Been a long while since my last visit to Kobeya but it was the first place I thought of when I was craving 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. read more

Kobeya - Ton Katsu Curry Rice - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

First impression cool small place going to be good. Got menus first I see is taped on paper for what 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.. read more

I'm a sucker for small mom and pop shops like this! The inside isn't anything to write home about and you'll leave smelling like oil but the food is worth it! The lady working here was also super nice and friendly. Chicken katsu curry 4/5 The fried food here is so good. Delicious katsu. Curry was a little too sweet for my liking but warm and hearty. Spicy tuna roll 3.5/5 Not too spicy. Tasty, pretty standard, Agedashi tofu 4/5 Light and fried nicely. Soy sauce was delicious and paired well. Tempura 5/5 Probably the best and lightest tempura I've in the states. Comes close to being in Japan! Overall, definitely will be back when I'm craving tempura or katsu. Have to support small businesses like this! read more

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We had a warm and hearty lunch here. We actually had planned to eat at one of the Chinese restaurants across the street but didn't want to deal the wait, and this spot was quaint and quiet. The food took some time, even though we were the only party at the time that we ordered, but you can tell that it is made of fresh and with love. As someone who enjoys eating flavorful meals, but is also very conscious of healthy choices, I was very grateful that they had grilled chicken curry option since it normally comes fried only, and that you could opt for brown rice instead of white rice. My chicken curry dish was so hearty and flavorful, the curry is housemade and the chicken was very tender We also ordered a chicken Katsu Bento, which was both juicy yet perfectly crisp. It comes with a little bite of soba noodles and a bite of macaroni and that small salad . Order at the counter , and there's a handful of indoor tables The tonkotsu ramen was also delicious - came with two super huge slabs of juicy pork belly and the broth was scrumptiously rich . Glad we ended up here for lunch ! read more

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TLDR: Great Curry, Tonkatsu and surprisingly good ramen in this little storefront! Seems operated by real Japanese folks, so that's a big plus for authenticity! Friendly service, casual old-school 1980s vibe to me.. While there are popular eateries across the street, tucked away on this little side road of 25th Avenue in San Mateo is a hidden gem in plain sight - Kobeya Bento Box. Standing out in front this unassuming storefront is a big menu previewing the various Japanese entrees offered within. They proclaim that they make their Japanese style Curry from scratch with just natural ingredients, without MSG or additives or commercial mixes. Well, shoot.. since we love Japanese Curry, we had to give this a shot. We chose: Agedashi Tofu: lightly fried fresh and on point 4.5/5 Tonkatsu Curry Rice 4.9/5 Huge slab of Tonkatsu! Beautiful lacy crust, tender and moist inside. As stated earlier, they make their own curry here from scratch, not from premade mixes. The curry was perfect to my palate. It's just a tiny step or so spicier than mild and definitely on point for a Japanese style curry. We ordered the double portion of Tonkatsu which was way too much food, but great for leftovers! OK.. single portion next time! The Tonkatsu crust was pretty lacy and complex in texture, and the meat inside still moist. Tonkotsu Ramen (4/5) - I wasn't expecting too much given that this isn't a specialty Ramen house, but was pleasantly surprised at the depth of flavor in the broth, good noodles and two small, but THICK cubes of tender almost-fall-apart Marinated Pork belly to set the tone. Not really my kind of marinated pork, but it was still good. I enjoyed the broth and ramen the most with this one. Egg with medium runny yolk too. Curry Udon Bowl - I sampled this from my compatriots, and felt it was pretty good too. I definitely would like to get back here and try out more of their menu. as the bentos have me curious, but the curry dishes are especially worth coming back for. read more

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Mom and pop type Japanese restaurant on a side street kind of hidden. 3.5 stars. Easy and quick spot to get curry and sushi. Not real crab for the California roll. I got the eel roll and thought it was okay. The chicken I had was just okay. Major props for being hot though. Didn't like how I couldn't refill my own water but they expect you to pay first and serve yourself but then give you plates and try to serve you and want tips? Kind of confused between what you want us to do. We did tip 15% even though we had to ask for water and got kind of a weird look when we asked for things like water, napkins, or anything else that they keep behind the counter. Beef teriyaki was just okay. Mac said was very plain and so was their salad that my friend didn't want to eat. Gyoza tastes like Costco bulk brand. Nothing really outstanding here, but also not a pass either. read more

Kobeya - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Solid curry place. Home style Japanese. Portions are delicate and thought through. Curry has slight sweetness. Rice has good texture. Chicken katsu fried on order. Refreshing with a non alcoholic beer. read more

Kobeya - Posters on the wall. Fun decor - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

