Hotaru Restaurant
| Address: | 33 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, USA |
| Phone: | +1 650-343-1152 |
| Site: | hotaru-restaurant.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–9:30PM 11:30AM–9:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 17
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Austin S. Lin
Solid Japanese traditional-ish food with generous hearty portions. The quality of the food justifies the sometimes long lines and put-your-name-on-the-clipboard waiting lists. The pork cutlet donburi is deep-bowled and delicious. Skip the fried oysters. The favorite of my chow session was easily the Hotaru Special Sushi Roll, which is tempura eel, avocado, "crab" salad, fish roe, and cucumber. The roll is larger than your average bear but is full of flavor and yummy crunchiness. The ambiance itself shows signs of a once shiny wood finished restaurant evoking a bustling traditional Japanese eatery, but time has taken its toll. Furnishings are frumpy, broken shades in the single, unisex restroom, water glasses are chipped, entire food trays have missing corners. Overall food is tasty and service is friendly, prompt, and full of smiles. And fun fact: "hotaru" is Japanese for "firefly."
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Morgan Lai
The lunch specials are delicious, and are smashing values here. They dont have these for weekends and evenings, which makes Hotaru pricey at those times. Hand Roll special comes with 2 spicy tuna hand rolls that have whole fish pieces mixed in an actually spicy sauce, plus a bowl of udon or soba, for $7.75. Just one hand roll at other places is already $3, so its as if youre getting udon for $2. Kaarage special comes with a plate of fried chicken (6-8 small pieces) over a bed of lettuce, a bowl of miso soup, and 8 pieces of California roll for $7.95. Chicken was perfectly crispy and scorching. Usually, I consider California rolls to be filler items, but here, they stuff the insides with loose shreds of mayonnaised crab meat, along with packing the sushi rice loosely on the outside, which makes it the best Ive ever had. Closes at 2pm on weekdays, takes credit, free hot green tea.
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A Private User
We ordered from Hotaru on a weekly basis. Tonight we decided to get take out and upon getting home, we found out they shorted us two servings of curry, and one extra order of rice. We immediately called, and were told they cannot credit our card back. (which is ridiculous) However they said, "the next time you come in well take XX.XX amount off of your bill. We agreed, and left it at that. 2 hours later, we received another phone call from them saying "Well just give you curry next time you come in." After being long time customers, we are sickened by the service we received.
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Karen V Chin
Been going here for lunch and dinner for years during the week and weekend. Hotaru has been consistently good in terms of food, service and reasonable prices. Place is casual and family-oriented. No matter lunch or dinner, they are always packed with a line out the door. The best deals are their Bento lunch and dinner specials written on the chalkboard. You get a lot of food. Sushi, both rolls and nigiri, and sashimi are fresh and tasty, Hotaru makes very good curry. The only thing Hotaru does not make is ramen, only soba and udon are served here.
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Michelle Leung
Wow, great value! Look for their specials on the wall for amazing deals! For under $10, you can get 1) udon or soba with meat selection, 2) udon or soba with donburi, 2) udon or soba with handrolls, etc. I opted for the handroll special $8, which included two handrolls of your choice (unagi, fried shrimp, spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber) and your choice or either cold/hot udon/soba. I had the unagi and fried shrimp handroll with hot udon. The food is decent, just like your ordinary okay Japanese restaurant - but half the price.
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A Private User
IF I COULD GIVE THIS PLACE 0 of 5 i would. i got to go and they forgot to give me some of the items that i had ordered. i call them and ask if they can instead just charge me for everything but the two items. they say yes and i thought that was all. TWO hours later at around 9 oclock at night they call me saying they wont give me anything and are going to keep my money. i realize how ridiculous this was getting and i will never give them my business again. horrible...
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Meredith May
San Mateo is more than just a sister city to Toyonaka, Japan. It is literally one of the best places in the world to eat Japanese food outside of the land of the rising sun. San Mateo has amazing restaurants like Santa Ramen, Ramen Dojo, Ramen Parlor and Sushi Sams. Hotaru is at home here in San Mateo offering authentically Japanese food, atmosphere and decor. If you are looking for a real deal Japanese dinner or lunch look no further!
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Patrick Au-Yeung
Family-oriented, casual Japanese restaurant serving familiar dishes. Nothing exotic. Food is served quick and hot. Sushi is good and consistent. Curry rice is as good as youd get anywhere in San Mateo, with the sauce served separately from the cutlet and rice. The sauce is generously loaded with beef, potatoes and carrot bits. Great for a weekday evening dinner with the family or a quick lunch.
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Josephine Suen
I used to come every now and then but I wont be coming back anymore. I show up one day around 2:12 pm for lunch. They are supposed to close at 2:30 and the "open" light is still on, sign still said open but the people inside told me they are closed. Apparently they decided they have enough. Food wise, they are mediocre and price is ok according to their food. Yes, goodbye!
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Kristina Wang
Hotaru offers delicious combination meals and bento boxes at a very reasonable price - combination menu is located on the wall next to the sushi bar. TIPS: Get there early because there is ALWAYS a wait. Street parking is practically impossible to find, so park in the parking garage behind the restaurant and enter through the back entrance near the kitchen.
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Mike Mansour
seriously authentic Japanese food. their sushi is of a very high grade and the rolls are creative . the food is fairly priced, and there is usually a line out front, so out your name In the list and then go find parking. they have a sort of Japanese fish soup (like a boolyahbase, if I could spell it correctly) that is outlandisly good.
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Vincent Mo
Im glad I found this place through Zagat because its become one of the regular places my wife and I like to eat at. Their udon special is a great deal, I usually get udon, chicken katsu, california roll and a salad. Their curry is also pretty good and the assorted tempura is amazing.
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David Liang
Food: 4 Decor: 3 Service: 3 Came here with a friend for Monday lunch, 10 min wait. 1. Curry Rice With Croquette & D.f. Shrimp, 8 ~Pretty good. Croquette and deep fried shrimp were both decent. Came with a side of lettuce salad with ranch.
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Sharon S
Have gone to Hotaru several times in the past for their great food and fresh sashimi. The service has always been very good, except for last week at lunch. We had an inattentive a**hole of an Asian waiter - totally ruined our lunch.
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Suzanne Coberly
Great, home-cooked Japanese food at excellent prices. Open almost every day of the year - busy, but usually moves people in and out quickly. Sushi is OK, but the real stars are the cooked "home style" food.
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Al Wang
I always go for lunch box which is around 10$. They are perfect size. The hardest part of Japanese food is cooking rice perfectly, not too watery, or hard. They manage to do it perfectly consistently.
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Juan Alfonso Wong
The food is decent even though the nigiri is a little over priced. The eel and tamago nigiri was really good. If you get there and there is a long line i dont think its is worth it to wait.
