Vibe: 3/5 Service: 4/5…read moreDrink: N/A Food: 5/5 Value: 4.5/5 Downing sake flights on a Sunday at noon with your young teenagers present... Not us. But the table next to us was sure having a fun lunch. We came here after looking for a lunch spot post-shopping and were pleasantly surprised. From the complimentary (!) edamame and the delicious El Camino Roll to the phenomenal, super fresh omakase and the uni served on a deep-fried shiso leaf, the quality of the food blew us away. Definitely worth every penny. It was so good, we're already talking about going back for the upgraded omakase and super Sugoi box.

Tried Kiroro Ramen for the first time and unfortunately it ended up being a pretty disappointing…read moreexperience overall. I ordered the Spider Ramen, which sounded unique and exciting on the menu, especially for something costing almost $22. Sadly, the flavor completely fell flat for me. The broth tasted bland and lacked the rich, comforting depth that makes ramen satisfying. I kept hoping the flavor would build up after a few bites, but it stayed underwhelming from start to finish. Honestly, I've had packaged noodles at home that were more flavorful and satisfying than this bowl. Even the egg in the ramen was disappointing. It didn't taste like a good quality ramen egg at all -- lacking flavor, richness, and that soft, well-marinated texture you usually expect from a proper ramen spot. It honestly felt like an afterthought rather than something carefully prepared. The shrimp tempura was another letdown. The shrimp pieces were extremely skinny with barely anything inside, so most bites tasted like fried batter instead of actual shrimp. Definitely not what I expected. The chicken karaage was the only dish that was decent. Crispy outside, tender inside, and probably the most enjoyable part of the meal, although still nothing particularly memorable. Service also could have been better. One staff member refilled my water twice without even lowering the pitcher close to the glass, causing water to splash all over the table both times. It may sound minor, but details like that really affect the overall dining experience, especially when the food itself already feels disappointing. Overall, for the price point, I expected much better quality, flavor, and attention to detail. Sadly, this visit did not live up to expectations and left me regretting my order more than enjoying it.

A friend recommended this restaurant to me, and I've been here three times. The third time was for…read morea big party, and we booked a tatami room - the room was beautiful! My favorite dish was their Kaisen don, the Hokaido uni was incredibly sweet and fresh, the o toro was plump and delicious, and the Hirame truffle yuzu pouzu was a wonderful combination. Overall, the ambiance is nice, the ingredients are fresh, and it's a great choice for Japanese food. They even gave us a complimentary dessert for our birthday at the end.

Quality of the food, staff and service is exceptional. Food is fresh, prepared with finesse,…read morequality and excellence....we will be back.

Constantly was hearing good things about this place, so we decided to make a reservation for a…read moreThursday night. I am so happy we did, as it was surprisingly so packed! The restaurant itself is beautiful, and I loved their choice of dishware. It truly is in the little details that make this restaurant feel that much more special. There were so many food options that we ended up going all out, and it was all so delicious. Because it was busy, the food specifically the sushi took longer. We didn't mind the wait as we ordered food that was made in the kitchen so that held us over while we waited for our rolls, but I did overhear the table next to me was getting very frustrated as they said they waited over an hour for their sushi. Wow everything was delicious. We loved the soko Soko special with all 6 different dons as it allowed us to try a little bit of everything. The rice made everything so filling. Their fish tasted so fresh. I definitely recommend the Halami Beef Tataki, cut and cooked so nicely, it was such a savory and flavorful bite. With that, I really enjoyed their skewers, cooked to perfection with the perfect char. We cannot wait to come back!

Service is rude. Fish is not fresh, even with items missing…read more The server was a bit cold at the beginning, then became rude when he accused my friend of recording with the assumption rooted in his head. No "excuse me" just a direct "are you recording?" And without giving my friend a chance to explain that he wasn't (he is just a heavy Pokémon Goer), the server went on "no recording is allowed. You can't do that" Blah blah. There are clearly better and more professional ways to handle this. And assuming customers at fault is not. We ordered two hot plates and two Kaisen don at $60 each. Hot plates are good. Kaisen don is very sad. That's the least fresh toro and uni I have ever had. My friend is not used to complaining, but I decided not to swallow it. After some back and forth, they offered to replace the toro and uni. Although it's an okay gesture, my friend was not offered the replacement-- not even asking, while we ordered the same set. The replacement didn't come with the average freshness I have experienced, but better than the original. Then we started to look at google reviews, only to find out that the ikura included in the don was completely missing. It was offered after we complained. But again, no apologies. For an expensive item with clear description of the content in the menu, I don't know if it's a mistake or not. Btw, our Kaisen don doesn't look like their official picture at all.

