I went here for a quick meal to take home for dinner, and it did not disappoint…read more I wanted something to eat on the road so I ordered their pork tonkatsu sandwich. I loved it! It was thick piece of tonkatsu and the bun was soft, the katsu sauce added a little bit of sweetness which was nice. Definitely would get more katsu sauce on the side or add some kind of hot sauce to take it to the next level. Either way, this is something I'd eat all the time. Very satisfying! I also got the beef teriyaki bento box and I was shocked by the amount of meat they give you. Most places skimp, but they provide a great amount, which could probably be split into two smaller meals. The salad was good with the sesame dressing, the mac salad didn't have much flavor though. While it could use a bit more seasoning, a little salt added at home did the trick. Either way, a solid meal for under $16. Overall, really solid meal at great prices. No frills. Would definitely return if I'm in the area and in need of a quick and tasty meal.

Got the letter K meal, BBQ chicken. Chicken was ok, good portion but a little rubbery. Mac was…read moregood. Side veggies were ok, too much sauce though. Miso was good but got salty. Service is kind and efficient. Place is small, no seating but there's a park nearby.

We had a wonderful experience at this Japanese restaurant! The food was delicious, fresh, and…read morebeautifully prepared. The portions were generous, and the quantity of the meals was excellent! The service was also outstanding--friendly, attentive, and welcoming from start to finish. Highly recommended this casual setting restaurant in San Mateo. We will definitely be coming back.

Best Japanese food in San Mateo! Everything is quality food, from the sushi, sashimi, and both…read moreteriyaki beef and chicken are awesome! Service was superb and very attentive! Our go to Japanese food in San Mateo

Decent Teishoku (dinner set) place. As with everything in the Bay, overpriced. Came because of…read moreline at CF. You order everything - even water and tea! From an iPad and a robot delivers most things - so you basically never interact with waitstaff. Which is a very Japanese thing. It's a bit annoying for me. The food is great though. I got the Chicken Toji set and the chicken broth with the egg was fantastic. Really tasty and I just Love the soft egg thing. The chicken was very tasty too. Love the onions. A bit like oyako but still distinct. Decent miso soup as well. You can also upgrade various bits and I upgraded my rice to have salmon Aburi. However this set me back $33 plus tax and tip - probably almost Cad$50 and in Canada I'm sorry I can eat way way better.

I'm really disappointed; this kind of experience makes me lose faith in eating out. I was so angry…read moreabout my broth, and I even laughed, thinking I never expected to miss the airport ramen I had the day before! My spicy tonkatsu ramen: Ramen was flavorless, mixing in the hot sauce didn't save it. It had one slice of pork, pork looked tender but was tough and hard to chew, tasted like it was just boiled cook in hot water. Didn't even want to and didn't end up eating the slice after first bite. The noodles were acceptable and tasted right though. My matcha latte: I didnt have high expectations but it tasted like empty calories and powdered matcha. I wanted to give 2 stars for the fast food arrival, but we were brought to our table with a tablet (without explanation) and had to figure out we were to order on it. In addition wasn't offered water until I got up and asked a waiter and a robot delivered our water. That's when we first started questioning this restaurant. My friend's omaze don salmon bowl with nato and okra was slimy, nasty, and tasted funky. I tasted and seconded her opinion. I don't understand the 3.5 star reviews. I'd rather gone to quickly's fully knowing artificial was what I was getting. Maybe I should've cooked today. The glossy menu, which had promised such variety and quality, made the disappointment even worse.

Been a long while since my last visit to Kobeya but it was the first place I thought of when I was…read morecraving curry. Arrived at around noon on Friday and it was pretty busy but I was able to grab a table. Place order at register and then they bring the order to the table. Placed an order for tonkatsu curry rice ($17). Only 2 people working and there were a few orders placed before me so it took a while for my order to arrive. Tonkatsu was crispy and the curry was good. There was a small scoop of a sweet potato mash (?) which I wouldve liked a bigger scoop of. Satisfied that craving.

First impression cool small place going to be good. Got menus first I see is taped on paper for…read morewhat was not available... that must be the popular item.. cool. Then I see a note on the bottom that said 25% gratuity for 6 or more people... ok.. must be great service... waiting to get our order taken.... Waiter comes over about 10 minutes and says "when you're ready to order come to the cashier"... ordered paid and a tip option was prompted... I'm a tipper for good service... not up front... order given but not followed got stuff I requested not to get do to dietary restrictions. Had to get our own drinks but, had to ask half way through the meal where they were before told get your own....service needs a lot of work if the model is not a full dining experience with table side service as the prices are table side prices... Food was decent, the rest of the experience was less than.. maybe there are just new... I'll wait to go back..

Watch it sizzle! Sizzling Lunch absolutely lives up to its name. If you're craving the interactive…read moreexperience of Korean BBQ or a DIY grilling restaurant without the full commitment, this is a great alternative. Your meal arrives on a blazing hot cast iron platter (teppan) loaded with your ingredients, and you get to mix everything together while it continues cooking right at the table. If you order one of the cheese dishes, it's fun watching the cheese melt into everything. The real highlight, though, is the crispy rice that forms at the bottom of the skillet where it adds the perfect crunchy texture to every bite. The food is flavorful, the portions are satisfying, and the whole sizzling experience makes the meal that much more enjoyable. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the Foster City area!

Simple meal spot known for raw protein, rice or noodles, corn cooked by you (meaning mixed by you)…read morein a sizzling platter. Add salt, pepper, a light sweet soy sauce to the sizzling platter and you have a meal. Nice bright, airy, clean establishment with plenty of parking in the commercial residential parking lot.

