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Sushi Yoshizumi San Mateo Reviews
OH MY GOD! What an experience! Every bite a journey in
OH MY GOD! What an experience! Every bite a journey in flavor ! Every flavor a trip to heaven. Looking the chef in the eye and bowing to him was an honor. You MUST come here and have this experience if you love sushi! We are giving 5 stars HOWEVER I was so saddened at the constant use of cell phones by every other patron in this establishment during our dinner. I almost cried. I almost yelled at them. Put your damned phone down! This is a special occasion! Respect the sushi chef! He is a man to be REVERED! You disrespect him when you look at your damned phones during your meal! Unbelievable disrespect! UNBELIEVABLE FOOD QUALITY AND FLAVOR COMBINATIONS! I wish they would post a NO PHONE ONLY CAMERA policy - SO DELICIOUS
No huge sign outside so it's kind of hidden in downtown San
No huge sign outside so it's kind of hidden in downtown San Mateo. There's a parking lot right across, so parking wasn't too hard to find. Inside seats 8 people so it's pretty intimate. The chef is usually pretty concentrated during the dinner itself, but afterwards he talked and answered a couple questions for a bit. Probably my favorite sushi meal ever - each fish was delicious and the rice was perfect each time. Highlights: Uni, chutoro, kinmedai, aji, blue seabass, ootoro handroll It's on the pricier side for bay area sushi, but definitely worth it for a special occasion.
Pro: Food is great, service is acceptable considering they
Pro: Food is great, service is acceptable considering they charged you 22% of the bill. The restaurant decor is very simple. There are only 8 seats. Con: Reservation is almost impossible to get . There is no menu for us to take home or take a photo of like the other Michelin start restaurants. There is also no sign of the restaurant. So it was very hard for us to find. Portion is not big. We had to go somewhere else for dessert right after dinner
Not the best restaurant I have been to, but Michelin
Not the best restaurant I have been to, but Michelin star-worthy. Some highlights: a lot of food, really good flavors, textures can be weird at times Some downside: dessert flan was subpar, tamago was underdone, no togo boxes (I stuffed myself to death) Store has no signs, so it look closed. In the end, I cherish the experience, but did not find one thing I want to splurge on there again.
Very traditional Japanese omakase each course carefully
Very traditional Japanese omakase each course carefully curated, prepared and served by Chef Yoshizumi - every item was super tasty fresh and unique. Mackerel is my absolute favorite type of fish and I was delighted with at least 3 mackerel items each served differently. Yum. Yelp won't let me order the collage but you essentially start with a super fresh shot of seaweed, make your way to monkfish liver, go through a bunch of nigiri then giant prawn, uni, negitoro... end with egg, hojicha and nice dessert. It was the most epic journey mouthful of Japanese goodness total 25 "courses" in 2.5 hrs watching Chef perform art in front of you. It can't get any better than this I promise. If you truly appreciate Japanese seafood and sushi without the gold flakes, flower petals truffle caviar frivolous nonsense, this place is for you. Service was top notch as expected, super attentive server who picked up on each diners cues/needs, my hot water was always flowing and ginger was never empty. If you had to take a washroom break , you would not miss your course alongside your cohort of diners; Chef will serve you when you come back to your seat. Bathroom was clean with air filter and toto if that will change your mind on this at all haha. In any case an overall pleasant dining experience. One thing out of your control - as is all omakase, you're stuck with your dining "cohort" of 6 other ppl (not counting your +1) in small space without music so if your cohort sucks then you're stuck listening to their babble. My cohort had too many young foodies with one that wouldn't shut up about omakase experience in other cities/restaurants in awkward non fluent Japanese, it almost diluted my own focus on this omakase but nonetheless, all 25 courses made it safely in my belly and photo album, and all is well.
I was lucky enough to be able to grab reservations here for
I was lucky enough to be able to grab reservations here for our anniversary, and just WOW. We got there super early so we can get first choice of seating. It's kind of subtle and you def need to look for signage to location Sushi Yoshizumi. My tea was never empty and I always had an abundance of ginger. The food was absolutely amazing. I dream of this place. Definitely on the pricier side, but you must experience it! No filler, no gold flakes, just straight delicious fresh amazing nigiris. They were also really sweet and gave me roses a the end of our meal.
