Taishoken - San Mateo

This small restaurant in San Mateo offers a unique take on ramen. Instead of serving the noodles and broth together in a bowl, they are served separately. Diners use chopsticks to dip the noodles into the broth before eating. This unique approach has made the restaurant very popular, as it is often crowded. A visit to this spot is definitely recommended.

My friends and I decided to go to this restaurant on a Thursday night without a reservation. We were seated promptly and the service began without much of a wait. We opted not to have any alcohol this time, but they had a variety of sake, beer, and wine available. We ended up ordering too many appetizers, as usual, including edamame, calamari, and gyoza. All of them were delicious, but just a heads up that the edamame is served cold. Despite that, it was still flavorful, especially the calamari with their house spice. The ramen was also good, although it was a bit heavy on the salt. Overall, we had a great experience and would recommend it for a date night.

This restaurant has become a go-to spot for delicious ramen! Their unique tsukemen dish offers a different experience for ramen enthusiasts, featuring thicker noodles and a savory broth for dipping. If you prefer traditional ramen, they also have great options available. While their noodles are on the thinner side, they are still very tasty. The soft boiled eggs and pork chashu topping are standout favorites of mine. The service is always prompt, though it may slow down during busy times. One small critique is that the metal water cups can make it difficult for waiters to notice when customers need a refill, resulting in slower water service.

After my third noodle slurppin visit here I can say with confidence this will be my regular spot for as long as I’m living in the neighborhood! I’ve ordered 3 different noodle dishes during my time here and had great service each time.I’ve had the Tokusei Tsukemen (dipping noodle twice and loved the rich broth you dip your bouncy cute noodles in. Anchovy aroma in the soup but it wasn’t a deterrent for me! LOVED the Vegetarian (Impossible meat Dan Dan noodles for its creamy souplessness and bouncy noodles. It’s just a great noodle dish! Also loved the classic Tokusei Ramen and the nicely done chashu and soft boiled egg with a little bit of that broth left over at the end, not too salty and just perfect.Overall, it’s a great ramen place. No wait the third night I was here on a Thursday night (6:30pm? but other evenings there was a virtual waitlist but have always been worth it for me.Vegetarian options: Dan Dan Noodles (impossible meat Parking: Free after 6pm in garage and street!!

Very good ramen spot w shorter wait! My go-to order has always been the Tokyo Classic Aburasoba. In my opinion, this is better than the spot that specializes Aburasoba.