Has it really been almost two years since I reviewed this restaurant? With 100+ check-ins, I guess it's time for some updates. Well, there's no much update -- I do still love this place. ;-) The same owner. The same kitchen. The same servers. It feels almost like they are a family business although they aren't. As some of other reviewers wrote, the dining area is little smaller now (to add the ADA-compliant restroom), but I rather like it that way. I don't usually go there on Fridays or during weekends, but I still see some empty seats usually. I can park in the parking lot behind the restaurant most of the time, but if not, I can just street park either on El Camino or on Hopkins -- not a big deal. They cook most items from scratch, and of course, they taste better than ready-to-serve cooked products that many Japanese restaurants just buy from distributors. Their fish selection is rather standard if compared with premium ($$$$) restaurants, but that's natural. I saw some reviews complaining about their rather humble minimum charge, but if each person just has a meal, not just a snack, you shouldn't have any problem. Do you order just french fries and tap water when you go to a sports bar?
(5)
Elizabeth G.
Incredibly delicious! Need I say more! I love this place. A little small, but the food makes up for it. Great place to eat.
(5)
Britt D.
This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in the area. It's a tiny spot that's easy to miss when driving down El Camino in Redwood City. Our favorite item to order is the Spicy Ramen. The noodles are perfection and the flavor has so much depth- its incredibly filling, spicy, and delicious. We enjoy all of the sashimi and sushi selections that we've tried. Can't say I've had a bad item- ever. It's small, no reservations. Consistently good quality with decent service (it has improved greatly now that we're regulars). Highly recommend checking it out for yourself- go during the week.
(5)
Wuyi W.
My wife and I went to this restaurant yesterday because of the comparatively positive reviews on yelp and Google. The dining experience did not turn out well at all. We went to the restaurant, and were sitting there waiting to be serviced for a whole 5 minutes, with no menus and no drinks offered. We had to say 'excuse me' and wave at the waitress several times before getting served. Finally this old waitress came and only said to us 'wait!'. I was shocked, her tone sounded like we were there begging for food, not to mention that there is absolutely no apology for the delayed service. Though we were both very hungry, I was afraid the service will ruin our entire dining experience and our mood during our pre-wedding holiday. I asked for a takeaway instead. Now the food, the food just does not meet the standard at its price point. We ordered two bento boxes, one with chicken teriyaki and veggie tempura, another with beef teriyaki and prawn tempura. The beef is not tender. The tempura is ok. Overall the food can pass but $40 for two bento boxes with food court quality, I'd call it expensive! I mean, come on Yelpers and Googlers, this restaurant should be 3 stars at most.
(1)
ChiRouDe Z.
The service is sub-optimal and food is comparable to food court quality. My dinner companion is disabled and relies on crutches to get around, the waitress took his crutches without asking and put them on the opposite side of the restaurant to hide them. We were horrified at this rude gesture and inconsideration on how he would get around. Now on to the food itself, the $24 sashimi special consisted of sloppy ends from the sashimi block, and the avocado on the spicy tuna roll was only half ripe. The old lady waitress couldn't wait to give us the bill to get the table cleared for the next party, we didn't even have time to order dessert. Compared to Diner Japonica which is also Japanese owned, Higuma serves bad attitude at twice the price and half the freshness.
(1)
Gonzalo S.
I've been here a couple of times and the food is always better than average. What hurts this place is the isolated location - it's on the side of El Camino that doesn't get a lot of foot traffic and you can easily drive by and miss it. It's also pretty small and the seating is cramped - avoid large parties. The sushi is good and I like that they offer a good omakase though at $30 it's a bit pricier than most other places. But the nigiri is filling and the service is good so it makes up for it.
(3)
El V.
This is the best sushi spot in Redwood City. My husband and I have lived in Japan for 4 years and have been skeptical of sushi in he Bay ever since. We've been to Yokohama sushi, Sushi Plus, and Oh Baby Sushi. Oh Baby is the closest with a B+ on service, quality, and value. Higuma is an A-. We only ordered nigiri. The fresh ikura, sake, hotate, amaebi, otoro, and uni were delicious and uber fresh. Oishikata!!!!!!!!!
(5)
Joanne K.
Came here on a friday night at about 630pm. No wait. Cute little japanese restaurant that probably has a max capacity of 20 people. I like it when japanese restaurants give you a menu to fill out what you would like. When it comes to sushi its especially helpful to see what you ordered. We ordered: appetizer: fresh gyoza: very freshly fried and the meat is very tender and moist. Sauce that comes for dipping is not salty at all and really compliments the gyoza. spicy scallop handroll: fresh scallop sashimi in a spicy sauce (not spicy at all) but goes well in a handroll hamachi carpaccio: fresh slices of hamachi with fish eggs on top but the red ones are actually spicy whereas the orange ones tasted like salmon fish eggs sashimi: giant clam, uni, ocean trout, amaebi. all were quite fresh. Nice place in redwood city for sushi. For 2 people, we ended up spending about $!50 including tip so its a bit on the pricey side.
(3)
Chris K.
I would've given five stars - considering the price, this is the best value sushi I've found in the area - but the rice wasn't perfect. So, let's say 4.5 stars. I got four rolls - one salmon, one yellowtail, one eel, and one negitoro. I was impressed they had negitoro, since most small places similar to Higuma have it on their menu but reply with an "I'm sorry, we don't have that today" when you order it. The fish was very fresh, the service was fast (I did takeout), and I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Lee L.
This place is consistently good, and we used to come here quite regularly until we moved farther away. We came back a for return visit not too long ago, and it was still a good dining experience. Their online menu is no longer accurate, as we went specifically for udon but they no longer had it on the menu in the restaurant. I always like tempura, and the tempura here is among the better ones that I've had. Not too oily, generous portions, always crispy and hot. The sashimi is fresh and clean tasting. Their bento box offers flexibility of choice and a nice well-rounded meal. Service has been average. You may need to flag down a server to get your tea or water refilled, because they don't regularly make the rounds through the dining area. But since the place is so small, it's not hard to get someone's attention.
(4)
Elysia M.
The food here is pretty good, but nothing super amazing. The sushi is good, we had a few different rolls, good size, fresh fish, rolled nicely. The Bento box is a great deal! You get so much food for not a bad price! Overall however, the price compared to other usshi places, is kind of high. I have been to other sushi places with better food for less. But, this place will definitely fix a craving for sushi. The service, excellent. Very nice people that help you with whatever you need. The really only negative is when they brought us some small plates for sharing, they were dirty, have rice and shrimp tails in between the stacks. Makes me question how well they really clean their dishes and everything else...
(3)
Gabby P.
OMG!!! Best sushi I've ever had. I'm pregnant so I had to get cooked rolls and they were the best!! Highly recommend this place!!!!
(5)
Nadia H.
Agh, Higuma. It's always a shame when the stars for a review update go down. I can no longer unconditionally recommend them. Some of their sushi is really excellent (yellowtail sashimi, the simple salmon/avocado roll), but I'd say pass on anything else there. The black sesame ramen broth has definitely gotten inedibly salty, the non-sushi/sashimi appetizers are just blah (homemade gyozas, miso soup, etc.), and their service continues to leave much to be desired. I also am not a fan of the remodel in which they inexplicably made the tiny seating area even smaller and located more of the tables awkwardly in front of the door. I have a feeling we'll intermittently return, but we've promised each other to resist the urge to order anything other than sushi.
(3)
Lily P.
The food is descent and I enjoy the family style dining that this restaurant offers. They hire the worst server though. The service was slow due to overbooking and only one server on the floor.. I know and understand she was overwhelmed, but we came here for family occasion and she left us with bad taste when she came chasing us to the parking lot. Demanding more tips. Oh was the service so slow cuz she's been chasing every customer for more tips? Very possible. Not going back!
(1)
Miyako O.
I don't know what happened to this restaurant that used to be my favorite. Came here on a week night. Udon had been eliminated, there are items like fish tacos and stuffed jalapeno on the menu instead. When you order tempura, they give you very little dipping sauce (like 2 tablespoons,) with NO grated daikon! I asked about fried tofu on the menu and the waitress informed me there's no grated daikon served with it, either. Daikon with tempura or fried tofu is not just standard, it's mandatory at a Japanese restaurant. On top of that, they now have a minimum charge for lunch/dinner, and when we asked about doggie bagging, the waitress said there's a 25cent charge for the container. They've added an alcove entrance to the restroom, so maybe they're trying to recover the cost of the remodeling, but in any case, we were very disappointed.
(2)
America Y.
Higuma is my favorite ramen joint, hands down. I order their spicy miso ramen almost every time I go. I also highly recommend their home made gyoza. I rarely go anywhere else for ramen because for me? Nothing beats THEIR spicy miso. When I try at other restaurants, it just isn't as spicy or flavorful. It isn't overwhelmingly spicy, though if you have a sensitive pallet, you may want to stick to their regular miso. They have fairly recently remodeled, with the purpose of becoming ADA compliant. I asked. Before, they weren't wheelchair friendly, especially regarding their bathroom. They now have a wheelchair friendly bathroom at the cost of some seating. Because this is a very small business with very little seating, in order to guarantee a sufficient profit to stay open they do require a charge of 10 dollars per person. This policy is posted throughout the restaurant. They can onlt seat between 20 and 25ish people at a time, so I feel this policy does make sense. I do have to only give 4 stars however because their service can be questionable. It improves with repeated visits, though. Become a regular, and they'll start to pick it up. That isn't a great trait, though, and can be offputting for new customers.
(4)
Grace C.
This is a small Japanese restaurant and the food is just ok. The scallop sashimi, on the other hand, is really fresh!
(4)
Elliott N.
Accessibility (Parking / Wait Time) 1/1 Star: a few parking spaces behind the building. No wait _____ Service (Waiter / Cleanness / Ambiance) 1/1 Star: clean but outside is trashy. Simple. Normal service. _____ Taste (0=Not Edible / 1=Edible / 2=Good (average) / 3=Must Try!) 1/3 Stars: food was ok. Ramen was ok. Sushi wasn't good. Grilled squid was ok. _____ Overall Experience 3/5 Stars _____ Last Words I gave this place a second chance and it's not very good, but at least the chief speaks Japanese.
(3)
Demian L.
Great local Japanese place to get sushi at. Fish is fresh and some of my favorite rolls are the White Tuna Special and the Lion King Roll. I usually order the Ten Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles with Tempura) or one of their Udons. Random notes: The place is small so call ahead if you can and parking in their lot can be tough but street parking on El Camino is usually open. Also they don't have any high chairs (only booster seats) for kiddos.
(5)
Salvador Z.
this is the first time I visit this restaurant, food is great, the order took only few minutes, prices are ok. Location really close to my work, this will be from now on the place to go for Japanese food.
(5)
D P.
Great place for sushi! It never disappoints, I've been coming here for quite a while now and tried a large part of the menu, I never had any complaints and it is reasonably priced, I will and do suggest to everyone.
(5)
Kico A.
Well I been here a couple of times and every time it has been disappointment. The sushi is overpriced for the quality and there is a minimum of $10 per person and $20 for 2 people and trust me they enforce that policy. Came here a few weeks ago and I ordered a bento box which is 14 dollars but the person I was with just wanted a roll, 6 dollars...when we ordered the waitress rudely pointed a the sign on the wall and told us 10 dollars per person, for this kind of service and food might as well go to mad fish a few blocks away and at half the price.
(1)
Ed E.
I had lunch at Higuma sushi restaurant in Redwood City for the first time. The staff was friendly, but the food was so and so. What kind of turned me off is that there is a sign posted on the wall stating that in order to seat at the sushi bar, a customer needs to spend a minimum of $20 per person. The waitress confirmed I was reading the sign correctly. I think I prefer to eat else where.
(2)
Jay L.
Consistent and good quality sushi. My go to spot for sushi in the Redwood City/San Carlos area. Only complaint is they need a bigger spot for a few more tables. Not recommended for large groups or those with strollers.
(4)
Ellen C.
Had really delicious spicy ramen. Their food was full of flavor, and very fresh. We had the fried tofu-basically Agedashi tofu. It was average. The rolls are delicious and the fish is fresh. We had spider roll and spicy crunchy tuna. The poke was really fresh and delicious. Aside from my spicy miso ramen the poke was the best. A great local place.
(4)
Boris C.
decent sushi, awesome spicy tonkotsu ramen!
(5)
Juliana C.
We're not regulars, but I greatly enjoyed our recent visit with friends in tow. The fish was fresh, the daily special offerings looked appetizing and carefully selected. Service was warm and attentive. Sake selections were great. It gets busy at peak evening times, but service remained good. I'd go back in a heart beat.
(4)
R M.
Consistently good home cooked style authentic Japanese restaurant. Just like obachan would make it! Small but quaint setting. Parking is tight in the back but usually find a spot nearby.
(5)
Christina W.
This is the tiniest little sushi place. I think it's in an old house? right on El Camino.. Blink and you'll miss it. But you'll be sorry you did.. Prices are great, sushi is fresh, ramen is delicious. I was a little wary of ramen AND sushi as other places I've been to with both tend to only do one well. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and spicyness of the broth. They've also been super flexible with my somewhat picky, somewhat eccentric coworkers' orders (can we make a new combo by combining half of this one and half of that one ??). We always leave feeling full and happy. Two of my coworkers have even bought Higuma shirts :) Warning: If you have more than ~6 people in your group, you will probably not fit. It's really that small inside. And they get crazy busy at lunch. Probably dinner too. Might be a good idea to have a backup plan !
(5)
Jon W.
Higuma has good sushi at good prices. It's a very nice and cozy little house on El Camino, although there is both limited parking and limited seating, so it may get full on a week end. Not pretending to be something out isn't, I like it very much. I've been coming here about once a month for over ten years, and I'll keep doing so.
(5)
Yuan W.
Arrived at 11:45am for lunch. Service was fairly fast but not all that friendly. Noodles was a bit too al dente for my taste. Soup was excellent. The menu said the ramen included bean sprouts but no. When inquired, she said it included other vegetables but no bean sprouts. She was a bit flippant about it. Won't be visiting again any time soon.
(3)
Stephanie W.
I got the Miso ramen here for $8.95 with 3 california rolls. It was alright, nothing to boast about but nothing to rave about. I would definitely recommend coming by here if you need a quick lunch during your break. However, street parking is a hit or miss and it gets pretty crowded during the lunch hour! Oh yeah, and their bento box is pretty small so if I were you, I would definitely go with the ramen.....
(3)
Brad L.
The food is very good, especially the ramen.
(5)
Alexandra I.
Higuma is pretty good. My dad thinks he has gotten sick from here a couple times actually, yet he still comes back because the food tastes good, haha. I don't really like their gyoza... but I got a crunchy salmon roll the other day and it was really good! We order to-go and they had us take a seat and gave us water while we waited, nice service.
(3)
Liz G.
I am beyond upset on how can a business owner run a restaurant like this.. Location is very convenient for me since I work pretty close by, however, I am not coming back ever.. Me and some of my coworkers usually have lunch here about 2-3 times a week... And is been many years since we started coming here.. And I will never come back again.. Besides the fact that now they CHARGE you for a to go box, not the back, but the box that you ask when you already PAID for the food but couldn't finish. Today we walked in at 2 and the place had a few costumers in and right the way the owner behind the counter and the waiter made sure to make a big X SIGN with there hands telling us to go away and that they were closed. Now, how about a " I'm sorry we are closed" but no... A loyal costumer that comes here pretty often only deserved a big X . Disappointing... Never again and I'll make sure to let everyone know.
(1)
b c.
Nice tempura, nice ramen, nice service.
(5)
T Y.
Have been coming here off and on with hub-unit for several years now. Parking is limited in back. Seating inside restaurant has always been tight but now even smaller due to recent remodel. Looks like renovation done to make a handicap-accessible restroom. (so they were violating policies before) The good: sushi is very good, sashimi is very good also. Ramen is good but can be a bit too salty. The bad: uneven service and sometimes waiting very long time for food. One person at your table served first, while other person has to wait a very very long time for order. This results in one person completely finishing meal while other person still waiting. TOTALLY IRRITATING. The wait for sushi can be exceptionally long if there are a lot of take out orders coming in at the same time as when you put in the order for your table. Seriously, how long has this place been in business? Have you guys heard about customer service? Can your wait staff BE more consistent on delivering good service? DON'T FORGET ABOUT PEOPLE'S ORDERS AND AT LEAST TRY TO SERVE THEM THEIR MAIN ORDERS AT RELATIVELY THE SAME TIME, NOT FREAKING 30 MINUTES APART!!!
(2)
Felix C.
Just have a lunch there. Sushi is average, as the rice is far lower than my expectation. Sashimi is awesome. Did not try the noodles, can try next time.
(4)
Larisa K.
I absolutely like this place: it's small, clean and the staff is always welcoming. It's not a fancy place to go if you're looking for one, but it's the spot where you feel being at home: relaxed and always welcomed. What I adore the most: the fresh fish. Believe me, it's always fresh. Not every place serves it, unfortunately, but Higuma does. I like sushi and rolls, all of them. We go there at least once a week and it's one of the handful restaurants we go weekly.
(5)
Elizabeth S.
The best thing about Higuma is their outstanding, friendly service. Unfortunately, there is more to a rating than excellent service. I am disappointed the photos on their website do not accurately depict what you are served. The spicy miso ramen lunch special comes with tuna poki don (tuna poki over rice). The ramen broth had a decent flavor to it. However, it lacked freshness and was on the saucy side. -too thick for a broth in my opinion... The ramen itself is quite meager compared to what is pictured on their site. (Exhibit A : picasaweb.google.com/Hig… ) You get a couple slabs of dried, tasteless pork on top, a square sheet of seaweed, sparse portions of frozen corn kernels and half of the other random ingredients pictured. The tuna poki is just plain sashimi grade tuna cut up into tiny bite sized morsels on top of rice with a few watercress. It looks nothing like the large slices of tuna camouflaging the rice underneath in Exhibit A. It also doesn't merit the label of "tuna poki" without some additional flavors or marinade. I had a decent lunch here but probably won't return with other quality sushi and ramen joints in the vicinity with equally awesome service.
(2)
Santiago A.
Love the Spicy Miso Soup and the service is great. Best place to get ramen in the Redwood City/Woodside area.
(5)
Joseph S.
I can say one of my favorite authentic Japanese restaurants I have ever been. Great staff and the whole ambiance makes it more real. It is really small place and come to think if it it just like when you are in Japan, they only have small restaurants or sushi or ramen place. It is only here in the US of A that everything should be bigger. I can say the bigger the place is, the more westernize the place is!!! By the way, I love everything on the menu here!!! I used to eat here almost everyday when I used to live and work in Redwood City but now I rarely visit this place and it became more if a treat for me every time I come here.
(5)
Randy F.
Chirashi Chronicles #8 3.5 Stars Higuma supposedly means "brown bear" in Japanese and the restaurant has a cute logo of a bear catching fish that's representative of the sushi they serve here. Driving along El Camino, we almost missed the small building that houses Higuma, but it's clearly popular for Redwood City as they always have a crowd and loyal following. The interior space is extremely small and tight and I would not recommend the restaurant if you have more than 5 or 6 people in your group. We arrived early and were able to get a seat immediately though it was clearly in a narrow area by the entry. At lunch time, they supposedly serve ramen and other fare, but we were here for the sushi. The real draw of Higuma is their reasonable pricing and their flexible ordering style rather than their extensive variety. Along with my favorite Sushi Tomi, Higuma tends to keep the prices of their sushi under $4/pair. The extremely nice thing is that you can order individual nigiri (many to choose from under $1.60/piece) and when you have a dining companion that has different favorites for sushi, this flexibility is a definite plus. Along with the standard fare, we did order hirame, smoked salmon, ikura, and uni. They did have toro, but we opted out this time. Although ordering is quick with a pen and a menu, the actual delivery time can be quite a bit longer. I didn't sit by the sushi bar, but I'm guessing it's a one or two person operation and they like to complete your entire sushi order before they deliver any. Even so, the waitress had to double check our order and quickly noticed three pieces missing. She promptly brought them out. Quality was solid and overall I was pretty happy given the reasonable prices. Their ikura, which I've had heard was quite good, was rather mundane, but their uni was excellent. I particularly liked the saba, which is a very oily and fishy nigiri that many don't care for, but I found the selection here to be very fresh and partook in a few pieces. Higuma is a solid choice and if you're in the Redwood City area, it's not a bad option for sushi. Next time, I'd like to try their chirashi and perhaps I'll try their spicy miso ramen as well. It's so spicy that they have a humorous skull and bones logo on the sign. I like spicy so we'll see if they deliver. Higuma accepts credit cards, but does not accept American Express.
(3)
Joyce S.
I really wanted this place to be amazing. It's within walking distance, it's a mom and pop shop and it's sushi. Food first - It was whatever. Not memorable. Blah. Service - Here's where the 1 star rating was earned. It took forever to get our food. There were less than a handful of people there when we ordered and we only ordered 2 special rolls and 2 hand rolls. Once we got our food, no one ever came back to our table. Yes, there's only 2 servers BUT there's also only 10 tables. After we finished our rolls, we wanted to try another roll. Maybe something else was better? Sat around for at least 20 minutes waiting. Just waiting. FINALLY! Someone comes back to our table...but with the bill. Didn't ask if we were done. Didn't ask if we wanted more. I guess she just decided we were done or maybe we didn't order enough during the first round to warrant good service?? Additionally, I did not leave a tip and I NEVER do that. I was a server before in my younger days so I know it's not hard to be attentive to your patrons. Do yourself a favor and go to one of the dozens of sushi places in the bay.
(1)
Charleen L.
UPDATE: Since I wrote my original review, Dodd-Frank (Wall Street reform and consumer protection act) became law. What does that have to do with Japanese food or restaurants, you ask? In accordance with section 1075 of the law, payment card networks must allow merchants to establish a minimum dollar amount for customers using payment cards, as long as the minimum is no higher than ten dollars. This means that when you go into a restaurant like Higuma and see a sign saying their Visa/MC minimum is $15, they're violating the law. Moreover, under the same law, merchants cannot establish a minimum dollar amount for debit card purchases. Debit cards can usually be distinguished from credit cards by the word DEBIT on the front. I found out today Higuma does not make this distinction, even when it was pointed out to them. Again, this is true for all merchants that use payment card networks. It became law in July 2010. An informed Yelper is an empowered Yelper.
(2)
Joel M.
The best time to dine here is at around 6 on weekdays as we sometimes do to let traffic die down. During that time this rather small restaurant has more open seats and parking. I love this place. The food tastes fresh and light, the service is good, and it's a bit quieter in the evening. Everything we have had has been good.
(5)
Rheanna C.
Ok, I had to give 2 stars b/c I've eaten here before and the food was pretty good. But this experience was a one star. Take it with a grain of salt though, because I didn't even get to sit down this time. I went in a little before 5:30 with my 4 year old. The waitress pointed to the 2 person table in the corner but my daughter wanted to sit next to me on the booth table. I asked if that was ok and she said no! There were 2 tables occupied in the entire place. Even if they got a mad rush, we would have been in and out in 30 minutes or less (except for the fact that they take forever to bring you your food usually). Even when my daughter started to cry they looked at me like I was stupid. I would have understood if it was busy, but it was early and they could have turned the table quick. So disappointed.
(2)
Kristina S.
If you're looking for a quiet place with fresh fish, Higuma is the place to be. Every time I've been here it is always packed and the staff has been accommodating. Their chidashi and spicy miso ramen have been our go to dishes. During my recent visit we tried the blk sesame ice cream, which was a nice finishing touch. I look forward to my next visit!
(4)
Missing M.
We have been going to Higuma for over 16 years now and it is one of our favorite places to go as a family. The waitresses know how my kids want their meals (& will let us know if something we order has a possible allergy issue for them). While the place is small and seating limited, it is worth the wait Only complaints: * 1 of the waitresses can make you feel unimportant, but the other ones make up for her sour approach. * They recently raised their prices to a point that we can only go about once a month now.
(4)
Jaime O.
Excellent chirashi and great service.
(5)
Agustinus T.
I used to like Hotaru better than this place. However, after coming back for about 8 times past couple months, I'm sold. I still like Hotaru's chicken teriyaki and katsu better but this place makes the best tempuras and other fried food. They are breaded just right and not oily compared to other places. I love the broccoli tempura! I know it's just broccoli tempura but it's so perfectly cooked, breaded and fried. I really like their bento boxes since they include california rolls. They have pork teriyaki which I haven't seen elsewhere. Not that it's anything special though, just a curiosity. My friends like their sushi as well. The place is small and they have private parking for about 8-9 cars. The entrance is very easy to miss however. You can also park at a small strip mall at the end of the block.
(5)
Tim Y.
One of my favorite Japanese Restaurants in the bay area! The fish here is fresh. I've been to the sushi bar twice and had a wonderful experience both times. I always order the following: sake, hamachi, amaebi shrimp (the fried heads are delicious!), toro, unagi, tobiko topped with a raw quail egg yolk, spider roll, and spicy tuna roll. The sushi chef had a few specials last time so I was able to try king salmon (tasted like a cross between sake and toro) and live scallops. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the sushi items. The prices are actually pretty good. I'd say average or below average on most of their nigiri. The restaurant is tiny so it's easy to miss if you've never been there before. Check out google street view to see the surrounding businesses and look out for those. There is street parking and a tiny lot in the back. Can't wait to go back!
(4)
Cay A.
Small, quaint and unassuming. The service was quick. The portion sizes were perfect. The California roll was sized perfectly for my kids to eat. We had edamame, tempura, chicken terriyaki and tonkatsu. We finished everything and had variety. That makes me happy cus no wastage :-))
(5)
Liza W.
Yum. Its cute and cozy inside, good service, really fresh food, especially the sushi. Its quite small inside but if you are ok with that, it adds to the quaintness. Their prices are good too. Love this place.
(5)
LeVincent T.
If I could give this place a zero - I would. I ordered a seaweed salad and when I almost finished It, I discovered a piece of plastic in it . The owner said because I ate most of it, I had to pay for half of it, regardless of the contamination. After a huge and public argument, me and my friend stormed off and said that we would report them to health inspectors and the BBB; they replied with silence. F*** this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)
David G.
Wife had the Miso Ramen and the Calamari. I tried both and they were fabulous. I had the Black Sesame Ramen and Tako Yaki. I wasn't much for the Ramen, but I think that's just personal taste. The ramen itself was well prepared. Tako Yaki was quite good as well. Service was super nice and helpful. It was lunch time and the place wasn't crowded.
(5)
Simon H.
We ordered an ocean salad, and my friend found a long, thin piece of plastic in it. When we brought this to the attention of the manager, he told us that since we ate part of it, we would only get 50% off the price of the salad. What kind of restaurant makes its customers pay for a dish that was contaminated with a foreign object? Who knows where the plastic has been? Was any effort made to right a wrong, just so they could get $2.50 from us? Sometimes Japanese restaurants give you extra dishes "on the house", which is nice. But this one makes you pay for something that is tainted by a foreign object. They clearly don't care about the customer experience. They would rather save $2.50 (the half we had to pay) rather than ensuring that their customers are happy. This not only demonstrates a complete disregard for their customers' experience, but it is terrible business strategy. Do not come here if you don't want contaminated food, you want to be treated with good customer service, and you don't want a heated argument when you bring a problem with your food to the attention of the management. Stay away!!
(1)
Fifi C.
My favorite Japanese restaurant in Redwood City. Yes. It's limited seating and limited parking, so come early if you don't want to wait long during weekends. The sushi is always very fresh, I also like their miso ramen which is better than some of the ramen places in South Bay. The price is absolutely reasonable, and we have never had problems from servers for the last couple times we were here. They are nice but by no means they are busy and sometimes it needs to be waited a bit to get attention.
(5)
Anna S.
The fish did not taste fresh and we were disappointed by everything, even down to the seaweed salad. The omakase sashimi was better than the spicy white tuna roll, but we paid over $100 with sake for a meal that we couldn't even finish because some the fish was that bad. After asking if maybe the tuna topping our $12+ roll was past its prime, we were told it was fresh and given free ice cream as a consolation. Maybe it was just an off night, but we ultimately left very disappointed - and will not be back.
(2)
Erin G.
I found this place and tried the chicken terriyaki combo with tempura. It was good. service is fast. Place pretty small and quite.
(4)
Amanda G.
I keep searching for a Japanese restaurant closer to home but as good as Akane...The search goes on.... That being said, this is still the best option I've found nearby. This place is a bit smaller than expected, and much busier than we anticipated. The server told me it would be a 30 minute wait, but we were seated in about 10 minutes. We shared the homemade gyoza, which i thought would be awesome because they were homemade. They were fine, but nothing special. The miso black cod was one of the worst I've ever had, ( I order this everywhere that serves it.) It just tasted of salt,, none of the flavors that make me love this dish were there. I would NEVER order it again. The sashimi was the highlight of the meal for me. It was cut well, and tasted fresh. I would definitely go back for the sashimi, but would stay away from the cooked items. My husband's ramen was ok, but I'm not a ramen connoisseur. He said it was fine, but would order something else next time. The curries that came out looked good. If i could give them a 3.5, i would, but for now i have to round down.
(3)
Paul C.
This place is a very small Japanese place. Expect a long wait during lunch time. The service is very poor. There are only 2 servers for everything. They will give you dirty look when there is a long line. I will not coming back.
(1)
Emi N.
I've dined in here 3 times (and taken out twice) so far and 2 out of the 3 times, one of our orders was given away to another table. The restaurant is small so it was obvious what was happening as it happened but after its served you can't really ask for it back. After the second time we experienced this we complained and explained that this had now happened twice but they were not apologetic at all. We thought maybe they would comp the late food or maybe our sodas but in the end, they gave us one scoop of ice cream which we didn't even touch. What if we were allergic to dairy? The communication among the servers or their overall serving system needs to be improved. Otherwise their food is fine. I like their salmon onigiris.
(2)
David E.
My coworkers were craving ramen, and being up for anything I was happy they asked me to join. It was a rainy day, too, so what's better than a hot bowl of soup? The place itself is small and quaint. Traditional Japanese I suppose, thought what do I know. The five of us were seated quickly but were were lucky another group our size was just leaving. Be prepared to wait, I think, if you're part of a big group. The service was excellent and the waitress was super super nice. I ordered the spicy miso ramen special with Cali roll. OMG and holy crap this was good!! The soup was surprisingly spicy, with a rich garlicky broth. I've had miso soup at a million Japanese lunches, but this is quite a bit different if that's what you're thinking of (like me, before coming). It isn't only miso, but the garlic, the pork, and all the other goodness they add create an excellent, rich, almost meaty broth. The noodles themselves had a texture I haven't had before. Almost chewy and very fresh, they were perfectly cooked. A hell of a lot better than instant, my friends. Lastly, the California roll: this was different than other places, but still nice. It was a bit heavy on the wasabi, and the rice was a more chewy than very soft, but the crab may have been real. Will I be back? Heck yeah. My wife needs to try this place!
(4)
Joseph E.
Honestly, this is some of the best sushi I've had since moving to the Bay Area... now, please keep in mind that I balance quality and price. There very well may be places that will give you Sushi that is close to a religious experience, but, honestly, the price will sour me... This place, however, I almost feel like I've tricked them with devilry by ordering off their menu because the prices are so reasonable and the sushi is so darned good. In particular, the Salmon Skin... I once told my partner "Salmon Skin is, like, pescatarian bacon" and he never agreed... primarily because almost everywhere we got it in San Francisco it wasn't crispy enough, or there was too much meat on the skin (pink salmon skin, really?) This place, however, does it P-E-R-F-E-C-T-ly...
(5)
Krystal B.
Quaint little place, great homey atmosphere. Great food!! Definitely recommend this place
(4)
Sam K.
Food has always been good here, but the one star is not because of that. As I was picking up my lunch to go for myself and a couple of friends, i was heading out the door with the food, and thought what if they forgot the chopsticks. I grabbed 3 sets of the wooden chop sticks from the front counter, I was told by the chef preparing the sushi that we already have them in our bag, and then he just starred at me, and repeated the same thing again. I was really taken off guard and just looked at him and said sorry, are they expensive. It seemed that everyone in the place was looking at me, one customer gave me that look of "WHAT!! how can he be making such a big deal about chopsticks" It was really embarrassing to have to go through that for .20 cents worth of chopsticks. I would think he is the owner, otherwise why would he act like that. After that incident I will think twice about going there again, not friendly at all.
(1)
Gina S.
Quick, yummy and what a bargain for lunch. Lunch out with the brother-in-law. We got a table no problem. Our server brought out hot tea and water right away. I went with a chicken and salmon lunch box for $8.50. It was served with miso soup. The box included salad, teriyaki chicken & salmon and 3 California rolls. He went with the curry ramen bowl and 3 California rolls for $9.50. The meat in the box was good...a tad overcooked on the salmon tho. The soup and salad were tasty and the rolls were awesome!
(4)
Lily R.
I have little options for lunch around RWC. When I do step out, I want to eat food worth the effort I made to leave the office! I am very happy with the food and service here. I have tried the Ramen, which is very good. The tuna poke bowl is also one of my faves. It's good to have options when other places have lines out the door at lunch time. If I crave ramen or something meaty or sushi, I know that I can come here and have exactly what I want. It's worth the drive!
(4)
Alice C.
Been here a couple times for lunch. I like the atmosphere and size of the place, however, it's hard to spot and there isn't much parking in the back. They offer a variety of things, but most notably the following: 1) Sushi rolls Some of the sushi rolls are good, esp. the spicy tuna ones. 2) Sushi I separate this out because to me they are more about the fish quality than sushi rolls (which are about the combination of things). This is a bit lacking at times, the Chirashi can be pretty good. I can get fresher fish elsewhere, so it's only average here. EDIT: I had some really great fish here the other day. I think you just have to figure out which day of the week they get their fish! 3) Ramen It's ok. Nothing too special but very few places in the area offers spicy ramen so be sure to try that if you like ramen. 4) Curry Their curry is good ol' Japanese style curry. Probably still from the curry bricks but nothing beats it. I like it. 5) Appetizers If they have the hand-made gyoza, get it, it's worth the extra price. The nigiris are pretty good too. I haven't really had their other cooked items (chicken teriyaki, etc etc) but imagine that they're pretty standard [a little Americanized] Japanese fare. Overall, there are goods and bads but definitely one of the better places in the area.
(4)
Jennifer C.
I'm tempted to knock it down half a star because they don't serve ramen during dinner time but the sashimi, sushi, and appetizers are pretty damn good so it would be unfair for me to do so. Sashimi is fresh and mmm good. Lion king roll. Filling and tasty spicy white tuna hand roll--- ooooooh so good Hamachi kama. Grilled to perfection! home made gyoza - friggin awesome Prices? Pretty damn good in my opinion. Between 2 people, all those things and more for just over $60 Yea.. I'm coming back.
(5)
Kaori M.
Sushi=excellent!!! Especially salmon was good. (I am crazy for salmon)
(5)
Mr. R.
Still can't say enough good things about the food and prices. However, I am beginning to understand why so many negative reviews on the service. The waitresses really need to take a note - PLEASE do not be in such a hurry to leave the table. I can't tell you how many times I have had the server turn and walk away from our table before we are done talking to them. Come on guys, you have like 15 tables and 2-3 waitresses. Its not that crazy busy. Take the time to make sure people are done ordering. Don't grab the dish and leave. Ask people questions. Ask if they would like anything else. The consistency in the feedback online is pretty telling. I will continue to come here because its close and convenient and its great food at great prices and very authentic, but please don't make me regret it.
(3)
Keiko S.
Something DISTURBING happened. Weekend night. Just as we were done eating and about to spend some time chatting over sake, the staff starts putting up chairs on top of all the tables surrounding ours, leaving us with the uncomfortable and guilty feeling of having to leave. The place closes at 9:30pm. IT WAS ONLY 8:40PM. When we asked, they said they were "closing early" because it was a slow night. As if to trigger more anger in us - the instant we walked out (at 8:45pm), they immediately shut off the lights outside, leaving us stranded in the darkened parking lot. We saw a couple who had just parked their car and was heading to the restaurant. We advised them to go eat elsewhere because the place was closed already. What a stellar way to lose future customers. Seriously. I understand that they have all the liberty to do whatever...but being kicked out like that was NOT COOL. FOOD: See the photos? Three of us ate ALL that food, and while some were better than others, I wasn't particularly blown away by any of the dishes. Mostly 3-star quality. * Good sashimi, but poorly flavored shari. * Hamachi kama was tasty, meaty and juicy. * Ankimo (liver) and gyu-tan (tongue) both had weird texture. * Goma-ae (spinach with sesame) was lacking something. * Chicken zosui was decent, but we can easily make this at home. * Same thing with the curry. * The best two "sushi" items were: spicy crunchy tuna roll and rainbow roll. * The spicy miso ramen is only offered at lunch time. Will I go back for this? Maybe...but I'll call in advance to make sure that they're even open. PRICE: Fair, very fair. With all this food and drinks, it was about $50 per person including tips. SERVICE: Please reread from the first sentence. SUM: I'd hate to deduct stars based on a single bitter experience, so 3 stars for the food.
(3)
Derek S.
Came by for our weekly Sushi luncheon after a long morning of volunteer work down the street. Restaurant was a little hard to find, tucked in on El Camino. Their restroom was at an interesting location as well...merely behind a single door at the side of the restaurant. Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll - $5 - This was so good, we ordered a second one! - Small and tasty Chicken Teriyaki and Tempura Bento Box - $8 - Chicken Teriyaki was very fresh and flavorful. Portions were small - Tempura consisted of 5 pieces of vegetables and 2 pieces of shrimp. - Salad was lukewarm - Soup was delicious! All-in-all a great small little Japanese restaurant in Redwood City that is great if you're not really hungry as portions are quite small. Parking is cramped in the back as well...somewhat seedy.
(4)
Amber O.
This has been my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area. Their Katsu Curry is to die for. (like grandma made) Hands down the best curry in the Peninsula. Its a small place, with a homey atmosphere and the staff is friendly and helpful.
(5)
J R.
Thumbs down. Been going to this restaurant for more than two years now. The food is decent for the area. Maybe half a year ago, they changed their menu and you guessed it - with every menu reprint comes price increases. I was relatively happy with the food at this place despite the low-value, pre-increased price. The service leaves much to be desired. Ok, it sucks. Yes, they fill up your tea cup often. Good service is more than filling up your tea cup. I never quite get the welcoming feeling at this place, and you can forget about service with a smile. I'm stopping short from calling them 'rude'. I don't think they're quite there yet, but they are not friendly and they don't seem to care that you patronize their business. While dining sometime back, I witnessed an incident where a woman tripped at the infamous bump at the entry door and fell on the floor. Then, rather than hurrying up to assist the person and checked the person, the waitresses started talking to the sushi chef in Japanese and seemed to be more interested to get her out of the restaurant to avoid a scene and liability. Not nice #1. We once tried to get some change for tips (after paying the bill). Request Denied. Had we requested the change before paying, we would probably have received the change. Especially considering when we paid the bill, we had put in some change there as well. Not nice #2. This place also tagged a $10 cake fee when you bring your own cake. Not written anywhere on the menu AFAIK (bet they will add it now). One of the waitress took back our tab and showed us a pathetic looking 'cake' menu (looks more like sponge cake roll) and tried to explain that they need to redo the bill to charge us $10. All of us had a hard time understanding her, but got the gist and didn't want to make a scene. Cake surcharge is not new to me. But, a cake surcharge from a small neighborhood Japanese restaurant? That's a first. So, they offered to cut the cake. And we said we'll cut it ourselves. "We don't have long knife" (to give us, that is). Ok, fine cut it for us, then. So, they did. Gave us some plates (without forks). Eeeh, can we have some forks, please?? "Forks?". Hmm, you expect us to eat the cake like dining in Eritrean resto, or maybe with chopstick? Not nice #3. The food, while still decent, has also taken a dive in value and quality. They probably had 2-3 slices of ginger (gari) in the bento. Really? And what's with the anemic shrimp tempura? They most likely use the 51/60 or 61/70/count per lb shrimp. To be fair they still did a good job with the batter and frying (clean, non-greasy). I sincerely hope they improve their service and value. Maximize profit, sure, sacrifice quality and service, no. Hard? Maybe so. But, other places have been able to do just that.
(2)
Hannah K.
So on this somewhat rainy afternoon a bowl of spicy ramen sounded good. I typically don't carry much if any cash on me and can understand a place requesting a $5 minimum purchase to use your credit card but $15 just seems high. I noticed they also posted signs for $8 minimum purchase at lunch and $10 minimum at dinner. The table next to me had paid for their lunch and were just finishing up, when the server came over and requested that he sign the receipt (mind you the bill had not been on the table for more than a few minutes). The final frustrating thing occured when I asked for a container for my left over ramen and sushi, only to be told that containers now cost .75 cents each. I enjoyed Higuma but to me this just makes dining out feel like a hassle rather than a pleasant experience and would rather spend my money elsewhere.
(1)
Kimberly S.
Great sushi place! I was worried I wouldn't find one that I loved in the Peninsula, but I have! The place is pretty small, with limited parking in the back, but the place is such an amazing find. My friend and I each ordered a bento box and then split three rolls. It was a lot of food: Bento Box ($11.50): miso to start, salad, 3 piece CA roll, 3 piece gyoza, and then two choices. I had the chicken teriyaki (thick pieces of chicken that were moist and tender) and the sashimi (6-7 pieces of tuna, salmon, and ... white tuna maybe?). Loved it. My friend chose the tempura (good portion size) and the beef teriyaki (this was maybe dryer then I'd like, but the flavor was great). Bay City Roll ($13): unbelievably delicious! it's a tempura roll on the inside topped with bay scallops that are in a Japanese mayo sauce and a jalapeno slice. Italian Roll ($3.50!): i got it without the cream cheese so it was just salmon and avocado. wonderful. Hamachi Roll ($3.50): probably my least favorite of everything I tried, but not bad at all the service was excellent and they even gave us some free hot tea after our meal. definitely coming back!
(5)
Kim W.
Higuma is one of the best sushi restaurants in the area. It is actually Japanese owned and has fairly reasonable prices. The fish is very fresh and delicious and I would recommend this place to anyone.
(4)
Cedes B.
Had a great time here. I got there around 7:30pm and it wasn't packed, which was great because parking behind the restaurant is terrible. Only about 5 cars fit back there so I recommend getting there early. Service was fast and friendly. Food was delicious, looked great and was a reasonable price. Nothing to complain about only that they could make their menu look nicer with more pictures. If I were a first time sushi eater I would have no idea what im getting. Other than that everything was great and I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)
FoodJunkie S.
We ordered the spicy miso ramen, black sesame ramen (sounded interesting!) and a spicy tuna roll for dinner. The ramen was ok but the portions were small!! It's just cheap carbs! It was seriously half of what you'd get at Santa Ramen or Dojo Ramen or Ramen club. Stingy especially if you were going to charge $10! The lack of ramen aside, there was barely any stuff in it: a few nibbles of corn, one piece of pork, and a few slices of dried turnip/vegetables. Disappointing. The spicy tuna roll didn't taste fresh and looked like they just smeared a very thin layer of spice tuna paste on rice - more spice than tuna for sure. We were desperate for ramen, found ourselves short on time to make the schlep up to San Mateo, decided to try a new place which had decent yelp reviews. But I don't think we'd come here again. Food wasn't great especially for the price.
(2)
Philip B.
A friend and I hit this place about every two weeks for sushi and only sushi. I get a ton of nigiri there, so this is pretty much focused just on that. I've had the other stuff, but once it became the spot to get sushi, I forgot the rest of the menu existed :) While I won't argue that it's the best place in the bay, it's definitely the sweet spot of price/quality and makes me happy enough after getting used to Osaka sushi. The nigiri is very good most of the time (but not always), and generally just a bit less than similar offerings like Hotaru's. It is always fresh, and generally quick to come out. It's got quite a variety, though I tend toward salmon, tuna and shrimp with a few extras to round it out. I tend to get about 30 pieces for a bit over 60 bucks. While the service can be a bit rough, it is also very friendly. It's probably a side effect of us ordering a lot, but it's still a very nice touch when they occassionally bring out an extra side dish or desert for the meal. It is very hole in the wall. Always kind of a pain to park at. But what can you do? I at least have never not found a spot in their tiny parking lot.
