Top Pan Asian Restaurant in San Mateo
Bonchon San Mateo
220 S B St, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
Since the owner was kind enough to respond to the review, I ought to write something, so I am.Ive got vague memories of going to other Bonchon locations near prior jobs, and to be honest, I cannot remember anything good or bad about them. I say this as a contrast to this location.Every visit I have made has found the San Mateo Bonchon to be very clean and orderly, the staff friendly and responsive, and the food to be delicious and very fresh.Whether during busy times or quieter hours of the day, Ive never found myself needing to request refills of water, and at least once (if not more) during the meal, someone stops by to check in. Normally, thats what you see at fancier sit-down places, so having that here just feels extra luxurious.As stated above, the food has always been extremely fresh. Yes, that means youve gotta wait a second to get your food, but Id argue that its not just worth it, but infinitely preferable to having it be instant but having sat under a warming light for who-knows-how-long.All this to say that if you are walking about in downtown San Mate, and get a whiff of fried chicken, there are other options, but this is the best of them, in my humble opinion.
Top other services in San Mateo:
Dynasty BBQ)
105 W 25th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403, United States
The experience at Dynasty BBQ Eatery was nothing short of delightful, from the savory flavors of their meticulously prepared dishes to the warm and welcoming demeanor of their staff. Whether youre indulging in their succulent BBQ offerings or exploring the variety on their menu, the food consistently impresses with its quality and taste. Celebrating a special occasion here, such as a birthday, is met with thoughtful touches, including a charming gift that truly enhances the celebratory atmosphere. This establishment stands out not just for its culinary prowess but also for its dedication to creating a genuinely friendly and memorable dining experience for every guest.
Vespucci Ristorante Italiano
147 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
We are new visitors in San Mateo, CA, and had a very pleasant dining experience at Vespucci Ristorante Italiano last evening. Francesco and Manuela greeted us in person once we entered the very elegant, warm, and very beautiful décor of the restaurant. My two friends (out of the four of us) had just returned from Italy for a vacation, and they were reminded of all the fond memories of eating out in Italy. I have not been to Italy, and I definitely felt an urge to visit Italy someday.The menu is very appealing and well described. Most importantly, the items we chose were well-prepared, and proven as superb quality. The Bruschetta alla Vespucci was so refreshing. It was the first time I experience the very high quality of olive oil they use. I can taste the freshness of the sea on the Carpaccio di salmone. This dish is very challenging to get satisfying outcome. I love it. My friend claimed that she had the best Minestrone con verdure. Well, I assumed this must have involved a lot of thought and experience in the process of preparing it - the right broth, fresh ingredients, and etc. The Ravioli Ricotta E Spinaci and the Fusilli alla Genovese tasted just right as if you were enjoying the best home cook meal in Italy. Of course, I definitely cannot emphasize enough about the Lasagna!!! I do not think I can achieve this level of cooking in my life time. I thought we were done enjoying the fine dining. But, there was more, we had Tiramisu and Torta Nonna. Even though we were conscious on sweets but could not help cleaning the plate, down to the last drop of the whip cream and sauce.The owner came over and shared his experience of eating out in Italy, while we kept wondering how they prepare the food so good. The exchange of conversation made me believe that he must have put so much thoughts with heart, and effort to make this restaurant stands out among others. Most of all, he cares for his customer to have a wonderful dining experience. He has definitely achieved that!Thank you Vespucci Ristorante Italiano – Salute to the Chef. You are the gem!
San Mateo Farmers Market
1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402, United States
One of the biggest farmers markets I have ever been to. Tons of local Bay Area businesses that specialize in produce, meat, honey, fresh juice, coffee, plants, flatbreads, and the list goes on....Some of my favorite vendors were:+ Bolani: Specializes in vegan sauces and Afghan flatbreads! Absolutely delicious and they give free samples.+ Xiong Farm: They have so many different kinds of eggplants! I bought two HUGE Chinese eggplants from them and they were so fresh.+ Sweetdragon Baking: PLEASE try their chicken pot pies!! OMG, they are are to die for! I highly recommend bringing them home and putting them in the toaster oven for 10 minutes. EXCELLENT.+ Roli Roti Gourmet: Theres just something so satisfying about seeing some rotisserie chickens rotating away inside of a food truck. The line gets pretty long here. Very popular vendor.+ Kens Top Notch: In the summer, they have TONS of fresh mango nectarines and white peaches! Super sweet and they give free samples of all their fruit.+ Hidden Star Orchards: REFRESHING juice! Perfect to sip on while youre walking around the farmers market in the sun. I recommend the Apple Cherry Cider. Only $3!!
Half Moon Bay Nursery
11691 San Mateo Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019, United States
HMB is one of the best nursery I have visited. Daffny (?) at the front desk is very efficiency in helping me on the phone when Im searching for the flowering plum. Daffny knew exactly which one Im looking for and she also came out to the tree lot to ensure they are still available before I made the trip there. I could not find these beautiful flowering plum trees for the last few months and thanks to David A. at Lisa Arnold Nursery at Sunol who looked at the picture of the flowers and gave me the scientific name (Prunus x blireana) of the flowering plum tree and now I found them at HMB nursery today. The price of 15 gallon flowering plum tree is very reasonable ($39.90). I also bought a 5 gallon King Fig fruit tree which is also $39.90. Daffny and her male colleague also helped us to load up the two tall trees into our car. I will definitely visit this HMB again soon.
