4. Restaurants

Inshou Japanese Cuisine

2942 S Norfolk St, San Mateo, CA, 94403
  • (650) 212-1272
  • Store is closed

Inshou Japanese Cuisine Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Aco A.

    This was the best 5 course Japanese meal for $12.35. You start off with a some fresh edamame to get you going. This is quickly followed by a bowl of miso soup and a small iceberg salad with an orange zest vinaigrette. Both very tasty. Then your main course comes. I ordered the seared tuna and asked for it to come with Udon. The Udon broth was very mild and did not over power the dish. The seared tuna was perfectly cooked and served over rice with accompanying garnishes. With as much food as was served I left with a sense of satisfaction but not over full or feeling like I'd just ingested a pound of salt. The service hear was incredible. My edamame discard bowl was emptied 2 times before my meal came. The food all came quickly and it was freshly prepared, not sitting around waiting for someone.

    (4)

  • Vanessa A.

    Friendly service, honestly better than expected, the seared duck is VERY tasty. I would def come back here for a light dinner. One thing though, when I asked whether the intestines were large or small...the waitress went back to ask....became a group discussion...and i actually heard them say "just tell them it's small intestines"...so...that was a little awkward...but the food was good nonetheless =)

    (4)

  • Robin J.

    Love this restaurant! It can be a bit intimidating to read the menu if you are not Japanese but the staff are very friendly and happy to guide you through it. When in doubt order the sake meshi. Its an amazing stone pot of sizzling rice with perfectly broiled salmon, seaweed, veggies, green onions and salmon eggs. They serve it with a pitcher of dashi that is the most delicious broth you will ever drink and I confirmed with the server that they dont use msg. The broth cook the dish and makes the rice crispy and so flavorful! Yummy, cant wait to go back and try more of their unique dishes.

    (5)

  • Michelle T.

    I came here with my family for dinner and I felt like they were just trying to make you full off of rice and skimp you off everything else. I would never come back. This place was not worth the drive from San Francisco. I agreed 100% with Gary L.

    (1)

  • gary l.

    1 star for super nice waiter. nothing for food ! sorry Portions of every dishes, was like kids meal Don't be fool by the look of the dishes, even tho is made by japanese chef ( they claim the chef suppose to be one of the best ) , but it taste like cheap china town japanese food. totally waste of money and time. will never go back .

    (1)

  • Andrew K.

    We happened to stumble upon the restaurant on our way to Bamboo, and saw a sign that said Japanese Tapas. We were stoked to see another Japanese restaurant in Foster city, especially some place that was a little more than just traditional eats. As soon as we walked in, we were pleasantly surprised by the nice interior, it looked like Osia Thai in SF. It seemed like it would have been nicer if it was a little bit dimmer, ya know, just to set a nice dinner mood. When we saw the menu, it was nice to see some familiar items like carpaccio, onigiris, and some sushi. We ordered the hirame carpaccio, kubota kakuni, and the Crackring shrimp (I think it was a typo) and a order of sake nigiri. The kakuni pork was sliced thin, which I'm not used to (usually a big chunk of pork...mmmmm.) but it had good flavor, a little drier than usual. The hirame carpaccio was really good, I think they might have seasoned it with hondashi, but either way, it was good. The Crack Ring shrimp was ok, had a nice texture and the curry aioli was decent. My order of sake nigiri was served with fresh grated wasabi and the fish was nicely marinated. Very good but the pieces were very small. I actually ordered another and this time it came out normally. We also ordered a bottle of kikusui cold sake, which was at a great price at 13 bucks. oh yea, the beer was half off too. All in all, food was good, portions were a bit small for the price but the service was great. I'll def be back. Glad to have a good Japanese Tapas place in Foster City.

    (4)

  • Ritz T.

    Awesome spider roll

    (5)

  • Chun L.

    We had a good chirashi lunch here. It was not listed on the lunch menu. But my friend said they offered it for lunch also. Will come next time to try other things

    (4)

  • Aya K.

    This place is my favorite!! A little pricey, but so worth the quality. It's Japanese food made a little more fancy and it hits the spot every time :). The yaki onigiri is a must get and basically everything is good. I love the ice cream with warabi mochi and Eric's monthly cocktails are amazing. I recommend it for anyone who is not looking for just sushi.

    (5)

  • Christopher G.

    I had the opportunity to attend the soft opening with a friend. Inshou serves up Japanese cuisine in a style similar to tapas. I didn't get to try everything, but there are some very good dishes. The Crackling Shrimp with the Curry Aloli has a great crust. The Aburi pork katsu is really tasty, and the Himachi on a bed of Himilayan salt was a great presentation. The only thing I didn't like was the cucumber appetizer, but that was because the flavors were a little strong. The decor is really nice, and a pleasant surprise in this shopping center. I hope that the quality stays as high going forward.

    (5)

  • Akihiro M.

    I have been to this place a few times for lunch. It was very good every time. Interior is nice and they don't let people wait for long time. Foods are good taste and very close to Real Japanese food. I like this place.

    (4)

  • Penguin L.

    Their selection on menu is limited. We ordered the 2-person combo plus an additional order of hamachi. Hamachi; roughly 5 slices of fish served on a piece of salty ice. Intereresting presentation and fish is fresh. Suggest to let it sit on awhile on ice so that salt will melt and go into the fish slice. (Don't even have to dip into soy sauce.) 2-persons combo: salmon crispy rice, pork&veg. soup,wakame salad, deep fried tofu, 2 pieces of rice ball, and 3 grilled chicken skrewers. Salmon crispy rice is served in a stone bowl that use for Korean bimbimbap. The rice is very light and crispy(but not burned) and it's the favorite for the night. port&veg. soup is another surprise as they use pork belly but it doesn't feel greasy at all. The rest is average, no surprise. Staff is friendly and service is good but sloooooow. Looks like they have one destinated person to take order and the other two to bring orders out. However, they are out of sync and took 25 mintues to get someone to take our order after several attempts as we are suppose to wait for the destinated person to take order. Just like what the other review mentioned , the table is a bit greasy. Guess it's due to the open kitchen. We have to wipe down the table using tea/napkin again. Overall experience is average but will come back for the salmon crispy rice once in awhile.

    (3)

  • Viet H.

    Authentic and good.

    (5)

  • Jay V.

    I really liked the fish.

    (5)

  • Rob C.

    2.5 chef from tanto. (still a grand opening special of 20% off) friendly, good service. problem is i didn't like tanto either. menu here is much abbreviated tried the hotate butter uni -- if this was representative of all the other dishes, it made me not want to order any more. overcooked tiny thin quarter size slices of scallop with various mushroom (only good part), too buttery, cold uni plopped on top, just didn't work. unagi meshi (since he said it was the most popular) for the prices, not special enough.

    (2)

  • B C.

    this place gets pretty busy at lunch and the crowd dies down around 1pm. there are a lot of tables and customers eat pretty quickly so you will only wait for 10-15 minutes tops if you come at peak hour. the lunch menu is pretty diverse with some good-valued lunch specials. i go pretty often because i work nearby and bento boxes tend to be my preference. i've also tried their katsu curry, udon+nigiri special, and donburis, all tasty. the fish, in general, isn't the greatest but you get what you pay for. service is friendly and sometimes there is a significant wait for the food to come out during busy hours. i've only been here once for dinner when it first opened and i recall it being a good meal. slightly overpriced for my taste but quality was still alright. their menu gets even more diverse for dinner with daily/weekly specials written on the board. personally, i wouldn't come here for sushi. there are many other options in within a 10 miles radius where the fish quality is much better. in a nutshell, if you're looking for an inexpensive lunch option for a group or couple, come here.

    (4)

  • Brian S.

    This is now Inshou Japanese Cuisine, no fusion, just authentic Japanese food at reasonable prices with friendly service in a casual yet traditional atmosphere. I Love the dikon salad with greens, and strips of dikon in a vinaigrette. The seafood yuky soba with shrimp, squid, and clams is to Die for; well seasoned noodles and seafood with fresh vegetables, seaweed, and Japanese vegetables. Everyone loved their food from the bacon wrapped asparagus, California rolls, Caterpillar rolls, seaweed salad, and garlic salmon steak. Portions are not big but not small as our waiter said it is to have on your own or share family style; the concept is to start small with the food and work your way up to larger dishes throughout the meal. I will definitely go back; I have found my new Japanese favorite in the area. Round it off with a picher of Soporro for your group and you will not be disappointed. So, for excellent Japanese at reasonable prices in a casual yet traditional atmosphere, Inshou cannot be beat. Keep up the good work guys.

    (5)

  • L L.

    Top izakaya in Bay Area. Very fresh. Variety. Even good for vegetarians.

    (5)

  • Vegas B.

    Presentation is good but food itself is nothing special for the price. I am not sure what is the theme of this place. Menu is way too small for Izakaya. Mostly chicken and kuro-buta and cooking method are broiled or fried. Nothing special. Seared duck has way too much sauce and killing Kamo's flavor.

    (3)

  • Rachel C.

    Food is very good for lunch menu. For $10 you can get a huge bowl of don, miso soup, salad, and side udon. The taste reminded me of all those lunch menues in Japan. This is my second time eating here and it still amazes me. *food coma at work right now*

    (4)

  • Inigo M.

    Pricey for small portions.

    (3)

  • niwath c.

    Dude, we eat here at least once a week. It's like they make their lunch specials based on my taste buds. Easy on my wallet but heavy in my belly...I'd rock an Inshou t-shirt, if they made one!!!

    (5)

  • Moulder F.

    Just noticed this place when I was going to pick up some burritos. I had to check it out and went today. I ordered the beef donburi, natto tofu, and kimchi. My fiancé ordered the lunch special. The California roll was very good. Natto tofu for $5 was pricey. I think I will skip it next time because I can make it better at home. The kimchi was ok, but the beef donburi was good. I wished the portions were bigger. I'm giving them 2 stars for now. I'll be back if they make improvements and update later.

    (2)

  • F L.

    This restaurant feels like a japanese restaurant with a korean twist in the menu, while owned by a chinese guy. I recent went for a dinner and here is my take on the dishes. Dishes I like and you need to try - himalayan hamachi (this i'd give it a 4.5) taste really good. you don't need the soy sauce or wasabi. The raw fish is place on a slab of pick himalayan rock salt! i wish i could take it home. - grilled pork belly with a cold poached egg. Love the pork belly but i could never expect an icy old poached egg. Poached egg still taste better warm. - seaweed salad, very nice (solid 4.5 or 5) it's not just seaweed but mixed wonderfully with other vege. this and the hamachi is a must try when you go there next time. - raw salmon was ok, nothing really special. I can make the same myself. - crackraring shrimp. I don't even know how to rate it. I have never taste anything like it. it's like tempura but coated with shrimp egg like on crust. dipping sauce gives me a hint of curry. not spicy though. - grill eel over rice in a hot stone pot (korean style?). Eel was done nicely but crispy rice seared to the pot is crunchy. very contract to soft grilled eel. - grilled mackerel, pass. just don't order this. i almost forgot i ever ordered it. not bad but not memorable at all. Service was attentive and courteous. The kitchen is open, making the restaurant a bit smoky and warm (too many fry stuff). Menu is limited during dinner time. but i guess they would rather do things better and focus on delivering good food than just dump a giant amount of crappy food on your dish. Think tapas when you go there. it's not cheap on the grill and shasimi section. but overall it's pretty good. I was told that lunch menu is different and the portion size is much bigger. All in all, there are hits and misses. utensils aren't that clean. I guess it's greasy fume from the kitchen. it feels mildly oily to touch.

    (3)

  • d h.

    I'm glad that I found this place! It's a welcome addition to the San Mateo dining scene. The waiters/hostess were all so friendly and helpful! I usually go to Izakaya Mai or Genji in downtown, but Inshou has its own charm as well. While their menu isn't as big/extensive, they do have a good selection of dishes that are different from Izakaya Mai or Genji. I particularly like their garlic steak (steak cooked in a cast iron skillet with garlic and onions) and their soup with daikon and other assorted greens (I can't remember the name). I also had the cheese katsu - which was chesse wrapped with beef, coated with panko and deep fried like a katsu. As another poster mentioned, the food is a little different and not quite the same as other Japanese restaurants but it is good and tasy. Anyway, don't let the small crowds fool you! I think the location (in a strip mall in front of Dennys) doesn't help but I think once word of mouth spreads, I think they'll do fine.

    (4)

  • Tarra R.

    I came here with my boss for lunch the other day. Its not somewhere she would eat at again, but she also considers Cheesecake Factory her favorite restaurant so ... I on the other hand had a great lunch. The meat was cooked perfectly and the right amount of kimchi was added. I cant say much for any other dish but I cannot wait to come back and try out some of the small plate offerings they have. The service was a little slow at first but they refilled the drinks when we needed them and promtly gave us our bill when asked.

    (4)

  • Lisa C.

    Yummy Yaki o-nigiri (grilled rice ball) Reason for three stars is because open kitchen where grilling of fish and other seafood is involved means a very smokey restaurant if vent isn't strong enough. O-sake was on the expensive side I thought if they are trying to be a welcoming nomiya they need to provide better pricing Service was great.

    (3)

  • Deb L.

    get the Maguro Kama!! AND the grill rice ball!! Yummm....

    (4)

  • Yunmi B.

    This place is awesome and it's Japanese owned (thank God!). Lunch menu is impressive. They have a long list of combo meals that you can pick and choose from. I happen to love the combo sushi meal with udon. I've also tried the kimchi/pork over rice meal and that was awesome too! Dinner was equally good but wish they had more of the lunch menu options. It ended up not mattering because they had some pretty tantalizing options. We had a sizzling garlic steak. It was a bit on the greasy side but still enjoyable. Great service, food and price.

    (4)

  • V K.

    Hmmm, if there was a way to give this place a 1/2 star, I would. My manager said this place will be the "go to" place only if all of the Japanese places in the area were wiped out. Only 1 out of the four of us had a good meal - it was lunch, so we ordered from the Lunch Menu. I had the pork belly w/the Kimchi and it was....boring. There were only 5 slices of pork belly and they were smaller than bacon slices. They were chewy and bland. I barely finished 1/2 of my food and I was starving. My manager had the combo and got something w/spicy tuna that didn't look like tuna. He left most of his food too. Another co-worker ordered the hamburger steak - it was served w/a sauce over it and he said it was the worse thing he'd ever tasted. The only satisfied was the co-worker that ordered a special w/tempura, we all salivated when his food came - even the cold tofu looked good. I guess I'm just having a bad month.

    (1)

  • Sharon H.

    It was only ok for me, but I think the bf and I ordered the wrong foods. So I would come back again to try other things before writing it off completely.

    (3)

  • Virginia L.

    First thought: EXOTIC JAPANESE DISHES!!! When i first saw the menu, I was surprised by how creative this restaurant was. I'm a fan of Japanese food and I usually order the same dishes at majority of Japanese restaurants, but THIS RESTAURANT THREW ME OFF GUARD. The dishes were NOT like what you order at regular Japanese restaurants. They were unique and DIFFERENT and I was a bit iffy about trying these dishes, but it was actually really good. THE GARLIC STEAK OVER HASHBROWN WAS DELICIOUS (BEST COMBO EVER) - MUST TRY!!!! THE SERVICE WAS AWESOME TOO!!! (GO IN ON THE WEEKENDS, IT'S THE BEST TIME... HINT HINT) Overall, I had a good experience here. Surely I'll be back when I'm in the area.

    (5)

  • Durif M.

    The closest Izakaya to my home. I like this place since we get 20% off as part of my employer's benefits. Food is OK, and it's less of an Izakaya compared to what you'll find in downtown San Mateo or in the South Bay. I guess they are more of a fusion Japanese restaurant then just a Izakaya. Nevertheless the food is pretty authentic and service is always quick. One big problem is that they did not give us "Daikon Oroshi" (grated daikon radish) when we ordered the grilled Hokke (species of fish). Not only did the Hokke not come with the Daikon, but they refused to give it to us when we asked for it. I don't think it's just me. No Hokke can be enjoyed without the Daikon Oroshi. I also wish they do their lunch donburi's for dinner too.

    (3)

  • L T.

    We ordered fresh oysters, sashmi, a few rolls and maki, and a couple of nabe (soup). While the oysters were fresh, the sashmi and rolls were rather disappointing. For one, we were shock to find a fishbone and some connecting tissues in the sashmi. The rolls were on the salty side and the portions were small for the price. The service was very inconsistent. Some of us got our orders long before others. Probably won't be returning anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Debby C.

    Sometimes a girl just wants an ume onigiri. This place makes an honest, straightforward, fresh and thoroughly satisfying ball o' rice. The garlic steak sitting on a bed of yummy hashy potato soaking up the juice was a nice touch too.

    (4)

  • Hiromi M.

    I never thought food would be good at a Japanese restaurant at a location like this... it is just no where I expected. But a friend of my friend told her it is good, so we went. And it was good! I would go back to try different dish again.

    (5)

  • Ruby K.

    My girl friend brought me here, and I asked her to order everything. I remember eating salmon sashimi, hamachi kama, and maybe three other plates of food. The food was pretty good, and I loved my peach soju cocktail. Most refreshing tasting cocktail ever. Food came in small portions so do order more than what you normally would. I was still hungry after sharing 5 plates. Wonderful service.

    (4)

  • Charmaine L.

    came in on a whim for a quick lunch. i thought it was a japanese tapas izakaya restaurant, but one look at the lunch menu, and i saw it was a doburi, udon, and combination lunch spot. we ordered a katsudon and oyako don. they came with salads and miso soups. while the food was decent and the presentation nice, the price was a bit high. my oyako don was full of tender and juicy chicken, sweet eggs, and softened onions...but then again, i can get the same thing elsewhere for at least $2 cheaper. i will return to try a more extensive menu at dinner and give inshou a chance to prove itself as an izakaya.

    (3)

  • Pansy L.

    I had the Grilled Steak Lunch Special for about 10 bucks. Steak was cooked medium rare and it was perfectly tender. Portion is quite filling and the ratio between meat and rice was fair. Meal came with salad and miso soup. Overall, I had a decent lunch but it was nothing amazing.

    (3)

  • Christopher S.

    Kind of intimidating menu for me but the waitress was very helpful and made some excellent suggestions after she asked my girlfriend and I some basic food preference questions. Both of our entrees were very good and the Kobe beef appetizer was excellent.

    (4)

  • Zero L.

    The food is very good, but the waiting time is not acceptable and the portion are really small. There are many other good japanese place nearby, I won't choose this one again.

    (2)

  • Phantipha N.

    Test of the food was good even the price is quite high.

    (4)

  • Hema K.

    Kind of pricey for lunch items.. $14(tax+tip) for a combo bento box.. I've had lunch bento boxes for $11(t+t) at other places in san mateo downtown, by CSM as well.

    (3)

  • aimee a.

    The people here at inshou were super nice. They approached and re-approached and gave us great service. That is the reason this place gets 2 stars. That and because the food wasn't horrible. But one of the turn-offs was when my mom's fork had a little bit of dried rice on it :( This is a Japanese "tapas" themed restaurant so it seemed interesting. My mom and I ordered 3 items, one was crackring shrimp, another was "garlic bread with poached eggs, and the last was a salmon rice dish on a clay pot. The crackring shrimp was described as fried shrimp with curry sauce. We got just that, it was 4 mini skewers of Shrimp (very small). It was good, but not worth 9 dollars.(not exact price but around there) The poached eggs were a little cheaper, but still not worth the price. It was literally shrimp chips (nowhere did I taste garlic) and poached eggs. The salmon dish was good, it was a good size. The price was okay, not too bad like the others. It had salmon roe, different vegetables, rice and sauce for like 13-14 dollars. I swear, if the waitress didn't offer the salmon dish, my mom and I would have starved because the portions were really tiny. After we got the 30-35$ bill, we both decided it was a waste honestly. They were the smallest portions I've ever seen. And if they're that small, lower the price by several dollars because this definitely wasn't worth it. My mom and I literally got nachos after a couple of doors down because our bellies weren't full. lol

    (2)

  • Vanessa T.