Hidden little gem on 25th Ave in San Mateo. Order at the counter and they'll bring your food to your table. The staff was polite and friendly. Everything came out pretty quick. Portion size is good for the price. The inside isn't the biggest but it also doesn't get very busy all at once. Seats maybe 20 people? They've got some cool back to the future posters & decor. Parking can be difficult so plan ahead especially if you're hungry. read more

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Here I am almost 9 years later to give a review update. Much of my older review still stands - Kobeya reminds me of a simple wholesome meal I'd get from a family member. As with inflation, prices have risen, but they still are the cheapest compared to pretty much every other Japanese place. If I lived closer, I can imagine going here almost every day. We like their bentos and curry. I love that they shred their own veggies for the salad, and the dressing tastes like homemade ginger sesame - it's very fresh. The curry still has a vegetal, carrot essence, but I enjoy it more now since my palate has expanded, and they give a fair amount of meat for your curry. I'd say it's good to just get what you want to eat here (other than ramen since they obviously don't make any of those ingredients in-house). I really like the chicken nanban, as it comes in a delicious ponzu-like sauce with a hearty dollop of a homemade egg mayonnaise tartar-like mixture. I love the micro scoops of mac salad and japchae with the bento meal as well. I think people typically order takeout from here, but most orders will likely take a while since they start cooking when you order. I heard them start up their fryer just for our meals, and smelled the frying aroma the entire time while random anime songs played during our wait. They also don't use MSG! They are a real hidden neighborhood gem, and I do hope they receive more business because they put more care into cooking their food versus competing Japanese restaurants. It's just a little annoying to find parking sometimes, so try to get someone to drive you while you pick up your food. read more

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Family owned small business. The chicken katsu curry was so good! And they take Apple Pay! 5 stars! read more

Kobeya - Inside - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This place is a hidden gem. The Katsu and Karrage bento plate are my faves. The wife loves the Curry Katsu and Gyoza. The prices are fair, the portion are right and the owners there seem like hardworking people. We love to support that and it makes it easier when their product is good. read more

Had dinner here. Seating is limited but tables seem to turn quickly; there were two staff when we went. I think the rolls are great for the price, they had a good filling to rice ratio. Rice was a tad sweet but this is a casual joint. The fried appetizers were good - small fried oysters and tempura. The main dishes were underwhelming. The nanban was a bit soggy, the tonkatsu was under seasoned, and the curry didn't have a depth of flavor. I would rather try elsewhere or pay more elsewhere for these. Overall, I might come back for fast takeout of rolls and appetizers. I like the homey vibe. read more

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Got the grilled chicken curry $20+ For six tiny pieces of chicken, a tiny amount of rice, with a tiny curry cup. I was hungrier than if I ate a 6 piece chicken nugget I never write reviews - so this was probably the most ripped off for food I ever felt in my 44 years of life Ended up eating a dinner after "dinner"! read more

Went for Dinner Food - 1/5. Spicy tuna roll was umami with good flavor on the tuna. It was elevated by the scallions, little bits of spice, and well seasoned rice. Tonkatsu curry was lackluster. Curry itself lacked any depth of flavor, being one note with a severe lack of umami. It had a watery consistency that lacked mouthfeel resulting in it poorly coating other items. Tonkatsu lacked crispiness on the batter with an uneven, light brown color. It was flabby, barely sticking to the meat. Meat was overcooked and tough with a thinness resulting in a lackluster bite. The shrimp tempura was pathetic with an oily batter and mushy shrimp. I am convinced that they did not even fry it, just baked a frozen shrimp tempura until it was warm. That would explain the terrible batter on the tonkatsu as well. Service - 3/5. Ordering was fine but they disappeared after food was served and had to be called for service. Value - 1/5. Spicy tuna roll was $8, which is on the higher side for a regular roll. Japanese curry was $13.50 and the shrimp tempura topping was $3. These prices would be fair, if not for the poor quality of the food. It truly felt like they were being completely lazy with cooking for my order, as the other pictures posted look way better than what I received. Really disappointing. Parking - Street (Free) read more

Kobeya - Spicy Tuna Roll - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

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It's a real Japanese local restaurant. Their curry is really good and tasty. I will definitely go again.

