Sushi Maruyama is a hidden gem with excellent quality fish and ingredients throughout their menu…read more Their omakase is one of the best I've had in the area, especially at this price point. The sushi chefs really know what they're doing and are incredibly kind and welcoming. I also really appreciate how attentive they are without being intrusive. They seem to know when to give you privacy and space and when to interact and engage with you. They're always friendly and working with a smile, which makes the experience even more enjoyable. This is definitely a place I'll be coming back to, and I'll happily use any special occasion as an excuse to return. I've already recommended Sushi Maruyama to several coworkers and friends, and I can easily see it becoming a go-to spot for me.

Solid local spot with fresh fish and great service! We…read morestumbled upon this place without a reservation and ended up waiting about 20 minutes since it was packed, but the table turnover was quick. Seeing an all-Japanese kitchen staff and sushi chefs immediately gave us good expectations--unlike a lot of Instagram-viral sushi spots run by non-Japanese owners where we've been disappointed before. It's not a flashy, high-end fine dining restaurant, but rather a clean, welcoming neighborhood sushi joint. The overall quality is very solid: sticking to the basics, well-executed, and super fresh with zero fishiness. We ordered the 8-piece Chef's Omakase (which came with a complimentary Tamago for $63--prices seem to vary depending on the daily fresh catches listed on their daily specials board). Most people seem to order the omakase and then add extra dishes. We also ordered: * Hamachi Kama * Deep-Fried Baby Octopus (wonderfully tender and delicious!) * Salmon Tacos * Miso Soup We paired everything with a dry, clean sake that complemented the sushi perfectly. The service was exceptionally friendly throughout our meal. While it's not a "mind-blowing" fine-dining experience, finding a reliable, fresh, and well-priced sushi spot like this in the area is a huge win. We'll definitely be coming back whenever we're nearby!

I can't believe that I haven't tried this restaurant in the 20+ years that it's been around…read moredowntown San Mateo, but today was the day! We were looking for some light snacks & drinks to have before our Saturday night movie, and I finally came to try Fuji Sukiyaki. Nestled on the corner of Claremont & 3rd Avenue on the outskirts of the downtown food district, Fuji Sukiyaki is a nice, authentic, small Japanese restaurant serving good quality, reasonably priced, delicious Japanese food. The space itself isn't fancy, rather its plain & simple, and the focus here is on good Japanese food such as sushi, sashimi, nigiri, noodles, and comfort rice dishes. Everything tasted very fresh, portions were good, and service was polite & efficient. Ambiance felt casual, old-school, and no-frills, great for a light dinner on a time schedule. We started with boiled edamame & agedashi tofu appetizers. The edamame was some of the best I've had, it was nicely boiled, the beans had a nice crunchy texture & it was salted perfectly. The agedashi tofu was a generous portion, and the tempura dipping sauce and fish flakes were very tasty and perfectly seasoned. We also tried some Oshinko Maki (yellow pickle) and a Yam roll and they tasted very fresh with good sushi rice & wrapped in a salty Nori roll. I would definitely try more sushi here next time, given that enjoyed the taste of these two samplings so much. To wash it down, we tried the Yuki Nigori Lychee Sake that was a big, elegant bottle that gave us each around 6 servings of delicious & creamy sake. The taste was surprisingly good, it was rather thick, milky, sweet, and not too strong in the alcohol content. This nice drink perfectly washed down everything that we ate, and I wouldn't hesitate to order this $25 bottle again next time. Service was quick, professional, and efficient. Waitstaff walked around taking orders, explaining menu, and offering suggestions or descriptions when asked. The space is clean, airy, bright, and spacious. There is a main sushi bar to watch the chefs create their craft, a lot of tables to accomodate the crowd, and some larger party tables and even a big tatami room in the back with sliding screen doors, for private parties. The bathrooms were also impeccable. It took me 20 years to finally try this place, and now that I have, I plan on coming here more regularly. It is conveniently located, very accessible, and well-priced. The food, service, and ambiance are quick, casual, and simple, just what I like & look for in a casual restaurant to grab a few quick bites & drinks before embarking on nighttime plans & activities. Will be back soon!

Have had several great meals here recently. Their take home…read moregame is pretty on point too. I'm old school. I hate the idea of random booger pickers in filthy cars delivering my food. I hate the idea of a stupid ass iPhone app taking a cut from me and a cut from the business I want to support. I do what I've always done. I call Fuji Sukiyaki and I'm always greeted by a pleasant employee who takes my order. When I get there I chill and have a tea and read. I've never waited more than ten minutes and my food is always perfect. It's faster than Derp Dash and there are fewer fudge factors. The owner is always pleasant and the rolls are always good. Every thing we've ever ordered has been as described in the menu and has been tasty. Love this place !!

