My boyfriend's family has been coming here for so many years and after trying, I can see why. Recs are the unatama don (eel and egg omelette over rice, the sauce is seriously amazing) and pork fried rice. I would definitely come back just for the unatama don. I guess they're known for their ramen, but would recommend checking out the other stuff on their menu, too! The space is on the smaller side and homey-feeling, and service was quick and friendly. Surprised the ratings are on the lower side - would definitely return. read more

Himawari - Unatama don, pork fried rice - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Himawari is one of my favorite ramen spots. My go-to is the Tan Tan Men Deluxe and it's always so good. The broth is rich, creamy, and perfectly spicy. The noodles are cooked just right and the toppings make it even better. The place has a cozy vibe and the service is friendly. If you love flavorful ramen with a little kick, this spot is a must. I'll definitely keep coming back. read more

Himawari I feel is an underrated ramen spot that has been consistent over the years. It's a such a cool spot with their walls neatly lined with vinyl while playing jazzy tunes. I come here a few times a year and will continue. Lots of seats and friendly/fast service! Himawari roll - 4/5 - crunchy with fresh ingredients. Flavor was standard but felt like it was missing a creamier type sauce (spicy mayo?). Deluxe Shio Ramen - 5/5 - Really good quality ramen from the salty broth (surprisingly didn't feel overly salty), soft tender char siu, and even more tender and flavorful kakuni. read more

Himawari - Himawari Roll - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Mediocre. Overpriced, small portion, surprisingly quite busy on a Tuesday night. It's a ramen place but the walls are filled with Jazz records and posters lol. All the ramen options have pretty much the same toppings, and there's not much to really praise. read more

Himawari - Chicken Karaage (from the set) - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Really good ramen on a chill day in San Mateo! The service was really quick, and I liked the portion side - it wasn't too much and wasn't too less either! Good dinner :) would recommend! read more

Himawari - Tonkotsu Ramen and Tan Tan Men - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is our family's all time favorite ramen place. They are the only ones who have the best food ever! Besides the ramen, we also always order their chicken karaage, agedashi tofu, and buta kakuni. They also have the best service. The ambiance is nice and they play jazz in the background. read more

Himawari - Agedashi tofu - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came to try himawari ramen and had an overall good experience! It was a wednesday at 6.30pm and the place was pretty full but there was a table available so we didn't have to wait. I liked the retro interior. Service was also good, wait staff was friendly. Food also comes out pretty fast. I had the shio ramen and overall it was pretty good! I liked the flavor a lot too and it's not as common to find shio ramen in the US so I was happy to be able to eat it here. It's just that the ramen noodles were a little bit overcooked and the soup for the shio ramen was too salty. I'm hoping it was just a one time thing because otherwise it was really good. If the shio ramen was less salty I would definitely order it again because the broth had a lot of depth to it. I would still come back and try the other menu items for sure. read more

Came here for lunch. It was okay and was seated promptly. Food was average for ramen. Would probably just come for the experience and call it a day. The ambiance has jazz music playing in the background. read more

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I've been here a number of times over the years. It's been a minute some popped in for dinner. I always get Tan Tan Men. Hands down so good with a little spice. Service was good and they were fast. I'll definitely go back! read more

Himawari - Tan Tan Men - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

This place reminded me a lot of a ramen shop near my grandparents' home in Tokyo. Unfortunately while the flavors were nostalgic, I can't say that's necessarily a good thing. Ramen has gotten so good, so elevated that an average ramen just doesn't cut it anymore. I got the deluxe shio ramen. You can tell a lot about a ramen broth when you try a shio ramen because you can't hide it with thick pork broth of a tonkatsu broth. Sadly, there wasn't a ton of umami and it could have used a little more salt. The pork was pretty good and added some flavor but their thinly sliced chashu lacked flavor too. All in all, disappointing but it did give me some nostalgia for when I was a kid so that's something. I ordered the spinach which is usually supposed to have a stronger sesame flavor but this was a little sour. I kind of liked it but it wasn't what you would expect from a Japanese spinach dish. I also got the spicy tuna roll. Not at all spicy but it was fine. And that's probably the best way to describe this spot. Fine. Not somewhere I would seek out but it's servicable. read more

