Sushi Maruyama is tucked on the outskirts of downtown san mateo with plenty of street parking…read morearound. My partner made reservations the day before and we got to be seated at the counter. What we ordered; 8pc omakase $63 each Hamachi jalapeño roll $13 Crunchy roll $16 King salmon truffle hand roll $15 We loved every single piece of the omakase! I felt every fresh cut was hand picked very well. We ordered other rolls thinking we needed more full but omakase was enough as the rolls didn't satisfy us as much. Will definitely come back for the omakase again!

What a fantastic sushi spot in downtown San Mateo!…read more We were blown away by all the nigiri we ordered. Everything was super fresh with great flavor and texture. We wouldn't order the Octopus Karaage or the Miso Black Cos again. The octopus was chewy and the cod was good, but not as flavorful as other places. The service and ambiance is fantastic. Get a reservation well in advance as they're usually booked up at least a week out. We'll be back to try more of their menu.

I haven't had a good hot bowl of beef sukiyaki in a while. Hot pot is not the same for me. Fuji…read moreSukiyaki has vegetable, chicken, seafood, and beef sukiyaki. I ordered the beef sukiyaki, and it had strips of beef, tofu, vegetables, and clear noodles. The broth is made of soy sauce and sweet sake. It wasn't too salty or too sweet. The California roll with tobiko was just right. My pal ordered the chicken and he had no complaints. We came by about 12ish and there were a few people seated but no wait. A few more people and couples came in after us. They took our orders, delivered plates & utensils, and then our food. There were two waitresses and one sushi chef. We did not see the kitchen. It was an old-style Japanese restaurant, not very fancy. It's located on the other side of the railroad tracks from downtown so parking was easy. I would come back if I was in the area.

Love it. It's a little away from the main downtown, but easily accessible. The inside is relatively…read morespacious. Dinner is more popular, whereas when we came for lunch it was easy to get a table. The food tastes fresh and the menu is extensive. They have lunch specials on bento and sushi like chirashi, sashimi, and more. In the evening, at least on the weekend, there's a parking structure nearby on the same block that is free. The place is called sukiyaki, though I have never ordered it. Not sure if I'm missing out.

Tokie's Japanese Cuisine has been one of my go-to spots for years, even back when they were in…read moreFoster City. No matter what you order, you really can't go wrong--everything on the menu is consistently amazing. The atmosphere is always warm and welcoming, which makes every visit feel like you're coming back home. Diane and Victor are incredible hosts and truly make the experience special. I've known them for a long time, and Victor never fails to greet me with a shot of sake--something I always look forward to every time I walk in. Their rolls are absolutely to die for, but as someone who appreciates traditional Japanese flavors, I always find myself going back to the sashimi. It's fresh, clean, and really lets the natural flavors shine. If you're looking for great food, great vibes, and even better people, this place is it.

Tokie, what happened?? Thursday night, around 6 pm. No line got a table quick. In front of…read morerestaurant, only thing is when new people came in the rush of cold air , forcing us to keep the jackets on. They did move us to a table closer in , without asking to be changed. Ordered the deep fried oysters, $11. Got three small oysters and tartare sauce. Not worth getting, my kids food came out because they ordered cooked food, katsu and grilled salmon. The problem was the restaurant was not that busy . Two sushi people. My kids had finished eating and my food or my wife's dinner had not come out . Not that it was complicated. A tokie special roll and another basic roll off the menu. They didn't even have to cook it! I am so disappointed. Overall probably stick to cooked food if you Don't want to eat after everyone is done eating. ‍. Bang for the buck not so much anymore.

For starters...i went for my birthday and got forgotten at the end :( as the person next to me…read morereceived a bouquet which was a little upsetting given the price point, but staff was still incredibly nice and apologetic about it. Regardless, this was a great omakase experience. Definitely no frills. Each piece was so delicious and intentional. Absolutely loved the different textures presented throughout all the dishes. Hospitality was also so sweet, had great explanations for all of the sake tastings. There was appx. 8 seatings. Probably one of my favorites in the bay.

My third time here and I'm so sorry I neglected to write my review until now! Chef Yoshizumi never…read moredisappoints. It's a bit pricey but it's likely the best omakase experience in the Bay Area. Every course is well thought out and delicately prepared. Top quality on freshness and the flavors chef kiss. Chef Yoshizumi's calm demeanor transports you back to Japan. With quite a bit of omakase experience around the world, I can say that Sushi Yoshizumi's is truly a one of a kind experience with his attention to detail, the obvious expert cuts of top tier fresh fish, the private limited seating of the restaurant, and the front row viewing. If none or some of these things don't matter to you then maybe the price point may not be worth it. But it's definitely worth trying at least once if you love sashimi! As others have said before, booking reservations can be tricky and must be done a month in advance. Check website for specifics!