Sometimes restaurants get better after I've been there years earlier and Sometimes, well, they…read moredon't. This is a don't case. I haven't been here in over 5 years, so I feel a lot has changed. Let's get to it. Just wasn't as fresh as the sushi I had before. The cucumber salad was awful, the baked mussels were lukewarm, the sushi was just okay, not the best. The roll choices I felt were limited. The complimentary dessert was also awful. The shrimp tempura tasted and looked like it was from a Trader Joe's package at a 100% market up. Just disappointed, count me out.

Absolutely delicious sushi - I loved the cucumber roll and seared salmon & scallop oshizushi! It's…read morea small spot with just 14 seats, but boy did we have a good time. The food came out quick, parking is easy, and service is sharp. We will be back with friends!

strongly recommend this restaurant. Everything is great! And our favorite dish is Kami Rosu, so…read moredelicious and tender!

Fish are fresh, and there are lots of options on the menu, and price is reasonable! Will definitely…read morevisit again in the future!

I tried to come here Friday night but there were people already waiting out the door so we didn't…read morewant to wait and went elsewhere. Today I was able to meet my friend here for lunch and since it was a weekday we got a table right away at noon. To our pleasant surprise there was a lunch special offered at the back of the menu. For $17 you can a item from column A then B. I went with teriyaki beef (+1) and gyoza. The lunch special came with rice, tea and miso soup. I order the yuzu drink too. Everything was so yummy! The decor is cute with many lucky cats near the entrance and around the sushi bar. Near the back there is a huge display kawaii, anime and robotech figures. I can see kids enjoying looking at them. Looks like they have a private room option that is narrow and long with many 2 seater table side by side, maybe they open it up when they get busy. They have a parking lot that can exit through the back is what my friend told me but I found street which has a 2 hour limit. I saw a car with a parking ticket so I'm guessing they do enforce it. I had got there early so I checked out the super cute Bird Garden store next door if you have time to kill

I am usually wary of Japanese restaurants run by Chinese staff, as they decrease the authenticity…read moreof the restaurant. I still would not consider this restaurant authentic, but I did enjoy the semi-Americanized Japanese food. My family shared: * Lion King roll: snow crab and avocado topped with baked salmon, spicy aioli, tobiko, scallion, and unagi sauce * Papillon roll: hamachi and avocado topped with seared hamachi, jalapeno, spicy aioli, and ponzu sauce * Salmon teriyaki * Tonkatsu cutlet * Chirashi bowl 1 star off: The only item I did not like was the Butterfly roll because the spicy tuna was way too spicy. The best deal is their lunch special bento boxes. A protein entree comes with a small maki sushi, salad, and miso soup for $17.

What a great surprise to find a great sushi spot in San Carlos. The quality of the sushi at Takumi…read morereally surprised me and my fiancé. The sashimi combo really was the superstar of our meal. Eat fish tasted incredibly fresh and tender. Of course we had to save the salmon for the last and it didn't disappoint. The San Carlos roll sounded like a lot when looking at the menu and I wasn't too sure about it. I'm glad we ordered it. It was sweet, salty and buttery from the avocado. The $10 hot sake was also delicious! Inside there's only a few tables that could sit roughly 4 people. Perfectly romantic for a date night or catching up with some friends.

If you're looking for the best sushi in San Carlos, Takumi is the place to be. I sat at the bar and…read morehad a front-row seat to the artistry--the sashimi and rolls are incredibly fresh and skillfully prepared with obvious care. The quality of the fish is outstanding, and the presentation is pure art. The atmosphere is cozy and the service is top-notch. I can't recommend this gem enough!