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Maybe it's because I'm not local, but ramen is getting quite expensive nowadays. Himawari is small and cozy, with light jazz music filtering through. The workers move fast. It has a relatively small but diverse menu, mostly offering classic ramen options, with some twists. I opted for the Shoyu Taro-men, which was the stewed pork belly ramen. Instead of the classic chashu, it came with stewed pork belly. The cuts were thick and the extra fat from the pork belly polluted the soup. The shoyu was tasty but not anything particularly amazing. The noodles were thin and chewy, with a good texture. At some point, the stewed pork belly started tasting strange, like almost sanitary, so I had to give up on it. The portion size is quite large. For almost $20, it also didn't come with a ramen egg, which was a little disappointing but unfortunately expected. From what it looks like from reviews, I should have opted for the butter miso corn ramen. Overall, not anything I would go out of my way for nor recommend to visitors but I can see why this has held its ground against the ramen battlefield of the Bay Area. read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

First off- LOVE the jazz ambience Service was super quick, all the staff were really friendly Broth was very flavorful I got the tonkotsu ramen (add spice and with gluten free noodles) couldnt recommend it enough- The soup was SPICY- the delicious kind I really like that they had some additonal remedy for you~ My hubby got extra chashu which was a very good choice Overalli really like the food, ambience and service here Highly recommend to try their appetizers Will definitely be coming back! read more

Himawari - Tonkotsu Ramen Tonkotsu Dx Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Chicken Karaage: 5/5 - so tender, juicy perfection! The dark meat... Miso Butter Corn Ramen , added spicy and egg : 4/5 - Thought the broth would be more buttery and creamy but it was more bamboo flavored base . Not a huge fan but still good . - meat : tender and juicy - ramen noodles: al dente and good texture - eggy: perfect! Soft boiled and nicely flavored . This is additional pay add-on . Service: outgoing staff and fast service Service dog friendly read more

Himawari - Miso Butter Corn Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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It had been a while since we last visited Himawari, so it was nice to come and get their ramen again. It was crowded today on MLK holiday. Smallish restaurant. They could probably put several tables together to accommodate a large party of 6-8. But in general, a typical ramen place geared for 4 or less. Simple design and decor. One restroom for the entire restaurant. Metered street parking mostly. Tonkotsu DX: cha-shu, stewed pork belly, egg, kikurage mushrooms, beansprouts, red ginger, green onions, & nori (3.5/5). The broth was smooth & flavorful. The stewed pork belly was very tender, soft, and well seasoned. It was very good! The noodles were thin yet chewy. Cha-shu Ramen: Choice of ramen broth shoyu/shio/miso. Extra slices of cha-shu w/regular toppings (3.5/5). My wife went with the Shio. She really liked her broth - more than she liked my tonkotsu broth. The service was good, nice, & attentive. The friends we came with liked their ramen. One ordered the miso broth and one ordered the tonkotsu. read more

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This restaurant is a San Mateo legacy. This is must come place for ramen and other appetizers. Most ramen places sticks to the same stuff but Himawari serves multiple types of ramen soup and other dishes. Must come if you are in San Mateo read more

Pretty disappointed with my tan tan men ($17). Although the tan tan men was flavorful and wasn't super spicy, you could see visible globs of fat floating in the soup and the noodles were chewier than I prefer. For deluxe ramen options, the additional pork was more fat than meat. My friends couldn't finish their ramen because it was too fatty. The staff was friendly and the ambiance of the restaurant was fantastic with relaxing jazz music and vinyl records. I wouldn't mind coming back but there's definitely better ramen options in the area. read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Consistently great all around. We find ourselves comparing all the other ramen places to this one and we keep coming back. Eggs - on point Karaage - the best Pork belly - unmatched Serving size - epic Just amazing all the way around. read more

The ambiance is very soothing! Very jazzy! We came here for lunch and the service was efficient and the service was very nice and helpful. They have a very wide variety of ramens and fried rice! The broth of the ramen was so tasty! Loved everything about this place! read more

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ramen here is always good. my go to is the tan-tan ramen. just the perfect blend of spice. my kids aways get the tonkatsu which is perfect for sharing for two young ones, but I do always get them extra noodles. service is always great, but there are times when the wait could be a bit long. read more

Himawari - tan tan ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Tonkatsu dx 2.5/5 Not the best I've had to be honest. The broth was lacking that creamy rich flavor sends you spiraling into happiness. The cha sui was overcooked(idk if that's a thing but usually it a melt in your mouth tenderness. Still a good ramen overall but wasn't fully satisfied. Might be a different style of ramen but personally for me tonkatsu has always been rich in flavor. read more