(4)
Aki T.
OK, I come from a rice and fish wholesaler family from Japan so I really can't rate this wonderful local restaurant a 5. The sushi is about 3.5 (additonal comment below), the unique dishes from the kitchen a 4, and owner, Eiji, and staff a 5+. As I don't eat the funny rolls, I can't compare them with the other reviews about the 'specialty" rolls. I did find the ebi + mayonnaise roll very tasty, but I doubt that people come here just for the basic rolls like Kappa maki. The one thing I can say about Eiji's preparation of fish is what you don't expect to find in other more expensive (but not necessarily better) sushi restaurants in the SF bay area. He prepares the "hikarimono" (blue fish) himself and to perfection; just the right amount of vinegar, sake and sugar. Saba, Kohada and Sanma (in season now), fall into this category. Definitely a 5. His preparation of Ikura or Sujiko (salmon roe) is also outstanding. As Eiji is from Sapporo, he really knows about fresh fish! BTW, their Sapporo Ramen is pretty good too; way better than the fatty pork belly soup base ramen served in many ramen places in San Mateo. Their homemade Gyoza (potstickers) is just as good, if not better, than Yu-Raku's in San Mateo. Higuma is the only place I know of north of San Jose that serves tripe. A bit chewy but tasty! I wasn't keen on ordering the Mozarella cheese tempura, but I have to admit it was very good. This is the only "authentic" Japanese restaurant that is decent, friendly, and reasonably priced between San Mateo and Menlo Park. It has been a pleasure dining here for almost 15 years.
(5)
Mary W.
Great sushi and close to the house. We order and pick up. Try the house specials! Staff are so friendly and service is great!
(5)
Ruth C.
Tinytiny Japanese-owned and run joint conveniently located 2 minutes from my workplace (yay!). It's a little house on the edge of El Camino Real by Whipple with very limited parking (maybe 8 cars max). Inside seats around 30 people... Being Japanese-owned and run makes for great authentic Japanese food. The first time I came, I ordered katsu-curry for pick-up. The curry was medium spicy with a generous portion of chicken, onions and carrots. It was a good curry to rice ratio with the curry being thick and dark like Japanese curry SHOULD be everywhere. I'd say this is the closest thing to Muracci's in SF that I can get 2 minutes from work which is quite nice. The second time I came, I sat and had some miso ramen (not the spicy miso ramen they are famed for since I can't handle spicy). They have ramen sets where you can choose ramen and onigiri, ramen and california roll, or ramen and something else... and they cost about $8-9. I usually choose onigiri. Be careful that the salmon they put inside the onigiri sometimes has bones! So I ask for nothing inside... The ramen is tasty! The serving isn't as large as most places like Ryowa or Maru-Ichi... but it's enough for me and the quality is better than Ryowa. I keep coming back to get this miso ramen even when it's 90 degrees outside! Service is pretty good, however when it gets crowded (around noon) then service can be hit or miss. Not a huge deal since it's a small place. They close at 2 for lunch but I'd get there early (11:30) to get parking and make sure you get your food quickly. Moderate pricing, credit card minimum is $15 so bring cash.
(4)
Lauren W.
My original review in December 2007 gave this restaurant 4 stars. It's been over two years since we've eaten here, and our last two visits were incredibly disappointing. Both times, the restaurant wasn't that crowded, about half full. Despite this, the service was terrible: (1) didn't offer us any water/tea (2) hubby's main course came 10 minutes after mine (3) spicy tuna roll that we ordered didn't come until after we had finished our meal and signaled the server to cancel our order -- only after that did she bring it and was surprised that we didn't want it anymore. We'll be heading to Yokohama in Redwood City for our sushi fix, and Ganko for non-sushi. Ganko is a little slow too but at least I expect it since there are only two people working in the restaurant!
(2)
Alain K.
This has become my go to Sushi restaurant. I frequent Higuma at least once a week. 1st. Fresh seafood, and always a great selection. 2nd. Service is friendly, efficient and the big plus they pay attention to you. 3rd. Fun and easy to have a great meal. 4th. Did I say fresh seafood? 5th. Cutest waitress in the Bay Area. 6th. I love the place. Hard to find but once you do I am sure you will not forget. Oh double plus plus is the baseball games are always on.
(5)
Tatiana K.
I can't give this place more than one star because I drove all the way there and then they wouldn't serve me. I'm pregnant with twins and had a sudden craving for sushi and am new to the area. I called this place at 1:30 to make sure they were open and they said "open until 2 come on in", so very excited I jumped into my car and arrived at 1:51 exactly. Mind you I was planning on taking the food to go. As I tripped on the death trap hidden step on my way in, great when you're pregnant, I was still excited for some good eats especially when I saw quite a few people there for that time. The lady began to ask me what I would like, but almost instantly the sushi chef said something to her in Japanese and she refused me and said they were closed. I showed her the time on my phone and told them that they said to come in and they still refused me. Lets not forget I'm PREGNANT with TWINS and now starving! I said I'm pregnant, can I at least get some soup to go and she said they were sold out. You would think since it wasn't even 2:00 yet and they had a very pregnant woman in front of them they would try and do something to accommodate me since they told me I had time to come in, throw me a kernel of rice or a pack of soy sauce....something, but NOTHING! By the time I got back into my car and pulled out of the driveway, it was still not 2:00 yet.
(1)
トモ T.
***Review of their Ramen ONLY**** 3.5 Stars Higuma is a small Japanese restaurant in Redwood City that serves original ramen only during lunch hours. They were recently featured in Sports J (4/13/2007 issue) as a place that has authentic Japanese ramen. In most non-ramen specialty Japanese restaurants, if you see ramen on their menu, DON NOT order it. Ramen soup is labor intensive, so if a place gets only few ramen orders per day, they are likely using pre-packaged ramen mix that you could buy at a local Japanese grocery store. Higuma makes their own soup, so that makes them special. Let me first say that their ramen is authentic and their ramen lunch combo is a pretty good treat. I'm sure most people leave there completely satisfied. However, I am a ramen nerd, and I have several other things to say. Noodle (Men): Medium thickness, slightly yellow, wavy. Good elasticity. On my second visit, noodle was over cooked. Oh well. I still like 'men' at Katana-ya more. Soup: I liked their soy soup, which was simple, yet, flavorful. I was disappointed by their Miso Ramen. According to Sports J, Higuma blends 3 kinds of miso to create real Sapporo Ramen. I've had Ramen in Sapporo and Higuma's version sure doesn't cut it. Good miso ramen has plenty of flavor without being salty. Higuma's miso ramen was way too salty for me. Afterwards, I was on a mad run to find a 7-Eleven so that I could drain a Big Gulp. I have not tried their Shio (salt) ramen, which I understand uses seafood for 'dashi'. Toppings: I really liked their homemade cha-shu and menma (bamboo shoots). Bean sprouts, green onions, and nori. No boiled egg. RAMEN COMBINATIONS: $8.50 --- Ramen and Onigiri $8.50 --- Ramen and Cali Roll $10.50 --- Ramen and tuna poki mini-don (prices as of Apr 2007, see pic) PARKING: They have their own parking spaces in the back, in front of auto body shop (see pic). WHEN TO GO FOR RAMEN: Lunch hours. For Saturday lunch, you can only get Ramen and Sushi (no kitchen items). (see pic).
(4)
Del S.
I still enjoy their food especially the Ramen selection. The service has gotten friendlier recently which I appreciate. However, one of my main issues right now is how tiny and crowded the place is. I am not blaming the size of the restaurant, but how they try to squeeze so many tables in this tiny little space. It is hard to walk through the tables not to mention you might be knocking down everyone's cups and bowls doing so. I can see this place violating some safety code and I would hate to have some hot soup or tea being knocked down on my table which is a major safety hazard. This place is obviously not very wheelchair accessible, and you might not want to bring your children here.
(3)
Beethoven C.
Higuma is a pain to find because it looks so nondescript. Crowded next to a Napa Auto Parts and across the street from Menlo Mazda, you would think Higuma was someone's house. The food here is pretty good - earnest, simple and homey. The sushi especially is really nice. You get the sense that the purpose of every piece of nigiri is to show off the freshness of the fish, and not how well the sushiya-sang can creatively mix sesame seeds, fish, rice and mayo. Parking here is very painful so be warned.
(4)
Jean C.
I have been going there for ~15 years, since I moved in the bay area. I think that place is responsible for the fact that I refuse to eat sushi in any other place : I would be disappointed. Their choice of fish can't be more fresh. And their special are stunning. Try the fish taco or the fishes carpacio... Yummy. Salmon skin salad stay my fav ;)
(5)
Zake S.
Yelpers: don't tell anybody about this place or come here too often; we want to keep it special and exclusive! =========================== Fresh, Authentic, Creative, Friendly. =========================== Small: Come off-hours or maybe wait; leave your stroller outside; parking lot in back tight! They do have some American style stuff in there which you can skip while sticking to and greatly enjoying the traditional goodies.
(5)
Kazu O.
It's run by real Japanese people (unlike all of the other Japanese restaurants in RWC).. and yet.... Okay this place disappointed me. I came here for lunch the other day and ordered the Sashimi + Tempura combination. Sashimi was just okay.. not the freshest or the highest quality fish. Tempura was just like any other place, too. Why did this place get a lower rating when it's just like any other Japanese or wannabe-Japanese restaurant within a 10-mile radius? Well... the portions were tiny. Only a few pieces of the mediocre sashimi.. and they can't even give you a full bowl of rice with your meal?? Really.. it was like a half-bowl. Meh... They need to at least redeem themselves with QUALITY if they're gonna skimp on the QUANTITY, you know??
(2)
Yi N.
This is definitely my special place for lunch in Redwood City. I have been eating here for the past 3 years at least once a week and they have not yet disappointed. There's parking in the back, but try to come early before the noon crowd. The food is served quickly and the fish is really fresh. Come in October November time frame to try their Uni, it's in Season and sometimes they have special fish straight from Japan so don't forget to check out their menu on the black board. I love their ramen too on a cold day in the winter. It's not as good as Haru Ramen in San Jose but it's a nice hot bowl that's not overly salty and very tasty. The price is also quite reasonable and it's a nice environment to eat good savory food and chat with friends.
(5)
Valerie P.
My new favorite Japanese place in Redwood City! i first tried this place during lunch over the summer, they have miso ramen and mini poke don combo that is a must try! I only came back recently because parking is hard to find (they have parking in the back) and if you come here, DO NOT park at Napa Auto or the neighboring stores becuase you will get your vehicle towed. I ordered the crunchy spicy tuna roll, italian roll, and a spicy albacore handroll, the bill was less than $15!
(4)
Annie D.
So this place is tiny, from the parking lot to the inside. Seated right away by the wall, we started to order. We got the sake, hamachi and ika to start off with. They were all a o k, not bad for the price. Also got the Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll- Spicy Tuna Roll rolled on crunchy tempura crumbs. This wasn't bad, normal. Salmon Crunchy- Tenkasu (tempura crumbs) inside topped with salmon. Smartest roll every, we love the tempura crumbs and normally rolls would have it all over the outside of the roll and on the plate. Well this roll had it rolled sides with the fish on the outside, perfect crunch in every bite. Overall, the service was ok, space in there was pretty tight, I mean you really don't need to ease drop, you can hear everyone's conversations.
(3)
Jess H.
THe sashimi here is the best. Very fresh and lots of variety! Its a small house-like atmosphere. People are very friendly and everything is authentic. Its always a pleasure going to this place.
(5)
HelpYelpsters D.
Probably my favorite Sushi restaurant in the Bay Area! Traditional, fresh, and delicious!
(4)
Eric A.
Wow this place is a hidden gem. The first thing I noticed was the place was full of Japanese people. That actually means that the restaurant is good. My expectations were high and they were met. I ordered their Lunch Special Ramen and chose Spicy Miso as the broth. It was delicious. I ended up drinking the whole broth I don't know if it's better than Ramen Dojo because Ramen Dojo really fills the bowl with a lot of things. My Rating is purely on the entree I ordered I would recommend going to Ramen Dojo and Higuma and do your own comparison ps: There is parking, but it's a small parking lot so beware
(3)
Dennis H.
I've long lamented the lack of quality sushi in the Redwood City area, so I scanned the Yelp reviews in hope of finding a hint of the joy of my long lost Mountain View sushi joints. Enter Higuma Japanese Restaurant! If you can...it's kind of small and the tables are pretty close together, and it's almost always packed. I wouldn't say they are equal to Dancy Sushi or Sushi-tomi, but they have fresh fish that doesn't look like it was frozen, and reasonably sized portions for their assorted sashimi dinners. They serve hot tea, and I think they have sake, but I'm not positive because the wife didn't want alcohol when we went there for lunch one day (she didn't even fall for the 'it's noon somewhere' line). There are a couple of downsides...the parking lot behind the restaurant is good place to practice your Tetris. Don't try parking at the liquor store next door unless you like being yelled at by store proprietors. Also, good luck trying to get a phone order in on a Friday night, at times they don't even bother answering the phone (even after a hungry man calls literally 20 times, they must have turned off the ringer). However, those things aside, great food for good value, and it's where I go now for my local sushi fix.
(4)
Kristina R.
This place reminded me so much of Hawaiian ramen and curry houses, it made me misty-eyed for my Oahu hangouts. The prices are decent, and the atmosphere is very homey, friendly, and unpretentious. However, the food in Hawaii is always heads and tails above anything I've eaten on the Mainland, especially when it comes to ramen or pho. This place was no exception, unfortunately. The food is not up to my spoiled Hawaiian ramen and curry standards. But it's not bad. I had the curry, which was decent. It came with a literal teaspoon of those addictive pinkish purple pickles (say it three times fast) and a good mound of sticky rice. The ramen is fair, and spicy enough to make me sweat. But the lunch boxes were lacking. It wasn't impressive by any means, and seemed less than fresh. And so my hunt for an awesome bento in the Bay Area continues.
(4)
liz c.
If Higuma starts with 10 points, this the breakdown: -3 for bad parking and difficult location. If you're getting here via Whipple Ave, prepare to stop quickly as this place creeps up on you QUICK. It's at the very corner of El Camino and Whipple. The parking in the back is miniature at best - maybe 8 spots available? Parking on the street isn't too bad. -3 for strange service. Yes, strange. The restaurant wasn't busy at all but the waitress kept asking if we were ready to order even though we were having a tough time deciding. Can I get a minute!? SHEESH. I asked for some recommendations and she pointed with annoyance to the rolls that were being offered that day. Just a question, my baaad. Then they got our order mixed up a few times, giving us two pieces of sashimi we didn't order, took it away, then gave us something else we didn't order, then took that away and finally we got what we ordered. +3 for affordable sweet shrimp. Diana W. wanted sweet shrimp but was dismayed that this was THE sweet shrimp she wanted as it's usually $7/piece. Higuma offers it for $2/piece. And it wasn't bad at all! +.5 for tightly packed, well-made rolls. Yum. +.5 for good chirashi. I mean that should be a given but I'll be nice. I'd like to go back again for a second chance at better service; the food was pretty good though I had my doubts due to the service. Until next time, Higgy!
(3)
Diana Y.
It's easy to miss the place since it's right on El Camino so you basically have 4 seconds to find street parking before you have to make a U-turn and try again. The restaurant is small so if there's a crowd, I'm assuming the wait will be long. Liz C. and I lucked out with only a half-full restaurant. The sushi menu tricks you and offers prices for only ONE piece of sushi so at first glance, it looks like it's super cheap. The prices are standard BUT the price for sweet shrimp was surprisingly cheap ($4 for 2 pieces). The chirashi was yummy and their rolls were good. Service was a little off but eh, I guess it happens. Good sushi overall but I'll probably try another place next time since there wasn't anything that makes me really wanna go there again. But I won't say no if someone suggests to go there again.
(3)
lani P.
This place is OK. The sushi "neta" (fish slices) looked very fresh in the case at the sushi bar, and the guy making the sushi was actually Japanese, so I was hoping for better. I read that this place is well known for their ra-men, but I wasn't really in the mood for it (it was so hot outside). I ordered the sushi A lunch which was a California roll (fake, pink "crab and super chintzy on the avocado), one piece each of tuna, white tune, shrimp, eel, hirame and hamachi. Sounded like it would be good, but it was a bit disappointing. The rice wasn't seasoned right (not enough vinegar for me), the porrtion of rice was a lot, and the fish was sliced very thinly. Also, they served that pink colored gari (ginger) which you usually only find now in cheaper places. The miso soup was mediocre too and lukewarm. Spinach goma-ae was pretty decent. My co-worker and I just opened an office in Palo ALto and we have yet to find any place that we like! If anyone knows any authentic, good Japanese places for lunch on the Peninsula please let me know! I know about Tomi Sushi already (I love that place) but it's a bit far and there's always a wait. Anyway, we'll keep searching!
(2)
Rae L.
Higuma has a very cozy and homey space, which is great for a relaxing meal. Everything I've tried on the menu has been consistently fresh and solidly prepared. My favorite are the rolls. The maki rolls are just the right size (just small enough to be bite-sized without being skimpy) and neatly made. The spicy tuna is amazing - the sauce tastes like there's a hint of sesame oil or something. And the negihama also has much more flavorful than in other places I've been to. The prices are very reasonable. Their special rolls are delicious as well and presented nicely. The food in general is light but very satisfying in flavors. We always leave happy and full without the nagging feeling of having eaten too much. Service is friendly and prompt. You might have to wait to be seated if you have a large party (more than 4?) or come during peak meal times.
(5)
Stephanie L.
-1 star for impossible parking setup. -1 star for near-empty restaurant, but slooooow service (I only ordered tempura, agedashi, and rolls!) -1 star for rolls that paled in comparison to grocery-store grade sushi. Sorry Higuma. You're another testament th
(2)
Alea G.
Man, this place is crazy hard to spot. I've been there several times now and I still almost miss it. Actually, I completely missed it the first time around and had to circle around some neighborhood to find it again. I don't know. I should probably stop being stubborn and start using a GPS. Whatever. Anyway, the food is pretty good. As I've said, I've been here a couple of times and have never really been disappointed. They give you pretty fair portions and for dinner, at least, the prices are actually pretty reasonable compared to other Japanese restaurants I've been to. The sushi there is very good. It's very fresh and delicious. Definitely the best part of any meal I have at Higuma. The salmon terriyaki was pretty standard. While the katsu curry is probably not the best I've had (I've had some pretty legit katsu curry), it was still very good. I feel like the lunch prices were slightly more steep for what you're paying for, but you get a good deal out of them. You can generally get the spicy miso ramen as a combination with something else. The broth for the ramen is delicious, but I feel like they skimped on other things like the pork. All in all, though, I quite like this place and it's quickly becoming my go-to Japanese restaurant in the area.
(4)
Nathan W.
Cute, but tiny, Japanese spot with off-street parking... I had a three-item bento here for lunch recently, and was quite pleased with the whole experience. $8.50 for this was an absolute steal, even if the portions were a little on the smallish side. Most three-item combos will set you back somewhere between $12 and $14 at most places... The service here was very friendly, and the turnover is relatively rapid here. Popular with office workers and I can see why. I'd come back...
(4)
JANETTE S.
Love this place! Higuma is one of the only sushi place My husband and I go. We often find ourselves either going to or ordering take out from Higuma several times a week :) The sushi is consistently fresh and delicious. The owner, who is constantly busy making sushi, is always very polite :) He always makes a point to say hello when we arrive and to say thank you when we leave. Higuma is very small, not a lot of seating but that actually makes me love it even more. Higuma is a cute hole in the wall sushi joint with excellent sushi, great service, with a warm friendly cozy atmosphere. We've enjoyed Higuma for many years and hopefully you will too.
(5)
Adrienne M.
3.5 stars. My boyfriend and I were craving sushi today and decided to check this place out, since we haven't been thrilled with the cheap sushi options in Palo Alto. I thought this place was pretty yummy, especially for the money. We spent only about $20 for the two of us before tip, and left feeling completely stuffed. We ordered tempura (mixed veggie and shrimp), avocado rolls, fried chicken & avocado rolls, tuna rolls, and Italian rolls (salmon/avocado/cream cheese). The tempura was ok, but not the best I've had. The rolls were all in the $3-4 range and were decent-sized. I liked the avocado ones quite well, and the fried chicken ones were a big hit with both of us (and I especially like that they have something so unique). My bf was happy with the Italian roll, but not as impressed with the tuna roll. Overall, I thought the quality and quantity were pretty solid for the price. Service was pleasant and very prompt, and the place is quite cute and cozy inside. I'm sure we'll be back at some point, but we'll also keep exploring other cheap sushi places.
(4)
Cathy N.
It was pretty hard to spot this place the first time, so keep a careful look out or you'll end up like me and miss it 2-3 times before actually turning in. Parking lot in the back was very crowded and tiny - people starting forming their own parking spaces towards the side. Luckily for us, someone was leaving so we were able to snag a spot instead of parking a block away. The restaurant is very tiny, but gives off somewhat a cozy feel. Prices were average, and sushi was decent. We had the Sashimo Combination which came with 6 pieces of california roll, one hamachi, one salmon, one white tuna, one red tuna, one unagi, and one sweet shrimp. The slices of fish were ok, didn't taste as fresh as I hoped. About 15 bucks for the order. We also had the Crunchy Salmon Roll which I really liked. Perfectly sized pieces with crunchy tempora bits on the inside and salmon layering the top. Overall, a decent place to get your sushi fix, but service wasn't too great. It was more on the slow side and the waitresses weren't very attentive. We did a whole lot of waiting - for our drinks, the food, and even the bill! So ehhh...not sure if I'd come back. You all know how I feel about service...
(3)
Jaclyn P.
Still a fan of this place. We went here last night and we waited at the door and nobody sat us so we sat ourselves. We didn't see a sign that said "wait to be seated" so we sat ourselves and waited for a waitress to come over and give us some menu's. After about 3 or 4 minutes and the waitress walking by us four or five times we decided that we pissed them off by not waiting to be seated so my husband got up and stood by the door and then after like 30 seconds a waitress said "may I help you" he then told her we were sitting over here and would like some menu's. So long story short, wait to be seated even if it's not very busy. Still a great place for Sushi. We left full and had two beers and it cost $58 for two of us to eat. Great place, will definitely be back.
(4)
Selene K.
I've been here for dinner quite a few times and found the sushi to be decent. The price is good and for what you pay, the sushi isn't' bad. My review is mainly on the ramen they serve (only during lunch). Every time I've come here for dinner, it always made me want to try their ramen, since it's posted all over the walls and served only during lunch. About 3 weeks ago, we rushed over here during our lunch hour and was so excited to try it. I ordered the Shio (Salt flavored) ramen and my friend ordered the Shoyu (Soy Sauce flavored) ramen. The noodles looked and tasted like Top Ramen. My Shio Ramen was the worst bowl of ramen I've ever tasted....the char siu looked like it's been sitting the fridge and they didn't bother heating it up before putting it into the bowl. The broth was even worse - absolutely no flavor at all. My friend asked me how it tasted and my exact words were, "tastes like dish washing liquid". Good thing they have other things on their menu that are pretty good. I would say save your time and gas from coming here for their ramen.
(2)
Lolia S.
Higuma is Japanese for the Hokkaido brown bear, a bear that loves fresh fish. There are ferocious bear items on the restaurant's walls including a bear t-shirt, stuffed bear, etc. The restaurant looks like a cozy little Japanese house with small tables (don't come in a group larger than 4), and a row of five seats at the sushi bar. I'll choose ramen over sushi just about any day of the week (I do like sushi but noodle soup is so satisfying). Besides ramen and sushi, they have bento box lunches, udon, and rice bowls for lunch. I hoped to receive a ramen menu during lunch but none was provided. I guess they only have one type of ramen now: spicy miso ramen. The paper sign for the ramen had a drawing of a skull, so I knew I had to have it. The spicy miso ramen set comes with either a 3 piece California roll ($8.50), onigri (rice ball, $8.50) or tuna poke mini bowl ($10.50). It was served hot, but not piping hot like I like it. The noodles were a bit overcooked. The broth was a bit too salty; it was rich and oily but didn't taste much like miso. The pork slices had good flavor but I've had better. It came with bean sprouts, a piece of nori, wood ears, and scallions. It was a decent size but not large. The poke in the mini rice bowl was also too salty. Overall, it's a cute place and the best Japanese restaurant in Redwood City (I think there's one place that I haven't tried yet though).
(3)
Joyce H.
Came here on a whim, cos boyfriend and I were starving & Yelp's quick tips said they had good curry. And since the boyfriend loooooves Japanese curry, we decided to try it. Tiny restaurant, but was full even at closing. It is a little hard to spot, we missed it the first time around, but I think once you know what to look for, you'll find it. It literally looks like a little house stuck between the hotel and an auto parts store, across from the Mazda dealership. Onto the food! Curry was pretty good, mostly mild and one-note, but the meat in the curry was really, really tender. The tonkatsu was done well, freshly fried. The most stellar part of the night though, was the beef tataki. Mmm... seared lightly on the outside edges, still perfectly rare in the middle. Delicious, definitely try it!
(4)
Klayton V.
We lived in Redwood City for about 3 years and when we first moved there, we were looking for a go-to neighborhood Japanese restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised when the first place we randomly wandered into ended up being that place. Their dinner is very reasonably priced and surprisingly authentic for teishoku-style food. The broth for their nabeyaki udon is quite nicely flavored and the batter for their tempura is always very light and crispy. The sushi isn't going to blow you away, but it is consistently decent quality. The service is friendly, but they can sometimes get overwhelmed during a particularly busy night (and given the small size of the place, when it gets super busy, it gets very tightly packed in there). The biggest complaint that I have (and other people have already pointed this out on multiple occasions) is that the parking is horrendous. It may not be a destination restaurant, but for a neighborhood Japanese place, it fits the bill and then some.
(4)
michelle f.
It helped to have a heads up on this place being a bit hard to spot, and we still passed it just slightly, enough to miss the parking lot entrance and the restaurant. But we were able to still park close by on the street. The place is very cozy, houses about 30ish snugly. It's hard to navigate around and in between when everyone is seated. The agedashi tofu was good, soft and silky with a fairly strong broth compared to others. They give you 6 pieces. My parents and I all got the Dinner Box (equivalent to Bento box). It comes with Miso soup, salad, and rice. It also includes 3 pieces of gyoza and 3 or 4 pieces of California Roll. **For a seemingly authentic Japanese restaurant, I was not impressed with the imitation crab in the California Roll.** Aside from that, the tonkatsu my mom ordered was nice and crispy on the outside while tender on the inside. And to my delight, Chicken Karaage was an option for the bento as well. It had a lightly fried skin as opposed to batter, and was tender and moist. Pat yourselves on the back for that one, Higuma. My beef teriyaki was also cooked well. I asked for rear, knowing it would come out more like medium rear or medium well, and it was decently tender as well, considering that I've had a handful of charred, dry, or tough to chew at other restaurants. And I know you know what I'm talking about. The Dinner Box was $11.50, and I went home with leftovers. Overall, this place seems okay. I wouldn't mind going back if someone else suggests it first.
(3)
Jo-An R.
Met a couple friends for sushi and sake on a Thursday night. I've been to a few neighborhood japanese restaurants like this in different cities (we're usually the only customers there at one time), and this one seemed to have a good dinner crowd. I drove right past this restaurant when I was looking for it. It's like the old japanese version of the little house in "UP." It's located on a busy street in between kragen and some office buildings. They have a small private parking lot behind the restaurant. First off, The large hot sake was only $5! Enough for 3-4 people, so it's definitely a bargain. We shared rolls and cold soba. The rolls were typical but tasty. They served us a huge portion of soba and it was cooked perfectly al dente! It was a cozy place to have dinner and sake with good friends. The waiters were attentive and refilled out waters often. If I come back, I definitely need to try more traditional japanese food selections.
(3)
Lisa C.
Honestly, they should get no stars as despite the food being ok, the service was so incredibly rude and unapologetic about it, that it takes away any taste they may offer in their sushi. I will focus my review on the my issue only and not the food, if only to warn every business person out there to AVOID at all costs this restaurant. I had a 1pm meeting about 5 minutes away, and it was 12:10pm when I passed the restaurant. I asked for a table for 1, and asked for the corner table next to the wall. I noticed there was an electrical outlet there, and my phone was almost completely dead and I wanted to get some charge before my meeting. Also, I had my laptop and wanted to read an article while I ate. So I sat down, plugged in (and let me reiterate, the plug was right where my table was, not in the way of anyone else). I took out my tablet style laptop and started to read after ordering. The person next to me also was reading, but from a traditional book. After about 15 minutes, one of the servers came over and sad "I'm sorry but you can't plug things in there." I was totally confused, wondering if they had some sort of New Orleans power issue like the Super bowl. I said I'm sorry, I don't understand? And she then said again - no you can't have things plugged in. And I said I'm just curious; it is okay, but why? And she said "any, just no you can't." I said, okay I get that I can't, but why? To which she replied - very loudly so other guests can hear - "I'm sorry but we are no Starbucks." Then she stormed off, talking about me to another server. Okay, I've been at plenty of restaurants all over the bay area and NEVER has anyone refused to allow you to charge your phone when it is not intrusive or bothering anyone. Also, about 1 in 3 guests all had their phones out, so why was my tablet such a big deal? I was eating by myself for goodness sakes. Give me something to do. I was totally embarrassed and just wanted to leave. I quickly finished and stood up to pay. I asked for the check and wrote my comments on the back, along with my number. Nobody called. I guess next time; I'll just go to Starbucks for good customer service.
(1)
Alex C.
Really satisfied with this place, particularly because of the prices. I think I paid something like $10-11 for a dinner box, whereas I'm used to seeing prices of $13 and upwards for the same sort of thing. And it's not like the quality or quantity of the food suffers either. When you order a dinner box, you can choose two proteins out of something like eight choices (chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, karaage, shioyaki, etc.). Also remember seeing chirashi for $14 (as of this review, of course). It's a small, cozy little establishment, made even more cozy by the fact that it looks like a cottage... albeit nestled on a block of El Camino with car dealerships a stone's throw away.
(4)
Ashley F.
My boyfriend and I just recently moved to the neighborhood here and noticed this place just down and around the block from our place. We are both obsessed with sushi, so we were really hoping this place would be great...after all there's nothing better than being able to drink your fill of sake without having to worry about who's driving. The place is super, super small and seating is very close together. I don't mind it. It just feels more personal. The service is really good; multiple waitresses that all work together to keep tabs on everyone. The sushi is pretty good. It's not extraordinary in the sense of it being out of this world, but it's definitely decent and filling. The prices are very reasonable; I can order a variety of different things to taste without the bill getting out of control. I dig the simple rolls. The yellowtail roll and their eel roll and catipillar roll (with extra eel sauce) are good for the simple stuff. For me this place produces pretty decent sushi and is super convenient for me. I'm a fan and will continue to stop by here from time to time.
(3)
Richard L.
No ramen serve at dinner, was for lunch only. they closed early like 9pm. Waiter service is good, the menu price is typical, i try the sashime, wasn't that good as i hope, is not that flesh. the soup has msg.
(3)
Sachiko K.
Came for lunch on a thursday, it was pretty empty. The restaurant is so cute and unique :) I give a 3 because service was awesome but ramen was ok :P My coworkers wanted ramen, but didn't want to drive out all the way to Mtn View and we've heard about this place so decided to try out the ramen here. Had the Spicy Miso with the California Rolls and was surprised at how spicy the ramen actually was. Not a bad thing though, I love my food spicy. The soup was very flavorful, a bit too flavorful for me o_o. The noodles were also alright. When things really impress/amuse me I express it to the extreme. After my first bite I didn't say anything and just kept eating, but if it was really good I would have said something. So yes, nothing special, but not bad either. They didn't give you that much noodles. I finished mine and was fine. Usually when I finish a whole bowl of ramen anywhere else I feel overly full. So if you're a big eater, you might want to order something else with it.. California rolls were good, but you really can't go wrong or awesome with those because they're all pretty much the same everywhere. Service was nice though! The Japanese ladies there are very nice and friendly :) They mix a bit of Japanese when they speak to us, it was cute. Since it wasn't that crowded, service was fast and they were there whenever we needed something.
(3)
serena h.
The service is so bad... We had a party of 9 people originally and ordered more than $150+ of food, one friend came by and join later and the waitress insisted that our friend have to order the minimum charge $10/person. And after we insisted not paying for that and asked for bill, the bill is calculated wrong and over charged us 25 dollars! We'd never come bak again.
(1)
Miss Bonnie B.
This is a regular work lunch spot for us. It can get a little spendy though if you start ordering all the fresh fish. But hey, at least it's fresh right??? This place is authentic. I usually get the Spicy Miso Ramen with the Poke Don and two to three Sake Nigiri. I think I initially scared the waitresses with how much I eat but now they are used to me. They even know what I want to order. There's nothing fancy about this place and the food is quite simple... that being said, it's GOOD. It's the quality of the sashimi that makes them so famous. The place gets crowded quick but they try to be as efficient as possible.
(4)
ad K.
Pretty decent Sushi. The salmon crunch was good with the tempura centres. Teriyaki was not the best I've had, the chicken tasted like it had been through better days. If I had a choice I'd skip this and go to Hotaru in San Mateo. It is acceptable if you are forced to meet people in Redwood City though.
(3)
Deb N.
Went on a Saturday night, a small venue but found a table fairly easily at 8:30pm. Unfortunately, sat down next to a large, young, noisy group. Tea came out promptly and the server came to take our order, we weren't ready so she came back again. Ordered the Teriyaki chicken bento with miso, rice and salad for $10. Friend ordered a la carte sushi. Came out to $28. My chicken was tender, the fish looked and smelled fresh. Staff was attentive. Parking in the back. A small, neighborhood, family vibe to the place.
(3)
Jim W.
This is my favorite sushi restaurant, bar none. Everything about it is interesting. There's a bit of a "specialness" about the location, since it's tucked away on a busy street next to a Napa Auto Parts -- not exactly where you'd expect an excellent Japanese restaurant. The inside is quaint and cozy and comfortably crowded, but a cute and effective brown bear decor (as expected from the name). The staff is attentive and patient and the sushi chefs are skilled. Which brings me to the real star of the restaurant: the food. The appetizers are all wonderful, and we regularly order the edamame, the spinach goma-ae, the deep fried tofu, and the ocean salad. Among these, the agedashi tofu is probably our favorite, with the seaweed salad coming in a close second. In both of these cases, the appetizers are extremely fresh and bright in taste without being overwhelming. The goma-ae is not as popular an appetizer among the casual diners, but I think it offers a unique taste and satisfying texture to start off a meal here. For those looking for bento, their dinner boxes are served with soup, salad, rice, California rolls, and three gyoza. The miso soup here is perhaps most matched to my palate, as I've found the soup at other places to be a touch too salty. Also, the dressing on their lettuce salads is also the best that I've had among the Japanese restaurants. The main items can be chosen from two different menus (depending on cost) -- if I'm ordering a bento box, I generally have the chicken teriyaki and the 4 piece sushi. Other great items are the chicken karaage or the tempura. For noodle soup bowls, the tempura or nabeyaki soba are great choices. I've also tried their katsu curry, which as expected is sweet and not spicy at all. As a fan of freshwater eel, I can also heartily recommend the unagi donburri. Of course, the sushi is the main attraction here. These are the items that I would definitely vote for: saba (mackerel for its fishiness), tobiko (flying fish egg for the bursts of salty sea), sake (salmon, for the classic taste), tako or ika (octopus or squid, for the chewy texture), maguro or shiro maguro or toro (tuna, for color and texture), and hamachi (yellowtail for smoothness). Ask for the low sodium soy sauce -- not just for health reasons, but more to prevent the salty drowning out of the sushi flavors by over-exuberant dunking. Again, I cannot help but re-iterate: this is my favorite sushi joint!
(5)
G M.
I love Higuma.. I have been going there for 9 plus years. Ejee the owner always remembers my name and remembers what I do not like and what I do like. The waitress are hard to understand sometimes but have good intentions. Sushi is always fresh. When I worked in Redwood city I went there every day for lunch for 2 months. We have moved a few times in the 9 years and still always go back to Higuma. Because we try a place by our house and its always not as good. So 5 starts for Higuma..
(5)
Sandra H.
I have to admit that I know very little about sushi. It's only been about 5 yrs now that I included fish into my menu. I just didn't grow up eating it. I tried some sushi about a year ago, and have been wanting more since then, and today was the day. We had an office lunch meeting here, and I have never seen so much sushi on one table. As soon as the food arrived, it was devoured. The ladies serving us must have had a hard time keeping the food coming. I can't remember what all was ordered, but I know I ate some of the usual stuff. All the fish was so fresh, and tasty! The sake and beer was flowing like water, but I stuck to sipping on my hot tea. Oh btw, they don't accept AMEX. I am hoping to come back for more sushi soon!
(5)
Justin L.
Food = 10/10 : good quality food, generous portions. sashimi and sushi made very well and high quality Service = 10/10 : it's a small place so the staff is quite attentive Ambiance = 9/10 : cozy, mom and pop type of restaurant with the Japanese owner making the sushi and sashimi. Can get a little tight though if the place is very busy Price = 9/10 : mid-range though still very affordable. Good deal for lunch box sets. =)
(5)
Victor C.
Lunch Review Met up with my old classmate again for lunch... she's an aspiring Elite Yelper, so she's been on the look out for different eateries to try out. Ordered the lunch box, as I wasn't particularly craving sushi or ramen today. The lunch boxes are reasonably priced from $7-9 I believe. I got the beef teri and tempura combo. I'd say the quality/taste of the food was pretty good. The tempura was nicely fried and not too greasy and the beef teri was tasty as well. The portions were okay... if you were a petite girl. I was definitely bummed when I saw the amount of beef teri that came in the box. I think it was ~4 oz of beef... probably a little less. I was able to easily finish the box, though I didn't get to finish the bowl of rice (as the waiter was very quick to clear the table). The place does get pretty busy... most tables were filled by the time we left. There's MAYBE 10 parking spots behind the building, so arriving early is probably a good idea. The rolls (which I didn't order) did seem to be a little pricier than your average Bay Area Japanese eatery... I think it was about $11 for a Rainbow Roll. Perhaps it was a little bigger than other places, so don't quote me on that. Overall, I'd say it was a "decent" place to grab lunch.
(4)
Ken J.
We came here for lunch today. After checking a few reviews for Japanese food, I decided on Higuma. I felt like having a bento box for lunch.We ordered tempura with salmon and had the tempura with beef.The seating is a little tight but your still comfortable.I can't complain about their parking lot, it fits about ten cars and there's plenty of street parking.In rating their service,food(for bento boxe's), and price I give them 4 stars.We will return to try their other menu item's to see if they are as good.
(4)
Jenny H.
I came here a few years ago for their ramen during lunch time, which was okay. However, when I came for dinner recently, I was really disappointed with their food. The rolls were fairly small and unsatisfying, and the sashimi did not taste particularly fresh to me. I wouldn't come back here again.
(3)
Nick T.
Worst. Customer Service. Ever. We had a decent enough dinner experience here that we decided to come back for lunch. First, the owner / hostess tells us that there's a minimum spend per person, including our toddler who doesn't eat anything! Then, we're unable to choose our table, so we're put right in front of the door where it's hard to keep our daughter focused on eating. Next they complained that we used too many napkins since we're forced to feed our daughter the ramen, which is messy. On our way out, one of the other tables whispered that they'd also had this crazy bad customer service when they brought their daughter. Life's too short to put up with this for a bowl of soup. We'll stick with Bonsai Sushi at the RWC/Atherton border. The food's very good and they treat their customers very well there.
(1)
Ken K.
Higuma means "bear" and specifically an indigenous breed found only in Hokkaido, where sushi chef and owner Eiji-san hails from. There is an excellent pic of a "stuffed" bear hanging on the wall taken by Toro E which you can see on the Yelp business page of photos. In case you were wondering, no there is no Hokkaido bear meat served, not even as: ramen, sushi, sashimi, salad, teriyaki. If you are a Chinese exotic herbalist looking for the next Viagra, you won't find bear dong in here either. The restaurant exterior does look like a cottage somewhat, and reminds one of Sushi Kuni's exterior (Cupertino) but is much smaller. Parking space is infamously limited, and while there are 4 spaces in the back, the additional parking further back belongs to their car repair shop neighbor. By the entrance doors are three kanji characters that more or less spell "izakaya" but the lunch offerings at the very least do not reflect this (I've never seen the dinner menu appetizers/small dishes section, so maybe someone can elaborate). Higuma is what I would bill as a Japanese style neighborhood restaurant sushi bar and grill, might be somewhat similar in atmosphere and intimacy (in size) to that in some small town in Japan. It would be an unfair comparison to put Higuma and more famous places like Sushi Sam's side by side. It is not the owner's intention to be competing at that level. There are no more than 6 seats at the small sushi bar. The seats are positioned so that your line of sight sitting down faces the sushi fish display case directly (for other place, the line of sight is the top of their Hoshizaki counters). As a result the sushi chef making your sushi meal, looks like a giant. This is probably for ease of the chef putting down the plates and nigiri/rolls. For sushi eaters, you place your order on a piece of paper that has the sushi menu template on it. Check the quantity of what you want. Prices for nigiri are per piece if I remember correctly, and a small but humble variety. One year ago Eiji-san took care of all the sushi orders, but a friend who has been more recently said he hired someone else to handle those duties (who is less crafty with nigiri molding). Fish quality can vary depending on what you get. Since the owner is not looking to compete with the Sam's, the Yuzu's, the Sakae's etc, don't expect tip top quality fish, but there are some selections that are decent enough that stand out, such as their ocean trout (umi masu) which I remember being best in class compared to the run of the mill salmon. Once in a while they have live scallops but unfortunately they never did of the 3 times I went. Service can be slow during the lunch rush, even if you are the only person at the sushi bar. The other downside is that Eiji-san prefers to make one batch of your order (of nigiri and rolls) and serve them to you at once, versus pacing you by laying down one piece at a time on the geta. When the going is slow, you'll get hungry very quickly and this can feel like hours and days instead of minutes and seconds. Since Eiji-san is from Hokkaido, you would think that he would be able to replicate the native hometown receipe of ikura no sake shoyu zuke (marinated salmon eggs in soy sauce and sake) to a T. Unfortunately when he did offer it as a special, it wasn't that special at all. Marination was weak and I hardly tasted any soy sauce or sake flavor. This is where Sushi Sam's version reigns supreme, or nearby Hotaru for their take of sake zuke (sake marination only). Hopefully his receipe has improved since I last had it. The other Hokkaido style dish he offers is sake don, or simply put, salmon sashimi with a lot of ikura over a bowl of sushi rice. If you just want something quick and simple, this could be a worthy contender. Toro E has already reviewed their attempt on Hokkaido style miso ramen, but since they did not nail down ikura no shoyu zuke (where you can find more flavorful versions at Sushi Sam's, Kitsho, Ino Sushi, Koo), I'm not rushing over to try it. 3.5 stars, and arguably the best Japanese in Redwood City.
(3)
Seth H.
The fish is fresh and sashimi combo was well priced. The Special rolls were a little small and there's not a very large selection to choose from. You also pay $1.50 for a can of soda... little steep. Service was decent.
(3)
Christina J.
There aren't many authentic Japanese restaurants in the mid-peninsula, but Higuma is one of them! It has a homestyle Japanese interior of petite proportions, deserving of the descriptors "cute" or "adorable" and..... this also applies to the food. Bonus: complimentary edamame is usually brought out! Higuma is purported to be incredibly packed during lunch, so it's best to come as late as you can, but before the 2pm closing time. You'll save yourself from unnecessary parking stress as well. ++ | Chirashi | Thoughtful selection of fresh and carefully prepared sashimi. Lovely presentation over sushi rice cooked just right! I've also tried the spicy ramen, but the soup base is a bit too heavy for my tastes. Typical price for authentic Japanese food: Lunch for 2 = $32
(4)
Dan M.
