TLDR: Worth your time if you love Asian inspired breakfast joints, like I do. If you've been looking for a reason to go to San Mateo, I'd say it's worth it, particularly since it's downtown. Overall, my first experience and the extensive menu will have me coming back. Ambiance (4/5): * Contemporary, newly renovated, huge dining space with outdoor dining options and what appeared to be a full bar or at least one in the making. * I didn't see any heaters for the outdoor tables. * Spacing of the tables is a bit tight and some of the two person tables looked uncomfortably small. * Location is great, being downtown so you can go for a stroll and a boba after. Service (5/5): * Our server was super friendly, welcoming and attentive. * Who appeared to be a head chef, came over to welcome us and gave our daughter some cut fruit while we waited without us asking. Menu (5/5): * Killed it with the number of Korean/Asian inspired breakfast items and dishes in general. I could come here many times and try something new I'd look forward to. * I didn't order it, but one of the fried chicken dishes and the French toast looked dynamite. Mango Pancakes (5/5): * Lighter and airier than your usual American style pancake. * Mango sauce is plentiful (which I almost never find), flavorful and not too sweet. * Comes with a few nice ripe mango pieces, but wish it came with more. Truffle Cream Oyster Mushrooms (4/5): * Delicious, balanced flavor, not too rich, just right crispy toast * Truffle was MIA. I wished I sensed it, but if they left it off the title, I would have given it a 5. Sunday Chronicle Omelette (3/5): * I'm not a big omelette fan and this one did nothing to change my mind. * It's exactly like every other solid omelette you've had everywhere. * Some kind of unique Asian inspired sauce would be great. read more

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Overall for the ambiance, price point, service, and food I would say 6.7/10. Definitely space for improvement. The ambiance is solid with the interior design and space. Came in on a Saturday waited for about 45 minutes, there was a lot of people in line, but by the time we returned lots of people in front of us had left. When we first arrived I heard the server tell someone the wait would be about 2 hrs. Their Yelp waitlist system wasn't working yet so everything was handwritten with names, party size, and phone number. The price point is high relative for the service and flavor of the food. Our bill was $77.82 for two main entrees and one appetizer with tax, before tip. When we went there we interacted with about four or more of the servers when dining. When Whisper is more established having one or two servers /busboy assigned to each table would make things more seamless. We didn't receive a menu and I noticed quite a few tables also didn't receive a menu for more than 10 minutes. We just looked at the menu on Yelp photos. The food we ordered was pretty average aside from one appetizer. Overall, the flavor was lacking in depth, more sugar and salt would help. I eat relatively clean when it comes to seasoning not heavy, but the food really lacked depth. Triangle Melt $16 - 8.2/10: panko tortilla stuffed with shrimp, cream cheese, egg, melted cheese, sweet & spicy sauce. The flavors really showed up in this dish. Good as is. Nori Pasta $26 - 6.6 /10: nori pasta, bulgogi, egg, green leaf lettuce, daikon radish sprouts, red onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil Really skeptical, felt like there was barely 2.5 oz of beef bulgogi in the dish. The flavor was lacking depth and could use some kind of sauce that melts the ingredients all together. The spicy peppers gave a nice kick, I wish they put more in the dish. I didn't taste the soy sauce or the sesame oil which is interesting since soy sauce is usually pretty salty and the sesame oil was so light I didn't taste the typical strong punch of sesame flavor in Asian cooking. (Portions look bigger in photo than in real life.) Jjampong Pasta $29 - 6.6/ 10: shrimp, squid, black mussels, scallops, spinach, onion, mushroom, green onion, grana padano (cheese) The "soup" more like sauce due to the little amount in the cast iron lacked the depth of when seafood flavor really seeps into the soup. I think the soup needs to be cooked for a longer length of time for the flavors to seep out. The noodles and the soup hadn't marinated together long enough for the flavors to really kick into the noodles more. The seafood was lacking in amount and size, but there's a decent amount of tiny scallops. I wish they put in cabbage, zucchini and not red bell peppers. The cheese was lightly sprinkled I didn't taste or notice it. I only could verify the cheese through my photos. We were full in the general sense having ordered for two adult, but not satiated since the protein portions were severely lacking in size. The main entrees were overpriced due to the small portions of protein relative to the price. It's a nice place to go for a group gathering for vibes, but I wouldn't go there for the flavor of the dishes we tried. It has potential to be better once everything is streamlined and their cooks are more familiarized with cooking the dishes. read more

