Lacto
Ovo
Japanese
Organic
Beer/Wine
Gluten-free
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Japanese restaurant with labeled vegan options. Reportedly uses separate oil and utensils when preparing vegan options. They have a strict no fragrance policy due to allergies. Open Wed-Sun 11:30am-3:30pm. Closed Mon and Tues.
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360 Peninsula Ave, San Mateo, California, USA, 94401
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Last update on 21 Feb 2022 by lianaloves
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12 Reviews
First Review by neil
Xfencers
Points +17
Delicious - Edit
Authentic Japanese food. Pretty good vegan selection.
Read moreGuest
andyjng
Points +5454
Great-ish Organic Japanese Food - Edit
I've had Minako's on my list for a while since seeing the homemade, organic vegan Japanese options that they provide. As someone who loves Japanese food, it's always nice to see a place that offers more than just an avocado cucumber roll for someone like me.
Read moreWe ordered three items: my mom got the Chirashi bowl, I went with their Tofu Kaarage, and a Mushroom Avo Roll. They told us it would be a 30-40 minute wait due to the number of orders, and we said we'd be okay waiting. When they realized we were dining "in," they even brought out a small bowl of rice crackers for us to enjoy while the food was being prepared.
To my surprise, the kaarage came like a set so there was rice, pickled veggies, and their daily side included. The tofu kaarage was fantastic and a nice change of pace from the standard tofu katsu I often see at Japanese restaurants. My maki roll was good too but was a bit small for me. My mom also enjoyed her chirashi but felt it wasn't a lot of food, and the wait probably made it a bit harder to justify the full cost.
Service here was great and I did appreciate talking to the owner and daughter about their business and seeing how many vegans have stopped by to share their recommendations on plant-based spots around the country. They were very attentive and kept coming out to check on us even if it meant leaving the restaurant.
As of October 2023, they are still very much take-out only but have a few small tables outside to dine on site. I recommend ordering to-go since it's not guaranteed you'll have a table and there isn't a whole lot of activity situated on a street corner with a gas station next door.
Guest
kk1018
Points +222
Support this business! - Edit
I love this place. They have several vegan options, all that taste great. The woman asked me if I was vegan, and when I said I was she gave me a notebook she has with hundreds of vegan restaurants in the Bay Area to look at so I could take pictures/write down other places to eat. I’ve been to some of the recommended places in the book and they were great. The customer service is amazing.
Read morePros: Vegan options, Amazing customer service
Guest
katiecz
Points +51
Delicious food and nicest owners!! - Edit
The food was incredible and there were so many vegan options to choose from, with sushi, ramen, curry, & more! Everything had such great flavor, and the vegan sushi options were really in depth, (not just like 1 cucumber roll). The owner was so incredibly kind, she chatted with us and offered some tips since we said we’re newly vegan. I cannot recommend this place enough!!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Super friendly staff, Incredibly delicious food
Guest
MetteSchaefer
Points +81
Great options - Edit
Nice options for vegan curry and sushi options. Had the tofu curry and a couple of rolls. Only a few tables outside so good for small parties or takeout. Will be back again!
Read morePros: Vegan and vegetarian options, Tasty, Great for takeout
Cons: Very small, No indoor dining
Guest
jeanha
Points +136
Delicious food, friendly people - Edit
There are a lot of great vegan options and gluten free options. We came with a group, and the woman taking our order spent a lot of time with us to understand everyone's food preferences and allergies. She was very friendly and gave us all free vegan gluten-free mochi for dessert!
Read moreI had vegan sushi and a tofu and veggie dish with homemade curry that she recommended that wasn't on the menu. Absolutely delicious.
There is currently no indoor seating (as of June 2022). There are a couple of small tables outside, or you can take your food to go. (We had a picnic at Coyote Point.)
They are being extremely careful about covid, so definitely bring a mask.
Pros: lots of vegan options, delicious, friendly
Cons: does serve some meat, limited hours
Guest
itrcali
Points +20
A wonderful surprise - Edit
Deliciously wonderful carefully crafted meal served by people that really care about food.
Read morePros: Unique options, Gluten free options, Five stars
Cons: None
Guest
al30sh
Points +114
Lots of fantastic vegan options, wonderful restaurant! - Edit
I have been eating at Minako's restaurant since they had their place in SF. The San Mateo restaurant has the same vegan friendly, welcoming and caring vibe, and amazing homecooked food. Their menu has so many vegan options, most organic, all thoughtfully prepared, delicous and delightful! There are also a few special items like pickled ume plums made by Yoko, as well as the "mommy sauce"- a vegan dipping sauce that takes a month to make! Everything is fresh and awesome. I've loved Minako for many years and so glad they are in San Mateo.