    Good place for a quick lunch and it's nearby my place too. I had the roasted pork bowl recommended by the waiter and it did not disappoint. It is a little pricey for lunch (I believe the bowls start at $10) but the quality is good. Their service could use some improvement as our cups of water were left empty for most of their meal.

    (3)

  • Jim Chris U.

    "Irashaimase!" says the smiling servers when we stepped in this restaurant. we arrived here at 830pm. The inside of this place was cool. the wave white wall design,the tables,chairs,bar. Ambience was awesome! Now for the food. for appetizer, japanese green peas and tea were served. I ordered Hotate butter uni broiled - aka Scallop with butter sauce and sea urchin with rice! and while waiting, the nice host gave us free additional appetizer and sapporo beer on the house! how lucky! LOL! omg! The food was actually in small portions, but i didnt really get upset coz it was perfect for my diet! haha AND it was Really tasty! i love seafood! especially scallops! Kudos to their service! If youre hella hungry, go to a buffet place instead, coz this place is for a light dinner! ohm nom nom!

    (5)

  • Pablo P.

    Came here on the Fri night before New Years and saw Japanese staff and patrons, both good signs. The place was maybe 75% full and had a modern clean vibe. We ordered buta kimchee, agadashi nasu, cheeseballs(potato with cheese, deepfried), shishitou, garlic(yakitori), yakionigiri, onigiri, tsukemono, tomato salad, garlic pepper kalbi, green tea ice cream + mochi, and some other things I don't remember. Everything was solid good. The menu reeks of modern japanese guy putting a twist on traditional izakaya foods. I like his/her style. My gf and I walked out of there with a $81 bill(including tip). So, a bit on the pricey side, but the food, service, and ambience were enough to make me want to go back. Good to see there wasn't much of a "teriyaki" menu. Whoever orders that stuff should automatically get kicked out of the restaurant!

    (4)

  • Carolyn F.

    Came here for a weekday lunch. It was quite unfortunate 1) my coworker was hungover, 2) this was the closest restaurant to where we parked. He refused to stumble a few more steps to Little Saigon or Tofu Cabin, so we ended up here. Food was mediocre and service was sloppy. Sushi is not their strong suit at lunch. First off, they don't even provide a sushi menu, but the coworker asked if he could order a spicy tuna roll and the waitress said yes. This came out as 8 small little pieces with the most bland "spicy" tuna mixture. I ordered the beef and onion rice bowl. It was super soupy and really one dimensional in taste. Don't waste your money on the extra udon; it was bland and added nothing to the meal (more is not always more). Coworker got the pork kimchee bowl which he described as "I only taste kimchee." My coworker also ordered a glass of wine at the beginning, but only got it 12 min after we sat down and had already gotten the sushi. (He also had to remind the waitress.) We also had to wait forever for our tea refills (we asked), water, food, and check. The staff just seemed very inexperienced, though they were nice. Maybe dinner is better, but I can't really recommend this place for lunch.

    (2)

  • Brian H.

    A great overall experience. Delicious food, friendly service and a surprisingly affordable night! The rice dishes were thoughtfully prepared. Served in a stone pot, the bottom develops a nice crust, topped with perfectly cooked salmon, garnished with salmon roe and finished at the table with a dashi broth. A dish that has contrast in texture and flavors. Another favorite was the agadashi tofu. Perfectly seasoned. The ice cream at the end was also a surprise. Green tea ice cream top with a dollop of red bean and mochi pieces. A favorite of the girls at the table. I'll be back.

    (5)

  • Jen K.

    Went on a Friday night and it was almost completely empty except for one other couple. This place would probably get more business if it was in downtown San Mateo. There was some ok dishes, and some very good dishes. The main problem is that most of the dishes were overpriced. My review: Snapper clay pot--2/5 stars. Ehh really disappointing. Snapper was overcooked, rice was barely crispy even though we left it in the pot for awhile, broth was too salty. Crackring shrimp--4/5 stars. Yum! But it was a small portion. Broiled scallop with uni--4/5 stars. The flavor was delicious, scallops were perfect, but I I don't like cooked uni. Hamachi on top of himalayan salt--4.5/5 stars. The fish was very fresh, and the chef knew how to cut the fish (an art in itself). Again, I couldn't give it a full 5 stars because it just seemed really overpriced for four slices of fish. If this was a restaurant in downtown San Francisco, ok maybe the price is justified. But not for a strip mall in San Mateo. Not the worst, but not the best. I prefer Yuzu if I'm looking for quality, and Izakaya Mai if I'm looking for cheapness.

    (3)

  • David L.

    I've been going to Inshou since it opened, and I have to say it's improved quite a bit since that day. The service has always been friendly, but the quality and variety of their meals have definitely improved over time. I love their izakaya stuff, but also look forward to their wakami salad and chawan mushi (Steamed Egg Custard). Check it out

    (4)

  • Irene S.

    I had an amazing dinner experience eating at Inshou. Modern style décor and friendly service. We had a large group, so we were able to try variety dishes from the menu. I would like to highlight a few: Shakemeshi (grilled salmon, rice in hot stone pot) - Pour warm lightly salted tea over the rice. The crispiness and the grilled salmon are a great combination. Kamo Takaki (seared duck in fruit sauce) - Interesting combination and way of cooking the duck. Slices of pears and apples added sweetness to the natural flavor of the duck. Berkshire Pork in spicy broth- Tasted sort of like Kimchi soup with a richer soup base. The sliced pork was cooked just right, did not taste too fatty. Sashimi- extremely fresh with a variety of higher quality fish and seafood to choose from. Menu could look a bit confusing if one is not familiar with Japanese tapas. However, the waiters and waitresses are friendly enough to explain and recommend different options. The pricing is just fair for the quality and experience you'll be getting. Overall, Inshou is a great place if you want a break from typical Japanese American sushi and ramen. Their dishes are unique and authentic if you want to experience a different side of Japanese cuisine.

    (5)

  • Sophia S.

    Authentic Japanese food is the heritage of simple, which I've learn when I was in Japan. It brings along the humble dimuitive plates set aside for you, and the creativity of these dishes that we will eventually devour. This place made its list of authentic Japanese cuisine in Foster City. Inshou, you have left a trademark in the Marina Plaza. Although, people may be overlooking this joint, but I have not. The Hamachi sashimi is so fresh that it left me wanting more. The Sakemeshi dish was definitely my favorite. Unique by its simplicity of its flavor, it is definitely a must try. Claypot rice with Salmon that is not overcooked... Talk about good timing, it was piping hot with your own kettle of broth being poured into the claypot goods. Inshou, brings along the traditional and contemporary mix into their dishes. What can I say I am a fan!

    (4)

  • Anita C.

    Very accommodating for me and my 4 year old. Great ambiance friendly staff. Highly recommend. We had the sushi bento and the bento box special. Both were very good and reasonably priced.

    (5)

  • Deborah W.

    This has become our go-to neighborhood restaurant. Almost everything we have tried has been excellent! I particularly recommend the garlic steak, wakame salad, and fried baby octopus. The roasted tea creme brulee is also very good - nice creamy texture and flavor. The only thing that we weren't thrilled with is their yakitori. We ordered the tongue and chicken hearts, and for both, one skewer was way over cooked, but the other was good. I suppose that could have been a one-time fluke though. This place is fairly authentic, compared to many Japanese restaurants around here, at least from my ignorant-white-person perspective... They're not just serving teriyaki and california rolls. The service is okay except for bringing you the check at the end of the meal (hence the four stars instead of five). Nearly every time we've gone, we've had to wait for 15 minutes to get our check, but we consider it worth it considering the excellent food. We've just gotten in the habit of asking for the check early. It's usually not super busy, but there may be a wait on Saturday nights. Parking is okay, there's a large lot, but it's often almost full. Overall, highly recommended.

    (4)

  • Lee A.

    Food was good. We hated the service, thus the 1 star. The female server just kept walking past us. Didn't check up to refill water. It seems that if the customer is non-Japanese (as we are), you don't get the preferred service that other customer get. It was not a super busy night. We were seated right away. No one offered water. The servers just kept passing our table. Finally, one of the male servers took our order. We complained about waiting for so long and all we got was an "insincere" apology. Again, no refills for water. Once we finished our dinner - no one checked in to ask if everything was ok, if we wanted dessert etc etc. I wanted to get the bill and we kept waiting. I look over and the two servers were just socializing by the kitchen. I made eye contact with one of the servers and gave the hand gesture for the bill. We got the bill. I immediately put my card out so it is visible for her to take it, she passed our table and didn't grab the card. I took the bill and went straight to the cashier to pay for it so we can get the hell out of this restaurant. I left $0 for tip. To be sarcastic, I wanted to leave a 5 cent tip, but decided against it. I have been to this restaurant before for lunch. I was with a friend who is half japanese. Our service was so much better then. I will not be returning to this restaurant.

    (1)

  • Frank W.

    There is no better Japanese restaurant than Inshou. The food is crazy good and the staff is amazingly accommodating. Happy hour is great because you get super expensive sake for half off and you can get super wasted without even knowing it. One star for the staff, another one for the yaki onigiri, one more for the sake, and two more just cause. *fist pump*

    (5)

  • M Y.

    Excellent service. Food was just run of the mill. Complimentary edamame was soggy. Not a very comfortable place to eat.

    (3)

  • Takako S.

    We went here for a birthday dinner. The happy hour deal was awesome!! We also saw some a la carte menu which we hadn't seen at any other "izakaya" type of Japanese restaurant before. Hamachi Kama was served at no charge and that was really a nice gesture. The service people were very nice too. I liked going there for lunch, but the dinner time was even better! Here are some of our favorite! - Bottle of Denshin Yuki - Deer Meat Carpaccio - Aigamo & Liver Pate - Grilled Sea Bass - Assorted Kushiyaki

    (5)

  • Andrew N.

    Good food and service. Would have been 4 stars but I had to take one off when they brought my coworker a styrofoam box for her leftovers.

    (3)

  • Annabelle P.

    The decor is nice and modern and the staff are friendly and attentive. The food was just okay. I understand that this place is similar to a tapas bar but I thought the pricing could be more reasonable. My daughter and I ordered 3 items: poached egg with garlic bread (which turned out to be shrimp crackers), crackling shrimp, and shakemeshi. Thank goodness our server recommended the shakemishi (rice and salmon hot pot with broth to he poured on it). Those 3 items barely got us full and the total sans tip was already over $30. We decided not to order anything else since we didn't feel like spending $50 on appetizers. Anyway, we ended up going to the burrito place next door after dinner to share a $7 huge super nachos.

    (2)

  • Marevie T.

    This place was all sorts of amazing! I did not know this was right off the freeway. Everything I had here was great, I went for lunch but was able to order off the bigger menu. I was able to control myself with the rice because the main dishes were amazing! WOW! I don't even know what I ate! Hahaha But I will update this blog once I go again and have a look at what the names were. Lol

    (5)

  • Omochi O.

    glad that i have such a Japanese restaurant nearby!

    (4)

  • Lisa Z.

    Let's say 3.5, but Yelp doesn't allow half a star. First off, I wasn't a big fan of Tanto. But I found its menu full of potentials to try and like. Here, at Inshou, the menu was somewhat lacking. There weren't a lot to choose from. And I guess I'm not a big fan of the offering. The place is new and clean and bright. Definitely friendly staff. Very accommodating. But probably because they're somewhat new, they're not coordinating well yet. For example, one waiter came with a dish saying that that's the last dish on our order, but we should have one more. So when we asked another waiter about the other dish, we got charged extra for it. So our bill was overcharged the first time. Then the second time it was undercharged (they gave use an extra $2.25 discount for no reason), but we paid extra in tips for all their trouble. The food tastes ok, nothing that blew my mind though. I think I would try it again just to be sure though. This time I went with my family for the 4-person set dinner. I thought that'd be a good way to try some of their stuff in every category. Well it seems like some of the best were left off their set dinner menu, like the crispy rice. So we had agedashi, seaweed salad, yakitori, salmon tea rice, stew pork with kimchee, eel sushi, and just a regular rice ball wrapped in seaweed. It was surprising filling for 4 people. But nothing that said, "I'm definitely going to come back for it!" Therefore, slightly above average rating.

    (3)

  • Sushi Criticz A.

    This spot is definitely on the top end of bay area Izakayas and part of my top 3. Their fried chicken skin, fried gizzards, yaki onigiri, ankimo and saba nigiri are some of the reasons why I keep coming back. Oh man...if you haven't tried their saba nigiri or fried chicken skin or fried gizzards...You must! They're not as busy as Kokko or Sozai which is a good thing. I can actually get seated pretty quickly with just a walk up. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Pricing here is a bit higher than other Izakayas...Their yakatori skewers are actually not that great...very meh. This and kokko are my go to spots in san mateo

    (5)

  • MJ L.

    We really enjoyed the interesting dishes at this small restaurant in a Marina Foods shopping center. Very reasonably priced. The chefs clearly go for subtle but satisfying dishes. Friendly efficient service. We will definitely bring friends with us next time! The maguro and hamachi sushi was generously sized, beautiful color, and very fresh. All green salads are made with baby arugula that has no bitterness; the crispy chicken salad was uniquely delicious. The soba was another unique but tasty dish, as it was stir-fried. The oyster mushrooms were skewered like scallops, but they were a little too plain. I had the garlic salmon steak, whose grilling had a carmelized skin that I enjoyed. Just a great meal after a long day, thank you Inshou!

    (5)

  • Sam A.

    If you want to eat here, just call and book a table; don't just walk in and put yourself on wait list. You won't get a table!!!!! They have a different wait list.

    (1)

  • Fielani P.

    Came here for lunch a couple of days ago with a friend and ordered the garlic steak and peppered kalbi with sides of rice and kimchi with calpico drinks. Over all the food was very good, I loved the kimchi especially. However, I took off a star due to pretty small portion sizes, especially for the price they sell them at. Other than that, the service was very helpful ! The manager was friendly and approachable and we were waited upon pretty diligently, but not annoyingly so. I would definitely come again for lunch, but wouldn't recommend it to people who are super starving or have rather large appetites.

    (4)

  • Jennay K.

    Slow service. Overpriced food. I get that sashimi is a delicacy, but your slices are so thin, that I can't even savor any of the taste. Did I mention slow service? It took forever for things to come out. I mean, does it really take 30 minutes to bring out raw fish on a plate? Even I can do that faster, and I don't know about the art of filleting sushi. I could probably read up on it, take classes and learn before I get my food out here. I wouldn't recommend this to any sushi lovers out there. It's just too slow and expensive. I've been to high quality sushi restaurants in San Diego and New York, and despite how pricey those places are, it's worth it due to the service and quality (and quantity of food).

    (2)

  • Isabella L.

    I've been here twice and always order their bento box option. The thing that annoys me is how strict they are about no substitutions in their bento box. I go to Kobe more often and their bento boxes are bigger, give you more options, and are about the same price if not cheaper. I know a lot of people here rave about their garlic butter steak and I have heard it is actually really good!

    (3)

  • Gary C.

    I think this is my favorite izakaya style restaurant so far after I visited: Tanto, En, Gochi, Saizo, Sumiya, Sumika, Ironiya, Mokutanya, the list goes on and on. Why? (1) The food is not over priced (2) portion is generous (3) food is served spot on with their freshliness and not over cooked. They have a regular menu, and a today special menu. I highly recommend checking out what they have on their special menu first. You don't need to ask for it, they will bring you the board to your table. Here are a few examples of my favorites: - Garlic steak: Rib eye steak serve over hashbrown and onion with their garlic sauce serve over a sizzling hot plate. You can choose how well do you like your steak. They recommend medium, but personally I like medium rare. - A box of torched uni: If you go to a supermarket to buy a box of uni - Marguo kama: everyone knows hamachi kama, it's not special anymore. Behold! the roast tuna cheek is easily 5 times as large as a hamachi karma, served with lemon, mixed green and a special sauce. Fully of flavor for fish lover - They have many kind of sashimi but they sold out quickly, I tried these ones and I like all of them: Blue fin tuna, Tuna chu-toro, hamachi belly, Gonch(shell fish). - Yaki-onigiri: very tasty grilled rice ball. It stays crispy for a long time. I haven't try their yakitori menu before, but the other grilled item I ordered was really good. Or, just look at the pictures that other Yelpers and I posted, I think they totally speak of themselves.

    (5)

  • Mee V.

    This place has such amazing Japanese food. The sushi/sashimi is always fresh and never disappoints. My favorite dish is the pork belly with kimichi.

    (5)

  • Mandy G.

    Located inside the Marina shopping plaza, this place offers decently good Japanese food that comes in small portions for a small price. Stepping in, the kind (and cute - hope my bf doesn't read this) hostess, seated us down immediately. He immediately brought the 'special of the day' board to our table, which offers a variety of food for a cheaper-than-normal price. Sadly, we didn't order anything on there. As for the atmosphere, I think it is nice but seems like it could be more of a bar scene! We ordered chicken kara age, the garlic steak, cucumber avocado roll, spicy tuna roll, and green tea ice cream with mochi to finish our dinner. Chicken Kara Age ($5.50) Normally chicken karaage is listed under appetizers, but this was listed under 'fried' - meaning you probably wouldn't get it first. The dish came with about 6-7 pieces. The dish is okay, but it's not something I would order instantly unless I'm craving it. The Garlic Steak ($11.50) There are 2 types of garlic steak - one that falls other (grilled) meat and another that falls under seafood. The one under seafood has 2 options - hamachi & salmon. There is only one garlic steak under 'meat', and it is THEE garlic steak! Don't get it mistaken! A recommended dish on Yelp, this dish was one of my favorites from what I had that night. The garlic steak is sauteed in onions and buried on top of hash browns. ----Wait what? Hash browns? Yeah, you read that correctly! As weird as it sounds, it was surprisingly good. Loved to eat pieces of it with the sauteed onions as well! Cucumber Avocado Roll ($5.50) As stated before, everything is comes in small portions - including the rolls. These rolls are the size of small California rolls, so, they're smaller than average. You get about 8 rolls and for the price you pay, it ain't bad! They are quite good. My bf ordered this and I kept stealing it because I preferred this over the Spicy Tuna roll. hehe. I'd recommend this dish! Spicy Tuna Roll ($6) A recommended dish from our waitress (supposedly it's popular), I thought this dish was okay. If you are sensitive to spice, you should probably not order it. I'm not saying it is spicy, but you can taste a little bit. Sadly, it is not something I'd order again. BUT, my bf liked this dish, and we would basically switch off rolls. Green Tea Ice Cream with Mochi ($4.50) For this dessert, you have the option of selecting vanilla or green tea flavored ice cream. But be warned, this is not your typical store-bought mochi. Instead, it is scoops of ice cream with house-made mochi's! Not something I expected, I found it quite interesting. The mochi feels soft and warm when put inside your mouth... But regardless, it is still good and worth a try. This restaurant was not something I expected, and it is a place I hope to come back to. They have a great selection of food for a low price (but small portions). If you're craving a bigger appetite, I'd probably suggest going elsewhere!

    (4)

  • Lisa F.

    This place is special. I have become a regular here, because the food and service is excellent! And...when you come here enough that the wonderful people who work here notice the sadness in your face, and ask you how you are, and express genuine concern...and you feel like a family member is bringing you soup that gives your insides a warm hug...it's a very special place. :) Thanks, Gabe! Highly recommend .. Everything on the menu. Quality ingredients, stellar preparation. Satisfying and exciting!