We had a great time eating here. We went towards the end of the night, but were still treated to…read moreexcellent food, wonderful & friendly service, and good drinks, we never felt rushed, neglected, or resented for being one of the final diners & drinkers. This restaurant/bar is among one of the best, fun, and hospitable family-owned Japanese restaurants in San Mateo (along with Sushi Edomata, Izakaya Mai, and Fuji Sukiyaki) serving tasty food, delicious cocktails, and attentive service in a spacious, clean, and dynamic atmosphere. Plus, staying until close & afterwards, meant that I could catch up with Victor (the owner) & his son Bryan (the bartender) who I haven't seen since Tokie's Foster City days, I can't believe they've been here going on 8 years! We came to drink & snack & socialize after a movie, Izakaya-style. No disappointments here as far as drinks go: we tried the Cloud 9, Shiso Beautiful, White Lotus, and the Paloma. Each cocktail was presented in its own unique glass and the complex tastes really came out with every sip. The alcohol was not overpowering, and the many ingredients in each cocktail really came out delightfully & subtly. Of course, the bartenders preparing & serving them were really on top of their drink game and were very friendly, engaging, personable, and like-able. Since we were sitting st the bar itself, it was quite easy to keep the drinks coming, though much to the damage of our overall final tab, yikes! Food-wise, we needed some snacks to soak up this boozy escapade, so we ordered mostly appetizers & small plates. The Chili-garlic edamame was terrific & delightfully spicy. The tofu steak was pretty meaty tasting & filling for just being tofu, with a wonderfully sweet glaze & firm texture. The grilled eggplant was a big portion, also very tasty and a good compliment to the tofu steak. We also tried some mushroom miso soup & sesame spinach to round out the healthy eating intended to balance out the booze session. All the food was served quickly, well-presented, generously-portioned, warm, fresh, and with great flavors, good seasoning, and perfectly prepared. Then came closing time, and once the doors were locked, money counted, bills settled, and counters cleaned, Victor & Bryan treated us like family as they unwinded & relaxed from a busy Saturday night dinner crowd. We shared shots of sake, whiskey, vodka, and beer, and had a wonderful friendly time catching up on things past. I had not seen Victor & Bryan wasn't even born yet when I used to hang out at Tokie's in the original Foster City location. I actually prefer the San Mateo one now, it's spacious, warm, inviting, it uses a lot of wood accents to make it calm, comfortable, and fun to hang out. Lighting is dim, music is low, so it encourages conversation, socializing, and intimate interactions. I'd consider this to be one of the better Japanese restaurants in San Mateo- good food, interesting drinks, amazing service & hospitality, all in a warm, comfortable, and appealing space. It gets super busy here, and parking around here is really difficult, so either come early or come late, and maybe take an Uber/Lyft or walk through Central Park to get here. But you'll be glad that you did, because Tokie's is a solid culinary, alcohol, and social experience. Will be back for more, and I don't want to wait a few years to do it again, maybe just a few days this time, I've been missing out on the party here!

Tokies in San Mateo is hands down one of my favorite spots! The staff and bartenders are always…read morewelcoming and genuinely make every visit special, one of the main reasons I keep coming back. The decor and ambiance here give off such a comfortable and inviting vibe. When it comes to food, you can't go wrong with the Tokies Special, Ronnie Roll, or Firecracker sushi rolls, they're all fantastic! Don't miss out on the chicken kara-age either, it's definitely a must-try. As for drinks, the lychee pear martini from the specials menu is a personal favorite, I get it every single time and it's honestly reason enough to return on its own. If you haven't been to Tokies yet, give it a try you won't regret it!

This place was fantastic. Great atmosphere, great chef, and incredible food. Highly recommend if…read moreyou can get a table; best sushi we've ever had

Food was good overall. Service was fine. There were definitely enough dishes to fill your stomach…read more Some dishes were more memorable than the rest. However, there was a long worm sticking out from the monk fish liver piece I had. I didnt take a photo after pulling it all out but showed it to the chef. He immediately took it away and made me a new piece. No apologies or any gesture. The whole handling was so smooth that I can't help but feel it has happened before. I had a great time because of the friend i dined with. But I think i would save the 500 and eat more sushi in japan instead.

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.

The quality of the sushi here is above average, and definitely more than acceptable for an all you…read morecan eat spot. I was excited to see toro on the menu, but a bit disappointed by how stringy it was. The shrimp tempura was a bit limp. The gyoza was limp and flavorless. The kalbi though was surprisingly tender and flavorful. The AYCE also includes all you can drink sake and soda, but surprisingly hot tea costs an additional $5. Strange The service was good and the food all arrived very quickly.

Amazing! This was our first time here, and we'll definitely be back for more. We came on a Friday…read morenight right when they opened. It's a little hole-in-the-wall spot, so it can be easy to miss, but they're serving fresh, high-quality fish. It's pretty small inside, but we were able to get seated right away. People started trickling in shortly after, though, so I can definitely see this place getting busy, especially during prime time. FOOD Salmon Sampler - 5/5 Very fresh! O-Toro - 5/5 Fresh and good! Japanese Uni Nigiri - 5/5 This was really good and creamy. Noma Roll - 3/5 This was okay. There were too many tempura flakes, which overpowered the entire roll. Dragon Roll - 5/5 Lion King Roll - 4/5 Karaage - 5/5 The kids really enjoyed this. Overall, we had a great experience for our first visit. Next time, I'd like to try more of their specialty rolls and some of their other special items as well.