Nothing fancy here, just good japanese food. Chicken karaage was lightly fried and went well with the japanese curry. My husband enjoyed his ramen and we also liked the agedashi tofu, which nice and lightly fried as well with a nice sauce - not too salty, with some fresh ginger. Service was quick and the restaurant was pretty empty for a Saturday night. Ambiance is very simple and comfortable. read more

Decent food, horrible service. Everything is self-served (seating, ordering, getting water), but they demand I tip 15% up front when I haven't received any service. When I pointed that out, the woman at the counter responded saying that I can take it to-go. Ridiculous. Food is ok, home styled food, but we won't be coming back. read more

Came here on a Friday night around 6pm and was able to snag a table immediately. Truly a hole in the wall spot. There's not much seating, maybe four tables for 2-3 people, but the whole time we were here the phone was ringing off the hook so I assume they get a lot of takeout orders. Food wise, this was my second time here in a couple of years and the portions here have shrank significantly (have noticed this across many restaurants now probably due to the current economy :( ). They primarily serve curry but have other Japanese options like tonkatsu ramen and sushi rolls. I ordered the tonkatsu curry ($13) and my hubby ordered the chicken karaage curry ($13). Both come with a micro salad (when I say micro literally mean it was like two bites), pickles and rice (felt like it was between 1/4-1/2 scoop of cooked rice). The curry itself was good but on the sweeter side and the tonkatsu was fried and seasoned nicely. For curry in the peninsula I think there are better places but if you're in the area and reallyyy craving curry this is a decent option. read more

The tonkatsu was tender and breading was light and crunchy! Only about 5-6 tables inside but it was quick to order and get our food, the serving size was perfect for me. Curry was a comfort food but could use a little more spice in my opinion, and I wish there were more pickled red onions on the side. Good place to go if you want a quick and decent lunch. read more

Pretty reasonable bento boxes in the Peninsula! I ordered the Salmon Teriyaki for $11.25. My friend ordered Beef Teriyaki for the same price. The Salmon was perfectly grilled and tasted yummy. If you are in a hurry, this place isn't for you. There are signs everywhere announcing that service will be slower due to lack of staffing. In fact, there was only 1 staff taking orders and cooking! Although our food took 15 min which was pretty fast for only having 1 staff member. Another thing which could have been a "me" thing is I got a huge migraine while eating here. I usually get one when I eat sulfates (dried fruit or wine) so I'm not sure if there was any in the food? Hard to say but ask if you have food sensitivities. I would recommend this place for people who have time to eat a leisurely lunch. read more

Kobeya - Grilled Salmon Plate - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

3.5 stars Kobeya is a small, casual restaurant offering a menu of simple Japanese dishes including bentos, curries, sushi rolls, and ramen. To start, the Philly Roll was a basic maki roll made of raw salmon and cream cheese wrapped in a layer of sushi rice and nori. My pick from the rice dishes was the Tonkatsu Curry, which came with brown rice topped with a crispy panko-breaded pork cutlet, along with sides of salad, fukushinzuke red pickles, and a mild, sweet Japanese curry sauce. The highlight was the tonkatsu, which was perfectly breaded and fried and paired nicely with the curry sauce, which was tasty though on the watery side. I also added chopped spinach to the curry, and the red pickles added a nice crunch and acidity to balance out the flavors. Overall, the food here was beautifully presented and came at a good value, though the flavors and the service were just average. The ambiance was simple but nicely decorated with Japanese posters/memorabilia and a TV playing scenes from Japan! read more

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It is a casual, family-run shop that serves very authentic Japanese food, including dishes like Katsu, Curry Udon, Karaage, and Fried Oysters. The quality is excellent and the prices are very reasonable (Note: portions are smaller side). The "must have" is the ramen-set which comes with "Tonkotsu Ramen" with a small bowl of Karaage rice. The ramen soup is one of the best around here. read more

Goodnfood great service Rolls were a little small butnproxe was ok. Sashimi was fresh and tasty. They have narrower down the menu to what they are good at and the venue is well done. read more

Kobeya - Dragon roll - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I have been here a few times lately to order take out. They are short staff right now so it does take a while to get your food. It might take 30 to 45 minutes to get your food. Price of the food is actually decent. I think it is one of the cheapest japanese restaurant around the area that I know, and the food is actually not bad. I really like their tamago roll. If you want to try it, don't come after 7PM because they might have run out of the tamago. The Dragon Roll Super is good too. I have gotten the chicken teriyaki bento, and I think it was good too. I cleaned that plate. I totally recommend this place if you don't mind waiting unless you come at a time there is no one. Parking also depends on the time. It can either be full or semi empty. read more

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Classic Bento and Sushi. Small shop with limited indoor dining. Don't skip this place! my tummy and heart were so happy. Although the portions look small, the food is fulfilling. I want to come back and try the curry! Alaska Roll - Fresh Salmon, so buttery Tempura Roll - Classic and simple Beef Teriyaki Bento - soft and tender read more