    (5)

  • Sarah W.

    Inshou is a good izakaya - not great - for dinner outtings with friends and/or family (so people aren't shwasted like at Yakitori Kokko [shout out] my favorite izakaya in the peninsula). They were really really accommodating of my large group of 20 people. They placed us against one side of the restaurant, which was cozy. They also made sure to check in on us and get our orders, which was def appreciated. Definitely good for large groups! They also surprised me with a happy birthday ice cream. :) Must Try: Asahi (Sapporo? Please!) to go with... Yakionigiri with salmon Grilled miso cod Tsukune (chicken meat ball) Momo (chicken thigh) Crab croquette Any of their donburis to finish off the meal They're famous for the garlic steak, which is strips of steak with french fries (hash browns) and onions on a sizzling cast iron plate. It was goooood but not greeeeat. So I mention it but do not include it in the Must Try list (above). Do noooot get the sushi. Just don't. Please it's an izakaya people. Expect to pay $20-35/person. This is not bad for an izakaya. A note on lunch: The menu is totally different. They serve Japanese comfort foods like katsu curry, chicken donburi, etc. They still serve alcohol/beer. The one time I went for lunch it was actually pretty nice so I'd recommend stopping over during the lunch hour too. Expect to pay $11 for lunch.

    (4)

  • Christina L.

    LUNCH!!!!!! I am pleasantly surprised that lunch is so good here. This is probably my favorite lunch spot in the area. I went for dinner once (on accident, my friends confused restaurants with the sister ramen restaurant around the corner), so we ate appetizers and moved over for ramen later. Dinner: Ate fried squid and croquettes neither were amazing and we paid $15 for two appetizers. Lunch: A friend recommended their Garlic Steak ($12.50) and it came with a hash brown underneath!!! Who would've known? This is probably my favorite dish at this location and they can either do an AMAZING job at cooking the steak or mess up (obviously). When ordering, I would highly emphasize that you want a perfect steak because that makes all the difference when eating this dish. Another favorite dish is the hamburger steak. Yummy sauce, poached egg, and CHEESE!! Who doesn't love cheese? This takes a little longer to serve. Very accommodating service. You cannot order ramen from the other restaurant, despite the restaurants being connected. They only do it to share ingredients.

    (5)

  • Boba P.

    I am fortunate to live and work close to Inshou, which has been my go-to Japanese restaurant. I have tried many dishes here and they are all good. Prices are good for a Japanese restaurant. Inshou has a good variety of dishes: Sushi/Sashimi, izakaya style, fusion and bento boxes. The mix makes Inshou a versatile place for groups as it offers something delicious for everyone. Many of the dinner signature items are also available for lunch at a lower price. Another +1 for The Garlic Steak. I have gotten a lot of friends hooked on it. Inshou is a popular place and can get busy during dinner times so get there early to avoid a long wait.

    (5)

  • Kaje Y.

    Inshou is tucked away in an odd plaza that has all sorts of cusines. I came here with a friend who recommended it. We made it just in time for the end of happy hour. The happy hour has a very limited menu, but 30% on most alcohols. We got a pitcher of sapporo, regular price is $15, then 15% off. It's a little weird because instead of having a happy hour menu at each table, they take one big whiteboard around to each table. They also have a separate blackboard for their specials, that they also take around the restaurant. Odd. Other than that, we ordered off the regular menu. We came early to try to get our hands on the evasive Maguro Kama. We were able to secure one! We also ordered hamachi kama, and THE garlic steak. They were super surprised that we ordered 2 kamas (collar) - we didn't understand why. THE Garlic steak came out first. Don't confuse this with the fish steaks. There is one that says "THE Garlic Steak" on the menu with the capitalized "THE". This was well seasoned over a soggyish hasbrown and onions. This was very delicious, but just a little bit salty, so eat with rice! Next the hamachi kama came out. This was well cooked, just a hint overcooked, but nonetheless probably the second best hamachi kama I've had. The meat was still super tender and had a nice crisp on the outside. We were getting pretty full at this point, perhaps it was the beer. Then as we finished this, the Maguro kama came out... O.... M.... G.... This thing is HUGE. This was served on a dish that was about 11inches x 11inches, and the kama didn't really fit on the plate. See picture. There were 2 pieces. It was a bit salty, and there was so much meat on these pieces. It comes with raw onions which is very necessary to balance out the strong flavour of the tuna. We ended up asking for more of the onions, and more rice. I would also recommend more lemons. Hamachi Kama - 8.50 Maguro Kama - 22 Pitcher of Sapporo - 15 (less 15%) I don't remember how much the garlic steak was. All in all, this was a super inexpensive dinner that was extremely filling. I would recommend sharing the Maguro Kama between 3-4 people, and our whole meal should have probably been split between 3-5 people. Highly Recommended, and will return!!!

    (5)

  • Drew C.

    Went here after a day in San Francisco. Friends I was staying with recommended this place in between SF and San Jose. It's a Japanese gem in the middle of a Chinese strip mall, very nice inside. The people come and give you a chalkboard with all the daily specials and must haves and the waiters helped us make the best orders. -Maguro Kama (HUGE Tuna collar to feed multiple people) -Surf Clam (sashimi special) -Herring with Roe (another special) -Yakitori (salted, not teriyaki sauced) It appears the Miso Cod always sells out quickly

    (4)

  • Jane S.

    I've only been here twice but both times it's been packed. And both times i came it was right after they opened, meaning it's likely always full. the fish is FRESH -- and the service is amazing. both times, we have been so happy with the service and the friendly & accomodating staff. I have eaten both the sushi rolls and the sashimi. The first time i had the sushi rolls, and if I were to have written the review then, I would have given it 4 stars. BUT after having the sashimi, which really showcases how fresh their fish is, its definitely worth the extra star.

    (5)

  • Harriet W.

    THE garlic steak, with an emphasis on the THE. As in it's THE only garlic steak you will ever think about. Came here on a Sunday night and the wait was approximately 20-30 mins since a majority of the tables in the back were reserved. Still felt like if I were seated when I got there, I would've finished eating even before that party that made the reservation arrived. Babe and I each got the garlic steak with a side of rice each. Kind of annoyed that it didn't already come with rice, I felt like a dish like dish usually would. We also got a yakionigiri to share. Yakionigiri - Rice is crunchy to perfection, and it is hands down the best onigiri that I've ever had. But it was also given that the only ones I've tried were very bland and disappointing and it was mostly a plain ball of rice. (Animes always make onigiri look so damn good though). THE garlic steak - Definitely worth getting. Portion is smaller than I had expected, but the flavors were impeccable. Make sure the meat has the sauce over it before you take your first bite, because my end piece didn't quite have sauce over it and I was so disappointment. But then I took the 2nd bite and realized the first piece wasn't properly drenched in the sauce. Overall, I would definitely come back for the garlic steak, and probably get the yakionigiri again too. Absolute delish! :9

    (4)

  • Alex T.

    Was here for a birthday dinner. Maybe it's San Mateo; maybe it's a hot night, but I felt quite hot in the restaurant especially they kept forgetting my ice water. I haven't written a review for long, so I will keep it brief. Service: 3 star; young yet not attentive staff. Friendly though. Food: 4 star; The menu has lots of choices. Maybe because it's really a lot, it became a turn off for me as I try to select my food. Do I want sashimi? Yaki? udon? Garlic steak? Fries? (Yeah, I know) Luckily they all turned out to be satisfying in taste and quantity. Comfyness: 3.5 star: it's a great hangout place with friends, but not great for babies. (We brought 3). Kinda crowded in spacing. Clean but need more A/C (I mentioned that it was hot, right?) I will return, if my friends want to hangout and pick this spot. Otherwise, I have better spots in mind that offer similar items they serve.

    (4)

  • Aniko N.

    Everything was pretty good including services was excellent. High recommended their sushi pretty fresh and a good covers choice of alcohol.

    (5)

  • Jonathan C.

    I would say that Inshou is a good place for Tapas with our friends. They have a variety of choices, with many unique specials that come and go. Many of the small dishes can be shared between the party, and much of their sashimi/sushi is extremely fresh and good quality. They also have a variety of drinks, if you are so inclined. The presentation of the food delicate, and shows the care the kitchen puts into preparing you meals. My only complaint is the layout, as for larger parties, the square tables make it hard to share food and talk to people in your party. All in all, a great gem, found surprisingly in a strip mall. Will be back!

    (5)

  • Dan B.

    If Nobu K. (check him out @ knobu.yelp.com ) considers this place a legit izakaya, then I gotta agree (which is not to say I haven't done my own homework on the place. I understand what it means to perform due diligence (kinda . . . I'll wiki it later just to make sure though)). I've been to Inshou more than a couple times now and each time it's been fairly enjoyable. The place is lively, the food is fun, and the beer is icy cold. Yes, you should really try the garlic steak. It delivers on flavor and you might even appreciate the hidden hash brown underneath the steak. The deep fried baby octopus (octopi? octopuses? octu-ever) is also one of my favorites. Seriously, if you like calamari tentacles, you're gonna like this dish. Oh, and make sure to check out their daily specials. We once ordered this incredible tuna kamma off of it and it proved to house some of the tastiest morsels of fish I've ever had. The only thing I do not enjoy is the wait (but who does) so I dare not go without a reservation. Otherwise, I usually end up waiting outside. And it can get surprisingly cold in San Mateo.

    (4)

  • Theresa L.

    I came here on a weekend night with one other person and since we didn't have a reservation, we ended up waiting around 15 or 20 minutes to be seated. Overall, I really liked Inshou! Their dishes are unique yet also classically Japanese at the same time (as in I would not be surprised if there was a version of the dishes served here in Japan). Here's dishes that I've tried here in order of preference. Garlic steak: This dish is amazing. The juices from the steak flow down and saturate the hash brown hidden underneath...soooo delicious! The sizzling plate keeps the dish warm for quite a while. Definitely try this! Yaki Onigiri: This onigiri is different from others in that the rice is slightly burnt...I'm not sure how to describe this but it's not burnt in a bad way, it's burnt like this on purpose so that the rice has this crunchy texture. Trust me, there are certain asian cuisines that specifically make this type of rice! The crunchy texture of the rice goes SO well for the onigiri! We had the salmon onigiri but I"m sure this would be good even if you chose another topping. Try this especially since it's not too expensive! Agedashi Tofu: This was your standard agedashi tofu, pretty delicious too! Beef Tongue: The beef tongue we ordered was not on the skewers, so they were sliced into thin pieces. Other than the fact that they were slightly overcooked, I could tell that they would be very delicious had they been cooked for slightly shorter. Yakisoba: We ordered this because we weren't sure if we would be full from the other dishes (I came with one other person) but we definitely didn't need to order this dish. This was a pretty decent dish too, but not anything particularly amazing.

    (5)

  • D D.

    Decent food. Took out a star as the host was more interested in seating the people after us on the list even though we had waited for 25 minutes. I asked him why - he said, he was trying to accommodate them. They had only been there for about 5 minutes. The food itself wasn't too bad. I ordered the Unagi Donburi. It was quite good, however, it sat like a lead block in my stomach after and I was uncomfortable until the next day. I'm not a big fan of the location either.

    (3)

  • Judith L.

    I love this place. Granted I do almost always order the same thing but I have tried a good amount of food from Inshou and everything is pretty good. Ambience & service: Dim, soft music, service on point. We get our food in a timely manner and our tea/water are always getting refills. The waiters/waitresses are always very friendly and if you ever need help with the menu, don't be afraid to ask. Food: Like I said earlier, we always order the same thing: garlic steak, assorted sashimi, and yaki onigiri. DUDE. Their yaki onigiri is so damn good. It's funny how something so simple could be so delicious, but it really is! The crispy outside and flavorful rice :3 So yummeh. The garlic steak is served with onions and and and...A HASHBROWN. DUDE BEST INVENTION EVER. Sometimes I feel like we order this dish mainly because of the hashbrown.. We've also asked for an extra hashbrown once, that's how good it is. I'd also recommend their maguro (tuna) kama. It's huge and can be shared between 2-4 people. It takes a while to come out though so order accordingly with appetizers to munch on while waiting. The bill can rack up quite a bit but that's expected of Japanese tapas. It's worth the splurge :)

    (5)

  • Chris L.

    This place was TERRIBLE. No idea how it can be 4 stars. The food was decent but the portions were terrible. We ordered the poke and there were maybe 4 mini slices and full of seaweed salad. We also ordered THE garlic steak and it doesn't come with miso soup or rice. How in the world can you serve a Japanese dinner with no miso soup or rice?! The service was also the worst service. We had to ask for our water, rice and check multiple times. We were practically begging for service. I nearly warned the people waiting at the front what a horrible mistake they were about to make. DO NOT GO HERE.

    (1)

  • Danika Z.

    Worst Japanese restaurant ever! I ordered a sashimi plate and requested for salmon only. First of all we waited for half an hour for the bento box and salmon sashimi to arrive. Then for some reason the salmon came out with thick layers of white colored meat which tasted very fishy. I requested for this to be replaced with the regular salmon sashimi that are orange rather then white on one sides and was refused. The young man waiter said that the chef refused to replace it. I asked the waiter to speak with the manager and or owner to see what they can do for me. Eventually the young waiter said that he is the manager and there was nothing he can do. I tried one last time and he said he will give me a 10% discount off of this $16 meal! This was a ridiculous service and meal! See photo - the pieces are cut unevenly and with skin still remaining on it. My photo is not great but hopefully you can see it. Even the leaves had lots of black dots on them not fresh at all. I always get the salmon sashimi plate from Tokyo Village at crown plaza. The salmon pieces are MUCH bigger and not fishy. I will never come back here again and will definitely share it with all my Coworkers.

    (1)

  • Harrison H.

    This is our favorite place to go. Great servers. Consistent quality always. Great variety. It attracts a young crowd, but my folks, age 91 & 94 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place.

    (5)

  • Zeze F.

    Ordered some food for pick up and 20 minutes later a girl call saying the chef can not do it because it's too much work to put in the box. WTF food for 2 people and it's too much work????? I'm paying for this, it's not free. Bad service ever.

    (1)

  • Elizabeth S.

    Inshou is unique in the creative variety of dishes they serve. They also have items most sushi restaurants don't regularly carry. Monkfish liver and maguro kama (tuna fish cheek) anyone? This small corner space in the Marina Plaza is a gem. Inside it's got a modern feel with vintage Japanese art, a white wall lined with sake bottles lit up with cove lighting accenting the wall's wave textures and reed Roman shades throughout as dividers. It's a well-designed casual joint. This is a true Izakaya. There are plenty of little dishes to sample with sake and have some quality time with friends or your significant other. The jovial atmosphere with great service also make this place. We tried some of the special fish they had on the black board in addition to sashimi. -nothing but buttery textures here! The Dashimaki was interesting- a Japanese omelette with cod roe. I'd eat it again, but there are far more interesting things to fill your belly with here. My bf and I played it safe though ordering dishes we're accustomed to. The agadashi eggplant did not disappoint- great flavors in this simple dish. I enjoyed my deep fried chicken gizzards. They were so good my bf who refuses to eat these organ gems even liked them! After getting our feet wet here and leaving very satisfied with food, service and ambiance, we will be sure to take the dive in the deep end next time with some of their other unique concoctions. There is something for everyone here. You can go full veg to poultry, beef or seafood. I can't wait to come back for another culinary adventure!

    (5)

  • Geri W.

    Points for creativity above the usual Japanese fare. Highlights for me included the wakame salad, which really did involve salad leaves and pea shoots too... And the roasted tea creme brûlée, which had a perfect sweet crust above a sultry interior. I think the meat eaters in the joint had more fun, though - the table next to us featured truly choice looking cuts, presented in fun and delectable-looking ways. There was technically a Great Wave poster, but only by virtue of being part of a Sapporo Beers ad ;)

    (4)

  • Raquel Y.

    In a shoe! Why don't you serve Yaki Onigiri during lunch?! I work around the area, so I wanna get yaki onigiri during lunch dengit. However, their lunch combos aren't bad and are around $10-14 * GARLIC STEAK w/ HASHBROWNS - 5/5 - Must get!! This was mouth watering delicious! The garlic steak, the HASBROWNS (yes, they're really hashbrowns), and grilled onions. Mmmm * CHASHU w/ POACHED EGG - 3.5/5 - wasn't as good as I expected. The was was runny and food porn worthy, but there just wasn't that much flavor. Chashu was good, but they filled that bowl with 3/4 rice that I didn't need. I'll be back for the yaki onigir and garlic steak and update my review!!

    (4)

  • Norris T.

    The Garlic Steak over Hashbrown doesn't sound like something you would get at a japanese restaurant. I didn't think so either but I've been proven wrong before. It works surprisingly well together and the onions give a good balance. Chicken Kara Age: nice light fry so it was still fairly juicy and after a squeeze of lemon it makes a great starter for a small group. Yaki Onigiri: nice crunch to the outside and paired well with seaweed and salmon. A good simple starter. Worth a try. Salmon Steak: I wished it was a little more flaky however it did taste fresh albeit a bit plain. Sumo Roll: Also Fresh with good knifework giving it a better texture. curious about the other rolls on the menu now...hmm.. verdict: I'll be back

    (4)

  • Alli D.

    Yummy! -Mini sashimi salad: mixture of greens with varying flavor and texture with sashimi (salmon, hamachi, tuna). Dressing reminds me of Annie's Shiitake Sesame Vinaigrette but add ginger. GET IT. Super refreshing + fresh -tempura CA roll: I normally don't get deep fried sushi but was feelin' it for some reason. you can't really mess this up -THE garlic steak: I could smell the Paula dean buttered up sauce the moment it hit the table and its bomb, cooked medium rare w/o even asking (yaaas) -cod roe omelette: Le bf and I are all about being adventurous and trying something at least once, this was delicious! Egg is super fluffy and roe accompanies it well with grated daikon (?), onion and seaweed. Super light Avoid -baked uni: normally I'm all for uni (in moderation). I'm not sure if it was the freshness or preparation (torched?) but it did not go down easily. I've never had to hold my nose while eating uni before and I realize now that I do not like it warm. Maybe stick to uni nigiri!? I have no complaints nor praise about the service, just meh. Def wanna come back and try some of their other dishes like yakitori and Japanese rice porridge tho!

    (4)

  • John M.

    The Garlic steak, and porkbelly yakitori will send you to cloud nine! A little pricy but everything we had ad this place was fantastic so well worth the price. Great selection of sake and soju as well. I will be visiting again.

    (5)

  • Jerome R.

    Sushi is alright. I got the nigiri. Service was alright. Take it like this, this restaurant is just like this review. Not bad, not good, just alright.

    (3)

  • Alexander G.

    Went for lunch, quite a busy place. Food was good and service was nice. My kids loved the chicken teriyaki. Unsure of their sushi so I went with the recommended steak which did not disappoint.

    (5)

  • MJ A.

    The sushi was fresh, but a little on the warm side. The sushi lunch special was filling for $13.95, but nothing too extraordinary in terms of cuts. The side of Udon that comes standard with the special is a nice surprise, but don't expect any extra ingredient other than the noodles and broth. I may come back for a quick lunch, but maybe not.....

    (3)

  • George F.