All Spice
1602 S El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94402, United States
Its gotten great reviews and we went in with high expectations. The pictures sure looked great. We had reservations for 6:30 on a Thursday and we were the only ones there at first. Eventually about 1/3 of the place was full. They have outdoor seating right now though we sat inside by the fireplace. The ambiance was very nice.We wanted to order five dishes and share them but thats not allowed so we had to order one more so that they fulfill the requirement of 3 dishes each. The one dish could only come from the appetizer or desert men so we added a desert to take home. Seemed silly to have such strict rules so that they can charge more for the same food.Got some nice wine to go with the meal including some champagne and then a carafe of red which was quite nice. Im not sure what it was but likely a blend with light smoky hint.Had several dishes and the ones that stood out were the octopus and also the scallop appetizer. The octopus was served on a creamy chickpea mash. Would get those two anytime.The mains were steak and also squab...aka pigeon...which is a rare treat. Both were good dishes.The Hawaiian dream desert was also ok. If you like the combination of something really sweet and tart at the same time, youll like this. We took home the cheesecake though its teeny tiny in case you are expecting an actual piece of cheesecake.Bottom line is that I was glad to try it but its not a place Id run back to. For an over $300 meal for two, I really expected something a bit different.
Sole Ristorante Italiano
69 37th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403, United States
This is currently my favorite Italian restaurant! (went here back in 2018, reviews a little late ;))Mainly because their pasta is homemade or at least it is very fresh compared to those dry versions you buy in stores and boil at home.Also many of their dishes had amazing flavor!We even ordered a Alfredo pasta that was not on the menu and that was delicious too!Favorites was the truffle gnocchi and funnily enough their Alfredo :)Also I liked their beet salad! Very different than most salads you normally have so that was a nice change.Their Bolognese was good too, like 3.5 stars, but maybe I just like creamy pastas more.Their sauce that came with their free fresh bread is very delicious!I forget which ravioli we ordered. It was yummy though, like. 3.8 stars.Salmon with pistachios was ok, like 2.5 stars.We also ordered a pork special, but it was not that tasty, like 1.5 stars. The veggies on the side were very tasty though.
K-Grill & Tofu House
617 San Mateo Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, United States
I went to K grill & tofu house for dinner with my family and we had a great time. The restaurant is located on San Mateo Ave in San Bruno, and it offers authentic Korean cuisine. The restaurant is spacious and clean. The service was friendly and attentive, and our food came out fast and hot. The menu has a variety of dishes, such as soft tofu soup, bulgogi, bibimbap, seafood pancake, and grilled meat. We ordered the Pork Bulgogi, which was thinly sliced pork marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and stir-fried with onions and carrots. It was tender and flavorful, and it came with a bowl of rice and some side dishes (banchan). We also ordered the Combo Soft Tofu Soup, which was a spicy soup with soft tofu, beef, seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables. It was served in a hot stone pot that kept the soup bubbling throughout the meal. The soup was rich and spicy, and the tofu was silky and soft. The soup also came with rice and banchan. The banchan included kimchi, potato salad, bean sprouts, spinach, radish, and seaweed salad. They were all fresh and tasty, and we could ask for refills anytime. We also ordered the Haemul Pajeon, which was a large seafood pancake with green onions, squid, shrimp, mussels, and clams. It was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and it had a lot of seafood in it. It was served with a dipping sauce that added some tanginess to the dish. The portion was generous and we shared it among ourselves. The prices were reasonable for the amount and quality of food we got. I would definitely recommend K grill & tofu house to anyone who loves Korean food or wants to try something new.
Kokko
509 2nd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States
Ive been trying to come here for so long! Reservations are highly recommended for Fri & Sat nights. Great, casual spot to try new foods (like beef tongue or gizzard) for an adventurous/interesting date or just to catch up with friends (family style so you can try more things!)Skewers range from $2-5 each and can rack up pretty quickly if youre not careful! I think we spent like $30-40 per person (without drink..) oopsieeeeeee. We did get to try ALOT of stuff though and we were all really full.Service is fast and attentive and food just kept coming :)Tried a few skewers and most of them were pretty good.. the onigiri was actually one of my favorites because it wasnt super thick full of rice and it was crispy on the outside (yommm)The chicken skin was pretty whatever (surprisingly!) because it wasnt browned/crispy enough :(Their non-yakitori items are also great/Chicken kara age (fried chicken) was delicious and my favorite dish for the night even if it wasnt yakitori .. juicy chicken pieces with light and crispy batter :3Tori soboro don (ground chicken w/ egg over rice) is a must get! $3.90 and four of us got a decent serving.Id definitely return, but next time Im drinking beer with my yakitori! We opted for a bottle of sake and .. I think were getting old because we only killed half a bottle between three of us. Though it made for a more interesting night :)!Big plus is I didnt smell like fried/grilled food after I left!
Nijiya Market San Mateo Store
1956 S El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94403, United States
This little grocery has become a staple for me since I started a new job in Foster City.While it isnt very big (theres one single double sided freezer, and maybe 8 aisles in total), the selection and quality of products and groceries is quite good. Theres a good choice of meats and vegetables, as well as everyday items like cleaning supplies and cosmetics.However, where I think this store shines is in their prepared foods section. Theres a refrigerator in the back that contains a variety of pre-prepared meals that is perfect for a quick lunch, at a very reasonable price. There are usually a variety of bento boxes, sandwiches, and fried foods, 3-4 types of onigiri rice balls, and sushi sets.The food is always well-prepared, consistent, and tasty. The quantity is perfect for lunch - fills you up, but doesnt weigh you down. I usually pick up one of the rice balls for an evening snack after the gym, and then the tempura bento or a sushi set for lunch.Highly recommend this place if you need to pick up a quick lunch!