Top Noodle Shop in San Mateo
The Noodle Shop
164 W 25th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403, United States
This is by far one of the BEST RESTAURANTS in the Bay Area, but you have to know what to order. Years ago, a work friend introduced me to Noodle Shop, and at one point, I literally went there 4 times in one week. The dishes that you have to get include dry chili fish filet (best thing on earth and likely made with crack), cumin lamb, and mapo tofu. Every week now, I order that exact same meal, though sometimes I double the order of dry chili fish because its that addictive. One time, I ordered the dry chili fish on my way home from work and was intending to have it for dinner, but I made the mistake of leaving it in the front passenger seat. After the long traffic jam, I noticed when I got home that all of the fish was gone and I was covered in chili. Thats how good it is. I now know that you cannot have it within arms distance if other members of your family want some too.Its unfortunate that Noodle Shop doesnt get the foot traffic that the other San Mateo restaurants in the downtown get because I can tell you that Ive tried those other places, and they dont hold a candle to Noodle Shop. Every time there is a potluck, I just bring NS, and I win the meal. Right now, theyre only doing take out, but I hope that well soon be able to dine-in again so that my friends and I can go back every month for our work reunions like we did before. Im salivating and getting hungry now thinking about it.
Zen Noodle Bar
668 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
Our go to noodle shop. We love the spicy pork noodle bowl so much so that we call this restaurant the usual
noodleosophy
41 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
The place is in downtown San Mateo, and theres street parking outside. The shop isnt the biggest, but theres enough seating I guess. Anyway, upon entering, I saw this big screen where people can order food! I went through it to order, pay, and get a beeper. Super cool, I havent seen other restaurants do this before. I ordered lamb cumin biang biang noodles and the buzzer rang soon after I placed my order. I got my bowl of noodles and it was great! A bit salty but the noodles were really chewy and delicious. I liked the steamed broccoli on the side as well. The line to order became a lot longer after I started eating, and the place became a bit more crowded as well. The food itself was great though, definitely recommend! Its a bit pricey at a bit more than $12 post-tax for the portin, but still worth it!
Daeho kalbijjim & beef soup
213 2nd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
Cheesy Short Rib ?There's no doubt that Daeho has been one of the hottest Korean restaurants in the Bay Area for the past couple of yearsNow with three locations with the opening of their newest San Mateo spot, this was my first time back since they opened Daeho Milpitas to join their flagship San Francisco locationI was determined this time to try the Kalbijjim with cheese (I thought it was gimmicky a few years ago) while also sampling more of their menu with a larger groupWhile there was a line, it moved quickly with first seating and the San Mateo interior may very well be their largest locationYou preorder on entry and while I thought the server suggested we order too much, it was actual spot on with the plentiful orders resulting in just a bit of leftovers (appetites are easily stimulated by delicious food)My favorites are definitely the beef ribs with cheese (it's a great addition), the chadol (great soup broth) and the cold noodles. The stone pot rice and the spicy cold noodles, I'd skip next time. The price is elevated but portions and service are top notch. Now with three locations, crowds are more manageable although still popular.? Kalbi Jjim $85 ~ Braised Beef Rib with Extra Meat, Mild, Topping Cheese +$5 / Chadol (Brisket Point) Daeho Suyuk $55 / Kalbi Stone Pot $26 ~ Sizzling Rice Bowl w/ Mixed Vegetables & Grilled BBQ Beef Ribs / Mool Nyaeng Myun $20 ~ Noodle with Cold Beef Broth / Bibim Naeng Myun $20 ~ Noodle with Cold Sweet and Sour Spicy Sauce?DaeHo Kalbijjim & Beef Soup (San Mateo, CA)
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Totoro Ramen
856 N Delaware St, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
Second time visit to this ramen shop. I like the black garlic pork ramen. This time, we also ordered chicken karaage. The karaage is just ok. The black garlick pork ramen is my favorite. The noodle is cooked nicely, and the broth is rich. The meat is tender. The edamame is also yummy.
Wakuriya
115 De Anza Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402, United States
Thanks to my friend who reserved the restaurant a month ago. The restaurant itself is like a hidden gem in an ordinary shopping plaza. There are four tables that can be seated with 4 people and some bar seats also. The tables were fully reserved the day I visited. Each table is separated with a screen so its actually very private for each party. We ordered two sake flights to begin with: chef selected and primary. All of the sake in the flights are daiginjo. I bought one bottle from the chefs selected flight in the end. That one is Nabeshima from Kyushu. It is less sweet and has a stronger acid flavor, which matches more with my whiskey soul. Since it is kaiseki omakase, all we need to do is to wait for each dish to be presented. The first dish was Sakura salad. The Sakura was imported from Japan. The Sakura was presented along with tai sashimi. As an appetizer, it had just the right flavor: fresh and easygoing. The next dish was composed of four smaller dishes: uni with hotate, lobster, ikura, and fried small squid. There wasnt a specific order to take in. I like the fried squid the most because you can taste different textures in one bite: the crispy skin and the chewy inside. The hotate and the uni were also very fresh and full of umami. The only thing that Im slightly unsatisfied with was that the uni was shredded. Next one is the blue shrimp soup with somen noodles. The shrimp was sweet but the soup was seasoned in a right way such that the sweetness from the shrimp wouldnt be taken over. The next dish was the chefs sashimi. I liked the way the sauce was presented. Unlike traditional sashimi plates, where wasabi is placed next to the sashimi, the chef made the wasabi a part of the sauce that was also used as a decoration. Next one was my favorite dish that day: chawanmushi with duck. I need to say this is really a bold but clever combination. If I remember correctly they also put soybean milk inside the chawanmushi, which made the eggs more fluid. The duck meat was really wonderful with the steamed egg and asparagus. The next dish, usually a vinegar dish, was replaced with yuzu sake sorbet. The acidity was provided by the crispy ginger candy instead, which was amazing. The next one was pure protein: usa wagyu and poached eggs. The dish was really warm, a distinct contrast to the previous dish. You can feel that your body was also warmed up. After the proteins were the starch dish. This time, it was rice mixed with mentaiko along with cod. The rice was a bit sticky to me but I still liked the flavor. Finally, the dessert was panna cotta with mochi. A very nice ending for the course.To sum up, although the full course did not use too many high-class ingredients such as A5 wagyu or premium ootoro, it still granted you an amazing taste journey. You can still taste the umami of each ingredient in the dish. Especially considering the price, I would say it is totally worth it. There are many omakase restaurants around the Bay area that are more expensive but with a worse dining experience. It definitely matches the one-star Michelin.
