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Name: Himawari
Address: 202 2nd Ave, San Mateo, CA, 94401
Telephone: (650) 375-1005
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.69

Himawari

202 2nd Ave, San Mateo, CA, 94401

(650) 375-1005
Store is closed

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Himawari Menu

Appetizers

Gyoza

Agedashi - Tofu

Buta Kakuni

Teba Karaage

Chicken Karaage

Sasami Cheese

Nama Harumaki

Shu - Mai

Ebi Chili

Ebi Mayo

Ma - Bo Tofu

Buta Kimchi

Yasai Itame

Nasu And Grand Beef

Asari Garlic

Scallop Carpaccio

Avocadd And Salmon

Kanitama Ankake

Okoge Apkake
Salad

Tofu Salad

Spicy Chicken

Pork And Green Salad
Side

Edamame

Kyu - Ri

Kim - Chi

Sunagimo

Spinach
Fried Rice

Pork Char - Han

Salmon Charhan

Takana Char - Han

Kani Char - Han
Rice Bowl

Kanitama Don

Cha - Shu Don

Chicken Teriyaki

Pork Curry Rice
Ramen

Soy Ramen

Salt Ramen

Miso Ramen

Deluxe Ramen

Cha - Shu Men

Ta - Ro Men

Negi Ramen

Wakame Ramen

Miso Butter Corn Ramen

Shio Butter Corn Ramen

Kanitama Ramen

Asani Shio Ramen

Won - Ton Men

Tan Tan Men

Tonkotsu Ramen

Tonkotsu Dx Ramen
Topping

Seasoned Egg

Roasted Pork

Stewed Pork

Bean Sprouts

Bamboo Steams

Green Onion

Fresh Seaweed

Dry Seaweed

Corn

Butter
Noodle On A Plate

Hiyashi Chu - Ka

Jar Jar Men
Sushi Roll

California Roll

New York Roll

Chicken Roll

Ebi Tempura Roll

Himawari Roll

Hotate And Tobiko
Desserts

Cheesecake

Chocolate Cake

Green Tea Cake

Mango Pudding

Ice Cream

Healthy Meal suggestions for Himawari

Appetizers

Gyoza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Agedashi - Tofu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Buta Kakuni [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Teba Karaage [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Karaage [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sasami Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Nama Harumaki [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shu - Mai [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ebi Chili [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ebi Mayo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ma - Bo Tofu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Buta Kimchi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Yasai Itame [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Nasu And Grand Beef [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asari Garlic [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Scallop Carpaccio [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Avocadd And Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kanitama Ankake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Okoge Apkake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Salad

Tofu Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spicy Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pork And Green Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Side

Edamame [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kyu - Ri [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kim - Chi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sunagimo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spinach [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Fried Rice

Pork Char - Han [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Salmon Charhan [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Takana Char - Han [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kani Char - Han [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Rice Bowl

Kanitama Don [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cha - Shu Don [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Teriyaki [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pork Curry Rice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Ramen

Soy Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Salt Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Miso Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Deluxe Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cha - Shu Men [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ta - Ro Men [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Negi Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Wakame Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Miso Butter Corn Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shio Butter Corn Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kanitama Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asani Shio Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Won - Ton Men [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tan Tan Men [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tonkotsu Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tonkotsu Dx Ramen [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Topping

Seasoned Egg [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Pork [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Stewed Pork [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bean Sprouts [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bamboo Steams [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Green Onion [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Seaweed [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Dry Seaweed [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Corn [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Butter [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Noodle On A Plate

Hiyashi Chu - Ka [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jar Jar Men [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sushi Roll

California Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

New York Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ebi Tempura Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Himawari Roll [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hotate And Tobiko [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Desserts

Cheesecake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chocolate Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Green Tea Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mango Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Audrey G.

Had the Tonkotsu Ramen w/ added spicy and a boiled egg. The broth to me wasn't good, but it wasn't that bad either. It lacked a lot of flavor, but with the added spice, it made it a little bit better. Their tea also didn't even taste like tea, it was more like.. tea-coffee lol. Like it legitimately smelled and tasted like coffee even though it was the same consistency as tea, which was kind of weird. What I did like though was the boiled egg. Easily the best part of the ramen. Honestly, I don't think I'd be back any time soon. Wait staff was incredibly nice though!
(2)
Alex B.

Not bad, I though it was better when it was still new. I would still go though
(3)
Karen A.

The restaurant was packed when we arrived for dinner. We weren't impressed with soy ramen and tonkatsu ramen. The main problem seemed to be the noodles - tasted a bit like packaged noodles from supermarkets. Would pass on this and divert to some of the other restaurants in the area like Santa Ramen and Ramen Dojo. Not my taste, but worth a try. Full but unsatisfied.
(2)
Kevin C.

The Tonkatsu is my favorite ramen of all time! Had ramen from a lot of places and they were all overly salty or mediocre but this one is perfect!
(5)
ãƒˆãƒ¢ T.

I left Himawari with mixed feelings. Their ramen has potential to be great, but they fell short. I felt like they did not spend the time to perfect their ramen. Noodle (men): Medium thickness and average. Lacked elasticity. Soup: Average. It wasn't bad, but it didn't make me want to come back for more. Lacked life. You can choose between Soy, Salt, and Miso flavors. Toppings: If you get their most expensive Deluxe Himawari Ramen ($10.50), you get a boiled egg and two kinds of roasted pork. First kind, which is regular sliced cha-shu, had no taste and texture was bit rough. Second kind, is buta-no-kakuni, which is flavored stewed pork. It had a very nice taste, but there was too much fat. They need to spend several more hours to dissolve the fat. Some of their menma was too hard to bite into. PRICES(This note is for all ramen shops): When it comes to ramen, I am a weirdo in that I completely ignore pricing. It just doesn't matter to me if a bowl of ramen costs $6 or $10. Now, I am not some rich uppity loser who hands a hundred dollar bill to pay for a $8 ramen. In fact, I am critical of 'value-for-the-dollar' when eating other cuisines, so prices to factor in significantly in my other ratings. For some mystifying reason, a whiff of ramen scent disrupts the nerve in my brain that ties money and food. If ramen shops ever discover my secret, they would start charging $50 a bowl as soon as I walk in. Ramen Combo: With additional $2 to your ramen, you could get a side item (gyoza, fried rice, stewed pork bowl, California roll, or small green salad.)
(3)
Nick C.

5 STARS all the way down to 3 STARS. My updated review is a BIG :( This use to be my FAVORITE Ramen in Bay Area. I use to make the drive with pleasure from SF to eat good ramen. Started coming here about 3 years ago, and have been a regular for awhile. I've experienced great things from this place in the past with my own Birthday, group eat outs, etc... Although their past speaks loud, as of my recent visit, they took a big dive. People who come here come to eat the Ramen. With that in mind, it is CRUCIAL that they do it RIGHT. Everything from the noodles to the toppings to the broth to the amount of Ramen should be on point. In the past they had really good noodles, they were chewy, tasted yummy, and were not at all starchy. But now their noodles are pretty bad. My mom also noticed the poor quality of noodles they used. After thinking more about it, the Ramen packet noodles you buy at Nijiya Market taste better than these (not to be too mean...but...=\). The change saddened me so much, I had to ask a server who worked their for a long time to see if it was true. And she said with a sad face..."yes we changed the noodles" If you take away anything from this review, DO NOT ORDER their Scallops with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Honey Glaze. Why? IT'S A HUGE RIP OFF!!! 3 TINY (nickel size) scallops for $9...ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Now I would not be so upset if they tasted AMAZING, but they tasted more like $2 scallops. Their egg's they put in their Ramen are AMAZING (like nothing else you have had before). They are the perfect blend between solid and liquid, and have a nice Soy Sauce flavor. But on my last visit my egg was hard boiled...and did not have that amazing texture. But I am willing to overlook this mishap, because my mom and girlfriend's egg was done right. Looking on the bright side, their soup base has improved. I remember trying their Tonkatsu soup base last year and it was REALLY watery, and lacked a bunch of flavor. Now, it is full of YUMMY pork bone flavor that has the perfect taste (not too salty or too rich, but good enough to drink it all down). I'm sad because it is SOOO hard to find really good Ramen in San Francisco, let alone in the Bay Area, and I use to have that with this place. But things have changed and am still on my search for a new "BEST RAMEN" joint in the Bay Area. ***HIMAWARI PRETTY PLEASE CHANGE YOUR NOODLES BACK TO THE OLD ONES. The new ones are TERRIBLE.
(3)
Jo L.

The soft boiled egg is the love of my life!!! Even if I don't order any ramen, I'll order a side of the egg... it's runny, soft and a little sweet. Best egg EVER!!! Ramen are good, I tried all the flavor, I still like the Tonkatsu soup base, and the deluxe version which has everything in it! Try the scollop sashimi, they are actually very good! (to my surprised since it IS a ramen place). Appetizer plates are quite small, but I'd say if you finish a noodle bowl all by yourself you'll be stuffed for sure, so I'll usually order one ramen and some other stuff so 2 of us can have more varieties Again, the egg is a MUST for everyone that enjoys a perfectly cooked egg with runny yolk! I actually bring my friends / family here just to eat their eggs.. lol I come here either earlier in the night or later to avoid the crowd...
(4)
Brian V.

I have eaten ramen twice in my life. The first place was Shoki Ramen house, a tiny dwelling in Sacramento with a not so tiny cult following. Keeping it hundred just like the days of the Tokugawa shogunate's reign, no preservatives are used. The noodles are all handmade as is their broth. The ramen is very wholesome, but due to the lack of MSG, lacks a little zing in flavour. The second was Hapa ramen which doesn't even deserve a review. To be quite honest, I did not want to go to Himawari initially. It wasn't even my second choice. Puzzled at thug dannychan checking into ramen dojo and chug pub every single day of the week for the past month, I decided to try it myself. Waking up early on a Saturday, yet, leaving the house late due to multiple ten minute naps turning into half hour naps, the breadwinner (me) and the breadless (kdervu) picked up clitters and semipenorsu and headed to San Mateo to go to Ramen Dojo. We got there at exactly 2:11 and were told that the kitchen had closed at 2:00. A good pilot always has a good chief mateand she punched in the coordinates to lead us to their predecessor restaurant, Santa Ramen. Drats, it was also closed. San Mateo is a ramen mecca and is known for its big 3: Ramen Dojo, Santa Ramen, Himawari. Because it was a nice day, we walked through downtown Santa Mateo to Himawari. The restaurant has very nice decor and furniture and its wait staff is brisk but amiable with their clientele. Well past lunch hours, this place was packed. I ordered the deluxe ramen in miso soup base with corn and a side of california rolls. The california rolls do not merit a review...there is no way you can mess this up. They served its purpose of upping the ante for the main course. The ramen arrived piping hot and was very generous in portion. My complaints of past ramen places was there lack of noodles, however no complaints here. The miso soup was delicious, rich in taste, nourishing the soul. The egg was most savory...it was cooked hard boiled but inside, the yolk was still runny, blending perfectly with the broth. The noodles were delicious and plentiful and the pork belly was most excellent. It was like a cube of butter, my teeth slicing through it effortlessly like a hot knife. If you stir up the broth, you will see tidbits of pork fat floating around. This was also a first in having pork belly in my ramen; the first time I had chashu. The meal was very filling and stayed in my stomach until night, ruining my appetite for v-da dinner at chouchou. My bowl of ramen was 5 stars, however, I was not too fond of KDer's soy broth'd ramen. It tasted like water. Clitters enjoyed his meal, however, LilDickSu did not share the sentiment. I tasted a bit of their broth and while tasty, was not as good as mine. I recommend ordering the deluxe with miso base and afterward, I guarantee the sleep embrace of slumber. May Morpheus give your dreams the appearance of a sweet mirage, maybe of me hunched over my dated dell, writing my next yelp review naked?...wadDUUUP
(4)
May B.

Came here after a long day taking pictures and was cold and hungry. I ordered their Deluxe Pork Ramen and it was yummy. It was not the best ramen I ate however it was one of the better ones I have eaten. The pork was tender and they were generous with their portions. We also ordered the scallop roll and it was really good. The spinach with sesame sauce on the side was pretty yummy too! My friends ordered the miso ramen and they enjoyed it alot. Venue is clean and even with lines out the door, they moved people pretty quickly without rushing those already eating out the door.
(4)
Ken D.

Came here last weekend around 2:30P. They close at 3:00PM. Asked if hey were still serving. Server said reluctantly YES. Noticed that prices are higher than DOJO, RAMEN PARLOR and SANTA. Decided to order anyway since ratings at Yelp were good. Ramen was just average. Also noticed that there were little floating white things on the soup. It was several little pieces of FAT. They don't trim the fat of their charsu pork and they use it in the soup. It never happens in other places. Other places have flavorful soup without tons of fat. *** TAKE A LOOK AT ALL PICTURES OTHER PEOPLE POSTED. YOU WILL NOTICE ALL THE SOUPS HAVE LITTLE WHITE FLOATING PIECES OF FAT.
(1)
Cristina R.