Having went to a couple of top sushi omakase in Tokyo such
Having went to a couple of top sushi omakase in Tokyo such as Harutaka, Yoshizumi would be ranked in the top 20 even in Tokyo. Loved the salt and vinegar balance in the Shari and how the rice breaks apart in your mouth, though as a personal preference I like the rice a little more al dente. Also they carry rare sake such as Juyondai you can't even find in Japan. This is the best sushi omakase you can get in Bay Area and possibly US. Any better you have to fly to Tokyo.
Came here all 4 seasons and each time we were satisfied
Came here all 4 seasons and each time we were satisfied with the food. You need to book table few weeks in advance.
It can be difficult to get a reservation but it's worth the
It can be difficult to get a reservation but it's worth the wait! Great service and everything was delicious. The restaurant seats 8 people max and seating is a bar top so you see the chef prepare everything right in front of you. We ordered sake and Japanese beer which was an additional charge. I highly recommend this for the unique omakase experience and quality fish.
I came here for my birthday! My husband took care of the
I came here for my birthday! My husband took care of the booking (bless him!). From what he tells me, reservations are a little tricky as they are only open every Wednesday at 9pm for the next 2 weeks, and sometimes returning guests may get special privilege to be pre-reserved. We got a 5pm slot and arrived 10 minutes before, and we were greeted at 5pm right on the dot. Seating is first come first serve, and there are only 8 seats available in the restaurant at a time. For our experience we got the regular sake tasting (highly recommend, there's some fun tastey varieties that went great with the food, and apparently they are all very rare!) This was my first omakase experience, and honestly I had such a good time! The rest of our entourage were all returning customers and they all had great rapport with Chef Yoshizumi. He seems like a mindful and gracious host and takes his time to make sure everyone is comfortable and taken care of. It's a small operation, just chef and waitress that work all night to make sure guests were all accommodated. I thought they worked great as a team. I'm not much of a sushi aficionado, but all I can tell you as a fine dining enjoyer that for my first omakase experience, I had a wonderful time! I felt like the food quality was super high, the pacing was excellent (I left feeling just full enough), and despite being on the more shy side I didn't mind the intimate dining experience with just 8 people. At the end of the night I received a special surprise for my birthday and everyone wished me well. What a wonderful way to celebrate my special day! Thank you team Yoshizumi for creating this special memory for me, I would absolutely love to come back one day!
Some truly spectacular pieces like the monkfish liver, the
Some truly spectacular pieces like the monkfish liver, the snapper and the sardines although the chawanmushi was a miss and the rice fell apart in a few of my nigiri pieces.
When you make a rez here, the chef makes it known that
When you make a rez here, the chef makes it known that there are no frills, and I love that! My fiancé and I are well versed in the omakase realm and we were very impressed by the fish selection and the chef's craft. I think it's important to note that fresh wasabi is integrated in a lot of his dishes. They grate it in front of you and each time it's incorporated, it unwrapped different flavors, which we were pleasantly surprised by. He started off with some dishes unique to the restaurant and each one exposed the freshness of the seafood without being too fishy. And once again-- no frills, so there were no unnecessary enhancements to the dishes, just the richness of the fish. It is pricey, but you leave unbelievably full and satisfied. Once the nigiri started coming out, it felt like a never ending, blissful dream. This is also the best time to go cause it's firefly squid season! Aside from that, my favorites were the monkfish liver, tuna trio, and roasted sea bass. Oh, and all the wasabi of course. Lastly, we were celebrating an anniversary and they presented us with a homemade bouquet which was a thoughtful touch. Would recommend this to anyone and everyone.
Sushi Yoshizumi is my favorite restaurant in the Bay Area.
Akira Yoshizumi executes edomae sushi at a high level and it's just delicious. I really love tasting what's in season (from Japan). Watching chef prepare the dishes is a cool show, especially seeing the precision, skill, and care he exhibits. Lovely experience and I aspire to eat here more often.
The Omasake is incredible: fresh and delicious taste some I
The Omasake is incredible: fresh and delicious taste some I never try before like Bonito but it's so great even the price is expensive but it's worth to try one in life time Why not ? Service is only two people : one Chef and one Server but I think that's enough for one time service at bar for 8 pax . I feel like in a privilege heavenly dinner The shop is small and it not looks like a restaurant but It's warm and quiet we can't see any sign outside, please don't miss it Thank Chef I enjoyed so much Thank to my son my life is fulfilled day by day like a dream.
A chef who cares about his food and customers.
I had one of this tasting menus and he served two different uni's and they both tasted different. Everything was perfect
I think the dishes are better than the sushi just IMO.