"Now I know you're practicing son, but this ain't no Wayne Newton you're playing here!" ::SUSHI:: Perhaps it's just the economic times. As others noted, the price is normal but the fish is hardly there... just rice! -- PASS ::RAMEN:: Decent ramen! Again, not a lot here, but what you get is tasty. :)
(3)
Adrian H.
The place is really tiny so better go early. The sushi very excellent. We did not have any service issues even though the place was jammed packed. Biggest problem is that the restaurant simply way too small.
(4)
Chris M.
I've never eaten the susi here, but the lunch special terriaki is delicious. Just wish the tempura could stay crispy on takeout.
(4)
Won C.
Best Katsu Curry around Peninsula. Portion is really good - usually this is not the case in Japanese restaurants - and Katsu is fried just right. Their lunch Ramen is decent (spicy Miso Ramen) for lunch. Gyoza - they have regular and home made - they basically taste almost the same, thus get the regular - its cheaper :)
(4)
Daphne T.
We have been regulars at this restaurant for the past 2 years and after our last experience, we are never going back. The restaurant was 80% full when we arrived for dinner. The waitress sat us at a table and we ordered sake and tea. We had to wait for a long time before she finally brought us the sake, but she forgot the tea! We were ready to order, but she told us to wait and walked away. About 10 minutes later, she brought us our tea and then took our order. We ordered appetizers, sashimi and some nigiri sushi. They served the sashimi and sushi before we got the appetizers! Not only that, when we comment on how one of the appetizers (Hamachi Kama) looks very small and overcooked, the waitress told us all Hamachi Kama looks like that. We told her we have had the Hamachi Kama there several times and it never looks like that, she told us "this is how it is they all look the same" and then just walked away. How rude!!! As we sat and waited for our other appetizers, we finished our tea and nobody came to refill the cup. Then, she brought us some gyoza, and we told her we did not order any gyoza. Before we had the chance to tell her our missing order was the tempura, she had already turned her back to us and walked away. We waited a long time for the tempura, which never arrived. A few times, she walked past our table and I tired to ask for more tea, she just pretended she did not hear me. Finally, we decided not to wait for the tempura anymore and tried to get our bill, which was again impossible as she continued to ignore us. We actually had to stand up and walk to the cash register before she gave us our bill, and then proceeded to tell me in chinese that they are busy. She also tried to charge us for the tempura and when I told her we never got the tempura, she gave me a look like she was pissed that I am trying to not pay for our food. As I stood here waiting for the waitress to revise our bill, I told the owner behind the sushi counter of our horrible experience, he just looked at me and said "OK", and went back to slicing his sashimi. Talk about customer service!!!! They never getting our business again.
(1)
John L.
Another restaurant recommended by Lolia S. I finally made it here for lunch yesterday with coworkers. Their parking lot entrance is small and we actually drove past it the first time. We went around the block and on the second try succeeded in pulling into the driveway. The parking lot is a little tight and awkward since the rear of their parking lot is an entrance to a car repair shop. Luckily there was one empty parking spot left. Upon entering we were greeted pleasantly and seated right away. The staff brought out our hot tea immediately. After a few minutes of looking over the menu I opted for: Katsu Curry ($7.75): Included salad or soup. I was glad I chose the miso soup as it was piping hot and very good. The curry was served in an interesting elliptic shaped silver plate. The curry was very tasty and a bit spicy. It contained chunks of chicken, carrots, and sliced onions. The Katsu was cooked perfectly, exterior was a nice crispy golden brown and the pork inside was white and moist. The only disappointment was it was smaller than other katsu's I've had. Spicy tuna hand roll ($5): I didn't notice this on the menu but just ordered it as it's one of my favorites. It was small but very fresh. Overall the food and service was very good even though the portions were on the small side. Maybe next time I'll skip the spicy tuna hand roll and just order a extra order of katsu. 3.5 stars: -0.5 star for below average portion sizes
(4)
Sandy L.
I gave this place a five star a while ago and now I feel dumb! Maybe it was worthy once upon a time but I've been disappointed after several recent visits. The portions are so teeny tiny that it looked like junior size sushi. So sad to see when restaurants let quality slip after a while.
(3)
Kelley L.
This is the best Japanese restaurant I have been to in NorCal. The location is convenient off of El Camino Real, but the parking lot is rather small, and the restaurant is basically converted from a house. It does give a cozy, homely feeling that is very comfortable to eat in. The prices are decent, but the food is really delicious. I personally love the sushi and the rolls! I recommend this to people who love them too.
(4)
Greg G.
So it's weird I have heard of this place for a few years but could never find it. At one point I could have sworn it was somewhere between San Carlos and Hillsdale ... yeah wrong direction entirely. Basically you have to turn off quick right after Whipple. My coworker showed me the "secret" entrance which I am too incompetent to find :) Well it was really good. A little small inside, but stil very enjoyable. I ended up with the Miso Ramen with the spicy tuna roll and was very happy. Very tasty with a thick broth. The rolls that were served al acarte looked decently priced too. Basically they allowed you to order roll pieces off a small menu which I liked a lot. Can't always have enough room for a bunch of rolls. My friend recommended the hand rolled gyozo which were quite tasty. I will come back again, the price was just right.
(4)
Alyson C.
Now that's what I'm talkin' bout! First off, how cute is their little logo?! so precious! Got here at 6pm to meet for dinner with my close girlfriends. It wasn't busy at all and they had a lot of variety to their menu. From combo dinners, curry dishes, creative rolls and ramen... all fairly priced. We shared 3 rolls: Red Dragon, their version of Lion King (forgot the name) and a rainbow roll. Then we ordered a Gyoza Curry dinner. The sushi was nice and fresh and I really enjoyed all 3 we ordered. I felt bad we couldnt try anything deep fried :( but we'll have to wait until easter. The curry was good too, not spicy though but the gyoza was tasty along with it and the curry had pieces of chicken/beef and veggies. The bill came to roughly $60 total. I'm not sure how that happened...but I enjoyed it. The service got slow as the crowd got bigger since there were only two people manning the tables. Otherwise.. I was really pleased and will definitely come back again. Parking is fairly easy even though it's off el camino. There is a little lot inside, but I think it only has enough for 6-8 cars.
(4)
Sophie L.
We went with my sushi guru couple.. their white tuna is soo yummy!! all the fish are pretty good except for the dark fin toro, i think thats what its called.. the texture and taste wasnt what i was expecting home made ice cream- greentea and black sesame is a must try!! a cute place with a lot of fresh fish!
(4)
Francis S.
To a certain extent, I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for Higuma. In a lot of ways, Higuma is a very solid Japanese restaurant. It's definitely on the small side but that kind of thing never bothers me. They have good sushi, great tuna poke and a great white tuna tataki (and a snapper tataki when available). Their katsu curries are delicious too. And for lunch...they've got great ramen special combos where i can get a bowl of ramen and a small poke-done for $10.50. Lately, they've also been offering the kuro goma ramen as a special and the wife and I have been ordering it every single time we've been here lately. Is Higuma a game changer? No. But I'm definitely a fan...and that's four stars worthy.
(4)
Tyler M.
I don't recommend going here. The service was sub par as I never received an refills and the server wasn't very friendly. I ordered the Tuna Sashimi appetizer along with the clam ramen.....Big mistake. The sashimi was definitely older because it was an extremely light pink and it was falling apart. The ramen wasn't very pleasing either because it was just ramen with hot clam juice and water. It wasn't appetizing or appealing at all.
(2)
Herman P.
OK, right off the bat, the ONLY reason that this place loses a star is because of the limited seating and the limited hours. With the negative being said, let's get on to all the positives!!! With respect to my mom and aunt, they were born and raised in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, which is where this place gets its name AND where the chef is from. Major kudos, as they are complete snobs when it comes to going out for sushi. Everything is FRESH!!! My favorite items are the Amaebi (Sweet fresh prawns) and it DOES come with the tempura heads, Awabi (giant clam) and Maguro (tuna). My mom loves the Toro (fatty tuna) and the Uni (Sea Urchin) which she says is REALLY fresh... I guess that goes beyond fresh? My favorite entree is the Zaru Soba (cold buckwheat noodles) but I have tried just about everything on the menu and it's ALL good!!! Pricing is VERY inexpensive. I usually bring 2 or 3 other people with me, if it's not just my g/f and I, and we spend LESS than $100 (excluding drinks). Presentation is superb! Everything is separated according to "strength" of the fishiness, not to "contaminate" the flavors. Word of advice, if you are planning a medium party (more than 4, less than 8), it is HIGHLY advisable for you to call exactly at 5pm and make a reservation (min. 60 min in advance). If you are going to have more than 8 people in your group, I would highly recommend you go there during their lunch hour and negotiate a seating arrangement and time, out of courtesy to the establishment.
(4)
Tomas P.
Wow, goodbye over priced sushi. This place has excellent quality for a good price.
(5)
Chris P.
My favorite local sushi restaurant! Fresh ingredients and great presentation!
(4)
Peter T.
This place is solid and quite surprisingly good for being on El Camino in Redwood City. Yeah, I'm biased. Fresh sashimi, sushi and rolls were as good as other good sushi restaurant. The yellowtail was rich, fresh, clean and tasty. Tempura was lightly battered and fried. Cruchy tuna roll was different but very delicious. The only bad thing was the dessert. The mochi was horrible as the dough was hard. Service was good, unlike what others have said here. Defintely will go back.
(4)
Nadine W.
The food here is sadly subpar. I had high hopes when I saw that they serve crab rather than Kani but it was flavorless, their Agedashi was humdrum and their fish uneventful. Nice atmosphere and very friendly staff but the saddest sushi I've had in years.
(2)
Jason Y.
Minimum charge counting is ridiculous!! What a bad service!!!!
(1)
Erin S.
this restaurant has THE MOST AMAZING SUSHI in the bay area. I took a friend from SF today and he said it will be worth to return. We talked about Sushi Ran in Sausalito and they are good BUT SO EXPENSIVE! We never have to go back. Higuma has the freshest, most delicious fish. The sashimi and rolls are out of this world. Everything is magic. The miso is wonderful, the tempura is outstanding...not greasy...it is crispy and yummy. We have ordered a generous bento box on other visits and their noodles /brother are superb! You can't go wrong. They even take reservations! Which I recommend on a weekend....they are always packed!
(5)
Jheremy T.
Love love love this place. I try to go here once a week! Try the Curry Ramen w/ Curry Rice lunch special.
(5)
Marina K.
Sorry Higuma... I really wanted to give you a better rating, two of the staff seemed friendly and attentive, but there was this one server that pretty much dampened the entire mood with her dark mood. We were just walking in and the host told us we could sit anywhere when she appeared and directed us to a table next to a family with a young child even though the restaurant was half empty. During the meal she came over to serve dishes or pick up dishes, but was cold and unfriendly. Not a single smile, or asking us how our food was. She'd just put it down and walk away. It was to the point that it was disturbing, and such a stark contrast from the other two servers. If we caught you on a bad day, maybe just hang out in the back and let the more professional, customer-oriented staff handle everything.
(3)
drew p.
Service sucks!!!
(1)
Kimberly S.
This place is a tiny gem of a Japanese restaurant that is easy to drive by along busy El Camino Real, but it is worth finding. My family has been eating here for years, because the sushi is fresh and reasonably priced. Before I tried the salmon sashimi at Higuma, I really did not understand why anyone would want to eat raw fish that tasted fishy. But, the salmon sashimi is like a little taste of heaven for my mouth...fresh and buttery smooth, without a taint of "fishiness". I was hooked. Their crunchy spicy tuna roll is also delicious. Yes, the restaurant is small, but you will see many families with small children coming in. The waitresses are more than willing to accommodate younger customers by bringing forks, spoons, and even little plates for the kids. Just be sure to arrive early, as the restaurant fills up fast in the evening.
(5)
John F.
I should have left a review for this place a long time ago. This place is the best value for Sushi on the peninsula. Every time I have been here the Sushi is fresh and the prices are fair. The staff is always attentive and friendly.
(4)
Nejime S.
On the way going to my business, I stopped at Higuma. That is artificial taste of ramen! I mean Ajinomoto Ramen. Or, MSG ramen. I think the ones who like that taste will like it very much. The taste is just matter of subjective feeling you have. Caution: It is just a subjective view point from Japanese who was born and grew up in Japan.
(1)
Jennifer T.
Used to be great - we tried it twice after they closed for a short time (change in ownership?) and it's just not very good anymore.
(2)
Rob B.
Higuma used to be our go-to Sushi place for several years. I used to rate it four stars. The owners were friendly and they always recognized and greeted us. The service was good and the prices were fair. Unfortunately, we stopped coming here last year when the quality of Sushi really went downhill. We frequently dined as a family of four and all four of us noticed the quality of sushi deteriorating, so it's not just me. The tipping point for me personally was getting... let's just say indigestion... three times in a row from eating here. It's too bad, because it was really good at one time.
(2)
Yun W.
This place is adorable. The restaurant is like a little house. I also love the bear and fish logo, so identifiable and cute. We ordered the takoyaki appetizer, wakame salad, fireballs (deep fried sushi with sauce), and lots of sushi. The appetizers I wasn't too impressed, the pics and the actual size had some difference in it. I would bother ordering it again. The sushi was very fresh though. They had a piece of paper that you can order how many pieces you want. We ordered a bunch of nigiri, handrolls, rock and roll, spicy white fish tuna roll, and italian roll. I really enjoyed the sushi, especially the nigiri salmon, hamachi, white tuna and salmon roe. All very tasty. The servers were so friendly, it felt like a guest at a person's home. We would definitely come back. I would love to try their spicy miso ramen lunch special if we ever come by for lunch.
(4)
Rodney m.
Good food bad customer service :( Most people here don't speak very good English so communication is tough. So be prepared because they have some strick rules to be aware of. All of which I was unaware of. First rule if you eat there you have to spend 8 dollars or else they will tell you to leave even if it's not crowded which I experienced first had. Which I think is pretty lame because if you want to meet someone for lunch who only wants something small to eat they will tell you to order more or leave. Now I get the place is small and you want to make more money but kicking people out when it's slow doesn't make sense to me.
(2)
Nicole F.
I was surprised by this wee spot. We drove around for 20 mins like fools looking for this place. Unless you are focused on looking for a wee spot you will miss it. Anyway, the gentleman caller and I went for dinner on Friday. It was yummy, I am not going to lie. I wish the menu was a bit more creative. They have all the basics. yet nothing that was wow. They even had a chicken sushi roll. Hmmm, somewhat counter intuitive for a sushi place. And the gentleman said chicken terriyaki was ah, OK. Which in boy speak is not so hot. Take it for what it's worth. I would go back, as there does not seem to be a wait either.
(3)
TJ D.
Good, decent, blue-collar sushi place that is staffed by a welcoming and warm group of people. The service is quick, solid, and attentive. The reason for the 3-star review is that the sushi menu is kind of limited, and locks out customers that don't dig on eel or fake california roll, cream-cheesy kind of offerings. That being said, I do go here often as it is priced well, near where I live, and the Sapporo is always ice cold. You must now go and order 42 pieces of the "Spicy, Crunchy Tuna Roll". It is the best roll they have.
(3)
Melissa L.
Just ate here tonight, and it was really quite good. So good that I was stunned that I hadn't heard people raving about it. It is definitely not an obvious location, but it IS right on El Camino. They definitely seemed to have a loyal clientele. though. Anyway, great service, even when they were slammed, and very reasonable prices. We didn't get a seat at the bar, but it was actually more comfy to kick it in the corner and let them bring the food to us rather than bumping elbows at the tiny 5-6 seat bar. I also liked that they used white miso paste in the miso soup instead of red. It was less salty, more sweet. Fish quality varied, but I was impressed that they had bluefin tuna nigiri for $2/piece. We'll be back.
(4)
Nick S.
Food was decent, HOWEVER... I had a terrible experience when one of the staff called the police on me for TEXTING in the restaurant. They said it looked suspicious and they thought I may be conspiring to rob the place. I came here for some quick bite to eat and I use my phone for work. I was not acting in an unusual manner and I'm sure I'm not a shady character. I was dressed in a nice clean polo shirt and pressed dress pants. Far from a thief's attire. Higuma staff: CHILL OUT. Texting is pretty commonplace.
(2)
heather l.
Sushi fail. 3 stars because I have had good experiences here in the past, but last night was horrible. I ordered steamed spinach side which was cold and was covered in something that strongly resembled fishfood flakes. Seriously, I nearly puked. Unfortunate bc last time I ordered that it was really nice. A veggie roll which was fine just poorly made and fell apart as soon as I tried ti pick the pieces up. Annoying, really. And I tried something new- fermented bean and spring onion roll... Yes I'm a veggie, I still enjoy sushi concept a lot, but want something interesting... This definitely wasn't it. There was no spring onion and the bean stuff was slimy and rancid. I ordered it for takeout so my only recourse was to toss it. They also asked me to move bc they wanted to put someone where I was sitting waiting for my food. In pretty sure if I was eating there I would have spent the same amount so felt entitled to have SOMEPLACE to wait for my food. They are just around the corner from my house, but I probably wont be back, I think there's better sushi to be found in rwc.
(3)
Mei L.
We've lived in the area for many years now and I thought this former little house used to be cute to come and get Japanese food. My husband gave up a long time ago - horrible service and small portions. He had to always come home and still crave to eat more after. My son and I had come here every time we get a craving. However this last time, a week night, Wednesday - they were absolutely incoherent of customer service! We got there and there was one table empty, so we took it. We waited 20 minutes for someone to give us the menu. Then another couple left and and another sat down after us. They went and served them first and gave them the drinks, they ordered. In the meantime, we had not yet ordered and the waitress came with food we did not order! We mentioned we need to order... we waited another 10 minutes and no one came! We finally left! This place is pretty random. The service we got on this Wednesday was pretty normal - if you have time constraints or pretty hungry, definitely do NOT go here! If you have time to kill and will wait to have your food a while, then this place could be ok.. I am not coming back here again...
(1)
M G.
TONIGHT WAS THE WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER!!!! We have been going to Higuma for several years. Initially we thought the food and service were top notch. Over the last year we have noticed a big decline in quality and freshness but still decided to give it another go. WERE WE EVER WRONG!! I went with my two kids who asked specifically for Higuma. We sat down and ordered the exact same order we always do. Ten minutes later the waiter came out to tell us we hadn't ordered the minimum of $10 per person!!! We ordered 3 appetizers and several rolls. Clearly my two kids can't eat a full adult portion. They wouldn't budge so we got up and left, totally embarrased and offended. Let's be clear, I can afford a $30 dinner no problem...BUT IT WAS THE SAME EXACT FOOD WE ALWAYS ORDER THERE!! When I called to speak to the manager 10 minutes later, he was too busy to come to the phone ( this what they actually told me!) I will never return. With SO many other amazing Japanese restaurants nearby I can't believe they would be willing to lose longtime good customers.
(1)
Jennifer L.
I really like this Japanese restaurant. The prices are reasonable, the food is fresh and good, and the staff is friendly. I learned about this restaurant from my brother, who lived in Japan for several years and is picky about his sushi. It's easy to miss the restaurant (hard to notice as you're driving down El Camino). The parking lot is small and can be over-crowded, which is inconvenient.
(4)
carolyn h.
Hey, I like it...and here's how I feel about sushi: I never buy sushi in a grocery store, not even Whole Foods, unless all veggie. I do not like Ebisu in San Francisco, which everyone else seems to love. (Partly because I am one of those snotty natives who knows better out of the way places...I swear I'm nice, but come on- you KNOW Ebisu is overrated!) I hate California rolls an anything with mayonnaise. Blarf! I like Higuma because I would not expect anything special on El Camino, the service is quick, the atmosphere is surprising cozy, and they have ocean trout! If you have not tried it, you must! It is pretty good here, and the quality of the fish over all is just fine. Of course the best ocean trout is at Zushi Puzzle in The City, but if in the south bay/ peninsula area, at least us fans can still get our favorite little swimming friend and get a good buzz on Sake without have to drive too far.
(4)
Evan T.
This little hole in the wall was definitely worth it. I went there after work with a friend and since it was local to my office, I thought it was a good choice. The parking in the back was very limited, but i guess it made sense for such a small restaurant. Upon going in, i could tell that this was a mom and pop operation and it was really limited. I was seated immediately and quickly attacked the menu. Right off the bat, i was a little surprised at how limited their menu was, but comparatively with other restaurants where the restaurant is bigger to accompany a larger kitchen and staff, i thought it made sense. Sure, they didnt' have all the fancy rolls most other restaurants had but if you couldn't get the basic chirashi right, then you have no right doing that other fancy stuff. I ordered the sake(salmon), negihama(onion and yellowtail), a couple of temaki handrolls, unagi + cucumber, white tuna, and agedashi tofu. The agedashi was alright, a little soggy but still good. The one thing that stands out is that it tastes fresh! The negihama was awesome and the sake and white tuna tasted really fresh(meaning wasn't sitting out long). The waitresses were polite, cheery, and came back to check on us the right amount of times. This is NOT a fancy restaurant, but more of a nice hangout, and i could tell the other customers were regulars and knew what they wanted. The chairs and tables aren't fancy, but rather simple. Even the sushi area looks cramped, but some would say its 'cozy'. I did mind a little when I could hear everyone else's conversations around me, and I surmise they could to. As for some of the dishes i did not order, when i go back i plan on getting the curry katsu. That's something you don't find in most japanese restaurants, but i find that most japanese-owned places offer it. This place had a taste of authenticity that makes me want to go back again to try their other dishes. Hopefully when i go back, it won't be crowded.
(4)
stuart l.
I've only been once and I dream of the ramen. The appetizers weren't my cup of tea, but i'll go out of my way to get another stab at that ramen bowl. 5 stars for ramen, 4 stars for Higuma. Cutest logo ever.
(4)
teena y.
There aren't many really good Japanese restaurants around the area, but Higuma is not bad. The service is a bit slow, there's a small parking lot and the place is pretty small so you can hear the people's conversation next to you quite easily (at least from where I was sitting). However, the food is pretty good. I would say their curry is their specialty - I had the katsu curry and it was tasty. The portion was decent too. I also like their home made gyozas. I like the sake (melts like butter) and chicken roll (fried chicken w/ avocado). Their rainbow roll and negihama I've had better elsewhere, but overall not bad.
(3)
Lawrence L.
Excellent home-style Japanese cooking. Unlike most sushi only joints, you get donburis, ramen, curry, and bento boxes galore here. The ramen is good (not as good as Santa Ramen) and the katsu curry is superb (katsu was perfectly fried and the curry had little bits of meat in it). The best part of Higuma is that you can order nigiri by the piece! Yes, you can have one piece of hamachi, tamago, unagi, or hotate if you like. Why is this good, you ask? Well, if you're having lunch, don't feel like dropping 2000+ calories in your stomach, and want a little variety in your sushi, you can try a bunch of stuff for not so much money. If you're expecting some fancy schmancy sushi joint with a sake list and fusion-y food, please stay away. If you like hole-in-the-wall style Japanese eating, you've found it.
(4)
Elaine K.
I had an overnight stay in Redwood City, used Yelp to find a restaurant. This little restaurant was a GREAT value--I got their special that people had reviewed==salad, soup, sushi, dumplings, two meats, and a glass of wine for about $23, including the tip! For Dinner. I would go again, and I have already recommended it. The food was tasty, prepared on the spot...atmosphere was comfortable and very Japanese cozy.
(5)
Mate V.
I really like this place. I've been here a few times now and I always enjoyed it every time. Their food is great, the people are very friendly and the price is super. I don't consider myself a Japanese restaurant guru by any means, so your mileage may vary. Personally, I liked it a lot. Parking is a bit tight, but it doesn't bother me. If you know Redwood City, you know where to find parking space.
(5)
Igor B.
Went there a few times. With every time the size and quality of sashimi was getting worse and worse. Last time we went there for sashimi, my wife started having stomach pain right in the restaurant. I got very similar stomach pain as soon as we came home. It took me over 7 days to get my stomach back in order, and let me tell you, usually i can eat nails and it wouldn't bother me. Also, watch out for the line items on the receipt, sometimes you pay for the salad more than you pay for the sashimi plate. Thought i found a good sushi place, never going back there again!
(1)
Mitchell F.
Higuma Sushi is a solid lunch option - not outstanding, but not bad, especially for Redwood City. My first visit today was for lunch and I ordered the spicy miso ramen and tunapoki don. For $10.50, it was both tasty and filling. I would definitely consider coming back to try the sushi, and would order the ramen again if I had the craving. The parking lot was full, but we walked from the nearby lot just down the street. The place was reasonably busy (always a good sign) but had a couple open tables and we received prompt service from a friendly Japanese waitress.
(3)
Debra C.
We went here on a Friday night and it was packed! Lucky that we had an reservation and we were promptly seated. We ordered a fish egg rice bowl, which was very good, and couple sashimi, which was very fresh. The waitress were very polite and gave us time to consider our menu. It's a very cozy environment that is great to meet friends but not for romantic dinner ;-)
(4)
Codi R.
Love! the dinner special is amazing! Soup, salad, sushi and a cook meat= awesome and totally filling. A little small but its great.
(5)
Elyse B.
I love Higuma! Its one of the least expensive, freshest Japanese restaurants I've been to in the area. Everything I've had is great, but I am particularly in love with the quality of their sushi. I also thoroughly enjoy the gyoza curry, and sometimes I just have to get the combination dinner, which is a great deal because most restaurants I've been to nearly double their prices on bento from lunch to dinner. The only bad thing I can think of is the size of the parking lot and restaurant. Its tiny, so if you go when its busy it can be a little bit annoying (its impossible to ignore other peoples conversations), and parking can be a bit of a hassle. Plenty of Japanese restaurants right around my place of living, but Ill keep driving to Redwood City for Higuma love.
(5)
Yb W.
We discovered this restaurant about two years ago, and it has since become our go-to place for nigiri and hand rolls in the South Peninsula. Higuma serves high quality, traditional sushi. And they offer selections for the more seasoned sushi eaters, such as amaebi, uni, and scallop. For these delicacies, the price can be steep (most are $4/piece), but I think that's the going rate in these areas. Their hand rolls, though, are well made and not expensive ($3), and given the size, can easily fill you up. They also serve bento boxes and brightly colored "dragon rolls" and "rainbow rows", if those are to your liking. The restaurant is small and popular, so be prepared to wait for a seat. About a year ago, they began serving lunch, during which they offer sashimi sampler platters and ramen. I think ramen is best left to specialized ramen restaurants and that sushi remains Higuma's strength.
(4)
Armando S.
This place is really amazing, went there for dinner, and has now become my favorite place to go for sushi. The sushi rolls are really great, service is really quick, and everything tastes really fresh. Small place, really good, and a favorite spot now.
(5)
Sari C.
Oh wow. I finally made it to Higuma for lunch after a couple very satisfying dinners (so far, everything has been delicious). But I felt compelled to update my review this time because I tried their ramen, which they only serve during lunchtime. IT WAS AMAZING! I've lived in Japan and I can say without reservation this is the best ramen I have had outside of Japan, and even tops the cheaper Japanese ramen shops. I got the spicy miso ramen (the guys at the table next to me strongly recommend the curry ramen) with onigiri - only $8.50!. The onigiri was warm (!!!) and had tasty cooked salmon inside. The ramen was to die for. This ramen was very classy and upscale, including three varieties of seaweed, pork, scallions, delicious noodles all in a not-too-thick, not-too-thin spicy miso base. The seaweed was very mild in flavor and texture, which I think is good for Western sensibilities (ie don't be scared of it!) but not salty or slimy enough for my tastes ^.^ I paired my lunch with four pieces of nigiri (very tasty as always) and a small Sapporo - it was on the border of too much food but I left the restaurant more content than I've been in a long time! Also the waitresses are always super nice - I'm sad to read mean comments about them, they are from Japan and do not speak much good English, and also in Japanese restaurants there is a premium on fast service, it is why they will ask you so much if you are ready to order. Please keep that in mind when you next go to Higuma- it is truly authentic! Higuma !!
(5)
Juli A.
We just moved to the area and are looking for a nearby sushi spot for our regular fix. Of course we turn to yelp. Unfortunately we were very dissappointed with the quality of sushi at Higuma. The BF ordered the chirashi bowl, and the sashimi on top looked to be quite old and had little end pieces formed together as a piece of sashimi!!! He believes he received this because he requested no octopus. They also have the regular soy on all the tables, so I thought they probably didn't have the low sodium variety. After being overwhelmed by a dire thirst after dipping a couple of pieces of sushi into this soy (I haven't used regular soy in I don't know how long), I did request and receive low sodium. The prices are cheap, but I would much rather pay for a higher quality and more enjoyable dining experience.
(1)
Chris W.
3 stars is the hardest rating to give. I don't really know when to give it. I always feel compelled to bump up to 4, but I think Higuma is really a 3. A cute, little Japanese restaurant in Redwood City. The place is pretty small and the decor is great if you like bears. It is neat and tidy like most Japanese places. The prices are pretty good! I got the Katsu Curry which was $8. The curry was what I expected, I guess. Decent, but nothing too special. The sushi was good, except I thought that the seaweed was a little rubbery. I would say that everything was average, but I had a good experience and the staff was nice. It just wasn't good enough to be a place to stand out amongst all the other japanese restaurants around.
(3)
Joe L.
Came here for lunch and ordered the spicy miso ramen with onigiri. It does have some fire to it, but I suppose I should request it spicier next time. Nice cozy looking place that could easily overlooked driving by on El Camino. The pork was pretty salty but the broth did have enough flavor for me. Onigiri was a good size and the salmon was decently seasoned, so no complaints there. I'd give it a 3.5 but it deserves the extra half star for its service.
(4)
No O.
excellent, down to earth, great service-just don't sit next to the bathroom
(3)
thb t.
don't be fooled by the non-asian audience, this place is an authentic sushi restaurant. the rolls are bit pricey compared to other places like joy sushi. the nigiri is what you should be eating as it is fresh and tasty. some pieces were slice paper thin but all-in-all it was delectable. it's not uncommon to drop 60 bucks without libations for 2 people.
(3)
Cliff S.
The restaurant is small, there are customers who have to sit right near the door. If you're there on a cold night whether picking up or waiting for a seat, expect a cold stand outside or awkward wait inside. And the real kicker here is the food and service are pretty average. I'd much rather head down the street to Sequoia Station and eat at Little Madfish.
(2)
Sharlene C.
my brother claimed that it was better than sushi sam's and have to say he was right. japanese owned. j-pop plying overhead. it's authentic peeps.we started with the white tuna tataki, which was quite nice with teh ponzu sauce and onions. my mom isn't a fan of raw fish and she even enjoyed it. i got the combo b sushi which included tuna rolls, and a assortment of salmon, shrimp and homochi. my parents got the dinner combo and friends it does not come in a bento box. it was a lot of food. i had to order the spider roll and it was perfectly crispy and jam packed with goodness. couldn't get the whole thing in one bite. i'll be back. p.s. they have the most adorable logo with a bear with his arm around a fish. so japanese cute it hurts.
(4)
Tim Q.
I would give it 4 1/2 stars, but I rounded up since they have been consistently good in the 8 years I have been going there. The sushi is always tasty and fresh and the manager(owner) is very kind. They have added some trendy rolls in the past couple years and upped the prices a bit, but I still find it to be one of the most affordable sushi places to eat. Make no mistake: I don't have $100 to drop on a sushi dinner, and I also hate to spend $15 to eat 6-8 pieces of sushi and go home starving. So if you are looking for somwehere to eatgood quality sushi in decent quantity then you have found it. Also, check out their bento box lunches and dinners for some variety and a good cheap meal. Never been sick in eating there 30+ times over 8 years.
(5)
Jade D.
native Hokkaido style and it seems like a family running small business. get there early so you don't have to wait! food quality is just ok. with private parking lot behind this cute cottage building :)
(3)
Kristine T.
Okay, let me get my bias out there - I've always loved this place because the sushi is affordable, damn good, and it's the size of a hut so you actually feel like you're dining in someone's home ! I've been coming here for 3+ years and every time has been a great experience. Their sushi is fresh, portions are not overwhelming, (afterall, the art of enjoying japanese food is appreciating the taste and texture - it's not a Texas cook off for god's sake!) they have good quality sake, an intimate setting, and the staff is friendly. I've had just about everything on their menu and honestly...I mean honestly, I have never been dissapointed. Btw - they take reservations if you are on the way, don't let any other yelper tell you otherwise. ;)
(5)
Turanga L.
After a first visit, I would give Higuma four stars. The sushi is fresh and made in bite sizes the way sushi is supposed to be made. They also serve "ocean salad", a nice name for seaweed salad. The restaurant itself is very small with very few tables and seats. But because we went for a late dinner, we didn't have trouble getting a table right away. The service was very good. The staff is very friendly and courteous. The price is reasonable for a sushi restaurant. I would definitely go back again.
(4)
Clem D.
Yummy chirashi! Sushi is fresh! It's a cozy little restaurant.
(4)
.caroline. ..
Best bang for your buck, folks. Great food, great prices. It's small and friendly, and a great go-to spot for solid Japanese food.
(5)
Margie L.
Yet another on the list of places to try on the way home from work. I must admit I'm surprised this place gets written up as value. It was one of our more expensive meals and the quality just didn't keep up. Pros: The housemade gyoza were tasty and reasonably priced. Cons: the fish lacked flavor. The prices are per piece so what seems like it might be reasonable ($4.50 for a sushi on special when it's just one piece quickly adds up).
(2)
Christine V.
This place is too cute. Kind of small but very quaint, very homey. The waiters and sushi chef are very friendly. The food was very good, both raw and cooked. A pretty good selection and a handful of special rolls. Price is reasonable. Not a lot of parking. Will definately go again!
(4)
rathi a.
This is the worst Japanese dinner box I have ever eaten... in fact it is the worst dinner box i have eaten in any restaurant. I have lived in the Peninsula for 28 years and I have not eaten such substandard food in any Japanese restaurant ( actually any restaurant in the Peninsula) am shocked at the quality of the chicken teriyaki and the salmon teriyaki dinner. The Teriyaki sucked...There were 4 pieces of of rubbery chicken and one small piece of hard salmon in the respective dinner boxes I dont understand why this restaraunt has good ratings... I guess it must be ONLY for their sushi. DONT touch their dinner boxes!!
(1)
Monica A.
OMG I love this place! Very affordable (6 peices of a spicy tuna roll are $2.50) and SO fresh and tasty! I love it.
(5)
Jocelyn H.
Nearly the best Japanese food I've had. We were a foursome and the wait was a little longer than we had planned for. I had never been before, but the couple we went with were veritable regulars - they should have expected the wait but seemed surprised when this quaint little spot had nary an empty table at 7:30 on a Saturday night. And they shouldn't have! Friendly and knowledgeable service. I think our waitress spoke the best English I've ever encountered from a server at a Japanese restaurant and even than some of my Japanese friends. Though toward the end of our meal we were fairly abandoned as my GF's husband wanted to order one more piece of sushi and some dessert and we couldn't catch our waitresses eye. The miso soup they brought out before the meal was very good - served very very hot! So that's definitely a big plus! BF had a terriyaki dinner box with beef and chicken. I snagged a piece of the beef and I couldn't believe how tender and flavorful it was! Until that exact moment all the terriyaki beef I had ever had was overcooked, tough and overly sweet. This beef stood on it's own and was lightly terriyakied - as opposed to terriyaki with some "beef" in it. I didn't get a chance to steal a piece of chicken but it looked delicious - not dry and tough-looking, but really nicely cooked. We all ended up splitting an order of tempura. The shrimp was really good. I had to rest it from my BFs iron grip, but it was well worth it. Also the veggies were nicely done - not overly soft which can sometimes be the unfortunate case. I had the 11 piece combination sushi plate which includes six pieces of tuna roll homochi, salmon, shrimp, halibut and manago. The shrimp is never my favorite, and this was no exception. I should have asked for something different, but didn't want to bother. My friends had no problem asking for replacement items in their orders and the waitress was very accommodating. The halibut, manago and salmon were among the best sushi I have ever had. The fish was so tender - the texture was fantastic. I will definitely get these again, and try other types during my next visit. There is one bathroom through a very tiny door. But the bathroom on the other side is nothing like the other side of the Looking Glass. It's actually a pretty nice sized and nicely maintained restroom. BF & I had a large sake, and appetizer and two entrees and our bill was about $35. Pretty reasonable considering how good everything was. I would definitely bring people here and there is no doubt I will return to satisfy my next sushi hankering.
(4)
Emily M.
This place has been here for a long time and I've never checked it out. Parking is interesting because the lot is quite small, but it was doable for dinner. The prices were quite reasonable and the service quick and efficient. The sushi was not luxurious, but quite good nevertheless. We didn't try any of their special rolls - next time! Overall a great experience if you have a craving for sushi but are not in the mood for something fancy.
(5)
Gary W.
This little place is hidden treasure in Redwood City. Fish is fresh. Bluefin Tuna nigiri was good. Aji (Spanish Mackerel) was disappointing the last time I tried it. It is not fancy nor heavily influence by french cruisin, but for the regular fish that you can get most everywhere, definately better than average quality. Highly recommended.
(4)
Chris G.
Last night I was craving Japanese food, so after reading about all the good reviews on Yelp I had to check out Higuma. It is a nice quaint place. After looking around I found the door for the bathroom and joked that it went to a door outside. (If you ever walked from behind the building you may understand the joke) Well we ordered the karage dinner (fried chicken), firecracker bowl, Italian roll and and Sake (salmon). When I asked if they had cold Sake the waitress was kind enough to bring out all three bottles. I chose the Junmai Ginjo Sake since I've drank it before and I knew it was smooth. Well the Italian roll is basically a Philadelphia roll. It was OK, but I would not order it again. The firecracker bowl had great flavor. It reminded me of the Satan Roll I had at Kani sushi. The karage tasted great (my first time) and overall I was very pleased with my experience. Next time I'm going to have to try to Ramen since there are not too many places that serve good Ramen.
(4)
Andy M.
One of my favorite sushi places in the Bay Area. My favorites here are definitely nigiri style sushi: white tuna (shiro maguro), ocean trout, salmon, hamachi and uni (especially when its imported from japan). This place always has highest quality fish and friendly service! If you like rolls, my advice is get simple, traditional style rolls here.
(5)
Daniel H.
Higuma has a typical sushi restaurant vibe and typical sushi and non-fish selections. But hey, with a sushi restaurant all you really need to know is that the fish is good, and let me tell you, it is very good.
(4)
Emiko M.
*Update 3/21/07: I maintain my 5 star rating. Great service, inexpensive and good sushi. I feel like I've found my go-to sushi place in in this area! First of all - yes it is Japanese owned (yay). Secondly - it does get a little stuffy in there and seating is fairly limited, but everything else makes up for it. It is kind of hard to find, if you're going southbound on El Camino it'll be on your right, but from the northbound side it's a little hard to see. It was a little bit before our order was taken, but surprisingly the sushi came fast and we gobbled it down! For 2 people, we spent $33 (w/o tip) and this is what we got: a large Asahi, 6 pieces of nigiri (2 sake, 2 maguro, 2 hamachi), 3 rolls (a tempura roll, the cream cheese one, and spicy tuna), a spicy tuna hand roll, and seaweed salad. It all came out nicely in a black sushi box. Most nigiri pieces were about $1.50/pc and some up to $3/pc. Seriously - the sushi is very good and the portions were good, not the tiny sloppy pieces you get at many other places. I don't know how the chef made it so fast because there's only one person behind the counter, and it was crowded in the restaurant (I think the rest of the family was serving the restaurant). The pieces were neatly rolled, and very good. I highly recommend this place and will definitely go back!
(5)
Esther A.
having food from here YEARS ago and remembering that it was tasty, i knew it was a good choice. i drove by it the first time and had to make a u turn to come back around. very small lot in the back, thankfully i got there before their dinner crowd. very small, but quaint inside. our options were to sit right next to the door or right next to the restroom. we opted for the door. not too chilly, thankfully the weather was HOT earlier this week. had the spicy crunch roll (spicy tuna with tempura crunch stuff on the outside), spider roll and the hamachi/green onion roll. i love hamachi, i wish i could've tasted the buttery goodness that is hamachi, but it just tasted like minced raw fish, no hamachi taste/flavor. not much green onion flavor either :( sad... i was looking forward to it. the spicy crunch roll did NOT fail. VERY good. my only complaint, not enough hahaha... their spider roll - and mind you, i am NOT the spider roll critic that my bf is, but i thought it was really good. biting each piece in half was not a problem as it is usually...... the seaweed just broke off and i was able to keep the other half between my chopsticks. fresh fish, relatively quick service... they let us sit there until closing without any dirty looks.... so that's almost 3 hours! lol.... will go back, but i think take-out will suffice.
(4)
Michele L.
I love this place. Higuma is the home of the best gyoza on the Peninsula. Be sure to order their homemade gyoza, and not the frozen kind that comes off their menu. They also have a pretty decent selection of fish, but order off the hand-written specials menu (updated daily) for the freshest sashimi. Lunch-time bento boxes and meals offer a LOT of food for about 10 bucks. Sushi rolls are good but on the pricey side. Parking can be a bit of a pain. They only have about 6 spots in their small lot. Also, if you're coming here for the first time, the restaurant is in this cute little house about a half block south of Whipple. Its a little hard to find the first time but worth it!
(5)
Christina C.
Higuma serves amazingly delicious sushi in all sorts of combinations and charges low, low prices for the quality it delivers. The atmosphere is simple and low-key. Parking is a bit difficult--listen to the signs, and don't try to park in the adjacent lot! In terms of the food, the maki are large and well-made; the only time I had one fall apart on me was after I dropped it in my tray of soy sauce. Futi maki is a favorite order, if only because the slices are so large they can barely be eaten in one bite. (Struggling with sushi can be a great way to calm nerves and relax on a keyed-up dinner engagement. If neither of you can do it, why not laugh about it?) The hamachi and sake maki were also good. I'm definitely looking forward to returning to Higuma.
(5)
Sophia Y.
solid nabeyaki udon edamame good salmon teriyaki good salad = creamy, eh. not worth the calories good service really cute logo- bear with fish?
(3)
X S.
RAMEN UPDATE: This is a neighborhood favorite with a solid stream of "regulars" coming in who know the rules of Higuma. Be patient and flexible and you will be rewarded with the freshest sushi, home-cooking style entrees, and a cozy atmosphere. This is a gem of the southern peninsula area. I recently tried the spicy miso ramen lunch special with the side order of Hawaiian Poki (in a little bowl over rice). THIS WAS BLISS! I didn't know Higuma had Ramen because I usually go for dinner. And the Poki was FANTASTIC! It reminded me of Hawaii. (I would like to see some "ogo" seaweed on the poke, but I know it's so hard to find it here in CA). The seeming strictness of their policies makes sense if you spend alot of time in the place- they used to get lots of odd customers taking up space, causing trouble, and making us wait for their seat. Just be patient and understand that there is limited space here.
(5)
Zhanna L.
New to Redwood City and was looking for a good Sushi restaurant. We went on a Friday night for dinner and it was packed, but they found some room for us at the bar. The place is very small and not very clean. Service was good and food arrived very quickly. We usually pick from the Sashimi and Roll's menu and the choice wasn't the best. -Salmon & Unagi (sushi) barely covered the rice and were about 10 degrees warmer then the room temperature. -One of the rolls fell apart as soon as you picked it up, and the other was suppose to be a bit spicy (and we love spicy food), but it was so hot, that I had to gobble down a cup of water after every piece. And last but not least, the price did not match the food quality. We wont be going back.
(2)
Aim B.
If you like fish that tastes days old, then this is the place for you! I have eaten at a lot of sushi places, some even in the Midwest, and I would have to say this was the worst of the lot. The Ocean Salad was nice, however, hence the two stars.
(2)
Karla M.
Love the sushi here! Service is fast and the sushi is fresh. Only problems are that the place is small and they don't take debit/credit card if your order is less than $15. I'll keep going back though since it is sooo worth it!
(4)
Anthony O.