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Overall, my friends and I had a terrible experience (2.2/5), but when Whisper figures out all of these issues, they'll likely become a brunch staple in San Mateo. To preface, it is their official third day of opening. Understanding that, and it being a Saturday, I reached out to the restaurant on Yelp to make a reservation for 3 at 12PM the night before, which the Owner had agreed. Upon arrival, the employee then tells me they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more because they didn't think the weekend opening would be so busy. They could have told me ahead of time as they had my phone number, but didn't. They were full and had 8 parties already waiting when we arrived, so they offered to seat us outside. I had assumed they had an outside patio since they offered, but it was just two circle tables put together. **I would NOT recommend this unless you don't mind being neglected. After seating, we got our water and immediately ordered. 15 minutes later the worker came out to tell us the order wasn't inputted into their system (they have paper menus, so I assume a mishap happened somewhere inside). We gave them our order again... but received our food at staggering times with one arriving 10 mins later, another 10 mins later, and the last order forgotten again arriving 30 mins after the last one. Given that it's brunch, a staggered food arrival time, is a bad look for any brunch facility. At the very least, they did not charge us for the item that arrived 30-40 mins after the first two, but at that point, we were already ready to leave. Food: 3/5 Standard brunch, creative fusion options, fair pricing, aesthetically plated, good to eat overall. My chicken and waffles were on the dry side, no syrup was provided. Ambience: Can't say. Looked nice inside. Outside was dreadful. Service: 1.5/5 You can tell they're still learning how to service customers. Maybe it's due to the ramp up that they weren't sure what to do. However, didn't check on us after ordering, missed the orders, staggered delivery making it unpleasant for everyone, no water refill, no seasoning. Brunch is busy on Saturdays and on opening but when the other reviews said the service was amazing, I was hoping for something average at minimum. read more

Whisper - Sweet and Salty - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

This place is pretty good. I liked the overall vibes and the spacious interior. The food we got was also pretty tasty. My kimchi carbonara was pretty tasty. The sauce was creamy and the taste of kimchi was there. It made me finish the dish without feeling tired of the flavors. The jampong pasta was unique, it really just tasted like the pasta but not enough spicy flavor. The flavor was pretty light. The quesadillas were pretty solid, im biased because im not the biggest fan of mexican food, it went well with the kimchi sauce from my pasta. The thing that threw me off was the truffle mushroom appetizer. It had such a pungent smell that im sure other people would enjoy, but not for me read more

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I was so excited but the experience wasn't as great as my expectations. The food was ok. Ambience & service were great! Kim hi rice was just ok. The mushroom dish was very tasty. read more

Whisper - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came here on a busy Saturday and added our name to the waitlist, the wait was over an hour long but we just walked around San Mateo until the table was ready. We ordered 2 appetizers, 1 entree and 1 dessert for 2 people, along with 2 drinks. The HIGHLIGHT of our experience here was our server Fina, she was the best and definitely would come back just to see her. Truffle Wagyu Yukkye 3.5/5 The dish was very pretty and flavors were good but I think the sauce was a bit too salty and could have something to balance the flavors a bit more Gochujang Fried Chicken 4/5 3 pieces of fried chicken thigh, very big portion for the price and beautifully plated but the sauce again was a bit strong and overall a little too sweet Kimchi Carbonara 5/5 The pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was creamy with a hint of spice and everything was well balanced. Absolutely would come back for this. Creme Brulee French Toast 5/5 Not too sweet and delicious custard flavor. No complaints here. Our server Fina also explained that they are currently getting their liquor license and will be having alcohol in the coming months so we will be coming back for some mimosas. read more

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First time here- beautiful / clean restaurant. Service is welcoming and the fried chicken and waffle delicious. My son likes his cast iron dish. read more