The rolls are extremely tasty. Temp and vinegar well balanced to elevate fish taste! However, the sushi rice is loose and little bit less warm and less vinegar, which I just couldn't taste good. The materials for tuna are not good for a Michelin star. Hmmm very hard to say. Maybe best in the bay? But not Cali
don't need to doubt - the best sushi omakase place in the
don't need to doubt - the best sushi omakase place in the bay area, totally worth the price. This is so far the only one that I could feel the difference between $200 ish omakase vs. $300+. fish are very seasonal and fresh. each courses are well considered and delicate. I went to a lot other places, even though the portion is big, I kinda had the feeling in the middle that flavor was a bit repeated and heavy, a lot things came in mouth but lack of diversity. The flavor in the place is very refreshing, good combination of all the sauce and spice. even at the end I'm full, I still have the curiosity that I wanna keep eating! parking is easy across the street.!
As someone who doesn't eat omakase that often, here's my
As someone who doesn't eat omakase that often, here's my honest review: there were things I loved and things I didn't like as much, but it's worth it for the overall experience. Reservations are released every Wednesday at 9pm for bookings two weeks out. They're closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and have two seatings each day (5pm and 8:15pm) the rest of the week. It's an eight-seat counter with five seats on the longer side and three on the shorter side. They only offer omakase, and right now it's at $325 per person. With service, taxes, and fees, this comes out to $875 for two (plus an optional sake pairing, which you can order in person). They only take reservations for parties of 2 or 4. Reservations sold out quickly, within the first 20 minutes. I'm not sure if this was an outlier, because they told me in person that their reservations are not as popular as they used to be. Sometimes it takes a few days for them to sell out. You can get a sense of how opinionated they are about their omakase just from reading the description on Tock. I read a lot of reviews before coming, and people tend to crown Sushi Yoshizumi and Sushi Shin as the best omakase in California. I've had omakase with a similar or higher price before, but have never had a true edomae omakase experience or sat at the chef's counter. So I was really excited about coming. I don't eat omakase very often, and my honest confession is that I don't think I can really tell apart the finer intricacies that set $400 omakase apart from $200 omakase. That being said, I do think this was a very unique experience for me. It was intimate, lowkey, and almost heartwarming. It felt special in many ways. The doors opened a couple of minutes before 8:15. The seats are first come, first serve. If you want to be able to pick your seat, arrive 5-10 minutes early. We arrived around 8 for our 8:15 reservation and were the first group there. They do not seat you early. After everyone was seated, we had an option of ordering a sake pairing (there was a full-size option and a mini option). There were 5 sake in total. Chef Yoshizumi began by grating wasabi by hand and prepared everything by himself, in front of us. I was utterly impressed with how well seasoned everything was. I did not find anything too bland or too salty/overpowering. The progression of the courses were well thought out, so that, for example, leaner pieces followed fattier pieces. I did do some research beforehand & learned that kohada (gizzard shad) is one of best ways to judge the skills of a sushi chef. I would say that I loved how the kohada was prepared. This was one of my favorite pieces of the night. One of my other absolute favorites was the ankimo (monk fish liver). And shirako (fish sperm) was one of the courses. There were some pieces that I loved and some pieces that I didn't like as much, which I think was perfectly fine and normal. I didn't really expect everything to blow my mind. But I think the overall experience really came together and I walked away feeling happy and content. We didn't chat up with Chef Yoshizumi very much during service, because he seemed pretty focused. But the intimate atmosphere also made it a bonding experience for us and other guests. The meal took about 2-2.5 hours in total and we finished with hot tea and a soy pudding as dessert. We did notice that while preparing some courses, Chef Yoshizumi threw away some of the pieces he cut, presumably because they didn't reach his standards. It showed his rigor and strive for excellence. He also looked up to observe everyone's expression while we tasted each of the courses, which honestly made me a little nervous but was a sign that he cared about what he was delivering. The knife that he used seemed a little blunt and it wasn't cleaned after each course (this is just an observation). The second to last course (not including tea and dessert) was a sushi roll, and it looked a little sloppy (again, just an observation). Overall, this experience felt unique and so personal. It's honestly hard to separate the food from the rest of the experience like service and the interactions with Chef Yoshizumi. They came closely together as a package. Now the ultimate question: would I come back again? I think I would. It is very pricey (it's almost as expensive as most three-star restaurants), but the experience is worthwhile. That is, if you care about the experience. Omakase doesn't mean as much imo if you don't care about the rest of the experience. In that case, this may not be the best way to spend your $500.
