my boyfriend got the shrimp tempura with snow crab and i think that was definitely in my top three as well alongside the unagi and scallop! the hot green tea was also good! the service was good i love sitting at the bar and seeing them roll it in front of you read more

Taki Nori HandRoll Bar - scallop - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

The hand rolls were fine but did not wow us. It took a while for the food to come out and the separate orders came out as they were ready, so we ended up waiting for most of the order so our whole party could eat together. Only two tables for larger groups (one for 4 and one for 2) and the rest of the seating was at the bar. The rolls are small so I wouldn't expect to eat a large meal here. People were nice and service was otherwise fine. read more

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