Himawari - Tonkotsu Dx Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

I had high hopes for this ramen place since it's been on my list to try for awhile. Immediately when I walked in I noticed there was a weird smell. I can't put my finger on what the smell was but it was not pleasant. I got the tonkotsu ramen and the broth was super light which not what I expected. It was missing that rich flavor that I would expect a tonkotsu broth would have. The noodles however were cooked to perfection and the soft boiled egg was jammy. read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Went here during lunch and have a great time. On a Tuesday, there wasn't a wait. We got our food fairly quickly. The waiter filled our waters frequently and were helpful when we ordered . The vibe of the restaurant was very nice as well. It had a record shop theme that I didn't expect. I got the tan tan men ramen. I think that's the way to go. It's flavorful and not overly spicy. For me, it wasn't spicy at all. I had a good amount of toppings and noodles. I enjoyed my bowl for sure. The bowl was $14.50 I believe which is pretty standard to me in the Bay Area. read more

Himawari - Tan Tan Men - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Solid spot for ramen. I'm a fan of the butter corn ramen. It has a lighter broth, which sometimes I prefer when I'm not in the mood for super heavy ramen. The restaurant itself isn't too large, but they have a cute retro vibe going on. Definitely a good spot for a quick fix! read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I came to Himawari with my boyfriend and my friends. We were seated immediately at 6:45 PM on a Saturday. The ambiance inside is very relaxed, with some jazz and music memorabilia on the walls. I ordered the deluxe ramen with shio broth. When the ramen arrived, I was excited by the absolute quantity of meat I got. However, I ended up having a hard time chewing the cha siu. The braised meat was very good and tender though. Overall an okay experience, but there's plenty of other spots in the area also worth a try! read more

Himawari - Deluxe ramen with shio broth. - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

Literally one of the best Ramen places that we have ever gone too! Staff is prompt and attentive!, ambiance is fantastic and the owner /manager combo is iconic! Ramen noodle quality is extremely high!!! And the flavors are amazing. Truly a place worth a trip WAY out of your way for. read more

I'm so late in writing this review, but this is for February. I treated my brother here for his birthday since he was craving ramen. It was nice to try something different because I normally opt for Marufuku. Himawari is located in Downtown San Mateo, where parking can be so difficult to find. It took us at least 10 min to find street parking. Once we got inside, we were seated immediately. The vinyl records and jazz music was a nice touch to the restaurant. It definitely provides a different, but good vibe! The owner was even wearing a fedora to keep up with the jazzy vibes of the place. They have many choices for ramen, but not overwhelming where you wouldn't know what to get. Love that they offer veggie options like the vegetarian ramen and vegetarian tan tan men. Table Order: - Prikara kyu-ri - 3/5 it was okay, I felt like it was missing something. Maybe salt or more spice? - Vegetarian Ramen - 5/5 the noodle texture was on the thinner side, chewy and bouncy. I could do without the bean sprouts next time. Broth was amazing! And the crunchy garlic topping makes it even better! I don't remember the order for my brother and his friend but they did enjoy their ramen. On our next visit, I'd love to try the Vegetarian Tan Tan Men. Hopefully we get there a little bit earlier so parking won't be an issue. read more

Himawari - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I've visited this restaurant twice with my family now and each time was a success! I love how simple and cute their menu is and you honestly can't go wrong with any of the ramen choices. I always get the Tonkotsu and service is always great. I'd definitely come back here again, and again! read more

We gave Himawari another try after not having the best experience before, and we're really glad we did. Since then, we've been back many times. The staff always greets and seats us promptly, and the service is pleasant, we never feel rushed out. The ambiance is the same as ever: low key with that vintage, funky jazz vibe. Many of the same friendly faces are still working there, just like when they first opened, and they're open almost every day, which makes it easy to come back. The ramen has been consistently good, the noodles always have the perfect texture, the condiments are flavorful, and the broth is rich and satisfying. My personal favorite is the Tan Tan Mein, with its sesame-flavored broth that's rich, mildly spicy, and topped with sprouts and green onion. The snow crab fried rice was also delicious. The karaage is still the best we've had anywhere, we haven't been able to find one like it. The California rolls are fresh and tasty, the gyoza is flavorful, and the Cha-Shu Don, with its roasted pork, egg, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts over rice, is another standout. It just goes to show, sometimes a second chance is all it takes to discover a favorite. read more

Had dinner with a friend at 5:30 pm on a Wednesday and the restaurant wasn't too busy so we got to choose our seating. The interior of the restaurant was so cool, records lining the walls and diner vibes as well as fun jazz music playing inside. Cha Shu Men - The ramen came out pretty quickly after we ordered but it came out lukewarm so the noodles were a little stiff and hard to break. The cha shu was nice but the soup didn't remind me much of shoyu, not as tangy, clear or those strong savory flavors. My friend tried the deluxe ramen and said her pork belly was really good, a very worth it addition. Overall, the restaurant was a unique experience but the ramen was very ordinary. read more