Whisper - Sweet and salt fried chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came here to celebrate my sister's birthday and love it! They have a wide selection of brunch foods with Asian fusion. Honestly everything we ordered was delicious. We got the kimchi carbonara, the triangle melt, truffle oyster mushrooms, and mango pancake. We also got the yakult americano and ube latte. Can't wait to come back and try more things on the menu! read more

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We finally made it here and we're glad we did! Clean, friendly staff, parking is not so difficult, and Food was YUMMY. We tried the Cast Iron Steak, Chicken with Waffles, and Dakjuk and we enjoyed all of them. You add rockstar service by Blas and it easily becomes a 5 star visit. Come by and check them out. read more

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We came right when they opened for dinner and was seated fairly quick. Nice tall ceilings, open area, and plenty of seatings for groups. Our food came out pretty quick. We enjoyed everything we ordered and it was very flavorful. Good portion size. read more

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The food is really good and tasty. Good service and Jaden is very attentive and helpful. Highly recommend.

We came here for lunch right when it opened, but weren't terribly impressed. The wait was 20+ minutes and it's a surprise that there's still a line. Our party had a range of food. We started with orders of the Gochujang Fried Chicken, Shoyu-Butter Corn Ribs, and Sweet Seasonal Fruit Cream Spread. We had leftovers of all these dishes and no one wanted to box them for home. I ordered the Layered Architecture. Other orders included the Cajun Chicken Salad, Cast Iron Stone Axe, Marrow Coast Cioppino, and Seafood Jjambbong Pasta. We tried to sample all of the main dishes. The overall impression from our party was: Meh. We really wanted to like this place because we've been eagerly awaiting its opening, so we were bummed that it didn't live up to our expectations. Don't get me wrong - nothing was terrible. There was no dish that we thought was awful and would steer people away from. It just... well, it just was okay. Like a solid 3 stars. But with the prices being so high, I feel I need to dock one more star. With all of the 4-5 star reviews I see, I keep wanting to give this place another chance. But no one in our party is interested in doing that, so I either need to be okay risking $$$ all by myself, or saving some money and going to a better, tried-and-true place. read more

I stopped by on a Saturday at 2:30 pm. They close at 3 pm. But still there was a wait, before I got a seat. Seems to be a very popular spot. Creme brulee French toast was an excellent item for breakfast. Sweet and salty chicken croffle was flavorful (but not spicy), especially after having 2 sweet entrees. Matcha pancake was my other entree. I think that was their viral pancake everybody were showing off. That was good as well. read more

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I wouldn't come here again. The food: Avoid the Kimchi Carbonara, it's incredibly over salted. Carbonara is creamy by nature, but they took it to the next level by using it as ramen soup. Their fries were the most disappointing. it shows they just don't give a crap about food. (unevenly cooked, did not toss the fries to balance salt) The service: Terrible service (staff is polite). They brought out our first entree fast (2 minutes), then spent another 25 minutes before serving an inedible carbonara. The meal is almost over, what am I supposed to do, send it back? The ambiance and interior design of this restaurant is great, but that's a hand-me-down from Kenji Lopez. Whisper as a restaurant is just not worth spending a meal with. read more

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Came about 10 am and got seated around 11 am. Dishes came out one at a time but they all tasted really good. Fried chicken and waffle was so good with the consistency of the chicken and seasoning. We also go the gogi Benedict and perfectly cooked. Kimchi carbonara worked actually to our surprise but just a bit on the rich side. Overall good brunch experience! read more

Whisper - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Reservation is a must, otherwise may be a long wait. All things considered, the atmosphere, Korean fusion concept, quality of food and services - definitely worth a visit. read more

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Even though it was extremely busy, the staff at Whisper were very friendly and attentive. They made sure to come check on us multiple times and refill our waters. The restaurant was decorated beautifully and everyone received a rose since it was Valentine's Day. I got the Sweet and Salt, which was a chicken waffle adorned fresh seasonal fruits and sugar powder. The combination of the chicken and waffle worked deliciously together. But, the waffle was soggier than I expected even before I poured the maple syrup. I thought it would be crunchier than that. The fruits were the perfect way to end the meal. I had a wonderful experience at Whisper and would definitely return to try other dishes! read more