Kobeya - Alaska Roll and Tempura Roll - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Cozy mom and pop. I like the curry roux and the gyukatsu is pretty unique in this area

I absolutely love this place. Their sushi and chicken is what i order, and it's incredible. Nice quality ingredients and cooked/prepared to perfection. A lot of people get their food to go, but i recommend dining in if you can. It's super fresh and yummy. The service is always quick, even though it's just the two of them. They're so sweet and remember their regulars. Total mom and pop shop. The shop itself is small, with a simple look. But don't let that deter you! The food is great. They usually have a video playing of a walk-about of Japan. Gives you a tiny slice of life from Japan, which is sweet. This is a business I'm happy to support and I love coming back every time. Please check them out!! read more

Kobeya - Chicken Katsu Plate - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is a Japanese native owned place in San Mateo which reminds you of cafe food in Japan. It's casual dining at its best. A real gem- doesn't get crowded and not many seats. Get the chicken namban. I can't think of another place in the Bay Area that sells this. read more

Stopped in for quick lunch while in the area. Nice & quiet lunch spot with great quality bento box lunch. I had the tempura which was excellent--dipping sauce was like my auntie & mom used to make and my daughter had katsu chicken curry also tasty. They have sushi which also looked yummy. Look forward to stopping by again soon!! read more

My most favorite Japanese restaurant! Hard to find a Japanese restaurant owned by Japanese. We order today almost every week here!

When we first came in the cashier was extremely rude (older woman) and told me I was not allowed a water cup unless I brought my own drink. After paying we were brought our food and the edamame was coated in salt, like an unnecessary amount. The food itself was fine, but when we requested chopsticks she told us no, and that we were not allowed to use chopsticks with katsu curry (although other customers were given chopsticks). The lady was also very rude while bringing our food, yelling at us for trying to touch the plate, for moving a table because we could not fit all the food on one table, and ignored us when we said thank you. She basically slammed our food and drinks on to the table. I asked if she had change for a cash tip and she told me she was not allowed to open the cash register, then proceeded to become angry when I was unable to tip because of this. The service in this restaurant is so bad it's almost laughable. Will not be coming back here. read more

Kobeya - SALT with some edamame - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

my bf and i get takeout from here pretty regularly! we love how clean and simple the food is and at a fair price! i feel like the food is also quality and just tastes fresh :) definitely an underrated place in the area! - spicy tuna roll $7.50 i always get this because i'm basic but also because it tastes so good here and quality seems great! so simple and straightforward but yummy! - california roll $6.50 arguably more basic than spicy tuna roll but i can just get these 2 rolls and feel satisfied honestly! and it's priced so fairly compared to other places!! - bento box ~$13 we've tried the chicken teriyaki, salmon teriyaki, and chicken katsu bentos and we love them all! affordable price for a good amount of food! it comes with rice, mac salad, normal salad, and like a japchae-esque noodle side which is so good! - fyi this place def gives mom and pop vibes. it's not super fancy or anything but has a nice cozy feel! if you want to do takeout, definitely call in advance because they don't have a lot of people working so it can take some time! tl;dr this place is a go-to takeout place for me. super fair prices for super quality food! read more

Excellent food. Reasonable prices. Entertaining space to eat. Next to lots of other fun shops read more

Kobeya - Ton Katsu Curry Rice - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

This place is great for San Mateo location I am a true believer in difficult times we must come together as a community and support our local business. So here we are We ate here right before the shelter in place Very delicious Fast service Pictures worth a thousand words read more

Kobeya - Chicken Katsu Curry Rice - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

The food was pretty good and inexpensive. I got a chicken Katsura bento box for lunch and it was really tasty. My friend got tonkatsu and it was a little dry. But I take a star off for the cashier. When I went to pay, the price jumped up to the price of three bento boxes. I confirmed I was ordering two and she noted her head. I asked her why the price was so high and she pressed a few buttons and the price displayed was the price of two Bento boxes. But when I went to insert the price quickly jump back up to the three Bento box price. Again, I asked her why it was so much and she pressed a few buttons and brought it back down to the correct price. Pay attention to your bill - they will add in charges for things that you did not buy. The store hours are also not reliable. We arrive right around 11:30, but they did not open until noon contrary to the hours published on the website and yelp read more

Our first time here, a chicken karaage curry (with white rice, egg, pickles), vegetarian gyoza, and avocado salmon sushi roll. None of it edible. The gyoza overly fried a bed the filling indistinguishable, the sushi mainly avocado and salmon hardly fresh. The curry was an abysmal one dimensional overly curried, strong punch flavor, no nuance no layering no complexity no nothing. I had one spoon and was finished. The chicken was good, though not the best. It was crispy fried and the meat cooked ask the way through, greasy in good way. It's a bare bones no frills place with waaaaay too much flickering lights from television and whatever wise neon lights. The services is efficient, parking available, but for the quality of food here, the prices seem too much. I would not go back. read more