Fish was fresh but that's about it…read more Sushi rice had absolutely no taste Salmon skin salad had no dressing and was just fried salmon with a little bit of salmon still attached to the skin. Meh The $39 10-piece signature Nigiri was disappointing. All it was maguro, salmon and some weird white fish. Tasteless. I did have some bluefin tuna roll that's supposed to have truffle with it, but had absolutely no hint of truffle but was the most decent dish of the night I wouldn't go back.

Modest sushi handroll bar, appropriate dining format because sushi handrolls should be made to…read moreorder and eaten immediately. Good for lunch or light dinner given the simplicity of the menu items - predominantly handrolls. Sushi tacos were tasty - recommended. Chopped fish mixed with complementary mix of sauces, green onion, and mild jalapeño served on a well-battered nori chip. Truffle hamachi carried good balance of flavor. Overall, the handrolls were enjoyable and served one at a time so the nori is still crunchy. On one hand they were simple - protein, rice and maybe one more ingredient in the handroll. I'd be interested to have curated imaginative rolls, but I can appreciate keeping it simple as long as good ingredients. Dined on Tuesday for dinner and no problem getting seated. Best seats are at the bar for best enjoyment of the handrolls, though there are a few tables for lower seating. The stools are backless, so not conducive to a long meal at the bar. This may be considered a relatively pricey meal, but quality sushi should not be a cheap meal. From what I could taste, their fish was well prepared.

The handrolls were delicious and decently priced. Apps were great - got their fried calamari and…read moretruffles hamachi. However, I would give this place a 3.5/5. We were one of the few tables in the restaurant but it felt like it took a bit of them to get our food delivered. Being a group of 3, we ended up not receiving our orders at the same time and the apps came later than the handrolls. Soy sauce bottles were empty and had to be switched out. Their service didn't quite make a good impression for me.

My boyfriend and I came here for the first time and we loved it here. Not only was the nigiri…read moredelicious but the vibes was more than impeccable. Kim and Will were such amazing chefs , they made such delicious nigiri's for us and the ambiance and vibe here was unmatched ! I promise you'll never experience a sushi place like this EVER.!

Great spot for a night out! Elma was so fun! Everything she…read morerecommended to order was so good. She also kept the drinks coming! It gets really lively later in the evening. Will definitely be coming back for happy hour.

Went to Dash ( the format pasta shop) in Noe Valley. Great…read moreservice. Lovely dishes. Especially nice was the hamachi carpaccio and stuffed mushrooms. We started/miso soup because it was a cold and foggy night. Parking was surprisingly easy for a Saturday night I will be back.

My friend made a reservation for three for a Saturday night at 6 p.m. We arrived at 6 and were…read moregreeted immediately by the staff. It was my first time here, but my friend who made the reservation has been here multiple times, so she ordered for the three of us. The place looks small from the outside, but it's actually quite large. We were seated in the back of the restaurant. We ordered a large bottle of sake to share, and our food came out quickly. Everything my friend ordered was very yummy. We also ordered their grilled hamachi kama, which I forgot to take a picture of. This is a good place if you want to eat and catch up with friends. The servers don't rush you to leave. They were attentive and checked in on us to see if we needed to order more food, and they also refilled our hot tea. The servers were very knowledgeable about their fish selection. With the help of our server, we ordered our own omakase, which was tailored to our taste and appetite. I'll definitely come back to try other items on their menu. Parking can be a challenge, but if you drive around, you should be able to find a space. There is also a parking lot about a block away.

I've come here twice now and I didn't realize I never left a review the first time I came! So now I…read morefeel I have even more to say how you much gotta come to Kajiken! Both times I've come I hadn't had to wait very long and our second time was with a large group including kids. Our server was great in helping us preorder before we could get seated and we only waited 15 minutes. We all ordered the same things: half of us ordered the original aburasoba and the other half ordered the homura aburasoba and the food came out quickly. They kindly gave us little bowls for the kiddos and forks and all the kids loved the noodles and the adults shared a large pitcher of beer. All in all, best aburasoba and one of my favorite spots in San Mateo!

Overall: 4.1/5 [dine in]…read more There was a line on Friday night but it moved fast. The seating inside is pretty tight so your table is basically an inch from the next one, almost like a communal dining experience. Nikumori Aburasoba ($18.50): Spicy pork, pork slices, green onion, and ajitama. The spicy ground pork was delicious and they were generous with the thin pork slices, though those weren't as good as the ground pork. The ajitama was perfectly jammy. The aburasoba flavors were okay but less flavorful than mazesoba, which I now know I prefer. Wagyu Roast Beef Aburasoba ($25.50) + Chashu ($1.75) + Spicy Minced Pork ($3.95) + Ajitama ($2.50): Wagyu roast beef, crispy onions, green onions, butter onion sauce, yogurt sauce, and raw egg yolk. The chashu was average but the wagyu roast beef was thin and incredibly tender. The yogurt sauce and raw egg yolk made this one pretty creamy which I actually liked more than the Nikumori. Ume ($1.50): Did not like this at all. Hard pass.