As an avid ramen fan, I thoroughly enjoy the ramen culture around San Mateo. Last night was my first time at Himawari and it did not disappoint. Their menu had more options than what I usually see and on a hot and humid summer evening, I was craving something a bit out of the ordinary. I opted for the cold noodles and they took me back to a trip to Thailand. So flavorful, I was delightfully surprised! I'll definitely return on a cooler evening to try some of their hot soup options.
(4)
Dean T.

Came here for dinner with my friends. I ordered the cold noodles deluxe style. It was very satisfying! Will come back.
(4)
Jacqui C.

Had the snow crab omelette ramen and requested mine to be spicy. It was so yummy! I came by during lunchtime on a workday and there was no wait to sit at the bar (which had a great view of the chefs preparing ramen). Quick and friendly service.
(4)
Alex W.

I've been to Himawari an embarrassing amount of times over the past year. Seriously the tan tan men deluxe is amazing and although I've strayed from that option a few times I keep going back to it. I even in the interest of fairness for ramen on the peninsula yelping tried other Ramen places but like a jelous lover it keeps pulling me back. If they would let me live under one of the tables I might take them up on it.
(5)
Kat S.

There is no where I'd rather eat most days. I love soup, like wanna sing to it and send it flowers, and this place serves up a bowl of hot juicy lovin by the savory spoonful. I wanna elope with the Tonkatsu, I have sexy dreams about their chicken karaage. There is usually a line, but it moves quickly, and it's worth the wait, I swear. Unless yo gramama made you ramen when you were sick as a child to show her love for you, you're not gonna find a better bowl anywhere else. Fer reals. Go getcher ramen on, holmes.
(5)
T t.

1 star for the chicken karate Got the deluxe ramen and the soup base wasn't anything special, which I was surprised about since I heard there are usually long lines for this hot spot. The braised pork was really sweet. Just go to ramen dojo if you're in san mateo. The service wasn't the greatest either.
(1)
Z G.

Simply base of Ramen, it is good... not to the outstanding point yet. Though the best will be the Tonkatsu Deluxe, it has lots of meat in there. I was hungry from a long hike so it taste great and I finished it in no time... but normal it is hard to finish it. The soup base is good. I will say appetizers were pretty good yet I might had been too hungry... I love the Chicken Karaage... goes good with the dressing it comes with, but only 4 pieces, it disappear in a second... it was really juicy in the inside.
(3)
June G.

Two words. Sodium overload. Their quality and standards have deteriorated so much within 2 years. My last visit before today was in 2009 and I loved it. But today's experience changed my mind. We ordered mapo tofu and gyoza for appetizers, deluxe ramen with miso soup base and wonton men for dinner tonight. Everything was too salty to our taste. I could not even finish my bowl of ramen because the saltiness of the soup was killing my taste buds (I only took a couple of bites). The ramen's pretty standard; there's nothing to rave about it. The hard-boiled egg, sliced pork and stewed pork that came with my deluxe ramen order were delicious, though. Service was prompt and good. We did not have to wait long for our orders to arrive. However, they were in a hurry to get us out - we barely finished our dinner before a server came by to clean our dishes away and another server brought us our check at the same time. That's understandable, I suppose. After all, there were a couple of people/parties waiting to be seated. It will definitely take a lot for me to return to this place again.
(2)
Jen K.

This has got to be the best ramen I've ever tasted outside of Japan. I come here often and I must say my weakness is the butter corn ramen. SO good (and probably not so good for you) its melted buttery goodness mixed with comfort noodles and an awesome miso broth. It's heaven. It's especially great on those cold, rainy days when you need to warm up those cold bones. This place is very popular, so be prepared to wait! It's fairly small and it seems all of San Mateo likes to eat here so come early!
(4)
Lauren C.

Himawari's is like your first love. The first few months to maybe even a year, they are the best thing that's ever happened in your life. You walk into the restaurant and you're blown away by how relaxing the atmosphere is with American records gracing the walls and oldies/jazz playing in the background. Then you slowly fall out of love because you realize they're not the person you fell in love with. Their once delicious soft boiled flavored eggs are often now over boiled and had a plastic feeling. Their once flavorful broth is now overly salted and a thick layer of oil and fat floats around the top. It's heartbreaking letting your love go but Himawari's is just not as great as they used to be. I was a loyal customer for almost 3 years now and the first year was great. I kept coming back for the shio butter corn, the tan tan men, and Tonkotsu deluxe ramen although over the course of the years, I've tried almost all the other ones at least once. Some appetizers have changed throughout the years. A once delicious fried pork belly has become a soaking sweet pile of fat in a broth. The poke however has changed for the better. The fish is always fresh and it is lightly sauced in a way that brings out the freshness of the fish. The Shio butter corn WAS my favorite. I'd always get that with an extra egg and menma (Bamboo shoots). I'd also add the complimentary dried roasted garlic on the side. Who knew butter could taste so good with ramen? The broth used to be so flavorful and I was in love with the combination as a whole but for the past 5 visits, it seemed like they cared very little in not only presentation but also flavor. I went on some dead nights so I'd assume they'd have some time to check and make sure that everything was at least in the bowl before they served it... How wrong I was. On one visit, I ordered this and there was no butter in it and they completely forgot my extra menma. They had tried to tell me that there was butter in it and it had merely melted but I've ordered it enough to know that it would leave the buttery color when melted. Besides, how could it have melt right after they made it? Usually, it lasts at least 10 minutes while i'm busy taking my perfect photo of my ramen. How could it be gone in 1 minute? The broth was much saltier than the past and I had to constantly drink glass after glass of water. My boyfriend had ordered the Tan tan men. How could it possibly this oily? Perhaps I had thought too highly about it in my mind while I was at home. I understand that some fat should be in the ramen but I felt like we were just trying to spoon out an entire top layer of fat before he could eat. The pork was flavorful so I'm glad that hasn't changed BUT his soup was LUKE WARM compared to mine. It was confusing that mine was steaming and hot but his was just warm. Sometimes things in life are just better left as a memory. You realize that those you were once in love with change and sometimes it's not for the better. You don't really love them but you love the memory of them and how they made you feel. Sorry Himawari, but I just have to let you go. I just can't deal with the inconsistency of the meals and the buttery lies. It's been a good 3 years! *****SIDE NOTE: 6 dollar minimum/ person
(2)
Farrah N.

I would say that the ramen is just so-so compared to the many other top-notch ramen places in the Bay Area (and others in San Mateo). However, there's rarely a line to eat here and the service is not bad. The atmosphere is pretty kitschy too if you're into that sort of thing. The price is also a little off putting. Bottomline: Come here if you really crave ramen, are in SM downtown, and can't wait for the lines at Dojo or Santa Ramen. Don't go in with high expectations and you'll be fine.
(3)
Judith L.

Himawari is always my first choice when it comes to getting ramen in the San Mateo area. Their tan tan me deluxe (add bamboo) is my favorite. It's a spicy soup base, but don't expect it to be super spicy. It's just flavorable so if you like it spicier, you can always add chili pepper which is placed on the side. The deluxe comes with an egg and it is eggcellently cooked (if ya catch my drift). It's not overcooked yet cooked enough where the yolk doesn't run everywhere. I've always tried a few of their appetizers and they were all delicious: - Agedashi Tofu: The best I've had so far. - Chicken Karaage: I'm not the biggest fan of chicken karaage, but my bf's family loves it. - Fried California Roll: YUM. So good! California Roll is pretty basic but when it's fried, oh gosh, it is delish! - Deep Fried Calamari: Must get if like you like calamari. Even though there are plenty of restaurants to eat in the area, Himawari still gets really busy at night so unless you come early or late at night, expect to wait a while before getting seated!
(4)
Crystal C.

My boyfriend and I loooooove this place. Even though we both drive, and wanna have ramen every week we decide to only go here 3 times a year. It's like a tradition. Anyways... I've been to Santa Ramen, Majikku and I don't even bother going to Ramen Dojo or Ajisen Ramen. I stick to my Himawuri like its my husband. Pros: Ramen is nice and chewy but soft. They give a nice amount. Broth is the shittttt... so bad for you but who cares! Appetizers are great as well. Cons: Seating is very tight, but love the atmosphere still. Wait is sometimes long, but this is definitely worth waiting for. The price can be a little high, but don't sell yourself short on good food. Very well worth it. What I usually get is Shio Butter Corn Ramen, my honey likes Cha-su Ramen. :)
(5)
Kristina S.

What better meal to have on a cold and rainy evening? RAMEN!!! Catching up with an old friend over ramen. I had the Miso butter corn ramen - consistent with every other time that I've ordered it. The casual environment is nice and open. There is a decent amount of space between tables and the walk way. Looking forward to my next meal here!
(3)
Dale S.

Too bad there is no option for "negative stars". I love Himawari's tantan men, it's as good as I've ever had in Japan. Today I noticed that the restaurant is on OrderAhead's list of restaurants that deliver, with the first/trial delivery free, so I used the app on my iPhone to order the "tantan men deluxe". It actually arrived 5 minutes before the projected time, and I happily tipped the driver. Then, sitting down to eat, I found I'd been given the "regular" tantan men, which costs $4 less. I called the restaurant to see about getting either a partial refund or the rest of the ingredients that I'd paid for, and was told they absolutely do not take any pickup or delivery orders online or through apps, they're done by phone call only. They wouldn't acknowledge my order, or try to look it up, or check with their driver(s), because they don't do those kinds of orders. So I have a "okay" lunch that was NOT what I ordered and paid nearly 50% extra for what I did receive. I guess the OrderAhead email receipt for my meal that I'm posting here doesn't really exist, because Himawari doesn't do those kinds of orders.
(1)
Ada C.

I came here on a Wednesday night with some friends and we were promptly seated. We ordered sake, spicy tuna roll, adegashi tofu, TAN TAN ramen for me and TONKATSU for my friends. A glass of SAKE- literally one (big) shot glass of sake.but then again it's 6-7 dollars a glass, so you can't expect much. SPICY TUNA ROLL- somewhat disappointing for a sushi lover. This roll was an adequate size, but two dabs of srircha (one in front of the roll and one in back) not even on the roll, does not constitute the roll as spicy.. it was rather bland. ADEGASHI TOFU- deep fried tofu with seaweed on top in ponzu sauce, it was alright. Not bad, but nothing special either. TAN TAN RAMEN- a more than decent bowl of ramen swimming in extremely flavorful and spicy broth. Only problem is, you'd have to be satisfied to be full off of all carbs. There's toppings as advertised on the ramen, but barely any. You kind of have to dig around to find your pieces of ground pork... and evenly spread out the green onions before eating it so that you can have a piece every other couple of bites. TONKATSU RAMEN- both my friends liked it, said it was flavorful. But same problem as mentioned above: lack of toppings except they had slices of cha shu (pork) in their ramen. The ramen came out super fast. On my way to the restroom, I noticed that there were bowls of noodles laid out on the counter top, just chilling, waiting to be filled up with hot broth to be served. Which explains why they dish it out so fast.
(3)
Monica G.

Looking for some late night ramen. Then this spot will do the trick, it is one of the few food spots that are still open after 10pm Once you walk in make sure to write your name on the clipboard, but we came around 10pm and there was no wait. It is rather small inside with tables lining each small wall. But the decor is something else. It is not your typical Japanese decor, but rather a soulful/jazz cafe feel. Even the music playing made me feel like I should open a book and read. The menu is straight forward. Again, it is not traditionally Japanese because the words used for the menu items were plain and simple. For example they used "soy" instead of "shoyu" Each ramen item came with slices of roasted pork, big piece of dried seaweed, bamboo, and green onions. You can add additional toppings with a price. what we got: -ten-men: this is their spicy broth ramen that seemed to get a lot of reviews. My bf loves it, and even though it gets too spicy at the end, he still endures it because it is that good -Soy ramen: the broth was very good! it had the hearty, meaty, soy saucey flavor i love! and I am beginning to think that "al dente" is not just an italian thing. The noodles in ramen is very important, and Himawari cooks them just right!!! I would love to come back here again to try other concoctions. The staff was also very friendly and the food came out promptly!
(4)
Roger R.

Compared to all the other Ramen places in the area, it is ok. It's the best around when Ramen Dojo, Ramen Parlor, and Santa are closed. It's open late... Lots of MSG...Service is so so.
(3)
Linh D.

Visited on 08.10.13 Miso taro men with add boiled egg the ramen reminded me of the chinese egg noodles but thickger it definitely didnt have the fresh texture taste to it and it made me wonder whether the noodles were dried than cooked the stew pork was good but prefer it to be softer and more fall off texture than shredded pork broth was about right not too salty nor blend yet still made me thirsty afterwards Ambiance american jazz theme with jazz background playing it doesnt give you the feel of being in ramen shop in Japan more of a American ram ramen restaurant surround by otherJapanese restaurants on the block to blend. Even the customers on this particular night were 80% non asian dining
(3)
Nathalie C.