    Got together with a group of old friends for a night of sake, beer and sushi. I have always wanted to try this place so we made reservations for 8 on Saturday night at 7:30 pm. Reservations were an ease even though the place was packed when we got there. The table was ready but the waiters were very busy. We ordered 3 bottles of Sake and two pitchers of Asahi Beer. We saw a table with a huge Maguro collar and wanted one of those. They have two big chalk boards one in English and one in Japanese with all their specials of the day. We ordered several items off of that board. Here is some of the things we had though out the evening. Maguro Collar 5 stars huge split piece lots of fish Miso Pork Belly 5 stars Baked Giant Clam 3 stars small portions nothing special Aji sashimi 5 stars excellent fresh and they fried the fish bones Sashimi platter 4 stars nice selection small pieces. Garlic Steak 5 stars excellent Chicken Skin Yakitori 4 stars Chicken Gizzards Yakitori 4 stars Beef Tongue Yakitori 2 stars sent some back it was so tough( they took it off the bill) Nabeyaki Udon 4 stars very good California and cucumber rolls 3 stars very basic Braised Rock Cod 2 stars nondescript definite would not order again Agadashi Tofu 4 stars Baked Uni Tray 4 stars We stayed past 10pm. Service was excellent great night with friends. I would definitely come back the hang out, eat and drink with friends. A great Izakaya to drink and order as you go.

    (4)

  • Mikey U.

    I like this place a lot! This place is one of my top go to restaurants for Japanese food. The sushi/fish is typically fresh and of superior quality and they have a really good selection. All the rolls I have tried are exceptional. The garlic steak is delicious! It is a nice sizzling cut of beef with grilled caramelized onions over a bed of hash browns. It may seem like a basic choice, but if you're a fan of beef, this one is a must have. The service is nice and friendly, but it does get very busy (which is a good sign). The reason I give this place 4 stars is I think dinner is way better than lunch. I came here for lunch expecting the same quality of food but I feel lunch was not as good and the selection wasn't the same.

    (4)

  • Bruce B.

    Excellent menu of everything I could think of. Very authentic spot with one of the best Sake selections I've seen. It doesn't end there they also have several Shouchu and Soju from Japan to try. This spot is classy and sports great music to done by. All seats are in a dining room where the tables are separated by tatami shades, nice touch. I have this spot bookmarked !

    (5)

  • Jessica B.

    Came here for a late dinner on a cold night. It's definitely what most would consider a "hole-in-the-wall". If you didn't actually know of the place you could easily walk past the front door. Decor inside is basic. There are about 10 tables (or at least thats all I saw from where I sat) and I believe the bar seats a couple more people too. At the time we were there bith TVs were playing cartoons/children's shows. Staff is friendly and accommodating. Good portions, reasonable price.

    (4)

  • Celia Z.

    THE garlic steak. It's literally its name ! And lives up to it. It comes on a sizzling platter with grilled onions and a hashbrown. It was super flavorful and cooked perfectly (we asked for medium rare). I'm dreaming about it as I write this review. If that garlic steak isn't enough to entice you to go, they have other awesome things on their menu too. Yaki onigiri - I've never had this before. And I loved it. It's a grilled rice ball with the choice of salmon, seaweed, or plum on top. I got the salmon and it gave a great flavor on top of the rice ball. Tuna collar - This dish takes 40 mins but OH MY GOD. It's a hugee dish. I swear the whole restaurant was looking at it when it arrived to the table. Its a grilled/fried tuna collar. It was pretty hard to tackle but it tasted great. Served with lemon and a soy based sauce. Cream coquette - It was a deep fried cream seafood ball. It comes with katsu sauce and like a potato salad type of thing. Pretty heavy but it couldn't be bad, it's deep fried ! We also had Chu-toro (I've had better), dragon roll (wouldn't recommend), beef tongue (pretty good. Get it sauced). The parking here is not bad. It's in small plaza with a Denny's and Marina supermarket and other restaurants. This place is pretty small so just be known that there can be a wait. But I would definitely be back again to tackle the collar again.

    (4)

  • Fiona W.

    Don't come here for the sushi, I mean... you can... but there are better sushi places elsewhere. Come here for good cooked Japanese dishes. I only came here once but ordered so much food that it probably counts as 3 meals. We got salmon sashimi, hamachi sashimi, the garlic steak, duck yakitori, a couple of rolls, fried oysters, crispy chicken skin, bacon asparagus wrap, and soft shell crab. Everything was really good. I love the crispy chicken skin, so fried and fat and YUMS. Also, agree with everyone else I loveeee my steak rare and the garlic steak is SOOOOO GUUD. I would definitely come again!

    (4)

  • Nobu K.

    I was deeply skeptical about the place because: First, Ken K. gave 2 star, 4 years ago. Second, the location. Third, the decor, funky pseudo looking like Chinese own Japo like. Fourth, there were 3 amigos-like cooks in the kitchen. My hesitation went very high, about orange red. One of my good friend, who happen to be Japanese, he asked me to come. I was like WTF, but he said, " when I was here 4 years ago ( when Ken K. was here) it was awful, so I never go back, but my friend was begging me to go back again only because his friend works here, so I had to give another chance, and I am glad I did." Well, so I came, still feeling jumpy sitting inside, seeing the 3 amigo's cooking. I don't know exact they are 3 amigos, they look more like 3 shaved Iranians, I don't know, but who cares? THE Garlic Steak over hash browns and onions. $11.50. The steak was sizzling, perfect medium, juicy, great flavor with hash brown, surprisingly good. Kurobuta Pork Ginger Steak, $11.50. NICE! I do think the 3 amigo-looking cooks are doing very good job. Service was good. I'd like to come back again.

    (4)

  • Hen A.

    sampling dinner for two...weekday and table plenty...water or tea?...large "today's specials" board propped on a chair near the table placed...moved around as other customers are ready to order...izakaya and yakatori restaurant...small plates, rolls, sushi, sashimi, skewers and everything...starting with a sashimi salad roughly $12 and finding quite fresh and pleasant...a good portion....the garlic steak also roughly $12 the favorite...perfect cut of beef sizzling over a standard hash brown patty...plenty of onions and just right amount of garlic flavors...the skewers $4 for thigh and $7 for beef tongue were simply good...futo maki roll and getting a "full" roll quite a large long beast...rice flavored perfectly with subtle sweet and tangy note...simple looking for very tasty.....able to finish meal stated for about $60 total for 2...didn't drink...

    (4)

  • Sophia H.

    I came here with a group of 8 and were seated pretty quickly on a Sunday night. Little did we know that it was the restaurant's 3rd anniversary, so we got 6 normal sized BOXES of free pocky after our meal!! I was sooo happy. The food was also really good and prices were reasonable. My bf and I shared a nabeyaki udon and garlic steak. The steak came on a sizzling plate and sat on top of a bed of hash brown like potatoes. It was delicious! The only negative might be that it's on the saltier side, so a few in our group ordered rice. For me the potatoes and onion helped reduced the saltiness, so it wasn't too bad for me. The meat was very juicy and flavorful and I'd definitely order it again. The udon was also really good and was a nice balance to the steak since it was so light. There was an abundant amount of veggies, chicken, and 2 shrimp tempuras in the pot. Overall it was a good experience and I'd come back. The sushi rolls looked really large and yummy, so I'd give that a try. Service was standard - they didn't always refill our waters, but it wasn't bad either. It should be 4 stars but the pocky made my night so I'm bumping it up for that. :P

    (5)

  • Cil G.

    If you want a bento box meal then this is not the right place for you. This restaurant caters to authentic Japanese food lovers and not food court food junkies. I have been here twice for the past few weeks and Since then I've been bringing family and friends. (I just reserved for a party of 20 this week) I almost did not want to do a review for the sake of not getting this place packed but then again they are very nice and accommodating with reservations so here I am. All the dishes are so fresh!!! And even though it sucks that they run out of some items, that only means they only serve fresh seafood all the time... Uni, salmon, hamachi.. Name it, they have it... I still need to try their live scallops (hotate)... Oh and price??? Very reasonable!!!!

    (5)

  • Jack R.

    It seems counter intuitive to order a hamburger steak at a Japanese restaurant, but that's exactly what I order when I come here. Why? Because it's better than it's regular sushi. I've only come here for lunch, and based on the prices and portions ratio...it's simply not a place where I would order sushi. So why do I come here? Because my co-workers drag me here. How is the hamburger steak? Good and filling. Service is slow

    (3)

  • Lorenzo Q.

    Sushi. Great. Garlic steak. Great. Service not so great. No server checks up on you and asks you if everything is fine or if we needed anything. Ordering a side of rice is easy in the beginning. But waiting for it while the garlic steak is being man handled by everyone and not having the side of rice felt unpleasant. Sure the place is nice. Very localized. Very clean and has a feel at home vibe. But the inconsistency of your food being given is the worst. Only ordering 3 sushi rolls. A side of rice. Garlic steak and deep fried chicken. Everything else is done. And we waited for 15 maybe even 20 minutes just to get this waitress to give us some attention to get this chicken. Good food. Terrible service. Might as well get food for pick up or delivery.

    (2)

  • Anna P.

    My sister arrived here before I did, and said that no one even noticed her come in and even though the restaurant was half-empty, someone just rushed her to sign in. Oh well... Other than that, the service was pretty good, my drink was constantly refilled, and the waiter was pretty attentive. All the food came out in a timely manner, however, the food, yet again, was nothing special. My sister really liked the octopus sushi, I didn't have any sushi this time. I liked the udon noodles, they were prepared nicely, but they forgot not to put chives in the soup.

    (3)

  • Justin T.

    Izakaya style restaurant with rotating daily specials. I thought it was cool how the servers will put the specials board in front of each newly seated table as they're ordering. Typically, it's hard to know what's good at an izakaya since the menu's are so expansive and specials are all scribbled on a board somewhere in the corner where no one can see. As many reviews and pictures show, THE garlic steak is probably their most popular item, and for a good reason. Lean, tender slices of steak are served over a bed of grilled onions & a hash brown (YES, A FRIGGIN' HASH BROWN) on a sizzling hot plate. The rest of the dishes we ordered were great, but this garlic steak was so nice we had to order it twice! And did I mention there's a hash brown underneath the steak & onions? You cannot go wrong with Inshou

    (4)

  • Judith C.

    First time coming to an izakaya with Japanese tapas, which I didn't know/fully understand at the time I first visited Inshou. So unfortunately I didn't try the sake nor the beer. But now I know better for next time! My boyfriend and I chose this place at random, seeing as how we recently just moved to San Mateo and wanted to start checking out local restaurants in the area. Upon arrival, we were quickly seated and given menus. Looking over the pictures on Yelp, we decided to go with the uni dish (under appetizers), the garlic steak, and the braised chasu with poached egg. Uni dish: Not your sushi grade uni. Garlic steak: Super good, but gets oily after a while. The steak is cooked medium, although some pieces were more like medium rare (fine by me!). It was great; flavorful. The hash brown underneath was a bit soggy from all the oils and juices, but still good. Braised chasu with poached egg: Chasu was delicious and tender, but a bit too salty. Despite ordering just three dishes, the bill came out to be kinda pricey. And there was no rice/carb to fill you up. The service was decent though. I'd come back to try some other dishes, but not without eating something beforehand (or afterward).

    (3)

  • Emily C.

    Waited about an hour at 8:30p on a Friday night. I got the tofu & pork hot pot and was disappointed to find no pork in there (I guess it was only pork broth? The menu should have specified!). The soup base tasted like a mix of soy sauce and sweet onions.

    (3)

  • Sue K.

    Note - I have only ordered take out twice from Inshou. The food is decently good, so maybe it's better if you eat at the restaurant. Sashimi salad was decent, but not very much vegetables. The fish was not SUPER fresh, but it didn't give off a terribly fishy stench - so I think their fish is ok. Onigiri was still crispy when I got it, so I imagine its tastier fresh! The grilled steak on potatoes had good flavor, but the potatoes could be crispier. My issue is that whoever takes my order on the phone never gets my "special" requests correct. Perhaps it's a break down in communication between the kitchen and host table. But, if you have any special food requirements - CHECK YOUR ORDER before you leave. The first time it happened, they charged me extra for my request which I was totally fine with. Except that my request wasn't fulfilled. The second time, I asked for no rice in my bento and double the salad. This didn't happen. Probably won't be fooled for the third time.

    (2)

  • Wendy H.

    Excellent sashimi for this price point--and in San Mateo no less. I'll have to come back to try their Izakaya. I just ordered the bento box with sashimi and mackerel. The sashimi was very fresh. They were sliced very nicely, not too thick but also not too flimsy. The perfect balance of solidness and delicateness. The servers were very nice as well. I definitely enjoyed my lunch here. Great find.

    (5)

  • Austin C.

    This is one of the better Japanese places I've gone to!!!! More Japanese style than actual sushi places. Been here twice this week just to bring our friends here cuz it was yum! Their maguro Kama is friggin Huge!!!! Super fresh fish, awesome yakitori, everything here is top notch, you will not be disappointed! It's a little more on the pricey side but you get what you pay for and the price gets you the best sashimi!!!!! They don't have a ton of sushi rolls and it doesn't say what is in each one so know your sushi, or you can ask the awesome wait staff. I recommend making reservations, especially if looking to go on a weekend as they get packed. Check ahead for uni availability as they were sold out for a week. If you plan on any Kama dish, make sure to order ahead as they run out. The maguro takes 40min, so if u make a reservation you can ask them to start it 15-30min before your reservation time. I am always on the search for great Japanese food and they have the fresher fish out of most places.

    (5)

  • Sherry C.

    5 stars for food 1 star for service Food here is good but you need 2 hours of your time to eat here. There is a wait because the food comes out after 30 minutes you ordered, so basically you will use 45mins to 1 hour of your time for just the wait.

    (3)

  • Cindy C.

    Today was my first time here! We tried the baby octapus, squid, & tried Stingray for the first time!!! We loved everything!! I will give this place r stars because I was extremely satisfied. I hardly give out 5 stars unless a place blows me away. All in all this is a great delicious place & I definitely recommend it!!

    (4)

  • jimmy w.

    To start I ordered a nice premium sake Otoyama 300ml for $25. While it was early and the place was rather empty, the inexperienced waiter poured my sake in the back and not in front of me. Hum. I wonder if I am getting the real thing for my money. Asked about the grilled uni. Was told that it is NOT their sushi grade uni. So I asked the waiter whether he thinks their uni was sweet or not. Got the same response again without a real answer. Better not take a chance. I ordered a beef tongue hoping it was the thick saucy kind grilled on a stick. But I got plate of rather thin sliced seared tongue with a slice lemon. From the reviews, I had to ordered the garlic steak. The waiter served the sizzling steak 2 minutes after he just brought the tongue to the table and I just ate the First piece of that unimpressive tongue. Come on, did the waiter had to serve the steak BEFORE I can finish the tongue? I confess that the steak was better than the tongue, but the restaurant should reconsider their serving speed which was very annoying. Now turn to the $12 seared Mackerel pressed sushi. The supposedly pressed sushi rice falls apart when picked up. And the darn sushi was not even properly pressed Batterra. OMG I really missed Tomoe in New York City when I ate this sorry pressed sushi at Inshou. Need I say more. I could. But in light of these young men effort to open a restaurant. I should stop the bashing And ask them to rethink their serving style and speed. And if their rice do not shape up I will never order sushi there.

    (2)

  • J C.

    Very delicious cuisine with some new twists. Relaxed atmosphere, quick service.

    (4)

  • Rolo H.

    came here 2 weeks ago, the food are just okay, but the portion are very small, and is really over price compare with the same quality of food, we ordered two rolls, some nigiri and, hamachi belly sashimi, the hamachi belly cost $14 and you only get 4 tiny piece, the size of each piece is like one third of a pen, another problem is it took very long time for the food to come, I think at lease 40 mins, it was Sunday almost 6pm, it wasn't that busy yet, i don't know why it took so long, and the mean time no one bother to check if we had enough water or tea, and last it took us another 15 mins to get the bill.

    (2)

  • Chantal P.

    The Garlic Steak IS as good as everyone says it is and it IS over a lovely hash brown. I ordered my steak medium but I wished I ordered it medium - rare. The grilled onions pared nice with the combination. I'm dreaming about another plate of this deliciousness as I'm typing this.... Will be coming back!! YUM YUM YUM TUM TUM TUM

    (5)

  • Cindy W.

    Somewhere in the 3.5 range, Inshou as a izakaya wasn't too bad. They offer a few unique items that stood out: From the chalkboard: -Tako Kimchee: basically spicy octopus with kimchee cabbage. my friend liked it. - Bara Chirashi: instead of sashimi slices over rice like in regular chirashi, the fish pieces are in chunks and overall portion is smaller. - Mixed Karaage ($5): instead of just chicken, this included squid legs and mini octopus. Breading wasn't thick which was good. From menu: - Yakionigiri w/salmon ($3.50 ea): Nicely grilled but salmon was sorely lacking - Hamachi Kama ($8.50): one of the biggest servings I've had for the prices. Great deal and super tasty. - Tai Menchi ($15.50): this is grilled snapper served on top of rice in a hot stone bowl and then comes with a tea pot of dashi soup. You eat the crispy rice portions and then pour in the broth for more flavor. The snapper (tai) was a bit dry and I wished there were some veggie sides. Otherwise good flavor and super filling. - Pickled veggies: a small plate of assorted pickled cucumbers, radishes and such. Goes well with all the food actually. - Garlic Steak on Hashbrown ($11.50): Served on a sizzling stone plate, hubs ate it all up. - Garlic Hamachi Steak ($15.50): Similar to the steak, tasty. The guys also ordered uni sashimi (8 or so on a plate) and ikura nigiri, beers and a sake. There's a happy hour special of 30% off before 7p on Mon - Thurs. Our total came out to $151. Not cheap for 4 but not bad. Place got crowded even on a Tuesday night.

    (3)

  • Matt W.

    Here's my background prior to eating Inshou: I've had Kokko's, Mokutanya, Ginji, Mai, Hotaru, and Inoshou fits right into the competitive landscape of Japanese cuisine here in San Mateo. Really like the environment here, where its a mix of Japanese businessmen, date night, BNO/GNO, and casual eating. Try the uni, try the okra, try the garlic steak. The sashimi salad was also really good, with a mix of salmon, tun, and red snapper. I spent $100 and it was worth every penny. It was that delicious and no buyers regret.

    (5)

  • Lois B.

    3-4 stars for food, but 1 for service! Our server was super rude. First, she walked away before we finished telling her our order - like walked away while I was mid-sentence, and when we flagged her back and told her the rest of our drink order, she was all huffy and rolling her eyes like it was our fault. Then she very sarcastically paused when we finished and said "Is that it? Are you SURE?" When my son asked which Calpico flavors they had, she scowled at him and said very forcefully, "What do you mean flavors? NO! ONLY ONE!" Wow. I was very sorry that my kids had to experience that. It was supposed to be a fun lunch treat for them during a school break.

    (2)

  • Tyler C.

    Kind of off the beaten path but well worth it. I got THE Garlic Steak (the signature dish of the restaurant) and it was amazing!! Atmosphere is cozy, service is fine, not too pricey given the decent portion sizes. My buddy got the beef tongue and he described it as a "delicious pancake of meat". I'm assuming that's a good thing because who doesn't like delicious pancakes?

    (5)

  • Josh F.

    Good food. 9-9.5/10. SLOW UNACCOMMODATING SERVICE. 0/10. It took the kitchen an hour and a half to bring out three 8 piece rolls with no apology whatsoever. Patrons who sat down before my group (3 people) got served ahead of us which was interesting. They seemed to know the servers...obvious regulars. This is fine except an hour and a half is way too long. Anyone else have this problem? I counted only five occupied tables when we ordered too compared to the multiple empty tables. Go figure. Hire another cook and let one of the 4+ waiters go. I'll be giving this place another shot in the future just because I work in the plaza. Seriously, marina's cooks/servers work harder. The techno music annoyed my associates as well.

    (2)

  • Cari L.