Fiero Caffe
106 S El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
I went here because I was interested in visiting the local coffee shops in my area. Little did I know that this place would top my last favorite place by a large margin. When I walked in there are these huge windows and the place is light and airy. There are obvious friends that were laughing and talking with the owner. When I ordered my coffee the owner came to answer a question I had between two of his drinks. They brought the coffee to me. When I had my first sip, I had a euphoric moment. I was in a negative headspace and this got me to see a new perspective. The experience and the quality of coffee is phenomenal. At the end, I didn't need to find a bin to put the cup away. This makes the total experience a 12/10. Parking is difficult, but with good reason.
SAMIKCHA MOMO Indian-Nepali Cuisine
146 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
We went to this place after reading a lot of positive reviews. I wish I could rate this place with negative stars.We had ordered Garlic Tikka Fries,Chilli Paneer Bhaat Bowl and VEG MOMOS.The Garlic Tikka Fries were under seasoned fries sprinkled with some garlic. There was no Tikka seasoning in it which made the fries bland.Chilli Paneer Bhaat Bowl: The paneer in Chilli Paneer was hard and chewy. But the fried rice was good.VEG MOMOSWe had specifically ordered VEG MOMOS because we are vegetarians. The lady in the restaurant brought Momos and when we tasted it,it tasted unusual. We were in doubt because Veg momos didnt have any vegetables and there was something chewy stuffing in it. So when we asked the hotel staff(lady) she told casually that it was Chicken Momo. We had specifically ordered VEG MOMOS and the staff gave Chicken Momos. They were not even sorry about it. She asked if she could get another order but we had already lost interest to eat there so we asked for bill. We couldnt eat fries nor Chilli Paneer Bhaat Bowl nor the Momos. But the staff billed 21.95$ and told that she had billed for Bhaat Bowl n fries and gave 10% discount. This was like rip off because it was their mistake to mess up the order,spoil our dinner and then also charge for what we couldnt eat.So guys if you have dietary restriction then either double check what is served or avoid this place. We went here for our anniversary dinner and it was pathetic experience for us..
Takahashi Market
221 S Claremont St, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
Being born & raised in Hawaii and being away from home, makes you realize the food & atmosphere you truly miss from your roots. Living in the SF Bay Area, I am fortunate enough to have access to places like Takahashi Market. It is humble establishments (been around for a long time - decades!) like this that allow me to visit the ‘Aina within the physical context of my local area.Takahashi Market easily transports you to Hawaii, right when you step foot into their parking space! The space itself is a 1 story building at an intersection in San Mateo (close to downtown and the Verkada, a tech company's office). Because the space is small and we have to be precautious during these times, there usually is a line outside the door to queue patrons to enter the building. Standing in line allows you to build your excitement as you are able to peek into the market and get a sense of what aspects of Hawaii it is able to offer.In the market, there is only a small amount of cashier registers in the front and about 4-5 isles of Hawaii/Asia-inspired goodies to choose from! From perishable foods to hot musubis to Hawaii-based clothing merchandise, it seems like Takahashi Market has it all! I'd say this place is like a Swapmeet (Hawaii dubbed Flea Market) in a 1-story building! Even the prices are right on the dot for most, if not all, items! But you want to be careful that you don't end up buying everything in the market.I will always keep coming back here! I hope one day, the market may be able to expand to a 2nd story or location if possible. I can only see Takahashi Market continuing to maintain and grow its fanbase! And with that, I hope it will mean more resources to expand. If not, I am still fine with this, as the small Hawaii vibes are already excellent as is at the market. Thank you Takahashi Market Ohana for all you do!
Hunan Mifen San Mateo
123 W 25th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403, United States
New Hunan mifen restaurant in San Mateo. It is interesting that it opens next to another rice noodle restaurant. Parking is a challenge.It was not busy when we arrived but it was filled up fast. You ordered using your phone by scannjng QR code. We ordered dry and soup based noodles. The order was ready quickly. The beef bone meats are tender but not much meat. The noodle soup is clear and not spicy. You just add the soup from the bone if you want spicy. You can enjoy it non spicy or spicy. You get the coriander leaf in front of the open kitchen.The dry noodle is spicy. It doesnt have much meat. Both are yummy, but they are filling.Overall, it is yummy, but I think the beef rip soup has very strong spices, and I got a bit uncomfortable after that for some time.