1) Really fresh sashimi. I'm really not sure what the other posters are saying about the quality of the fish - it's some of the freshest sashimi I've had in the Bay Area, definitely in the peninsula. The bluefin and toro are some of the best I've ever had. 2) Service is just fine - I've never had any problems at all here. They won't inttrupt your meal or wait on your every whim, but it's a Japanese restaurant - not a French or Italian spot. 3) Rolls are great as well. I don't know about the non-sushi offerings (like appetizers and ramen). I've had some appetizers and while they're not the best I've ever had, they're definitely good. I usually just stick with the sashimi and I'm perfectly content. If you stick to the sashimi, which is consistently good, I'd recommend this place every time.
(5)
Naivette C.
Excellent service, fresh fish, great prices. Everything you are looking for in a great restaurant. I went here for lunch. First, it is extremely small, a hole in the wall located on busy El Camino. Do not let that sway you. Park in the shopping center a bit pass the restaurant where there is a day spa and cellular phone store. You can't miss it. Then walk to the restaurant. You'll find it easier to get in and out. I ordered the lunch box which included tempura (shrimp and veggies, chicken terriyaki, california roll, salad, soup and rice. It was only 8.00. Crazy, but you get 2 pieces of shrimp!! That may not mean much but some places give you no shrimp with your tempura unless you pay extra. Al a carte, you can order sushi. I had a 6 pce unagi roll for 3.50. Very reasonable, very tasty. The atmosphere is quaint and the customers are diverse. It does get crowded during lunch I noticed, so plan. There is a small sushi bar, no bigger than most kitchen counters. This is not a place for the sushi floating on a boat lovers. It's not novelty. It's authentic Japanese cuisine. I drove here from the East Bay and it didn't take long and well worth the drive. It's easy to find. Also the service is wonderful. They never make you feel rushed as in some other restaurants. Finally, the salad was fresh and tasted great. Why do I bring that up? If you've had these Japanese lunch boxes elsewhere, you know what I'm talking about. The watered down lettuce which waters down your dressing. So you're eating what exactly? Oh yeah. Water. Oh one more point, not a place for young children. It really is too small and you will be asked to leave strollers outside the restaurant. There is even a sign which tells you so. Just leave the youngin's at home. I did.
(5)
Jennifer C.
Ok, Hands down this is the place to go. Inexpensive, totally fresh. My boyfriend and I have been going to Higuma for years. Just flat out great sushi. Def. order the sunamono salad and goyza to start. They have just added some new rolls which are damn good.
(5)
Dario C.
This is probably one of the best sushi restaurants in the area. The service is good (run by real Japanese people) and the food is fantastic. The prices are a bit steep for the food portions they offer, but the quality is stellar. My favorite dish is the spicy crunchy tuna roll. I can sit there and eat 3 orders of it, which I have and do not recommend. COMA ZONE. Things to note: - The lot behind the restaurant is very small, around a 10 car capacity - Restaurant closes at 2pm. - Limited seating.
(4)
Keith M.
This is an authentic, cozy, casual and friendly place, service is great and the head chef is excellent. The seafood is very fresh, I knew this owner when he was a sushi chef at other restaurants further down in the South Bay, and he is talented and has a great personality . The place is small, and parking is a bit cumbersome, but for that mid-Peninsula/Redwood City area this is a definite Japanese quality place to check out.
(4)
Douglas H.
This place has good food and good service. It's tiny, but that actually adds to the ambiance. Can't wait to go back!
(4)
Tony L.
so i decided to come here to show my gf a great place i found in a random place. we came here before, but there was no parking, and there was a long wait, so this time was the first official time for her. she expected a lot from this place which failed to deliver. all started from a simple order of beer. i placed an order of echigo beer (my fav japanese beer btw), they did not ask me for my id, so i figure after so many years of being carded, i can finally live a normal life of any other 25 year old. so when they decide to give me the beer...which was already open, glass in hand...they ask for my id. i said...sorry i left my wallet at home...because i really did leave it at home. they declined me from being able to drink without an id. so i did not really care cuz i do look very young for my age, and with no proof, i shouldnt be drinking...until the one short fat waitress was cleaning a table next to ours and mumbled under her breath..."underage, underage" thanks for making assumptions lady....maybe i shouldn't assume that you stuff your fat fucking face with twinkies and hohos all day. anyways...our bill was pretty cheap. especially after we left them a 3 cent tip. thanks bitches. i would NOT recommend coming here. the sushi is not fresh at all. the fish looks like its been on the counter for days. the nigiri breaks as soon as you pick it up. the slice of the fish was so much smaller than the size of rice they give you. they have lost me as a customer, though i wanted to go back later that night with my wallet just to order a beer and leave them no tip again. bitches. i'm never coming back here ever again. i will tell my friends to never come here. i will go as far as to file a complaint with the better business bureau. i will never speak of this restaurant ever again, unless the conversation entails themes of: 1. worst restaurants in the bay area 2. japanese restaurants that i would never eat at. 3. places with the worst customer service. 4. fake japanese restaurants that are not authentic japanese 5. the place i would not eat at even if i was dying of hunger....sorry i would rather eat my own shit. 6. stupid mother fuckers who should learn to keep comments to themselves. im out.
(1)
Keika L.
I love going here for lunch during the work week and enjoy their ramen lunch special. Don't expect the best ramen EVER, but the service is good and the food is worth the money. I always get their Miso Ramen and Tuna Poki combo.
(4)
Chris B.
What kind of sushi bar won't let you order directly from the sushi chef, especially when the place isn't crowded? I felt guilty even saying hi to the sushi chef. Apparently you need a mediator to place an order through the wait staff using a piece of paper to write down what you want. Ok, fine. However when we tried to place a "special" order (hand roll with salmon, salmon skin & cucumber... not exactly rocket science, eh?) the wait staff told us in a rude kinda way "we don't do special orders". WTF? Plus, they had this as a regular roll (at least one that was close enough). Also I asked for the check and they hand it to my girlfried. Oops! I will say the prices here in general are CHEAP (though the two rolls we got I thought were pricey at 12.50 a pop). The fish was very good, especially the albacore. ** 2/12/08 Update Went again (actually twice), sat at the bar - no issues! Friendly chef. Great, great nigiri. The other time was for lunch, again, great experience. This place gets CROWDED on a Friday night.
(4)
Yunmi B.
All around solid Japanese food with nice waitresses. The place is a bit small. I'm into authentic Japanese food at reasonable prices! :) I started salivating for the white tuna tataki. In case you're wondering, it is a great slab of white albacore tuna - lightly seared and raw/pink in the middle. It's served on a bed of sliced white onions, scallions, daikon (Japanese grated radish), and perfectly doused in my favorite sauce in the whole wide world- PONZU! It was delightful and it just melted in my mouth. The sake selection was also pretty great. Don't remember which one I had but I guess it doesn't really matter because I had a lot of fun afterwards.
(3)
Doug W.
Sorry guys, but your cleanliness on my last visit just wasn't there - didn't want to look at the floor, you know what I mean? Plus, they put parties of 3 at a (small) table meant for 2, and parties of 5 at (small) tables meant for 4. We kept on playing musical plates to get everything to fit, and kept consolidating and carrying our own dishes to the kitchen. Not cool, particularly when prices are on the high side.
(1)
Luke S.
A home-style Japanese restaurant on El Camino in Redwood City? We never would have guessed. No particular element is amazing, but solid sushi, cooked food, decor, service, and prices make for a great all-around package.
(4)
Florio M.
Im in that state now where I am adventuring to new restaurants by way of Yelp... so I go in with ideas of what im going to order and what I should expect in terms of quality and service.... As for Higuma... it was good.... but honestly nothing amazing to bring me back again... There must be 50 or so sushi bars on the peninsula... I need "something" to make it worth a 2nd or 3rd time Food: I liked everything we ordered... the quality of the sushi was fresh and the specialty rolls were very tasty... Service: Slow at first, but probably because we sat down before being seated... there was One very cute and sweet waitress who was very attentive Ambience: simple... nothing extravagent here... lots of locals... you can tell that it is supported by the local repeaters when customers come in and the waitresses say "hello __(add name)____" ... Recommend: Order what you like... it all was good If you like specialty rolls... order the "Firecracker" I still like sushi Sam's, but they have been on vacation... so I went on a trip elsewhere enough said...
(3)
eric k.
I wonder if I'll ever be "found out" but.... A couple years ago, a friend and I ended up eating here like 3 times in a week. The deal was that one of our other friends, which we suspected was gay(ok... still do, even though he's married), had a crush on one of the waitresses. So my other friend and I were trying to check her out, and hence... But anyway.. the food is ok. Not bad... nothing special. I guess the scenery was OK... not great(yeah.. I guess if it didn't have an adam's apple, that was an improvement). btw... friend never did get a date with the waitress, but he did try, so props to him for that.
(3)
Conrad C.
Went there with a friend of mine today(7/23/09) for lunch. We orginally went to Santa Ramen but it was closed. Well, this place did not disappoint. We both order ramen and they were both good. The ramen tasted and looked fresh. I forget what my friend got but I had the spicy miso ramen. After we ordered, our stuff came out in 5 minutes! Seriously, we were in and out in 15 minutes. Great service too.
(5)
Kimberly B.
I love the atmosphere at Higuma --- cozy, but not cramped/crowded, and I've never had to wait for a table. I spent several years living in Japan, and their menu makes me feel like I'm transported back there! Their curry with gyoza is my favorite, but I would also highly recommend the sushi. Prices are reasonable and service is very friendly. Parking is easy, also.
(5)
Connie Y.
sushi good and cheap. small and tiny- good choice for lunch if u work around the area. the service can be good or bad- depending on how many people are there. bentos are kinda little though.....yummy katsu curry..... ramen- is okay they have sake along with beer and wine. only a lunch time choice - would not come here for an enjoyable dinner.
(3)
Steve D.
Higuma is my favorite spot for sushi/ japanese food on the Peninsula. I've been to several of the other popular sushi joints along the Peninsula and in SF and Higuma is the one that keep coming back to. One reason for coming back so often might be how close by Higuma is from my house but this does not take away from the fact that food and prices here are really good. Higuma does not have too many crazy selections of sushi and rolls but all of the basics are covered: Bluefin, Maguro, Sake, Shiro Maguro, Hamachi, Hotate, Unagi, spicy tuna roll, salmon skin roll, to name a few. My personal favorite here is the Ocean Trout. This fish is fantastic! Please do limit yourself to one order though...I don't want them to run short on me when I arrive. Other than the sushi, the starter dishes, bento boxes, and Soba that I've had on other visits were all delicious. Everything is cooked just right and not overdone. I've been a little hesitant to write a review about Higuma but now that the word is out, it's not too much of a secret anymore. This place is small and gets filled up pretty quickly!
(4)
Ice Cream Truck I.
I live in SF and work in Belmont. I went to Higuma for the first time, for lunch today. It was very pleasant. It's a sorta hideaway, so it wasn't crowded at peak lunch hour (we got there slightly afternoon 12 noon). Great menu, and the lunch boxes were really reasonable. My colleague and I both got the tempura and sashimi box, which was like $14. It came with miso soup, about 8 small pieces of sashimi (I think 4 of tuna, 4 of something else, very fresh), salad, rice, about 6 pieces of tempura (3 shrimp, 3 vegetable). I thought it was very reasonable. Oh yeah, and I love that they don't charge you for tea (why do restaurants do that?). The parking lot in the back is small, but people were friendly when we were there so it wasn't all city road-ragey.
(4)
Nicole H.
We love Higuma. It is our favorite local Japanese restaurant and we have never had a disappointing meal there. Not only is the food always fresh and delicious, it is easily one of the least expensive Japanese restaurants we have been to. I love their bento boxes and that they include not only your two selections but also 3 gyoza, 3 California Rolls, Soup, Salad and Rice! All for under $11 typically. They have wonderful soup bowls available at lunch and their yaki onigiri is DELISH! Our 4 year old loves Higuma too and often times will beg to go there. Tiny place with a very authentic Japanese feel. Reminds me of the restaurants I visited in Japan.
(4)
Tiffany L.
I've been here twice now and still haven't had the experience to understand all the 4-5 star hype. The sushi and nigiri are okay and some pieces were pretty fresh but nothing stood out to me. I'm leery on making the trip again since parking can feel a little hellish (the parking in the back can get really cramped) and the restaurant itself is small so you squeeze or you wait.
(3)
Rosalind C.
Another great Yelp find... Thanks Yelp! I would have never come here, but for the excellent reviews I found about this place and my insatiable hankering for some good sashimi. The hint about good prices caught my eye too. Boyfriend and I came here on a rainy night and were quite charmed with the place. He says that it's quite authentic in feel (he seems to be an expert in all things Japanese... now if I could only get him to learn Cantonese....) He got soba, I got sashimi, and we split a dragon roll. I have to say, I've never been to place where I got 14 pieces of sashimi for $13. That's a good price! And for good sashimi! We were both really pleased with our experience. I'm looking forward to coming back here in the future. Cute place to come as a couple. And if you're a single White dude, please don't try to hit on the cute Japanese waitresses. It's just embarrassing for everyone involved, including the other patrons who have to watch.
(5)
Erin V.
Good Food, Good Prices, Good Service
(4)
Sandra S.
I first came here for lunch with co-workers and I was surprised at how tiny it was. I've now been here for lunch twice and luckily haven't had a problem being seated quickly. I love their chicken katsudon, it's a perfect lunch time portion. It's a very low maintenance kind of place and seems to be fairly popular, I always take that as a fair indicator as to the quality of a restaurant. Granted I haven't tried much of the menu guess I'll have to just keep returning.
(4)
Aaron M.
A very pleasant surprise: this mom and pop-looking place serves excellent fish at a pretty low price, and the staff can give great recommendations. I went with a group of friends and we enjoyed all the standards, plus particularly good hotate and spicy white tuna. A small miracle, some delicious fatty tuna was bargain-priced. The small dining room was completely full on a Friday night (incidently with some other friends that had seen this place recommended online!), and we were lucky to get a table. The crowd led to slow service, but the fresh fish and price made up for it.
(5)
Ruth B.
Some of the best sushi in the area. Funny little location, you'd never expect to find a great restaurant, but there it is! Not terrific with kids, but it was doable.
(4)
H K.
Higuma is alright. Inexpensive, reasonable sushi selections, although not the highest quality. Same with bento boxes, quite tasty, very nice gyoza. It's in our neighborhood, so we've been there many times. Service is ok, and as it's pretty popular in RWC, can get crowded, and we all just have to be patient. This weekend was strange. They have a new waiter, and when the check came, he asked for more tip because they had been so busy and said they weren't paid too well. This weirded me out a bit, never having been asked outright before. However, I didn't feel offended, but I didn't tip anymore than usual. Because, the servce was, as usual, just acceptable. So overall, the place is fine if you're in RWC and looking for an inexpensive place. 3 stars for service, 3.5 for food.
(3)
Kevvy K.
This place is great--for value. I was dying to try some place different for Japanese the other day, and found the rave reviews on this site. Went to the restaurant, found it packed on a Monday evening (always a good sign), and ordered our food. For less than 40 bucks, we got two combination dinners, rainbow roll, and cheap cheap (if smaller-sized) spicy tuna rolls. Overall, everything tasted pretty good. The salmon teriyaki was cooked just right--not overcooked like virtually everywhere else. For value, I'd go here. But value sacrifices quality, and by no means is this the best, freshest sushi place around these parts that everyone else, I think, is misleadingly (or less than knowingly) claiming. It's the best sushi for its price range, but that's because everywhere else is more expensive. And, unfortunately, you can taste it in the less than optimal freshness and tastiness of the most important thing: the raw fish itself. If you're not a stickler for how your fish tastes, you'll like this place. I'm going back to try the non-sushi items on the menu (zaru soba, udon, etc.) And it's definitely higher quality than the other value sushi place in the distant 'hood, Sushi Tomo down on El Camino Way. But if you're looking for dope sushi, be forewarned: you get what you pay for.
(3)
J S.
We ordered a variety of dishes from the sushi bar as well as from the kitchen, the quality did not impress, poor sake selection did not help, either. Will not return again anytime soon.
(2)
starrynight c.
This place's curry was good. I'm a picky curry eater, and this is definitely somewhere I'll be going back to. I got the gyoza curry to go and the curry came on the same (thank goodness, otherwise it'd be soggy-icky). And there were 3 gyoza laid on top of rice mmmm...and the gyoza were amazing!! Not over pan fried, really fresh tasting gyoza skin, yum! This place is pretty close to where I live, so I'm guessing I'll end up being a regular...especially for 8 bucks for a curry dish!
(4)
wendy c.
Our favorite Japanese restaurant in the area. Completely authentic (good sign -- all the staff are Japanese). They make really good ramen, have great choices and good value for their combination boxes, and decent sushi. Having living in Japan for over a year -- I'm an incredibly finicky Japanese cuisine eater. But they never disappoint. We go about once a week.
(5)
Katharine A.
sushi is ok, but the best reason to some here is that it is cheap.
(2)
James T.
The place felt like a hole in the wall. A coworker said it looked like a house that was remodeled into a restaurant. The prices for Higuma were reasonable until I saw the size of the fried sushi I ordered. The sushi was pretty good but nothing out of the ordinary. I would go again only because it's close to where I'm staying.
just to let you know how stringent my standards are: to date i have not found five star sushi in the sf bay area. and yes, i have had 5 star sushi. 5 star sushi is fresh from the sea chosen by the sushi chef earlier that day off the dock - if not caught by the chef himself. that's fresh. 4 star sushi is anything less fresh than that, but still delicious and tasty. i have also barely found any 4 star sushi places. this place is one of those few worthy places. and lord knows i've tried a lot of sushi places. my husband who is a tai and sake snob, thoroughly enjoyed the red snapper and salmon here. i really enjoyed the hamachi - it was some of the butteriest yellowtail i've had in a while. the uni and masago were standard fair - the sam as across many sushi restaurants. the saba was very good, but i actually like the stronger and fishier varieties - this saba was excellent by more general tastes. the ama ebi looked good, but i didn't have room to try any - next time.
(4)
John K.
4 stars, based on quality and price. Straight up sushi, not the most generous portions but good quality. Real Japanese, not Taiwanese or Korean either. Slightly divey on the inside but I like dives. Good miso, and I also had the katsu-don which I rate as solid, not tarted up with stuff like carrots and mushrooms. I will definitely become a lunch regular there.
(4)
K L.
Pro's: Great food for affordable prices Con's: Limited opening hours, and a very inflexible-attitude when it comes to service (read below) I like Higuma a lot for traditional Japanese food experience delivered to you by real Japanese people. The food is tasty and quality is good, all for an affordable price. Expect to spend $10-15 per person for a regular meal. It's a cute small restaurant and as such, has limited seating. It's not a problem on weekdays but on weekends it gets packed and a waiting list is pretty common as you stand outside the door. The only negative thing I have to report on this restaurant is their rather inflexible menu policies. For example, I ordered their Higuma Donburi which is a great rice bowl with ikura, salmon flakes, and cucumber on top. It makes for a refreshing dish on a hot day, like this weekend. The meal comes with a soup, but since it was so hot that day, I asked the waitress if I could substitute a salad instead. She said OK, and I was content with our orders. Several minutes later, she comes back and says, "Sorry, we cannot substitute a salad for you. The owner said we can't." My first reaction is, this is ridiculous, any restaurant will do a simple salad/soup swap if it's an included side-item with a meal option. I said, oh c'mon, it's such a hot day, I just don't want to have hot soup, that's all. She then repeated her previous statement. I told her just don't bother bringing the soup. I love miso soup but there was no way I was going to drink hot soup on top of the hot temperatures that day and I didn't want to waste food. Pretty poor way to run a restaurant and keep customer satisfaction up. Even though I still like their food, my dining partner was equally as offended with the incident, and joked with me that maybe we should have gone to Tokie's instead. : )
(3)
Lilly B.
I love sushi and I love Sushi Sam's. But Higuma is my #1 when I can't get to San Mateo; tasty fresh fish with excellent service. The only drawback is the tiny dining area and poo-ball parking. Other than that I loves it.
(4)
Lindsy C.
Higuma is an amazing. My husband and I eat here at least 2x per month. We usually get a mixture of sashmi and nigiri sushi. The salmon, tuna, and halibut are my fav. Get the halibut with ponzo sauce, it's to die for. We don't order the rolls so I can't say if those are good or not. The fish is constantly fresh and it's cheap.
(5)
Audra E.
Just ate here with my co-workers, based on the yelp reviews. Had the salmon Sashimi and was very pleased. Very fresh and tasty salmon for $10.50. It's in a cute little house off El Camino. Nice and attentive staff. Good lunch place.
(4)
Steve V.
Pretty chronic sushi. Cool location and nice setting. Beats that Ozuma crap in Carlos hands down.
(4)
jean m.
I've been here twice now because it was ok the first time and i thought i'd give it a second shot to grow on me. didn't happen though. the logo is really cute but the food is just average. the udon i had the second time really just tasted as if it was made in saltwater and i thought the california rolls are actually sub par (they're california rolls - they usually taste the same everywhere unless it's made from real crab!)
(2)
Ben K.
This place is great for lunch -- especially the "lunch box" specials from the menu. I've eaten here a bunch of times, and have always received very fresh fish, crispy tempura, and great chicken teriyaki. The restaurant is tiny, but the service is always fast and friendly. Unfortunately, they have recently raised their prices.
(5)
Suzanne C.
Surprisingly a good sushi restaurant! I have always driven by this little house, but never went in until a friend suggested it for lunch. There's a variety of sushi choices as well as cooked items from the menu. And the great thing is that it's cheap in $$, but not in taste. Parking during lunch time was challenging but that wouldn't deter me from going back.
(4)
Sara S.
Love it! Fish is fresh, tempura is pipin hot, and my oh my they have the most perfect california rolls. They are tightly packed and with very minimal mayo (maybe not any? I hate sushi that has a vat of mayo in it-- nasty!) and they're not monster truck sized. The place is tiny so you it feels homey and like it's your own special find. And, the price is seriously right. I like to get the sashimi and chef's pick sushi dinner box.
(5)
Richard L.
I met some friends at Higuma for dinner recently. We sat at the five-chair sushi bar, where we enjoyed a nice meal and chatted with the owner and chef. I was very impressed by the freshness of the fish and the creative combinations the chef prepared. Besides the various rounds of nigiri sushi, we enjoyed a few maki rolls. We also ate some small cooked dishes, that you might find in an izakaya style restaurant in Japan. Dinner was VERY good and very Japanese. I'll be certainly be back!
(5)
Mervyn M.
Very dissapointing meal and far too expensive. I ordered a rainbow roll, an order of Hamaachi and chicken katsu didn't get much change for $40! Nice little place though if not a little claustraphobic and cramped.
(2)
Chuck D.
I'm from Appalachia, I dunno crap about Japanese food, but this stuff tastes great. I have a friend who lived in Osaka for a couple of years, whose kids grew up there and agitate for Higuma when they're together now. All I know is, it's somewhat more expensive than Todai, but noticeably better, and the sake is a dangerous combination of good and cheap. They get busy, and sometimes that slows them down; I recommend showing up earlier in the evening, like we do, around 5 or 6 rather than 7 or 8, by which time the cognoscenti have arrived. I particularly recommend the spicy and crunchy tuna handrolls, and the yellowtail and halibut. But all the specials I've tried have worked out well. If you're in a non-kid-friendly mood, go later and wait; I think you'll end up believing the experience was worth it. There are younger patrons earlier in the evenings sometimes. My experiece is they're quite well behaved, in part because they're eating so well.
(4)
Tommy R.
My favorite Japanese place in RWC. I usually get the sashimi.
(5)
Dana D.
tiny and adorable. this restaurant is in a teeny tiny stand-alone building that looks like something out of a fairy tale. the space inside is cozy, with itty bitty tables crammed close together. even the glasses of water were lilliputian. food, likewise, was tiny and pretty. sashimi was fresh and meltingly tender. we also shared a roll which was ok, but fish that good deserves the spotlight. my only complaints: 1) service was slow. 2) compared to the same dishes similarly priced at other restaurants, the sushi portions were... proportional to everything else about this place. some people at the next table ordered bento boxes that looked big though.
(4)
Jacob N.
Fantastic little gem of a place - their bento boxes are awesome. In fact, that's the only thing I ever had from the menu, they're that good. Service is courteous and not in the way. I used to go there every week when I lived in Menlo Park.
(5)
Michelle C.
Sushi, we tried the spicy tuna cruch, pretty good. We also tried a number of nigiri, all are fresh except the blue fin tuna, it was a bit fishy and defintely not worth the $4 per piece. Salmon nigri is more fattier than usual, but pretty good. Fried chicken and chicken teriyaki are also ok. Condiments are not that great. Overall, I would certainly come back to get some suhsi when I'm in the area.
(3)
Walter C.
Follow up - still highly recommending this place. Went there again after a couple months... this time brought a long a few extra people. We rolled up in the 335 with the hard top down & ate & ate. I mean we ate a lot of sushi. + miso, tempura, sashimi sampler ... & sapporo ichicban... salad too. All this for 4 people including tip came to $77. Raw quail egg and tobiko included. If no one else goes there then that's better for me. I am going to keep it for myself, but I feel like compelled to post because I found this place using yelp. ---------------- This place is all it's cracked up to be. Good deal, good food. Very homey for a japanese place. If you're a big spender and you're looking for a fancy shmancy place then maybe your requirements might not be met... but I like homey.
(5)
Andrew S.
This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. Beer & Katsu Curry ... awesome!
(5)
Shin T.
My favorite ramen place in the bay area! Have to try to the shio (salt) ramen, the best of all other kinds here in Higuma. They added xiang-cai (chinese leaf) that makes the broth very nice. The place is very cozy like most japanese ramen house.
(5)
Anita L.
This was a recommendation by a Japanese friend of mine and I must say, she was right.... it's good! The restaurant is small so during lunch time it is really packed and gets filled up very quickly. We saw people eating lunch bento boxes, but we opted for something else. The sushi was really good.... had the uni (yes it's my absolute favorite) while good was not as good as Sushitomi's. The salmon skin maki was outstanding. The crunchy texture of the skin was perfectly matched with the softness of the rice. The cucumber also added a different sort of crunchy texture to the entire experience. We shared a zaru soba, a special salad (yum!!) and a hamachi kama (another one of my favs) which is probably not for everyone because it's the collar part of the fish, grilled and served with minced daikon. There is quite a bit of bone but once you get around it, you will taste some of the most delicious fish flesh around. A lot of people were eating onigiri which is a rice ball (salmon or other stuff on the inside) and wrapped with a piece of nori. Not my cup of tea but kids seem to love it.
(4)
tpt T.
Not a sushi lover but their curry is one of the best! A little bit on the spicy side for me (but I generally can't handle much spice). Service is always friendly and fast.
(4)
Natalie K.
Very tasty ramen! My coworkers and I got the spicy miso ramen and tuna poki don. So good!!! The service was great - we were in and out in under an hour too!
(4)
Setareh N.
Such a cute place......not sure where the bathrooms are but it doesnt really matter.....they have the best Miso dressing and delicious Tuna sashimi......o so good I tell ya. The prices were excellent service was great and fast!
(4)
Nathan J.
the food was aight and the service wasn't too friendly. the waitress kept poking one of my coworkers asking him to hurry up and order, then she took our bill away from us while we were still looking at it. the only reason they don't get one star is because the sushi chef was actually pretty cool. aside from that, i may come back one more time to try their ramen. if their service is the same, i'm definitely not coming back here. prices are okay. tiny lot in the back for parking. $15 minimum if you use your atm/credit card. LEGIT -- sushi chef trying to make things right NOT-LEGIT -- crabby old ladies serving you food
(2)
A H.
We used to visit Higuma almost once a week but after their portions started to get smaller and their prices went up we visit this place less and less frequently. The food is good but its just not worth the price anymore.
(2)
Chai T.
Wow - this place did not disappoint! We tried a number of sushi items, including my favorite Negihama Maki, and my husband's favorite Spicy Tuna Hand Roll. Although he said he has a new favorite now that we ate here - Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll. It's a tempura version I guess. The only thing I wish is that they had real crab options for their CA Roll. And that one only comes in 3 pieces for each order. Which is odd, I think. The place was small, clean and quaintly, if not oddly, decorated (basketball clock and a stuffed animal bear skin hung like a real one - need I say more?). But the service was great. And we got a table right away on a Saturday night. It was also quiet - which is nice because I'm over eating at loud places lately. One thing the REALLY need to improve: the parking lot. Sketch-ay!! Would it kill them to get some lights back there? It is dark, scary and um...yeah, scary. But we'll definitely be back. We'll just park elsewhere.
(4)
Aldric B.
Came here with high expectations. Was left somewhat satisfied. The rolls were just okay and the fish was fresh enough. I also ordered the katsu curry which I liked, but it's just not the same as ordering it a place that specializes in japanese curry.
(3)
Da J.
This place certainly doesn't need another review, but, I went there for the first time on Friday (thanks, Yelpers), and had amazing sushi and drank. A lot. We mostly had maki rolls - my favorite is the yellowtail and green onion. Actually, we mostly had SAKE! Even though the restaurant was small and busy, it was still awesome, and they put up with our drunk and slightly obnoxious selves.
(5)
Susan L.
I don't know why people think this place is good. It is not good. It's cheap but you pretty much get what you pay for. Also the rice is weird... kind of dry/hard.
(2)
Superduperpooperscooper T.
m-f closed at 9:30 sat closed sun closed by 9:30
(4)
Mai T.
Good japanese food, we had a few nigiris and sushi rolls - excellent sweet shrimp and scallop rolls at least to my inexperienced taste. Sushi chef is very friendly, maybe because he knows my bf - i dunno. i would go here more regularly if i were in the area and if it didnt burn a whole in my pocket - yeah, its a bit pricey, but then again, what good japanese resturant isnt.
(5)
Rachelle R.
This place is itty bitty...you could probably shut it down for a dinner party of 20. But the smallness of the restaurant creates an intimate atmosphere... because you can hear everyone's conversation (they're practically sitting right next to you). And sometimes it feels like everyone's in on a secret when you eat here because it's like a secret good sushi place that no one knows about. Ssshhh! The sushi is consistently fresh and the service is ok (could improve). I have eaten here numerous times. Yummm...
(4)
Leah A.
Good find. It's a cool setting, but tight quarters. The service was very friendly and very attentive. The sushi was ok - their crispy tuna roll was awesome but some of their other stuff was kind of over-the-top in sauces. Reasonably priced too. No AMEX though.
(3)
J. N.
we love this local sushi hideaway.
(5)
Jackie B.
shushi is good, the place is small! This is a house and you sit in the living room! Wow!! It is cute, and clean, and has great food!
(3)
Mike S.
This place was great because of the food, service, and prices. The only two things i didn't like were the lack of parking and the relatively small eating area.
(5)
Gianna C.
This is the best Japanese restaurant in town - both for consistently good food and reasonable prices! The fish is always fresh and the wait-staff friendly. They treat their regulars very well.
(5)
Laura S.
I go here at least once a week for yummy sashimi for supa cheap, man! Woot!
(5)
Anne A.
Another japanese food yelp? Well, what can I say, I love me some sushi. For the area, I think Higuma is your best bet for good sushi... and cheap too! The bentos are a really good deal as well...only $7! You have to try the spicy crunchy tuna roll...it's a favorite among my coworkers and I. The firecracker bowl is also quite tasty...the sauces on top are full of flavor! The place looks like a tiny house and it always gets full around noon. And make sure you get there early for lunch cuz the kitchen closes at 2.
(4)
Toto T.
Not spectacular, but good. Probably I'm biased after a bad meal at Sushi Sam. Yes, the trout sushi is really delicious. They can probably do a better job with the "warm" foods - like take out the teriyaki crap, and add in some japanese food - and expand the selection of sashimi/sushi. I usually don't like those fancy rolls that is "made in US", but their firecracker creation is quite good! Good value for the quality of food they serve.
(3)
C R.
They have the best tuna poke appetizer. All of their fish is super fresh and they are always extremely friendly. My boyfriend and I go at least once a week on Fridays for dinner before it gets packed! The halibut is very good... Definitely worth a try!!
(5)
Ms M.
My husband and I decided to go to Higuma after work on Friday together with our 1 year old daughter. Since it was an impromptu decision to dine out, we went to the nearby Whole Foods and got our daughter a toddler meal and yogurt. When we walked in and asked for a table, the waitress saw my daughter's food and told us that she has to charge $30 for outside food. My husband tried to reason with her that it was for our daughter, who obviously cannot eat sushi or tempura, but she did not care. When we asked to speak to the manager/boss, she said she is the owner and ran off to the kitchen. I stood there shocked while carrying my hungry and crying daughter. This is the worst restaurant that I've ever been. They have no conscious and do not try to accommodate for kids. Please do not go to this place. There are many other better Japanese restaurants in the bay area that are children friendly.
(1)
Aaron S.
Good food for cheap. Small restaurant and is a pain in the cold/rainy months when folks waiting for a table are standing right next to you while you eat. I give this place high marks cuz the food is consistenly good and they are kid friendly (except they ask that you leave the strollers outside). Ask for the Ramen Special during lunch.
(5)
Robert H.
After hearing about it from friends, family and Yelp, I decided to give them a try for lunch. Their food is good, price reasonable. Gets crowded pretty fast, so early arrival is a must. Parking was a little inconvenient. Cute little place. I would come back to try some other dishes in the near future.
(5)
Nikki S.
Phenomenal udon. Sushi was pretty good--though I have to say that there are places I'd rather go. It's a little cramped and service can be mediocre. Not much parking.
(4)
Marc M.
I live so close to this place so i wanted to love it, but i just couldn't. I came in for lunch with a coworker. I had the lunch special of sashimi and chicken teriyaki. The highlights were the price, the california rolls, and the orange. The low was the tuna (smallest piece of tuna ever). The parking is in back and there is not much, so make sure to come early.
(3)
M J.
Great food! Service a little slow, but makes up for it in the food.
(4)
Barrie M.
We love Higuma and eat there or take out at least a couple of times a month. The food is always fresh, the waitresses are very friendly and attentive. It's a very small space and can get crowded on Fri. & Sat. nights so be prepared to get cozy with your neighbors. The sushi is good, the dinner box is an excellent deal and a lot of food. It is consistently good all around!
(4)
rosanna m.
Absolutely 100% the best sushi, I would compare it to bluefin on sullivan Street in NYC and there's nothing better! It may look like a hole in the wall, but wow! I've been there a dozen times now and it has been very consistent. Excellent!!!
(5)
Raymond K.
This is a very good Japanese place with a lot of variety. I eat at this place a couple times a month. I have tried their Katsu Curry, Miso Ramen, and bento box. The curry is good and flavorful. The Miso Ramen has lots of toppings and both the noodle and brooth are good. I found the bento box to be most lacking, as the size of the bento was a little small. The sushi is fresh and I recommend going there. There is a parking lot, so it makes it convenient to go there.
(4)
Barn M.
This is a tiny establishment, and because of this, getting a table can be gamble. I wasn't too impressed with the food I got, although I only tried the a-la-carte chicken. The portions are generally small, but the prices aren't bad.
(3)
Lisa P.
This reveiw is primarily focused on Higuma's ramen. There are few restaraunts in RWC that have ramen. I came to Higuma just to try it. The lunch special ramen is very good. The noodles are good and they put a satisfactory amount of toppings in their ramen included bamboo shoot slices, seaweed, corn, a piece of cooked pork, bean sprouts. The broth is not as good as some of the specialty ramen houses such as Ramen Dojo in San Mateo. Higuma may even used a premade mix for their ramen, but it is enough to satisfy a ramen craving without having to travel too far out of Redwood City. The lunch special ramen also comes with a side of california roll. I was disappointed with the dinner time ramen which costs $2.50 more for less. The noodles were not the good noodles they use for the lunch time ramen, you don't get a side of california roll, there are no extra toppings, and you don't event get a larger portion to justify the $2.50 more per order! In fact you get much less than you do for the Lunch time ramen. I will not order the dinner time ramen again. It seems a bit of a rip off. Lastly, while this review is primarily focused on the ramen, I did try an order of the firecracker tuna roll. After two pieces, I could not eat anymore. The tuna was not fresh and tasted extremely "fishy". I don't know if this is an indication of the rest of the menu, so take this comment with a grainof salt.
(3)
Jesse L.
This is a small little restaurant that is actually Japanese owned and operated. I ordered the chirashi and it was alright. Not that big of a selection, the freshness was average. My biggest complaint is probably the service. After reading all the reviews, I was expecting some grand stuff. But I was actually kind of dissapointed. The service was slow, and the food was even slower.
(3)
yeana j.
I love tiny authentic mom and pop Japanese sushi restaurants like this. And I guess a lot of people like it too, because we were there on a rainy weeknight, and the place was packed! I had the chirashi bowl, and it was delicious! The fish was very fresh and the variety was great. These people know how to do Japanese food right!
(4)
exploradare G.
Good lunch boxes for good price. I got tempura and saba shioyaki for $8. Includes miso soup, California rolls, rice, salad. I thought the tempura was really good -- fried just right.
(4)
Manali K.
Its not LA sushi by any means....but its very good, particularly the trout sashimi which suprisingly was buttery and very fresh. The restaurant is very "cute" and is in a random area of Redwood City near all the auto dealerships. We ordered a mixed sashimi platter, some nigiri, and some futomaki. The salmon and scallop sashimi was excellent and in general, everything was fresh and reasonably priced. Ill keep this place in mind when I make visits to the Peninsula again.
(4)
Monica T.
Place has great sushi... I loved the atmoshere, you know hole in the wall type atmosphere. There are about 10 tables and 5 seats at the bar. It took about 30 minutes to get a seat, but it was well worth it. Everything was super fresh. The Otoro was like butter. Next time I will order the Otoro sashimi..
(4)
Caitlin H.
Really good food, moderately priced, fast service, cute restaurant, not too noisy (because it's so small). I just tried this place this weekend and I LOVED it. I went with 3 other people, one of whom does not even like sushi, and we all really enjoyed it. I am definitely going back.
(5)
Wesley W.
When I want a sushi fix I go here - You can get a good dinner with soup, salad, Cali roll, pot stickers, several pieces of nigiri, and salmon teryaki for just under $10. It doesn't have all the American rolls (Godzilla, Philly, etc...) except of course for California. After spending time in Japan, this place still measures up.
(5)
Jennifer H.
Great Rolls and sashimi for a reasonable price.
(5)
Oyster K.
Average food, with not so average price. Definitely can find a better place for Jap. food paying the price this place charged.
(2)
Dave M.
my standards for sushi are high, but higuma rates a solid 4 stars. there are plenty of great sushi restaurants in downtown san mateo, but they tend to be harder to find in the redwood city area. this one seems to be the best around RWC.
(4)
B A.
Great sushi at reasonable prices (if you avoid the special rolls).
(4)
Jill H.
My family and I have been coming here for quite a few years and we always enjoy it. It is definitely a tiny place but we tend to time it out to come before the lunch or dinner rush and have never had to wait for a table. My mother and I are vegetarians. I love their seaweed salad. They do have one of their special rolls that is vegetarian. It is quite good. We also get the regular avocado roll. Also even though it is not on the menu we ask for a shitake mushroom roll which they are always happy to make and it is great. I feel they are very great about being accommodating on making sushi not on the menu so long as they have the ingredients. The staff are always very friendly and quick and always have a smile. There is another sushi restaurant in Redwood City that has a few more vegetarian options on the menu and good food but the service is not good. Even though I may have a few less options as a vegetarian here the consistent service always keeps us coming back. There is a lunch (and maybe dinner) minimum amount to order.
(4)
maya d.
I've been craving zarusoba for about 2 weeks now so we decide to try this Japanese restaurant in Redwood City. When you walk in, it's very small but looks very nice (it's not a dive at all). There are a few families with a couple kids each. First, they wouldn't let us bring a stroller inside. Fine, we leave it outside. After all, it was small and I could understand it being a fire hazard. Second, we ask for a highchair. After much discussion amongst themselves, they disappear in the back and come out with a questionable looking booster seat. My baby is too small for it but fine, we strap her in and keep one arm around her. We finally order. Third, the waitress comes back and says we need to spend $10 minimum per person. Fine, between my husband and me we can order an appetizer along with our meals and have it come out to $20. No, she means we need to spend $30 because according to them, my 8 month old baby who has 7 teeth and eats mushed meat and formula, counts as a paying customer. Not fine. We ask to speak to the manager. According to her, our baby is taking up a chair and therefore needs to spend $10. She's only taking up a chair because they did not provide a high chair. When I refuse to pay $10 for her, the manager grabs the menu from our hand, says goodbye, turns her back on us and storms into the kitchen. Another question I have for them is, do they ask people in wheelchairs to park them at the door? Nice. We leave, outraged. Maybe it's just us, but we think of our baby as our child, not a customer. Don't go there.
(1)
T M.
Higuma is a great spot which I love visiting on a regular basis. Their sushi is tasty and at a very good price. If I lived closer I would be there every day for sake and sushi!!!
(5)
rupa b.
Higuma lives up to its reputation for serving very good food at a very good price, and providing great service with a smile. We have tried all kinds of Japanese places on the peninsula, and this is my favorite not just b'coz of the food and service, but it is also a great value! I was a bit nervous about "cheap sushi" but the sashimi and seared fish were both impeccably fresh and not at all fishy smelling. I cannot wait to go back!
(4)
Trulee K.
I'm supercritical on Japanese food, so normally wouldn't have even tried this place (looks questionable, in a weird location on El Camino, plus my experience with Japanese restaurants in RC has been universally traumatizing). BUT while complaining to the chef-friend of another Japanese restaurant about having to go to San Mateo or Burlingame for decent sushi was recommended this place. I've hit it a couple times for lunch, and always felt I got good value for money. The restaurant is unassuming, so no points for decor or ambiance, but it's a good straightforward restaurant, good quality sushi and nice price/performance. I'd recommend the chirashi if you're up for a selection of sashimi on rice as selected by the chef. Lunch crowd is typical, so if you can make it a bit before 12 or a bit after 1 it's pretty easy seating.
(4)
Mike B.
Good food, friendly service, decent prices. Its a small place, which fills up pretty quickly at lunch time. I "accidentally" ordered the crunchy tuna hand roll which was excellent. The blue fin tuna sushi was tasty as well.
(4)
David P.
Authentic sushi with welcoming and accommodating staff in an intimate, homey setting. Not necessarily perfect, but I wanted to give them extra credit for where others have dinged them on. Yes, its in tight quarters but any decent restaurant in Tokyo is often not much bigger. After a beer or two and squinting a bit, you can imagine yourself in a mountain lodge in the owners' native Hokkaido. Their seasonal fish select is meant for connoisseurs who know what sushi is all about. Its about seasonal selections, not about heaping concoction rolls which one would never find anywhere in Japan. When the chef was asked by someone at the bar what his personal favorite roll was, he answered that he doesn't eat rolls -- right answer. Other meals I've had there are dead on, fortunately not kowtowing to American quirks. Yes, parking awful: knowing that, just park on a side street. The exercise probably couldn't hurt living in suburbia.
(5)
Ryanne H.
i thought the food here was great and very affordable. my bf and i ate 4 different rolls and tempura with drinks for $25. it was served really fast and it was yummy. there is not much atmosphere, none really and the tables are a bit squished together. but we got a seat right away on a friday. so big ups to Higuma!
(4)
M G.
tasty food...less than generous portions...itty bitty tiny restaurant (maybe to match the food portions :p??)
(3)
dennis b.
no problem with the food, but the patron's wife is a bit rude; so rude that we've not been back. one of her staff accidentally served my kid an unordered soup. we didn't notice, but the patron's wife did and said something very rude in japanese. one doesn't say that in a restaurant. not where customers can hear, anyway. ex-customers ...
(1)
Dana Z.
I should have known when they did not bring us a menu for what seemed about 6 or 7 minutes that it was going to be a bad night. I ordered a Bento box with chicken teriyaki and tempura and my husband ordered a few rolls. It took forever to get soup but "who cares" the place is busy and I can wait for the real stuff. BUT IT NEVER CAME! They forgot my order. We should have spoken up way sooner, but my husband had his rolls which came at least 15 minutes apart and he'd still had time to finish. Finally, after multiple attempts to get the waiter's attention he got up walked across the (tiny) room and asked about it. He went to check and realized they'd forgotten and offered me some seaweed to snack on. Well at this point I'm PREGNANT and have watched everyone else in the place eating for the last hour- at least bring me a California roll or tempura!! I said forget it and we left, went home and microwaved some pancakes . . . . I'm still hungry.