This is our favorite ramen place on the peninsula. It doesn't have the hype, but trust me, it's a much better ramen experience than the other places. My standby is a deluxe ramen with spicy miso broth. The broth is wonderful, the perfect amount of spice and salt to make your nose run just a little. Love it. The kakuni is also usually really good, nice and soft with the right amount of sticky to the skin. I dream about it. Even though I know they don't make their noodles onsite, they are still really good, nice and springy with a tender bite. They have a whole egg that is perfectly cooked, so when you break it the yolk is lovely and runny. All the flavors complement each other and I am so much more happy here than some other damn place (I'm looking at you, Santa Ramen) where I have to wait for five hours and they run out of pork. WTF. They let you do takeout if you don't want to wait. They'll hook you up so you can take it home and put it together yourself.
(5)
Chris D.

Ramen: really nice broth, umami but not too salty. The pork was only so-so, though. There's not much excuse for pork shoulder to not be tender.
(3)
Anita T.

Pretty good ramen, huge serving size, and a LOT of options on the menu. You won't finish the bowl before it starts to cool, but you probably will want to -- this is one rich broth. Interesting flavors like the miso ramen with a 1 inch chunk of butter in it (died -- of a heart attack -- and gone to heaven...) The tan-tan mian deluxe is also good -- good complex spicy flavor but warning, salty. The plain miso tonkatsu ramen is less interesting than other places... kinda monotone. My main complaints are that the soup is kinda greasy and the facility is ultra cramped. We were seated next to a family with a baby and while he was cute as a button, we were close enough that the baby could throw toys at us, if that gives you a perspective on distance to your closest neighbor, lol. Open later than several of the ramen places in the area (i.e. Dojo, Santa), but parking in the area is a little less convenient (there is a muni lot nearby as far as I remember but keep in mind this is in the heart of downtown).
(3)
Cat C.

I drove from San Leandro to San Mateo to have ramen from Santa Ramen. I was thoroughly disappointed rolling into the parking lot to see that it was closed until Friday, something that they really should convey on their Yelp page or on a website. Did some searching on Yelp and somewhat hesitantly decided to visit Himawari, with unfairly low expectations. I had ordered the Tonkotsu Deluxe and was pleasantly surprised on how flavorful the broth was. They give you copious quantities of pork and a soy sauce marinated egg among a few other traditional ramen toppings. I visited with a bias for Santa Ramen in my mind, and was pleasantly surprised and delighted to find a second great ramen restaurant. My only qualm is wishing they had softer noodles. But to each his own. All in all, Himawari is great. Don't believe the haters.
(5)
Jason D.

preferably on a cold day, overcast with a chill in the air, you want to have something warm and comforting. There a few ramen places in the area. The reason I go to Himawari is a personal favorite, I really think their chicken karaage is awesome!!! Every Japanese place does it differently. They have it the way I like it, a light very crispy texture, you can see the fresh ground pepper flakes dancing in the crust. I recommend bringing your own bottle of katsu sauce, that's what I do. I opt out of their mayo sauce, I even let them know in advance not to put it on there, waste not right? They have other items on the menu that are pretty grub. Salmon fried rice etc. The ramen is very good, the usually options of soy, or miso style with toppings, bamboo shoots, kimchee and more. The ambience? usually very busy, sometimes there is a wait. Their dÃ©cor? the Jazz record sleeve laden walls and adequate seating. Music playing in the back round. I bring my kids in, so I make it kid friendly. The prices are reasonable to high, depending on how many dishes you order. I recommend Himawari even on a warm day, because people like yummy soup on any occasion.
(4)
Mihail D.

Apparently two stars means I've had better. However, I've also had a lot worse. So this will now be a 3 star rating. Food (by far the most important factor) - 3 star Ambiance - 2 stars Service - 2 stars Price - 3 stars Food: Ordered the combo, which lets you pick a ramen and add a small side for only 2.50 extra. I chose the butter corn ramen with an egg for an extra dollar. The small side I chose was gyoza, which is essentially pot stickers. The good: The ramen was loaded with corn and there was something like half a stick of butter floating there. Even by the end, I was still shoveling corn in my mouth after everything else was gone. That's a huge plus. The bad: The broth might as well have been nonexistent. I couldn't taste much to be honest. Definitely one of the worse I've had. I had to spice it up and make it more interesting with the condiments they had. The egg, considering the fact that it was an extra dollar, was not too great. They attempted to soft boil, but it was only about halfway there. I wouldn't have expected something more as a side that costs extra. The noodles were fine by me as far as texture, but there were not enough of them, and the rest of the toppings were also satisfactory. A really good broth could have easily made this 4+ stars, but alas. The gyoza were not that great. Some of them were completely stuck together which makes me think they just pulled them out of a freezer and microwaved them. Ambiance: Sort of weird. Really tiny place that attempts to crowd entirely too many people in there. People had to constantly shift in their seats and move their tables to let others through. What the hell is that? Extremely uncomfortable. Also fairly loud music that proved to be really distracting. It wasn't particularly good either, which made it all that worse. Service: I don't know if they're understaffed, but that's an issue that can be fixed. The fact that they haven't makes me give it two stars. My friend and I were seated and about 10 minutes passed before anyone got to us. We actually saw people seated after us receive service first. My friend ordered some alcoholic oolong and japanese vodka concoction. The waiter brought her an iced oolong tea. Perhaps he misheard due to the loud music? HMMM. Given that it was her only reason for being there, she left for work shortly after and left me to suffer alone. At some point I became curious and asked our waiter for an alcohol or drink menu. He nodded and never gave me one. So....what, loud music again? By this point it doesn't even matter. Price: The price is ok. It offers nothing over other competitors, at least to a satisfactory level. Overall, I wouldn't come back to eat here. I've had much better in San Francisco - I can't imagine how this place is still open given the legendary ramen joints around the rest of the bay. Weird.
(3)
Michael B.

Make time for this place!!! I've been going here since it opened in 2005 and Himawari never disappoints! Recommendations are the Tan Tan Men, the baby Crab Ramen, and the Poki salad!! In addition to the good food, the staff have always been friendly and polite!
(5)
Hiromi M.

I love their food. It is pretty authentic. Something I would eat in Japan. I liked everything I had there. Ramen, kanitama, gyoza, etc. They get very busy, so I always go there on the earlier side, so I don't have to wait.
(5)
Nicole S.

After being bookmarked for close to a year, I finally got the chance to try Himawari Saturday afternoon. It wasn't on purpose but because Ramen Dojo ran out of broth only a couple parties in front of us. THE WAIT: We walked in and put our names on the sign in sheet. You have the option to sit at a table or the bar area. There were only three parties in front of us but we waited about 20 or so minutes. I would imagine the wait is longer during peak hours, we came about 30 minutes before lunch closing. RAMEN OPTIONS: *There are about 15 or so different ramen dishes to choose from *Prices range from $8.50-11.50 a bowl *Add-ons range from $0.50-2.00 for toppings such as egg, seaweed, corn, etc. *You can choose your soup on certain options: soy, salt, or miso *Standard toppings include sliced roasted pork, bamboo shoots, & green onion *$0.50 for spicy *A jar of fried garlic is left at every table (LOVED it!) CHA-SIU RAMEN w/SPICY MISO BROTH & EGG: A mix between the taste, the price, and the presentation rates 3.5 stars. After adding an egg and spicy miso broth, I think my bowl came out to about $11. Granted that's almost standard for ramen nowadays, there was no presentation to the dish (I'm probably biased to Dojo's fantastic presentation). My bowl looked as if all the ingredients were simply thrown in. The noodles were good and a bit chewy just the way I like them. Although the spicy miso broth was good, it tasted as if something was missing from the broth base. My friend ordered the spicy soy broth and said it was hardly spicy to him. The pork was oddly a bit on the dry side, but a generous amount was given. The not quite hardboiled egg which was still a bit yolky was a nice touch. Oh yeah, why did my friend get a piece of seaweed in his ramen and I didn't?! SERVICE: I'm not sure if it's a regular thing, but Himawari is lacking in the service department. Not one employee cracked a smile or had a friendly demeanor, they just seemed robotic. Our order was taken, food was brought, dishes were taken away, and check was given all without a smile. We weren't checked on during our meal either. PARKING: Street metered parking. A quarter will get you 30 minutes! (something all SF people can appreciate)
(3)
Gabor K.

Amazing food which is consistent over many visits, very good customer service, takeaway is fast and again, delicious. Love this place!
(5)
Mui Mui K.

One of my favorite local ramen places. My 'usual' is the miso ramen, but the deluxe, tonkotsu, and tantan are also excellent. I like that there are many ramen choices, appetizers, and sake. In addition, the fried garlic on the table is a nice touch.
(5)
Jessica H.

Service: Okay. Nothing too special here. Food: I like the ramen here. Its flavorful enough and not too oily or thick. I like my tonkosu broth a lot. I added an egg and corn to the ramen. Definitely worth it since the egg was just cook to perfection with the yolk running and corn is always good with ramen. :) Their CA roll is not bad as well. The presentation was nice with a piece of lime on top of the roll.
(5)
Katie T.

Himawari is so underrated. Maybe because of its proximity to Dojo? This is not your light diet ramen. It is the heavy and full flavor broth. I got the infamous Delux Tan Tan Mien and it was out of this world. One of the better Tan Tan Men I had. The soup was truly unami!!! Creamy and savory! Noodle was thick and had a good bite. Stewed pork sealed the deal for me. The meat was tender and flavorful. Chashu did not seem to shine next to the stewed pork. Egg was cooked well but it was cold :(. Good amount of bamboo shoot and bean sprouts. My bf got the crab omelet ramen. Omelette was creamy. The gravy added a interesting sweetness, balanced out the saltiness of the shoyu soup. I'm drooling as I am writing this. Cannot wait to come back!!!!!
(5)
Lorrie M.

I guess I have to give this place 4 stars because it really isn't a bad ramen place and I recently discovered that their noodles are chewier than I remember which was nice. Came here a few times already and tried their famous Tan Tan Ramen, which wasn't as spicy as some said it was, but their stewed pork was absolutely delicious. The flavors of the broth were great and the portion was good as well. My friend swears by their pork fried rice. Being not a fried rice fan, I have to say it was pretty good for fried rice, and of course the pork was flavorful and tender despite being chopped up into small chunks in the fried rice. The service is friendly, the "water" is really tea which is super yummy (I love this kind of 'water'!) and your meal comes out quickly which means if you are starving, which I most often am when I crave ramen. Perfect for a cold night out or ... I guess for me any night! Parking here can sometimes be a pain unless you come on a random week night that is not Thursday or Friday as there is only really street parking but otherwise location is great in the heart of downtown San Mateo!
(4)
Jenny L.

I love their miso butter corn ramen, but I like to take out the butter before it all melts otherwise, it's a bit too rich for my liking. Their soft boiled eggs are delicious, too! Also ordered the spinach appetizer and it was a decent portion. We ordered just the ramen (plus 2 eggs) and the spinach and it was enough for two people. Will be back to try out the other items on the menu!
(4)
Bryant C.

This place never had the hype of santa ramen or ramen dojo, but it's starting to gain popularity. It gets pretty busy at times, but I have always loved this place. I get the miso butter corn ramen every time. The broth is perfect. Melted butter in the broth is amazing and the corn mixes with this perfectly. The pork is nice and soft. With the broth and pork full of flavor, the ramen doesn't haven't to play a huge role, with bamboo shoots in it for flavor and texture. I like adding the garlic and spicy seasoning to the broth because I love garlic and spiciness but that's just a preference. The broth needs no help. I feel like I should try other types of ramen they have but I can never get myself to order anything but the miso butter corn.
(5)
Sandy L.

Drove by Ramen Dojo and the line was crazy so this was the alternative dinner stop. Himawari was pretty busy but we didn't have to wait at all to get seated at the bar and got great service throughout. The restaurant was a comfortable size, clean and modern without looking like it was trying too hard. I got the tan tan men, husband got the soy ramen and we shared an agedashi tofu. Everything was good. I was especially impressed with the agedashi tofu. I liked the tan tan men but woulda rather have a piece of pork instead of the minced ground pork. There wasn't a whole lot of other toppings, I mostly remember parsley. The broth was tasty and not too fatty. The noodles were a harder texture and thinner than I usually like, good enough but not the best I've had. Overall I was satisfied and felt this place offered great value for the price. Bonus points for the following: 1) variety of menu items, way more appetizer selection and rice dishes compared to other ramen joints. 2) They do takeout which many ramen places do not accommodate. 3) The kitchen and wait staff seemed very efficient. We sat at the bar so we were able to observe the assembly process. The cooks prepped the food quickly and everything looked clean. The wait staff was attentive without being overwhelming. Also, no unnecessary bottleneck or ridiculous wait just cuz the place is over-hyped.
(4)
Leyong T.

