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 in Downtown San Mateo was a nice restaurant with solid food, delicious cocktails, and quick…read moreservice. We honestly just went here by chance but ended up enjoying it more than we thought. What we ordered: Cocktails: We tried Nori Noir and Cloud 9. Cloud 9 was especially memorable and is my favorite, served with a little bubble on top that looked like a cloud. Both cocktails tasted as good as how they looked. Tokie's Special Roll: a tempura shrimp roll topped with tuna and tobiko, which had a nice combination of texture. Their house sauce was a surprise Bill's Special: made with fresh salmon, cucumber, avocado, and tobiko. Very light and fresh. Hand rolls: very well made, we ordered soft shell crab and spicy hamachi. I honestly prefer soft shell crab more, as it's very creamy and crunchy - also one of their popular dishes. Glazed chicken wings: another popular, very flavorful and worth the hype The restaurant wasn't crowded when we came, service was quick, I will recommend it to my friends

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.

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.

This little hole in the wall ish sushi spot was pretty spot on for some quick and fresh sushi. Bit…read morehidden and tucked away in this parking area but not too hard to spot. Plenty of parking around also. There was no wait when I came on a Thursday night. Service here is really friendly. Got the 10 piece omakase set and quality to price was solid. Each piece was fresh, buttery, and love how they include real wasabi on it.

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.

Great service, great food, & great ambiance! Sashimi comes it big cuts! Chefs & waitresses are…read moresuper kind! Group shots with the staff ;) Definitely recommended!

I don't know what is better, the sushi or the service! Great atmosphere and the food melts in your…read moremouth. Such great, layered flavors. Definitely sit at the bar for a fun time with the chefs!

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.

sashimi/nigiri was high quality, but i was more surprised by how much i liked their special tapas…read more Favorites were: - Baked baby scallops: uni melted together with the mayo/unagi sauce, v rich and creamy bite - dash tacos: seaweed tempura, avocado, seared salmon, and some kind of pico de gallo (?) really good combination of flavors - king oyster mushrooms: perfectly sautéed and slightly sweet. This was the perfect side Enjoyed the chirashi don and nigiris as well. Favorite was the salmon belly