    Fantastic Japanese food at a very reasonable price! We love the seaweed salad, Maguro Kama, and Garlic Steak. Warm, inviting atmosphere and excellent service. Highly recommend!

    (5)

  • Sishi L.

    The food is average comparing to several good Japanese restaurants in San Mateo. The only things I can recommend ordering here r the grilled rice ball and garlic steak.

    (3)

  • Liliana B.

    Love this place! We always get THE Garlic Steak, california roll, and shrimp tempura roll. Their rainbow roll and assorted tempura is great as well. I'm sure there are lots of other tasty items on their menu. :)

    (5)

  • Michael H.

    Strong portions for the ramen with several broth options. Warm and inviting if you don't want to deal with the downtown SM traffic. Continuous ice tea is refreshing on a hot day. Gyoza is tasty but not a big portion for a kid that eats them by the dozen. Literally a hole in the wall off the freeway but don't let that keep you from trying it out.

    (4)

  • Kc E.

    Bad news first, I came here for ramen and was not super impressed. Usually I have to beg my boyfriend to eat ramen because he's not a fan so when we came here I thought I was gonna fulfill all my ramen cravings. It was so-so. Now for the good news, everything else that I tried was really impressive. The gyoza was good, I liked how there was vegetable inside and that you could make your own dipping sauce. I'm not a fan of Pork Belly....... but to be completely honest it was the best thing that happened to me that night. The meat was honestly cooked to perfection and it didn't look too fatty. Even though I only had a bite of my roommates, I'd say she won for best dish on the table. Also, the cold brewed tea that they serve is so nutty and delicious I wanted to take a cup to go with me. I think next time I'll stick to the rice dishes or maybe be bold and get the pork belly. Who knows!

    (3)

  • Yuki J.

    They have good selection of izakaya menu. Loved everything they offered. I don't know if it's their thing or not, but there were lots of small kids and families dining there. Maybe you want wait till 8pm or so to enjoy a bit more quieter environment?

    (4)

  • Amy D.

    My coworkers had been to Inshou before and recommended it, so we came for lunch on a Tuesday. You can still order from the dinner menu during lunch (actually has izakaya options and is much more extensive), but only if it's before noon. Since we came for an early lunch, we were seated right away and were also able to order from the dinner menu. We tried: -Complimentary Side Salad ( yelp.com/biz_photos/insh… ): Yuck. Even though this comes free with certain meals, I don't think I would eat it. They have a ginger-like dressing but it has a weird sweet taste. Skip! -Yakionigiri w/Salmon (Roasted Rice Ball, $3.50, yelp.com/biz_photos/insh… ): Pretty good, but a little on the salty side. I liked the crunch of the exterior though. -Tako Kara Age (Deep Fried Baby Octopus, $6.50, yelp.com/biz_photos/insh… ): Ok- I liked the baby octopus pieces, but it was a little oily, and it wasn't quite crispy enough. -Aburi Kurobuta Chashu (Broiled Chashu w/Poached Egg, $10.50, yelp.com/biz_photos/insh… ): Ok, but not amazing. The chashu was tender, but the poached egg was overcooked. I don't think I would order this dish again for the price. -Kani Cream Croquette ($7.95, yelp.com/biz_photos/insh… ): Yuck- the exterior of the croquette wasn't crunchy enough, and the cream inside was really runny and bland. Also, there were barely any pieces of kani. Skip! -Garlic Steak Lunch (Served w/Salad, Rice, Miso Soup, $12.50, yelp.com/biz_photos/insh… ): Ok. I couldn't taste much garlic, but the steak itself was pretty good. However, I didn't think the lunch meal was worth the cost. -Salmon Sashimi ($10/5 pieces, yelp.com/biz_photos/insh… ): The salmon was fresh, but I thought it was a bit pricey for the small pieces of sashimi they gave you. The service here was ok- they have three servers working, with no assigned section for each person, so all three of them will be serving you at some point. You did have to flag them down at times, but they were responsive if you did. Overall, I thought the food here was a bit overpriced for the portion size and quality, and I wouldn't come back for the dishes I tried , with the exception of the yakionigiri (especially if I had to pay out of pocket). Parking is ok since there is a large parking lot in this plaza, but it can get crowded during the lunch rush.

    (2)

  • Julie L.

    Been here a few times w/ my gf - it's quite good. Food is tasty and the staff are friendly. I usually order the sashimi and udon - fish is fresh and the udon is chewy. They always have the specials on a board that they bring over to you upon being seated. Check it out - they have interesting items.

    (4)

  • Melanie L.

    When the omakse sushi set was brought to our table, we immediately brought to our servers attention that there were several large pieces of tendons across the blue fin tuna nigiri. She initially agreed to exchange for a different piece but later returned to inform us that the chef said the white parts are fats and we should have no problem chewing through it. We tried but was unsucessful. We then explained the situation to another server and he proceeded to tell us that is generally what all tunas are like. Anyone who has had sushi would know this is absolutely not true. We've always had good food and service at this restaurant but we were so disappointed this incident, we will never return again.

    (1)

  • Ed C.

    I wanted to try Inshou because of all the good reviews. After going there for lunch and dinner on two separate occasions this month, I have to say there is better. As far as food, I have the garlic steak, chicken breast skewers, oyako don, and various sushi rolls. The food is okay and average for the plentiful Japanese restaurants in the San Mateo/Foster City area. I think you can find restaurants that serve better grilled skewers (Ginji), sushi (Sushi Sams) and other Japanese food. What bothered me was the level of service. The are understaffed with 2 waiters for the whole restaurant, but not really an excuse. At my lunch, the service was slow and unattentive. At dinner, our party arrived at 5:30pm, when they opened. We ordered a variety of items for dinner. Two items, a cucumber/avocado sushi roll and one chicken breast skewer, did not arrive until well past 6:30. The relatively simple items arrived after the rest of us were done eating our dinners already. We had gently tried to remind them of the order 2x after ordering, both of which we got "We'll check on it" as answers. To boot, we didn't even finish the chicken skewer because it was a dry sinewy piece of chicken.

    (2)

  • Jen C.

    Seriously we need the half star functionality...Inshou is more like 3.5 stars. Random location but really homey inside, great place to just sit around and drink. Happy hour is only okay - 30% off drinks and four $6 food specials. The sashimi salad is the best item off the happy hour. The funny thing here is they only have one board with the specials and happy hour so you have to wait for them to bring the boards to your table...a little awkward. The yakitori here is far from the best yakitori I've had but the chicken gizzard kaarage is good and the unagimeshi is delicious. Considering how many Japanese places there are in San Mateo I probably won't be coming back here.

    (3)

  • Matt S.

    Solid 4 stars. Food is overall good, service is ok, they're friendly but you tend to have to flag them down for stuff. In a strip mall, inside is pretty nice with the tables not too close to each other and they have these bamboo (?) screen barriers between the tables for privacy. Agedashi Tofu - good, one of the better ones I've tried Seaweed salad - good and bigger than I expected Seared Uni Appetizer - the description makes it sound bigger than it is (a case of uni or something like that, pretty good, it's about as much as uni as you'd get in 3 pieces of a uni nigiri Omakase sushi - things I tried were good, including 1 uni nigiri which had a noticeably better quality uni vs the ones in the appetizer Garlic Steak - my companion ordered it medium well to my chagrin but it was still good and not too tough Green tea brulee - can taste a hint of green tea but if I didn't know I'd have thought it was a regular creme brulee, pretty good.

    (4)

  • ANC G.

    Amazingly delicious food and solid service. There are many options on the menu for everyone's taste. The garlic steak and hamachi kama are both incredible. The prices are very reasonable. You will not be disappointed here ever.

    (5)

  • Nikhil S.

    I was craving Japanese food and was close to Inshou so decided to check it out. The food was meh, not bad but not spectacular. I got the combination plate for $20 (quite a lot for how little food I got!) with teriyaki chicken and tempura. It also came with rice, salad, and miso soup but all were in small quantities. If you order the teriyaki chicken by itself, you have to pay extra for rice which I found a little weird. Anyways, the teriyaki chicken and tempura were both pretty good but the quantities were just so small that I didn't feel like I got my $20 worth. Many other reviews rave about the happy hour, so perhaps the food is worth the cheaper happy hour prices. According to their menu, they have happy hour on weekends too which is pretty neat. I'll have to check that out, but my dinner experience wasn't anything special.

    (3)

  • Emma R.

    When we found out this place was owned by a fish market, we had to try it. Boisterous groups of Japanese people was a good sign that this was the real deal. We enjoyed: --Sashimi salad, which was a generous portion for 2. The vinaigrette was light with citrus tones served over mizuna greens with tender chunks of sashimi. --Okra and mushroom skewers, seasoned with salt and perfectly grilled. --Ginger pork steak. I liked the fatty parts, the sauce was too sweet. -- Yaki onigiri. Highlight of our meal. Crunchy hot goodness. --Grilled bananas with ice cream. The skin was still on and it looked unappetizing. Ice cream wasn't too good. Not recommended. **We arrived too late because other guests were diving into giant plates of grilled tuna cheeks. We'll have to come back in time for that catch. Service was congenial, prompt, and attentive. This place is worth revisiting to discover the various plates.

    (4)

  • Vincent W.

    Good place to go for japanese tapas. Not as good as Tonto in the south bay but good for the mid peninsula region. The yaki onigiri is a fried rice ball with your choice of topping. I like it but I think it would be even better if the salmon or other topping was inside the rice ball and not on top. We tried the fried uni case which is pretty tasty if you like uni but you really need to like uni. It is a lot of it and very seafoody. Goes good with your onigri but a little strong by itself. The fried calarmari is fried well and you get a good mix of baby tako to eat. Another must get is the garlic steak, comes on top of potato cake( tastes a lot like a hash brown) but the sauce on the steak makes it taste that much better. They cook it med rare and I'm happy with my meat that way. For the price it is a good bet. The toro wasn't as good as just straight sushi places so I might just stick with the tapas stuff here and leave the sushi eating to a sushi restaurant. Good atmosphere and I've never had to wait for a table even though they are fairly busy. Give it a try, get the yaki onigiri, fried calamari and the garlic steak and you will walk out a happy camper. Everything else is up to you.

    (4)

  • Derrick C.

    Great Izakaya spot in a plaza that's now got multiple up and coming restaurants. Standouts included the garlic steak, buta, pork belly and kimchee stir fry, pork neck yakitori, and sashimi salad.

    (4)

  • Nancy A.

    This was my second visit to this place. I had higher expectations from the other reviews but don't see anything too special. Service is okay (they bring your food out pretty fast, but had to ask for drink refills all the time). The food was a little disappointing. The meat was very hard and chewy and some of the dishes had no taste. Tagged along with friends both times dinning here but not sure if I will ever come back again....

    (2)

  • Will F.

    Service was quick and everything that I saw looked good. I ordered the Unagi Meshi Bowl. Personally I should have chosen something different. It had three small pieces of eel and a bed of rice in a stone bowl. I should have ordered the steak. Everything that I saw looked and smelled great. I will be back to try something different.

    (4)

  • James A.

    This place hits the spot for me. They don't do anything particularly fancy, but rather they just make everything perfectly. I usually just order my favorites so I haven't tried a lot of the food, but I definitely can't wait for the day I come with a larger group so I can just order the shit out of the menu. Having said that, I recommend the following: Nabeyaki udon - I would've never known how great this is if it weren't for my coworker who ordered it twice in a row. The first time, I commented on how good it smelled but kept thinking $14 is too much for udon; the second time, I couldn't stop drooling watching him devouring it while I again just got to smell and imagine how good it tastes. Third time I decided to order it myself and man was it satisfying. I'm probably overhyping it for you now. Yaki onigiri - I have always gotten the salmon even though the other two choices of toppings sound good too. You won't regret ordering this because they always make it to perfection. The rice has the perfect level of crispiness on the outside; the fatty oil from the salmon adds taste and makes sure rice isn't overly dry from the grilling, while the seaweed that wraps around everything makes it easier to hold without getting your hands greasy. Grilled beef tongue and yakitori gizzard - if you like firm and chewy textures, then please order. Drizzle lemon juice over these dishes and you are set. I have ordered sushi from their daily specials menu before, but nothing overly exciting to recommend there. Or maybe they are amazing but just overshadowed by the other stuff that I love even more. The bill will add up very quickly, but if even someone stingy like me think it is worth the splurge, you know it's a good place.

    (5)

  • Randy S.

    The reputation is well deserved. THE Garlic Steak was great. Carryout service was very fast. Will definitely visit again next time in town.

    (5)

  • Terese B.

    This restaurant was extremely disappointing. My coworker and I were looking for a sushi restaurant in San Mateo, and this one seemed to fit the bill. However, all the reviews I scanned talked about THE garlic steak, so we both decided to get it. It was not flavorful, my steak was fatty and the whole dish was mushy, not sizzling. The service was also terrible. I would not recommend.

    (1)

  • Nathan Y.

    This place is the Japanese equivalent of a tapa shop: You order small dishes of appetizers. Everything here was average except for the tap water, which was the best and smoothest tap water I've had in recent months. I wish I could point out a single dish to recommend or avoid, but nothing we ordered stood out.

    (3)

  • Mabes C.

    After realizing Gochi fusion tapas has been decreasing in quality over the past few years, I am thrilled that there is another Japanese fusion tapas place in the bay. Inshou is less fusion in the sense that they don't offer fusion pizzas and really western fusion dishes like that, but adhere more to their eastern roots. We ordered the sake yaki onigiri, garlic steak, misoyaki cod, and karaage. As a food snob, I rarely give 5 stars and although the karaage was not 5 star quality, everything else was so I'll let it slide. The sake yaki onigiri was hands down the best I've ever had. It was nice and crispy and the salmon was very tasty. I also liked that they included seaweed. The garlic steak was cooked medium rare and came on a sizzling platter. I'm not big on red meat but I loved this dish! The misoyaki cod was smooth and buttery and had lots of flavor. I am also not a fan of miso, but this was scrumptious. As for the karaage, you could get better elsewhere. Service was okay. They will take the chalk board with the day's special written on it and put it on the chair next to you so you can see it. That's nice, except the girl didn't talk to us at all while doing it. Our waiter was nice though. Will be coming back!

    (5)

  • David S.

    Food was average but the service was whack. Had to flag down the wait staff to order as we sat there for 15 minutes. In the future, we will be dining at our usual spot, Kobe in Foster City.

    (2)

  • Kathy L.

    So-so food. Friend and I grabbed dinner here last Friday night, and I chose it because of the 4-star rating and its convenient location. Everything we ordered was "fine" but nothing to write home about, and I doubt I will be back. We had: - udon (wish they didn't put the tempura into the soup and put it on the side instead, 'cause it got soggy really fast) - onigiri and yakionigiri (good size, but again, nothing special) - sumo roll (I think that was the one? It had avocado and eel) - a sushi roll I don't remember the name of, but it was rectangle-shaped - one of their sashimi specials of the day (fresh, not that much for $15) In the end, we paid I think $25 per person after splitting the bill in half.

    (2)

  • Kelvin F.

    Went there for lunch. Staff not friendly when u come in. Fine they were busy, but theyvshd be thankfull and happy about that and be smiling. U need to let people know that u have to put ur name down instead of ignoring people coming in and let them realise after 5 min they were supposed to write their name. I ordered the unagi don, way way too much sauce. Could barelly taste the unagi. Can i have some rice with that sauce please? I am sure it would have tastedvgreat without that much sauce. The tempura the person next to me looked good. They were friendly enough while i was seated.

    (3)

  • Chatree C.

    First time here. We've been living in Foster City for a few years now and have never tried this place. We thought it wouldn't be good considering the location. And great Japanese places are right across 101. Well, we were wrong. This place was solid. Got there around 7pm on Saturday, prime time. The wait is long, but there are a other shops to walk around, so we did our grocery shopping at Marina while waiting. 20-30 mins later, we got the seat. We ordered typical Izakaya food - yaki onigiri, gilled beef tongue, ankimo, fried baby octopus, grilled eggplant. The food came out really fast, like 5 minutes. Our favorite dishes were the beef tongue and the fried baby octopus, will order again! Yaki onigiri was also really good. Seasoning and the crust were spot on. I was surprised the have Orion beer from Okinawa. Try it if you need something super easy to drink. All in all, everything was great. We'll come back. If we're back often enough, this place will definitely earn 5 stars.

    (4)

  • Grace L.

    My husband and I met up with another couple that chose this restaurant. Our first thought when we arrived in the plaza was "we are not in Kansas anymore", I didn't even know this plaza existed. We're so used to going downtown San Mateo near 3rd Street. Tiny little restaurant, but it was cozy and the layout made the table feel somewhat private. Then again we didn't seat at the booth seating, we had our own table. The ones by the door did seem a little close to each other. First thing after being seated and handing your menus, they place a big white board on a chair next to your table with "today's specials", it was pretty comical having a white board move from table-to-table. And it takes up space in the aisles and what if two tables come in at the same time but are sitting across the restaurant from each other?? hmmm... how about just printing it out everyday on a piece of paper? Then you can hand-cross out items that run out. Oh wells, to each their own. We ordered a ton of food, since we knew they were going to be "tapas" and small portions, but everything was just soooo DELICIOUS! I can't even remember everything we ordered and they don't have their menu listed online (darn). The items I do remember getting were the Abalone Sashimi (delish), Uni sashimi (delish), Garlic Ribeye (delish), Grilled Mackarel (not bad, i'm not a fan of mackarel, but our friends really liked it), Pork Belly & Kimchi (sooo delish!), Beef Tongue (delish), raw wasabi octopus salad (bleh, i don't like wasabi but our friends loved it), Chicken Skin skewers (yum delish), Shishito peppers skewers (not a fan, but our friends liked it), etc... like i said we ordered A LOT but we finished it all and it was all sooo delicious!! Overall great food experience, everyone was very friendly here. Needed to flag them down for water refills, but that wasn't hard either.

    (5)

  • Kevin N.

    This place had really bad service. Ordered a combo for $20 and it took over 30 minutes to get to my table. They tell me it takes a long time to cook the fish but I'm a chef and when I finally got my food I realized they were bullshitting me. It does not take 30 minutes to cook a small mackerel. The whole time the wait staff didn't even look at me. Had a horrible experience in all. Food was mediocre. I felt like they charge too much for what was obviously thawed sashimi.

    (1)

  • Kathryn R.

    It was late at night in an unfamiliar city. My friend and I wanted Japanese food, and I found this restaurant on my Yelp app. We walked in, and I immediately knew I was in for a treat! The restaurant smelled amazing, and as I peeked at the rest of the tables on the way to ours, I saw a wide variety of authentic-looking dishes. We were seated, and the server brought out a giant chalk board with the specials, then I saw him take another one with specials written in Japanese to another table. Awesome! I asked for help in deciding between the seaweed salad and the daikon salad. The server recommended the seaweed salad, and it was delicious! I also ordered the duck, which arrived in small, perfectly cooked medallions. My friend ordered a variety of nigiri sushi, which he raved about. I saw all sorts of amazing dishes being delivered to other tables (I was so sad I wasn't hungrier!), including entire fish, sizzling meat dishes, etc, etc. Definitely a hidden gem - a random location in a strip mall. Worth checking out!!

    (5)

  • Alex K.

    Things are so different here. This place is the snap! Yaki-onigiri is grilled rice with a meat of your choice, for $3, awesome. Everything I eat here is fantastic. I think the owner changed, I dunno, but trust me, you won't be disappointed. Trade secret: maguro-Kama, is tuna head, but super delicious. This is my favorite place in San Mateo. If you haven't come here, do it!

    (5)

  • Rob D.

    Goodeats! Good place for a quick bite ... Fresh fish to be had here! Try the Sashimi Salad-nice crunch to it.

    (4)

  • Pierre L.