Spicy miso ramen is the best. Stewed pork is also very tender, I like it a lot. The boiled golden egg has very soft inside.
(5)
Melinda B.

The food was super yum. Better than Ajisen Ramen in my opinion (although my hubby will beg to differ). But the smell of this place is what took two stars off. Someone needs to clean it much better. Or ventilate it. Smelled like mildew, old food, fish, old water, etc. Very gross. Food was good tho. Unfortunately, we won't be back bc of the smell...
(3)
Max P.

Something about butter corn ramen It always seems to cheer me up Stopped here on a Sunday night not overly crowded had a nice atmosphere going The background music is a nice touch Service was pretty friendly and not pushy The ramen was great, not my favorite style of noodle but it was good Broth had plenty of flavor bits floating around Not super salty Portion was pretty good size, I couldn't finish it Also has the Goyza, taste good, looked homemade not frozen Also had kimchi chicken, was good but for the price the serving was a bit small I would visit again if I was in the area
(5)
Kelly H.

This place is a little gem for date night as well as for families. I give it an overall 4 for the nice ambiance and the food/service. Interior has a rustic, retro modern feel with jazzy music, wooden tables and floors, mid-century style chairs. Pretty unique for the Peninsula. *tip* Arrive a little before 5:30 for dinner to avoid a long wait. This place fills up within minutes of opening. Good broths and fresh California rolls. I only wish it has homemade ramen. Otherwise, it's a great little joint with good food and service.
(4)
Suki C.

Mexican run ramen place. Drop by for lunch today and the meat is cold. The soup base is very salty. Wanted to add some water so dilute the soup, and they want to charge $3.50 extra. Terrible.
(1)
Jia L.

I got the Tonkatsu ramen. The Tonkatsu ramen looks rich, but it didn't taste very rich, just so so. The egg was well made though, soft boiled. Service was good.
(3)
Allison T.

Never been here before and came on the recommendation of a family member. Relaxed atmosphere with an interesting jazz theme. Came at about 830 on a Friday evening and not crazy packed and best of all no wait! Had the Shio butter corn ramen which was quite tasty but be warned the broth is salty so make sure to drink lots of water. Loved that they had self serve roasted garlic fo' free! -2 stars mainly because of the inattentiveness of the waiters. I get that waiters can get busy and I'm usually pretty understanding and accommodating BUT during our entire meal (party of 4) there were at least 4 open tables at all times and not once did a waiter come by to offer water refills (which were totally needed!) or to check on us. Hopefully they step up their game.
(3)
Patricia L.

We used to come here often but then they started to charge for everything. If you order the fried squid or chicken karaage be prepared to pay an additional .50 for lemon or mayo. It does not come with your order at all. Talk about trying to squeeze your customers for every penny possible. Not coming back here.
(1)
P V.

When you walk in be sure to put your name on the list. They are usually pretty good about getting you seated as tables clear. Sometimes the wait can be long during peak time, but not as long as some of the other Ramen places. My favorite thing to order is spicy broth - I think its called tan tan. My kids love the salmon rice and my husband and I alwas get ramen. I had the cold noodle dish once and I had onion breath for days (raw red onions!), but it was good. The servers are quick and available, I've never had an issue. All in all, every time I go here everything is consistent as far as taste and service, and all that other awesome stuff.
(4)
Amanda L.

After a 30+ min wait at Ramen Parlor, found out they only had Soy Sauce broth so we left and tried Himawari instead. Thankful Himawari didn't have a wait at 9pm!! They have so many broths to choose from, my goodness. Bf got the Tan Tan Men, I got the Tonkotsu. We avoided the Deluxe (pretty pricey at $13) but we were full after finishing the bowls so perfect portions without the Deluxe upgrade. I really liked my Tonkotsu. It tasted clean yet creamy. I just wish I had asked for it without ginger because I'm not a ginger person so I was picking around them. I also happened to notice they had free fried garlic on the table whereas Ramen Parlor charges $1+ for it so that was nice to have the option to add it on my own for free. Bf enjoyed his Tan Tan Men. The soups could've come out hotter though (temperature hot). My bf likes it really hot and the fact that it was cool enough for me to eat right away means it wasn't hot enough. Overall, the wait was nonexistent (at 9pm on a Saturday), I had no complaints on the service, I enjoyed my ramen and walked out really full. It's not my favorite Ramen place but it's definitely worth coming back.
(4)
Janice Y.

It is with great sadness that I announce my official break-up with Himawari and I. We had a lengthy co-dependent relationship that was pretty rocky with ups and downs, and I wanted to believe they would change, but just as any co-dependent relationship, it did not. I got sick four times from himawari. Not just me, but my side-chick (my boyfriend) as well. So I knew it wasn't just me. Like, food poisoning, sweating, and unfortunate *TMI both end kind of unfortunate-ness. I had the tongkatsu twice, and the chicken kaarage (which tastes SO delicious!!) twice.. and both times, it abused my digestive organs, as well as my side-chicks. I thought it might have been the mayonnaise from the chicken karaage because it's always warm when it's served, but it happened with the tongkatsu as well. It might be because the restaurant workers handle the food, noodles, pork with their bare hands? I'm not sure but I think that might not meet legal restaurant standards. Whatever it may be, it was the last hoo-rah last night. It's a bittersweet end, but I know it's for the better. As much as I hate to leave them, I just can't stand it any longer. It was fun while it lasted Hima. I'll always remember you for the good and bad.
(1)
Christina L.

I always get the Miso Butter Corn Ramen, though I've occasionally flirted with the idea of ordering the Kanitama Ramen, soft egg crab omlette over soy ramen. But, I'm torn on how to feel or review Himawari, which is why it's taken me until now to just get around and write a review about it . . . When I've had to wait nearly or more than an hour, I leave feeling underwhelmed, like I just wasted away some of my life waiting for ramen that really wasn't worth the wait, and then I feel like I wasted stomach space when I could've eaten elsewhere. But, when I luck out with a short 10-15 minute (or less) wait, I feel like it's the best ramen around, and I daydream about when I can come again to devour another bowl of noodly deliciousness. I will admit, however, the correlation between my enjoyment and wait time could have everything (or nothing) to do with my patience on that particular day, OR (because I like to blame others) it could be the cooks aren't consistent. It's probably me and not Himawari, so if you are more patient than I, I say go and wait for your bowl of ramen.
(3)
N.N. R.

I really really love this place. Maybe it's because we didn't have to wait, but I am going to say it has more to do than just that.... The service here is great. The servers are helpful and give your their two cents on what's popular and what they like best, which always helps. It's also nice to bounce ideas off someone who is familiar with the menu. The ambiance at Himawari is great, with records on the wall and good music playing, you don't feel like cattle herded into a small place, rushed in and out - imagine that, what a joy! The ramen, delicious. I added some fried chicken on the side, great choice, it was perfect. I also ordered the miso broth, spicy, YUM! everything was just as it should be, absolutely delectable. I cannot wait to come back and try another menu item. All of the appetizers looked amazing. I'm going to bring a bigger appetite next time and order more food!
(5)
Adena B.

A friend of mine recently ranted and raved about the "amazing ramen place down south." Um, can you be a little more specific? With a little bit of coercion, I figured out that she meant this place. I'd bookmarked it based on her opinion, and hoped to head down to San Mateo and try it sometime. Except, I already had. And it wasn't that special, I'd just forgotten about it. We sat at the bar and I watched the cooks add bits of paste into the bowls, then add ladles of scalding water to it, chop up some green onions, throw-in some pork slices, plop in an egg, a sheet of nori, and call it a day: yelp.com/user_local_photâ€¦ I refuse to believe this is how (good) ramen is prepared. With so many ramen options "down south," I don't think I'll be back anytime soon.
(3)
Ziyan C.

We were getting a late lunch and this was one of the few ramen places open after 2pm on a Saturday. There was no wait when we got there at 2:40pm, and we got the last lunch order! THE SERVICE: Great, we were the last in the restaurant and didn't feel rushed. I also left my sunglasses there and they held onto them for me. THE COST: $35 total for 2 bowls. Not bad. They're big so my friend and I shared. * Tan Tan Men Deluxe (spicy sesame flavored soup w/ ground pork, bean sprouts, green onions, roasted pork, stewed pork & egg. $13) - 4 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/himaâ€¦ The broth was legit spicy, and I LOVED the ground pork. It's really easy for ground pork to be overcooked and hard, but they did a really great job with this; it was tender, had good texture, and the flavor was amazing. I wasn't overly impressed with the noodle, which didn't seem very fresh. I do tend to be on the picky side for my noodle's texture, and I still really enjoyed this bowl! * Tonkotsu Deluxe (rich white creamy flavored soup made from selected pork bones, roasted pork, stewed pork, egg, bean sprouts, & red ginger. $13) - 3.5 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/himaâ€¦ After having the Tan Tan, I found this to be bland. That may have been relative, but my boyfriend who ordered the Tonkotsu even wished he'd gotten the Tan Tan. The broth was rich, but I think even on the scale of Tonkotsu's I've had in the Bay Area, this is on the blander side. Topping, Combo: yelp.com/biz_photos/himaâ€¦ Ramen: yelp.com/biz_photos/himaâ€¦
(4)
Y S.

Saw the line out of the door every day and heard my girlfriend raving about how good it is, so I decided to try over lunch. Ordered their most popular ramen item: Deluxe Miso flavor. I call it: cholesterol soup! For $13.99 before tip, you get: - a layer of lard at top - noodle too raw to draw in flavor - little vege (a few bean sprouts & bamboo shoots) ... (Oh wait, I guess green onions & 2 little pieces of seaweed, if you count those vegetables too...) - 3 chunks of stewed pork belly fat (that's the part people rave about I guess) Not my bowl of soup.
(2)
Adriana R.

My boyfriend and I love this place. We seem to always get there at the perfect time bc after we've been seated it seems to get packed and then there is a line out the door. Which means it must be good right? I've tried a few different things here and so far I've liked it all. The service is good and food comes pretty quickly. Prices are pretty reasonable also. I definitely recommend this place
(5)
Anastacia S.

Decent ramen. I recommend the tonkatsu ramen deluxe. Great flavor and the eggs are wonderful! I am still a bigger fan of Ramen Dojo...just because I prefer it spicier. This is a great spot when Ramen Dojo is closed!!
(4)
Cindy S.

The last time came here was about 2 years ago and I left thinking this place was just ok. Tonight, I had the Tan Tan Men and still I thought it was just ok. The noodle was a bit hard, the steamed pork was stiff to chew, the egg was overcooked, and the soup tasted too salty for me. I left feeling dissapointed once again. With so many ramen options around, Himawari is just mediocre. And in the words of my friend, T.I, "I don't want no mediocre (ramen)".
(2)
Kamael S.

There's no shortage of ramen places in San Mateo, that's for sure. This place is decent - good broth and noodles and nice options for additions (including that pat of butter!). There isn't a ridiculous out the door and into the next state line like the one in front of Ramen Dojo, which is a big plus.
(4)
Elizabeth S.

This is yet another underrated ramen joint. The best part is the lack of hype! Subsequently, the sheep are waiting in line elsewhere giving room to getting your hearty bowl of ramen sooner! The options here will have you believing you died and went to ramen heaven. This ramen joint is special from many others though. Their unique decor isn't the typical run-of-the-mill Asian themed (although I appreciate those interiors). They play jazz here, and the place is decked out in retro-chic meets industrial with touches of corrugated sheet metal. I can always appreciate a unique interior paired with the food inside. It gives eating ramen a modern atmosphere rather than the feeling of a "noodle house". My bf and I were seated immediately shortly after they opened for lunch at 11:30, and we both ordered the Deluxe Ramen which comes with stewed pork, bean sprouts and egg in addition to regular toppings. They brought us some iced Genmaicha which is brown rice tea. I thought it was a great alternative to ice water! For the Deluxe Ramen, you can choose your broth. I chose the miso broth and requested they make is spicy. The regular toppings are scarce in variety but generous in portion: slices of roasted pork, bamboo stems, green onions I'm not a huge fan of bamboo stems, but they taste unusually flavorful and good here. Maybe, because they aren't canned? They have extra toppings, but it's not really necessary. The ramen comes fully loaded. I can only say I would add some greenery to my ramen if they were available as extras. Yes, this place is awesome. They also serve more than ramen too: sushi, Chinese/Japanese rice dishes and appetizers This is a ramen joint I'd return to indulge at night.
(4)
Cat N.