(1)
Michele P.
TOP Sushi restaurant. We walk here for dinner--usually at least once a week. It's always fresh and delicious, good service, GREAT prices. We have been eating here for about six years. It's my favorite neighborhood eatery.
(5)
lou d.
ooooooook, just got a yelp account to write this review. higuma offers a steal of a meal. thats right. however you have to know what to get. 20 bucks can buy dinner for 2. thats right, a 10 dollar dinner. given after getting that deal you might as well give them a good tip... ok. here's whats good: *don't bother with spicy tuna, while delicous, the SPICY CRUNCHY TUNA is better, (it's spicy tuna rolled in tempura crunchies) i guess if you're trying to make the 10 dollar meal you might want to go with the boring spicy tuna, but personally i vote spicy crunchy. say, "i'll take two" next is the the SHRIMP TEMPURA ROLL. steph says there's cucumber in there too. it's good. then get a YELLOWTAIL AND GREEN ONION. it's solid, not the best of the five, but it's a staple. if you're going alone (why do that? if you dont know anybody ask your secretary out or get to know your neighbor ) but if you're going alone i might leave this one out. and finally try the UNAGI AND AVACADO. def solid, creamy and smooth, good to balance out the spicy of the spicy crunchy tuna. delish. big eater? try the deep fried chicken. different and pretty tasty. i tried the firecracker bowl today. deep fried spicy tuna. it's fine. but i think i'll stick to my others. gyoza is good. not like my mom makes, but really tasty. aaaand top it off with a large sapporo. so to recap, all these things are tasty, and 20 bucks will buy you 2 spicy crunchys, a shrimp tempura roll, a eel avacado and a yellowtail and green onion. you 3 and 4 start givers, try these dishes, and i suspect you'll upgrade them.
(5)
Jon P.
Great sushi for a fantastic price - a hidden gem. Not fancy but high quality, good food.
(4)
Jason S.
Stopped here last night for the first time and grabbed a sashimi dinner to go. Pieces were very small and NOT what I ordered. The salad that came with the dinner I think also had, like, ranch dressing on it? I was like, why? Am I at Chili's? Noticed, too, that they seemed to be closing even though it was only around 9. I'll probably never go back alone at night because that parking lot is super sketchy.
(2)
Eater S.
This is not a 5-star restaurant in the traditional sense. Yelp really needs more than 1 criteria for a rating! I give this restaurant 5 stars because of the value. I have never had such good food and good service for such a low price! All of the staff was Japanese and provided traditional, caring, Japanese hospitality. The food was solidly good with delicious and fresh and well prepared with quality ingredients. I had a green tea, miso soup, warm sake, eel roll, salmon skin roll, toro, and ikura followed by a sesame seed ice cream. The ambiance here is cute, pretty basic. I didn't order much raw fish because I wasn't so sure about this place, based on the appearance, when I entered. I was therefore shocked to find that the fish was so good. The Toro was among the best I've had anywhere, and at $3, it's a fraction of what I pay in SF. Everyone should try sesame seed ice cream, what a wonderful balanced flavor, not too sweet at all. Everything else was great too. I stuffed my face with all this delicious food for a total price of $24 including tax and 18% tip. This is a great place to stop for dinner if you're in the area, or perhaps, if you're stuck in never-ending gridlock on the 101 and want to have a nice bite to break the monotony of the drive.
(5)
H C.
good sushi and ample parking. traditional food, nothing unique. reasonable price
(4)
Yuzan K.
Higuma is a good Japanese restaurant owned by Japanese Sushi chief. This is a good place to have Japanese style lunch becuause they serve daily lunch special. This is not listed on the menu, you need to ask to the staff. I'd say for Japanese people, it's great. But not sure for American people. For exapmple, from time to time, they serve grilled mackerel pike fish as a lunch special. Though it's popular in Japan, not in the US. Higuma's lunch special is a pure common Japanese style lunch which is not Americanized at all.
(4)
Alex H.
good fish, good price. definitely coming back.
(4)
Margarita B.
I love this place. It is samll and cute. the service is good and sushi is fresh. It is nto fancy but very intimate.
(5)
Michelle G.
I was driving on El Camino trying to find this place and I totally missed it for some reason. I think trees were blocking the restaurant sign... Got here at noon and it was still empty so seating wasn't a problem. I could see how this place would get packed because it's definitely SMALL. You do not have the luxury of ample elbow room here. Once seated, the waitress quickly served me with some green tea and handed me the menu. I like how I can write down the items/quantities I'd like so there's no confusion. I ordered various sashimi (see photo above) and they arrived quickly and tasted fresh. Do note that Low Sodium soy is available if you ask (it's not out on the tables). Overall, a good lunch at a place that's not so hard to find. Parking however could be a little sketchy; they may have had their own lot but obviously I didn't see it...
(4)
Jennifer T.
My Dad's office is in the building a few doors down, so I have driven past this restaurant a thousand times. Finally last night me and my guy went here and tried it. It was SO GOOD, the maguro sashimi was DELICIOUS, not slimy not smelly, great flavor! The Spciy tuna roll, yum, Dragron roll yum yum..and the other stuff, great! We got a lot it seemed like and the bill wasn't very high(this is of course with saki and beer). The service was quick, waitress took our order and left us alone. ...I don't see a problem with coming back!!
(4)
Jennifer G.
Oh, firecracker bowl. How you burn. How I love you. (original post info - three people, we ordered sashimi, sushi, miso soup, and hot saki for three people - and it all came to $42. We've paid $80 for the same quality at other places! My only complaint is my water glass was empty most of the meal.) Just to note - they are open 11:30am - 2:00pm for lunch, and re-open at 5 for dinner.
(5)
Paul F.
I have come here many, many times for lunch, and both the sushi and ramen (spicy miso) is tasty and good quality. For me what raises this to a 5* though is the service - the owner and staff are as friendly and helpful as could be. I would thoroughly recommend this as a regular lunch spot.
(5)
Carrie-C N.
The sushi were fresh. The service was good. There are many rolls to try, along with other things. The tables are close together, and the wait was long. For the price, you can get more elsewhere. Honestly, comparing it to all the other Sushi places that I've been to, taste wise, it's probably one of the better ones, but not the best. The sashimi slices were small. I did not leave as satisfied as I thought I would.
(3)
Patrick H.
Went here for the first time and got the terryaki chicken tempura lunch special. Not bad. Chicken was good and you get a lot of food for the money. Wasn't great but overall a good deal. I'll probably try it again and go for the sushi next time.
(3)
Ray C.
The food here is so so. But the service sucks . Never come back again.
(1)
Teju A.
Friendly service
(3)
Rob C.
kinda like a gombei. just came for a quick chicken katsu curry to go. sampled it right away, and the panko was ok, meat average (not flavorful), curry sauce super mild and simple but not bad but made me thirsty.
(3)
C C.
Solid sushi place - so far the best I've found in Redwood City. The fish is consistently fresh. I like their chirashi - fun to see what they include and usually has uni! The bentos are good value as well.
(4)
Nae S.
Higuma is a great find and a true gem. Yes, it is true that the space is "cozy" and that parking is limited but I feel that the pared down, not-so-fancy environment adds to the charm of the restaurant. I have gladly dealt with these minor inconveniences in return for a consistent and authentic bowl of spicy miso ramen. I have tried other dishes and have been equally satisfied. The staff is also great, you just need to get used to the menu and how to order...but honestly, this can be said about any new restaurant one tries. I can truly say, I really enjoy having lunch at Higuma.
(5)
Shauna M.
I want to give them 5 stars but the service was seriously lacking, mabye it was an off night. One thing of note it they don't take reservation and they fill up quickly!! I did feel like my meal was rushed... However the day we went family of 4 they had homemade gyoza on the menu!! Yummy!!! Do be aware that they do not have a kids menu. Fish was good, and the udon was good as well.
(4)
Linda P.
It wasnt one of my best japanese/sushi place but it was ok. It is a small little place. Your really close to other people and can listen to their conversation. Parking is limit so go early. The price was decent not expensive. We had some sushi and bento boxes. Typical japanese place nothing too exciting.
(3)
Durif M.
This is a great place for a quick lunch or a quick dinner with beer. The food here is pretty authentic Japanese food. Their sushi is far from being the best, but they're okay.
(3)
NB B.
Maybe we were here on a bad night. The place is inexpensive but the food reflects the prices. I'd rather pay a little more for more love and bigger portions. The service was not as friendly as I'm accustomed to in many other Japanese establishments. The best part about this place is you can order a lot of different things and if it sucks you can just say -- Oh well it was only 3 bucks, then try something else. The place is cute in it's own way. I'd go back but I won't hurry.
(3)
Jarren A.
Too bad this place is so small, and tightly packed. I felt like an ant eating here. I couldn't move. I felt bad for the lady sitting next to us, she had to have Erika get up just so that she can pass through. My reason for the four stars...otherwise.. Food is good. Typical bento box meals. Starting at $7 a box, a steal if you ask me, I got the Teriyaki Chicken and Shrimp Tempura Combo. It comes with rice, a salad, miso soup and 3 California rolls. What a great deal! Service is a little slow, but thats only cause they only have 2 waitresses....though they always made sure our water glasses were always full...that deserves an extra star in my book!
(4)
Melanie V.
$7 bento box! $3 rolls! $4.50 for a large sake! YAY! Must say that the portions aren't huge but the quality is very good. Definitely the best sushi for the price in the area. The place is tiny and the kitchen closes at 2pm for lunch so make sure you get there early. Be sure to try the spicy crunchy tuna roll, Yummy! Can't wait to go back and try their gyoza and ramen! Update: Tried the ramen today and it was just ok. Maybe I'm not an expert on ramen but it was a little salty and expensive compared to what else you can get there for $8. I guess I'll stick to the rolls.
(4)
Kristen C.
I just finished throwing up about $40 dollars worth of sushi and I knew when I ate it that something just wasn't right. I hate wasting good sushi, but this wasn't good. It sucked. The rice was too hard, the fish was fishy, the toro did not have the flavor you pay $6 dollars a piece for, and just overall, the taste was not the delicious sushi flavor I enjoy. The customer service was also bad. The guy took our order in a 2 second flash as he ran by our table, which led to the wrong carpaccio coming out....and the one that did sucked. Terrible sushi. Terrible experience. My fiancee' and I both looked at each other before we left and said, "My tummy is hurting." We drove straight home and I puked. Gross.
(1)
Wendy C.
People don't seem to understand English there and are very rude. I was there for the very first time, so I didn't know that you cannot bring the stroller into the restaurant. I was already putting away the stroller when the sushi chef yelled across the restaurant that stroller is not allowed. Then, another waitress rushed out from the kitchen and asked us to leave the restaurant immediately because of the stroller. I repeated myself several times that I'm putting the stroller away. It was frustrating because she could not understand me. She kept on asking us to go outside. Anyways, despite the unhappy scene, we stayed. The waitress gave us a table by the door, totally inconsiderate of the fact that we have a baby with us, and its windy and cold by the door. We sat down anyways since we were starving. I was literally hitting against the table next to us. It's extremely cramped. Started ordering a bunch of overpriced and small portioned sushi. Two of us spent $80 and ordered 2 entrees, 1 roll, and 2 pieces of shrimp. I still feel hungry afterwards. It was an unpleasant dinner and I will NEVER come back to this place.
(1)
Leslie W.
Higuma is where I go when I need a neighborhood sushi fix (about once every 1.5 weeks). It's a quaint little joint and the staff is very nice. The prices are fair, but the sushi cuts are definitely on the small side compared to like restaurants. What I order EVERY single time I'm there is the spicy scallop temaki (hand roll). It's the perfect mix of scallops, rice and that spicy mayonnaise sauce and only $3.50! I recently had their fresh ikura for $2.50/piece and it was quite good. Sometimes certain cuts of fish are not very fresh, so you really need to order more from the specials listed on the sign near the sushi bar or check out the quality of the fish at the bar. But pretty good for a sushi place in RWC.
(4)
Kim N.
Funny little hut of a place right off of El Camino real, across from the Menlo car dealerships. My co-worker and I have not really explored the Japanese options in the area and we gave this a try. He went for the Teka Maki and veggie tempura plate while I went for the assorted sashimi lunch. I have to say the food was decent but for 13.50 the sashimi plate was a bit small. I think I could have eaten five of those things and still have been hungry. The ambience is kinda cool but for such a small place the service was a bit slow even when we went late. Maybe the selection and value is different at dinner? 3.5 stars
(3)
Cici H.
Terrible service. 9 of us arrived first and ordered a bunch of dishes whose total was already over $160. The last friend came pretty late. He only sit down for 2 minutes and had one piece of karaage before we asked for the check. And the waitress told us they are going to charge him additional $10 because the restaurant has a $10 minimum per person policy. We restated that even 9 of us have ordered more than $100 (which already follows their $10 per person policy for 10 people) and our friend only sit down for 2 mins. The waitress still insisted that she needs to charge us the additional $10. In the end we are not sure if the $10 got charged because the items on the check got pretty messy. Anyways, it's a really unpleasant dinning experience due to the unreasonable and ridiculous policy. This is the worst service I've ever had around the bay area. Besides, the food quality is far below average.
(1)
Audrey K.
This my new favorite sushi place! I love it and don't get there often enough. It feels like having dinner at a friends house.
(5)
Gloria H.
3.5 stars. Made a point to try this place after reading about it from fellow Yelpers...it looked promising but it's not quite 4-5 stars. We had the miso ramen w/ poki don - pretty good; the shoyu ramen w/ california roll - ok (california roll w/ imitation crab meat to me is a real no no). We also ordered some nigiri - uni, hamachi, sake, shiromaguro and hotate - it's ok. Glad we tried but it's time to move on to explore other restaurants...
(3)
Jorf D.
I quite like this place. The fish is reasonably fresh, and not really anything super exciting or special when compared to other sushi places in the area. However I love the atmosphere, the chefs and waiters are super attentive and pleasant, and they have awesome house-made gyoza. I also like that I can order sushi a single piece at a time (instead of being forced into getting 2 pieces)... this lets me try a larger variety without breaking the bank.
(4)
Christine M.
Are you freaking kidding me? $3.50 for a DELICIOUS roll? $3.00 for a glass of wine? $1.25 for a Miso soup? This place is amaz- WAIT... Stop reading. I don't want more people to discover this place. The prices, the food, the service - everything is so blissfully perfect that I don't want it to be overtaken. You've duped me into extolling this place so that you could take it from me! Dammit! (pause) Fine. I'll share. But don't say I never gave you anything.
(5)
Shane B.
There are few animals more rare than a good bowl of ramen. I've traveled half way around the world (ramen yokocho) looking for a great bowl. Typically you get hard noodles and salty soup. I sure don't want somebody's hard noodles in my face. Higuma has great miso ramen. Their ramen lunch special comes with tasty little side dishes. It's a small, quaint little place that fills pretty fast, so get there a little early.
(4)
Sankar B.
Been a long time since i had Japanese and thought would test the 4 star rated Higuma. So me and my Friend landed up there on a friday night for dinner and were lucky to find 2 seats. Looked like the restaurant was very popular since it was almost full capacity. Its a small place for seating maybe 30 people. The ambiance was very cozy and no complaints about the small tables and somewhat uncomfortable chairs, but its not meant to be a classy restaurant. The service was good and the bearers paid adequate attention to our orders. We ordered a bunch of rolls for starters and noodle bowls and assorted tempura. Must say the food was also very good. Was tasty and my friend said his fish/shrimp was tasty and fresh. Would like to go here again before i decide to give a 4 star. I would say a must visit if you have not been there before
(3)
Herbert C.
We went there with our two small children and ordered well in excess of the minimum $10 per person (kids included). Nevertheless the waitress had to point out that there is a $10 minimum for the children as well. While I think that poor math skills are somewhat excusable, rude customer service however is not! The hostess is exceptionally good at making you feel unwelcome. Prompt service seems to imply to her to remove dishes even before you have finished them. To summarize, if you don't mind the occasional insult, the food is quite good.
(1)
Tony L.
Drove here from Milpitas for a dinner date after reading the positive reviews on Yelp. Food was pretty good, price was fair, service was excellent. Would I make the 20+ mile drive again to eat at Higuma? Not a chance. Would I eat there if I was in the area? Definitely. Overall, date was good, food was up to par. Remember to stop across the street at Burger King for their $2 chocolate cake dessert afterwards!
(4)
Winnie Y.
It was ok sushi and sashimi. Nothing special. Nabeyaki udon was not on par with other average japanese restaurants though.
(3)
Kelly N.
We went to Higuma on a rainy night with our 4 month old. The place was fairly empty (only about 5 tables were occupied). We were seated at a corner because we had the stroller. A few minutes after we sat down, the waitress came to tell us that we had to remove the car seat from the stroller and put it on "a chair" for safety reasons. Both of my husband and I were puzzled why putting a car seat on their chair, which is fairly small, would be more safe than securing it on the stroller. We then asked them why, they explained that it's their "policy" that no stroller is allowed in the restaurant (as they were afraid that hot tea would be poured over the baby). They further explained that people either put the car seat on a chair or on the table(!), but because they were very "busy", they could not give us a bigger table for the car seat. At the same time, the sushi chef were waving his hands and said loudly that "no stroller" plus some Japanese we didn't understand. We felt that they didn't want our business because we came in with a baby, we just left... So parents, don't go to there with your babies, they are not welcome! Higuma, we wished you were able to come up with some better excuses than some false logic (that putting a car seat on a chair or a table would be safer than in a stroller) in order to kick some customers out.
(1)
Walter C.
Small restaurant on El Camino. I drove by this place for years and decide to stop by and try it. The staff is friendly, the food is decent and the price is good. I really enjoyed myself. It s menu is not the most innovative or extensive. They do some basic sushi really well. Like most yelpers comments that the place is a bit small and also they only serve their ramen at lunch. I will be back and I think I will try to get some sushi for next dinner party also.
(4)
tara t.
Good sushi. Cozy ambiance. Affordable.
(5)
mark f.
I'm not the expert on japanese food.... But I like this place, people I have told about this place like it, and I was introduced to this place by someone who is an expert. So... Try it you will probably really like it.
(4)
H C.
Cute lil' neighborhood joint. Decent bentos in the $7-ish range. Unfortunately, service was not great. Instead of letting me place my order a couple times, I was rudely waved off. I almost left. For such a small place, one would think that 2-3 servers would be enough but they're not in a hurry to serve. I actually thought it was fairly noisy given the small setting and some customers that needed a volume control switch (more than one table). Also, given the size of the overall restaurant and tables, I would not recommend parties over 4.
(3)
Ashley C.
Very tiny place but cute. Parking was easy for us because there was only 2 other cars in the lot. Couldn't imagine the parking lot or the actual restaurant if packed, it would be way too crowded. Had The Lion King sushi, I think Safeway would have done it better (sorry). Then had the Chicken Teriyaki , the Chicken was a little tough, I'm guessing (or hoping) that is was dark meat. They have Sapporo!!! and Sake!!!........ hmm rice wine! The boy had the curry beef and liked it and our friend had tons of sushi which he finished all of. I'm really picky when it comes to Japanese food so i if were you I'd give it a shot and not listen to my 3 stars.
(3)
Nina D.
Excellente! Small places have that certain personal touch to them. This one had it. From the wooden, rustic, sqeaky door to the fresh homemade potstickers to the small glass cups that make your Coke taste better! I'm a big fan of small. You must, absolutely must, try the fresh sashimi. Any kind of it. Get it without the rice and let it melt in your mouth. I had Hamachi and Sake. Its so fresh and so clean :)
(5)
ken o.
Don't bring your kids here - it doesn't matter if you have a 2 yr old or a 7 yr old. Every customer has a minimum charge $10 for dinner. What kind of business does that?
(1)
Sarah H.
Ah, Higuma. I have been coming here off and on for years and years and years and years. My first visit I was in high school. I'm now several years out of college, so it really has been way too many years. The place hasn't changed much in that time. The menu has expanded a bit, they started offering specialty rolls, the decor has been updated, and the place has gotten a lot busier. I'll admit, I sort of miss the days when the restaurant was only half full, but back then we always worried that they weren't getting enough business and might close, so I think busy is best :) The prices have gone up over the years, especially in the last 2-3, but they kept the sushi cheap for a long time, so I don't mind. Higuma is a little hole in the wall. It's a tiny cottage in-between two massive buildings and it's real easy to drive right by and miss it completely. Someday I figure they will up and move to a location with more sushi bar and table space, and when that happens I will be sad, because I love the low key, home-style ambiance of their current location. However, I don't love the wait times. It gets really crowded when the tables are full and people often try to wait inside instead of outside. I hate when I'm sitting at a table by the door and people waiting for a table are crowding around me watching me eat. This place gets so busy on the lunch hour that we had to remove it form our rotation even though we work only 1 freeway exit away. Now, on to the food! Sushi - Their sushi is small, tasty, and usually very fresh. I almost always order sushi, even when I visit at lunch time. Most of the crab rolls use imitation crab, but if you ask they will make it with real crab for a bit more. I like my sushi small because a) I can eat it in one bite (I hate messy sushi) and b) small pieces mean I can try more types of sushi. Many of the sushi are served by the piece, but they have a variety of rolls and a few handrolls (I like the umekyu, which is plum paste and mint, it's nice and sour and makes a good beginning or an end to a meal to clear the pallet). They have a variety of traditional sushi types as well as some non traditional ones. My mother doesn't like sushi, but she enjoys Higuma's fried chicken and avocado roll. Sashimi - Nothing too exotic, but they offer the standard fish one would expect. Presentation is nice and the portions are usually reasonable, though I have been on some nights when the tuna sashimi pieces have be very, very small making me think they were low on stock. The fish is generally fresh, I don't think I've been disappointed with anything I've ordered. Curry - Yes, they have Japanese-style curry. The katsu curry is particularly tasty. If you've not tried Japanese-style curry before it might seem strange. It's not as spicy Thai or Indian curries, nor does it have as many ingredients. Instead it is a thick, flavorful sauce eaten over rice and usually a meat (katsu curry is eaten over a katsu (breaded pork) cutlet). One of my coworkers absolutely adores Higuma's katsu curry and gets it every time we go. Teriyaki - I don't think the teriyaki is anything special, but my lunch buddies who prefer a lunch box over sushi always rave about the salmon teriyaki. My mother likes the chicken. Ramen and Udon - I think these dishes are average. This is a sushi place not a noodle joint. If I want noodles I go to a ramen place. Higuma makes better udon and ramen than some other Japanese restaurants I know. Sake & Wine & Beer - They have a small selection of decent sakes. I usually get the house sake hot, because it's the cheapest and it always tastes good. They also have cold sakes but I've never had one. They offer some red/white wine by the glass, but I always stick to a glass of Kikkoman plum wine, often for dessert. It's a refreshing end to a meal. Higuma also has beer. I don't drink beer, but I know they sell it. Pros: - good food, good service, friendly people! - They do To Go orders. I love ordering a huge batch of sushi to go and taking it home to enjoy. Cons: - Small place with limited seating. - Very small parking lot.
(5)
Lucia S.
I usually get takeout from this restaurant. My usually order is a chicken teriyaki bento box with a side of tempura and california rolls. Pros: Good food overall. Good prices. Fast and super friendly service. Great place to go for a quick mid-week lunch. Nice atmosphere and always busy! Cons: Chicken can be bit dry and not as tender as I would like. Not plentiful enough with dressing on salad and teryaki sauce on chicken. Those two things in combination can make for a rather neutral tasting meal.
(4)
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Address :540 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA, 94063
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Makoto K.
Has it really been almost two years since I reviewed this restaurant? With 100+ check-ins, I guess it's time for some updates. Well, there's no much update -- I do still love this place. ;-) The same owner. The same kitchen. The same servers. It feels almost like they are a family business although they aren't. As some of other reviewers wrote, the dining area is little smaller now (to add the ADA-compliant restroom), but I rather like it that way. I don't usually go there on Fridays or during weekends, but I still see some empty seats usually. I can park in the parking lot behind the restaurant most of the time, but if not, I can just street park either on El Camino or on Hopkins -- not a big deal. They cook most items from scratch, and of course, they taste better than ready-to-serve cooked products that many Japanese restaurants just buy from distributors. Their fish selection is rather standard if compared with premium ($$$$) restaurants, but that's natural. I saw some reviews complaining about their rather humble minimum charge, but if each person just has a meal, not just a snack, you shouldn't have any problem. Do you order just french fries and tap water when you go to a sports bar?
(5)Elizabeth G.
Incredibly delicious! Need I say more! I love this place. A little small, but the food makes up for it. Great place to eat.
(5)Britt D.
This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in the area. It's a tiny spot that's easy to miss when driving down El Camino in Redwood City. Our favorite item to order is the Spicy Ramen. The noodles are perfection and the flavor has so much depth- its incredibly filling, spicy, and delicious. We enjoy all of the sashimi and sushi selections that we've tried. Can't say I've had a bad item- ever. It's small, no reservations. Consistently good quality with decent service (it has improved greatly now that we're regulars). Highly recommend checking it out for yourself- go during the week.
(5)Wuyi W.
My wife and I went to this restaurant yesterday because of the comparatively positive reviews on yelp and Google. The dining experience did not turn out well at all. We went to the restaurant, and were sitting there waiting to be serviced for a whole 5 minutes, with no menus and no drinks offered. We had to say 'excuse me' and wave at the waitress several times before getting served. Finally this old waitress came and only said to us 'wait!'. I was shocked, her tone sounded like we were there begging for food, not to mention that there is absolutely no apology for the delayed service. Though we were both very hungry, I was afraid the service will ruin our entire dining experience and our mood during our pre-wedding holiday. I asked for a takeaway instead. Now the food, the food just does not meet the standard at its price point. We ordered two bento boxes, one with chicken teriyaki and veggie tempura, another with beef teriyaki and prawn tempura. The beef is not tender. The tempura is ok. Overall the food can pass but $40 for two bento boxes with food court quality, I'd call it expensive! I mean, come on Yelpers and Googlers, this restaurant should be 3 stars at most.
(1)ChiRouDe Z.
The service is sub-optimal and food is comparable to food court quality. My dinner companion is disabled and relies on crutches to get around, the waitress took his crutches without asking and put them on the opposite side of the restaurant to hide them. We were horrified at this rude gesture and inconsideration on how he would get around. Now on to the food itself, the $24 sashimi special consisted of sloppy ends from the sashimi block, and the avocado on the spicy tuna roll was only half ripe. The old lady waitress couldn't wait to give us the bill to get the table cleared for the next party, we didn't even have time to order dessert. Compared to Diner Japonica which is also Japanese owned, Higuma serves bad attitude at twice the price and half the freshness.
(1)Gonzalo S.
I've been here a couple of times and the food is always better than average. What hurts this place is the isolated location - it's on the side of El Camino that doesn't get a lot of foot traffic and you can easily drive by and miss it. It's also pretty small and the seating is cramped - avoid large parties. The sushi is good and I like that they offer a good omakase though at $30 it's a bit pricier than most other places. But the nigiri is filling and the service is good so it makes up for it.
(3)El V.
This is the best sushi spot in Redwood City. My husband and I have lived in Japan for 4 years and have been skeptical of sushi in he Bay ever since. We've been to Yokohama sushi, Sushi Plus, and Oh Baby Sushi. Oh Baby is the closest with a B+ on service, quality, and value. Higuma is an A-. We only ordered nigiri. The fresh ikura, sake, hotate, amaebi, otoro, and uni were delicious and uber fresh. Oishikata!!!!!!!!!
(5)Joanne K.
Came here on a friday night at about 630pm. No wait. Cute little japanese restaurant that probably has a max capacity of 20 people. I like it when japanese restaurants give you a menu to fill out what you would like. When it comes to sushi its especially helpful to see what you ordered. We ordered: appetizer: fresh gyoza: very freshly fried and the meat is very tender and moist. Sauce that comes for dipping is not salty at all and really compliments the gyoza. spicy scallop handroll: fresh scallop sashimi in a spicy sauce (not spicy at all) but goes well in a handroll hamachi carpaccio: fresh slices of hamachi with fish eggs on top but the red ones are actually spicy whereas the orange ones tasted like salmon fish eggs sashimi: giant clam, uni, ocean trout, amaebi. all were quite fresh. Nice place in redwood city for sushi. For 2 people, we ended up spending about $!50 including tip so its a bit on the pricey side.
(3)Chris K.
I would've given five stars - considering the price, this is the best value sushi I've found in the area - but the rice wasn't perfect. So, let's say 4.5 stars. I got four rolls - one salmon, one yellowtail, one eel, and one negitoro. I was impressed they had negitoro, since most small places similar to Higuma have it on their menu but reply with an "I'm sorry, we don't have that today" when you order it. The fish was very fresh, the service was fast (I did takeout), and I'll definitely be back.
(4)Lee L.
This place is consistently good, and we used to come here quite regularly until we moved farther away. We came back a for return visit not too long ago, and it was still a good dining experience. Their online menu is no longer accurate, as we went specifically for udon but they no longer had it on the menu in the restaurant. I always like tempura, and the tempura here is among the better ones that I've had. Not too oily, generous portions, always crispy and hot. The sashimi is fresh and clean tasting. Their bento box offers flexibility of choice and a nice well-rounded meal. Service has been average. You may need to flag down a server to get your tea or water refilled, because they don't regularly make the rounds through the dining area. But since the place is so small, it's not hard to get someone's attention.
(4)Elysia M.
The food here is pretty good, but nothing super amazing. The sushi is good, we had a few different rolls, good size, fresh fish, rolled nicely. The Bento box is a great deal! You get so much food for not a bad price! Overall however, the price compared to other usshi places, is kind of high. I have been to other sushi places with better food for less. But, this place will definitely fix a craving for sushi. The service, excellent. Very nice people that help you with whatever you need. The really only negative is when they brought us some small plates for sharing, they were dirty, have rice and shrimp tails in between the stacks. Makes me question how well they really clean their dishes and everything else...
(3)Gabby P.
OMG!!! Best sushi I've ever had. I'm pregnant so I had to get cooked rolls and they were the best!! Highly recommend this place!!!!
(5)Nadia H.
Agh, Higuma. It's always a shame when the stars for a review update go down. I can no longer unconditionally recommend them. Some of their sushi is really excellent (yellowtail sashimi, the simple salmon/avocado roll), but I'd say pass on anything else there. The black sesame ramen broth has definitely gotten inedibly salty, the non-sushi/sashimi appetizers are just blah (homemade gyozas, miso soup, etc.), and their service continues to leave much to be desired. I also am not a fan of the remodel in which they inexplicably made the tiny seating area even smaller and located more of the tables awkwardly in front of the door. I have a feeling we'll intermittently return, but we've promised each other to resist the urge to order anything other than sushi.
(3)Lily P.
The food is descent and I enjoy the family style dining that this restaurant offers. They hire the worst server though. The service was slow due to overbooking and only one server on the floor.. I know and understand she was overwhelmed, but we came here for family occasion and she left us with bad taste when she came chasing us to the parking lot. Demanding more tips. Oh was the service so slow cuz she's been chasing every customer for more tips? Very possible. Not going back!
(1)Miyako O.
I don't know what happened to this restaurant that used to be my favorite. Came here on a week night. Udon had been eliminated, there are items like fish tacos and stuffed jalapeno on the menu instead. When you order tempura, they give you very little dipping sauce (like 2 tablespoons,) with NO grated daikon! I asked about fried tofu on the menu and the waitress informed me there's no grated daikon served with it, either. Daikon with tempura or fried tofu is not just standard, it's mandatory at a Japanese restaurant. On top of that, they now have a minimum charge for lunch/dinner, and when we asked about doggie bagging, the waitress said there's a 25cent charge for the container. They've added an alcove entrance to the restroom, so maybe they're trying to recover the cost of the remodeling, but in any case, we were very disappointed.
(2)America Y.
Higuma is my favorite ramen joint, hands down. I order their spicy miso ramen almost every time I go. I also highly recommend their home made gyoza. I rarely go anywhere else for ramen because for me? Nothing beats THEIR spicy miso. When I try at other restaurants, it just isn't as spicy or flavorful. It isn't overwhelmingly spicy, though if you have a sensitive pallet, you may want to stick to their regular miso. They have fairly recently remodeled, with the purpose of becoming ADA compliant. I asked. Before, they weren't wheelchair friendly, especially regarding their bathroom. They now have a wheelchair friendly bathroom at the cost of some seating. Because this is a very small business with very little seating, in order to guarantee a sufficient profit to stay open they do require a charge of 10 dollars per person. This policy is posted throughout the restaurant. They can onlt seat between 20 and 25ish people at a time, so I feel this policy does make sense. I do have to only give 4 stars however because their service can be questionable. It improves with repeated visits, though. Become a regular, and they'll start to pick it up. That isn't a great trait, though, and can be offputting for new customers.
(4)Grace C.
This is a small Japanese restaurant and the food is just ok. The scallop sashimi, on the other hand, is really fresh!
(4)Elliott N.
Accessibility (Parking / Wait Time) 1/1 Star: a few parking spaces behind the building. No wait _____ Service (Waiter / Cleanness / Ambiance) 1/1 Star: clean but outside is trashy. Simple. Normal service. _____ Taste (0=Not Edible / 1=Edible / 2=Good (average) / 3=Must Try!) 1/3 Stars: food was ok. Ramen was ok. Sushi wasn't good. Grilled squid was ok. _____ Overall Experience 3/5 Stars _____ Last Words I gave this place a second chance and it's not very good, but at least the chief speaks Japanese.
(3)Demian L.
Great local Japanese place to get sushi at. Fish is fresh and some of my favorite rolls are the White Tuna Special and the Lion King Roll. I usually order the Ten Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles with Tempura) or one of their Udons. Random notes: The place is small so call ahead if you can and parking in their lot can be tough but street parking on El Camino is usually open. Also they don't have any high chairs (only booster seats) for kiddos.
(5)Salvador Z.
this is the first time I visit this restaurant, food is great, the order took only few minutes, prices are ok. Location really close to my work, this will be from now on the place to go for Japanese food.
(5)D P.
Great place for sushi! It never disappoints, I've been coming here for quite a while now and tried a large part of the menu, I never had any complaints and it is reasonably priced, I will and do suggest to everyone.
(5)Kico A.
Well I been here a couple of times and every time it has been disappointment. The sushi is overpriced for the quality and there is a minimum of $10 per person and $20 for 2 people and trust me they enforce that policy. Came here a few weeks ago and I ordered a bento box which is 14 dollars but the person I was with just wanted a roll, 6 dollars...when we ordered the waitress rudely pointed a the sign on the wall and told us 10 dollars per person, for this kind of service and food might as well go to mad fish a few blocks away and at half the price.
(1)Ed E.
I had lunch at Higuma sushi restaurant in Redwood City for the first time. The staff was friendly, but the food was so and so. What kind of turned me off is that there is a sign posted on the wall stating that in order to seat at the sushi bar, a customer needs to spend a minimum of $20 per person. The waitress confirmed I was reading the sign correctly. I think I prefer to eat else where.
(2)Jay L.
Consistent and good quality sushi. My go to spot for sushi in the Redwood City/San Carlos area. Only complaint is they need a bigger spot for a few more tables. Not recommended for large groups or those with strollers.
(4)Ellen C.
Had really delicious spicy ramen. Their food was full of flavor, and very fresh. We had the fried tofu-basically Agedashi tofu. It was average. The rolls are delicious and the fish is fresh. We had spider roll and spicy crunchy tuna. The poke was really fresh and delicious. Aside from my spicy miso ramen the poke was the best. A great local place.
(4)Boris C.
decent sushi, awesome spicy tonkotsu ramen!
(5)Juliana C.
We're not regulars, but I greatly enjoyed our recent visit with friends in tow. The fish was fresh, the daily special offerings looked appetizing and carefully selected. Service was warm and attentive. Sake selections were great. It gets busy at peak evening times, but service remained good. I'd go back in a heart beat.
(4)R M.
Consistently good home cooked style authentic Japanese restaurant. Just like obachan would make it! Small but quaint setting. Parking is tight in the back but usually find a spot nearby.
(5)Christina W.
This is the tiniest little sushi place. I think it's in an old house? right on El Camino.. Blink and you'll miss it. But you'll be sorry you did.. Prices are great, sushi is fresh, ramen is delicious. I was a little wary of ramen AND sushi as other places I've been to with both tend to only do one well. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and spicyness of the broth. They've also been super flexible with my somewhat picky, somewhat eccentric coworkers' orders (can we make a new combo by combining half of this one and half of that one ??). We always leave feeling full and happy. Two of my coworkers have even bought Higuma shirts :) Warning: If you have more than ~6 people in your group, you will probably not fit. It's really that small inside. And they get crazy busy at lunch. Probably dinner too. Might be a good idea to have a backup plan !
(5)Jon W.
Higuma has good sushi at good prices. It's a very nice and cozy little house on El Camino, although there is both limited parking and limited seating, so it may get full on a week end. Not pretending to be something out isn't, I like it very much. I've been coming here about once a month for over ten years, and I'll keep doing so.
(5)Yuan W.
Arrived at 11:45am for lunch. Service was fairly fast but not all that friendly. Noodles was a bit too al dente for my taste. Soup was excellent. The menu said the ramen included bean sprouts but no. When inquired, she said it included other vegetables but no bean sprouts. She was a bit flippant about it. Won't be visiting again any time soon.
(3)Stephanie W.
I got the Miso ramen here for $8.95 with 3 california rolls. It was alright, nothing to boast about but nothing to rave about. I would definitely recommend coming by here if you need a quick lunch during your break. However, street parking is a hit or miss and it gets pretty crowded during the lunch hour! Oh yeah, and their bento box is pretty small so if I were you, I would definitely go with the ramen.....
(3)Brad L.
The food is very good, especially the ramen.
(5)Alexandra I.
Higuma is pretty good. My dad thinks he has gotten sick from here a couple times actually, yet he still comes back because the food tastes good, haha. I don't really like their gyoza... but I got a crunchy salmon roll the other day and it was really good! We order to-go and they had us take a seat and gave us water while we waited, nice service.
(3)Liz G.
I am beyond upset on how can a business owner run a restaurant like this.. Location is very convenient for me since I work pretty close by, however, I am not coming back ever.. Me and some of my coworkers usually have lunch here about 2-3 times a week... And is been many years since we started coming here.. And I will never come back again.. Besides the fact that now they CHARGE you for a to go box, not the back, but the box that you ask when you already PAID for the food but couldn't finish. Today we walked in at 2 and the place had a few costumers in and right the way the owner behind the counter and the waiter made sure to make a big X SIGN with there hands telling us to go away and that they were closed. Now, how about a " I'm sorry we are closed" but no... A loyal costumer that comes here pretty often only deserved a big X . Disappointing... Never again and I'll make sure to let everyone know.
(1)b c.
Nice tempura, nice ramen, nice service.
(5)T Y.
Have been coming here off and on with hub-unit for several years now. Parking is limited in back. Seating inside restaurant has always been tight but now even smaller due to recent remodel. Looks like renovation done to make a handicap-accessible restroom. (so they were violating policies before) The good: sushi is very good, sashimi is very good also. Ramen is good but can be a bit too salty. The bad: uneven service and sometimes waiting very long time for food. One person at your table served first, while other person has to wait a very very long time for order. This results in one person completely finishing meal while other person still waiting. TOTALLY IRRITATING. The wait for sushi can be exceptionally long if there are a lot of take out orders coming in at the same time as when you put in the order for your table. Seriously, how long has this place been in business? Have you guys heard about customer service? Can your wait staff BE more consistent on delivering good service? DON'T FORGET ABOUT PEOPLE'S ORDERS AND AT LEAST TRY TO SERVE THEM THEIR MAIN ORDERS AT RELATIVELY THE SAME TIME, NOT FREAKING 30 MINUTES APART!!!
(2)Felix C.
Just have a lunch there. Sushi is average, as the rice is far lower than my expectation. Sashimi is awesome. Did not try the noodles, can try next time.
(4)Larisa K.
I absolutely like this place: it's small, clean and the staff is always welcoming. It's not a fancy place to go if you're looking for one, but it's the spot where you feel being at home: relaxed and always welcomed. What I adore the most: the fresh fish. Believe me, it's always fresh. Not every place serves it, unfortunately, but Higuma does. I like sushi and rolls, all of them. We go there at least once a week and it's one of the handful restaurants we go weekly.
(5)Elizabeth S.
The best thing about Higuma is their outstanding, friendly service. Unfortunately, there is more to a rating than excellent service. I am disappointed the photos on their website do not accurately depict what you are served. The spicy miso ramen lunch special comes with tuna poki don (tuna poki over rice). The ramen broth had a decent flavor to it. However, it lacked freshness and was on the saucy side. -too thick for a broth in my opinion... The ramen itself is quite meager compared to what is pictured on their site. (Exhibit A : picasaweb.google.com/Hig… ) You get a couple slabs of dried, tasteless pork on top, a square sheet of seaweed, sparse portions of frozen corn kernels and half of the other random ingredients pictured. The tuna poki is just plain sashimi grade tuna cut up into tiny bite sized morsels on top of rice with a few watercress. It looks nothing like the large slices of tuna camouflaging the rice underneath in Exhibit A. It also doesn't merit the label of "tuna poki" without some additional flavors or marinade. I had a decent lunch here but probably won't return with other quality sushi and ramen joints in the vicinity with equally awesome service.
(2)Santiago A.
Love the Spicy Miso Soup and the service is great. Best place to get ramen in the Redwood City/Woodside area.
(5)Joseph S.
I can say one of my favorite authentic Japanese restaurants I have ever been. Great staff and the whole ambiance makes it more real. It is really small place and come to think if it it just like when you are in Japan, they only have small restaurants or sushi or ramen place. It is only here in the US of A that everything should be bigger. I can say the bigger the place is, the more westernize the place is!!! By the way, I love everything on the menu here!!! I used to eat here almost everyday when I used to live and work in Redwood City but now I rarely visit this place and it became more if a treat for me every time I come here.
(5)Randy F.
Chirashi Chronicles #8 3.5 Stars Higuma supposedly means "brown bear" in Japanese and the restaurant has a cute logo of a bear catching fish that's representative of the sushi they serve here. Driving along El Camino, we almost missed the small building that houses Higuma, but it's clearly popular for Redwood City as they always have a crowd and loyal following. The interior space is extremely small and tight and I would not recommend the restaurant if you have more than 5 or 6 people in your group. We arrived early and were able to get a seat immediately though it was clearly in a narrow area by the entry. At lunch time, they supposedly serve ramen and other fare, but we were here for the sushi. The real draw of Higuma is their reasonable pricing and their flexible ordering style rather than their extensive variety. Along with my favorite Sushi Tomi, Higuma tends to keep the prices of their sushi under $4/pair. The extremely nice thing is that you can order individual nigiri (many to choose from under $1.60/piece) and when you have a dining companion that has different favorites for sushi, this flexibility is a definite plus. Along with the standard fare, we did order hirame, smoked salmon, ikura, and uni. They did have toro, but we opted out this time. Although ordering is quick with a pen and a menu, the actual delivery time can be quite a bit longer. I didn't sit by the sushi bar, but I'm guessing it's a one or two person operation and they like to complete your entire sushi order before they deliver any. Even so, the waitress had to double check our order and quickly noticed three pieces missing. She promptly brought them out. Quality was solid and overall I was pretty happy given the reasonable prices. Their ikura, which I've had heard was quite good, was rather mundane, but their uni was excellent. I particularly liked the saba, which is a very oily and fishy nigiri that many don't care for, but I found the selection here to be very fresh and partook in a few pieces. Higuma is a solid choice and if you're in the Redwood City area, it's not a bad option for sushi. Next time, I'd like to try their chirashi and perhaps I'll try their spicy miso ramen as well. It's so spicy that they have a humorous skull and bones logo on the sign. I like spicy so we'll see if they deliver. Higuma accepts credit cards, but does not accept American Express.
(3)Joyce S.