AYCE sushi in Downtown San Mateo! Came to Ultra Sushi on a Saturday evening and it was overall a…read moredecent experience. Though on the pricier side ($45.99 per person w/o tax + tip), the quality of fish is better than most AYCE sushi spots that I've visited in the Bay Area. My favorite things to order were their Sake (Salmon) Belly Nigiri, Fish Crush (fish on fried shiso topped with salmon), and Robata (skewers), but you can't go wrong with any of the sashimi or roll options! Service was a bit lacking but we did go on a busy Saturday evening. We had to call a waiter or waitress to give us the tablet to order each round, and we ended up making it to 5 rounds within the 90 minutes they give for the AYCE. They also have a rule for ordering where each person can only order one starred item per round - which I found a little strange at first. I did appreciate how the AYCE came with hot sake though! We didn't have a reservation and almost had to wait an hour, but a spot was open where we squished our party of 5 to a 4 person booth (I'd recommend making a resy). The overall decor of the place is nice, while the ambiance was pretty busy but relaxed. It's in a prime location on San Mateo downtown which was also a plus. I think I would definitely come back another time if I'm looking for an AYCE sushi place!

I was not going to make this review but it has to be done…read more It was my first time here with my kids, big sushi fan. We decided to come here for dinner with my brother and best friend, who was just here for lunch a week before. Their experience was good because the pricing for lunch is $9 less for the same exact menu. They had the full menu, which included the UNI, SCALLOP and that's all we cared for to be honest. We got there during dinner hours and were seated right away, party of 6. The place was nice and modern inside and staff was friendly. System: The way it works is that 2 non-star item and 1 star item per person per round. No problem, or should I say there is a problem. They DID NOT have UNI and SCALLOP available to order. So I'd ask about the ame-ebi and there is an additional charge. Now, these are like the main star items and they're out! So now we are just having oysters and so call Wagyu nigiri. Oysters were not the freshest and the rice fish/beef ratio on the nigiri was OMG, SMH. Well, at least it comes with free soft drinks and sake. I would not recommend coming, especially for dinner at $60 per person after tips and tax. If you are going to come, come for lunch and call first see what they Don't have. Now, their sashimi is pretty fresh but that's about it.

We visited Noma Sushi on a Thursday evening and got seated right away with no reservation. This…read morespot was tricky to find, since it was tucked away and quite small. The vibe was very casual with no frills. I started with a Miso Soup, which was expectedly good. We also got the Spicy Tuna Tartare Tacos to share between the 3 of us, which was perfect because it came in 3 pieces. My friend and I then ordered the Bluefin Lover's roll and Double Hamachi roll to share. Both of these were awesome! The fish was so tasty and fresh and the flavors went together really well. It was hard to pick a favorite between the two! I also tried a bit of my other friend's Geisha roll, which was nice but less memorable. Service was friendly and quick, and pricing was pretty standard.

No wait for my party of 4 on a Sunday lunch. Pretty small restaurant but cozy. Service is good,…read morefood came out fairly quickly. We shared the salmon sampler appetizer and 4 rolls: spicy crunch, mango spider, noma roll, and bluefin lovers. Salmon sampler was pretty good. I wasn't a huge fan of the smoked salmon but I loved the regular salmon and salmon belly sashimi. My favorite roll was hands down the mango spider. I usually love rolls with mango, and this one was so fresh with a LOT of crab on top. I also liked the spicy crunch roll and noma roll as well. The bluefin lovers roll was surprisingly my least favorite - I had the highest expectations for this roll due to the seared bluefin tuna and the black truffle, but we felt like it ended up being too heavy and too much. I think it would've been better if it were just the bluefin tuna with truffle on top as sashimi, without the rice/roll part, but just my opinion. Portions were very generous with thick cuts of fish and prices were reasonable. Overall I'd recommend this restaurant for solid sushi!

Nice handroll bar . Simple menu but with many good selection…read more Their Toro and scallop spectral rolls are good . I like my salmon belly but dislike the soft shell crabs . It has too much batter and I cannot taste any crab . Too oily as well . Clean and organized. They can make you a to go box as well . All the different hand rolls will be individually wrapped . Good place to have a beer and chat with friends .

I love this spot for lunch! With cozy bar seating and an open kitchen, they serve each hand roll…read moreone at a time, paced to match how you eat. As a slow eater, I really appreciate never feeling rushed. It's honestly like dinner and a show watching everything come together right in front of you. Serving the rolls one by one also keeps the seaweed perfectly crispy for every bite... and let's be real, there's nothing worse than soggy seaweed! I recommend Set C: it's my tried and true. Just the right amount for lunch with a great variety of fillings. My favorites were the salmon belly and the scallop. Both were sweet, rich, and honestly had me considering ordering seconds. Next time I come back, I'm definitely thinking about trying the uni hand roll. They're pretty generous with the uni! One small note: since the kitchen is open, it was a little awkward at one point to quietly witness the chefs disagreeing on portion size. It didn't ruin the experience, but it might be something better taken to the back so guests can keep enjoying the show.