The most disappointing ramen I've ever had, and certainly the worst rice bowl. As seems to be the usual story, we came here because Ramen Parlor and Dojo were closed. The spicy tonkotsu wasn't spicy at all, and the ground pork gave it an overall cheap taste. The noodles weren't chewy, instead seemingly overcooked. The pork fried rice bowl was just two little pieces of their "famous" stewed pork (super fatty and unpleasant to eat) over plain white rice, not fried at all, and no special seasonings. The only thing really going for this place is its convenience: a fair amount of seating, and convenient parking garages off of the main street.
(3)
Lee A.

Came here with my boyfriend to get some ramen nearby to CREAM (one of our favorites). It was an awesome first impression. I love the decor in here, the jazzy records give it such a fun vibe. Unfortunately, the food didn't give me the same impression. I got the Tonkatsu ramen, but I wasn't blown away. I would come back, but there are definitely better food options in the area.
(3)
RACHEL C.

I love this place! Best tan tan men ramen I've ever had.
(5)
Dana L.

Went with a large group. It was expected to wait a while so we did. Finally after a good hour or two we got in. It was a little hot inside and rather small. Service was nice and attentive. I believe they had rice infused water but it tasted like water that was ran through a coffee filter to me. So it had a reminiscent taste of coffee grind water lol. Forgot what I ordered, it was a deluxe with extra seaweed. Honestly, it was extremely salty. It wasn't just my bowl either. Everyone's was extremely salty. I wasn't too impressed especially with all the rave about this place.
(3)
Michelle C.

Finally a place that serves mugicha (barley tea)! They automatically serve this tea instead of water. No worries, mugicha is a healthy herbal tea. A nice alternative to green tea. This was my first time here and I choose "Tan Tan Men" (no extra toppings). This, by far has been my favorite ramen of all other ramen places! Maybe because it has and I love sesame oil. Caution, it is spicy but not to the point your mouth is on fire, at least for me it wasn't. Service was all right. I would give them a 3, maybe a 2. I went on a Saturday afternoon around 2:15 pm, they were busy so the attention was fast and direct. No "how are yous?" or "welcomes". The place is clean and it does have a jazzy vibe, which was cool. The place is a decent size but you may need to wait longer if you come in groups of 5 or more, only because their biggest table if four and they'll need to put tables together, just an FYI. Overall, I will definitely come again to try their other flavors and drink mugicha.
(4)
Kawai N.

The soup was oily and full of chicken fat. I usually don't mind chicken broths even though I don't eat chicken but this one was pretty gross. I ordered the snow crab omelette ramen and it sounded delicious and the ramen itself with the omelette was pretty good, but the soup is what makes or break the ramen and it's not worth it.
(2)
Deana T.

3 stars for food, 1 star for terrible table management. There were 5 parties of 2 and two 4-person tables open (one of them was 2 tables pushed together), and they had everyone wait until a 2 person table was open! Me and my boyfriend and another party of 2 even told the wait staff that we would share one of the 4 person tables and they didn't want to do that. So we waited 15-20 minutes for the next 2 person table to be available. We were seated at around 9pm (it was a Monday night). We were ready to order once we were seated (since we looked at the menu while waiting), but then had to wait another few more minutes to place our order with the waiter. Fortunately, our food came out pretty fast. I ordered the miso ramen with corn and it was okay. The broth wasn't very creamy for a miso and the chashu was really salty and dry. I added some fried garlic for more flavor. At least the noodles were chewy for a few minutes (they're thin so they get soft quickly) and there was a lot of corn. We had to flag down a waiter to refill our tea. We come here once in a while and we've had more satisfying ramen (and service) other times. Himawari is inconsistent in their food quality and service but they are open every night and late (another ramen place that we go frequently is not open on Monday nights).
(2)
Keith C.

Great place to grab some ramen in San Mateo (when you don't want to wait in line for Ramen Dojo of course). I haven't had issues with lines or waits here in a while (though I haven't been on a weekend night for a while either). Service has always been extremely fast and the ramen's always been quite tasty. I'm a fan of the tan tan men and get that almost every time I come here. It's got a small kick but isn't too spicy. The deluxe with the egg and pork belly is definitely a good choice as well. Overall: It's definitely not the BEST for ramen in San Mateo, but if you want a bowl of ramen and don't want to wait too long I'd definitely come here again!
(4)
Linda C.

I've been here twice now, once for lunch and once for dinner, and I've enjoyed both of my experiences thoroughly. The ingredients taste verrrry fresh and, while the ramen is no substitute for Orenchi, it definitely satisfies any cravings. Both times I came the place was packed but I still didn't have a wait (lucky me?). The first time I had the Tonkatsu Ramen and the second time I went all out and had the Tan Tan Ramen. The Tonkatsu Ramen was fine but the Tan Tan was something special. First, it is huge. Second, it is alot. Third, don't order anything else. The broth was spicy, salty, and thick and there were toppings galore. I am glad I tried it but I still have a lot to try on the menu and I think it says something that I don't want to immediately order it again; but it's still quite tasty. Across my two meals here, we also had the gyoza, agedashi tofu, and California rolls. These were either appetizers or part of the lunch special (which I recommend to get the bang for your buck!) and were phenomenal sides. Really, really, fresh tasting and capped off the meal. All in all, I'll be back!
(4)
Angelica C.

I come here to get my Tan Tan Men fix! It says "spicy" but it's not. Trust me, I'm sensitive and I usually order everything "not spicy" or mild. Chicken Karage is also a must. It's soooo tasty w/a hint of lime (if you choose to).
(5)
A R.

I love Himawari ramens so much. They are seriously the best. The place does get pretty crowded though, so plan in advance.
(5)
Athena L.

I love the Buta Kakuni, which is fried stewed pork belly in a thin, slightly sweet sauce topped with red onion and chopped green onion . So rich and fatty (pork BELLY), this melts-in-your-mouth dish is a must-try even if you're on a diet! Share it with your friends! I've tried the Shiro Tan Tan Men and Miso Butter Corn Ramen. The Tan Tan Men was more typical, but still very delicious. Wanting to try something new, I had the Butter Corn ramen last time I was here and it actually does come with about 2 tablespoons of butter melted in your soup. I loved it. I love butter and corn and having both of those together in my soup was divine! [Lol candycrush.] It makes the broth extra rich and again, if you're on a diet.. I'd suggest another option or sharing. The only possible downside is that it doesn't come with too much cha shu...if you're into that.
(4)
Chena N.

Japanese restaurant with a kick of American swag? Ramen Dojo, Santa Ramen, Ramen Parlor were ALL closed when we went that one evening, so we gave Himawari a try! Himawari's interior was intricately decorated with bright star shaped lights and American record covers neatly covered the walls. Menu displayed a selection of ramen, donburi, and sushi. Tonkatsu Ramen ($9.00): 4 stars. It satisfied my cravings for ramen. It came with the basics of ramen, broth, 2 slices of pork, one big slice of seaweed, green onions, and other veggies. I actually like this a little more than Dojo Ramen!! The noodles were soft and the broth was immensely flavorful. yelp.com/biz_photos/himaâ€¦ ONE INTERESTING THING.... their water.... tastes like coffee.... is that weird? am I the only one? LOL. All my friends brought it up during out meal and we .... barely touched our water the entire meal. other than that, wait was not too long, about 20 minutes. Waitresses and waiters were friendly.
(4)
Bianca G.

I love the tan tan men deluxe with the soft boiled egg been here three times and I always get the same one I love all the spic and flavor the pork gives in the soup !
(5)
Lynn C.

It's really gone downhill in terms of their ramen. Overly salty and now I'm chugging an entire bottle of water and my tongue still feels tingly. Won't be coming here for ramen anymore.. The fried chicken and rice dishes are still decent though. 3 stars for those items.
(3)
Jericho S.

I've been to Himawari dozens of times. It's time to write a Yelp review. Quality ramen, consistently made, at a fair price. Their standout dish is their pork curry--I haven't found a Japanese curry in San Mateo better than theirs.
(5)
Clarence A.

this is one of the places I know of where you can take your ramen togo. I have tried 4 of their ramen choices, donburi plates, and other offerings Of the 4 ramens I recommend the Tan Tan Men, and the Tonkotsu DX Ramen both I order mild spicy, not super brothy like other ramen places but it gets the job done if you want to take it togo, not many spots in san mateo allow togo for ramen, luckily this one does. I also sampled there donburi unagi plate, not enough unagi if you ask me but have not found a spot that offers an actual full sized plate of unagi for under $20, taste wise excellent not to much of the fatty parts of eel, just enough to make it delicious sampled there poke - for the wife, she gave it a passing grade, nothing is fresher then the poke offered in hawaii by her measuring stick, for me it was ok, I would order it again but I do agree it was not the best I have had edamame - standard for the wife no frills, just veggie appetizer salted just right If you want to take the ramen togo this is one of the places that allow you to do so I have eaten here for lunch and ordered for dinner, wait is never more then 5 minutes, food is always good if you need to get your fix for ramen and don't want to wait 30 + min at dojo or parlor here is your plan B spot especially if you want to take it togo food *** price $$ service **** ambiance **** slightly loud, small seating tables, friendly staff
(3)
Sophie P.

Tan tan men deluxe! ***Note: if you're going out with a big group of people and you're planning on splitting the tab, remember that this place only splits w/ two cards, so bring cash!*** There's a reason why lines go out the door. It's not the BEST ramen place I've been to-- but close to it. The service is great the atmosphere is nice and the ramen tastes good. The appetizers here are also okay, go with the gyozas if you really want something but keep in mind this place is known for their ramen, not their appetizers. FYI.
(4)
Richard Y.

Great ramen place...it feels like a sunny noodle shop in Okinawa after surfing! Katsu (the owner surfs) and his team of friendly and efficient cooks,servers and bus-people are just great and never miss a beat. The food? Awesome. We've been coming here for 3-4 years (since they opened) and the ramen is always cooked right (they time ever bowl - I like the tan tan men deluxe - pictured), the soup is tasty with lots of stuff (you can add more but most dishes don't need it), the curry rice is unique, the chicken karaage appetizer is great (but only order if you're really hungry - so tasty). I only wish they would add more sushi to the menu but I know that would steal sushi sam's business down the road and only make the lines & wait longer. Now the kicker - the owner is a jazz musician and plays only jazz music with records plastered all over the walls.....listening to jazz now makes me think of ramen (ala Pavlov's experiment) Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise George Gershwin Himawari is modern ramen jazz
(5)
Breezy M.

My favorite ramen joint. the Shiro tan tan deluxe and Tonkatsu deluxe are my goto's. The stewed pork is so delicious, and I get an extra egg because they are perfectly oozy in the middle. they are somehow out of things even though they just opened for the day pretty often so I that gets annoying, definitely if I have a craving and they dont have anything I was craving. *hangry mode initiate* I usually get a side of the chicken kaarage , big ,juicy and delicious chunks o meat. and im a big fan of jazz so thats nice to have in the background too.
(4)
Anthony L.

Hadn't been back in years and I'm glad got a chance to revisit ;) I ordered the Ton Kostu Deluxe: The Ton Kotsu broth is decent, it's got good rich pork flavor and had a good texture. The stewed pork is what makes this dish delish. I added corn and and an extra softboiled-egg. Which I highly recommend. The noodles were so-so, it lacked the springy fresh texture of a good ramen noodle. Overall, I remember why I haven't gone back in a while. While the ramen is by no mean bad, it's just that there are better choices in the Bay. Foodt: Decent, Can't go wrong with a rich ton-kotsu broth Service: Great! Decor and ambiance: A little cramp but aren't all ramen house? haha If you haven't tried Himawari, go for it.
(3)
Angela C.

Came here with my girlfriends because we were in search for ramen and Ramen Dojo, Ramen Parlor and Santa Ramen were all closed due to their annual vacation. Can you believe all these places are related? I had no idea! So I ordered the Tan Tan Men extra spicy with an additional side of cha shu and a soft boiled egg. The broth was supposed to a sesame broth but it didn't taste anything like sesame. The broth was VERY oily. I couldn't even enjoy the broth because it was just too oily. The soft boiled egg, the cha shu and the noodles were all as expected. The noodles tasted really fresh and firm like handmade noodles which I liked. I guess my only disappointment was the broth and what's ramen without the broth? If I do come back, I'll have to try another broth...
(2)
Jessica S.