We had a great time eating here. We went towards the end of the night, but were still treated to…read moreexcellent food, wonderful & friendly service, and good drinks, we never felt rushed, neglected, or resented for being one of the final diners & drinkers. This restaurant/bar is among one of the best, fun, and hospitable family-owned Japanese restaurants in San Mateo (along with Sushi Edomata, Izakaya Mai, and Fuji Sukiyaki) serving tasty food, delicious cocktails, and attentive service in a spacious, clean, and dynamic atmosphere. Plus, staying until close & afterwards, meant that I could catch up with Victor (the owner) & his son Bryan (the bartender) who I haven't seen since Tokie's Foster City days, I can't believe they've been here going on 8 years! We came to drink & snack & socialize after a movie, Izakaya-style. No disappointments here as far as drinks go: we tried the Cloud 9, Shiso Beautiful, White Lotus, and the Paloma. Each cocktail was presented in its own unique glass and the complex tastes really came out with every sip. The alcohol was not overpowering, and the many ingredients in each cocktail really came out delightfully & subtly. Of course, the bartenders preparing & serving them were really on top of their drink game and were very friendly, engaging, personable, and like-able. Since we were sitting st the bar itself, it was quite easy to keep the drinks coming, though much to the damage of our overall final tab, yikes! Food-wise, we needed some snacks to soak up this boozy escapade, so we ordered mostly appetizers & small plates. The Chili-garlic edamame was terrific & delightfully spicy. The tofu steak was pretty meaty tasting & filling for just being tofu, with a wonderfully sweet glaze & firm texture. The grilled eggplant was a big portion, also very tasty and a good compliment to the tofu steak. We also tried some mushroom miso soup & sesame spinach to round out the healthy eating intended to balance out the booze session. All the food was served quickly, well-presented, generously-portioned, warm, fresh, and with great flavors, good seasoning, and perfectly prepared. Then came closing time, and once the doors were locked, money counted, bills settled, and counters cleaned, Victor & Bryan treated us like family as they unwinded & relaxed from a busy Saturday night dinner crowd. We shared shots of sake, whiskey, vodka, and beer, and had a wonderful friendly time catching up on things past. I had not seen Victor & Bryan wasn't even born yet when I used to hang out at Tokie's in the original Foster City location. I actually prefer the San Mateo one now, it's spacious, warm, inviting, it uses a lot of wood accents to make it calm, comfortable, and fun to hang out. Lighting is dim, music is low, so it encourages conversation, socializing, and intimate interactions. I'd consider this to be one of the better Japanese restaurants in San Mateo- good food, interesting drinks, amazing service & hospitality, all in a warm, comfortable, and appealing space. It gets super busy here, and parking around here is really difficult, so either come early or come late, and maybe take an Uber/Lyft or walk through Central Park to get here. But you'll be glad that you did, because Tokie's is a solid culinary, alcohol, and social experience. Will be back for more, and I don't want to wait a few years to do it again, maybe just a few days this time, I've been missing out on the party here!

I had been wondering about this place for a while. It didn't disappoint. We tried chicken…read moreteriyaki and mixed tempura. Restaurant was busy on a Wednesday night, lots of families. Service was a little slow but everyone working there is very nice. I would go back.

I've been wanting to try OLHSO Truck since it opened and finally had my chance during a catered…read moreevent. The concept of having Korean food cooked in a robotic food truck is interesting to me. Since the food was catered, unfortunately I was unable to see the robots cooking in action, but fortunately was able to taste the final products. I was able to try the Wagyu galbi (short ribs), dak galbi (marinated chicken), Seoul food bowl (stir-fried pork belly and shrimp), and japchae, served with their corn salad, kimchi, and white rice. The Wagyu galbi was very flavorful with a good amount of vegetables; though I enjoyed the inclusion of lotus root, the veggies seemed like borderline filler to skimp out on meat. The dak galbi was also flavorful though spicy, and again the inclusion of rice cakes seemed like filler. The pork belly and shrimp were delicious, and I liked that the pieces of pork belly I had didn't have an overpowering amount of fat. The japchae was pretty standard and was nice to balance out the meat. I enjoyed the corn salad because it added a creamy component to my meal. The kimchi got lost in the mixture of food in my bowl and the rice was cooked perfectly by the robot. Overall, I enjoyed the food prepared by OLHSO Truck. Unfortunately, since the food was catered and already prepared when I arrived, I cannot comment on the service or wait times provided by the staff. I would consider ordering food from the truck if I am craving Korean fusion type of food and am too lazy to dine in at a local Korean restaurant. If the food from the truck is a good representation of the restaurant in downtown San Mateo, I am more inclined to try the restaurant for a nice sit down dining experience.

Have been looking forward to trying the OLHSO Truck out. Unfortunately, after downloading the app…read moreand signing up, the checkout failed at 11:14am stating that the order failed and they are closed for business. It also said to check their Instagram for their schedule. Checked the Insta and the pinned post says it would be open for business today, Aug 8, from 11am - 2pm for zip codes 94403-94404 (which we live in). Tried again at 11:40am in case they're just behind schedule but still didn't work. Too bad as we have dined several times at their restaurant and love their food and service there. Hope they get their schedules worked out soon! Would not recommend depending on this as your lunch.

I love the pork cheek ramen, tonkatsu broth, with medium spice. The portions of meat are generous…read moreand the service is always good. I'll remark that the times I've been here right when they opening the broth is much more bland, so now I only come here for dinner but I'm still a happy clam.

It's 1:45pm we ordered and waiting for our food, the waitress dropped off the bill and says the…read moreregister is closing please pay now. Their lunch service ends at 2pm. The dining room is half full, a bit of a odd experience. Food is always good.