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this is such a nice spot for high quality fresh sushi in san carlos! we stopped by to have dinner for my sisters birthday. there was no wait on a thursday evening. the space is open, clean, and inviting with plenty of natural light throughout the storefront! parking isn't the easiest in the area, but the location in downtown san carlos is great. we had a couple of rolls, sashimi/nigiri, karaage, veggie tempura, a bento, and the tuna poke. they have a really wide variety of both sushi/sashimi as well as hot food options like udon, bentos, rice bowls, etc. the quality of the fish is really nice and the hot food in the bento was yummy! the karaage was also nice and fresh with aioli on the side. service was also very helpful and friendly. overall, a great spot to have a chill lunch or dinner. would recommend it if you're craving sushi in the san carlos area!
We're lucky that Owada is one of the closest restaurants to our house, so we end up coming here quite often (and we wave hello when we're walking by even if we aren't eating here). It's a common destination on a Friday evening after a long week or a Saturday evening after the kids have played soccer. Owada clinched 5 stars from me when we came a while back and the owner recited our usual order to us - gyoza, agedashi tofu, California roll, teriyaki chicken bento box, beef udon, seaweed salad, hamachi kama, and a bowl of rice (those last three are for me when I'm eating out but don't want to overdo it). Occasionally I'll swap out the hamachi kama for a chirashi bowl which is colorful and packed with fresh fish and cucumbers and avocado. We always enjoy our food and meals here. We tend to order more of the cooked food but the sushi has been tasty too. The delicious food and casual atmosphere make for a great place to bring the family. The owners and staff are super friendly and will ask where someone is if we show up without them. As an added bonus the TV is usually showing an exciting sporting event. It's nice to have a regular spot where they know us!
This is a great local sushi spot for reasonably priced Japanese food. The chirashi bowl stands out -- excellent overall and presented beautifully. It comes in a flat bowl - this is something I never knew I wanted. It allows them to deliver the perfect rice ratio, and, deliver it consistently across the entire bowl. No cave of rice in the middle at the bottom. A small touch, making a nice experience. Upgrading to the deluxe seems to add ebi and uni, which were both good. Service was attentive and friendly!
I met a good friend for a casual dinner at Owada in San Carlos as it was conveniently located in between SF and the South Bay with good Yelp reviews. It's a small clean place with about a dozen tables and a sushi counter with a friendly staff and fast service, but they allowed a couple to keep a standard poodle in the dining area that was NOT a service dog. We ordered Agedashi Tofu, California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Rock n Roll and a Bento with chicken teriyaki and tempura. All the sushi was great, especially the Rock n Roll, with fresh ingredients and perfectly cooked rice, but the rest of what we ordered was just okay. The Agedashi tofu had a crisp exterior and tender tofu, but it was bland and the sauce was a bit watery. The teriyaki chicken was overcooked and dry, the portions of the tempura were good, but the coating was dense without any panko with a slightly soggy interior. Net-net, based on what we ordered, I'd probably try again for take out if we were in the mood for good sushi.
Had a really relaxing date lunch here with hubby - loved this place! Pros: Pretty reasonable portions for the price. We were stuffed with 1 roll, 1 bluefin maki, and their chirashi bowl Their chirashi bowl is phenomenal. The rice is perfectly seasoned with roe and the pieces of fish are fresh and generously sized, alongside tamago, fresh avocado, cucumber and micro greens. I would say this was definitely a shareable size. Get this!! The golden gate roll was not a slouch either- really good roll with jalapeños. Spacious and has decent amount of seating. Cons: Parking is street side and can be busy. Service was somewhat slow and the place wasn't busy - food prep speed made sense as everything was obviously freshly made to order but even flagging for the bill took a while.
I ordered a Chirashi Combo and the Salmon Lover Roll. I really liked the quality of the fish and portion sizing. The rolls are more traditional style (have less intense sauces than others) and a lot of the rolls have imitation crab. I would come back again for the Chirashi. The staff was nice and the seating was spacious
Stopped by for lunch and was seated immediately, the space is bright and open. We ordered the chirashi bowl and a hamachi Kama between the two of us, and it was the perfect amount. The chirashi bowl is fresh and a great deal, would come back to order that again and maybe try a roll!