APPLE IS THE BEST!!i love this palce! Ilove it! Enjoy…read moredrinking and eating. Food was exceptional and service with apple the server was amazing! Thanks for the great service apple!

Alma is the best! Great sushi and even better energy . Such a great place, highly recommendread more

The crispy fish skin combined with the aroma of eel creates a very delicious fried rice. I did not…read moreexpect to find such a good Japanese restaurant in a location that is quite far from the center of the food district. Besides the fried rice, the tuna and salmon sashimi are large, fresh, and high quality. Many times when I eat sashimi that is not very clean, it upsets my stomach and makes me want to use the restroom. However, the food here is both clean and fresh, and I had absolutely no discomfort after the meal. I also ordered chawanmushi and stir fried udon, both of which were very well executed. I would give full marks to this restaurant for both its sashimi dishes and main courses. The service is good, the environment is clean, and the dishes are priced normally, perhaps slightly on the higher side, but the value for money is reasonable. The only downside is that parking around this area is quite difficult. Overall, however, I would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys omakase and appreciates high quality Japanese cuisine. 酥脆的魚皮加上鰻魚的香味，交織成一盤非常好吃的炒飯。我沒有想到在這麼偏離美食街中心的位置還有這一家好吃的日本料理。除了炒飯之外，鮪魚和鮭魚生魚片大片又新鮮，很多時候我吃不乾淨的生魚片料理會想上廁所，這家的食物又乾淨又新鮮，我在餐後完全沒有不良的反應。我也點了蒸蛋和炒烏龍麵，也是表現的非常不錯，我對這家餐廳的生魚片料理和主食給予滿分評價，良好的服務，乾淨的環境，正常且略為高價的料理，但是性價比合理。美中不足的地方是這附近停車非常困難，不過總體來說，推薦給喜歡吃Omakase的各位老饕。

Haven't been back in yearssss so felt like I was coming for the first time. I remember it being…read moresmaller and more intimate for some reason. In any case, we got a window seat which I appreciated. Enjoyed the chirashi don and nigiri particularly. I don't think it's a value spot nor "night out" vibes, maybe something in between But lengthy menu has something for everyone. Service is friendly but they are busy so you may need to flag them down and also wait a bit for orders.

Kajiken hits the spot between comfort and pure gluttony! I typically do not love noodle places, but…read morethis is on another level. I have been to Kajiken twice now, and it has been absolutely delicious each time. It is located in downtown San Mateo, so it does not have its own dedicated parking lot. If you come on the weekend, it can be harder to find parking, and the likelihood of a wait is high. When it gets busy, there is a section outside for you to line up. The servers typically come out to the folks closest to the front of the line and hand them menus so they can decide what they want before being seated. When it is not as busy, you can walk in directly and request a table. The shop itself actually has a lot of seating, but there is always an influx of people, so it fills up quickly. The interior gives off a nice modern Japanese chic vibe. :) They also offer outdoor patio seating, which is great if you are trying to enjoy a nice day outside. I have tried both their Wagyu Roast Beef Aburasoba and their Soboro Aburasoba. The roast beef is tender and adds a nice chew against the silky noodles, while the soboro chicken is juicy and coats your mouth with a savory soy flavor. Additionally, I've had their karaage on both occasions I visited, and it was succulent! I love how the juice from the chicken balances with the generous amount of grated ginger and green onion. This place is definitely worth a try! If you can go on a weekday before the dinner rush from people getting off their 9-5 jobs, that would probably be the optimal time frame. I came here on a Wednesday around 6:15 PM, and it was not too bad until around 7 PM when it started getting busy.

I was in San Mateo, and I was hungry. I checked Yelp and Google, and there were so many places to…read morechoose from, I didn't know what to pick. I checked Michelin, and it help me narrow it down to Kajiken. As I walked to Kajiken, I knew I was getting close because it was the only place that had a line-up outside. There were probably 12-14 people waiting, and I wondering if I should find another place because I didn't want to wait. Fortunately, as a single diner, they sat me right away. I ended up ordering the Original Aburasoba and it came in about 5 minutes. It was good. Great texture, good flavours, and a reasonable serving size. Service was fine but minimal. Dining area is typical of modern ramen places. Overall, a nice quick meal. Maybe closer to a 3.5 or 3.75 as it was good, but I was also very hungry. I would consider returning.