General Notes
I first heard of this restaurant in November 2022, and I finally had a chance to try it out in March 2023. I came into this experience with lots of anticipation and it definitely did not disappoint. They specialize in aburasoba (a Japanese soupless noodle dish), and it's possibly one of the most delicious meals that I've ever had, period. The texture of the noodles are perfect, and the flavor combination + composition of their dishes is incredible. And it's all very reasonably priced! There's a ton of hype surrounding this place and for good reason, so do expect a substantial wait, even if you come at off-peak hours.
Positives
> Downtown San Mateo is a lovely neighborhood -- lots of nice restaurants, great park nearby, etc. The number of dessert options nearby are endless, if you're feeling that.
Dishes Tasted
- ★★☆☆ Hiyayakko Cold Tofu -- sweet and spicy sauce, green onions, bonito flakes, ginger, sesame seeds. Nice appetizer, it's quite acidic, which makes it nice and refreshing.
- ★★★☆ Roast Beef Aburasoba -- roast beef, crispy onions, green onions, chaliapin sauce, yogurt sauce, and raw egg yolk. Lovely combination! The yogurt works really well; it's reminiscent of the combination of roast beef + horseradish sauce. The beef is remarkably tender; I wish there were more but I'm not complaining.
- ★★★★ Original Aburasoba -- chashu, bamboo shoots, tokyo onions, and seaweed. Also incredible -- this one doesn't have quite the complexity of flavor from the spicy minced pork, but it's still incredible.
- ★★★★ Nikumori Minced Pork Aburasoba -- spicy minced pork, thin pork slices, green onions, and raw egg yolk. This dish is absolutely incredible. The texture of the noodles are perfect, with just the right amount of chewiness. I love the raw egg yolk, which gives everything a mouth-coating richness. Flavors are excellent, perfect level of spiciness.
- ★★☆☆ Takoyaki -- Solid dish -- not particularly noteworthy but well executed overall.
- ★★★☆ Karaage (oroshi ponzu) -- Super tender + fried perfectly. The flavor is decent but feels _slightly_ off, I don't think I'm a huge fan of the ponzu in combination with karaage