    When I don't want to drive to 3rd ave. in San Mateo, I'll come here for some Japanese food. Although I'm not a big fan of the Marina market plaza, I do think this place is not bad. For lunch they have a variety of sets but it's only limited to that so if you want more then this won't work for you. The prices at lunch are about average. For dinner, I think the prices are a bit more than what you would pay elsewhere. The chicken wings were on the pricier side since the wings were small however the saba sushi even though at $12.95 was plentiful. It's a hit and miss with some items but overall I like they have a variety of dishes to choose from.

    (3)

  • john c.

    This is my second visit here. Had a not so good experience with the food the first time but came back again after seeing a lot of positive reviews. I don't get why people rank this place so high. It feels like an knock off imitation of Japanese food. Ordered 2 nigiri sushi and the rice was clearly pre-made and refrigerated because it was cold in the middle and stuck together like a rice ball. Yuck. The pork skewer was dry, the oyster mushroom skewer smelled like mop and moldy, and the beef tongue skewer was tough to chew - nothing like what you normally get at other yakitori places in San Mateo. I was really looking forward to the aburi-uni but I actually tasted bitterness in the Uni, something I've not experienced anywhere. Not to mention they overcharge you for everything. Will not come back.

    (2)

  • Jack C.

    Yesterday was my second time to this place. This great Ramen place is hidden on the side of Marina Plaza towards the Denny's side. This is definitely the place to go for a nice cozy atmosphere with some close friends. I ordered the Asari Ramen, in order to try out how delicately balanced the broth was. The hint of sea salt and gentle flavor of the broth. Being that it was my second time here, it was a test to see how consistent the flavor of the broth was as well as the texture of the ramen noodles. Expert ramen connoisseurs know that, its the balance of the flavors and texture that matters for the perfect ramen experience. After waiting for a short period of time, the bowl of ramen arrives, with the usual artistic placement of the sliced chashu, greenish garnish of the scallions, the sliced Ajitsuke Tamago (Marinated soft boiled egg), over a thin layer of slightly crispy been sprouts and of course the Asari clams. It was artistic perfection at first glance. I could not wait to dig into the succulent bowl of ramen in front of my eyes, but...it needed to pass the first test. That first sip of the broth would be the difference between a good meal and a gourmet experience in heaven. So I take a spoonful of the soup, smelling the aroma as the soup slowly approaches my mouth, with delight my mouth starts watering. As the soup enters my mouth, the texture, the sea salt flavor, the wholesome flavor all hit with delight. I am automatically in heaven. It was consistent and how it should be. Next the chashu, the thin slice of roast pork meat as it's slight aroma gets swept up my nose. Again my mouth watering even more now as the gentle texture of the chashu touches my palate. As if heaven wasn't enough, the meal was like being able to see an old friend whom you missed very much. Ah... that taste so pleasing. The asari clams half open, slightly steaming beacons me to move on. Picking up each delicate mini-bite of the asari with delight. The soft, semi tough texture...so fulfilling. The Ajitsuke Egg yearns to be tasted next. Scooping up the first half of the egg, examining the texture of the soft golden yellow yolk, slightly waterly and soft, I take a bite. Much delight came to me in an instant, satisfied for the moment. Finally, the ramen, the final test of quality. Most inferior ramen places, don't know the delicate balance of the texture of the noodles matter. Some being too soggy, some too rigid. When an expert has perfection in the ramen arts, it's just perfect. Picking up a morsel of ramen and gently placing it on the soup spoon, I slide it into my mouth. As I chew, I knew, that this is a place I would come back again... and again. As best as I can describe this experience, it's best for one to really try it and experience it how it should be.... In Person. Enjoy your meal!!!

    (5)

  • Matt A.

    Very good place, don't think about it just go here already. Garlic Steak, Agadashi Tofu, Sushi Special must have right away.

    (5)

  • Shannon L.

    We went to Inshou for the first time today. We sat down and looked at the menu. They had a small menu and I was very disappointed to see that they do not offer salmon teriyaki. That is my go-to dish at Japanese restaurants. I had to settle for the chicken teriyaki bento box. The chicken was pretty good, teriyaki sauce was lacking in flavor or needed to be sweeter, CA rolls were good, and I skipped the tempura. In order for me to return, Inshou's management needs to add salmon teriyaki. The service was good.

    (3)

  • Agustinus T.

    Unassuming Izakaya in strip mall where Marina Foods and Denny's in. We called 30 minutes before opening and they had 8 seats reserved just fine on a Saturday night. The place got almost full around 6:30pm. Soup with rice and chicken: I was skeptical but it's very homey soup and we all liked it. Pork and tofu nabe: the broth had strangely overly sweet soya flavor.. I'm not familiar with nabe so this could be a good nabe which I happen to dislike. Pork belly with kimchi: picked out the kimchi which my party said was spicy, the pork belly was good as expected. Pork ramen: good thinner noodles but unremarkable otherwise. Menchi katsu: basically breaded burger patty.. eh, rough texture and bland. The one from Saruno Burger truck is way better. Yaki onigiri rice balls: great crust and tasty (with seaweed). Kurobuta chasu with poached egg : yum.. chasu was good on its own but yummier with egg. I ended up slathering the egg to other dishes to jack up the yumminess. I like this place a bit better than similar places in San Mateo downtown especially since it's easier to get the seats.

    (4)

  • Jennifer B.

    Very rude staff and not smart at all when it comes to figuring out that a veggie tempura is.....the same as in the bento box. Duh!!! How dumb are are little man up front? They won't let you order it to go. Beto box comes with Cal roll and tempura as an option, and the tempura lunch special comes with tofu. His excuse was that they don't a container to fit it in. Ummm, last time I checked you cold fit it....but then it's their policy not to sell bento box to go. Makes no sense but they lost a customer who has been coming there for almost a year. Hope that the management changes that redonkuluse policy!

    (1)

  • Jenny L.

    Grilled rice balls!!! Omg...those things are so perfectly crispy and addicting. I wish I made a meal of those things instead of ordering anything else. Also got the nabeyaki udon, but it didn't live up to my expectation. That, and it came when my friend almost finished her meal. I would come back and order all the onigiri I can eat! :)

    (3)

  • Paul K.

    Many years ago I was having unexplained headaches, and so I got a brain MRI. The resulting judgement on my brain was "unremarkable," which turns out to be good news from a brain MRI POV. It basically means that they didn't find anything. (In the end it turned out milk was giving me sinus congestion which was giving me headaches. Got milk? Dump it out.) Anyhow, Inshou is fine, although unremarkable. The food is..fine. The prices are high though. It's nice enough inside, the staff is friendly enough. But it's an unremarkable place. It has a following, and that's really great for anyone. If I wanted yakitori, I'd go to Kokko or Ginji. If I wanted random Japanese food, I'd go to Yuzu; similar price points but better quality. If I wanted sushi, I'd go to Ganko which is good value. But we live close by, so we end up here some times, and it's...unremarkable, albeit a bit pricey.

    (3)

  • Eddie W.

    Went here a couple of weeks ago for my brothers birthday. We ordered a ton of food for 5 adults and 3 kids. The list is as followed: fresh oysters, asari zoshui, aburi uni, ankimo, chicken karaage, geso karaage, nabeyaki udon, y-okra, salt y-heart, salt y-thigh, spider roll, dragon roll, hama kama, garlic steak, aburi kurobuta charshu, sake yaki oni, nigiri hamachi, nigir, hotate, aji sashimi. There were definite highlights such as the aji sashimi, uni, nigiri hamachi and garlic steak. However, there were also some misses with the scallops (hotate), chicken karaage, okra, and the chicken heart/thighs. Everything else was middle of the road for quality, presentation and execution. Service was prompt, responsive and food came out in a steady manner. For all the food that we ordered plus drinks our bill came out to $214.47 with tax, not including tip. Overall Thoughts I would gladly come back if I were in the area but it's not on my list of go to Japanese restaurants

    (3)

  • Lauren K.

    SERIOUSLY. I haven't had Japanese food that makes me want to come back the next day. You know a Japanese restaurant is delicious when you're the only table that doesn't speak Japanese. Service is super friendly and I love how they bring the menu board to you every time. I ordered the Grilled Saba ($6.50), a side of rice ($1), and a salmon onigiri ($3.50). The grilled saba wasn't dry and was moist and flavorful. Just how I like it! The Salmon Onigiri was THE BEST I'VE EVER TRIED. They press it on the grill so the outside of the rice ball is crispy and so yummy. Salmon is sprinkled on top and the entire thing is wrapped in seaweed. The whole thing was so warm so I was able to take a bite, soak in the flavor, eat something else, then repeat. My friends and I split the green tea ice cream with mochi ($4.50?) but probably wouldn't order it again. It was basically two small scoops of ice cream with three cubed mochi. The mochi was tiny (in the center) and on the outside was a hard gelly texture thing. I was expecting fluffy or regular mochi but it was a nice twist and something you should try if it's your first time. Next time, I want to try the garlic steak. It smelled SO GOOD. Also try the stingray fin. I had some of my friend's and that was pretty good too. SO MANY OPTIONS! I was full. And it wasn't a greasy yucky full. But then again, when do you ever feel that way when you eat Japanese food? I'll be back for more! For all ya'll complaining about prices and sushi. Come here for their seafood/meat. Go to the grocery store or some non-authentic Japanese restaurant. Depending on what you order, or even before you step in, know that Japanese restaurants aren't cheap.

    (5)

  • Bebe W.

    We thought this was o-k. Nothing to write home about. With so many options in downtown San Mateo for Japanese, I think you're better off going to a downtown restaurant. They had run out of a few things that we tried to order and the things we did order were not memorable.

    (3)

  • Cristal R.

    5 stars all the way! This place is a must try if you're ever in the Daly City area. I've been coming to this place ever since my friends have told me about it over a year ago. The food is on point and have a great selection to choose from along with their great deals on sake and beer. Venue: It can be a little hard to find if you've never been there before but it's located In a nice central Asian lot. Once you open the doors you feel a little taken back by the rustic look and homey feel. The place isn't super big, maybe can got around 45 people but that what makes this restaurant even more special, only the locals know this hidden gem and I wouldn't have it any other way. Entree: I've come here often and tried a lot of their food but the dishes that stick out in my mind are two plates: The Sashimi Salad and The Garlic Steak. Ugh! Just mentioning them makes my mouth water. Sashimi Salad: if you've ordered this in other Asian style restaurants and always felt like they didn't give you enough sashimi for the amount of salad they give you? Well look no further because this place does the exact opposite! Succulent pieces of salmon, yellowtail, white fun tuna all in big chunks and generously coated in a sesame lemon dressing! It is amazingly good and highly recommend it to anyone who loves sashimi! Garlic Steak: The only other dish I would choose over a Sashimi Salad is the Garlic Steak and for good reason. First off the steak is cooked perfectly with a nice medium rare center and cut in longer strips which are placed over a bed of caramelized onion and a golden hash-brown. Now if I knew to place a hash-brown underneath my steak like Inshou does than I'm doing that too now also! The onions along with the hash-brown which has been soaking up the juices from the steak is heaven I your mouth. It never fails me and I doubt it ever will. Come to Inshou these guys will not disappoint!

    (5)

  • Makoto K.

    The name of the restaurant sounds bit strange to me, a native Japanese speaker, so I was pleasantly surprised when I actually tried it. I had the garlic steak for lunch, which was delicious. My friend had hamburg steak, which was good too. I'll be back.

    (4)

  • Natalie W.

    The food is good here pretty good. One thing I was kind of hoping for was a bar, but they don't have one. They have lots of sake and pitchers of Japanese beer. There are no tv's and it's a bit loud. So bring a few friends and have some drinks and little dishes. It couldn't find any really big dishes it was pretty authentic Japanese so I was a little lost when it came to the menu. But they had a ton of specials that included fresh sashimi and stuff. It's a bit pricey but the food was excellent and fresh. I had the garlic steak, sashimi, Kobe beef, and unagi nigiri.

    (4)

  • Raymond C.

    Appetizer last. Garlic salmon and garlic steak super bland, and no flavor. Very unsatisfied. Not fresh. Oh ya, rice is considered a separate order when ordering an entree.... Doesn't make any sense. Definitely not coming back. Nice decor though.

    (2)

  • Glenn H.

    A huge lunch Bento Box for about $10.25 (see s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com… ). This excellent box contained lots of food: Miso soup with seaweed and tofu, moist and tender teriyaki chicken, a breaded fried fish (good), perfectly done tempura shrimp, a better-than-average salad, perfectly fried tempura veggies (with dipping sauce) and 4 decent California Rolls. We arrived just before noon and there was no wait to be seated. Hot tea was provided and refilled even before we ordered. As it turned out, all three of us ordered the same New Bento Box special. They've introduced a new prix-fixe Bento combination because it was listed on a separate sheet. Whereas the normal, pick-your-two items (sashimi is included as a choice), Bento is about $12.50, this one is a fixed choice and includes plenty of really very good food for your money (no sashimi or pork choice though). Very clean, good friendly service and a great value for lunch. This goes on my list of lunch regular places from now on.

    (4)

  • Elaine H.

    Expectations exceeded. Randomly came here after an evening presentation about half a mile away. Seemed like a pretty casual place, and I didn't come in with a ton of expectations. We just wanted a bite to eat, with a little bit of drink. I loved their 2 boards with the specials, which they bring up to your table. Their regular menu was very refreshing, and that was enough to keep me from venturing over to the specials boards. I was expecting nigiri, rolls, sashimi and all that good stuff. I didn't see very many rolls on the menu, but instead a bunch of interesting items which I would consider to be Japanese tapas. SUPER STOKED! Ordered the tuna sashimi, salmon sashimi, and kampachi sashimi since they ran out of hamachi. All were great, but the tuna was the stand out for the night (although I'm usually a salmon girl). Got a couple orders of unagi nigiri along with smoked salmon nigiri, which were deeeeeelicious as well! Love love love both of those! As for small plates, I picked the duck, peppered shortribs, misoyaki, and I believe another dish called something hama (yellowtail)? All the dishes tasted good. The shortribs were tasty, but not something I couldn't get elsewhere. The duck was pretty yum, and I even ate the skin! Yes, I'm guilty of usually leaving that out. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember which fish dish I enjoyed thoroughly while the other one was a tad bit overcooked. The dish still had all the great flavors, but was just a little on the dry side. Whichever one came in two pieces instead of one was the most delicious dish I've had in a while. I want to say it was the miso yaki, but I could be wrong. It was melt in your freakin' mouth delicious, and the flavors were just top notch!!!!!!! It was so good that one of the guys ordered one to go for the wifey. On top of all the amazing food, the service was just as amazing. We were welcomed the moment we walked in, and acknowledged constantly. The employees definitely pay attention to detail, which is a bonus! Debbie was our server: sweet, charming, adorable, friendly, attentive, and overall deserves a raise ! Shane and Dylan were great too =) Overall, a great selection of items with great prices and superb service. Why wouldn't I come back the next time I'm in the area?

    (4)

  • Benny H.

    This place is pretty good. Been here a couple of times for lunch and dinner. Their grilled food... Is far, far better, than their fish selection. I also love their Dons and Udons here.

    (4)

  • Louisa L.

    What a surprise to find this little gem in this plaza. I've never noticed its existence until yesterday. I've always thought Inshou was somewhere around the downtown area and didn't realize it was actually located in this little plaza. It wasn't packed on a tuesday night. Got seated right away when I got there around 7.30pm. Menu was extensive. We took quite a while to finish reading the menu and deciding what to order for two of us. I would say this is an izakaya even thou they deliver a lot of different things like yakitori, sashmi, etc. And the good sign was having quite a number of japanese customers, just like when you see bunch of chinese customers in chinese restaurants, you know it's going to be pretty good. Two of us decided to order: 1. Crispy chicken skin - it was delicious! The vinegar sauce eased the oily taste. 2. Tomato salad - we had the small portion. It's basically tomato slices in vinegar dressing. It's very refreshing. 3. Grill eggplant - they served without the skin. Nothing special about it but it's still pretty good. 4. Aburi Uni - seared sea urchin. If you can't uni sashimi, maybe this could be an alternative. It wasn't fully cooked, but it was pretty interesting. This is one of their popular dish. 5. yaki origini - grill rice ball (salmon). It's one of the best yaki origini that i've had! 6. THE garlic steak - another popular dish. I was a bit disappointed because the steak was pretty hard and rough even thou it's medium rare. The flavor was very good, especially the hash brown below the grill steak, soaked up all the sauce and it was so good! 7. Kurobuta Chasu - it's chasiu pork with poached egg. I found the sauce to be a bit salty. The pork was alright, but I liked the idea of dipping the chasu in poached egg. 8. Vegetable Hot Pot - Portion was pretty small. I was expecting more veges in the pot. It was alright. Overall food was pretty good. We were the last customer leaving the restaurant but they didn't try to kick us out (that's nice). I will definitely go back to try some other items on the menu.

    (4)

  • Andrew M.

    Isn't this plaza full of surprises. Really felt like Japanese food but didn't feel like dealing with driving to downtown San Mateo. Decided to give Inshou a try. Decor is modern and welcoming. One odd thing is that either the booth seats are too a little low or the tables are a little too high. The girlfriend complained that she didn't like the table height and switched seats with me. I'm 5' 8" and even to me, something didn't seem right. But its really not a big deal, certainly nothing worth deducting points for. The food is, on average, pretty decent izakaya fare. Some hits were the pork belly and my good ol' salmon yaki onigiri. But by and by the best dish here is the miso fish (a white fish, I believe its cod). SO BUTTERY. SO GOOD. The girlfriend agrees. This is a must get dish here. They should make it their signature item. Dang. Prices are average to slightly higher than average for a comparable izakaya in the area.

    (4)

  • Andy Y.

    I usually go there with co-workers for lunch. Their bento lunch special is a bargain - with teriyaki chicken, friend fish and California roll, plus soup and salad, for under $10.

    (4)

  • Kenny N.

    I can't go into too much detail about this place. I was being treated out and basically let them order everything. The food was really good though and it was different from some of the stuff I've ever ordered. The service was good, and the waiter remembered my family. They did fail to refill my water on several occasions though. I recall that I really liked the tempura, and the pork belly kabob, and jalapeno hamachi.

    (4)

  • Misha T.

    This place has been around for a while and for some reason I haven't tried it yet, which is weird because I love izakayas and live like right there. Weird indeed. It's pretty decent. The hamachi kama I got was the largest I've ever seen and despite it's thickness wasn't over/undercooked. My grilled chicken wings were a little dry but still decent and the grilled squids texture was spot on.

    (4)

  • John W.

    Went here on a date the other night. The service and the food was on excellent. The garlic steak was on point. I extremely recommend it. We also ordered the soft shell crab, the bacon wrapped asparagus, and the seaweed salad. All of the food was delicious and cooked perfectly. The customer service at this place was also very good. Our server Hiyato was really attentive to us. Even though the place was busy he still found time to check up on us in a timely manner. I recommend this place and I would come here again.

    (5)

  • Patricia F.

    This place is superb. If you are looking for a new Japanese restaurant to try out in San Mateo this is the place. The ambiance is nice casual catch up with your friends type of place. I have been here for lunch and dinner. Customer service AMAZING! I highly recommend Hayato or Gabe as your server. They never fail to impress and are always genuine. Lunch: Make sure to review the lunch specials. They come with miso soup and salad. I have had the pork belly and kimchi don which had an impeccable taste. The pork belly was perfectly cooked. I also recommend the sashimi salad. Their house made ponzu sauce is literally like crack on veggies. If you are not one to eat raw fish with your salad you should opt for the seaweed salad. Dinner: Have a bottle of sake or a pitcher of beer and enjoy with your meal! Look at their specials for the day. They always have a different variety each time I go. One of my favorite dishes I like to get is the seared steak. They top it off with green onions, onions, and some fresh greens smothered in a sweet/salty sauce. It's wonderful match made in heaven. The other item that has to be one of my favorites is the Yaki-onigiri. Make sure to ask for it extra crispy with extra green onions. The crunchy rice is to die for. What else can i say? MUST TRY IN SAN MATEO. Oh, plus they play great music.