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This place is such a gem because of its affordable prices and good quality food. It has a more casual vibe and would be a good place for a quick bite to eat. I came by for dinner with a friend on a Friday night and street parking was easy to find. The restaurant is small but it wasn't busy so we got seated right away. I got the Chicken Karaage Curry, it was only $12 and the portion size was perfect. The curry sauce did not have any potatoes or carrots in it but the dish still felt complete with the amount of chicken it came with, and also the side salad. Would definitely come back and try the sushi or bento boxes! read more

Kobeya - Chicken Karaage Curry - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

We went for lunch and tried the ebi fry curry, chicken karaage curry, teriyaki chicken, and California roll. Everything was delicious and PERFECTLY cooked (moist and crispy and flavorful). My favorite was the chicken karaage :) Overall a great meal at a good price and good service, so will be coming back soon! read more

Kobeya - Ebi Fry Curry Rice - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

Continuing to try various Japanese restaurants all over the Bay, Kobeya was a vying option for me after passing by it a few times and seeing some of the photos here on Yelp. After taking a few minutes to look over their menu, I decided to take out an order of their Beef Teriyaki Bento for around 12 dollars a plate at the time of this review. I waited about 10 minutes and then proceeded to go pick up the food. When I got there, I paid for my food with the staff, which is quite normal. But what wasn't normal was after I paid, the person proceeded to return to doing their tasks in the restaurant, leaving me to stand there for a little while wondering where my food was. After maybe 10 minutes, a person walks in with a bag and puts it on the table. The waitress then told me my food was there. I was astonished to see that my food was taken by someone else. Even more so, I was surprised that the person did not mention this mistake. This mix up with food happens pretty often, so I didn't think much of it. But the fact the staff did not acknowledge it or even try to correct it made it feel like the issue wasn't important enough for the staff. Brushing that aside, I took my plate home and opened the box to check the quantity. In all, there wasn't much food in the box for what I would consider a bento box. The beef teriyaki and and rice was given in a fine quantity, but the side of macaroni salad, noodle salad, and vegetable salad was a little lackluster. After a few bites, all of the sides were gone. For a Japanese restaurant in Downtown San Mateo, 12 dollars is on the more cheaper side, which also explains why the quantity given was a little less. From looking at the price to portion ratio, it is fair. But keep in mind that because the portion is lighter, I wouldn't recommend eating here only if you're looking for a light meal for a cheaper price. But at the same time, you could get food from a more expensive restaurant that gives more quantity and save the remaining food for later or buy some grab and go food from a grocery store for a little less with the same quantity. Overall not terrible. The taste of the items was good for the price point, but it was nothing stellar. The noodle salad was alright with a semi-sweet noodle. But...it wasn't really a salad, it seemed to be noodles only with a few small bits of carrots and seaweed. The macaroni salad was a little hard with chunky pieces of macaroni. It tasted more like a potato salad because of how firm and blended it tasted. The vegetable salad was good with overall fresh ingredients and a different scale of ingredients from the large cucumber to the small cabbage. But at the same time, it was rather bland. It's close to impossible for a salad to be bland due to the fresh nature of a salad. But given the top had some salad dressing, I expected to taste it. Lastly, the beef teriyaki surprised me as the beef was actually a cut of steak! Most places usually will provide a bulgogi beef, which ends up being overly marinated. This beef teriyaki was refreshing because of the steak meat used. But I'd say that's where the good parts end for the beef. It was mildly dry, only being helped by the sauce on top. Juiciness was just not there. From all of this, the good thing I'd say the food tasted light. Kobeya in all gets a 3/5 from me. The service from the restaurant wasn't the best, especially for a restaurant that wasn't busy at the time. Making mistakes is normal. Not acknowledging mistakes and correcting them if needed isn't normal. The portion size was fair for 12 dollars, but I did feel hungry after leaving the meal. If looking to eat some cheap steak though, this could be your place. The taste of the food was decent for 12 dollars, but wasn't entirely the best food to be had. Given the menu is a bit small, I am inclined to say most of the items are probably like this. I personally may give them a try in the future, but it's going to be a little while. read more

Kobeya - Grilled Beef Teriyaki Plate - Japanese Curry Near Me - San Mateo, California

We regularly order takeout from Kobeya and the quality of the food is consistently excellent. Portion sizes are not huge but given the quality, it's a very good value. We will continue to keep them in our regular dinner rotation. read more