Whisper - Sweet and Salt - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

My new fave brunch spot in San Mateo! My husband and I went on a Sunday morning before 10AM-ish, and it didn't look too busy but we still waited about 30 min or so before we got seated (we also had a stroller and the staff was able to accommodate!). I loved the ambiance of the restaurant - very open with great decor pieces, and bustling with guests and servers. Our server was super friendly and attentive, and said she could either take our order or we could order from the QR code on the table. Gochujang Fried Chicken: Great crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. I didn't get that little kick gochujang can have (it erred on the sweeter side), but I still really enjoyed it! Cast Iron Stone Axe: Definitely a must try if you're looking for something savory and well rounded. The potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, meat was tender and well seasoned, and veggies were cooked to perfection. Creme Brûlée French Toast: My husband ordered this and pretty much inhaled it! Safe to say he really liked it ;) As much as we LOVED the food, my only critique would be the drinks! The Ube Latte that my husband ordered was well balanced with ube flavor and coffee (nothing too sweet) but my Strawberry Matcha was a disappointment :( I think they use fresh strawberries which isn't bad, but they almost tasted like they weren't super ripe yet (aka lacked flavor and sweetness) so the entire drink tasted pretty bitter and watered down. I ended up asking for some extra simple syrup but it didn't do much. Maybe I came on an off day for drinks? Overall I'd rate Whisper 4.5, rounded up to 5! I look forward to returning and hope that the drinks will be a lot better than the first time! read more

Mya was the best! She was attentive and provided excellent customer service. The staff refilled our waters when needed. The food was great as well. The carbonara and salt&sweet was our favorite. read more

Curious about the restaurant that took over San Mateo's Wursthall, I couldn't wait to try Whisper, an Asian fusion restaurant with creative, photogenic dishes. However, I'm also not a fan of waiting in line for brunch, so coming in for their new dinner service was a great alternative. Walking in, I was impressed by the modern, garden-like decor, though our seating area looked like it had barely been cleaned from previous guests. Ordering was done efficiently via QR code, but it was hard to get the servers' attention, and the restaurant definitely seemed understaffed. We started with a sweet dish, the Matcha Pancakes, a stack of three green pancakes topped with a light matcha cream mixed with chopped strawberries. The pancakes weren't too sweet, and the cream on top had a nice green tea flavor. This was a decent dish, but things went downhill from there. The Seafood Bibimbap was an iron skillet of rice mixed with gochujang, squid, mussels, scallops, shrimp, and mushrooms, all topped with a fried egg. The bibimbap was a true disappointment, because while the iron skillet was huge, the portion of food was pitifully small, the rice wasn't the least bit crispy, and the dish lacked the assortment of colorful vegetables that define a traditional bibimbap. Finally, the most promising-looking dish was the Taco Sandwich, a buttered piece of Texas toast topped with scrambled eggs, beef bulgogi, sour cream, mascarpone cheese, pico de gallo, and avocado, served with pickled peppers and fries on the side. Upon tasting the dish, however, it turned out that the quality of the ingredients was extremely low--the bulgogi had grissly bits, the pico de gallo wasn't fresh, and the butter, sour cream, and mascarpone made the dish heavy and greasy. While I wanted to like this restaurant, the mediocre food, inattentive service, and waiting time were simply not up to par, especially given the relatively high menu prices. The ambiance and plating were impressive, but those were the only positive features of my visit. read more

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Came here at 5:30PM on a Friday night and was seated right away. Super friendly staff. We got kimchi carbonara, chicken and waffle, Jjampong pasta, and corn. Highly recommend the kimchi carbonara and corn! read more

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I went to Whisper for my birthday brunch. It is crowded for a reason. It was the first time I have tried Asian fusion food and fell in love with it. We tried the mango pancakes and the chicken salad sandwich (Indian sketch) which was perfect. I would recommend more vegetarian friendly options. read more