Came here to use AMEX resy points and for a free meal DELICIOUS…read more It was poppin off in the restaurant. We ended up ordering to go on a Friday night. We did have to drive a bit far (45 min) to eat so maybe it effected the food a bit because it was kinda mid. BUT eatin at the restaurant everyone looked happy and food looked reallly good. It is a small restaurant and there was a line out the door. Service was friendly and fast Katsudon-- a little dry in some parts of it Crazy roll- would get again Hamachi Kama- def from frozen, a little dry A2 beef teriyaki and tempura-- beef sweet and good, tempura mooshy from sitting but bread to veg ratio is perf Lots of potential would come back and try again!

Make a reservation online because this place is small and gets busy…read more Service is top notch! The sushi is very, very good here. We had the Belmont roll, the Victoria's Secret, and the Hawaiian. Not a huge fan of the baked roll but more as a preference. The other two were really good. And I think their portions are more generous than other places. Also tried the veg tempura (yummy) and green salad (a tad overpriced I think l). The hamachi nigiri was YUMMY! I would give this place 4.5 stars

Craving a Wagyu bowl since my trip to Osaka, and not wanting to deal with an hour of traffic coming…read morethough rush hour from redwood shores to San Jose I thought why not I'll check it out. The restaurant was packed on a Thursday night but I was able to walk in at the bar. I got the ankimo pate from the seasonal menu and the wagyu steak and garlic rice. While waiting for my food I observed a sign of authenticity: a table of 8 Japanese businessmen, so I was pretty excited to get my food. I usually looooove ankimo and I didn't really think too much about how the mascarpone would be. I think it's too heavy/creamy and lost the liver-ness of ankimo which I really like. I understand a lot of people don't though so, different strokes for different people. Not a big fan of the mixture, and there was also water or something on the bread that made it soggy. However, the pickled onions and grapes were really good especially with the wagyu steak and garlic rice. At first glance the image of the wagyu steak is not that impressive, as it was in real life as well...BUT as I took my first bite I was taken back to the underground Kobe beef bowl hole in the wall restaurant. The beef is cut into really big pieces so in this picture it doesn't look like a lot but it was a good ratio. The rice is soft and fluffy and flavorful. Worth getting the dashi. I will definitely be back!!

Lunch at Kemuri was a total win!…read more My mom and I came in for lunch because we were in the mood to try a new restaurant, and I was immediately sold when I saw oxtail udon on the menu. Say less. O R D E R E D - Oxtail Udon - Octopus Salad - Hamachi Carpaccio - Beef Tongue V E R D I C T The oxtail udon was everything I hoped for and more. The broth was incredibly flavorful -- rich and savory with just a hint of sweetness. You'd think a soup this deep would lean salty, but it was perfectly balanced. And the oxtail? Fall-off-the-bone goodness. As an oxtail lover, this absolutely hit the spot. We also ordered a few dishes to share and honestly... every single one delivered. The beef tongue was super tender and cooked perfectly. The octopus salad was fresh and well-balanced, and the hamachi carpaccio was clean, buttery, and full of flavor. Truly flavortown worthy across the board. If you're looking for a spot that does bold flavors right without being heavy, Kemuri is it. I'd 100% come back again -- and next time, I'm already eyeing that oxtail udon.

I ordered a custom tray for a large group celebration and we were pleased with the quality and…read morenovelty. The fish were fresh, the rice was seasoned, and the garnishes were interesting. The owner was communicative via text and E-mail. Pick up was from a ghost kitchen. Menu was difficult to find online, but here is the link: https://twodotsco.typeform.com/to/eUm9sISf?typeform-source=linktr.ee The tray was beautifully decorated. At $6.25 per piece of sushi, the price was similar to nice sushi restaurants. I probably would not order from here frequently, but only as a special treat.

The Backhouse was first on my radar two years ago on Valentine's Day when my husband surprised me…read morewith one of their beautifully curated omakase boxes for a cozy night in with sake. Everything was really good and thoughtfully prepared, and it made for such a fun and elevated at-home date night. This past week for my mom's 60th birthday, I decided their party platter would be perfect for celebrating. They were very responsive and easy to coordinate with, which made planning simple. You do have to pick up from a ghost kitchen in San Mateo, but the process was efficient and smooth. The platter itself was beautiful and the quality was just as good as we remembered. Fresh, flavorful, and nicely presented. Definitely a great option for special occasions or when you want something a little elevated at home.