O-wow-da! Have been meaning to come here for years and just never did, but had been craving sushi for many weeks and decided it was time. Full disclosure I don't eat raw sushi its a texture thing for me but I have my main standbys at Japanese restaurants for testing control purposes and branch out from there - California roll, shrimp tempura roll, and rock n roll but I usually do that my 2nd trip after testing the second two because not everybody can do eel well and some leave tons of bones in it. Because I start with the basics it's easy for me to compare quality between restaurants. But I'm no sushi expert if you do the raw stuff. Anyways, I could tell immediately O would beat out Sakura and the teppanyaki place nearby in terms of quality. And I was right! Waitress was also super attentive as well, very quick and sweet =) Glad to have finally tried this yummy spot now I know where to go when I have a craving!
OWNERS PLEASE EQUIP MORE STAFF IN THE RESTAURANT. The food is so amazing I just wish you were better staffed. Our miso was brought at the end of the meal, my water was empty for most of the meal, three sushi roles were brought immediately and then two were brought 10-15 minutes later. Our server was super nice however couldn't run the whole restaurant. I really love the food here and would hate to have the inadequate service steer myself and others from returning.
We loved this spot. The street parking was fairly ample for a Monday night, and the place filled up fast (it's pretty small with about 8-9 tables total). There was only one chef preparing the sushi, so our orders took much longer than usual. The waitress was kind and attentive. Our nigiri and omakase were super fresh and delicious!
21 days ago
10 months ago
Reliable local Japanese establishment with a nice $20 lunch set. I chose the tonkatsu and tempura for my two items and everything was fresh and well prepared. Tempura had broccoli, zucchini, shrimp, yam, carrot and string bean. To katsu wasn't too thin nor had any fat, which I prefer. Comes with salad, rice and miso soup. read more
this is such a nice spot for high quality fresh sushi in san carlos! we stopped by to have dinner for my sisters birthday. there was no wait on a thursday evening. the space is open, clean, and inviting with plenty of natural light throughout the storefront! parking isn't the easiest in the area, but the location in downtown san carlos is great. we had a couple of rolls, sashimi/nigiri, karaage, veggie tempura, a bento, and the tuna poke. they have a really wide variety of both sushi/sashimi as well as hot food options like udon, bentos, rice bowls, etc. the quality of the fish is really nice and the hot food in the bento was yummy! the karaage was also nice and fresh with aioli on the side. service was also very helpful and friendly. overall, a great spot to have a chill lunch or dinner. would recommend it if you're craving sushi in the san carlos area! read more
We're lucky that Owada is one of the closest restaurants to our house, so we end up coming here quite often (and we wave hello when we're walking by even if we aren't eating here). It's a common destination on a Friday evening after a long week or a Saturday evening after the kids have played soccer. Owada clinched 5 stars from me when we came a while back and the owner recited our usual order to us - gyoza, agedashi tofu, California roll, teriyaki chicken bento box, beef udon, seaweed salad, hamachi kama, and a bowl of rice (those last three are for me when I'm eating out but don't want to overdo it). Occasionally I'll swap out the hamachi kama for a chirashi bowl which is colorful and packed with fresh fish and cucumbers and avocado. We always enjoy our food and meals here. We tend to order more of the cooked food but the sushi has been tasty too. The delicious food and casual atmosphere make for a great place to bring the family. The owners and staff are super friendly and will ask where someone is if we show up without them. As an added bonus the TV is usually showing an exciting sporting event. It's nice to have a regular spot where they know us! read more
This is a great local sushi spot for reasonably priced Japanese food. The chirashi bowl stands out -- excellent overall and presented beautifully. It comes in a flat bowl - this is something I never knew I wanted. It allows them to deliver the perfect rice ratio, and, deliver it consistently across the entire bowl. No cave of rice in the middle at the bottom. A small touch, making a nice experience. Upgrading to the deluxe seems to add ebi and uni, which were both good. Service was attentive and friendly! read more
1 year ago