Himawari - Bottom - Cha - Shu Men, Top - Deluxe Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came on a Saturday during dinner time and was lucky to see no wait. Ramen is great and so far the different ramens are good. The service is pretty fast and nice. I love the deco using the vinyl and it's clean and welcoming. I love coming here when I want a nice soupy ramen especially on a cold day! read more

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It has a warm and comfortable ambiance that makes you feel at ease. The food is delicious, and the portions are very satisfying. What truly made our visit special was the excellent service. Suzanne was extremely friendly, polite, and attentive. We will definitely be coming back. read more

Himawari - California Roll Tuna roll - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

I come to this restaurant with my family at least every month and a half because we love it here so much! We've been coming here for years and I never get tired of it. Their ramen is super unique and hits every time. Every time I come I always get the chicken karaage and agedashi tofu. Sometimes I switch up the ramen but I usually get tonkatsu ramen. Servers are always very attentive and kind!! There is also always some smooth jazz playing which is a nice vibe. One thing that I wish they would pay more attention to however is the bathroom which could use some updating. Doesn't bother me too much that I still come here very frequently. read more

Himawari - Chicken Karaage - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Tried a mabo tofu appetizer and the Shiro tantanmen. I wasn't impressed with either dish based on taste. The mabo tofu was a rather large serving for an appetizer and it didn't come with rice. It was also unusually sweet and not spicy or tingly as I was expecting. Thank goodness for the dried garlic, chili oil, chili flakes, and vinegar at the table because I don't think this dish would be very edible without a lot of alteration. I was also unimpressed by the tantanmen. I'm glad the Shiro version uses a pork broth because I wouldn't have tasted any pork otherwise. It also wasn't as creamy, spicy, or porky as I am used to in a tantanmen. There's a tantanmen recipe from Seonkyoung Longest that I highly recommend to try out if you like tantanmen. It's pretty easy and even though the main base is soybean milk, it's much closer to tantamen that I've had in Japan. read more

Himawari - Shiro tantanmen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came here a second time recently many years later after the first visit. I was craving the hinodeya clam ramen summer special but wasn't anywhere near one. Came here to try their clam ramen; you get probably a third as many clams and noodles could be more chewy, but the broth was pretty good. I think it satisfied since I had a specific craving. I got five clams in mine while my dining companion got seven clams, so not consistent. The fried calamari app was really good. Service was average. I wouldn't mind coming back because it has a unique offering for the area but there's definitely better ramen to be found. They're like 3.75 rounded up. read more

We liked the vibes, service, and noodles! I got the miso chashu men and it came out promptly, but I would say it was okay - but the noodles themself were good enough to warrant another try of the restaurant but I'll go with a different order. Seating is pretty packed in so conversations bled together; I bet it would be fun to come during a jazz night. read more

Food is decidedly average. I got the Tonkotsu Ramen Deluxe. The broth was porky, but beyond that not amazing. The meat was somewhat flavorless, and the egg was effectively just a soft boiled egg. Service was fine, no complaints there. I paid close to 30$ for this, absolutely not worth it. I'd prefer Kajiken or Taishoken at this price point. Or even Ox9, though it's not a ramen place. read more

I love the retro record bar vibe! The Ramen shop has an intimate feel with cozy, dim lighting. The service was great, and overall I give the ramen a 3.5 out of 5. read more

Himawari - Tonkotsu Ramen Tan Tan Men - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

I really do like this place and have been coming here for years. My favorite is the tan tan men deluxe! I like the broth and the noodle texture here. I like that they give a generous amount of toppings! The staff is friendly and the wait time moves fast. read more

My friend and I went to this place on a Monday night and it was not busy. I really like the vibe of this place, since it's a different feel (more jazzy) than most ramen places. However the ramen was a little underwhelming. I got the Miso Butter corn ramen. It had a lot of corn but the pork was on the tougher side and the broth was on the sweeter side. The sumai was very mid. I wouldn't recommend ordering this appetizer. Overall, would come back here and maybe order a more spicer ramen so there are more flavors! read more

Himawari - Miso Butter Corn Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California

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All the food we ate was really good.. We good 2 types of Ramen. We god 2 types of sides. They were all great. Evelyn our waiter was great read more

Himawari - 2 types of Ramen dishes and some sides - Ramen Near Me - San Mateo, California