Whisper is still in their soft opening phase and just introduced dinner service. They currently do not have a liquor license which is sad because they have such a beautiful bar. There are lots of great options on their menu so it's hard to narrow down what to order. I had the seafood jjambong pasta. While the space is lovely, they certainly opted for form over function. The tables were too small for larger parties and the entrees dishes were served in cast iron pans, making it difficult if you want to order lots of food to share and try. read more

Whisper - Seafood jjambong - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Beautifully appointed space, the food was above average but there wasn't really a dish that wow'ed us. Chicken and waffles was 4/5, gochujang chicken was 4/5 and what you would expect from a Korean yangnyum (spicy sauce) chicken. The stone axe was solid 4/5 and it was generously portioned. The corn ribs were good as well 3.5/5. Overall we thought the food was consistently above average and none of it was bad but the flavors didn't really blow us away. However the portion sizes were generous and the menu items were priced fairly for the Bay, so we would definitely come back here to try out more creative options from their expansive menu. Service was a bit confusing at first bc the menu was on a QR code on the table which I guess you can also order from. read more

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Kimchi carbonara, corn ribs, and gochujang were amazing. I want to come here for brunch too but the dinner was just as good. Would come back 10/10 read more

Whisper - Kimchi carbonara, gochujang fried chicken, and corn ribs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

saw this all over social media and decided to try for dinner, but I think people were overhyping. the aesthetics are nice but I feel like the food is just ok, 3.5/5. they are still in their soft opening though so would give it some grace. surprisingly on a Thursday night, it was not busy at all, no reservation required got the - gochujang fried chicken - I liked the gochujang sauce, it was very flavorful, the chicken was crispy and juicy. but definitely eat it right away once served, the juiciness I think made the outer breading feel a bit soggy - kimchi carbonara - expect a very very heavy dish, the carbonara sauce is good but imo overly salty. I did really like the bulgogi in the dish though, it was marinated really well. - sweet & salt - I thought the chicken would come with some sort of sauce or flavor, but it was just lightly salted. They do give a lot of syrup, but only one small croffle at the bottom, so I felt like the composition was a bit strange - cast iron stone axe - it had a generous portion of lightly marinated rib meat, potatoes with a fried outer shell and soft inside, egg with very runny yolk and rice. it was just ok to me, nothing really stood out overall, I think it's pretty comparable to other brunch places but a bit pricier if normal price, they were having 10% off for soft opening though read more

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Thought we would try a new spot for brunch. Had a reservation on Sunday at 9:30 am and were seated upon arrival. The restaurant was not full and had open tables. Cute/typical decor for a brunch spot and for those IG posts. Service 3.5/5, each server seemed to float to all tables. Each server was attentive to our requests and needs. Ambiance 3.5/5, furniture was retro and cute with faux marble tables. Food 2.5-3/5. Pictures have my review on the food. Onto the next new brunch spot! read more

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What a fun restaurant that's just opened up in San Mateo! I was bummed to see Wursthall close last year - but this is a very nice replacement. We ordered the Korean fried chicken and the Gogi Benedict - both were delicious and left us full. Only recommendation is to get on the Yelp waitlist early, as the line can get pretty long! read more

Whisper - Korean Fried Chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We came here on a Friday morning for brunch. Even though there was a waitlist and several people ahead of us, we were pleasantly surprised that we were seated fairly quickly. We ordered the matcha pancakes and the coastal omelette. The pancakes themselves were a bit grainy and dense, but the cream on top was really nice and paired well with them. I appreciated that they weren't overly sweet. For those who prefer sweeter pancakes, they do serve syrup on the side, but personally I didn't feel like I needed it since the cream was just right. The omelette was fluffy with a slight hint of sweetness, which was interesting and enjoyable. The overall ambiance is very Instagram-worthy, with a bright and stylish setup that makes it a nice spot for brunch. Overall, the food was good, though not anything particularly over the top. My husband also mentioned that the menu could maybe be streamlined a bit (just a personal opinion). Still, it's a pleasant place for brunch with a great atmosphere. read more

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Wow this place was amazing! Korean fusion and brunch food? Say less! Sign me up! The food was good here, the place was well decorated. It took over the old German place. Fina our host was so amazing. She was so friendly and treated us just so casually and like friends. It was a great experience and I would definitely come back! It's only soft opening I hear, so hopefully they will expand their menu! read more