I met a good friend for a casual dinner at Owada in San Carlos as it was conveniently located in between SF and the South Bay with good Yelp reviews. It's a small clean place with about a dozen tables and a sushi counter with a friendly staff and fast service, but they allowed a couple to keep a standard poodle in the dining area that was NOT a service dog. We ordered Agedashi Tofu, California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Rock n Roll and a Bento with chicken teriyaki and tempura. All the sushi was great, especially the Rock n Roll, with fresh ingredients and perfectly cooked rice, but the rest of what we ordered was just okay. The Agedashi tofu had a crisp exterior and tender tofu, but it was bland and the sauce was a bit watery. The teriyaki chicken was overcooked and dry, the portions of the tempura were good, but the coating was dense without any panko with a slightly soggy interior. Net-net, based on what we ordered, I'd probably try again for take out if we were in the mood for good sushi. read more
9 months ago
Owada is our go-to spot for Japanese food in the Belmont/San Carlos area. The service is always great, the food is delicious, and the portion sizes are very reasonable read more
5 months ago
3 months ago
Had a really relaxing date lunch here with hubby - loved this place! Pros: Pretty reasonable portions for the price. We were stuffed with 1 roll, 1 bluefin maki, and their chirashi bowl Their chirashi bowl is phenomenal. The rice is perfectly seasoned with roe and the pieces of fish are fresh and generously sized, alongside tamago, fresh avocado, cucumber and micro greens. I would say this was definitely a shareable size. Get this!! The golden gate roll was not a slouch either- really good roll with jalapeños. Spacious and has decent amount of seating. Cons: Parking is street side and can be busy. Service was somewhat slow and the place wasn't busy - food prep speed made sense as everything was obviously freshly made to order but even flagging for the bill took a while. read more
I ordered a Chirashi Combo and the Salmon Lover Roll. I really liked the quality of the fish and portion sizing. The rolls are more traditional style (have less intense sauces than others) and a lot of the rolls have imitation crab. I would come back again for the Chirashi. The staff was nice and the seating was spacious read more
Stopped by for lunch and was seated immediately, the space is bright and open. We ordered the chirashi bowl and a hamachi Kama between the two of us, and it was the perfect amount. The chirashi bowl is fresh and a great deal, would come back to order that again and maybe try a roll! read more
O-wow-da! Have been meaning to come here for years and just never did, but had been craving sushi for many weeks and decided it was time. Full disclosure I don't eat raw sushi its a texture thing for me but I have my main standbys at Japanese restaurants for testing control purposes and branch out from there - California roll, shrimp tempura roll, and rock n roll but I usually do that my 2nd trip after testing the second two because not everybody can do eel well and some leave tons of bones in it. Because I start with the basics it's easy for me to compare quality between restaurants. But I'm no sushi expert if you do the raw stuff. Anyways, I could tell immediately O would beat out Sakura and the teppanyaki place nearby in terms of quality. And I was right! Waitress was also super attentive as well, very quick and sweet =) Glad to have finally tried this yummy spot now I know where to go when I have a craving! read more
2 years ago
OWNERS PLEASE EQUIP MORE STAFF IN THE RESTAURANT. The food is so amazing I just wish you were better staffed. Our miso was brought at the end of the meal, my water was empty for most of the meal, three sushi roles were brought immediately and then two were brought 10-15 minutes later. Our server was super nice however couldn't run the whole restaurant. I really love the food here and would hate to have the inadequate service steer myself and others from returning. read more
2 years ago
We loved this spot. The street parking was fairly ample for a Monday night, and the place filled up fast (it's pretty small with about 8-9 tables total). There was only one chef preparing the sushi, so our orders took much longer than usual. The waitress was kind and attentive. Our nigiri and omakase were super fresh and delicious! read more
1 year ago
This place has never disappointed me and they have awesome food and highly recommended as always :) read more
1 year ago
This is a great restaurant. The food is fresh and yummy! Omakase Sashimi is my favorite. It's really good! Recommend it! The service is great too! read more