    (5)

  • Elizabeth T.

    My current obsession! I love this place for both lunch or dinner. I have yet to have a single bad or mediocre item on the menu. Unfortunately, I can't remember all the names of the menu items as they were mostly in Japanese or very long and descriptive names. Lunch: Medium-rare grilled ribeye with garlic marinade over rice. This dish is amazingly good and cooked to perfection every time. It is cooked a little less rare than I would expect for medium-rare steak but the marinade is so flavorful that it doesn't make much of a difference. Be warned, you will reek of garlic for the next 24-48 hours. Sashimi salad. What makes this simple dish stand out to me so much is probably the ponzu. I LOVE ponzu. Something about the right combination of the tanginess mixed with the fresh slices of raw fish and smothered in sesame oil just really hits the spot. Dinner: Box of uni. 'Nuff said. Uni kind of speaks for itself so an entire box of uni just takes the cake. Yaki Onigiri. The best yaki onigiri I've ever. Just the right amount of salty, savoriness and ratio of rice:seaweed:filling. Be careful though, this is SUPER hot. It can sometimes get a tiny bit greasy too. Fried baby octopus. This was surprisingly better than I expected. I thought it would be very ordinary and similar to calimari but it turned out to be super yummy. My dinner date did wish that they would serve it with Japanese mayonaise though.

    (4)

  • Nikki S.

    this is my first time coming here, and overall is not bad. just decent. the sashimi was good, but not great. i also got some skewers, they are not a pro, but seriously there was no flavor on non of the yakitori! as i see on yelp, everyone concluded with yakitori onigiri is SUPER GOOD at here, but the truth is, no flavor, too oil ( i guess they pan fried or deep fried) what a disappointment... service was alright, missed 2 things in the order, but im fine with it.

    (3)

  • Navjeet S.

    Liked their rainbow and dragon rolls. and hot sake of course!

    (4)

  • Suz S.

    Here is a review of the lunch menu. First of all, there are lots of lunch sets choices and many of which are authentic Japanese dishes, which are great. You can also order sushi/sashimi on the side. Second, the price is quite reasonable. So if you want to try this restaurant for the first time, try the lunch sets first to test if this is what you want. I have tried lunch sets elsewhere in San Mateo and they can be expensive as well. A chef's choice sushi set at Sushi Sam downtown for instance will run you close to $50 including tip. Aside from the so-so salad, the Japanese Hamburger Set, the Tempura Set and Sushi were all excellent. It was also refreshing to get top level attentive service and not have waiters "throw" dishes at you like in other area restaurants or for you to wait over 10 minutes just to get a check. Cuz I like to get in and out of lunch, FAST.

    (5)

  • jNYCE R.

    This place has a very unique menu selection with items that you wouldn't really expect. I had the sake meshi and it was surprisingly tasty. I'm curious to try out other items and I will definitely be back again.

    (4)

  • Peter K.

    This is a great Japanese / Sushi place! They have pretty authentic food. Good selection of sushi and some creative dishes. They have this maguro collar or tuna jaw / cheek which is similar to the more popular hamachi kama or salmon kama, but this tuna one is HUGE!!! Seriously, it can feed like 4 people! Very good, although I think hamachi kama has a better taste. Some of my favorites were the ankimo (fish liver) and conch.

    (5)

  • Alicia W.

    This place is actually pretty good..when we got there I was debating where to go in or not cuz outside looked kinda crabby but the food turn out to be good this place is more like a mix Japanese and Korean fusion to me i love the sashimi salad and the garlic steak last but not lease the unigi rice on the clay pot yummy. Definitely will come back next time

    (4)

  • Lily N.

    Their salmon yaki-onigiri is well-worth a visit! The roasted taste of the grilled rice, and the semi-salty seaweed wrap that goes over it is perfectly crisp and very flavorful. The hamburger-don was also really good. My least favorite was the fish meshi (not the one with the salmon). Unfortunately, they were out of salmon that day. The rice was a little TOO burnt, but the tea was perfect!

    (4)

  • Keiko S.

    It's been hard to find good tempura. And I'm not the kind to cook it at home, either. So when we had tempura (in both their tempura lunch special and nabeyaki udon) at Inshou, we were pleased. Our friend from Japan agreed that it wasn't bad at all, thank goodness. I checked the white board specials and realized how badly we had to come back for dinner again. Soon.

    (4)

  • G L.

    My husband and I took my in-laws here on a Sunday night recently, and were very disappointed. First, we called several times trying to make a reservation-- no one even picked up, only heard the fax line. We arrived early before 6 pm, and so were seated early, but they seemed really overwhelmed that night. The food was fairly fresh (had a sashimi plate, garlic steak, a seaweed salad), well-presented and tasty, but service was extremely slow-- averaging 20-30 min between dishes arriving. We tried to order the hamachi kama-- said they were out of it. We substituted the miso cod-- about 1 hour later they told us they were out of that too, so we had to substitute another sashimi and sushi order. The waiters apologized for issues in the kitchen that night, but unfortunately we left still hungry because we couldn't wait for the final course to arrive.

    (1)

  • Jacqui C.

    yaki onirigi was really good! Too bad they only serve it at dinner time. I got the one with salmon roe. Sashimi salad was fresh and good. Leaves we're a bit hard for me. Great service

    (5)

  • Jane H.

    Great restaurant......we ordered sashimi salad roll, nigiri combination, grilled tuna head, seafood soup, uni....with Sapporo beer......so yummy....I love this restaurant and can't wait to introduce too my friends.....

    (5)

  • Brandon N.

    food is a 3, value is a 2. had the tonkatsu but it was so small it was barely noticeable i was done with it so fast. it was crispy on the outside and moist in the middle, the way it should be. but is this child's size?

    (2)

  • Heidi K.

    Though the host was apologetic, and I actually understand that accidents happen, I'm reeeally disappointed w/ the absent customer service :\... Wanted to like this place, but my teeth are still hurting a bit from the PEBBLE I bit down on when eating the beef/rice in my waaay overpriced ($12 for 2 small portions) bento box. Told the waitress who wasn't apologetic but said she'd inform the chef, but then nothing happened...ie, yeah, no apology even. No discount offered. Even went back to speak w/ host (kind of give them another chance to address it?) who was nice but said the manager wasn't around. They'll be hearing from me if my tooth pain doesn't go away...

    (1)

  • Ry B.

    Went here for dinner, was told the wait would be about 15 minutes.... 45 minutes later we were seated. No fault of the business, just wish they were a little more accurate. The food is ok, having just moved back from Japan after living there for 6 years I would not say it's authentic. Some of the staff are Japanese/American.. not sure about the kitchen staff. I wouldn't come here again, much better places around.

    (3)

  • Donna M.

    My friends rave about the garlic steak here, so our group of 10 made the trek here to San Mateo for a late dinner on a Sunday night. While the place was near empty, the food speaks for itself. Recommendations based on what we ordered: Garlic Steak 5/5: Soooo good! It's prepared medium rare and is served with a hashbrown underneath. I tend to not order steak at Japanese restaurants, but that might change! Sashimi salad 5/5: Fresh and a plentiful heap of tuna and salmon sashimi over a bed of greens. Not sure what kind of leaves they used as it wasn't lettuce or baby mixed greens. They cut the fish into small pieces but there was a lot more than I anticipated. Chicken Karaage 4/5: Pretty standard. It's hard not to mess up fried chicken. Fried Tofu 4/5: Same as the chicken, it's good but nothing spectacular. They made it really soft which is a plus. We also shared a bottle of sake (~$30) and about three pitchers of beer. Prices are reasonable and service is great. Overall I would return... probably just for the garlic steak and sashimi salad.

    (4)

  • Hope B.

    I thought this place was pretty good, somehow we got a discount on the tab (maybe we unknowingly ordered during happy hour?). Only problem is I'm an ignorant American and didn't know what was on some of the sashimi and regular sushi rolls. Their "specials" board had English descriptions though so that was helpful. Five stars still because the waiter was helpful in making recommendations for what I couldn't read.

    (5)

  • Stephen D.

    I really liked Inshou, but it was mostly for their quality customer services, not the food. While the prices are fairly decent, the portions are way small. I ordered the negi buta (pork and green onion) dish for $6.50 and I have to say that the flavor was good, but the size was definitely not satisfying enough. I could get a large rice bowl with meat in it from other nice hole in the wall Japanese restaurants, so I was not impressed in this department. On top of that rice was still a dollar despite the small entree size. From what I saw, the lunch menu looked a lot more reasonable. So why is this review 5 stars if I've been complaining the whole time? Because of the customer service we got while here. The servers were very friendly from the get go and seated us promptly. In an instant, we had tea, water, free edamame, and our orders taken. They told us that they had trouble cooking my friend's food in the kitchen because of a faulty burner or something, and after apologizing for the wait they gave us more free edamame and a tall glass of sapporo each, on the house! Even though those things were given to us due to an inconvenience on their part, he only had to wait about 2 minutes after that until they brought out the food. So in conclusion: small portions, decent prices, excellent customer service.

    (5)

  • soy w.

    Garlic Steak! Garlic Steak! This adorable izakaya is great for tapas style small plates, particularly their yakitori skewers. The pork belly and short rib yakitori are to die for. Garlic fries are great. They do this mixed tempura, where all the veggies are shredded into long strips then battered and fried - it is tasty. The sashimi is not cheap, but it is always top shelf, super fresh, never frozen. They have sapporo and one other beer on tap, plus a selection of soju and sake. Happy hour is from 5.30-7 each weeknight, or 9-10.30pm on Friday/Saturday. And the staff are super friendly. This is my favorite restaurant now.

    (5)

  • Susie S.

    Away from the busy downtown streets of San Mateo, this place offers easy, free suburban style parking, which is a HUGE plus. We made a reservation for a friend's birthday dinner, but there was no wait when we got there anyway (Saturday 6pm). We were a group of 12 rowdy men and women, but the waiters were very patient with us. The price was pretty descent, and the food was good! We ordered chicken gizzards, fried baby octopus, some yakitori, fried onigiri, some ochazuke, some rolls, etc. The rolls were not impressive, and all other dishes were good but not amazing. But it was still pretty authentic, and I couldn't complain. This would be a good place to go with family and friends on a random weekend night, but it's not worth driving to San Mateo for. If you're ever in the area, check it out!

    (4)

  • Clay O.

    Service could be better. They need to be a little more attentive. Workers seemed to not want to be there. Food is pretty good. However, not impressed with the beef tongue (yaki tori)... a bit over cooked and lacking flavor. Negihama is good - fresh. Age dashi tofu is OK. Enjoyed the shishito. I will try it again to see if they improve.

    (3)

  • Darcy R.

    This place was surprisingly delicious! Went here after reading the yelp reviews. It is in a strange location, but sooooo worth it! The sashimi salad was the best plate of the night. Tons of fresh sashimi over greens and yummy dressing. Vegetable tempura was tasty and fried stingray fin was a fun dish. I was thinking all the plates would be really small, but the portions are actually quite nice. I didn't even have room for dessert which is really too bad because they had some type of creme brulee ice cream that sounded dreamy. I am going to recommend this place to all my friends who live in the bay. It is not fancy, but it is delicious! Oh and the happy hour prices were really reasonable and the drink selection was good. I didn't get to sample any, maybe next time.

    (4)

  • Matt C.

    I love this place. My girl friend and I come here several times a week. Great food, friendly staff, and awesome atmosphere! You must try the Garlic Steak, Nabeyaki Udon, and Pork Chashu.

    (5)

  • john p.

    This has quickly become one of our favorite restaurants on the peninsula. Great service, fresh fish, huge sake selection, open late, and a wonderful collection of traditional dishes. Oh and maguro kama. Case closed. Used to go to the other "go-to" sushi spot in FC for years, and got lousy service twice in a row. After walking out, we found Inshou via yelp in this odd, semi-seedy strip mall. What a find! Very traditional, yet not stuffy or pretentious at all. Highly recommended

    (5)

  • Eleanor T.

    We ordered the maguro kama at 6 pm when we sat down and didn't receive our order til 7:45pm! The server said a lot of people ordered this at the same time. I could see the table order tickets posted in the kitchen area and the servers were checking the tickets as the orders came out. The tickets weren't in the proper order. Looks like our kama was given to another table that ordered way after us. 1hr and 45 min. Wait! Other than that one problem, our food was delicious!

    (3)

  • Robert S.

    I'm a fan of Japanese tapas, so I was excited to stumble upon this little plaza while walking to the CalTrain one day. It wasn't very busy for dinner when I got there (about 6 PM), but there were people filtering in. We tried the tempura, a few yaki onigiri, and a pork + green onion dish. All three were quite good. But the best part of this place is the wonderful customer service. Everyone here is so nice, helpful, and informative. I definitely appreciated their effort, and I'm excited to return here soon!

    (5)

  • Ennie L.

    Love this place! This is the resto I go to get my hot Japanese dish fix. Like it better than the many Japanese restos in San Mateo. Service is excellent, their daily specials are great. Love their Aburi Uni, Tuna Kama (holly huge!), Tataki, Croquettes. Every hot dish that comes is mmm mmm good!

    (5)

  • Ashley C.

    Funny that they move two big blackboards to our table when ordering. The sashimi is very fresh. The yakiorigini is the best in the bay.

    (4)

  • Jen J.

    We came here on a weekday night for a family dinner. Everything we had was delicious! The garlic steak was good as everyone had already raved; the sushi/sashimi were very fresh; the unfiltered saki was tasty, and the service was also very polite and prompt. There is literally nothing to complain about our experience here.

    (4)

  • Derick G.

    My daughters and I went here on a weekend evening. It took about 10-15 minutes for anyone to acknowledge us, though eye contact was made by 2 employees. Frankly I don't know why we waited that long, I guess we just wanted to Japanese food and haven't tried this place yet. Once we got noticed and asked how many was in our party, it took about 10 minutes more to even get seated. Fast forward to the food. It was just "okay". Wasn't spectacular but it wasn't bad either. We finished all we ordered so that's a GREAT thing. I would definitely come back but for weekends, I suggest they have more help on staff for busy days/nights.

    (3)

  • Linda M.

    Came here after yelping that they had yaki onigiri. It was delicious!! Perfectly grilled. Definitely coming back again.

    (5)

  • Victor K.

    We went there after SF Garden Show in San Mateo. I honestly, never heard of it but since it opened late and it got high average reviews on yelp, so here we came! They had a lot of very interesting fusion-ish dishes. We ordered oysters, sushi, steak and fish steaks. All were VERY YUMMY. Staffs were friendly despite we were the last table (i.e. we were keeping them late). When I'm in the area, I'd definitely come again.!

    (5)

  • Gary Z.

    I rate Inshou a 5 because they serve very modern style Japanese classics while keeping Japanese tastes and quality! This is real Japanese! Just ate there with friends for business dinner on 3/12 and had a great time! Everything was excellent!

    (5)

  • Kevin A.

    Alright I'll just say it. Waitresses here are super hot. Ladies don't be surprised if your guy friends want to come here just for the "food". More like candy... eye candy. Ok I'll stop. But not only are they attractive they are very attentive and ask me how my meal is unlike those servers over at a certain Shabu House. Those girls seem ditzy and are never around when you need something. I went here for a dinner with friends and a lunch to send off my previous manager. Their bento boxes are reasonably sized and taste great. The nigiri tastes fresh and is also reasonably priced. I'm a fan of katsu curry in general but it's great in this restaurant and served in an appealing manner. Good food combined with excellent service make this a favorite of mine. The only downside is the place can get really busy at lunch but that's expected everywhere.

    (5)

  • Katherine Z.

    The service is excellent. We ordered Unaki Meshi, Sake sushi, and dragon roll. They are delicious. We will definitely come back again in the future.

    (5)

  • Alex L.

    This restaurant is completely unassuming and in a random asian strip mall, but I completely heart this place. The food, service, and sake selection is great. Everything I've tried has been amazballs. But my favorites: grilled uni fried chicken skin garlic steak grilled collar fish of some sort miso fish of some sort (can you tell I'm not a fisherman) seaweed salad tuna poke unfiltered sake!

    (5)

  • Nick O.

    Been coming here for the past year and have tried just about everything on the menu. Lunch menu is especially good if you need to grab lunch during your break. +2 for great service. +2 for fresh fish and great dishes. +1 for cleanliness and ambience. -0.5 for being a little pricey. Round that up and you have 5* for Inshou.

    (5)

  • Dan M.

    A nice little joint for some Japanese food (not sushi, though you can get it here, and it's good fish, just not that well made). Problem is the "chefs" as some seem to have no clue what Japanese food is about, rather, just looking to get a paycheck. That said, the staff DOES know what the food should taste like, and if you let them know about errors, they will report back to the kitchen to correct for the future. However, they won't fix it on site, nor will they take the error off the bill. Staff is really nice. Overall, a good spot for Japanese. Fixing up the kitchen errors and/or better customer serive will bump this place up a star in my book.

    (3)

  • Minnie L.

    We came in around 9:15pm on a Tuesday night. Pros: They have a list of specials that they bring to your table for you to peruse that may not be on the menu. Cons: We unfortunately had a relatively bad experience here at Inshou. One of the dishes we ordered was the Grilled Snapper in a Stone Bowl. It comes with a side of broth which you're supposed to pour in the stone bowl. No one knew there was a crack in the bowl, and the broth ended up pouring all over my husband who was covered in broth. They were kind enough to take it back and make him another one, but that took a while and we ended up eating all the other food we ordered. We then asked for a soup container to take the meal to go. Because the stone bowl made the dish super hot, it actually melted the plastic container. We decided it wasn't worth it to try to take it home since the container could not be closed at that point. They saw the melted container, and said they didn't have any other containers. At this point, I'd have thought they'd take the item off the menu since we were clearly unable to eat it - but they didn't. Bottom line: The food was alright. The price seemed high for the quality you get. We understood that incidents like this happen, but they could have handled it better.

    (2)

  • Claire G.

    Delicious Japanese Cuisine! Definitely the best in the area. If they have the bacon asparagus rolls, try them!! They are the best. Very nice staff. Typically can accommodate you right away or offer you a very reasonable wait time. You can also call ahead and reserve a specific table. Look at those specials before you decide what you want :)

    (5)

  • casandra h.

    Excellent service, relatively inexpensive Japanese tapas and small plates meal. Delicious, delicious, delicious! On point on every dish even with the garlic fries :)

    (5)

  • bonnie y.

    This place deserves 5 stars for their lunch menu! and 5 stars just for the presentation of their dishes, so pretty! the kimchi and porkbelly rice bowl was sooo good. no shortage of pork or kimchi at all. the runny egg and garnish tops off the dish beautifully. the portion was very generous, i had to take half of it to-go. I've also had the katsu pork rice bowl, also delicious. Service was great too. Our waiter, Debbie, was so friendly and gave a very informative rundown of her recommended dishes.

    (5)

  • Sophie Z.

    Came here looking for a late night bite. It was one of the few places open past 10 and it had good reviews. We liked it a lot! The food came relatively quickly and tasted fresh. We had the assorted sashimi which was tasty and fresh. We also had the fried tofu and croquettes which were great. I would have preferred regular croquettes, though (these were some kind of crab-flavored "cream" croquettes). We had the pork hot pot which had really yummy cuts of Japanese pork. All in all, a solid place if you're looking for Japanese fare.