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Came here with a friend and was quickly seated through our Yelp reservation. Glad we made one as there was constant traffic during our visit and there was always a line to be seated at the door. We saw the pictures of the matcha pancakes online and planned to order but then saw all the other delicious items on the menu. We were excited to the Kimchi Carbonara but found it to be more meaty than kimchi and the Red Hot Benedict was delicious but was confused about the "croissant" that it was to be housed on. Seemed more like a fluffy bun. Was disappointed in my hojicha latte art compared to my friends matcha latte art since it was also lukewarm and not hot. It seemed like it was left out. There are enough menu items that we want to try to come back. read more

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It is very Instagrammable, but it's definitely more of a hype restaurant. The food is very mediocre, the service is slow, and it is not worth the wait. It feels like a Sweet Maple copycat, but Sweet Maple tastes way better. read more

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Everything was amazing! Delicious food, beautiful presentation, generous portions, and excellent service. The grilled corn and seafood pasta were our favorites. Cozy atmosphere and great drinks too. We'll definitely be back! Highly recommend! read more

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Tried Whisper with friends and every dish catered so well to an Asian taste palate where nothing was overly salty, sweet, or heavy. We got the kimchi carbonara, crème brûlée French toast, nori pasta, layered architecture burger, and the truffle cream oyster mushroom appetizer, which was easily the standout dish. Portions were huge and it's a cute place to have a meal with friends. read more

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My friends and I went to brunch here one weekend and while I thought the place was beautiful, open, and airy, the food was not the best. I tried the bibimbap and it didn't really have Korean flavors or the Korean spice. It didn't taste authentic to me and there was so much rice. I'm not sure if it was just what I ordered, but I didn't care too much for the corn ribs either. The service was good, but they did forgot an order. The drinks and food came out at a reasonable time. I do think there are other places in San Mateo I would prefer going to if I was in the area read more

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It's a good standard. Not worth a 3hr wait. It's like a Sweet Maple. Good brunch spot with a Korean twist but you shouldn't have to reserve a spot at 10am to be seated at 1:40pm. I HIGHLY recommend only making reservations in the morning with the plan to go around noon. I would not try not to walk up. read more

Whisper - Tasty. Fruit is fresh. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Not much of a brunch person but wow the cast iron stone axe! Tried both the truffle cream oyster mushroom and the Tuscan oil dip. They're both very different appetizers but if I had to choose, I'd get the truffle cream again. It was so good, my brunch party was dipping potatoes into the sauce. Seafood jjambbong pasta was very saucy. Thought it was just OK. Was able to sit outside with our dog and service was pretty good. There's a long wait of people for indoors but we had no wait time when we asked to be seated outdoors. Our waiter seemed to have forgotten about us though. It took several attempts to get water and plates to share - even though the entree was already on the table. read more

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3.5 Stars: came here on a Friday for lunch at 1pm and the place was packed, but most of the lunch rush was over by then we were able to be seated in about 10 minutes. We ordered a few dishes to share and while the presentation was on point, the food was just ok. Nothing we ordered stood out as something I'd want to return for. The dukjuk, while comforting, wasn't quite the consistency I was expecting (I would have preferred it to be more soupy and flavor forward with the chicken). The gochujang fried chicken was not cooked through so we had to send it back for a replacement. Nori pasta looked like a winner but tasted just okay. Truffle cream oyster mushroom was good and I actually ended up adding it to the dukjuk to flavor the rice more. Did enjoy the hojicha lattes, which looked like an actual coffee barista had prepared it. Perhaps the brunch dishes might be better? read more

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Great food + ambience + service. Love it Just simply spectacular food was fresh and compelx read more

Came here on a Monday night for dinner (which is currently 10% off right now since they're doing a soft opening for dinner hours!) our food came surprisingly fast and our server, Jayden, treated us super well. We got the cast iron stone axe, seafood jjamppong pasta, and truffle cream oyster mushrooms (that cream sauce was amazing) Will come back for brunch! read more

Whisper - Cast iron stone axe & seafood jjamppong pasta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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