After my friends and I walked up and down 3rd Ave. searching for a place to grab Ramen/Japanese, one of us suggested Himawari. Another friend and I tried the deluxe, which included my favorites: cha-shu (Japanese [or Chinese depending]-style BBQ pork) and a soft-boiled egg with a nice runny yolk. Perhaps it was the cold, chilly weather or maybe the hunger, but I gobbled that bowl quick. Generous portions that just hit the spot; slightly salty, but still yummy enough to finish all the "solid" contents in my bowl; typically, I don't finish the soup, simply because 1. it's either too salty or 2. I never have room to finish the soup. In this case, I didn't have room for soup. One qualm I do have: for a short, small person like me I had to sit on the edge of my chair in order to "sit" close with my friends. If you're not on the bench seats, and unless you're at least average height, you're sitting in a round chair that has a deep seat; for some like me, sitting and leaning all the way to the back of the chair means my legs are horizontal to me and don't/can't touch the floor, thereby end up sitting on the edge of the chair. The round chairs are fitting to the ambiance as the restaurant does have a modern feel, but next time purchase "universal-style" chairs that would accommodate people of all heights. Recommended place to be on a chilly night; next time, I will intentionally sit on the bench seat :)
(4)
Jj H.

It seems many Ramen places get poor ratings because customers (with merely 1 experience) have a poor experience with customer service, minor mishaps with their order, or are just extremely picky about what they expect a reasonable bowl of Ramen should taste like. It's just a ramen house. This is not a 5 star restaurant with 3 Michelin stars. We should not come to expect the very best in a restaurant (and give it 1 star) after only trying a place once! A 1 star is only deserving of places that consistently have poor customer service AND poor food quality AND poor sanitation AND misses many other marks! Himawari is far from these things. Of course, this place isn't the very best in the world, but it doesn't deserve 1 star. It's just good ol' Ramen. Service is great and food is consistently good. That's why I'm giving it 4 stars! Also, why must people mistaken Tonkotsu Ramen for Tonkatsu Ramen? Read this to know the difference: quora.com/Japanese-Food-â€¦
(4)
Victoria L.

Ordered the Tan Tan deluxe because the stewed pork on a neighboring table looked really good, but 13 dollars for a bowl of ramen?! Okay.. This better taste damn good. .... Nope. Nothing more than mediocre at best. The sliced pork was very dry and the stewed pork was lacking in flavor. Service here seems a bit slow. It took awhile for them to take our order and when we ordered we were already done with our ramen, the potstickers weren't even ready yet. Turns out they delivered our potstickers to another table. When they finally gave us the potstickers, the dumpling skin was a little undercooked. :(
(3)
Tim G.

While there are a couple of great ramen restaurants in the area, I always seem to gravitate toward Himawari. That barley tea they serve is so refreshing and unique and the Jazz vibe I get from the music and decor definitely adds to the experience. The service is consistently excellent and the food has never disappointed me.
(5)
David K.

I've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally made it out here with some friends. They're open later than a lot of the other ramen spots around the area so already bonus points. There's usually plenty of seating and I haven't noticed those crazy lines either so more points. I got the Deluxe Tonkotsu ramen(the one with the pork belly and tonkotsu broth). It was pretty good. I liked the broth and the noodles still had a little bit of bite. The egg was done really well. I love those soft boiled eggs...so yum. The pork belly had good flavor. I'm told some days they aren't as melt in your mouth as others. The day I went the fatty part was very melty. The meaty part not quite so much. The pricing is in line with ramen shops in the bay. You're looking at 10-13 dollars for most things. Overall I'd definitely come back here and see if I get the full on melty pork belly ramen. Did I mention they're open pretty late? I love that.
(4)
Vince E.

One of my most favoriate ramen places in the bay area. -The Tonkatsu ramen had a very nice brothy and sweet flavor -The Tan tan ramen offers a nice spicy kick -The Butter corn ramen, loaded up with corn Compared to others, the soups here are pretty legit and the noodles are cooked just right. They have such an extensive ramen menu, its going to take me a while to get through it!
(4)
Chuck J.

I really like the food here. My daughter only likes very plain dishes, so we found the soy or shio ramen would work, but no onions and no bamboo shoots, she will eat the roasted pork slices. The guy took the order but it got scrambled up, theymade my butter corn ramen plain without onions and bamboo shoots, and put hose in my daughters. However they made a new plain ramen for my daughter and brought onions and bamboo shoot pieces to add to my ramen, so everything ended up ok. This shows that even if you scramble up orders a lot you can fix them and make the customer happy. This is in contrast to yesterday when I ate somewhere else, where they told me that I should pay attention when they read back the order (I had already left, but my son and wife said nobody even read it back) and it was all my fault. So customer service can make things better, or it can make it worse sometimes.
(4)
Jackie Y.

LOVE the ramen here. I think its alot better than any other ramen spot in san mateo.
(5)
Tuyen T.

The wait was worth it! The noodles was very delicious! And the portion is great as well.
(4)
A K.

Himawari is a fun little spot -- 50s diner meets jazz cafe meets japanese joint. The food is just OK. I never walk away feeling I ate something really amazing and that I MUST have it again. However, I always have fun and that's awesome too.
(3)
Margaret L.

I came all the way to south bay to find out Ramen Dojo was closed, so the next closest ramen place is down the street: Himawari. Once I found the place, I put my name on the waiting list. I came here a little before 6pm on a Saturday night and the wait wasn't too long; however, as I peeked out through the window, I saw groups of people waiting for a spot. So I am not sure how the long the wait usually is. I ordered the Tonkatsu Deluxe with no red ginger (yuck, I hate red ginger). Once it came, I was ready to dive in. The broth was delicious, it's so delicious. As I am waiting this review, I can feel the warmth and deliciousness of the broth on the tip of my tongue. It was full of flavor. I love all the toppings in the ramen as well. The pork belly was superb - definitely, a good amount of meat. The mushrooms gave it a a good crunchiness. I enjoyed my egg as well, it was soft boiled egg - gooey and delicious. The toppings on the table includes fried garlic and spicy powder. I added a little of both to my ramen although it didn't need anything unless you wanted a slight kick to it. I think the garlic was good but not necessarily. I was going to give this place 4 stars but when I picked up my noodles with my chopsticks, I was in dismay. This is ramen? The noodles was not what I expected. They were good but I came here for ramen noodles. This reminds me of chinese noodles my mom makes and I don't want my mom's cooking. Overall, broth is delicious, noodles is not what I expected. It seems like a busy, hip joint. If you're in town and you don't want to go to ramen dojo or parlor, check out this other ramen place.
(3)
Peter K.

Very good ramen in San Mateo. The tonkotsu pork broth is great. I like that they have lots of choices and deluxe versions with egg.
(5)
Melissa R.

Let's cut to the chase: the reason I gave this little Ramen restaurant five stars is: They are so generous with the pork! Ramen Dojo is a Five because it has the best broth. Ramen Parlour is a Five because it has some amazing seafood variations. But Himawari gives you about five times the meat of those two, and it tastes amazing! I got the Tan Tan Men Deluxe (a Miso ramen) and ALMOST managed to finish the whole thing (I can never eat a whole ramen bowl, much to my dismay). I still love Dojo and Parlour, but we'll definitely be back to Himawari for more!
(5)
Angela C.

Went on a Friday night with my sister for the first time. There were two tables waiting in front of us so fortunately we didn't have to wait for a long time but only for about 5-10 minutes (a way shorter wait than Ramen Dojo if you were to go there on a Friday night during dinner time). The waiting area, however, was pretty limited and packed. The servers were very nice and efficient. They were also pretty attentive at the customers for tea refills and any other sorts of needs. My sister and I shared a chicken karaage as appetizer. It was amazing! Crispy on the outside but surprisingly juicy in the inside. I also noticed that many tables around us ordered it as appetizers too, so if it's your first time and you don't know what to order, definitely try the chicken karaage. I ordered the kanitama ramen, which was a soy-based ramen topped with a snow crab omelette, and which I thought was so unique because I've never had anything like that before. The noodles and broth tasted amazing, but I don't know if I enjoyed the idea of omelette combining with ramen. I am glad I gave it a try but I think I'll be ordering something else next time, probably something more ordinary like the cha-shew ramen or seaweed ramen. My sister ordered the shio tan tan men. The noodles tasted really good but the broth was too spicy and salty for us. The color was bright red too so if you're not a spicy food type of person, I'd suggest you to order one of the safer ramens on the top of the ramen section on the menu (soy, miso or salt). I did enjoy the ambiance of this place. There were lots of star-shaped paper lamps hung all over the restaurant with bosanova music playing in the background the entire time I was there. Didn't really feel like a Japanese restaurant but was a pretty entertaining experience.
(4)
Alister L.

This is my second time coming to Himawari. I have always been here with a large party and knowing downtown San Mateo, you need to get here early. I had their 'limited' Tantan ramen. It was DELICIOUS. I don't really eat spicy food but it was totally doable. I totally recommend this place! The wait is a little long but this is because we always had 5+ people. The service is fast. $9~ for regular $13~ for deluxe bowl (more meat, more toppings). Himawari reminds of me of Japan. Drinking Asahi while eating ramen!
(4)
Natally A.

Obsessed with this place! My boyfriend and I had never had ramen before and decided to check this place out. We both completely loved it and looked at each other wide eyed throughout the whole meal. We have since gone to 4 other ramen spots around San Jose and although they were all good, they don't compare to Himawari. We will definitely be making the trip to San Mateo more often just for this place. The cute environment of the restaurant is also a plus!
(5)
Michael A.

When visiting San Mateo, everyone should at least check out Himawari, this unique (jazzy) ramen place! I like the place a lot for it's style (of how it looks, but especially, the star of the place, their flavored ramen they have!!! If you guy do get the chance come, they might still be selling their _limited_ "Tan Tan Ramen". I only recommend it for those spicy lovers of food! Trust me, you will want to come back! Yes
(5)
Kathleen N.

Food ====== $14 tonkotsu deluxe $12 Shiro Tan Tan Men $5 Gyoza Currently, this place is probably my favorite; I think I need a refresher at Shinsengumi or something. The broth was good, but my peeps kept saying that Orenchi (?) had a more salty, stronger tonkotsu broth and having lived in Japan for two years, I was all for that. Anyways, not a bad broth that comes out here. The steam pork belly and chashu bits I could have lived without. Definitely had better on that, but I can see why people like it, with the skimpy slices that're normally served in America. I really enjoyed the gumminess of the noodles; been having way too many either badly formed or badly cooked noodles, but this place done it right. Otherwise, I didn't like that there was a minimum per person required charge so that knocked it down from four stars to three. Seems there's a split rule according to other reviews, so watch out on that too! The gyoza was pretty darn authentic; ver-rah impressed. Would definitely get an order of that or add it on as a combo. The karaage in the pictures looks damn good too. Decor ====== Old school records on the walls; an interesting theme; dunno why they call themselves Sunflower, although thought it was pretty funny they highlighted solar on their chopsticks and t-shirts. Extra!! ======= - Minimum $10 charge per person - Credit split, max 2 credit cards; rest required to be cash
(3)
Edward W.

3.5 stars On a Sunday night, this place was still pretty full although luckily there was no wait. The jazz/soul theme is certainly not typical of ramen places although it is a refreshing change. The shio butter ramen had lots of corn, a big piece of butter, and it was super sweet. I thought the broth was kind of bland and the noodles were more similar to chinese noodles than ramen noodles. It was a pretty solid ramen dish except the health cautious folks should steer cleer of this butter packed ramen. One random point, I really loved the seat here since it was so comfortable to sit in.
(3)
Lisa H.

This is still one of my go to San Mateo spots, but its not as consistent as I remember it to be. Miso ramen was my favorite, but the flavor was off the other night and my egg was almost cooked through. No bueno. Probably will stick to Tan Tan men or go for other flavors in the future. Staff is still friendly and quick. I'll still give it a go in the future, but its not the best in my book anymore.
(4)
Eric F.

While reviews I've seen have been a mixed bag, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here and left a very happy camper. As part of what I've regarded as the triumvirate of ramen in the Bay Area's ramen mecca that is San Mateo, I was brimming with excitement to shove hugemongous hunks of pork belly in my face. Our meal began with some Buta Kakuni and Jar Jar Men. Gaze upon that pile of colossal, barely battered, fatty, umami-riffic goodness and for just a moment, all will be right in the world. And the spicy cold noodles? Refreshing, bright flavors with lots of chewiness, but rather shallow spice and forgettable on the whole. Now for the bowls of joy. Not being a huge fan of shoyu, shio or miso broths, we sided with the piggy variety. My Tonkotsu Deluxe - delicious! Great savory notes from the broth with copious bits of fat strewn throughout deepened by a light creaminess second only to Ramen Dojo. The stewed pork was fantastic and even offered a mild sweetness on the finish (Ippudo NY could take a lesson from these guys in this regard) while the chashu was also tasty albeit slightly dry. Additionally, the vinegary acidity of the red ginger was a unique and welcome touch to counterbalance the fattiness of...everything else. Lastly, the ramen itself was just the right thickness with nice chew. For those looking for a weighty layer of spice, the Shiro Tantan Men will be right up your alley while a modded Tonkotsu Ramen with added spicy will do a similar job without all the extra oils. The atmosphere here is indeed on the hipster side. Being a Jazz fan, however, I loved the lively though somewhat loud music along with the vinyl records and covers adorning the walls. All in all, I would be more than happy to return for more ramen and porky goodness =D
(4)
Thien N.