Reservations are a bit easier to get now, but still
Reservations are a bit easier to get now, but still recommend checking tock when they open up at 10pm. 8 person sushi bar with two seatings (5pm and 8pm). Dinner takes approximately 2.5 hrs. Make sure you have the address as there is no door sign with the name of the restaurant. They serve a variety of unique fish and preparations that I've never had before (cod stomach and half cooked ikura). Fish was super fresh and top notch quality. The main reason for 4 instead of 5*, is that the price is exceedingly expensive. After the mandatory service (20%)/reservation (2%) fees and taxes (9.625%), it will come out to about $440/pp as of 9/2023. Reservations are also NON-REFUNDABLE. They also have a menu of a variety of sake (https://sushi-yoshizumi.squarespace.com/beverage-menu). This amount gets close to 3* Michelin prices and I personally don't think the quality is worth it at the current price. Am I glad I tried it? Yes Would I come back? Probably not Would I recommend? Only if you are fine paying around $900-1000 for 2 people after drinks.
This nondescript downtown San Mateo restaurant is
This nondescript downtown San Mateo restaurant is unequivocally the best sushi restaurant in the Bay Area. It's a 20-plus-course, two-hour meditative experience that impresses with the subtlety of intricate flavors. Each piece builds upon the last. This was my second in-person visit (I also did takeout during the pandemic), and the quality of the meal has only improved. While the chef isn't as conversational as some other top Omakase spots, he doesn't need words to communicate what he is doing - transporting you to the best sushi counters in Tokyo. And he does it without the torches, caviar, and gold leaf common at other spots. That doesn't make those places bad, it just pushes you to a more serene new place. Service is handled by the chef and one assistant; there's also a dishwasher hidden in the back. There's none of the aggressive drink-pushing, but be aware you will be charged ($7) for water. The restaurant itself is sparse, with no reference to the multiple accolades (a Michelin star that really should be two, the continual raves from the restaurant industry) the restaurant has earned. Most notably, this is the sushi counter other sushi chefs want to visit. Reservations are difficult but worth the effort.
What an incredible experience at Sushi Yoshizumi! I very
What an incredible experience at Sushi Yoshizumi! I very luckily was able to make a reservation here for my fiancé's birthday. It is a very intimate seating, with a total of 8 customers per seating, two seatings per night. My fiancé opted in for the mini sake tasting, while I had the hot tea. The meal was amazing; we've had omakase before but we were blown away by the freshness and quality of the ingredients here. Some highlights for us were the monkfish liver, seasonal sea urchin, and the sea eel. Everything was super delicious! One of our favourite restaurants that we've been to.
Pricey but so very good and worth.
Definitely elevated our omakase experience as every piece of fish was incredibly good and well prepared, yet so simple. My highlights were the bonito, octopus, snapper, and the tamago, but everything was delicious. Even the ginger on the side was unique and I could taste every grain of rice in the pieces of nigiri. Come for an authentic Japanese experience with no frills and nothing flashy. Reservations seems to be less crazy now than before (yay). Hope we have the chance to return again soon!
Incredible Edomae style omakase.
Best selection and quality of fish in the Bay Area (possible all of US too). Family owned and run, very cozy and intimate (only 8 seats per seating). Great selection of sakes to pair (recommend the mini pairing). Very good experience, very pricey but well worth it.
Some of the best sushi in the bay for sure!! The sushi
Some of the best sushi in the bay for sure!! The sushi style is very classic with nothing too fancy. The food was amazing but im giving this place 4 stars because of the reservation system, the price and the overall ambiance. The reservation system is pretty difficult with reservations coming out every wednesday at 9pm on Tok. I refreshed my page right when the clock turned 9 and the saturday reservations were gone instantly. I took what I could and booked two seats for a Thursday at 5pm. With such a difficult system it's frustrating you have to pay full price for the meal when you make the reservation so you need to make sure you have a range of dates and times that will work for you. for 2 people with the sake sampler our meal ended up being $1000. I've had better omakase meals in other cities for a fraction of the price so i'm not sure this meal is worth coming back forFor the ambiance, there was no decor on any of the walls and the weirdest part was there was no music. With only 8 customers, one chef and one server the entire room was so quiet. Some other people didn't talk so it felt like everyone around us was listening to all our conversations. Overall amazing food, so if you're down to spend the money i think it's worth it. i just don't think it'd be worth it to return.
