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Santa Japanese Restaurant

805 S B St, San Mateo, CA | Map it  

94401 37.562301 -122.318400

(650) 344-5918

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Features

Neighborhoods:
Central San Mateo, Downtown
Cuisine:
Japanese
Categories:
Restaurants

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Reviews for Santa Japanese Restaurant

wrcheng

Member since May, 2008 View Profile
1Review
0Photos
Joined 4 years ago
1.0
May 19, 2008

I will never go back again. Unfortunately, I will never go back again. I went with my husband last weekend. The restaurant moved to the new place and was crowded. There was not place to write down your name. We had to wait in line for 30 minutes. I ordered a noodle soup and added some more veggie. When my noodle came, there was very little soup. There was not much taste because the soup was only filled 2/3 of the bowl. When I asked the waitress to give me some more soup, they refused. I told to the manager and explained that there was no taste because of the extra veggie that I added to the bowl. The veggie was raw since it was not enough soup to steam it. The manager won't give me the extra soup. I offered to pay for it. I couldn't believe that the manager said that I would have to buy another bowl of noodle. I total paid $15 for the bowl before tax and tips (without ordering extra soup). If I order extra soup, the bowl was going to cost almost $30 including tax & tip. Seriously, beside all these, their quality is not as good as how it used to be. Any Japanese noodle place can offer better noodle soup. I had the terrible experience. Don't go there. I would give them 0 star if it is an option.

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ghui66

Member since Sep, 2006 View Profile
12Reviews
0Photos
Joined 6 years ago
4.0
October 24, 2006

Best Ramen. I'm a noodle fan and Santa has the best Ramen I've tried. The ramen is cooked perfectly and the broths (all 3) are just divine. The chicken gizzard skewer and agedashi are also very good. Yes, the line can get really long...but that'e because it's very good. If you don't have the patience, then leave and try again next time.

We drive by, if there's no line, we park and eat our ramen. If there's a long time, we go somewhere else...it's that simple, no need to huff and puff.

Enjoy the ramen, it's the BEST!

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polihale

Member since Sep, 2006 View Profile
2Reviews
0Photos
Joined 6 years ago
1.0
September 16, 2006

Worst service ever. O.k. the ramen is probably the best in the bay area, but you can get this level of ramen almost anywhere you walk into in Tokyo. Trust me I've lived in Tokyo for 17 years. The wait is too long before you get seated and after. You do wait 40 min at least to get your food and the restaurant only probably seats about 25 people. Not only do you wait long the service is horrible, the attitude of the waiters/waiteresses are horrible. The only promptness was perceived when they came to pick up the tab at our table. That was the fastest thing that happened in there. I've been there 3 times, never went back and never will. Totally not worth it.

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wok2food

Member since Sep, 2006 View Profile
1Review
0Photos
Joined 6 years ago
5.0
September 15, 2006

a taste of Japan, authentic and quaint. Although many would argue this ramen shop is overcrowded, too small, and has a long line. . .anyone who truly knows ramen from Japan would know that these are all signs of a good place to eat! Take it from someone who spent 2 years living in Sapporo, (a city in Japan known for it's beer and it's ramen), that when it comes to authenticity, Santa Ramen is as close as you can get. The eager waiting, tight space, and paper Japanese menu on the wall all adds to the character of this quaint shop. Occasionally you hear the infamous, "Irrashaimase!" as you walk in the door, (Japanese greeting when you enter a restaurant/shop.) I particularly enjoy the 'tonkotsu' or pork flavored broth.

I work for an Asian chef, and I have taken our culinary consultants to Santa, we all agree. . .OISHII! DELICIOUS!

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cdchan

Member since Oct, 2005 View Profile
1Review
0Photos
Joined 7 years ago
3.0
October 03, 2005

Don't believe the hype. A friend recommended this place as one of the best ramen places around, but while it may be the best ramen place in San Mateo, the food is only average and the service is slow. The soup base was a little off and the noodles lacked texture. I'd say this is an average ramen place, and definitely not worth the 30-minutes or more wait. If you want to know what good ramen is, try Shin Sen Gumi if you're ever in Fountain Valley.

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