A lot of options from this place. The sides make this more attractive selection. I'm not sure why other people seem to hype up other ramen places (dojo, etc.) IMO, they're equally good for a rainy cold day.
(5)
Ariana T.

This place wasn't all that bad. I would honestly say that I have had better though. I really like the atmosphere in the restaurant. It was not what I was expecting at all. The service was good and the waiters were friendly. I ordered myself the tonkotsu ramen. The noodles were a little different than what I am used to, but the broth was pretty tasty! Overall, it was an alright dinner for me. I was in the mood for ramen and this place was the only one open on a Tuesday at 9 PM. I would, however, opt for a different ramen restaurant if I had the choice.
(3)
Cecille W.

Be prepared to wait! Almost every time I go, this place is packed. Love the atmosphere of this place, though. My friend ordered the Tonkotsu Deluxe and I ordered the Tan Tan Men Deluxe. We get the same thing every time and can't get enough! I'm absolutely in LOVE with the Tan Tan Men, it's very flavorful and the portion is huge. The meat is tender, and I love love love the soft boiled egg. Reason why I give 3 stars is because I feel a little rushed. Halfway through my meal, the waiter already dropped off the check at our table without us having to ask for it. Did they want us to leave? I understand it's busy but maybe they should wait until it seems like we are almost done with our meal before giving us the check.
(3)
Danielle K.

I don't know if it was just that we were super hungry, but the wait felt like foreverrrr. We stuck it out since this was the second restaurant we attempted to grab lunch at and we didn't want to risk changing restaurants only to wait in another line. For those willing to wait it out I would recommend taking a walk around the block and grabbing some boba, you'll definitely have time!!!! Our party ordered the tan tan men deluxe, miso ramen combo with pork fried rice, tan tan men combo with California roll, and the kanitama ramen. I opted for the tan tan men deluxe since it came with extra toppings (egg, pork belly, nori...). I was a little worried that the broth would be greasy, but it wasn't at all! I also liked that they topped it with cilantro, it added an extra kick to the soup. Overall, we all enjoyed our individual dishes, if it wasn't for the hour long wait I think we would have enjoyed it even more.
(3)
Kendra M.

This was an impromptu visit. At 2:15 pm on Valentine's Day, walked right in and got a table for two. Service was okay. They brought out the Gyoza with our ramen. Gyoza was too doughty. We ordered the Okinawa salt ramen. It wasn't too salty, and the broth was okay. The noodles were perfect texture, but the roasted pork was questionable. Probably won't return.
(3)
Chris M.

Definitely good and will be returning.
(4)
Kai C.

I came here because Ramen Dojo was closed until sometime in early March and I wanted my ramen fix. I ordered the chicken karaage and something like a tonkatsu tan tan deluxe ramen (basically tonkatsu deluxe ramen with the ground pork from the tan tan ramen). The food is not bad but like it's 3 star rating, A-OK. I saw a lot of people ordering the chicken karaage so I wanted to try some myself. Unfortunately, the chicken karaage wasn't crispy. In fact, I accidentally inhaled some of the flaky batter when I was eating it because it was hot and started coughing like crazy. Yes, it was my fault for that and I won't blame them for my stupid action. The batter that they use did not crisp up the chicken and became this weird flaky powder on the chicken. The chicken meat was tasty but again, I wished it was more crispy. The ramen is not bad but it looked terrible. The ground pork from the tan tan gave the broth a nuclear orange color. I know one theory of healthy eating is to try to eat foods with diversity in color, but the orange color screamed out unnatural and unhealthy to me. Also, I think for this case, there was too much going on in the ramen. They gave you quite a lot for the deluxe ramen. There were several slices of chasu, several large pieces of pork belly, one whole soft boiled egg and a big dollop of cilantro on top. I couldn't finish the pork belly and took it home with the rest of my chicken karaage.
(3)
Dan M.

So in the south bay for an appointment and decide that I wanted to reward my stomach for doing all these chores by getting some Ramen. I had been to Ramen Dojo before but wanted to try something new. Turn to the yelp app noticing that Himawari pops up and I am pretty stoked because I see Tantan men. Now I have a love affair with tantanmen. Not sure how it started but it has been eluding me for the past few months since I was in Shanghai so I knew it was fate kicking me in the butt to try some. I get there around 11 AM and notice that the place does not open until 11:30. Fail on my part for not checking the times more carefully. I was with someone so we just chatted and we noticed that a line started forming around 11:10 or so. As soon as 11:30 comes, they open the doors and we walk into the restaurant and are seated immediately. The dÃ©cor in the place is quite interesting. Who would expect jazz music and jazz records to be up on the wall for a ramen place?? But the music was soothing so no complaints. We peruse the menu and my companion orders the tan tan men while I decide to go with the shiro tan tan men deluxe. The ramen comes out relatively quickly and I take a spoon and take a sip on the broth. Delicious. The pork is super tender also and super moist throughout all the bites so it was awesome. The broth had a nice spice but was very smooth to taste. The tan tan men was equally good and I actually found I enjoyed it also because it was more spicy balancing out the shiro tan tan men deluxe. Definitely did not leave here disappointed. Highly recommend both the tan tan men and the shiro tan tan men deluxe. Who can hate solid ramen that is cheap? No body! I will be back soon!
(4)
Eddie W.

While on our drive back from Monterey, we decided to stop off in San Mateo for ramen. The place is small but roomy enough for large parties. We were lucky enough to have gotten there right before the rush. We ordered Pork Gyoza-decent flavor, nothing amazing, standard fare Chicken Karrage-on the dry side, needed more seasoning and not as tender For my main entree, I ordered the Shiro Tantan Men Deluxe: rich white creamy and spicy sesame flavored soup with ground pork, bean sprouts, green onions, roasted pork, stewed pork, egg, and cilantro. Pork: super tender, moist and flavorful!!!! Egg: beautifully cooked creamy center that gently oozed out a golden hue of heaven Noodles: more al dente than usual but I prefer a firm bite to my noodles Soup: great complexity and depth of flavor while balancing a smooth ribbon of heat throughout the palate. The cilantro added a great herbacious note that really pushed the dish to the next level Overall Thoughts An amazing Ramen house with a great variety to choose from at a reasonable price!
(4)
Christina L.

Service: 5/5. I had some creme puffs with me, & they actually offered to put my creme puffs in the fridge! I thought that was sweet :)! Meal: 4/5. I got the Tan Tan Men w/ corn. They give you a lot of toppings! The ramen was very flavorful, however it was pretty salty. I am someone who likes to put extra salt on my food, but they just added too much. Thank goodness for the rice water they provide! They don't give you regular water (maybe if you ask). If you want a place to get full, this is the place. Also, the wait took us about an hour for 9 people. Not too bad of a wait! We walked around to kill the time since there were many things around the area.
(4)
Marlon T.

Why does San Mateo have so many good ramen places? I guess it's because there's a large Asian population. Lucky for any ramen-lover who lives near/around the peninsula. So just based on Yelp, this place isn't the most popular. Nonetheless, it's popular. The first thing you'll notice upon arrival is the jazz theme. There will be jazz playing in the background at a non-conversation-killing volume and there are records along the wall for decoration. It's an interesting/cool/unclassic theme for a ramen place. I went with the "limited" tan tan ramen. The color of the broth is red--that somewhat affects my meals since I usually prefer white/clear colored broths. The broth was not thick (another one of my preferences) and the noodles weren't as flavorful (I don't think they're made there). Overall, the ramen is decent and the price is fair, in my honest opinion. Himawari is good (the atmosphere was the best part for me), but I would only recommend checking this joint if you haven't been to the other big ramen players in the area (Ramen Dojo, Santa Ramen, etc.) or can't get a seat in a timely manner there.
(3)
Walter R.

This is my backup when I can't get into either Ramen Dojo or Ramen Parlor. Food is decent and reasonably priced even though the ramen is not as good as the aforementioned two.
(4)
Rich M.

Very nice ramen place, a bit small about 10 ish tables and a bar area. I had a delux miso ramen. The egg was soft boiled and delious, had some green onions, pork slices that were super suculent and yummy, tripe strips had a nice chew to them, and slices of beef that were a bit tough. The broth was very nice and flavorful but it had a lot of fat pieces still floating at the top, not sure if it was supposed to be like that but i didn't finish drinking the soup becuase of that. Overall very delious and worth the wait to get a table, we had 7 people and waited about 15-20 mins only, not too bad of a wait time
(4)
Sara C.

This was mh first time here and I ordered the Tan Tan Men Deluxe with extra corn and I have to see it was quite tasty. They had lots of Ramen choices to choose from but this one sounded the best. It had everything I liked with just the right amount of heat to it. My partner and I came here on a Sunday 20 minutes before closing time and the place was crowded but right when we walked in they were cleaning off the last available table and they seated us promptly. The meal was enjoyable and the service was good. The staff did not try to rush us and let us be. I recommend this place and will be back again.
(4)
Julie B.

This place is worth a try. There was tons of people waiting but we had two people and don't mind sitting at the bar, so of course we took the seats. Food came very fast and waitresses were on point with their service. Reason why I did not give a 5 star is because I had better. There was a bit too much flavor for me. This is my personal preference with ramen, I like the flavor of ramen, corn and my bamboo...Instead all I got was very very flavorful bowl of soup and it was more on the salty side, so I had refill after refills of water. Would I come again? Generously saying maybe
(3)
Stephanie S.

Not sure if I just wasn't hungry enough that day but I could not finish my bowl at all -- and I'm usually the person that finishes everything in my bowl and starts eyeing my boyfriend's leftovers. Basically a ramen vulture. Anyways, I got the deluxe and it came with 3 nice and thick-cut fatty pieces of chasu and a really yummy soft-boiled egg. The chasu was so delicious at first bite but after a while it just got a little overwhelming. I also had to keep chugging my tea/water because my broth was so salty. I'm big on soups so the fact that the broth was super salty was kind of a deal breaker for me. I'm open to trying other flavors/combos here but I'd really only come back if my other ramen favorites in San Mateo were closed.
(3)
Nathan Y.

I still don't think I've gotten used to ramen shops with their super-thick soup bases. I know this is almost taboo to mention, but I'm more used to instant noodles soups than the flavor-drenched ramen soups I get at these ramen shops. I ordered the Buttered miso corn ramen. The soup base was so thick, I couldn't help but imagine that I was drinking MSG and butter. No matter how well it was cooked, no ramen packed with that much flavoring is going to taste fresh. The line was 45 minutes at 8pm, and it simply was not worth it. If I were to come again, I would definitely choose a thinner chicken/beef soup base, or just stay home and eat instant-noodles.
(3)
Johnny W.

Having paid Himawari another visit, and having refreshed my memory, I'm finally able to finish this review that's been sitting in my drafts for over a year. That's not to say that the ramen here is unmemorable though: while it's not the best, it's still better than the majority of what you can find in SF proper - it's no Ramen Dojo though. However, there's never a line, which makes it an almost-but-not-quite suitable alternative when faced with a 40 person wait when Dojo opens, as Anna T and I were. Trying something a bit different this time, I went with the shiro tan tan men deluxe [ flic.kr/p/cQ7Mmu ] for $12.50, which came with a surprising variety and quantity of toppings, including generous portions of pork parts (belly, sliced stewed pork, and ground pork). The ramen had great overall flavor, the noodles were nice and springy, the soft-boiled egg yolk was perfectly runny, and the stewed pork was oh-so-tender. However, while the pork belly was good, it was a little lackluster compared to the stewed pork (and to what I make at home), and the broth was a bit too salty. So much so, in fact, that I would not really recommend drinking it: not with the noodles, and certainly not without. On the plus side, you can probably take the leftover soup home, water it down a bit, and make more ramen! ***Accessibility Info*** Venue - While the interior is very spacious, those in wheelchairs may find it a little difficult to get past the entrance, due to the placement of some dividers near the front, that necessitate being able to make very sharp, short, turns. Bathroom - I didn't check them out, so I can't comment.
(3)
Frances P.

I come here for tan tan men deluxe, buta kukuni, and the karaage. Every time. The noodles have a nice balance of bite and resistance- not too soggy or hard. The broth is to die for in the tan tan, just enough sesame to compliment the meat and other stuff in the bowl. 4 stars because the pork belly in the deluxe isn't as melt in your mouth as it used to be, I'm not a fan of tough fatty meat, although it isn't tough but I have noticed it got tougher each time I came. I like the pork belly in the buta kukuni better than in the ramen, I think it's deep fried perfection smothered in whatever that sauce is and onions. I also think the chicken karaage is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside- yum. That is all I have to say!
(4)
Sharon W.

