Wakuriya

Address

115 De Anza Blvd. USA - San Mateo, CA 94402

Phone

(650) 286-0410

Website

http://www.wakuriya.com

Opening hours

Dinner Wed - Sun

Menu prices

Cuisine

Japanese

Remarks

Everything here conveys simplicity, from the shopping center location and bare wood décor to the small staff, as if to belie the superb cuisine of Chef Katsuhiro Yamasaki. Reservations are competitive and absolutely necessary—especially for seating along the dining counter facing the chef as he prepares the kaiseki. A shelf of sake bottles provides a bit of visual interest, but even sake becomes more beautiful when poured into the crystal, free-form glasses alongside lacquered trays and delicate Japanese pottery. A handful of guests include tech types and those aficionados craving an authentic kaiseki experience, which Wakuriya delivers. This nightly chef's menu is the only option. Highlights might include an appetizer trio of deep-fried pork with daikon-ponzu sauce and cherry, uni with sushi rice and Parmesan sauce, and slow-cooked jade eggplant in a mirin marinade, followed by an exquisite chawan mushi with duck and fava beans. The sashimi course will be superbly fresh. Then on to a lightly seared Wagyu beef artfully arranged with cherry tomato, hon shimeji mushroom, seaweed, and okra. Conclude with the likes of sake-kasu (lees) blancmange topped with a subtly sweet strawberry coulis.

Facilities

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