Read morePros: Creative, delicious food- extensive vegan options, Welcoming owners who make you feel like family!
Cons: Its in San Mateo😒and I wish it were in SF
Guest
SridharPrathikanti
Points +19
Secret, delicious discovery - Edit
Simply delicious. No idea why no one knows about this two year old restaurant. Very pleasant staff. Very attentive and detail oriented. Just as good as all vegan as they use separate section and utensils for vegan / vegetarian preparations. Meat options told by my guests are very good.
Read moreDO NOT WEAR COLOGNE/PERFUME due to severe staff allergies. Very simple ambience, clean nice decor restroom. Highly, highly recommend this secret gem
Pros: Lots of vegetarian options
Cons: No one know it exists so looks empty
Guest
PlantBasedFuture
Points +38
What a GREAT Place - Edit
Friendly restaurant with a lot of Vegan options. The food is authentic Japanese and tasted fantastic! The owner handed me over a hand written book where other customers shared their Vegan restaurants around the globe. Definitely a place to go even if it’s only Vegan.
Read morePros: Many Vegan dishes and labeled in menu, Great taste - real Japanese, Cosy atmosphere
Guest
bradbogus
Points +23
This place is AMAZING - Edit
My wife and I went here this last weekend for a date night. Eating out can be complicated, since we're both on the same vegan diet except for the fact that she's also very allergic to wheat gluten and some other grains (luckily, not rice). When it comes to getting sushi, our options are rarely any good, and we've mostly just given up on eating it.
Read moreAfter searching Happy Cow, we found Minako. It was in the right area for where we were going out, and we were surprised to find that such an establishment was able to be found outside of San Francisco proper.
ATTN: we saw a review that mentioned how allergic the restaurant owner was to fragrances, and that you can't wear perfumes or colognes if you want to eat here. Being that we were on a date night, normally we would wear such fragrances. But I also know a few people allergic to perfumes, so we decided to heed this advice (which is wrong to call advice, and more accurate to call policy).
I'm glad we did.
There are signs all over the entrance and front of the house mentioning this allergy and that the restaurant owner retains the right to refuse service to anyone right below it.
This may seem heavy handed to some, and might put you off. I encourage you to see through that perception. The main reason for this is that the woman that owns this restaurant, Minako, is a WONDERFUL human being, so lovely to talk with, personally waited on us, and made our night special.
And I haven't even gotten to how great the sushi was.
IT WAS AMAZING. We ate 4 different varieties of sushi rolls, which fed us very well, had incredible green tea, and left very satiated for under $50 including tip (we tip well).
I couldn't recommend this place more. The quality of food, ownership, and environment is so worth the stop. And the mild inconvenience of not wearing cologne or perfume shouldn't be a problem for you in any way. If it is, this isn't the type of place you'd enjoy anyways.
I can't wait to return.
Pros: Excellent food, Great prices, Friendly owner
Cons: Small, Can't wear perfume? hard to call this con exactly, Not fully vegan/vegetarian menu? Pro, really
Guest
neil
Points +446
Wonderful vegan sushi, vegan ramen, and miso soup - Edit
Minako's used to be in The Mission in San Francisco. It was the original restaurant in the mission to offer Vegan Sushi and was always the best in my opinion. We tried to go there many times over the last few years but it was always packed until it shut down a couple of years ago. Imagine our delight to stumble upon the new Minako's Organic(ish) restaurant on the edge of Burlingame/San Mateo (Peninsuala Ave) just five mins from my office. The menu has several vegan sections, roughly 50% of the menu is vegan as well as some of the specials. They serve fish and chicken, however no cross-contamination with chicken or fish occurs as separate utensils and cutting boards are strictly used. The chef is Minako's lovely mother, Yoko, and everything she cooks is beautifully prepared and perfectly served and always delicious. My vegan gioza and sushi came with several little sides of seaweed and pickled salads a well as fresh wasabi. Poor Minako was allergic to us (we are not heavy perfume users) but she was still very friendly, and even exchanged lists of favorite vegan restaurants with us.
Read morePros: Fantastic authentic Japanese chef, separate utensi, We were made to feel that we were truly appreciate
bradbogus
Thank you for your review. Because of it my wife and I chose to eat there, and also because of your last point about perfume, we chose to abstain from wearing it (even though it was date night!). Thankfully we did, because we got to have Minako wait on us, which was so delightful. This is now a favorite stop for us!
Read moreGuest
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