I've heard that this is the best omakase restaurant in the
I've heard that this is the best omakase restaurant in the Bay Area, and while it was good, I can't say it was amazing and worth the price. The nigiri dishes were indeed overall very solid though, but I felt the otsunami dishes weren't anything special.
Visited after it raises its price to $325 per person.
However it is worth every cents after finish the meal. It is definitely one of the best sushi restaurants in whole west coast.The nigiri is simple yet delicate. The seasoning is on point for each nigiri and the fish is so fresh .All side dishes are super seasonal and are cooked to perfect.Ankimo is the star of the meal and it taste like foie gras .The full menu is as below:10 side dishes:Kawahagi with liver Ikura with uniHamachi ChawanmushiBonito Shirako Ankimo Saba handroll Mehikari Mozuku Squid leg10 nigiri: Squid Sanma Mebaru Maguro Chu-toro Aji Mirugai Kuromutsu Chu-toro roll Uni Unagi
This is definitely the best and most authentic sushi we
This is definitely the best and most authentic sushi we have had outside of Japan. The omakase was amazing. We were served 20+ items. The service was perfect. All staff were friendly. Ingredients were extremely fresh. The chef had everything prepared efficiently and well paced. The restaurant was small and cozy. Just a sushi bar with 8 seats. Everything was neat and tidy and extremely clean. Each piece was precisely and meticulously prepared in front of us. I love this place and this will be our go to for sushi. We can't go anywhere else now. Highly recommend the restaurant. However, note that reservations need to be done online and cannot be obtained easily. The prices are high but for this quality and number of items, it is worth it. Must try.
Absolutely worth the price.
The entire restaurant is pretty small, I think it only seats 8 people. The chef makes everything right in front of you and everything is incredibly fresh. You get a few courses before moving onto the sushi, and we got 12 different sushi dishes and 10 different courses. Would for sure visit this place over and over again.
Omakase Chronicles [SF Peninsula]Act 2Reservation
Omakase Chronicles [SF Peninsula]Act 2Reservation Difficulty [Tock]: 10/10Price: $$$$Rating: *****++Sushi Yoshizumi remains a benchmark for the Bay Area and beyond as any casual conversation with some of the most popular sushiya chefs will reveal they've visited this well-established Michelin-star benchmarkYoshi-san's dedication to technique and fish preparation continues to evolve and he remains one of the very few establishments in the United States that can credibly compare to Tokyo's bestThere hasn't been a single visit that I haven't learned something new or had to Google a new fish type (and I've gone multiple times, though not every few weeks as some of the lucky better-off clientele he's garnered)The fact that his restaurant is on the SF Peninsula (and outside SF proper no less) is both fortuitous for us who live here and truly something to be treasuredThank you for an amazing meal as always and thank you Yoshi-san for your dedication to your craft! Edomae Sushi Experience $295 per person ($325 starting Nov 1) ~ Mirugai ~ Long neck Clam and Wild snapper / Uni rice with half cooked Salmon Ikura / Katsuo ~ Bonito / Blue crab and seaweed Chawanmushi / Hay smoked Buri / Ankimo / Saba / Mehikari ~ greeneye fish / Mozuku ~ Vinegared seaweed / Ika ~ squid / Sanma / King mackerel / Baby snapper ~ Kasugo / Japanese maguro from Hokkaido / Kohada ~ gizzard shad / Chutoro / Squid leg / Rosy sea bass / Kurama Ebi Tuna roll / Hokkaido Uni / Anago / Fish Bone broth soup / Tamago / California strawberry cooked with sakeSushi Yoshizumi (San Mateo, CA)Sushi Yoshizumi is indoor dining only and reservations are mandatory on Tock
The first dinning experience 3 years ago was excellent.
Every fish tasted excellent. Most impressive dish was monk fish liver pate. So soft and smooth. Chef is very skilled! The 2nd and 3rd visits were good but no thrill. Maybe it's the seasonal fish (summer) that did not suit my taste.
Wow. The most amazing edomae style sushi you can find. The
Wow. The most amazing edomae style sushi you can find. The chef is so impressive and runs the entire restaurant by himself. It is authentic and a more traditional omakase - my favorite. The pictures speak for itself. Sushi Yoshizumi is a must try. The restaurant seats 8 people in total and is very intimate. It's $295 per person (pricey) but you will most certainly leave full. Getting a reservation can be tough but when you do, definitely book quickly.
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Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Sushi Yoshizumi San Mateo at 6 PM the same day.
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