Best Japanese Food in San Mateo

Can you tell I love sashimi? Been coming to this place with my family for years, and I’ll continue to call this place a second home. The vibe is reminiscent of a Tokyo Izakaya, and the food is incredibly diverse and fresh. The chirashi deluxe has always been my favorite (clearly), but they do an amazing Champon Noodle, great value bentos, rice bowls, and appetizers. The owner is incredibly kind and welcoming. An amazing all-rounder restaurant perfect for dinners of all kinds. *Each photo of…

I'm Japanese and I recently visited Izakaya Mai and was thoroughly impressed with their hospitality. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming! The menu had a great variety of dishes, from classic sushi rolls to Donburis. I tried the Hokke-no-Hiraki, Champon, and Unatama-don etc. They were melt-in-your-mouth delicious! The beer glasses were cold when the beer was served. The chief's service was top notch and very attentive and he was always paying attention to customers. Overall, I would highly…

I really like this Japanese spot in downtown San Mateo. They are one of the only restaurants that open late at night. I really recommend getting the bento box, their chicken Katsu is amazing and the tempura as well. My favorite is definitely the spicy scallop hand roll. 100/10!!! I really recommend coming here with your friends or family, the atmosphere is really fun and the staff are really sweet and friendly!

It's like a dive bar & a Japanese spot had a kid. The service is amazing, no frills type of joint. Food was amazing, can't go wrong with anything you order here. Got the chicken teriyaki as a app (even though I don't like thigh meat, this was delicious), lion king is my favorite roll here and don't skip the Yaki Udon.

My go to spot with my friends, a great place to get some drinks and delicious Japanese food. Love their fried food here- chicken karaage, mixed tempura, fried oysters, etc. Fresh sashimi and their whole squid. We come here pretty often, every 3-4 months, the service is fast and the staff are so sweet and friendly. Love the vibe here, does remind me of Japan.