I really wanted this place to be amazing. It's within walking distance, it's a mom and pop shop and it's sushi. Food first - It was whatever. Not memorable. Blah. Service - Here's where the 1 star rating was earned. It took forever to get our food. There were less than a handful of people there when we ordered and we only ordered 2 special rolls and 2 hand rolls. Once we got our food, no one ever came back to our table. Yes, there's only 2 servers BUT there's also only 10 tables. After we finished our rolls, we wanted to try another roll. Maybe something else was better? Sat around for at least 20 minutes waiting. Just waiting. FINALLY! Someone comes back to our table...but with the bill. Didn't ask if we were done. Didn't ask if we wanted more. I guess she just decided we were done or maybe we didn't order enough during the first round to warrant good service?? Additionally, I did not leave a tip and I NEVER do that. I was a server before in my younger days so I know it's not hard to be attentive to your patrons. Do yourself a favor and go to one of the dozens of sushi places in the bay.
(1)Charleen L.
UPDATE: Since I wrote my original review, Dodd-Frank (Wall Street reform and consumer protection act) became law. What does that have to do with Japanese food or restaurants, you ask? In accordance with section 1075 of the law, payment card networks must allow merchants to establish a minimum dollar amount for customers using payment cards, as long as the minimum is no higher than ten dollars. This means that when you go into a restaurant like Higuma and see a sign saying their Visa/MC minimum is $15, they're violating the law. Moreover, under the same law, merchants cannot establish a minimum dollar amount for debit card purchases. Debit cards can usually be distinguished from credit cards by the word DEBIT on the front. I found out today Higuma does not make this distinction, even when it was pointed out to them. Again, this is true for all merchants that use payment card networks. It became law in July 2010. An informed Yelper is an empowered Yelper.
(2)Joel M.
The best time to dine here is at around 6 on weekdays as we sometimes do to let traffic die down. During that time this rather small restaurant has more open seats and parking. I love this place. The food tastes fresh and light, the service is good, and it's a bit quieter in the evening. Everything we have had has been good.
(5)Rheanna C.
Ok, I had to give 2 stars b/c I've eaten here before and the food was pretty good. But this experience was a one star. Take it with a grain of salt though, because I didn't even get to sit down this time. I went in a little before 5:30 with my 4 year old. The waitress pointed to the 2 person table in the corner but my daughter wanted to sit next to me on the booth table. I asked if that was ok and she said no! There were 2 tables occupied in the entire place. Even if they got a mad rush, we would have been in and out in 30 minutes or less (except for the fact that they take forever to bring you your food usually). Even when my daughter started to cry they looked at me like I was stupid. I would have understood if it was busy, but it was early and they could have turned the table quick. So disappointed.
(2)Kristina S.
If you're looking for a quiet place with fresh fish, Higuma is the place to be. Every time I've been here it is always packed and the staff has been accommodating. Their chidashi and spicy miso ramen have been our go to dishes. During my recent visit we tried the blk sesame ice cream, which was a nice finishing touch. I look forward to my next visit!
(4)Missing M.
We have been going to Higuma for over 16 years now and it is one of our favorite places to go as a family. The waitresses know how my kids want their meals (& will let us know if something we order has a possible allergy issue for them). While the place is small and seating limited, it is worth the wait Only complaints: * 1 of the waitresses can make you feel unimportant, but the other ones make up for her sour approach. * They recently raised their prices to a point that we can only go about once a month now.
(4)Jaime O.
Excellent chirashi and great service.
(5)Agustinus T.
I used to like Hotaru better than this place. However, after coming back for about 8 times past couple months, I'm sold. I still like Hotaru's chicken teriyaki and katsu better but this place makes the best tempuras and other fried food. They are breaded just right and not oily compared to other places. I love the broccoli tempura! I know it's just broccoli tempura but it's so perfectly cooked, breaded and fried. I really like their bento boxes since they include california rolls. They have pork teriyaki which I haven't seen elsewhere. Not that it's anything special though, just a curiosity. My friends like their sushi as well. The place is small and they have private parking for about 8-9 cars. The entrance is very easy to miss however. You can also park at a small strip mall at the end of the block.
(5)Tim Y.
One of my favorite Japanese Restaurants in the bay area! The fish here is fresh. I've been to the sushi bar twice and had a wonderful experience both times. I always order the following: sake, hamachi, amaebi shrimp (the fried heads are delicious!), toro, unagi, tobiko topped with a raw quail egg yolk, spider roll, and spicy tuna roll. The sushi chef had a few specials last time so I was able to try king salmon (tasted like a cross between sake and toro) and live scallops. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the sushi items. The prices are actually pretty good. I'd say average or below average on most of their nigiri. The restaurant is tiny so it's easy to miss if you've never been there before. Check out google street view to see the surrounding businesses and look out for those. There is street parking and a tiny lot in the back. Can't wait to go back!
(4)Cay A.
Small, quaint and unassuming. The service was quick. The portion sizes were perfect. The California roll was sized perfectly for my kids to eat. We had edamame, tempura, chicken terriyaki and tonkatsu. We finished everything and had variety. That makes me happy cus no wastage :-))
(5)Liza W.
Yum. Its cute and cozy inside, good service, really fresh food, especially the sushi. Its quite small inside but if you are ok with that, it adds to the quaintness. Their prices are good too. Love this place.
(5)LeVincent T.
If I could give this place a zero - I would. I ordered a seaweed salad and when I almost finished It, I discovered a piece of plastic in it . The owner said because I ate most of it, I had to pay for half of it, regardless of the contamination. After a huge and public argument, me and my friend stormed off and said that we would report them to health inspectors and the BBB; they replied with silence. F*** this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)David G.
Wife had the Miso Ramen and the Calamari. I tried both and they were fabulous. I had the Black Sesame Ramen and Tako Yaki. I wasn't much for the Ramen, but I think that's just personal taste. The ramen itself was well prepared. Tako Yaki was quite good as well. Service was super nice and helpful. It was lunch time and the place wasn't crowded.
(5)Simon H.
We ordered an ocean salad, and my friend found a long, thin piece of plastic in it. When we brought this to the attention of the manager, he told us that since we ate part of it, we would only get 50% off the price of the salad. What kind of restaurant makes its customers pay for a dish that was contaminated with a foreign object? Who knows where the plastic has been? Was any effort made to right a wrong, just so they could get $2.50 from us? Sometimes Japanese restaurants give you extra dishes "on the house", which is nice. But this one makes you pay for something that is tainted by a foreign object. They clearly don't care about the customer experience. They would rather save $2.50 (the half we had to pay) rather than ensuring that their customers are happy. This not only demonstrates a complete disregard for their customers' experience, but it is terrible business strategy. Do not come here if you don't want contaminated food, you want to be treated with good customer service, and you don't want a heated argument when you bring a problem with your food to the attention of the management. Stay away!!
(1)Fifi C.
My favorite Japanese restaurant in Redwood City. Yes. It's limited seating and limited parking, so come early if you don't want to wait long during weekends. The sushi is always very fresh, I also like their miso ramen which is better than some of the ramen places in South Bay. The price is absolutely reasonable, and we have never had problems from servers for the last couple times we were here. They are nice but by no means they are busy and sometimes it needs to be waited a bit to get attention.
(5)Anna S.
The fish did not taste fresh and we were disappointed by everything, even down to the seaweed salad. The omakase sashimi was better than the spicy white tuna roll, but we paid over $100 with sake for a meal that we couldn't even finish because some the fish was that bad. After asking if maybe the tuna topping our $12+ roll was past its prime, we were told it was fresh and given free ice cream as a consolation. Maybe it was just an off night, but we ultimately left very disappointed - and will not be back.
(2)Erin G.
I found this place and tried the chicken terriyaki combo with tempura. It was good. service is fast. Place pretty small and quite.
(4)Amanda G.
I keep searching for a Japanese restaurant closer to home but as good as Akane...The search goes on.... That being said, this is still the best option I've found nearby. This place is a bit smaller than expected, and much busier than we anticipated. The server told me it would be a 30 minute wait, but we were seated in about 10 minutes. We shared the homemade gyoza, which i thought would be awesome because they were homemade. They were fine, but nothing special. The miso black cod was one of the worst I've ever had, ( I order this everywhere that serves it.) It just tasted of salt,, none of the flavors that make me love this dish were there. I would NEVER order it again. The sashimi was the highlight of the meal for me. It was cut well, and tasted fresh. I would definitely go back for the sashimi, but would stay away from the cooked items. My husband's ramen was ok, but I'm not a ramen connoisseur. He said it was fine, but would order something else next time. The curries that came out looked good. If i could give them a 3.5, i would, but for now i have to round down.
(3)Paul C.
This place is a very small Japanese place. Expect a long wait during lunch time. The service is very poor. There are only 2 servers for everything. They will give you dirty look when there is a long line. I will not coming back.
(1)Emi N.
I've dined in here 3 times (and taken out twice) so far and 2 out of the 3 times, one of our orders was given away to another table. The restaurant is small so it was obvious what was happening as it happened but after its served you can't really ask for it back. After the second time we experienced this we complained and explained that this had now happened twice but they were not apologetic at all. We thought maybe they would comp the late food or maybe our sodas but in the end, they gave us one scoop of ice cream which we didn't even touch. What if we were allergic to dairy? The communication among the servers or their overall serving system needs to be improved. Otherwise their food is fine. I like their salmon onigiris.
(2)David E.
My coworkers were craving ramen, and being up for anything I was happy they asked me to join. It was a rainy day, too, so what's better than a hot bowl of soup? The place itself is small and quaint. Traditional Japanese I suppose, thought what do I know. The five of us were seated quickly but were were lucky another group our size was just leaving. Be prepared to wait, I think, if you're part of a big group. The service was excellent and the waitress was super super nice. I ordered the spicy miso ramen special with Cali roll. OMG and holy crap this was good!! The soup was surprisingly spicy, with a rich garlicky broth. I've had miso soup at a million Japanese lunches, but this is quite a bit different if that's what you're thinking of (like me, before coming). It isn't only miso, but the garlic, the pork, and all the other goodness they add create an excellent, rich, almost meaty broth. The noodles themselves had a texture I haven't had before. Almost chewy and very fresh, they were perfectly cooked. A hell of a lot better than instant, my friends. Lastly, the California roll: this was different than other places, but still nice. It was a bit heavy on the wasabi, and the rice was a more chewy than very soft, but the crab may have been real. Will I be back? Heck yeah. My wife needs to try this place!
(4)Joseph E.
Honestly, this is some of the best sushi I've had since moving to the Bay Area... now, please keep in mind that I balance quality and price. There very well may be places that will give you Sushi that is close to a religious experience, but, honestly, the price will sour me... This place, however, I almost feel like I've tricked them with devilry by ordering off their menu because the prices are so reasonable and the sushi is so darned good. In particular, the Salmon Skin... I once told my partner "Salmon Skin is, like, pescatarian bacon" and he never agreed... primarily because almost everywhere we got it in San Francisco it wasn't crispy enough, or there was too much meat on the skin (pink salmon skin, really?) This place, however, does it P-E-R-F-E-C-T-ly...
(5)Krystal B.
Quaint little place, great homey atmosphere. Great food!! Definitely recommend this place
(4)Sam K.
Food has always been good here, but the one star is not because of that. As I was picking up my lunch to go for myself and a couple of friends, i was heading out the door with the food, and thought what if they forgot the chopsticks. I grabbed 3 sets of the wooden chop sticks from the front counter, I was told by the chef preparing the sushi that we already have them in our bag, and then he just starred at me, and repeated the same thing again. I was really taken off guard and just looked at him and said sorry, are they expensive. It seemed that everyone in the place was looking at me, one customer gave me that look of "WHAT!! how can he be making such a big deal about chopsticks" It was really embarrassing to have to go through that for .20 cents worth of chopsticks. I would think he is the owner, otherwise why would he act like that. After that incident I will think twice about going there again, not friendly at all.
(1)Gina S.
Quick, yummy and what a bargain for lunch. Lunch out with the brother-in-law. We got a table no problem. Our server brought out hot tea and water right away. I went with a chicken and salmon lunch box for $8.50. It was served with miso soup. The box included salad, teriyaki chicken & salmon and 3 California rolls. He went with the curry ramen bowl and 3 California rolls for $9.50. The meat in the box was good...a tad overcooked on the salmon tho. The soup and salad were tasty and the rolls were awesome!
(4)Lily R.
I have little options for lunch around RWC. When I do step out, I want to eat food worth the effort I made to leave the office! I am very happy with the food and service here. I have tried the Ramen, which is very good. The tuna poke bowl is also one of my faves. It's good to have options when other places have lines out the door at lunch time. If I crave ramen or something meaty or sushi, I know that I can come here and have exactly what I want. It's worth the drive!
(4)Alice C.
Been here a couple times for lunch. I like the atmosphere and size of the place, however, it's hard to spot and there isn't much parking in the back. They offer a variety of things, but most notably the following: 1) Sushi rolls Some of the sushi rolls are good, esp. the spicy tuna ones. 2) Sushi I separate this out because to me they are more about the fish quality than sushi rolls (which are about the combination of things). This is a bit lacking at times, the Chirashi can be pretty good. I can get fresher fish elsewhere, so it's only average here. EDIT: I had some really great fish here the other day. I think you just have to figure out which day of the week they get their fish! 3) Ramen It's ok. Nothing too special but very few places in the area offers spicy ramen so be sure to try that if you like ramen. 4) Curry Their curry is good ol' Japanese style curry. Probably still from the curry bricks but nothing beats it. I like it. 5) Appetizers If they have the hand-made gyoza, get it, it's worth the extra price. The nigiris are pretty good too. I haven't really had their other cooked items (chicken teriyaki, etc etc) but imagine that they're pretty standard [a little Americanized] Japanese fare. Overall, there are goods and bads but definitely one of the better places in the area.
(4)Jennifer C.
I'm tempted to knock it down half a star because they don't serve ramen during dinner time but the sashimi, sushi, and appetizers are pretty damn good so it would be unfair for me to do so. Sashimi is fresh and mmm good. Lion king roll. Filling and tasty spicy white tuna hand roll--- ooooooh so good Hamachi kama. Grilled to perfection! home made gyoza - friggin awesome Prices? Pretty damn good in my opinion. Between 2 people, all those things and more for just over $60 Yea.. I'm coming back.
(5)Kaori M.
Sushi=excellent!!! Especially salmon was good. (I am crazy for salmon)
(5)Mr. R.
Still can't say enough good things about the food and prices. However, I am beginning to understand why so many negative reviews on the service. The waitresses really need to take a note - PLEASE do not be in such a hurry to leave the table. I can't tell you how many times I have had the server turn and walk away from our table before we are done talking to them. Come on guys, you have like 15 tables and 2-3 waitresses. Its not that crazy busy. Take the time to make sure people are done ordering. Don't grab the dish and leave. Ask people questions. Ask if they would like anything else. The consistency in the feedback online is pretty telling. I will continue to come here because its close and convenient and its great food at great prices and very authentic, but please don't make me regret it.
(3)Keiko S.
Something DISTURBING happened. Weekend night. Just as we were done eating and about to spend some time chatting over sake, the staff starts putting up chairs on top of all the tables surrounding ours, leaving us with the uncomfortable and guilty feeling of having to leave. The place closes at 9:30pm. IT WAS ONLY 8:40PM. When we asked, they said they were "closing early" because it was a slow night. As if to trigger more anger in us - the instant we walked out (at 8:45pm), they immediately shut off the lights outside, leaving us stranded in the darkened parking lot. We saw a couple who had just parked their car and was heading to the restaurant. We advised them to go eat elsewhere because the place was closed already. What a stellar way to lose future customers. Seriously. I understand that they have all the liberty to do whatever...but being kicked out like that was NOT COOL. FOOD: See the photos? Three of us ate ALL that food, and while some were better than others, I wasn't particularly blown away by any of the dishes. Mostly 3-star quality. * Good sashimi, but poorly flavored shari. * Hamachi kama was tasty, meaty and juicy. * Ankimo (liver) and gyu-tan (tongue) both had weird texture. * Goma-ae (spinach with sesame) was lacking something. * Chicken zosui was decent, but we can easily make this at home. * Same thing with the curry. * The best two "sushi" items were: spicy crunchy tuna roll and rainbow roll. * The spicy miso ramen is only offered at lunch time. Will I go back for this? Maybe...but I'll call in advance to make sure that they're even open. PRICE: Fair, very fair. With all this food and drinks, it was about $50 per person including tips. SERVICE: Please reread from the first sentence. SUM: I'd hate to deduct stars based on a single bitter experience, so 3 stars for the food.
(3)Derek S.
Came by for our weekly Sushi luncheon after a long morning of volunteer work down the street. Restaurant was a little hard to find, tucked in on El Camino. Their restroom was at an interesting location as well...merely behind a single door at the side of the restaurant. Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll - $5 - This was so good, we ordered a second one! - Small and tasty Chicken Teriyaki and Tempura Bento Box - $8 - Chicken Teriyaki was very fresh and flavorful. Portions were small - Tempura consisted of 5 pieces of vegetables and 2 pieces of shrimp. - Salad was lukewarm - Soup was delicious! All-in-all a great small little Japanese restaurant in Redwood City that is great if you're not really hungry as portions are quite small. Parking is cramped in the back as well...somewhat seedy.
(4)Amber O.
This has been my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area. Their Katsu Curry is to die for. (like grandma made) Hands down the best curry in the Peninsula. Its a small place, with a homey atmosphere and the staff is friendly and helpful.
(5)J R.
Thumbs down. Been going to this restaurant for more than two years now. The food is decent for the area. Maybe half a year ago, they changed their menu and you guessed it - with every menu reprint comes price increases. I was relatively happy with the food at this place despite the low-value, pre-increased price. The service leaves much to be desired. Ok, it sucks. Yes, they fill up your tea cup often. Good service is more than filling up your tea cup. I never quite get the welcoming feeling at this place, and you can forget about service with a smile. I'm stopping short from calling them 'rude'. I don't think they're quite there yet, but they are not friendly and they don't seem to care that you patronize their business. While dining sometime back, I witnessed an incident where a woman tripped at the infamous bump at the entry door and fell on the floor. Then, rather than hurrying up to assist the person and checked the person, the waitresses started talking to the sushi chef in Japanese and seemed to be more interested to get her out of the restaurant to avoid a scene and liability. Not nice #1. We once tried to get some change for tips (after paying the bill). Request Denied. Had we requested the change before paying, we would probably have received the change. Especially considering when we paid the bill, we had put in some change there as well. Not nice #2. This place also tagged a $10 cake fee when you bring your own cake. Not written anywhere on the menu AFAIK (bet they will add it now). One of the waitress took back our tab and showed us a pathetic looking 'cake' menu (looks more like sponge cake roll) and tried to explain that they need to redo the bill to charge us $10. All of us had a hard time understanding her, but got the gist and didn't want to make a scene. Cake surcharge is not new to me. But, a cake surcharge from a small neighborhood Japanese restaurant? That's a first. So, they offered to cut the cake. And we said we'll cut it ourselves. "We don't have long knife" (to give us, that is). Ok, fine cut it for us, then. So, they did. Gave us some plates (without forks). Eeeh, can we have some forks, please?? "Forks?". Hmm, you expect us to eat the cake like dining in Eritrean resto, or maybe with chopstick? Not nice #3. The food, while still decent, has also taken a dive in value and quality. They probably had 2-3 slices of ginger (gari) in the bento. Really? And what's with the anemic shrimp tempura? They most likely use the 51/60 or 61/70/count per lb shrimp. To be fair they still did a good job with the batter and frying (clean, non-greasy). I sincerely hope they improve their service and value. Maximize profit, sure, sacrifice quality and service, no. Hard? Maybe so. But, other places have been able to do just that.
(2)Hannah K.
So on this somewhat rainy afternoon a bowl of spicy ramen sounded good. I typically don't carry much if any cash on me and can understand a place requesting a $5 minimum purchase to use your credit card but $15 just seems high. I noticed they also posted signs for $8 minimum purchase at lunch and $10 minimum at dinner. The table next to me had paid for their lunch and were just finishing up, when the server came over and requested that he sign the receipt (mind you the bill had not been on the table for more than a few minutes). The final frustrating thing occured when I asked for a container for my left over ramen and sushi, only to be told that containers now cost .75 cents each. I enjoyed Higuma but to me this just makes dining out feel like a hassle rather than a pleasant experience and would rather spend my money elsewhere.
(1)Kimberly S.
Great sushi place! I was worried I wouldn't find one that I loved in the Peninsula, but I have! The place is pretty small, with limited parking in the back, but the place is such an amazing find. My friend and I each ordered a bento box and then split three rolls. It was a lot of food: Bento Box ($11.50): miso to start, salad, 3 piece CA roll, 3 piece gyoza, and then two choices. I had the chicken teriyaki (thick pieces of chicken that were moist and tender) and the sashimi (6-7 pieces of tuna, salmon, and ... white tuna maybe?). Loved it. My friend chose the tempura (good portion size) and the beef teriyaki (this was maybe dryer then I'd like, but the flavor was great). Bay City Roll ($13): unbelievably delicious! it's a tempura roll on the inside topped with bay scallops that are in a Japanese mayo sauce and a jalapeno slice. Italian Roll ($3.50!): i got it without the cream cheese so it was just salmon and avocado. wonderful. Hamachi Roll ($3.50): probably my least favorite of everything I tried, but not bad at all the service was excellent and they even gave us some free hot tea after our meal. definitely coming back!
(5)Kim W.
Higuma is one of the best sushi restaurants in the area. It is actually Japanese owned and has fairly reasonable prices. The fish is very fresh and delicious and I would recommend this place to anyone.
(4)Cedes B.
Had a great time here. I got there around 7:30pm and it wasn't packed, which was great because parking behind the restaurant is terrible. Only about 5 cars fit back there so I recommend getting there early. Service was fast and friendly. Food was delicious, looked great and was a reasonable price. Nothing to complain about only that they could make their menu look nicer with more pictures. If I were a first time sushi eater I would have no idea what im getting. Other than that everything was great and I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)FoodJunkie S.
We ordered the spicy miso ramen, black sesame ramen (sounded interesting!) and a spicy tuna roll for dinner. The ramen was ok but the portions were small!! It's just cheap carbs! It was seriously half of what you'd get at Santa Ramen or Dojo Ramen or Ramen club. Stingy especially if you were going to charge $10! The lack of ramen aside, there was barely any stuff in it: a few nibbles of corn, one piece of pork, and a few slices of dried turnip/vegetables. Disappointing. The spicy tuna roll didn't taste fresh and looked like they just smeared a very thin layer of spice tuna paste on rice - more spice than tuna for sure. We were desperate for ramen, found ourselves short on time to make the schlep up to San Mateo, decided to try a new place which had decent yelp reviews. But I don't think we'd come here again. Food wasn't great especially for the price.
(2)Philip B.
A friend and I hit this place about every two weeks for sushi and only sushi. I get a ton of nigiri there, so this is pretty much focused just on that. I've had the other stuff, but once it became the spot to get sushi, I forgot the rest of the menu existed :) While I won't argue that it's the best place in the bay, it's definitely the sweet spot of price/quality and makes me happy enough after getting used to Osaka sushi. The nigiri is very good most of the time (but not always), and generally just a bit less than similar offerings like Hotaru's. It is always fresh, and generally quick to come out. It's got quite a variety, though I tend toward salmon, tuna and shrimp with a few extras to round it out. I tend to get about 30 pieces for a bit over 60 bucks. While the service can be a bit rough, it is also very friendly. It's probably a side effect of us ordering a lot, but it's still a very nice touch when they occassionally bring out an extra side dish or desert for the meal. It is very hole in the wall. Always kind of a pain to park at. But what can you do? I at least have never not found a spot in their tiny parking lot.
(4)Aki T.
OK, I come from a rice and fish wholesaler family from Japan so I really can't rate this wonderful local restaurant a 5. The sushi is about 3.5 (additonal comment below), the unique dishes from the kitchen a 4, and owner, Eiji, and staff a 5+. As I don't eat the funny rolls, I can't compare them with the other reviews about the 'specialty" rolls. I did find the ebi + mayonnaise roll very tasty, but I doubt that people come here just for the basic rolls like Kappa maki. The one thing I can say about Eiji's preparation of fish is what you don't expect to find in other more expensive (but not necessarily better) sushi restaurants in the SF bay area. He prepares the "hikarimono" (blue fish) himself and to perfection; just the right amount of vinegar, sake and sugar. Saba, Kohada and Sanma (in season now), fall into this category. Definitely a 5. His preparation of Ikura or Sujiko (salmon roe) is also outstanding. As Eiji is from Sapporo, he really knows about fresh fish! BTW, their Sapporo Ramen is pretty good too; way better than the fatty pork belly soup base ramen served in many ramen places in San Mateo. Their homemade Gyoza (potstickers) is just as good, if not better, than Yu-Raku's in San Mateo. Higuma is the only place I know of north of San Jose that serves tripe. A bit chewy but tasty! I wasn't keen on ordering the Mozarella cheese tempura, but I have to admit it was very good. This is the only "authentic" Japanese restaurant that is decent, friendly, and reasonably priced between San Mateo and Menlo Park. It has been a pleasure dining here for almost 15 years.
(5)Mary W.
Great sushi and close to the house. We order and pick up. Try the house specials! Staff are so friendly and service is great!
(5)Ruth C.
Tinytiny Japanese-owned and run joint conveniently located 2 minutes from my workplace (yay!). It's a little house on the edge of El Camino Real by Whipple with very limited parking (maybe 8 cars max). Inside seats around 30 people... Being Japanese-owned and run makes for great authentic Japanese food. The first time I came, I ordered katsu-curry for pick-up. The curry was medium spicy with a generous portion of chicken, onions and carrots. It was a good curry to rice ratio with the curry being thick and dark like Japanese curry SHOULD be everywhere. I'd say this is the closest thing to Muracci's in SF that I can get 2 minutes from work which is quite nice. The second time I came, I sat and had some miso ramen (not the spicy miso ramen they are famed for since I can't handle spicy). They have ramen sets where you can choose ramen and onigiri, ramen and california roll, or ramen and something else... and they cost about $8-9. I usually choose onigiri. Be careful that the salmon they put inside the onigiri sometimes has bones! So I ask for nothing inside... The ramen is tasty! The serving isn't as large as most places like Ryowa or Maru-Ichi... but it's enough for me and the quality is better than Ryowa. I keep coming back to get this miso ramen even when it's 90 degrees outside! Service is pretty good, however when it gets crowded (around noon) then service can be hit or miss. Not a huge deal since it's a small place. They close at 2 for lunch but I'd get there early (11:30) to get parking and make sure you get your food quickly. Moderate pricing, credit card minimum is $15 so bring cash.
(4)Lauren W.
My original review in December 2007 gave this restaurant 4 stars. It's been over two years since we've eaten here, and our last two visits were incredibly disappointing. Both times, the restaurant wasn't that crowded, about half full. Despite this, the service was terrible: (1) didn't offer us any water/tea (2) hubby's main course came 10 minutes after mine (3) spicy tuna roll that we ordered didn't come until after we had finished our meal and signaled the server to cancel our order -- only after that did she bring it and was surprised that we didn't want it anymore. We'll be heading to Yokohama in Redwood City for our sushi fix, and Ganko for non-sushi. Ganko is a little slow too but at least I expect it since there are only two people working in the restaurant!
(2)Alain K.
This has become my go to Sushi restaurant. I frequent Higuma at least once a week. 1st. Fresh seafood, and always a great selection. 2nd. Service is friendly, efficient and the big plus they pay attention to you. 3rd. Fun and easy to have a great meal. 4th. Did I say fresh seafood? 5th. Cutest waitress in the Bay Area. 6th. I love the place. Hard to find but once you do I am sure you will not forget. Oh double plus plus is the baseball games are always on.
(5)Tatiana K.
I can't give this place more than one star because I drove all the way there and then they wouldn't serve me. I'm pregnant with twins and had a sudden craving for sushi and am new to the area. I called this place at 1:30 to make sure they were open and they said "open until 2 come on in", so very excited I jumped into my car and arrived at 1:51 exactly. Mind you I was planning on taking the food to go. As I tripped on the death trap hidden step on my way in, great when you're pregnant, I was still excited for some good eats especially when I saw quite a few people there for that time. The lady began to ask me what I would like, but almost instantly the sushi chef said something to her in Japanese and she refused me and said they were closed. I showed her the time on my phone and told them that they said to come in and they still refused me. Lets not forget I'm PREGNANT with TWINS and now starving! I said I'm pregnant, can I at least get some soup to go and she said they were sold out. You would think since it wasn't even 2:00 yet and they had a very pregnant woman in front of them they would try and do something to accommodate me since they told me I had time to come in, throw me a kernel of rice or a pack of soy sauce....something, but NOTHING! By the time I got back into my car and pulled out of the driveway, it was still not 2:00 yet.
(1)トモ T.
***Review of their Ramen ONLY**** 3.5 Stars Higuma is a small Japanese restaurant in Redwood City that serves original ramen only during lunch hours. They were recently featured in Sports J (4/13/2007 issue) as a place that has authentic Japanese ramen. In most non-ramen specialty Japanese restaurants, if you see ramen on their menu, DON NOT order it. Ramen soup is labor intensive, so if a place gets only few ramen orders per day, they are likely using pre-packaged ramen mix that you could buy at a local Japanese grocery store. Higuma makes their own soup, so that makes them special. Let me first say that their ramen is authentic and their ramen lunch combo is a pretty good treat. I'm sure most people leave there completely satisfied. However, I am a ramen nerd, and I have several other things to say. Noodle (Men): Medium thickness, slightly yellow, wavy. Good elasticity. On my second visit, noodle was over cooked. Oh well. I still like 'men' at Katana-ya more. Soup: I liked their soy soup, which was simple, yet, flavorful. I was disappointed by their Miso Ramen. According to Sports J, Higuma blends 3 kinds of miso to create real Sapporo Ramen. I've had Ramen in Sapporo and Higuma's version sure doesn't cut it. Good miso ramen has plenty of flavor without being salty. Higuma's miso ramen was way too salty for me. Afterwards, I was on a mad run to find a 7-Eleven so that I could drain a Big Gulp. I have not tried their Shio (salt) ramen, which I understand uses seafood for 'dashi'. Toppings: I really liked their homemade cha-shu and menma (bamboo shoots). Bean sprouts, green onions, and nori. No boiled egg. RAMEN COMBINATIONS: $8.50 --- Ramen and Onigiri $8.50 --- Ramen and Cali Roll $10.50 --- Ramen and tuna poki mini-don (prices as of Apr 2007, see pic) PARKING: They have their own parking spaces in the back, in front of auto body shop (see pic). WHEN TO GO FOR RAMEN: Lunch hours. For Saturday lunch, you can only get Ramen and Sushi (no kitchen items). (see pic).
(4)Del S.
I still enjoy their food especially the Ramen selection. The service has gotten friendlier recently which I appreciate. However, one of my main issues right now is how tiny and crowded the place is. I am not blaming the size of the restaurant, but how they try to squeeze so many tables in this tiny little space. It is hard to walk through the tables not to mention you might be knocking down everyone's cups and bowls doing so. I can see this place violating some safety code and I would hate to have some hot soup or tea being knocked down on my table which is a major safety hazard. This place is obviously not very wheelchair accessible, and you might not want to bring your children here.
(3)Beethoven C.
Higuma is a pain to find because it looks so nondescript. Crowded next to a Napa Auto Parts and across the street from Menlo Mazda, you would think Higuma was someone's house. The food here is pretty good - earnest, simple and homey. The sushi especially is really nice. You get the sense that the purpose of every piece of nigiri is to show off the freshness of the fish, and not how well the sushiya-sang can creatively mix sesame seeds, fish, rice and mayo. Parking here is very painful so be warned.
(4)Jean C.
I have been going there for ~15 years, since I moved in the bay area. I think that place is responsible for the fact that I refuse to eat sushi in any other place : I would be disappointed. Their choice of fish can't be more fresh. And their special are stunning. Try the fish taco or the fishes carpacio... Yummy. Salmon skin salad stay my fav ;)
(5)Zake S.
Yelpers: don't tell anybody about this place or come here too often; we want to keep it special and exclusive! =========================== Fresh, Authentic, Creative, Friendly. =========================== Small: Come off-hours or maybe wait; leave your stroller outside; parking lot in back tight! They do have some American style stuff in there which you can skip while sticking to and greatly enjoying the traditional goodies.
(5)Kazu O.
It's run by real Japanese people (unlike all of the other Japanese restaurants in RWC).. and yet.... Okay this place disappointed me. I came here for lunch the other day and ordered the Sashimi + Tempura combination. Sashimi was just okay.. not the freshest or the highest quality fish. Tempura was just like any other place, too. Why did this place get a lower rating when it's just like any other Japanese or wannabe-Japanese restaurant within a 10-mile radius? Well... the portions were tiny. Only a few pieces of the mediocre sashimi.. and they can't even give you a full bowl of rice with your meal?? Really.. it was like a half-bowl. Meh... They need to at least redeem themselves with QUALITY if they're gonna skimp on the QUANTITY, you know??
(2)Yi N.
This is definitely my special place for lunch in Redwood City. I have been eating here for the past 3 years at least once a week and they have not yet disappointed. There's parking in the back, but try to come early before the noon crowd. The food is served quickly and the fish is really fresh. Come in October November time frame to try their Uni, it's in Season and sometimes they have special fish straight from Japan so don't forget to check out their menu on the black board. I love their ramen too on a cold day in the winter. It's not as good as Haru Ramen in San Jose but it's a nice hot bowl that's not overly salty and very tasty. The price is also quite reasonable and it's a nice environment to eat good savory food and chat with friends.
(5)Valerie P.
My new favorite Japanese place in Redwood City! i first tried this place during lunch over the summer, they have miso ramen and mini poke don combo that is a must try! I only came back recently because parking is hard to find (they have parking in the back) and if you come here, DO NOT park at Napa Auto or the neighboring stores becuase you will get your vehicle towed. I ordered the crunchy spicy tuna roll, italian roll, and a spicy albacore handroll, the bill was less than $15!
(4)Annie D.
So this place is tiny, from the parking lot to the inside. Seated right away by the wall, we started to order. We got the sake, hamachi and ika to start off with. They were all a o k, not bad for the price. Also got the Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll- Spicy Tuna Roll rolled on crunchy tempura crumbs. This wasn't bad, normal. Salmon Crunchy- Tenkasu (tempura crumbs) inside topped with salmon. Smartest roll every, we love the tempura crumbs and normally rolls would have it all over the outside of the roll and on the plate. Well this roll had it rolled sides with the fish on the outside, perfect crunch in every bite. Overall, the service was ok, space in there was pretty tight, I mean you really don't need to ease drop, you can hear everyone's conversations.
(3)Jess H.
THe sashimi here is the best. Very fresh and lots of variety! Its a small house-like atmosphere. People are very friendly and everything is authentic. Its always a pleasure going to this place.
(5)HelpYelpsters D.
Probably my favorite Sushi restaurant in the Bay Area! Traditional, fresh, and delicious!
(4)Eric A.
Wow this place is a hidden gem. The first thing I noticed was the place was full of Japanese people. That actually means that the restaurant is good. My expectations were high and they were met. I ordered their Lunch Special Ramen and chose Spicy Miso as the broth. It was delicious. I ended up drinking the whole broth I don't know if it's better than Ramen Dojo because Ramen Dojo really fills the bowl with a lot of things. My Rating is purely on the entree I ordered I would recommend going to Ramen Dojo and Higuma and do your own comparison ps: There is parking, but it's a small parking lot so beware
(3)Dennis H.
I've long lamented the lack of quality sushi in the Redwood City area, so I scanned the Yelp reviews in hope of finding a hint of the joy of my long lost Mountain View sushi joints. Enter Higuma Japanese Restaurant! If you can...it's kind of small and the tables are pretty close together, and it's almost always packed. I wouldn't say they are equal to Dancy Sushi or Sushi-tomi, but they have fresh fish that doesn't look like it was frozen, and reasonably sized portions for their assorted sashimi dinners. They serve hot tea, and I think they have sake, but I'm not positive because the wife didn't want alcohol when we went there for lunch one day (she didn't even fall for the 'it's noon somewhere' line). There are a couple of downsides...the parking lot behind the restaurant is good place to practice your Tetris. Don't try parking at the liquor store next door unless you like being yelled at by store proprietors. Also, good luck trying to get a phone order in on a Friday night, at times they don't even bother answering the phone (even after a hungry man calls literally 20 times, they must have turned off the ringer). However, those things aside, great food for good value, and it's where I go now for my local sushi fix.
(4)Kristina R.
This place reminded me so much of Hawaiian ramen and curry houses, it made me misty-eyed for my Oahu hangouts. The prices are decent, and the atmosphere is very homey, friendly, and unpretentious. However, the food in Hawaii is always heads and tails above anything I've eaten on the Mainland, especially when it comes to ramen or pho. This place was no exception, unfortunately. The food is not up to my spoiled Hawaiian ramen and curry standards. But it's not bad. I had the curry, which was decent. It came with a literal teaspoon of those addictive pinkish purple pickles (say it three times fast) and a good mound of sticky rice. The ramen is fair, and spicy enough to make me sweat. But the lunch boxes were lacking. It wasn't impressive by any means, and seemed less than fresh. And so my hunt for an awesome bento in the Bay Area continues.
(4)liz c.
If Higuma starts with 10 points, this the breakdown: -3 for bad parking and difficult location. If you're getting here via Whipple Ave, prepare to stop quickly as this place creeps up on you QUICK. It's at the very corner of El Camino and Whipple. The parking in the back is miniature at best - maybe 8 spots available? Parking on the street isn't too bad. -3 for strange service. Yes, strange. The restaurant wasn't busy at all but the waitress kept asking if we were ready to order even though we were having a tough time deciding. Can I get a minute!? SHEESH. I asked for some recommendations and she pointed with annoyance to the rolls that were being offered that day. Just a question, my baaad. Then they got our order mixed up a few times, giving us two pieces of sashimi we didn't order, took it away, then gave us something else we didn't order, then took that away and finally we got what we ordered. +3 for affordable sweet shrimp. Diana W. wanted sweet shrimp but was dismayed that this was THE sweet shrimp she wanted as it's usually $7/piece. Higuma offers it for $2/piece. And it wasn't bad at all! +.5 for tightly packed, well-made rolls. Yum. +.5 for good chirashi. I mean that should be a given but I'll be nice. I'd like to go back again for a second chance at better service; the food was pretty good though I had my doubts due to the service. Until next time, Higgy!
(3)Diana Y.
It's easy to miss the place since it's right on El Camino so you basically have 4 seconds to find street parking before you have to make a U-turn and try again. The restaurant is small so if there's a crowd, I'm assuming the wait will be long. Liz C. and I lucked out with only a half-full restaurant. The sushi menu tricks you and offers prices for only ONE piece of sushi so at first glance, it looks like it's super cheap. The prices are standard BUT the price for sweet shrimp was surprisingly cheap ($4 for 2 pieces). The chirashi was yummy and their rolls were good. Service was a little off but eh, I guess it happens. Good sushi overall but I'll probably try another place next time since there wasn't anything that makes me really wanna go there again. But I won't say no if someone suggests to go there again.
(3)lani P.
This place is OK. The sushi "neta" (fish slices) looked very fresh in the case at the sushi bar, and the guy making the sushi was actually Japanese, so I was hoping for better. I read that this place is well known for their ra-men, but I wasn't really in the mood for it (it was so hot outside). I ordered the sushi A lunch which was a California roll (fake, pink "crab and super chintzy on the avocado), one piece each of tuna, white tune, shrimp, eel, hirame and hamachi. Sounded like it would be good, but it was a bit disappointing. The rice wasn't seasoned right (not enough vinegar for me), the porrtion of rice was a lot, and the fish was sliced very thinly. Also, they served that pink colored gari (ginger) which you usually only find now in cheaper places. The miso soup was mediocre too and lukewarm. Spinach goma-ae was pretty decent. My co-worker and I just opened an office in Palo ALto and we have yet to find any place that we like! If anyone knows any authentic, good Japanese places for lunch on the Peninsula please let me know! I know about Tomi Sushi already (I love that place) but it's a bit far and there's always a wait. Anyway, we'll keep searching!
(2)Rae L.
Higuma has a very cozy and homey space, which is great for a relaxing meal. Everything I've tried on the menu has been consistently fresh and solidly prepared. My favorite are the rolls. The maki rolls are just the right size (just small enough to be bite-sized without being skimpy) and neatly made. The spicy tuna is amazing - the sauce tastes like there's a hint of sesame oil or something. And the negihama also has much more flavorful than in other places I've been to. The prices are very reasonable. Their special rolls are delicious as well and presented nicely. The food in general is light but very satisfying in flavors. We always leave happy and full without the nagging feeling of having eaten too much. Service is friendly and prompt. You might have to wait to be seated if you have a large party (more than 4?) or come during peak meal times.
(5)Stephanie L.
-1 star for impossible parking setup. -1 star for near-empty restaurant, but slooooow service (I only ordered tempura, agedashi, and rolls!) -1 star for rolls that paled in comparison to grocery-store grade sushi. Sorry Higuma. You're another testament th
(2)Alea G.
Man, this place is crazy hard to spot. I've been there several times now and I still almost miss it. Actually, I completely missed it the first time around and had to circle around some neighborhood to find it again. I don't know. I should probably stop being stubborn and start using a GPS. Whatever. Anyway, the food is pretty good. As I've said, I've been here a couple of times and have never really been disappointed. They give you pretty fair portions and for dinner, at least, the prices are actually pretty reasonable compared to other Japanese restaurants I've been to. The sushi there is very good. It's very fresh and delicious. Definitely the best part of any meal I have at Higuma. The salmon terriyaki was pretty standard. While the katsu curry is probably not the best I've had (I've had some pretty legit katsu curry), it was still very good. I feel like the lunch prices were slightly more steep for what you're paying for, but you get a good deal out of them. You can generally get the spicy miso ramen as a combination with something else. The broth for the ramen is delicious, but I feel like they skimped on other things like the pork. All in all, though, I quite like this place and it's quickly becoming my go-to Japanese restaurant in the area.
(4)Nathan W.
Cute, but tiny, Japanese spot with off-street parking... I had a three-item bento here for lunch recently, and was quite pleased with the whole experience. $8.50 for this was an absolute steal, even if the portions were a little on the smallish side. Most three-item combos will set you back somewhere between $12 and $14 at most places... The service here was very friendly, and the turnover is relatively rapid here. Popular with office workers and I can see why. I'd come back...
(4)JANETTE S.
Love this place! Higuma is one of the only sushi place My husband and I go. We often find ourselves either going to or ordering take out from Higuma several times a week :) The sushi is consistently fresh and delicious. The owner, who is constantly busy making sushi, is always very polite :) He always makes a point to say hello when we arrive and to say thank you when we leave. Higuma is very small, not a lot of seating but that actually makes me love it even more. Higuma is a cute hole in the wall sushi joint with excellent sushi, great service, with a warm friendly cozy atmosphere. We've enjoyed Higuma for many years and hopefully you will too.
(5)Adrienne M.
3.5 stars. My boyfriend and I were craving sushi today and decided to check this place out, since we haven't been thrilled with the cheap sushi options in Palo Alto. I thought this place was pretty yummy, especially for the money. We spent only about $20 for the two of us before tip, and left feeling completely stuffed. We ordered tempura (mixed veggie and shrimp), avocado rolls, fried chicken & avocado rolls, tuna rolls, and Italian rolls (salmon/avocado/cream cheese). The tempura was ok, but not the best I've had. The rolls were all in the $3-4 range and were decent-sized. I liked the avocado ones quite well, and the fried chicken ones were a big hit with both of us (and I especially like that they have something so unique). My bf was happy with the Italian roll, but not as impressed with the tuna roll. Overall, I thought the quality and quantity were pretty solid for the price. Service was pleasant and very prompt, and the place is quite cute and cozy inside. I'm sure we'll be back at some point, but we'll also keep exploring other cheap sushi places.
(4)Cathy N.