I was on my way to drop my friend off at the airport at the airport and needed somewhere to grab dinner before hand. This place was recommended to me by a friend, so I thought we could check it out. EXPERIENCE My friend and I walked in for dinner on. Week night. It was relatively empty and we were seated right away. The service was minimal but efficient. FOOD (5/5) Chirashi Combo - a large bowl of food, you should honestly split it with someone else. A mix of salmon, tuna, tamago (egg), yellow tail, ikura (fish eggs) maybe one more fish(?) and cucumber, avocado, sprouts all chopped up over rice. I very quickly reached the point of only eating the fish and leaving the rice behind. It was really good and fresh fish! OVERALL I would come back here again! Their ingredients are fresh and they have good portion sizes. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Food was very good and the servers are very attentive here. The sake paired well with the sushi! read more
New Japanese restaurant in San Carlos, gave it a try and it's pretty good. Service: 5 stars Food: 5 stars Presentation: 5+ stars The staff recommended me to get their Delux Chirashi, I was a bit hesitated at first but glad she did, as the dish arrives, I can't stop appreciating how good it looks and so as its taste. Their flavor is on the lighter side, which I like b/c that means less sodium and doesn't seem like they add MSG. Hope they keep up the good work! Will return again! read more
11 months ago
2 words: fresh and thick! I came in a Friday evening on a date. It was fairly slow, we had no issues with the street parking. I came for 2 reasons - the Chirashi bowl and the Omakase. This is my first Chirashi bowl, and I was satisfied with the beautiful and vibrant presentation. Each cut of the Omakase was quite thick. The fish is also super fresh, you can tell by how firm they are. I have to say that flavor of both orders were fairly mild, more mild than my preferred pallet. However, it was good for balancing out the miso soup, which was a little too salty. The shrimp tempura was laughably small. The overall ambiance was pretty nice. Everything inside looked clean. Our table was pretty small, but that wasn't a problem because the service was great. Each order was brought individually and was paced very well. They refilled our teas and picked up our trash from opening up chopsticks. They were very considerate about not interrupting us, while still giving us a friendly smile. I also appreciated the waitress who warned us that we were ordering too much, as we initially planned to place 2 orders of the Omakase. Glad she did that, because by the end of our meal with just 1 order of the Omakase, we were beyond full. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Very cute place down the street from us! We came here on a whim because we were craving Japanese food and didn't want to drive. Happy to know that a great little place is available for us whenever we are in the mood again! We ordered the beef bento special and the lion king roll. Both were delicious! I can't say the lion king roll I had was the best one I've ever had, but it is not bad, so I definitely won't complain! Service was so quick, attentive, and very sweet! Our waitress really seemed like she loved her job. I appreciate that! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
So listen. The portions were HUGE. The fish was okay. The rice was hot?? Making the fish lukewarm?? The restaurant dining area was also so hot, that it made eating lukewarm sashimi extremely uncomfortable. Speaking of the huge portions, I barely ate half bc, um, lukewarm raw fish worries me a bit. Or a lot bit regarding refrigeration. The bud and I got a large cold beer to share. It was the only thing to cool us down. And nope, wasn't the weather. It was cooler outside than inside the restaurant. Frankly, idk if they don't have a better/proper air ventilation system, and simply relied on opening the front door. I'm sure others may have had better experiences at different times of the day. But tbh, based on our experience of the food, service, and ambiance itself, neither of us would return. 2.5/5 read more
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More info about Owada
894 Laurel St
San Carlos, CA 94070
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(650) 637-9793
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https://www.owadasushi.com
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Ask the Community - Owada
Is there outside seating?
Just stopped by today. There is no outside seating here. But the food is nom nom, so try and grab it to go if you're in the area.
Is the only difference between the regular chirashi and deluxe chirashi the uni and amaebi?
The waiter reported that the difference between them is that, in addition to everything in the chirashi, the deluxe chirashi also has uni, Amaebi and scallops.
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