    (4)

  • Arun N.

    Food was good but wish could say same for the service.. Definitely not a child friendly place...

    (3)

  • John S.

    I really, really wanted to love this place because I recently moved to a place nearby and love Japanese food, but nothing about Inshou was impressive to me. The agedashi tofu was nothing more than an overcooked congealed blob, the yakitori was dry and begging for mercy, and the salmon ochazuke tasted like someone accidentally dropped the salmon into a bucket of salt. We got some other stuff, but I honestly can't remember, because it was that unremarkable. If you're looking for better izakaya food or yakitori, try heading down to the South Bay and trying Gochi (Cupertino) or Sumiya (Santa Clara). I might give this place another try someday, but in the meantime, I'm still on a hunt to find my go-to Japanese place around San Mateo...

    (2)

  • Joan T.

    This place is really authentic, real Japanese food, and Japanese owned. There is really no other good Japanese restaurant as good as this. Look @Frank W.'s review. He's the one who introduced me to this place and also because I have a friend who works here too. I have to say everything I have had here, was just amazing. I highly recommend the yaki onigiri as well as the avocado mayo sea bass. Delicious! But like I said, everything on the menu is delicious. The staff is super friendly. I heard happy hour is pretty bomb here. I haven't tried it, but hope to one day!

    (5)

  • Chi L.

    yesterday went to Inshou for lunch with co-worker. We all order Chirasu, it is not even in the resturant's menu, but they will make it for you. Very fresh, very good. Service is good too. And then I notice, there is friday night happy hour, not just in the afternoon, it is in the evening from 9pm to 11pm, it is good to meet some friend for evening happy hour to have a drink and talk. Will go back again

    (4)

  • Amanda G.

    I love Japanese food: izakayas, sushi, yakitori. I love it all. (Which is probably why we go out for Japanese food more than any other.) I have been wanting to try this place for quite awhile...What a letdown:( We had dinner here last night, and were the only customers, (not a good sign.) We shared the crawfish croquette, and hamburger croquette. Good thing they were small, since both were a waste of calories. I LOVE crispy rice, so I had to order the salmon shakemeshi. Even though there was a crackling sound when i poured the dashi over it, there was not a bite of crispy rice in the entire bowl. That would have been fine if i had ordered a plain salmon/rice bowl, but not when it's supposed to be super crispy. I've had this dish at several other restaurants, so there was a definite expectation there, and it wasn't met...at all.... I also found it to be so bland i had to to ask for wasabi, of which i used the entire dish of. Even with mixing that and some soy sauce in, it was still pretty bland. My guy had the combo: steak teriyaki, miso soup, salad, and tonkatsu. Although the steak was cooked nicely, nothing tasted like anything. Everything we had was totally bland, under seasoned, and completely flavorless. We definitely won't be returning.

    (3)

  • Jack M.

    Excellent authentic Japanese restaurant. Having just been to Tokyo I know this. The menu is extensive and I want to go back and try more!

    (5)

  • Kim N.

    Inshou has good promise. Going the route of Gochi, they are mixing traditional and modern touches into their izakaya/yakitori. Having been only open a few days we went on a Tuesday night which had only a few other customers. If I remember correctly, we tried the following: -Chicken yakitori skewers -18 piece sashimi plate -Sesame crusted ahi -Scallop with candied yuzu -Marinated fried eggplant -Breaded fried beef skewers -Stir fried pork and green beans -Ankimo (monkfish liver) -Crackring shrimp (crispy rice fried shrimp) -Seared duck breast -Agedashi tofu Everything was tasty though not game changing (that still goes to Gochi). That staff are super nice and because we were the last customers, one of them offered us some beverages as a token of the grand opening. There are still and good handful of dishes I'd like to try and since there's not much going on cuisine wise in this area, I believe it will get some notice in popularity.

    (4)

  • Romy M.

    My wife and I have been going here for a couple of years now and it's certainly one of our goto spots. Pros: The staff is nice and most have them have been there since we started visiting so the low turnover is nice. A lot of diff foods to choose from - many of which you don't find in your typical japanese restaurant Some good asian cocktails Cons: They're not open the entire day. Somewhat on the pricey side but this may be inherit to the types of food they serve. It shares the same parking lot with several other asian restaurants and an asian market, so you know the parking gets packed! The restaurant itself is medium sized, so don't expect to be able to just walk in with a big group for dinner ( you'll have to wait ). That said, since it isn't too large, you can stop any of the members there should you need something. Also clean, nice, ambiance that's well lit. Definitely recommend it - especially if you live nearby.

    (4)

  • Pam S.

    Inshou is a nice addition to the Marina shopping plaza. The decor is clean and modern, and the tables are separated by shades which allow for nice privacy, but it sometimes could make it difficult to get the attention of a server. They have lots of creative izakaya options, but some options lacked depth of flavor/seasoning. Don't come here expecting a typical sushi restaurant - it's not that kind of place. Overall, I was happy with the experience and will be back.

    (4)

  • Amanda K.

    i was tempted to give this place 4 stars but I'm bumping it to 5 because of the consistently awesome service i get whenever i come here. specifically the last time i visited it closed at 10:30pm. a group of 4 of us literally walked in at 10:29pm (we thought it closed at 11) and they chef and staff still seated us!! i don't know what it is about the bay area but restaurants do not like seating people before closing and actually turn a lot of customers away. i was so happy Inshou did not turn us away and we super appreciated it after a long day!!! I'd also have to 2nd another yelper who complimented the restaurant on the beauty of the staff. it is very true! don't let their faces distract you. they do their jobs and they do it well. they know the menu extremely well and can recite everything to you (the waiters at least). if you want to know what a food item is, they explain it with such descriptive words that you can't help to order it in the end. food is very flavorful. i always need some starch to supplement it like rice. i love the hamichi and that they always have specials written on the blackboard. fish is fresh for sushi. they are also open late. everything else in the plaza closes at around 9pm except for Ocha and the grocery store. so its really nice to have a place walking distance that's open late random side note the creme brluee is TO DIE FORRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

    (5)

  • Jonathon J.

    The food and service here are wonderful. I've visited twice now and have been quite pleased both times!

    (4)

  • Rina K.

    since my aunt and uncle live by here we decided to pay a visit. according to my uncle (who knows the chef), the chef studied western cuisine in japan which makes itself present in the cuisine. we ordered SO MUCH FOOD, but we had six people and two kids. i highly recommend the hamburger (not a hamburger as in a sandwich type thing, more like a meatloaf), soft shell crab and fried baby octopus. i think any of their seafood dishes are super delectable delicious ! and the squid yaki. SO GOOD :))) soft squid served with grated ginger and a lemon. simple, yet tasty. the waitress was japanese and she was so polite it really made me feel at home. honestly i think that if you're a heavy drinker you'd have more fun because they seem to have a variety of cocktails and shochus as well as korean soju. all in all, it was good japanese food :) *edit 9/1 i don't know why i put 4 stars the first time, because this place definitely deserves more. SIMPLY DELICIOUS. go here, you will not be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Ryan J.

    I've been here enough times to tell you that it's great everytime. Garlic steak is delicious, garlic fries are bomb, Kara age so tasty, garlic hamachi melts in your mouth, ginger cocktails are to die for, and everything else you should just try and enjoy. Ambiance very chill and the workers are very hospitable. Bam!

    (5)

  • Eric W.

    The staff here is super friendly and helpful to guide you with food selection and specials. We tried a little of everything and was overall satisfied. The price was reasonable except the tapas was a little over price. The only complaint I would have is the chicken wing had a burnt taste and was missing a touch of salt . A pitcher of Sapporo beer was $15 which was reasonable. If your looking for tapas only place, I would go somewhere else, otherwise this is a great place to dine.

    (4)

  • Chris T.

    I scanned some of the previous reviews, and think one clarification needs to made about this place. It's an izakaya essentially, so if you're coming expecting great sushi, then you're in the wrong place. What you probably should be getting are things that go well with a few drinks. Think of it as a good small plates restaurant where you can get a bit of everything. My wife and I frequent this place for lunch and dinner and while they definitely do some things better than others, I think if you give the place a few tries, you'll definitely figure out what they do best. For lunch, it's a limited selection of set lunches, which is perfect for the work lunch crowd. My personal favorite is the yakiniku bowl where you're given a pretty generous grilled ribeye over rice (I ask them to hold the onions, cause they go crazy with it on a lot of their dishes). The bentos are fine, but it's the usual chicken teriyaki, salad, tempura type stuff. For dinner, you'll have many options and it's always a good idea to pick a couple from their specials menu. We always get their salmon yaki onigiri - crispy grilled rice ball with salmon wrapped in nori. The only vegetable they ever have is the pea sprouts on the menu which is really quite good if you need some vegetable for all the grilled meats and fried foods you're eating as well. If you're an uni fan, they have a dish of boxed uni which is charred on top which you eat with nori sheets that it's served with. All in all, considering the location, Inshou was a real surprise to us. With the small plates for dinner, the price can definitely sneak up on you. Overall, this is a solid izakaya, and a solid option if you want to try something that's not in downtown San Mateo.

    (4)

  • Lisa B.

    I've been here a bunch of times now and am thrilled with the consistency, the service and most importantly, the quality of the food at Inshou. The atmosphere is lovely as well. This place is wonderful and I can highly recommend everything that I've tried so far, ranging from the sushi to the more "tapas" type plates. The venison is amazing when in season and their specialty adult beverages are quite delightful as well. They can also make fried squid legs more than just palatable. Be sure to check out their specials. The environment is perfect whether you want to have a small and intimate dinner with friends or if you have baby and kids in tow. Inshou is so accommodating and friendly that it really feels that they go out of their way to be your neighborhood Japanese restaurant. Which they are for me. I'll be sad when I move out of the area!

    (5)

  • Ellie B.

    People (Asian) who arrived after us got server before us, what's so difficult about making a bento box?.... The food was, didn't taste fresh at all. So boring, the sashimi was so thinly sliced and low quality fish. Best part of the meal was the Orion beer, can't go wrong with that right? Oh and she also got the table (Asians) who got served first their check, blatantly ignoring us. She saw us looking at her to get her attention and instead she starts bussing other tables around us, wtf? Discrimination much?! The tea tasted like hot water and came out of a coffee carafe. Sad I wasted a good lunch opportunity on this crapshoot.

    (1)

  • Mark L.

    I had the bento for lunch. Nothing special. Pretty average. Next time, I'll try something different. Though, my friend said his hamburger steak was good. May be next time I'll try something different.

    (3)

  • Emily L.

    Sushi was great, fresh. However service was not good

    (4)

  • Angela R.

    My husband and I have gone here a few times. He really likes it because the beef teriyaki is really good. Which I have to agree with. However, a lot of places around here have good beef teriyaki. I feel they should have more selection for the prices they have. They don't have a very wide selection of sushi, which is a big disappoint me to me. The items they do have, I can get elsewhere and enjoy it more. It's very VERY small, and in an over crowded location. Overall, it's not bad, but it's not the best either. It really does just fall in the middle for me.

    (3)

  • Melinda C.

    Wow. Finally a restaurant that can rival the likes of Yakitori Kokko!! I'm so happy that there are finally some Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area that pay attention to quality & authenticity...& not just cater to the hipster Anthony Bourdain-esque elitist foodie snobs. I love the simple café style decor & the subtle music wafting in the air. The wait staff is extremely friendly & quite helpful in navigating through their mouth-watering menu selections. The food service is fast without compromising on the quality, freshness, or presentation. All of the food we ordered from the ankimo, gyu-tan, aburi-chashu, butter corn, teba-shio...etc. was impeccable! Each dish excited our senses & lit up our taste pallets. We could not be any more satisfied with Inshou!! You know this is an authentic Izakaya/Yakitori-ya when: 01. There is a dedicated cup on the table for used food skewers. 02. Soft boiled eggs are served (& encouraged to be mixed with rice). 03. A majority of the customer base is native Japanese (as they tend to have a refined tongue for their native cuisine). **This last part was only for humor purpose, & NOT intended to be taken seriously!!**

    (4)

  • claudia y.

    comparing this place to ginja in san mateo i would say ginja is better. for yakitori we ordered beef tongue, chicken skin, and chicken thigh. we also got cod misoyaki, potato cheese ball, yaki onigiri, chawan mushi. i would say the yakitori here is subpar. the first two skewers of tongue were just dry. it wasnt overcooked but i think the quality of meat was just bad. the chicken thigh was also dry. and the chicken skin was done pretty well. the cod misoyaki was teeny tiny. maybe the smallest portion of it ive ever seen. potato cheese ball just came with one so we split it into six. the yaki onigiri was standout above the rest. i dont know how they did it but they got the outside really crispy. the only thing was the salmon one was super oily chawan mushi was not like a traditional chawan mushi with a ginko nut, shrimp, chicken and fash cake. this one had tons of onions, tons of chicken and dried shrimp. i think they are trying to save money all in all i think they place offers lots of variety but not enough quality

    (3)

  • John K.

    GARLIC STEAK Best service from the short Japanese dude Food was great and the service was awesome. Many types of food to choose from. I recommend the garlic steak, the bento boxes, the chashu bowl, the crispy chicken skin, sashimi salad, pork ginger steak, kobe style beef tataki, deep fried chicken gizzard, and there are a bunch of others. Must go during happy hour for sake and beer. 30% off Definitely a returning customer.

    (5)

  • Cassandra H.

    Inshou has been a go to place for family dinners as well as a good place to treat people for some nice yummy Japanese food. They have really friendly service as well as great food. Typically I would order the Sakemeshi, which is salmon with rice in a clay stone pot with a broth pored on top of it. And you can't forget the Aburi mutinies charshu with a perfectly cooked runny egg to put on top of it. And you can't forget to order the green tea ice cream with mochi! Things to order: Aburi Mutinies charshu (meat) ,or the beef tongue, Sakemeshi (stone rice with a yummy broth), Sashimi salad, and Baked oyster served with a garlic pesto with mushroom sauce

    (5)

  • Craig K.

    I have been looking a long time for my own go to Japanese place, and this is it. I'm pretty much a regular here for the lunch crowd. Sushi is great quality and reasonable price. Nabeyaki udon is very good. Hamburg Steak is mouth watering. They have good lunch specials. Their Oyakodon and Gyudon are pretty strong too. The service is normally great. During the rush hours it can get hectic and might suffer at times. If you are in a rush don't go here if it is busy, like tables 75% full.

    (5)

  • Naomi K.

    Hmm, this place just opened. It has a nice spot on the corner, well lit and nice interior. Service was very good, they kept my tea cup filled. The menu for lunch was... interesting. I ordered udon, mistaken that it would be an soup. It was like a pasta dish, seasoned udon noodles without broth. Hmm, I'm not sure about this. It was tasty, but not what I expected. The other side of the menu is rice bowls and the udon that accompanies that, comes in the standard broth. Confusing. The salad was decent and the miso soup was impressive (not the typically crappy instant stuff they generally serve with set menu bento boxes.) I would have to come back and try a few more of their dishes. Sounds like maybe they have a bigger variety for dinner?

    (3)

  • Jo L.

    We walked by this tiny place last time and it wasn't open... (seriously we didn't noticed it at all before since it's so small and it's at the quiet end of the strip mall...) This time we came and we were surprised that the inside is so modern and nice... there are drapes like everywhere, it's a nice touch so that we don't feel like the next table is just right there! haha.. Like others have said.. this is a very authentic Japanese restaurant. All the waiters and waitresses speak Japanese, they have a Japanese menu and a lot of Japanese customers! A-plus! I regret to say I don't remember what we ate(it was a month ago), but they are all pretty good and I was surprised to see they have some items that I can only find in one or two Japanese restaurants, so thrilled to find another authentic Japanese restaurant!! Next time when I go I will make sure to let you know what's good!

    (4)

  • Teresa W.

    This place is genius. Every time I come here there is something new added to the menu. Whether it be drinks or food. You should def try their cocktails out, they have a great ginger lemon soju drink that is SOO good. But be careful! It tastes just like lemonade (yet it's alcoholic) so it's dangerous hehe ;) Their menu is so creative. I would call it Japanese fusion. Not your regular bento box, rolls kind of place. This place is magical. I can't even explain it. They have these baked oysters with ESCARGOT BUTTER in house made. F*cking Orgasmic. Then there's the yaki onigiri, SO buttery and cripsy. I would eat it for breakfast every single day. There are so many things that you have to try at this place... Even their desserts are AMAZING. Orange jello made with real orange juice and pulp. Green Tea Creme Brulee....crazy good Don't come here if you're expecting California rolls, Super 49er rolls, chicken teriyaki, etc. Come here if you want to delve into a land of Japanese cuisine like you've never done before...

    (5)

  • Ken K.

    You've heard of teriyucky. But have you heard of yuckytori? Sad to say I've encountered it. Just to be clear, not yakitori.....YuckyTori. In SF Bay Area, there's a difference between 1) izakaya that specializes in yakitori or a yakitori place (first and foremost) that also has izakaya style dishes 2) izakaya with yakitori and 3) izakaya or any generic Japanese restaurant with a few yakitori selections Inshou (Impression, or In Hsiang in Mandarin, Yun Jeung in Canto) clearly falls into category 3. And here are a few things that ring out tons of alarm bells with the yakitori and ordering process: 1) Small selection (i.e. limited to the usual suspects, thigh with scallion, skin, gizzard, heart, wing....so if you want cartilege or nankotsu or neck meat, you won't find it) 2) You cannot order individual skewers as each order only comes in pairs, which is ridiculous. So you are automatically out $4 to $4.50 for one order. Perhaps this is to compensate the limited yakitori selection. 3) Prices are similar across the board. Thigh meat costs the same as a lower cost body part or organ like heart or gizzard. Want to know what's more silly? Vegetable skewers on average cost the same as chicken skewers! Yep three pc shitake skewer or the other kind of mushroom (oyster?) 4) Yes you have the option of shio (salt) or tare (sauce) but ordering everything salt might not be the best way to go...salt flavor coupled with the grilling seems inconsistent across skewers and even within the orders themselves. You might get one skewer of tasty gizzard but the next one may be drier and saltier. 5) Avoid chicken skin (kawa)here. Sumika, Ginji, Kokko and even the new Chinese owned Mokutanya do them well (Sumika being the best, with Kokko's having a more chewier texture, yet pleasant). For some reason despite the well grilled appearance of the skin, the texture was completely foul and tasted like jelly or sea cucumber on the inside. There are more disgusting food items or textures I would rather put in my mouth, but Inshou's kawa yakitori is not one of them. Surprised they turned this classic upside down. To their credit, the skewers came out piping out as they should be but that's about the most positive thing I can say. They are still a step up from the pre-across the street from Nijiya days of Santa Ramen when they had a few yakitori items, but even a place like Lakuni (who aren't a proper yakitori joint) outsmokes Inshou's skewers by a mile with using a gas range via a chef with a ton of experience. Perhaps the other cooked food items from the menu are better. I should have ordered the house French Fries (fries in a fusion izakaya??), it looked way better than my yuckytori kawa (skin) tasted.

    (2)

  • William P.

    Great western-style Japanese food! Also good sushi! I had the Hamburger steak lunch and it was great. Haven't been for dinner, but love the lunch.

    (5)

  • Aleen L.

    I have been eating here many times. I really like the food here. The price is expensive but worth it. Whenever I want to have dinner with my friends. I always ask them to come here to meet up and try their food. I am so happy this jp restaurant Is near my house and I don't to drive all the way to downtown San Mateo or San francisco. The people who works here is very friendly.

    (5)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Inshou Japanese Cuisine

Share with your social network

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online

Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.

© 2024 Restaurant Listings. All rights reserved.