It was pretty hard to spot this place the first time, so keep a careful look out or you'll end up like me and miss it 2-3 times before actually turning in. Parking lot in the back was very crowded and tiny - people starting forming their own parking spaces towards the side. Luckily for us, someone was leaving so we were able to snag a spot instead of parking a block away. The restaurant is very tiny, but gives off somewhat a cozy feel. Prices were average, and sushi was decent. We had the Sashimo Combination which came with 6 pieces of california roll, one hamachi, one salmon, one white tuna, one red tuna, one unagi, and one sweet shrimp. The slices of fish were ok, didn't taste as fresh as I hoped. About 15 bucks for the order. We also had the Crunchy Salmon Roll which I really liked. Perfectly sized pieces with crunchy tempora bits on the inside and salmon layering the top. Overall, a decent place to get your sushi fix, but service wasn't too great. It was more on the slow side and the waitresses weren't very attentive. We did a whole lot of waiting - for our drinks, the food, and even the bill! So ehhh...not sure if I'd come back. You all know how I feel about service...
(3)Jaclyn P.
Still a fan of this place. We went here last night and we waited at the door and nobody sat us so we sat ourselves. We didn't see a sign that said "wait to be seated" so we sat ourselves and waited for a waitress to come over and give us some menu's. After about 3 or 4 minutes and the waitress walking by us four or five times we decided that we pissed them off by not waiting to be seated so my husband got up and stood by the door and then after like 30 seconds a waitress said "may I help you" he then told her we were sitting over here and would like some menu's. So long story short, wait to be seated even if it's not very busy. Still a great place for Sushi. We left full and had two beers and it cost $58 for two of us to eat. Great place, will definitely be back.
(4)Selene K.
I've been here for dinner quite a few times and found the sushi to be decent. The price is good and for what you pay, the sushi isn't' bad. My review is mainly on the ramen they serve (only during lunch). Every time I've come here for dinner, it always made me want to try their ramen, since it's posted all over the walls and served only during lunch. About 3 weeks ago, we rushed over here during our lunch hour and was so excited to try it. I ordered the Shio (Salt flavored) ramen and my friend ordered the Shoyu (Soy Sauce flavored) ramen. The noodles looked and tasted like Top Ramen. My Shio Ramen was the worst bowl of ramen I've ever tasted....the char siu looked like it's been sitting the fridge and they didn't bother heating it up before putting it into the bowl. The broth was even worse - absolutely no flavor at all. My friend asked me how it tasted and my exact words were, "tastes like dish washing liquid". Good thing they have other things on their menu that are pretty good. I would say save your time and gas from coming here for their ramen.
(2)Lolia S.
Higuma is Japanese for the Hokkaido brown bear, a bear that loves fresh fish. There are ferocious bear items on the restaurant's walls including a bear t-shirt, stuffed bear, etc. The restaurant looks like a cozy little Japanese house with small tables (don't come in a group larger than 4), and a row of five seats at the sushi bar. I'll choose ramen over sushi just about any day of the week (I do like sushi but noodle soup is so satisfying). Besides ramen and sushi, they have bento box lunches, udon, and rice bowls for lunch. I hoped to receive a ramen menu during lunch but none was provided. I guess they only have one type of ramen now: spicy miso ramen. The paper sign for the ramen had a drawing of a skull, so I knew I had to have it. The spicy miso ramen set comes with either a 3 piece California roll ($8.50), onigri (rice ball, $8.50) or tuna poke mini bowl ($10.50). It was served hot, but not piping hot like I like it. The noodles were a bit overcooked. The broth was a bit too salty; it was rich and oily but didn't taste much like miso. The pork slices had good flavor but I've had better. It came with bean sprouts, a piece of nori, wood ears, and scallions. It was a decent size but not large. The poke in the mini rice bowl was also too salty. Overall, it's a cute place and the best Japanese restaurant in Redwood City (I think there's one place that I haven't tried yet though).
(3)Joyce H.
Came here on a whim, cos boyfriend and I were starving & Yelp's quick tips said they had good curry. And since the boyfriend loooooves Japanese curry, we decided to try it. Tiny restaurant, but was full even at closing. It is a little hard to spot, we missed it the first time around, but I think once you know what to look for, you'll find it. It literally looks like a little house stuck between the hotel and an auto parts store, across from the Mazda dealership. Onto the food! Curry was pretty good, mostly mild and one-note, but the meat in the curry was really, really tender. The tonkatsu was done well, freshly fried. The most stellar part of the night though, was the beef tataki. Mmm... seared lightly on the outside edges, still perfectly rare in the middle. Delicious, definitely try it!
(4)Klayton V.
We lived in Redwood City for about 3 years and when we first moved there, we were looking for a go-to neighborhood Japanese restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised when the first place we randomly wandered into ended up being that place. Their dinner is very reasonably priced and surprisingly authentic for teishoku-style food. The broth for their nabeyaki udon is quite nicely flavored and the batter for their tempura is always very light and crispy. The sushi isn't going to blow you away, but it is consistently decent quality. The service is friendly, but they can sometimes get overwhelmed during a particularly busy night (and given the small size of the place, when it gets super busy, it gets very tightly packed in there). The biggest complaint that I have (and other people have already pointed this out on multiple occasions) is that the parking is horrendous. It may not be a destination restaurant, but for a neighborhood Japanese place, it fits the bill and then some.
(4)michelle f.
It helped to have a heads up on this place being a bit hard to spot, and we still passed it just slightly, enough to miss the parking lot entrance and the restaurant. But we were able to still park close by on the street. The place is very cozy, houses about 30ish snugly. It's hard to navigate around and in between when everyone is seated. The agedashi tofu was good, soft and silky with a fairly strong broth compared to others. They give you 6 pieces. My parents and I all got the Dinner Box (equivalent to Bento box). It comes with Miso soup, salad, and rice. It also includes 3 pieces of gyoza and 3 or 4 pieces of California Roll. **For a seemingly authentic Japanese restaurant, I was not impressed with the imitation crab in the California Roll.** Aside from that, the tonkatsu my mom ordered was nice and crispy on the outside while tender on the inside. And to my delight, Chicken Karaage was an option for the bento as well. It had a lightly fried skin as opposed to batter, and was tender and moist. Pat yourselves on the back for that one, Higuma. My beef teriyaki was also cooked well. I asked for rear, knowing it would come out more like medium rear or medium well, and it was decently tender as well, considering that I've had a handful of charred, dry, or tough to chew at other restaurants. And I know you know what I'm talking about. The Dinner Box was $11.50, and I went home with leftovers. Overall, this place seems okay. I wouldn't mind going back if someone else suggests it first.
(3)Jo-An R.
Met a couple friends for sushi and sake on a Thursday night. I've been to a few neighborhood japanese restaurants like this in different cities (we're usually the only customers there at one time), and this one seemed to have a good dinner crowd. I drove right past this restaurant when I was looking for it. It's like the old japanese version of the little house in "UP." It's located on a busy street in between kragen and some office buildings. They have a small private parking lot behind the restaurant. First off, The large hot sake was only $5! Enough for 3-4 people, so it's definitely a bargain. We shared rolls and cold soba. The rolls were typical but tasty. They served us a huge portion of soba and it was cooked perfectly al dente! It was a cozy place to have dinner and sake with good friends. The waiters were attentive and refilled out waters often. If I come back, I definitely need to try more traditional japanese food selections.
(3)Lisa C.
Honestly, they should get no stars as despite the food being ok, the service was so incredibly rude and unapologetic about it, that it takes away any taste they may offer in their sushi. I will focus my review on the my issue only and not the food, if only to warn every business person out there to AVOID at all costs this restaurant. I had a 1pm meeting about 5 minutes away, and it was 12:10pm when I passed the restaurant. I asked for a table for 1, and asked for the corner table next to the wall. I noticed there was an electrical outlet there, and my phone was almost completely dead and I wanted to get some charge before my meeting. Also, I had my laptop and wanted to read an article while I ate. So I sat down, plugged in (and let me reiterate, the plug was right where my table was, not in the way of anyone else). I took out my tablet style laptop and started to read after ordering. The person next to me also was reading, but from a traditional book. After about 15 minutes, one of the servers came over and sad "I'm sorry but you can't plug things in there." I was totally confused, wondering if they had some sort of New Orleans power issue like the Super bowl. I said I'm sorry, I don't understand? And she then said again - no you can't have things plugged in. And I said I'm just curious; it is okay, but why? And she said "any, just no you can't." I said, okay I get that I can't, but why? To which she replied - very loudly so other guests can hear - "I'm sorry but we are no Starbucks." Then she stormed off, talking about me to another server. Okay, I've been at plenty of restaurants all over the bay area and NEVER has anyone refused to allow you to charge your phone when it is not intrusive or bothering anyone. Also, about 1 in 3 guests all had their phones out, so why was my tablet such a big deal? I was eating by myself for goodness sakes. Give me something to do. I was totally embarrassed and just wanted to leave. I quickly finished and stood up to pay. I asked for the check and wrote my comments on the back, along with my number. Nobody called. I guess next time; I'll just go to Starbucks for good customer service.
(1)Alex C.
Really satisfied with this place, particularly because of the prices. I think I paid something like $10-11 for a dinner box, whereas I'm used to seeing prices of $13 and upwards for the same sort of thing. And it's not like the quality or quantity of the food suffers either. When you order a dinner box, you can choose two proteins out of something like eight choices (chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, karaage, shioyaki, etc.). Also remember seeing chirashi for $14 (as of this review, of course). It's a small, cozy little establishment, made even more cozy by the fact that it looks like a cottage... albeit nestled on a block of El Camino with car dealerships a stone's throw away.
(4)Ashley F.
My boyfriend and I just recently moved to the neighborhood here and noticed this place just down and around the block from our place. We are both obsessed with sushi, so we were really hoping this place would be great...after all there's nothing better than being able to drink your fill of sake without having to worry about who's driving. The place is super, super small and seating is very close together. I don't mind it. It just feels more personal. The service is really good; multiple waitresses that all work together to keep tabs on everyone. The sushi is pretty good. It's not extraordinary in the sense of it being out of this world, but it's definitely decent and filling. The prices are very reasonable; I can order a variety of different things to taste without the bill getting out of control. I dig the simple rolls. The yellowtail roll and their eel roll and catipillar roll (with extra eel sauce) are good for the simple stuff. For me this place produces pretty decent sushi and is super convenient for me. I'm a fan and will continue to stop by here from time to time.
(3)Richard L.
No ramen serve at dinner, was for lunch only. they closed early like 9pm. Waiter service is good, the menu price is typical, i try the sashime, wasn't that good as i hope, is not that flesh. the soup has msg.
(3)Sachiko K.
Came for lunch on a thursday, it was pretty empty. The restaurant is so cute and unique :) I give a 3 because service was awesome but ramen was ok :P My coworkers wanted ramen, but didn't want to drive out all the way to Mtn View and we've heard about this place so decided to try out the ramen here. Had the Spicy Miso with the California Rolls and was surprised at how spicy the ramen actually was. Not a bad thing though, I love my food spicy. The soup was very flavorful, a bit too flavorful for me o_o. The noodles were also alright. When things really impress/amuse me I express it to the extreme. After my first bite I didn't say anything and just kept eating, but if it was really good I would have said something. So yes, nothing special, but not bad either. They didn't give you that much noodles. I finished mine and was fine. Usually when I finish a whole bowl of ramen anywhere else I feel overly full. So if you're a big eater, you might want to order something else with it.. California rolls were good, but you really can't go wrong or awesome with those because they're all pretty much the same everywhere. Service was nice though! The Japanese ladies there are very nice and friendly :) They mix a bit of Japanese when they speak to us, it was cute. Since it wasn't that crowded, service was fast and they were there whenever we needed something.
(3)serena h.
The service is so bad... We had a party of 9 people originally and ordered more than $150+ of food, one friend came by and join later and the waitress insisted that our friend have to order the minimum charge $10/person. And after we insisted not paying for that and asked for bill, the bill is calculated wrong and over charged us 25 dollars! We'd never come bak again.
(1)Miss Bonnie B.
This is a regular work lunch spot for us. It can get a little spendy though if you start ordering all the fresh fish. But hey, at least it's fresh right??? This place is authentic. I usually get the Spicy Miso Ramen with the Poke Don and two to three Sake Nigiri. I think I initially scared the waitresses with how much I eat but now they are used to me. They even know what I want to order. There's nothing fancy about this place and the food is quite simple... that being said, it's GOOD. It's the quality of the sashimi that makes them so famous. The place gets crowded quick but they try to be as efficient as possible.
(4)ad K.
Pretty decent Sushi. The salmon crunch was good with the tempura centres. Teriyaki was not the best I've had, the chicken tasted like it had been through better days. If I had a choice I'd skip this and go to Hotaru in San Mateo. It is acceptable if you are forced to meet people in Redwood City though.
(3)Deb N.
Went on a Saturday night, a small venue but found a table fairly easily at 8:30pm. Unfortunately, sat down next to a large, young, noisy group. Tea came out promptly and the server came to take our order, we weren't ready so she came back again. Ordered the Teriyaki chicken bento with miso, rice and salad for $10. Friend ordered a la carte sushi. Came out to $28. My chicken was tender, the fish looked and smelled fresh. Staff was attentive. Parking in the back. A small, neighborhood, family vibe to the place.
(3)Jim W.
This is my favorite sushi restaurant, bar none. Everything about it is interesting. There's a bit of a "specialness" about the location, since it's tucked away on a busy street next to a Napa Auto Parts -- not exactly where you'd expect an excellent Japanese restaurant. The inside is quaint and cozy and comfortably crowded, but a cute and effective brown bear decor (as expected from the name). The staff is attentive and patient and the sushi chefs are skilled. Which brings me to the real star of the restaurant: the food. The appetizers are all wonderful, and we regularly order the edamame, the spinach goma-ae, the deep fried tofu, and the ocean salad. Among these, the agedashi tofu is probably our favorite, with the seaweed salad coming in a close second. In both of these cases, the appetizers are extremely fresh and bright in taste without being overwhelming. The goma-ae is not as popular an appetizer among the casual diners, but I think it offers a unique taste and satisfying texture to start off a meal here. For those looking for bento, their dinner boxes are served with soup, salad, rice, California rolls, and three gyoza. The miso soup here is perhaps most matched to my palate, as I've found the soup at other places to be a touch too salty. Also, the dressing on their lettuce salads is also the best that I've had among the Japanese restaurants. The main items can be chosen from two different menus (depending on cost) -- if I'm ordering a bento box, I generally have the chicken teriyaki and the 4 piece sushi. Other great items are the chicken karaage or the tempura. For noodle soup bowls, the tempura or nabeyaki soba are great choices. I've also tried their katsu curry, which as expected is sweet and not spicy at all. As a fan of freshwater eel, I can also heartily recommend the unagi donburri. Of course, the sushi is the main attraction here. These are the items that I would definitely vote for: saba (mackerel for its fishiness), tobiko (flying fish egg for the bursts of salty sea), sake (salmon, for the classic taste), tako or ika (octopus or squid, for the chewy texture), maguro or shiro maguro or toro (tuna, for color and texture), and hamachi (yellowtail for smoothness). Ask for the low sodium soy sauce -- not just for health reasons, but more to prevent the salty drowning out of the sushi flavors by over-exuberant dunking. Again, I cannot help but re-iterate: this is my favorite sushi joint!
(5)G M.
I love Higuma.. I have been going there for 9 plus years. Ejee the owner always remembers my name and remembers what I do not like and what I do like. The waitress are hard to understand sometimes but have good intentions. Sushi is always fresh. When I worked in Redwood city I went there every day for lunch for 2 months. We have moved a few times in the 9 years and still always go back to Higuma. Because we try a place by our house and its always not as good. So 5 starts for Higuma..
(5)Sandra H.
I have to admit that I know very little about sushi. It's only been about 5 yrs now that I included fish into my menu. I just didn't grow up eating it. I tried some sushi about a year ago, and have been wanting more since then, and today was the day. We had an office lunch meeting here, and I have never seen so much sushi on one table. As soon as the food arrived, it was devoured. The ladies serving us must have had a hard time keeping the food coming. I can't remember what all was ordered, but I know I ate some of the usual stuff. All the fish was so fresh, and tasty! The sake and beer was flowing like water, but I stuck to sipping on my hot tea. Oh btw, they don't accept AMEX. I am hoping to come back for more sushi soon!
(5)Justin L.
Food = 10/10 : good quality food, generous portions. sashimi and sushi made very well and high quality Service = 10/10 : it's a small place so the staff is quite attentive Ambiance = 9/10 : cozy, mom and pop type of restaurant with the Japanese owner making the sushi and sashimi. Can get a little tight though if the place is very busy Price = 9/10 : mid-range though still very affordable. Good deal for lunch box sets. =)
(5)Victor C.
Lunch Review Met up with my old classmate again for lunch... she's an aspiring Elite Yelper, so she's been on the look out for different eateries to try out. Ordered the lunch box, as I wasn't particularly craving sushi or ramen today. The lunch boxes are reasonably priced from $7-9 I believe. I got the beef teri and tempura combo. I'd say the quality/taste of the food was pretty good. The tempura was nicely fried and not too greasy and the beef teri was tasty as well. The portions were okay... if you were a petite girl. I was definitely bummed when I saw the amount of beef teri that came in the box. I think it was ~4 oz of beef... probably a little less. I was able to easily finish the box, though I didn't get to finish the bowl of rice (as the waiter was very quick to clear the table). The place does get pretty busy... most tables were filled by the time we left. There's MAYBE 10 parking spots behind the building, so arriving early is probably a good idea. The rolls (which I didn't order) did seem to be a little pricier than your average Bay Area Japanese eatery... I think it was about $11 for a Rainbow Roll. Perhaps it was a little bigger than other places, so don't quote me on that. Overall, I'd say it was a "decent" place to grab lunch.
(4)Ken J.
We came here for lunch today. After checking a few reviews for Japanese food, I decided on Higuma. I felt like having a bento box for lunch.We ordered tempura with salmon and had the tempura with beef.The seating is a little tight but your still comfortable.I can't complain about their parking lot, it fits about ten cars and there's plenty of street parking.In rating their service,food(for bento boxe's), and price I give them 4 stars.We will return to try their other menu item's to see if they are as good.
(4)Jenny H.
I came here a few years ago for their ramen during lunch time, which was okay. However, when I came for dinner recently, I was really disappointed with their food. The rolls were fairly small and unsatisfying, and the sashimi did not taste particularly fresh to me. I wouldn't come back here again.
(3)Nick T.
Worst. Customer Service. Ever. We had a decent enough dinner experience here that we decided to come back for lunch. First, the owner / hostess tells us that there's a minimum spend per person, including our toddler who doesn't eat anything! Then, we're unable to choose our table, so we're put right in front of the door where it's hard to keep our daughter focused on eating. Next they complained that we used too many napkins since we're forced to feed our daughter the ramen, which is messy. On our way out, one of the other tables whispered that they'd also had this crazy bad customer service when they brought their daughter. Life's too short to put up with this for a bowl of soup. We'll stick with Bonsai Sushi at the RWC/Atherton border. The food's very good and they treat their customers very well there.
(1)Ken K.
Higuma means "bear" and specifically an indigenous breed found only in Hokkaido, where sushi chef and owner Eiji-san hails from. There is an excellent pic of a "stuffed" bear hanging on the wall taken by Toro E which you can see on the Yelp business page of photos. In case you were wondering, no there is no Hokkaido bear meat served, not even as: ramen, sushi, sashimi, salad, teriyaki. If you are a Chinese exotic herbalist looking for the next Viagra, you won't find bear dong in here either. The restaurant exterior does look like a cottage somewhat, and reminds one of Sushi Kuni's exterior (Cupertino) but is much smaller. Parking space is infamously limited, and while there are 4 spaces in the back, the additional parking further back belongs to their car repair shop neighbor. By the entrance doors are three kanji characters that more or less spell "izakaya" but the lunch offerings at the very least do not reflect this (I've never seen the dinner menu appetizers/small dishes section, so maybe someone can elaborate). Higuma is what I would bill as a Japanese style neighborhood restaurant sushi bar and grill, might be somewhat similar in atmosphere and intimacy (in size) to that in some small town in Japan. It would be an unfair comparison to put Higuma and more famous places like Sushi Sam's side by side. It is not the owner's intention to be competing at that level. There are no more than 6 seats at the small sushi bar. The seats are positioned so that your line of sight sitting down faces the sushi fish display case directly (for other place, the line of sight is the top of their Hoshizaki counters). As a result the sushi chef making your sushi meal, looks like a giant. This is probably for ease of the chef putting down the plates and nigiri/rolls. For sushi eaters, you place your order on a piece of paper that has the sushi menu template on it. Check the quantity of what you want. Prices for nigiri are per piece if I remember correctly, and a small but humble variety. One year ago Eiji-san took care of all the sushi orders, but a friend who has been more recently said he hired someone else to handle those duties (who is less crafty with nigiri molding). Fish quality can vary depending on what you get. Since the owner is not looking to compete with the Sam's, the Yuzu's, the Sakae's etc, don't expect tip top quality fish, but there are some selections that are decent enough that stand out, such as their ocean trout (umi masu) which I remember being best in class compared to the run of the mill salmon. Once in a while they have live scallops but unfortunately they never did of the 3 times I went. Service can be slow during the lunch rush, even if you are the only person at the sushi bar. The other downside is that Eiji-san prefers to make one batch of your order (of nigiri and rolls) and serve them to you at once, versus pacing you by laying down one piece at a time on the geta. When the going is slow, you'll get hungry very quickly and this can feel like hours and days instead of minutes and seconds. Since Eiji-san is from Hokkaido, you would think that he would be able to replicate the native hometown receipe of ikura no sake shoyu zuke (marinated salmon eggs in soy sauce and sake) to a T. Unfortunately when he did offer it as a special, it wasn't that special at all. Marination was weak and I hardly tasted any soy sauce or sake flavor. This is where Sushi Sam's version reigns supreme, or nearby Hotaru for their take of sake zuke (sake marination only). Hopefully his receipe has improved since I last had it. The other Hokkaido style dish he offers is sake don, or simply put, salmon sashimi with a lot of ikura over a bowl of sushi rice. If you just want something quick and simple, this could be a worthy contender. Toro E has already reviewed their attempt on Hokkaido style miso ramen, but since they did not nail down ikura no shoyu zuke (where you can find more flavorful versions at Sushi Sam's, Kitsho, Ino Sushi, Koo), I'm not rushing over to try it. 3.5 stars, and arguably the best Japanese in Redwood City.
(3)Seth H.
The fish is fresh and sashimi combo was well priced. The Special rolls were a little small and there's not a very large selection to choose from. You also pay $1.50 for a can of soda... little steep. Service was decent.
(3)Christina J.
There aren't many authentic Japanese restaurants in the mid-peninsula, but Higuma is one of them! It has a homestyle Japanese interior of petite proportions, deserving of the descriptors "cute" or "adorable" and..... this also applies to the food. Bonus: complimentary edamame is usually brought out! Higuma is purported to be incredibly packed during lunch, so it's best to come as late as you can, but before the 2pm closing time. You'll save yourself from unnecessary parking stress as well. ++ | Chirashi | Thoughtful selection of fresh and carefully prepared sashimi. Lovely presentation over sushi rice cooked just right! I've also tried the spicy ramen, but the soup base is a bit too heavy for my tastes. Typical price for authentic Japanese food: Lunch for 2 = $32
(4)Dan M.
"Now I know you're practicing son, but this ain't no Wayne Newton you're playing here!" ::SUSHI:: Perhaps it's just the economic times. As others noted, the price is normal but the fish is hardly there... just rice! -- PASS ::RAMEN:: Decent ramen! Again, not a lot here, but what you get is tasty. :)
(3)Adrian H.
The place is really tiny so better go early. The sushi very excellent. We did not have any service issues even though the place was jammed packed. Biggest problem is that the restaurant simply way too small.
(4)Chris M.
I've never eaten the susi here, but the lunch special terriaki is delicious. Just wish the tempura could stay crispy on takeout.
(4)Won C.
Best Katsu Curry around Peninsula. Portion is really good - usually this is not the case in Japanese restaurants - and Katsu is fried just right. Their lunch Ramen is decent (spicy Miso Ramen) for lunch. Gyoza - they have regular and home made - they basically taste almost the same, thus get the regular - its cheaper :)
(4)Daphne T.
We have been regulars at this restaurant for the past 2 years and after our last experience, we are never going back. The restaurant was 80% full when we arrived for dinner. The waitress sat us at a table and we ordered sake and tea. We had to wait for a long time before she finally brought us the sake, but she forgot the tea! We were ready to order, but she told us to wait and walked away. About 10 minutes later, she brought us our tea and then took our order. We ordered appetizers, sashimi and some nigiri sushi. They served the sashimi and sushi before we got the appetizers! Not only that, when we comment on how one of the appetizers (Hamachi Kama) looks very small and overcooked, the waitress told us all Hamachi Kama looks like that. We told her we have had the Hamachi Kama there several times and it never looks like that, she told us "this is how it is they all look the same" and then just walked away. How rude!!! As we sat and waited for our other appetizers, we finished our tea and nobody came to refill the cup. Then, she brought us some gyoza, and we told her we did not order any gyoza. Before we had the chance to tell her our missing order was the tempura, she had already turned her back to us and walked away. We waited a long time for the tempura, which never arrived. A few times, she walked past our table and I tired to ask for more tea, she just pretended she did not hear me. Finally, we decided not to wait for the tempura anymore and tried to get our bill, which was again impossible as she continued to ignore us. We actually had to stand up and walk to the cash register before she gave us our bill, and then proceeded to tell me in chinese that they are busy. She also tried to charge us for the tempura and when I told her we never got the tempura, she gave me a look like she was pissed that I am trying to not pay for our food. As I stood here waiting for the waitress to revise our bill, I told the owner behind the sushi counter of our horrible experience, he just looked at me and said "OK", and went back to slicing his sashimi. Talk about customer service!!!! They never getting our business again.
(1)John L.
Another restaurant recommended by Lolia S. I finally made it here for lunch yesterday with coworkers. Their parking lot entrance is small and we actually drove past it the first time. We went around the block and on the second try succeeded in pulling into the driveway. The parking lot is a little tight and awkward since the rear of their parking lot is an entrance to a car repair shop. Luckily there was one empty parking spot left. Upon entering we were greeted pleasantly and seated right away. The staff brought out our hot tea immediately. After a few minutes of looking over the menu I opted for: Katsu Curry ($7.75): Included salad or soup. I was glad I chose the miso soup as it was piping hot and very good. The curry was served in an interesting elliptic shaped silver plate. The curry was very tasty and a bit spicy. It contained chunks of chicken, carrots, and sliced onions. The Katsu was cooked perfectly, exterior was a nice crispy golden brown and the pork inside was white and moist. The only disappointment was it was smaller than other katsu's I've had. Spicy tuna hand roll ($5): I didn't notice this on the menu but just ordered it as it's one of my favorites. It was small but very fresh. Overall the food and service was very good even though the portions were on the small side. Maybe next time I'll skip the spicy tuna hand roll and just order a extra order of katsu. 3.5 stars: -0.5 star for below average portion sizes
(4)Sandy L.
I gave this place a five star a while ago and now I feel dumb! Maybe it was worthy once upon a time but I've been disappointed after several recent visits. The portions are so teeny tiny that it looked like junior size sushi. So sad to see when restaurants let quality slip after a while.
(3)Kelley L.
This is the best Japanese restaurant I have been to in NorCal. The location is convenient off of El Camino Real, but the parking lot is rather small, and the restaurant is basically converted from a house. It does give a cozy, homely feeling that is very comfortable to eat in. The prices are decent, but the food is really delicious. I personally love the sushi and the rolls! I recommend this to people who love them too.
(4)Greg G.
So it's weird I have heard of this place for a few years but could never find it. At one point I could have sworn it was somewhere between San Carlos and Hillsdale ... yeah wrong direction entirely. Basically you have to turn off quick right after Whipple. My coworker showed me the "secret" entrance which I am too incompetent to find :) Well it was really good. A little small inside, but stil very enjoyable. I ended up with the Miso Ramen with the spicy tuna roll and was very happy. Very tasty with a thick broth. The rolls that were served al acarte looked decently priced too. Basically they allowed you to order roll pieces off a small menu which I liked a lot. Can't always have enough room for a bunch of rolls. My friend recommended the hand rolled gyozo which were quite tasty. I will come back again, the price was just right.
(4)Alyson C.
Now that's what I'm talkin' bout! First off, how cute is their little logo?! so precious! Got here at 6pm to meet for dinner with my close girlfriends. It wasn't busy at all and they had a lot of variety to their menu. From combo dinners, curry dishes, creative rolls and ramen... all fairly priced. We shared 3 rolls: Red Dragon, their version of Lion King (forgot the name) and a rainbow roll. Then we ordered a Gyoza Curry dinner. The sushi was nice and fresh and I really enjoyed all 3 we ordered. I felt bad we couldnt try anything deep fried :( but we'll have to wait until easter. The curry was good too, not spicy though but the gyoza was tasty along with it and the curry had pieces of chicken/beef and veggies. The bill came to roughly $60 total. I'm not sure how that happened...but I enjoyed it. The service got slow as the crowd got bigger since there were only two people manning the tables. Otherwise.. I was really pleased and will definitely come back again. Parking is fairly easy even though it's off el camino. There is a little lot inside, but I think it only has enough for 6-8 cars.
(4)Sophie L.
We went with my sushi guru couple.. their white tuna is soo yummy!! all the fish are pretty good except for the dark fin toro, i think thats what its called.. the texture and taste wasnt what i was expecting home made ice cream- greentea and black sesame is a must try!! a cute place with a lot of fresh fish!
(4)Francis S.
To a certain extent, I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for Higuma. In a lot of ways, Higuma is a very solid Japanese restaurant. It's definitely on the small side but that kind of thing never bothers me. They have good sushi, great tuna poke and a great white tuna tataki (and a snapper tataki when available). Their katsu curries are delicious too. And for lunch...they've got great ramen special combos where i can get a bowl of ramen and a small poke-done for $10.50. Lately, they've also been offering the kuro goma ramen as a special and the wife and I have been ordering it every single time we've been here lately. Is Higuma a game changer? No. But I'm definitely a fan...and that's four stars worthy.
(4)Tyler M.
I don't recommend going here. The service was sub par as I never received an refills and the server wasn't very friendly. I ordered the Tuna Sashimi appetizer along with the clam ramen.....Big mistake. The sashimi was definitely older because it was an extremely light pink and it was falling apart. The ramen wasn't very pleasing either because it was just ramen with hot clam juice and water. It wasn't appetizing or appealing at all.
(2)Herman P.
OK, right off the bat, the ONLY reason that this place loses a star is because of the limited seating and the limited hours. With the negative being said, let's get on to all the positives!!! With respect to my mom and aunt, they were born and raised in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, which is where this place gets its name AND where the chef is from. Major kudos, as they are complete snobs when it comes to going out for sushi. Everything is FRESH!!! My favorite items are the Amaebi (Sweet fresh prawns) and it DOES come with the tempura heads, Awabi (giant clam) and Maguro (tuna). My mom loves the Toro (fatty tuna) and the Uni (Sea Urchin) which she says is REALLY fresh... I guess that goes beyond fresh? My favorite entree is the Zaru Soba (cold buckwheat noodles) but I have tried just about everything on the menu and it's ALL good!!! Pricing is VERY inexpensive. I usually bring 2 or 3 other people with me, if it's not just my g/f and I, and we spend LESS than $100 (excluding drinks). Presentation is superb! Everything is separated according to "strength" of the fishiness, not to "contaminate" the flavors. Word of advice, if you are planning a medium party (more than 4, less than 8), it is HIGHLY advisable for you to call exactly at 5pm and make a reservation (min. 60 min in advance). If you are going to have more than 8 people in your group, I would highly recommend you go there during their lunch hour and negotiate a seating arrangement and time, out of courtesy to the establishment.
(4)Tomas P.
Wow, goodbye over priced sushi. This place has excellent quality for a good price.
(5)Chris P.
My favorite local sushi restaurant! Fresh ingredients and great presentation!
(4)Peter T.
This place is solid and quite surprisingly good for being on El Camino in Redwood City. Yeah, I'm biased. Fresh sashimi, sushi and rolls were as good as other good sushi restaurant. The yellowtail was rich, fresh, clean and tasty. Tempura was lightly battered and fried. Cruchy tuna roll was different but very delicious. The only bad thing was the dessert. The mochi was horrible as the dough was hard. Service was good, unlike what others have said here. Defintely will go back.
(4)Nadine W.
The food here is sadly subpar. I had high hopes when I saw that they serve crab rather than Kani but it was flavorless, their Agedashi was humdrum and their fish uneventful. Nice atmosphere and very friendly staff but the saddest sushi I've had in years.
(2)Jason Y.
Minimum charge counting is ridiculous!! What a bad service!!!!
(1)Erin S.
this restaurant has THE MOST AMAZING SUSHI in the bay area. I took a friend from SF today and he said it will be worth to return. We talked about Sushi Ran in Sausalito and they are good BUT SO EXPENSIVE! We never have to go back. Higuma has the freshest, most delicious fish. The sashimi and rolls are out of this world. Everything is magic. The miso is wonderful, the tempura is outstanding...not greasy...it is crispy and yummy. We have ordered a generous bento box on other visits and their noodles /brother are superb! You can't go wrong. They even take reservations! Which I recommend on a weekend....they are always packed!
(5)Jheremy T.
Love love love this place. I try to go here once a week! Try the Curry Ramen w/ Curry Rice lunch special.
(5)Marina K.
Sorry Higuma... I really wanted to give you a better rating, two of the staff seemed friendly and attentive, but there was this one server that pretty much dampened the entire mood with her dark mood. We were just walking in and the host told us we could sit anywhere when she appeared and directed us to a table next to a family with a young child even though the restaurant was half empty. During the meal she came over to serve dishes or pick up dishes, but was cold and unfriendly. Not a single smile, or asking us how our food was. She'd just put it down and walk away. It was to the point that it was disturbing, and such a stark contrast from the other two servers. If we caught you on a bad day, maybe just hang out in the back and let the more professional, customer-oriented staff handle everything.
(3)drew p.
Service sucks!!!
(1)Kimberly S.
This place is a tiny gem of a Japanese restaurant that is easy to drive by along busy El Camino Real, but it is worth finding. My family has been eating here for years, because the sushi is fresh and reasonably priced. Before I tried the salmon sashimi at Higuma, I really did not understand why anyone would want to eat raw fish that tasted fishy. But, the salmon sashimi is like a little taste of heaven for my mouth...fresh and buttery smooth, without a taint of "fishiness". I was hooked. Their crunchy spicy tuna roll is also delicious. Yes, the restaurant is small, but you will see many families with small children coming in. The waitresses are more than willing to accommodate younger customers by bringing forks, spoons, and even little plates for the kids. Just be sure to arrive early, as the restaurant fills up fast in the evening.
(5)John F.
I should have left a review for this place a long time ago. This place is the best value for Sushi on the peninsula. Every time I have been here the Sushi is fresh and the prices are fair. The staff is always attentive and friendly.
(4)Nejime S.
On the way going to my business, I stopped at Higuma. That is artificial taste of ramen! I mean Ajinomoto Ramen. Or, MSG ramen. I think the ones who like that taste will like it very much. The taste is just matter of subjective feeling you have. Caution: It is just a subjective view point from Japanese who was born and grew up in Japan.
(1)Jennifer T.
Used to be great - we tried it twice after they closed for a short time (change in ownership?) and it's just not very good anymore.
(2)Rob B.
Higuma used to be our go-to Sushi place for several years. I used to rate it four stars. The owners were friendly and they always recognized and greeted us. The service was good and the prices were fair. Unfortunately, we stopped coming here last year when the quality of Sushi really went downhill. We frequently dined as a family of four and all four of us noticed the quality of sushi deteriorating, so it's not just me. The tipping point for me personally was getting... let's just say indigestion... three times in a row from eating here. It's too bad, because it was really good at one time.
(2)Yun W.
This place is adorable. The restaurant is like a little house. I also love the bear and fish logo, so identifiable and cute. We ordered the takoyaki appetizer, wakame salad, fireballs (deep fried sushi with sauce), and lots of sushi. The appetizers I wasn't too impressed, the pics and the actual size had some difference in it. I would bother ordering it again. The sushi was very fresh though. They had a piece of paper that you can order how many pieces you want. We ordered a bunch of nigiri, handrolls, rock and roll, spicy white fish tuna roll, and italian roll. I really enjoyed the sushi, especially the nigiri salmon, hamachi, white tuna and salmon roe. All very tasty. The servers were so friendly, it felt like a guest at a person's home. We would definitely come back. I would love to try their spicy miso ramen lunch special if we ever come by for lunch.
(4)Rodney m.
Good food bad customer service :( Most people here don't speak very good English so communication is tough. So be prepared because they have some strick rules to be aware of. All of which I was unaware of. First rule if you eat there you have to spend 8 dollars or else they will tell you to leave even if it's not crowded which I experienced first had. Which I think is pretty lame because if you want to meet someone for lunch who only wants something small to eat they will tell you to order more or leave. Now I get the place is small and you want to make more money but kicking people out when it's slow doesn't make sense to me.
(2)Nicole F.
I was surprised by this wee spot. We drove around for 20 mins like fools looking for this place. Unless you are focused on looking for a wee spot you will miss it. Anyway, the gentleman caller and I went for dinner on Friday. It was yummy, I am not going to lie. I wish the menu was a bit more creative. They have all the basics. yet nothing that was wow. They even had a chicken sushi roll. Hmmm, somewhat counter intuitive for a sushi place. And the gentleman said chicken terriyaki was ah, OK. Which in boy speak is not so hot. Take it for what it's worth. I would go back, as there does not seem to be a wait either.
(3)TJ D.
Good, decent, blue-collar sushi place that is staffed by a welcoming and warm group of people. The service is quick, solid, and attentive. The reason for the 3-star review is that the sushi menu is kind of limited, and locks out customers that don't dig on eel or fake california roll, cream-cheesy kind of offerings. That being said, I do go here often as it is priced well, near where I live, and the Sapporo is always ice cold. You must now go and order 42 pieces of the "Spicy, Crunchy Tuna Roll". It is the best roll they have.
(3)Melissa L.
Just ate here tonight, and it was really quite good. So good that I was stunned that I hadn't heard people raving about it. It is definitely not an obvious location, but it IS right on El Camino. They definitely seemed to have a loyal clientele. though. Anyway, great service, even when they were slammed, and very reasonable prices. We didn't get a seat at the bar, but it was actually more comfy to kick it in the corner and let them bring the food to us rather than bumping elbows at the tiny 5-6 seat bar. I also liked that they used white miso paste in the miso soup instead of red. It was less salty, more sweet. Fish quality varied, but I was impressed that they had bluefin tuna nigiri for $2/piece. We'll be back.
(4)Nick S.
Food was decent, HOWEVER... I had a terrible experience when one of the staff called the police on me for TEXTING in the restaurant. They said it looked suspicious and they thought I may be conspiring to rob the place. I came here for some quick bite to eat and I use my phone for work. I was not acting in an unusual manner and I'm sure I'm not a shady character. I was dressed in a nice clean polo shirt and pressed dress pants. Far from a thief's attire. Higuma staff: CHILL OUT. Texting is pretty commonplace.
(2)heather l.
Sushi fail. 3 stars because I have had good experiences here in the past, but last night was horrible. I ordered steamed spinach side which was cold and was covered in something that strongly resembled fishfood flakes. Seriously, I nearly puked. Unfortunate bc last time I ordered that it was really nice. A veggie roll which was fine just poorly made and fell apart as soon as I tried ti pick the pieces up. Annoying, really. And I tried something new- fermented bean and spring onion roll... Yes I'm a veggie, I still enjoy sushi concept a lot, but want something interesting... This definitely wasn't it. There was no spring onion and the bean stuff was slimy and rancid. I ordered it for takeout so my only recourse was to toss it. They also asked me to move bc they wanted to put someone where I was sitting waiting for my food. In pretty sure if I was eating there I would have spent the same amount so felt entitled to have SOMEPLACE to wait for my food. They are just around the corner from my house, but I probably wont be back, I think there's better sushi to be found in rwc.
(3)Mei L.
We've lived in the area for many years now and I thought this former little house used to be cute to come and get Japanese food. My husband gave up a long time ago - horrible service and small portions. He had to always come home and still crave to eat more after. My son and I had come here every time we get a craving. However this last time, a week night, Wednesday - they were absolutely incoherent of customer service! We got there and there was one table empty, so we took it. We waited 20 minutes for someone to give us the menu. Then another couple left and and another sat down after us. They went and served them first and gave them the drinks, they ordered. In the meantime, we had not yet ordered and the waitress came with food we did not order! We mentioned we need to order... we waited another 10 minutes and no one came! We finally left! This place is pretty random. The service we got on this Wednesday was pretty normal - if you have time constraints or pretty hungry, definitely do NOT go here! If you have time to kill and will wait to have your food a while, then this place could be ok.. I am not coming back here again...
(1)M G.
TONIGHT WAS THE WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER!!!! We have been going to Higuma for several years. Initially we thought the food and service were top notch. Over the last year we have noticed a big decline in quality and freshness but still decided to give it another go. WERE WE EVER WRONG!! I went with my two kids who asked specifically for Higuma. We sat down and ordered the exact same order we always do. Ten minutes later the waiter came out to tell us we hadn't ordered the minimum of $10 per person!!! We ordered 3 appetizers and several rolls. Clearly my two kids can't eat a full adult portion. They wouldn't budge so we got up and left, totally embarrased and offended. Let's be clear, I can afford a $30 dinner no problem...BUT IT WAS THE SAME EXACT FOOD WE ALWAYS ORDER THERE!! When I called to speak to the manager 10 minutes later, he was too busy to come to the phone ( this what they actually told me!) I will never return. With SO many other amazing Japanese restaurants nearby I can't believe they would be willing to lose longtime good customers.
(1)Jennifer L.
I really like this Japanese restaurant. The prices are reasonable, the food is fresh and good, and the staff is friendly. I learned about this restaurant from my brother, who lived in Japan for several years and is picky about his sushi. It's easy to miss the restaurant (hard to notice as you're driving down El Camino). The parking lot is small and can be over-crowded, which is inconvenient.
(4)carolyn h.
Hey, I like it...and here's how I feel about sushi: I never buy sushi in a grocery store, not even Whole Foods, unless all veggie. I do not like Ebisu in San Francisco, which everyone else seems to love. (Partly because I am one of those snotty natives who knows better out of the way places...I swear I'm nice, but come on- you KNOW Ebisu is overrated!) I hate California rolls an anything with mayonnaise. Blarf! I like Higuma because I would not expect anything special on El Camino, the service is quick, the atmosphere is surprising cozy, and they have ocean trout! If you have not tried it, you must! It is pretty good here, and the quality of the fish over all is just fine. Of course the best ocean trout is at Zushi Puzzle in The City, but if in the south bay/ peninsula area, at least us fans can still get our favorite little swimming friend and get a good buzz on Sake without have to drive too far.
(4)Evan T.
This little hole in the wall was definitely worth it. I went there after work with a friend and since it was local to my office, I thought it was a good choice. The parking in the back was very limited, but i guess it made sense for such a small restaurant. Upon going in, i could tell that this was a mom and pop operation and it was really limited. I was seated immediately and quickly attacked the menu. Right off the bat, i was a little surprised at how limited their menu was, but comparatively with other restaurants where the restaurant is bigger to accompany a larger kitchen and staff, i thought it made sense. Sure, they didnt' have all the fancy rolls most other restaurants had but if you couldn't get the basic chirashi right, then you have no right doing that other fancy stuff. I ordered the sake(salmon), negihama(onion and yellowtail), a couple of temaki handrolls, unagi + cucumber, white tuna, and agedashi tofu. The agedashi was alright, a little soggy but still good. The one thing that stands out is that it tastes fresh! The negihama was awesome and the sake and white tuna tasted really fresh(meaning wasn't sitting out long). The waitresses were polite, cheery, and came back to check on us the right amount of times. This is NOT a fancy restaurant, but more of a nice hangout, and i could tell the other customers were regulars and knew what they wanted. The chairs and tables aren't fancy, but rather simple. Even the sushi area looks cramped, but some would say its 'cozy'. I did mind a little when I could hear everyone else's conversations around me, and I surmise they could to. As for some of the dishes i did not order, when i go back i plan on getting the curry katsu. That's something you don't find in most japanese restaurants, but i find that most japanese-owned places offer it. This place had a taste of authenticity that makes me want to go back again to try their other dishes. Hopefully when i go back, it won't be crowded.
