Way back, lost now in the mists of blog, I was on a mission to find the best tempura in San Mateo. I was thorough, nearly exhaustive, but though I had some decent examples of the dish, nothing rose to the level of the tempura of my dreams. Which was a disappointment, if not really … Read more
That’s right, once again I am depriving you fried, crispy (or perhaps soggy, depending) goodness, this time depending on the excuse of a bad head cold. Which, admittedly, is largely finished by now, aside from the constant and annoying need to depressurize my head and occasional coughing fit, but I feel that the lack of … Read more
Joy Sushi Well, I forgot to take the photo again, so you’re going to have to take the existence if tonight’s dinner on faith. Though you might be able to guess at the nature of this review from the state of the dishes. I had been putting off my visit to this place, because it … Read more
*Okay, suburb. Liquid1750 S. El Camino RealSan Mateo, CA It’s May, and the temperatures in the Bay Area are hitting the eighties, which means it’s time for people to lie on the floor and moan about how they’re going to die of heatstroke. Me, I’m eating tempura. That’s right. After a break for travel (and … Read more
Maru Maru213 2nd St.San Mateo I thought I was almost done. I had three more restaurants to try and then I was going to tie this little project up with a bow and call it a day. That was manageable. I could do that. And then, while I was looking for parking near one of … Read more
Fuji Sukiyaki428 E. 3rd Ave.San Mateo, CA I was nearly done with my dinner– a definitely above-average offering at a mostly-empty place across the Caltrain tracks from the main part of the downtown– when I started to get the feeling I had forgotten something. But what? I had my tempura and my sashimi. I had … Read more
Tenka Japanese Restaurant246 S. B StSan Mateo, CA I think, at this point, I may have fallen victim to the malaise that seems to strike almost every reviewer after continual exposure to the thing they are reviewing. I still like tempura, I think, and anyway I have come far enough in this misguided project that … Read more
Ni-Mo Japanese Cuisine73 E. 3rd Ave.San Mateo Like any good researcher, I try to be as objective consistent as possible in my collection of data. But sometimes external factors do interfere. Like yesterday, for example. At lunchtime I went down to the cafeteria for my diet-compatible cup of soup, only to find that they were … Read more
I realize I allowed my tempura-based obligations to lapse last week; it happened to be a week when life decided to punch me in the face a couple of times, and I thought it might have affected my taste buds. Also, I didn’t feel like it. Hotaru Japanese Restaurant33 E 3rd AveSan Mateo I keep … Read more
Restaurant Mutsu279 Baldwin Ave.San Mateo, CA Tonight my primary criterion for choosing a restaurant was parking. It was starting to rain and, being me, I hadn’t bothered to wear any sort of jacket, so I wasn’t about to take a spot three blocks away from where I was going. Which meant the main drag downtown … Read more