First time trying Ramen *clapping*.. yay!! We came at 9:30 on a Saturday night and there was about a 10 minute wait for a table. We had the option of table or bar, but we chose table. Picture this, A Japanese Ramen place in downtown San Mateo, urban decor with Records on the wall, and Jazz music playing?? We asked the waiter what was up with that, and he informed us the owner likes it.. LOL So our waiter was really nice and answered all of my questions about the food. and WOAHHHH the food came REALLY fast!!! But..eh.. not what I expected or hoped for.. No, I am not a Ramen Connoisseur.. but the food here has turned me off to Ramen, and I don't really care to try it again.. But I will have to try Orenchi Ramen just once. The food wasn't that terrible.. but there was nothing good about it either.. I got the Ten Ten Men Deluxe which looks so delicious and spicy, and I asked for extra spicy. It was not spicy at all. No big deal, I added some Sriracha and I was ready to eat!! At first bite, I thought, heyyyy.. this is pretty good! After another bite.. I realized it was WAYY too salty.. I tried just eating the noodles with no broth, that didn't help, I gulped down the entire cup of water, and then another cup to try to wash the noodles down. Then I tried to eat the meat and gave the boy toy the rest of my noodles.. *dissapointed* The egg was raw inside which I love.. but very very cold.. *shudders* Salt induced coma.. fail..
(2)
John R.

Went with the family. Had to wait 30 minutes for a seat. Would have been a 5 star w/o the wait. Food was great. Ha the Gyoza, Ika and tuna poke as appetizer. All were delicious. We all had ramen then Tan tan, Miso etc. One of my favorites in San MAteo for Ramen!
(4)
Katherine N.

Came here on a Friday for lunch (during the lunch rush) with 5 of my other coworkers. We only waited 5 mins! SCORE! I got the Tan Tan Men Deluxe. Pretty flavorful and that is saying a lot because I don't like orenchi! Good food. Good service.
(4)
Jessica H.

So here is the skinny- I went to Ramen club (Burlingame) when I first moved to SF. I didn't have any clue how to navigate the menu and ordered something very fishy, I'm guessing miso broth. It was repulsive to me. Down right Yuck. Which is weird because I usually love all food, except eggplant. I hate eggplant. So life goes on and I think I hate ramen, which is strange to me because I love anything with noodles and soup(Pho, top ramen from Safeway, pork noodles, you name it.). So, years later, life is sad for me because I don't understand how I don't love ramen like all my Bay Area peeps. I start talking with some of my San Mateo ramen lovers and they convince me I ordered the wrong stuff for my taste buds. They give me a few suggestions and turn me onto Himawari. I can't pronounce it, but I'm on a mission to find it and convince my taste buds, WE LIKE RAMEN! Saturday at about 850 the hubby and I walk in. There is no line and we are seated right away. They serve you what you think will be water, but is delish tea stuff. I'm guessing barley tea? It taste like very watered down ice coffee, but in a good way. I ordered the limited, spicy, creamy, bone broth deluxe. It came with 3 different types of pork, regular toppings plus cilantro, and an egg. The awesome server assured my it wouldn't be too spicy. The bowl came out and looked fantastic. I'm so annoyed at myself for not capturing that beautiful, culinary moment. I took a sip off broth and almost fell over from pure happiness. It was amazing, unimaginable, ridiculous, incredible, amazement. It took it up a notch when I bite into a piece of pork belly. Wow, I mean seriously wow. I was so content and stuffed 3/4 in I didn't get to sample the delicious looking egg. Boo, next time. It's funny because I want the next time to be tonight. Is it stalking status to show up the very next night when the servers know you're a newbie? Hmmmmm. So, as of today, my life is not sad and confusing. I do love ramen. I just didn't know it. Thank you Lynn Chan!!!!!!
(5)
Priscilla T.

Food:4 Service:1 Overall score:2 I really love the miso ramen here, it's just the right amount of flavoring and somehow they always cook the egg just right. However when I ask for a bowl because I'm sharing a ramen the waitress gives me a small bow which won't even fit half an order so I request a regular order sized bowl.. NOT THAT HARD.. She refuses and says they don't have extra bowls that size for sharing...EXCUSE ME!? Is this not a ramen place where you serve multitudes of ramen orders in LARGE BOWLS.. She's either really rude or seriously incompetent. Also it wouldn't hurt for them to invest in air conditioning.
(2)
Claire S.

Hands down, some of the best ramen that I've ever had the pleasure of consuming thus far. Service is only a minor issue (it was crowded when we went, which made flagging down a waitress to take our orders fairly difficult, although once we had ordered, we received all our dishes and drinks in a very prompt manner!). We started with the buta kakuni, which was absolutely delicious - battered, fried & stewed pork topped with a mound of sweet onions and covered in a sauce with a hint of mustard. It was soft, full of flavor, and so tasty! I would have eaten more of it if it wasn't for my giant bowl of ramen that was soon after delivered to the table. I attempted to take on the tonkotsu deluxe ramen, which was a monster, but so incredibly good. The egg was cooked to utter perfection, a runny but slightly set yolk. Three kinds of pork were included - braised pork belly (such fatty goodness), a few slices of chasu, and there apparently was some ground up pork at the bottom of the bowl, but, alas, I couldn't make it that far, it was all too filling. I've never been this delighted by a ramen parlor before, I definitely want to come back the next time I'm in the area!
(4)
Jessica H.

The ramen is flavorful and the ambiance is really uplifting, colorful, and active. The restaurant itself is small, but I didn't have too bad of a wait with a party of 4. There was a good variety of menu items offered, not limited to the already lengthy list of ramens available. My butter corn ramen bowl was very filling, and the place itself is a great place to eat with company
(4)
Payal B.

MUST TRY - Tonkatsu Deluxe Ramen, spicy! The pork belly is delish.. right now dreaming of it
(5)
Jessica T.

I absolutely fell in love with their DELUXE tan tan men! Add fresh seaweed and corn, and it's GOLDEN!!! I have not been here during lunch or dinner times, but after 8pm it's not too bad. I don't think we had a wait for a party of 5. This ramen is loaded with sodium... so be prepared to ask for multiple water refills. However, that doesn't stop be from craving this deliciousness ~~ a must try!
(4)
Maria M.

On cold nights or rainy days I go all the way to Ramen Town more commonly known as San Mateo to go to Himawari. Himawari has modern Decor with sheet metal on the wall, lots of jazz records lining on the wall, nice subtle lighting, and counter area in the back. For a ramen place they play jazz music, kinda nice. The menu offers a lot more than just a bowl of noodles. Although I go there for their ramen, I always get distracted by the selection of sushi rolls, fried rice/rice bowls and many delicious sounding appetizers. I always get the Hotate & Namahamu, three seared scallops with prosciutto wrapped around it. It had a good amount of robata grill flavor to it. So delicious! The Miso Butter Corn Ramen is what I always get does not disappoint. If you want something on the spicy side the Tan Tan Men Ramen, which is is spicy chili flavored miso soup with ground pork and egg. One of the condiments at every table is Fried garlic, along with a shaker of the spicy Shichimi Togarashi. Add the fried garlic to your ramen to give it that extra kick and flavor.
(4)
Oliver Z.

This was one of the better ramen places I've had in the bay area. (Of course, the only reason I was there was because Ramen Dojo is closed for the rest of February) The wait is reasonable for SF on a Saturday, but if you want to avoid waiting, showing up right as they open is the way to go. They have a pretty good selection of various types of ramen as well. In addition to the standard ramen "mixes" of ingredients, Himawari has a large selection of toppings you can put on your basic soy/miso/salt base ramen to customize it. The Tonkotsu Ramen was great, but if pushed to issue a criticism, it was slightly too creamy/rich to satisfactorily finish to the bottom of the bowl. The base Miso Ramen on the other hand was pretty much the right blend of salt and flavor. (I added the 50 cent spicy addition, but I didn't notice any heat) Overall, I would visit again if I ever drive outside of the city on the weekend.
(4)
Mariela D.

Tan tan men deluxe. Get it. The noodles were firm (*giggle*). The broth is spicy and rich. I even love how the hard boiled egg is slightly goopy in the middle. When I want ramen, I've gotten used to having to wait outside in the cold but not here. Himawari is much larger than most ramen joints so we were able to walk right in and sit down. IMO, Himawari is a close second to Ramen Dojo.
(4)
Marisa N.

I LOVE THIS PLACE During my most recent ramen quest, I had to try Himawari before I flew out of SFO.... Since then, i've been craving the tan tan men!! Service was just "meh", but the ramen was OMG. I would say i like it better than Ramen Dojo, BUT..... I did like that Dojo had amazing quail eggs,. But I did love the fact that there wasn't a wait, and that the menu was expansive. Nevermind, Himawari is the clear winner in my book!! Check it out!!
(4)
Derrick V.

Tried the asari (clam) shio ramen. Tasty broth and perfect soft boiled egg, but the noodles reminded me of soft packaged ramen noodles. The stewed pork was mostly fat with pronounced chasu flavor. Agedashi tofu and mabo tofu were standard with good sized portions.
(3)
B A.

3 stars for food. It was pretty good overall, although not as good as Santa Ramen. 4 stars for ambience. 2 stars (only because she was apologetic) for service. The service sucked though. The place was full and the poor server ran around like a chicken without a head. We had our small daughter and it took forever to get greeted and for anything. ZERO stars for the bathroom; it was FILTHY. They need to perform rounds in there every 30 mins or so. I brought my 3 yr old daughter in there and there were no seat covers, pee all over the floor and dirty. After 20 yrs in the restaurant biz, a bathroom is always a reflection on how they maintain a kitchen...just saying. I will be back if I jones for ramen on Tuesday when Santa is closed.
(3)
Chuck N.

Get the famous Tan Tan Ramen. You can even add on the special deluxe package [what am I, buying a new car?] for $12 that makes it tastier and gives you tons of meat and extras like corn, roe, seaweed, the cure to cancer and a back rub, etc. - but isn't necessary. I've only been here once, but everyone gets and talks about the tan tan ramen which is milky sweet (similar to Orenchi Ramen in Santa Clara). The service is friendly and the food is clean and the place is packed. I'll definitely go again, not sure if i'll try anything but the tan tan though. It's a bit pricier than other ramen spots, but well worth it.
(4)
Laurel M.

As a first time ramen eater, this place was recommended by a new friend to try out. I have to say, the ramen was super tasty and the egg was cooked to perfection, but for me, the highlight came from all of the other menu items you could order. The chicken gizzards were cooked to perfection, the friend chicken (can't remember the name of it) was AMAZING and so was the ahi poke!
(3)
Jennifer J.

We ended up here because ramen parlor is closed on Mondays. Was pleasantly surprised with this place. PROS -large portions -clean inside -really fresh sushi -the broth is just ok -fresh ramen -good attentive service -arrived before 6pm, no waiting! :) -soft boiled egg -good backup choice if ramen dojo or ramen parlor wait is too long CONS -broth is just okay -parking can be tough in that area Definitely would come back again.
(3)
Huey K.

Yum. Perfect for cheat days. I don't like the tea they serve here. I've liked everything I've had here, whether it's the spicy tan tan men deluxe. Get anything that has stewed pork belly.
(3)
Naomi L.

First time here! Got the tonkatsu ramen with tamago :9 can't go wrong with tonkatsu Ramens! They also serve barley tea here so that's a plus! :)
(3)
Conceicao P.

You have to order the chicken karaage. I usually have 2 orders. It's crispy and juicy. I like the wakame ramen. I thought the salmon fried rice was ok. Be prepared to wait 30 minutes or longer some nights, it's a popular restaurant. I think the ramen is worth the wait.
(4)
Aileen C.

This place is scrumptious! It can get very busy, but the wait is definitely worth it. Although this is a ramen place, and yes, there ramen is really really tasty, I wanna give love to their appetizers. The stewed pork and chicken karaage are an absolute MUST! My husband and I make it a staple whenever we come, and switch up our ramen game.
(5)
Lifhdy V.

Really fast service. We ordered pot-stickers, teriyaki chicken, and my BF ordered the Wen men soup. I didn't have any issues but was bothered by the fact that they wanted to charge me 0.50 for some extra teriyaki sauce for my chicken. I had maybe three pieces left and was waiting for almost 15 minutes. I declined extra teriyaki sauce after that. I'm sorry but I found it rude made me loose my appetite.
(2)

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Address : 202 2nd Ave
San Mateo, CA, 94401
Phone (650) 375-1005
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:30 am - 3:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
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
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

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Himawari

202 2nd Ave, San Mateo, CA, 94401

Himawari Menu

Appetizers

Salad

Side

Fried Rice

Rice Bowl

Ramen

Topping

Noodle On A Plate

Sushi Roll

Desserts

Healthy Meal suggestions for Himawari

Appetizers

Salad

Side

Fried Rice

Rice Bowl

Ramen

Topping

Noodle On A Plate

Sushi Roll

Desserts

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