(4)stuart l.
I've only been once and I dream of the ramen. The appetizers weren't my cup of tea, but i'll go out of my way to get another stab at that ramen bowl. 5 stars for ramen, 4 stars for Higuma. Cutest logo ever.
(4)teena y.
There aren't many really good Japanese restaurants around the area, but Higuma is not bad. The service is a bit slow, there's a small parking lot and the place is pretty small so you can hear the people's conversation next to you quite easily (at least from where I was sitting). However, the food is pretty good. I would say their curry is their specialty - I had the katsu curry and it was tasty. The portion was decent too. I also like their home made gyozas. I like the sake (melts like butter) and chicken roll (fried chicken w/ avocado). Their rainbow roll and negihama I've had better elsewhere, but overall not bad.
(3)Lawrence L.
Excellent home-style Japanese cooking. Unlike most sushi only joints, you get donburis, ramen, curry, and bento boxes galore here. The ramen is good (not as good as Santa Ramen) and the katsu curry is superb (katsu was perfectly fried and the curry had little bits of meat in it). The best part of Higuma is that you can order nigiri by the piece! Yes, you can have one piece of hamachi, tamago, unagi, or hotate if you like. Why is this good, you ask? Well, if you're having lunch, don't feel like dropping 2000+ calories in your stomach, and want a little variety in your sushi, you can try a bunch of stuff for not so much money. If you're expecting some fancy schmancy sushi joint with a sake list and fusion-y food, please stay away. If you like hole-in-the-wall style Japanese eating, you've found it.
(4)Elaine K.
I had an overnight stay in Redwood City, used Yelp to find a restaurant. This little restaurant was a GREAT value--I got their special that people had reviewed==salad, soup, sushi, dumplings, two meats, and a glass of wine for about $23, including the tip! For Dinner. I would go again, and I have already recommended it. The food was tasty, prepared on the spot...atmosphere was comfortable and very Japanese cozy.
(5)Mate V.
I really like this place. I've been here a few times now and I always enjoyed it every time. Their food is great, the people are very friendly and the price is super. I don't consider myself a Japanese restaurant guru by any means, so your mileage may vary. Personally, I liked it a lot. Parking is a bit tight, but it doesn't bother me. If you know Redwood City, you know where to find parking space.
(5)Igor B.
Went there a few times. With every time the size and quality of sashimi was getting worse and worse. Last time we went there for sashimi, my wife started having stomach pain right in the restaurant. I got very similar stomach pain as soon as we came home. It took me over 7 days to get my stomach back in order, and let me tell you, usually i can eat nails and it wouldn't bother me. Also, watch out for the line items on the receipt, sometimes you pay for the salad more than you pay for the sashimi plate. Thought i found a good sushi place, never going back there again!
(1)Mitchell F.
Higuma Sushi is a solid lunch option - not outstanding, but not bad, especially for Redwood City. My first visit today was for lunch and I ordered the spicy miso ramen and tunapoki don. For $10.50, it was both tasty and filling. I would definitely consider coming back to try the sushi, and would order the ramen again if I had the craving. The parking lot was full, but we walked from the nearby lot just down the street. The place was reasonably busy (always a good sign) but had a couple open tables and we received prompt service from a friendly Japanese waitress.
(3)Debra C.
We went here on a Friday night and it was packed! Lucky that we had an reservation and we were promptly seated. We ordered a fish egg rice bowl, which was very good, and couple sashimi, which was very fresh. The waitress were very polite and gave us time to consider our menu. It's a very cozy environment that is great to meet friends but not for romantic dinner ;-)
(4)Codi R.
Love! the dinner special is amazing! Soup, salad, sushi and a cook meat= awesome and totally filling. A little small but its great.
(5)Elyse B.
I love Higuma! Its one of the least expensive, freshest Japanese restaurants I've been to in the area. Everything I've had is great, but I am particularly in love with the quality of their sushi. I also thoroughly enjoy the gyoza curry, and sometimes I just have to get the combination dinner, which is a great deal because most restaurants I've been to nearly double their prices on bento from lunch to dinner. The only bad thing I can think of is the size of the parking lot and restaurant. Its tiny, so if you go when its busy it can be a little bit annoying (its impossible to ignore other peoples conversations), and parking can be a bit of a hassle. Plenty of Japanese restaurants right around my place of living, but Ill keep driving to Redwood City for Higuma love.
(5)Yb W.
We discovered this restaurant about two years ago, and it has since become our go-to place for nigiri and hand rolls in the South Peninsula. Higuma serves high quality, traditional sushi. And they offer selections for the more seasoned sushi eaters, such as amaebi, uni, and scallop. For these delicacies, the price can be steep (most are $4/piece), but I think that's the going rate in these areas. Their hand rolls, though, are well made and not expensive ($3), and given the size, can easily fill you up. They also serve bento boxes and brightly colored "dragon rolls" and "rainbow rows", if those are to your liking. The restaurant is small and popular, so be prepared to wait for a seat. About a year ago, they began serving lunch, during which they offer sashimi sampler platters and ramen. I think ramen is best left to specialized ramen restaurants and that sushi remains Higuma's strength.
(4)Armando S.
This place is really amazing, went there for dinner, and has now become my favorite place to go for sushi. The sushi rolls are really great, service is really quick, and everything tastes really fresh. Small place, really good, and a favorite spot now.
(5)Sari C.
Oh wow. I finally made it to Higuma for lunch after a couple very satisfying dinners (so far, everything has been delicious). But I felt compelled to update my review this time because I tried their ramen, which they only serve during lunchtime. IT WAS AMAZING! I've lived in Japan and I can say without reservation this is the best ramen I have had outside of Japan, and even tops the cheaper Japanese ramen shops. I got the spicy miso ramen (the guys at the table next to me strongly recommend the curry ramen) with onigiri - only $8.50!. The onigiri was warm (!!!) and had tasty cooked salmon inside. The ramen was to die for. This ramen was very classy and upscale, including three varieties of seaweed, pork, scallions, delicious noodles all in a not-too-thick, not-too-thin spicy miso base. The seaweed was very mild in flavor and texture, which I think is good for Western sensibilities (ie don't be scared of it!) but not salty or slimy enough for my tastes ^.^ I paired my lunch with four pieces of nigiri (very tasty as always) and a small Sapporo - it was on the border of too much food but I left the restaurant more content than I've been in a long time! Also the waitresses are always super nice - I'm sad to read mean comments about them, they are from Japan and do not speak much good English, and also in Japanese restaurants there is a premium on fast service, it is why they will ask you so much if you are ready to order. Please keep that in mind when you next go to Higuma- it is truly authentic! Higuma !!
(5)Juli A.
We just moved to the area and are looking for a nearby sushi spot for our regular fix. Of course we turn to yelp. Unfortunately we were very dissappointed with the quality of sushi at Higuma. The BF ordered the chirashi bowl, and the sashimi on top looked to be quite old and had little end pieces formed together as a piece of sashimi!!! He believes he received this because he requested no octopus. They also have the regular soy on all the tables, so I thought they probably didn't have the low sodium variety. After being overwhelmed by a dire thirst after dipping a couple of pieces of sushi into this soy (I haven't used regular soy in I don't know how long), I did request and receive low sodium. The prices are cheap, but I would much rather pay for a higher quality and more enjoyable dining experience.
(1)Chris W.
3 stars is the hardest rating to give. I don't really know when to give it. I always feel compelled to bump up to 4, but I think Higuma is really a 3. A cute, little Japanese restaurant in Redwood City. The place is pretty small and the decor is great if you like bears. It is neat and tidy like most Japanese places. The prices are pretty good! I got the Katsu Curry which was $8. The curry was what I expected, I guess. Decent, but nothing too special. The sushi was good, except I thought that the seaweed was a little rubbery. I would say that everything was average, but I had a good experience and the staff was nice. It just wasn't good enough to be a place to stand out amongst all the other japanese restaurants around.
(3)Joe L.
Came here for lunch and ordered the spicy miso ramen with onigiri. It does have some fire to it, but I suppose I should request it spicier next time. Nice cozy looking place that could easily overlooked driving by on El Camino. The pork was pretty salty but the broth did have enough flavor for me. Onigiri was a good size and the salmon was decently seasoned, so no complaints there. I'd give it a 3.5 but it deserves the extra half star for its service.
(4)No O.
excellent, down to earth, great service-just don't sit next to the bathroom
(3)thb t.
don't be fooled by the non-asian audience, this place is an authentic sushi restaurant. the rolls are bit pricey compared to other places like joy sushi. the nigiri is what you should be eating as it is fresh and tasty. some pieces were slice paper thin but all-in-all it was delectable. it's not uncommon to drop 60 bucks without libations for 2 people.
(3)Cliff S.
The restaurant is small, there are customers who have to sit right near the door. If you're there on a cold night whether picking up or waiting for a seat, expect a cold stand outside or awkward wait inside. And the real kicker here is the food and service are pretty average. I'd much rather head down the street to Sequoia Station and eat at Little Madfish.
(2)Sharlene C.
my brother claimed that it was better than sushi sam's and have to say he was right. japanese owned. j-pop plying overhead. it's authentic peeps.we started with the white tuna tataki, which was quite nice with teh ponzu sauce and onions. my mom isn't a fan of raw fish and she even enjoyed it. i got the combo b sushi which included tuna rolls, and a assortment of salmon, shrimp and homochi. my parents got the dinner combo and friends it does not come in a bento box. it was a lot of food. i had to order the spider roll and it was perfectly crispy and jam packed with goodness. couldn't get the whole thing in one bite. i'll be back. p.s. they have the most adorable logo with a bear with his arm around a fish. so japanese cute it hurts.
(4)Tim Q.
I would give it 4 1/2 stars, but I rounded up since they have been consistently good in the 8 years I have been going there. The sushi is always tasty and fresh and the manager(owner) is very kind. They have added some trendy rolls in the past couple years and upped the prices a bit, but I still find it to be one of the most affordable sushi places to eat. Make no mistake: I don't have $100 to drop on a sushi dinner, and I also hate to spend $15 to eat 6-8 pieces of sushi and go home starving. So if you are looking for somwehere to eatgood quality sushi in decent quantity then you have found it. Also, check out their bento box lunches and dinners for some variety and a good cheap meal. Never been sick in eating there 30+ times over 8 years.
(5)Jade D.
native Hokkaido style and it seems like a family running small business. get there early so you don't have to wait! food quality is just ok. with private parking lot behind this cute cottage building :)
(3)Kristine T.
Okay, let me get my bias out there - I've always loved this place because the sushi is affordable, damn good, and it's the size of a hut so you actually feel like you're dining in someone's home ! I've been coming here for 3+ years and every time has been a great experience. Their sushi is fresh, portions are not overwhelming, (afterall, the art of enjoying japanese food is appreciating the taste and texture - it's not a Texas cook off for god's sake!) they have good quality sake, an intimate setting, and the staff is friendly. I've had just about everything on their menu and honestly...I mean honestly, I have never been dissapointed. Btw - they take reservations if you are on the way, don't let any other yelper tell you otherwise. ;)
(5)Turanga L.
After a first visit, I would give Higuma four stars. The sushi is fresh and made in bite sizes the way sushi is supposed to be made. They also serve "ocean salad", a nice name for seaweed salad. The restaurant itself is very small with very few tables and seats. But because we went for a late dinner, we didn't have trouble getting a table right away. The service was very good. The staff is very friendly and courteous. The price is reasonable for a sushi restaurant. I would definitely go back again.
(4)Clem D.
Yummy chirashi! Sushi is fresh! It's a cozy little restaurant.
(4).caroline. ..
Best bang for your buck, folks. Great food, great prices. It's small and friendly, and a great go-to spot for solid Japanese food.
(5)Margie L.
Yet another on the list of places to try on the way home from work. I must admit I'm surprised this place gets written up as value. It was one of our more expensive meals and the quality just didn't keep up. Pros: The housemade gyoza were tasty and reasonably priced. Cons: the fish lacked flavor. The prices are per piece so what seems like it might be reasonable ($4.50 for a sushi on special when it's just one piece quickly adds up).
(2)Christine V.
This place is too cute. Kind of small but very quaint, very homey. The waiters and sushi chef are very friendly. The food was very good, both raw and cooked. A pretty good selection and a handful of special rolls. Price is reasonable. Not a lot of parking. Will definately go again!
(4)rathi a.
This is the worst Japanese dinner box I have ever eaten... in fact it is the worst dinner box i have eaten in any restaurant. I have lived in the Peninsula for 28 years and I have not eaten such substandard food in any Japanese restaurant ( actually any restaurant in the Peninsula) am shocked at the quality of the chicken teriyaki and the salmon teriyaki dinner. The Teriyaki sucked...There were 4 pieces of of rubbery chicken and one small piece of hard salmon in the respective dinner boxes I dont understand why this restaraunt has good ratings... I guess it must be ONLY for their sushi. DONT touch their dinner boxes!!
(1)Monica A.
OMG I love this place! Very affordable (6 peices of a spicy tuna roll are $2.50) and SO fresh and tasty! I love it.
(5)Jocelyn H.
Nearly the best Japanese food I've had. We were a foursome and the wait was a little longer than we had planned for. I had never been before, but the couple we went with were veritable regulars - they should have expected the wait but seemed surprised when this quaint little spot had nary an empty table at 7:30 on a Saturday night. And they shouldn't have! Friendly and knowledgeable service. I think our waitress spoke the best English I've ever encountered from a server at a Japanese restaurant and even than some of my Japanese friends. Though toward the end of our meal we were fairly abandoned as my GF's husband wanted to order one more piece of sushi and some dessert and we couldn't catch our waitresses eye. The miso soup they brought out before the meal was very good - served very very hot! So that's definitely a big plus! BF had a terriyaki dinner box with beef and chicken. I snagged a piece of the beef and I couldn't believe how tender and flavorful it was! Until that exact moment all the terriyaki beef I had ever had was overcooked, tough and overly sweet. This beef stood on it's own and was lightly terriyakied - as opposed to terriyaki with some "beef" in it. I didn't get a chance to steal a piece of chicken but it looked delicious - not dry and tough-looking, but really nicely cooked. We all ended up splitting an order of tempura. The shrimp was really good. I had to rest it from my BFs iron grip, but it was well worth it. Also the veggies were nicely done - not overly soft which can sometimes be the unfortunate case. I had the 11 piece combination sushi plate which includes six pieces of tuna roll homochi, salmon, shrimp, halibut and manago. The shrimp is never my favorite, and this was no exception. I should have asked for something different, but didn't want to bother. My friends had no problem asking for replacement items in their orders and the waitress was very accommodating. The halibut, manago and salmon were among the best sushi I have ever had. The fish was so tender - the texture was fantastic. I will definitely get these again, and try other types during my next visit. There is one bathroom through a very tiny door. But the bathroom on the other side is nothing like the other side of the Looking Glass. It's actually a pretty nice sized and nicely maintained restroom. BF & I had a large sake, and appetizer and two entrees and our bill was about $35. Pretty reasonable considering how good everything was. I would definitely bring people here and there is no doubt I will return to satisfy my next sushi hankering.
(4)Emily M.
This place has been here for a long time and I've never checked it out. Parking is interesting because the lot is quite small, but it was doable for dinner. The prices were quite reasonable and the service quick and efficient. The sushi was not luxurious, but quite good nevertheless. We didn't try any of their special rolls - next time! Overall a great experience if you have a craving for sushi but are not in the mood for something fancy.
(5)Gary W.
This little place is hidden treasure in Redwood City. Fish is fresh. Bluefin Tuna nigiri was good. Aji (Spanish Mackerel) was disappointing the last time I tried it. It is not fancy nor heavily influence by french cruisin, but for the regular fish that you can get most everywhere, definately better than average quality. Highly recommended.
(4)Chris G.
Last night I was craving Japanese food, so after reading about all the good reviews on Yelp I had to check out Higuma. It is a nice quaint place. After looking around I found the door for the bathroom and joked that it went to a door outside. (If you ever walked from behind the building you may understand the joke) Well we ordered the karage dinner (fried chicken), firecracker bowl, Italian roll and and Sake (salmon). When I asked if they had cold Sake the waitress was kind enough to bring out all three bottles. I chose the Junmai Ginjo Sake since I've drank it before and I knew it was smooth. Well the Italian roll is basically a Philadelphia roll. It was OK, but I would not order it again. The firecracker bowl had great flavor. It reminded me of the Satan Roll I had at Kani sushi. The karage tasted great (my first time) and overall I was very pleased with my experience. Next time I'm going to have to try to Ramen since there are not too many places that serve good Ramen.
(4)Andy M.
One of my favorite sushi places in the Bay Area. My favorites here are definitely nigiri style sushi: white tuna (shiro maguro), ocean trout, salmon, hamachi and uni (especially when its imported from japan). This place always has highest quality fish and friendly service! If you like rolls, my advice is get simple, traditional style rolls here.
(5)Daniel H.
Higuma has a typical sushi restaurant vibe and typical sushi and non-fish selections. But hey, with a sushi restaurant all you really need to know is that the fish is good, and let me tell you, it is very good.
(4)Emiko M.
*Update 3/21/07: I maintain my 5 star rating. Great service, inexpensive and good sushi. I feel like I've found my go-to sushi place in in this area! First of all - yes it is Japanese owned (yay). Secondly - it does get a little stuffy in there and seating is fairly limited, but everything else makes up for it. It is kind of hard to find, if you're going southbound on El Camino it'll be on your right, but from the northbound side it's a little hard to see. It was a little bit before our order was taken, but surprisingly the sushi came fast and we gobbled it down! For 2 people, we spent $33 (w/o tip) and this is what we got: a large Asahi, 6 pieces of nigiri (2 sake, 2 maguro, 2 hamachi), 3 rolls (a tempura roll, the cream cheese one, and spicy tuna), a spicy tuna hand roll, and seaweed salad. It all came out nicely in a black sushi box. Most nigiri pieces were about $1.50/pc and some up to $3/pc. Seriously - the sushi is very good and the portions were good, not the tiny sloppy pieces you get at many other places. I don't know how the chef made it so fast because there's only one person behind the counter, and it was crowded in the restaurant (I think the rest of the family was serving the restaurant). The pieces were neatly rolled, and very good. I highly recommend this place and will definitely go back!
(5)Esther A.
having food from here YEARS ago and remembering that it was tasty, i knew it was a good choice. i drove by it the first time and had to make a u turn to come back around. very small lot in the back, thankfully i got there before their dinner crowd. very small, but quaint inside. our options were to sit right next to the door or right next to the restroom. we opted for the door. not too chilly, thankfully the weather was HOT earlier this week. had the spicy crunch roll (spicy tuna with tempura crunch stuff on the outside), spider roll and the hamachi/green onion roll. i love hamachi, i wish i could've tasted the buttery goodness that is hamachi, but it just tasted like minced raw fish, no hamachi taste/flavor. not much green onion flavor either :( sad... i was looking forward to it. the spicy crunch roll did NOT fail. VERY good. my only complaint, not enough hahaha... their spider roll - and mind you, i am NOT the spider roll critic that my bf is, but i thought it was really good. biting each piece in half was not a problem as it is usually...... the seaweed just broke off and i was able to keep the other half between my chopsticks. fresh fish, relatively quick service... they let us sit there until closing without any dirty looks.... so that's almost 3 hours! lol.... will go back, but i think take-out will suffice.
(4)Michele L.
I love this place. Higuma is the home of the best gyoza on the Peninsula. Be sure to order their homemade gyoza, and not the frozen kind that comes off their menu. They also have a pretty decent selection of fish, but order off the hand-written specials menu (updated daily) for the freshest sashimi. Lunch-time bento boxes and meals offer a LOT of food for about 10 bucks. Sushi rolls are good but on the pricey side. Parking can be a bit of a pain. They only have about 6 spots in their small lot. Also, if you're coming here for the first time, the restaurant is in this cute little house about a half block south of Whipple. Its a little hard to find the first time but worth it!
(5)Christina C.
Higuma serves amazingly delicious sushi in all sorts of combinations and charges low, low prices for the quality it delivers. The atmosphere is simple and low-key. Parking is a bit difficult--listen to the signs, and don't try to park in the adjacent lot! In terms of the food, the maki are large and well-made; the only time I had one fall apart on me was after I dropped it in my tray of soy sauce. Futi maki is a favorite order, if only because the slices are so large they can barely be eaten in one bite. (Struggling with sushi can be a great way to calm nerves and relax on a keyed-up dinner engagement. If neither of you can do it, why not laugh about it?) The hamachi and sake maki were also good. I'm definitely looking forward to returning to Higuma.
(5)Sophia Y.
solid nabeyaki udon edamame good salmon teriyaki good salad = creamy, eh. not worth the calories good service really cute logo- bear with fish?
(3)X S.
RAMEN UPDATE: This is a neighborhood favorite with a solid stream of "regulars" coming in who know the rules of Higuma. Be patient and flexible and you will be rewarded with the freshest sushi, home-cooking style entrees, and a cozy atmosphere. This is a gem of the southern peninsula area. I recently tried the spicy miso ramen lunch special with the side order of Hawaiian Poki (in a little bowl over rice). THIS WAS BLISS! I didn't know Higuma had Ramen because I usually go for dinner. And the Poki was FANTASTIC! It reminded me of Hawaii. (I would like to see some "ogo" seaweed on the poke, but I know it's so hard to find it here in CA). The seeming strictness of their policies makes sense if you spend alot of time in the place- they used to get lots of odd customers taking up space, causing trouble, and making us wait for their seat. Just be patient and understand that there is limited space here.
(5)Zhanna L.
New to Redwood City and was looking for a good Sushi restaurant. We went on a Friday night for dinner and it was packed, but they found some room for us at the bar. The place is very small and not very clean. Service was good and food arrived very quickly. We usually pick from the Sashimi and Roll's menu and the choice wasn't the best. -Salmon & Unagi (sushi) barely covered the rice and were about 10 degrees warmer then the room temperature. -One of the rolls fell apart as soon as you picked it up, and the other was suppose to be a bit spicy (and we love spicy food), but it was so hot, that I had to gobble down a cup of water after every piece. And last but not least, the price did not match the food quality. We wont be going back.
(2)Aim B.
If you like fish that tastes days old, then this is the place for you! I have eaten at a lot of sushi places, some even in the Midwest, and I would have to say this was the worst of the lot. The Ocean Salad was nice, however, hence the two stars.
(2)Karla M.
Love the sushi here! Service is fast and the sushi is fresh. Only problems are that the place is small and they don't take debit/credit card if your order is less than $15. I'll keep going back though since it is sooo worth it!
(4)Anthony O.
1) Really fresh sashimi. I'm really not sure what the other posters are saying about the quality of the fish - it's some of the freshest sashimi I've had in the Bay Area, definitely in the peninsula. The bluefin and toro are some of the best I've ever had. 2) Service is just fine - I've never had any problems at all here. They won't inttrupt your meal or wait on your every whim, but it's a Japanese restaurant - not a French or Italian spot. 3) Rolls are great as well. I don't know about the non-sushi offerings (like appetizers and ramen). I've had some appetizers and while they're not the best I've ever had, they're definitely good. I usually just stick with the sashimi and I'm perfectly content. If you stick to the sashimi, which is consistently good, I'd recommend this place every time.
(5)Naivette C.
Excellent service, fresh fish, great prices. Everything you are looking for in a great restaurant. I went here for lunch. First, it is extremely small, a hole in the wall located on busy El Camino. Do not let that sway you. Park in the shopping center a bit pass the restaurant where there is a day spa and cellular phone store. You can't miss it. Then walk to the restaurant. You'll find it easier to get in and out. I ordered the lunch box which included tempura (shrimp and veggies, chicken terriyaki, california roll, salad, soup and rice. It was only 8.00. Crazy, but you get 2 pieces of shrimp!! That may not mean much but some places give you no shrimp with your tempura unless you pay extra. Al a carte, you can order sushi. I had a 6 pce unagi roll for 3.50. Very reasonable, very tasty. The atmosphere is quaint and the customers are diverse. It does get crowded during lunch I noticed, so plan. There is a small sushi bar, no bigger than most kitchen counters. This is not a place for the sushi floating on a boat lovers. It's not novelty. It's authentic Japanese cuisine. I drove here from the East Bay and it didn't take long and well worth the drive. It's easy to find. Also the service is wonderful. They never make you feel rushed as in some other restaurants. Finally, the salad was fresh and tasted great. Why do I bring that up? If you've had these Japanese lunch boxes elsewhere, you know what I'm talking about. The watered down lettuce which waters down your dressing. So you're eating what exactly? Oh yeah. Water. Oh one more point, not a place for young children. It really is too small and you will be asked to leave strollers outside the restaurant. There is even a sign which tells you so. Just leave the youngin's at home. I did.
(5)Jennifer C.
Ok, Hands down this is the place to go. Inexpensive, totally fresh. My boyfriend and I have been going to Higuma for years. Just flat out great sushi. Def. order the sunamono salad and goyza to start. They have just added some new rolls which are damn good.
(5)Dario C.
This is probably one of the best sushi restaurants in the area. The service is good (run by real Japanese people) and the food is fantastic. The prices are a bit steep for the food portions they offer, but the quality is stellar. My favorite dish is the spicy crunchy tuna roll. I can sit there and eat 3 orders of it, which I have and do not recommend. COMA ZONE. Things to note: - The lot behind the restaurant is very small, around a 10 car capacity - Restaurant closes at 2pm. - Limited seating.
(4)Keith M.
This is an authentic, cozy, casual and friendly place, service is great and the head chef is excellent. The seafood is very fresh, I knew this owner when he was a sushi chef at other restaurants further down in the South Bay, and he is talented and has a great personality . The place is small, and parking is a bit cumbersome, but for that mid-Peninsula/Redwood City area this is a definite Japanese quality place to check out.
(4)Douglas H.
This place has good food and good service. It's tiny, but that actually adds to the ambiance. Can't wait to go back!
(4)Tony L.
so i decided to come here to show my gf a great place i found in a random place. we came here before, but there was no parking, and there was a long wait, so this time was the first official time for her. she expected a lot from this place which failed to deliver. all started from a simple order of beer. i placed an order of echigo beer (my fav japanese beer btw), they did not ask me for my id, so i figure after so many years of being carded, i can finally live a normal life of any other 25 year old. so when they decide to give me the beer...which was already open, glass in hand...they ask for my id. i said...sorry i left my wallet at home...because i really did leave it at home. they declined me from being able to drink without an id. so i did not really care cuz i do look very young for my age, and with no proof, i shouldnt be drinking...until the one short fat waitress was cleaning a table next to ours and mumbled under her breath..."underage, underage" thanks for making assumptions lady....maybe i shouldn't assume that you stuff your fat fucking face with twinkies and hohos all day. anyways...our bill was pretty cheap. especially after we left them a 3 cent tip. thanks bitches. i would NOT recommend coming here. the sushi is not fresh at all. the fish looks like its been on the counter for days. the nigiri breaks as soon as you pick it up. the slice of the fish was so much smaller than the size of rice they give you. they have lost me as a customer, though i wanted to go back later that night with my wallet just to order a beer and leave them no tip again. bitches. i'm never coming back here ever again. i will tell my friends to never come here. i will go as far as to file a complaint with the better business bureau. i will never speak of this restaurant ever again, unless the conversation entails themes of: 1. worst restaurants in the bay area 2. japanese restaurants that i would never eat at. 3. places with the worst customer service. 4. fake japanese restaurants that are not authentic japanese 5. the place i would not eat at even if i was dying of hunger....sorry i would rather eat my own shit. 6. stupid mother fuckers who should learn to keep comments to themselves. im out.
(1)Keika L.
I love going here for lunch during the work week and enjoy their ramen lunch special. Don't expect the best ramen EVER, but the service is good and the food is worth the money. I always get their Miso Ramen and Tuna Poki combo.
(4)Chris B.
What kind of sushi bar won't let you order directly from the sushi chef, especially when the place isn't crowded? I felt guilty even saying hi to the sushi chef. Apparently you need a mediator to place an order through the wait staff using a piece of paper to write down what you want. Ok, fine. However when we tried to place a "special" order (hand roll with salmon, salmon skin & cucumber... not exactly rocket science, eh?) the wait staff told us in a rude kinda way "we don't do special orders". WTF? Plus, they had this as a regular roll (at least one that was close enough). Also I asked for the check and they hand it to my girlfried. Oops! I will say the prices here in general are CHEAP (though the two rolls we got I thought were pricey at 12.50 a pop). The fish was very good, especially the albacore. ** 2/12/08 Update Went again (actually twice), sat at the bar - no issues! Friendly chef. Great, great nigiri. The other time was for lunch, again, great experience. This place gets CROWDED on a Friday night.
(4)Yunmi B.
All around solid Japanese food with nice waitresses. The place is a bit small. I'm into authentic Japanese food at reasonable prices! :) I started salivating for the white tuna tataki. In case you're wondering, it is a great slab of white albacore tuna - lightly seared and raw/pink in the middle. It's served on a bed of sliced white onions, scallions, daikon (Japanese grated radish), and perfectly doused in my favorite sauce in the whole wide world- PONZU! It was delightful and it just melted in my mouth. The sake selection was also pretty great. Don't remember which one I had but I guess it doesn't really matter because I had a lot of fun afterwards.
(3)Doug W.
Sorry guys, but your cleanliness on my last visit just wasn't there - didn't want to look at the floor, you know what I mean? Plus, they put parties of 3 at a (small) table meant for 2, and parties of 5 at (small) tables meant for 4. We kept on playing musical plates to get everything to fit, and kept consolidating and carrying our own dishes to the kitchen. Not cool, particularly when prices are on the high side.
(1)Luke S.
A home-style Japanese restaurant on El Camino in Redwood City? We never would have guessed. No particular element is amazing, but solid sushi, cooked food, decor, service, and prices make for a great all-around package.
(4)Florio M.
Im in that state now where I am adventuring to new restaurants by way of Yelp... so I go in with ideas of what im going to order and what I should expect in terms of quality and service.... As for Higuma... it was good.... but honestly nothing amazing to bring me back again... There must be 50 or so sushi bars on the peninsula... I need "something" to make it worth a 2nd or 3rd time Food: I liked everything we ordered... the quality of the sushi was fresh and the specialty rolls were very tasty... Service: Slow at first, but probably because we sat down before being seated... there was One very cute and sweet waitress who was very attentive Ambience: simple... nothing extravagent here... lots of locals... you can tell that it is supported by the local repeaters when customers come in and the waitresses say "hello __(add name)____" ... Recommend: Order what you like... it all was good If you like specialty rolls... order the "Firecracker" I still like sushi Sam's, but they have been on vacation... so I went on a trip elsewhere enough said...
(3)eric k.
I wonder if I'll ever be "found out" but.... A couple years ago, a friend and I ended up eating here like 3 times in a week. The deal was that one of our other friends, which we suspected was gay(ok... still do, even though he's married), had a crush on one of the waitresses. So my other friend and I were trying to check her out, and hence... But anyway.. the food is ok. Not bad... nothing special. I guess the scenery was OK... not great(yeah.. I guess if it didn't have an adam's apple, that was an improvement). btw... friend never did get a date with the waitress, but he did try, so props to him for that.
(3)Conrad C.
Went there with a friend of mine today(7/23/09) for lunch. We orginally went to Santa Ramen but it was closed. Well, this place did not disappoint. We both order ramen and they were both good. The ramen tasted and looked fresh. I forget what my friend got but I had the spicy miso ramen. After we ordered, our stuff came out in 5 minutes! Seriously, we were in and out in 15 minutes. Great service too.
(5)Kimberly B.
I love the atmosphere at Higuma --- cozy, but not cramped/crowded, and I've never had to wait for a table. I spent several years living in Japan, and their menu makes me feel like I'm transported back there! Their curry with gyoza is my favorite, but I would also highly recommend the sushi. Prices are reasonable and service is very friendly. Parking is easy, also.
(5)Connie Y.
sushi good and cheap. small and tiny- good choice for lunch if u work around the area. the service can be good or bad- depending on how many people are there. bentos are kinda little though.....yummy katsu curry..... ramen- is okay they have sake along with beer and wine. only a lunch time choice - would not come here for an enjoyable dinner.
(3)Steve D.
Higuma is my favorite spot for sushi/ japanese food on the Peninsula. I've been to several of the other popular sushi joints along the Peninsula and in SF and Higuma is the one that keep coming back to. One reason for coming back so often might be how close by Higuma is from my house but this does not take away from the fact that food and prices here are really good. Higuma does not have too many crazy selections of sushi and rolls but all of the basics are covered: Bluefin, Maguro, Sake, Shiro Maguro, Hamachi, Hotate, Unagi, spicy tuna roll, salmon skin roll, to name a few. My personal favorite here is the Ocean Trout. This fish is fantastic! Please do limit yourself to one order though...I don't want them to run short on me when I arrive. Other than the sushi, the starter dishes, bento boxes, and Soba that I've had on other visits were all delicious. Everything is cooked just right and not overdone. I've been a little hesitant to write a review about Higuma but now that the word is out, it's not too much of a secret anymore. This place is small and gets filled up pretty quickly!
(4)Ice Cream Truck I.
I live in SF and work in Belmont. I went to Higuma for the first time, for lunch today. It was very pleasant. It's a sorta hideaway, so it wasn't crowded at peak lunch hour (we got there slightly afternoon 12 noon). Great menu, and the lunch boxes were really reasonable. My colleague and I both got the tempura and sashimi box, which was like $14. It came with miso soup, about 8 small pieces of sashimi (I think 4 of tuna, 4 of something else, very fresh), salad, rice, about 6 pieces of tempura (3 shrimp, 3 vegetable). I thought it was very reasonable. Oh yeah, and I love that they don't charge you for tea (why do restaurants do that?). The parking lot in the back is small, but people were friendly when we were there so it wasn't all city road-ragey.
(4)Nicole H.
We love Higuma. It is our favorite local Japanese restaurant and we have never had a disappointing meal there. Not only is the food always fresh and delicious, it is easily one of the least expensive Japanese restaurants we have been to. I love their bento boxes and that they include not only your two selections but also 3 gyoza, 3 California Rolls, Soup, Salad and Rice! All for under $11 typically. They have wonderful soup bowls available at lunch and their yaki onigiri is DELISH! Our 4 year old loves Higuma too and often times will beg to go there. Tiny place with a very authentic Japanese feel. Reminds me of the restaurants I visited in Japan.
(4)Tiffany L.
I've been here twice now and still haven't had the experience to understand all the 4-5 star hype. The sushi and nigiri are okay and some pieces were pretty fresh but nothing stood out to me. I'm leery on making the trip again since parking can feel a little hellish (the parking in the back can get really cramped) and the restaurant itself is small so you squeeze or you wait.
(3)Rosalind C.
Another great Yelp find... Thanks Yelp! I would have never come here, but for the excellent reviews I found about this place and my insatiable hankering for some good sashimi. The hint about good prices caught my eye too. Boyfriend and I came here on a rainy night and were quite charmed with the place. He says that it's quite authentic in feel (he seems to be an expert in all things Japanese... now if I could only get him to learn Cantonese....) He got soba, I got sashimi, and we split a dragon roll. I have to say, I've never been to place where I got 14 pieces of sashimi for $13. That's a good price! And for good sashimi! We were both really pleased with our experience. I'm looking forward to coming back here in the future. Cute place to come as a couple. And if you're a single White dude, please don't try to hit on the cute Japanese waitresses. It's just embarrassing for everyone involved, including the other patrons who have to watch.
(5)Erin V.
Good Food, Good Prices, Good Service
(4)Sandra S.
I first came here for lunch with co-workers and I was surprised at how tiny it was. I've now been here for lunch twice and luckily haven't had a problem being seated quickly. I love their chicken katsudon, it's a perfect lunch time portion. It's a very low maintenance kind of place and seems to be fairly popular, I always take that as a fair indicator as to the quality of a restaurant. Granted I haven't tried much of the menu guess I'll have to just keep returning.
(4)Aaron M.
A very pleasant surprise: this mom and pop-looking place serves excellent fish at a pretty low price, and the staff can give great recommendations. I went with a group of friends and we enjoyed all the standards, plus particularly good hotate and spicy white tuna. A small miracle, some delicious fatty tuna was bargain-priced. The small dining room was completely full on a Friday night (incidently with some other friends that had seen this place recommended online!), and we were lucky to get a table. The crowd led to slow service, but the fresh fish and price made up for it.
(5)Ruth B.
Some of the best sushi in the area. Funny little location, you'd never expect to find a great restaurant, but there it is! Not terrific with kids, but it was doable.
(4)H K.
Higuma is alright. Inexpensive, reasonable sushi selections, although not the highest quality. Same with bento boxes, quite tasty, very nice gyoza. It's in our neighborhood, so we've been there many times. Service is ok, and as it's pretty popular in RWC, can get crowded, and we all just have to be patient. This weekend was strange. They have a new waiter, and when the check came, he asked for more tip because they had been so busy and said they weren't paid too well. This weirded me out a bit, never having been asked outright before. However, I didn't feel offended, but I didn't tip anymore than usual. Because, the servce was, as usual, just acceptable. So overall, the place is fine if you're in RWC and looking for an inexpensive place. 3 stars for service, 3.5 for food.
(3)Kevvy K.
This place is great--for value. I was dying to try some place different for Japanese the other day, and found the rave reviews on this site. Went to the restaurant, found it packed on a Monday evening (always a good sign), and ordered our food. For less than 40 bucks, we got two combination dinners, rainbow roll, and cheap cheap (if smaller-sized) spicy tuna rolls. Overall, everything tasted pretty good. The salmon teriyaki was cooked just right--not overcooked like virtually everywhere else. For value, I'd go here. But value sacrifices quality, and by no means is this the best, freshest sushi place around these parts that everyone else, I think, is misleadingly (or less than knowingly) claiming. It's the best sushi for its price range, but that's because everywhere else is more expensive. And, unfortunately, you can taste it in the less than optimal freshness and tastiness of the most important thing: the raw fish itself. If you're not a stickler for how your fish tastes, you'll like this place. I'm going back to try the non-sushi items on the menu (zaru soba, udon, etc.) And it's definitely higher quality than the other value sushi place in the distant 'hood, Sushi Tomo down on El Camino Way. But if you're looking for dope sushi, be forewarned: you get what you pay for.
(3)J S.
We ordered a variety of dishes from the sushi bar as well as from the kitchen, the quality did not impress, poor sake selection did not help, either. Will not return again anytime soon.
(2)starrynight c.
This place's curry was good. I'm a picky curry eater, and this is definitely somewhere I'll be going back to. I got the gyoza curry to go and the curry came on the same (thank goodness, otherwise it'd be soggy-icky). And there were 3 gyoza laid on top of rice mmmm...and the gyoza were amazing!! Not over pan fried, really fresh tasting gyoza skin, yum! This place is pretty close to where I live, so I'm guessing I'll end up being a regular...especially for 8 bucks for a curry dish!
(4)wendy c.
Our favorite Japanese restaurant in the area. Completely authentic (good sign -- all the staff are Japanese). They make really good ramen, have great choices and good value for their combination boxes, and decent sushi. Having living in Japan for over a year -- I'm an incredibly finicky Japanese cuisine eater. But they never disappoint. We go about once a week.
(5)Katharine A.
sushi is ok, but the best reason to some here is that it is cheap.
(2)James T.
The place felt like a hole in the wall. A coworker said it looked like a house that was remodeled into a restaurant. The prices for Higuma were reasonable until I saw the size of the fried sushi I ordered. The sushi was pretty good but nothing out of the ordinary. I would go again only because it's close to where I'm staying.
(3)Chris D.
Excellent food, nice wait staff, cozy atmosphere, cute logo.
(4)peter k.
just to let you know how stringent my standards are: to date i have not found five star sushi in the sf bay area. and yes, i have had 5 star sushi. 5 star sushi is fresh from the sea chosen by the sushi chef earlier that day off the dock - if not caught by the chef himself. that's fresh. 4 star sushi is anything less fresh than that, but still delicious and tasty. i have also barely found any 4 star sushi places. this place is one of those few worthy places. and lord knows i've tried a lot of sushi places. my husband who is a tai and sake snob, thoroughly enjoyed the red snapper and salmon here. i really enjoyed the hamachi - it was some of the butteriest yellowtail i've had in a while. the uni and masago were standard fair - the sam as across many sushi restaurants. the saba was very good, but i actually like the stronger and fishier varieties - this saba was excellent by more general tastes. the ama ebi looked good, but i didn't have room to try any - next time.
(4)John K.
4 stars, based on quality and price. Straight up sushi, not the most generous portions but good quality. Real Japanese, not Taiwanese or Korean either. Slightly divey on the inside but I like dives. Good miso, and I also had the katsu-don which I rate as solid, not tarted up with stuff like carrots and mushrooms. I will definitely become a lunch regular there.
(4)K L.
Pro's: Great food for affordable prices Con's: Limited opening hours, and a very inflexible-attitude when it comes to service (read below) I like Higuma a lot for traditional Japanese food experience delivered to you by real Japanese people. The food is tasty and quality is good, all for an affordable price. Expect to spend $10-15 per person for a regular meal. It's a cute small restaurant and as such, has limited seating. It's not a problem on weekdays but on weekends it gets packed and a waiting list is pretty common as you stand outside the door. The only negative thing I have to report on this restaurant is their rather inflexible menu policies. For example, I ordered their Higuma Donburi which is a great rice bowl with ikura, salmon flakes, and cucumber on top. It makes for a refreshing dish on a hot day, like this weekend. The meal comes with a soup, but since it was so hot that day, I asked the waitress if I could substitute a salad instead. She said OK, and I was content with our orders. Several minutes later, she comes back and says, "Sorry, we cannot substitute a salad for you. The owner said we can't." My first reaction is, this is ridiculous, any restaurant will do a simple salad/soup swap if it's an included side-item with a meal option. I said, oh c'mon, it's such a hot day, I just don't want to have hot soup, that's all. She then repeated her previous statement. I told her just don't bother bringing the soup. I love miso soup but there was no way I was going to drink hot soup on top of the hot temperatures that day and I didn't want to waste food. Pretty poor way to run a restaurant and keep customer satisfaction up. Even though I still like their food, my dining partner was equally as offended with the incident, and joked with me that maybe we should have gone to Tokie's instead. : )
(3)Lilly B.
I love sushi and I love Sushi Sam's. But Higuma is my #1 when I can't get to San Mateo; tasty fresh fish with excellent service. The only drawback is the tiny dining area and poo-ball parking. Other than that I loves it.
(4)Lindsy C.
Higuma is an amazing. My husband and I eat here at least 2x per month. We usually get a mixture of sashmi and nigiri sushi. The salmon, tuna, and halibut are my fav. Get the halibut with ponzo sauce, it's to die for. We don't order the rolls so I can't say if those are good or not. The fish is constantly fresh and it's cheap.
(5)Audra E.
Just ate here with my co-workers, based on the yelp reviews. Had the salmon Sashimi and was very pleased. Very fresh and tasty salmon for $10.50. It's in a cute little house off El Camino. Nice and attentive staff. Good lunch place.
(4)Steve V.
Pretty chronic sushi. Cool location and nice setting. Beats that Ozuma crap in Carlos hands down.
(4)jean m.
I've been here twice now because it was ok the first time and i thought i'd give it a second shot to grow on me. didn't happen though. the logo is really cute but the food is just average. the udon i had the second time really just tasted as if it was made in saltwater and i thought the california rolls are actually sub par (they're california rolls - they usually taste the same everywhere unless it's made from real crab!)
(2)Ben K.
This place is great for lunch -- especially the "lunch box" specials from the menu. I've eaten here a bunch of times, and have always received very fresh fish, crispy tempura, and great chicken teriyaki. The restaurant is tiny, but the service is always fast and friendly. Unfortunately, they have recently raised their prices.
(5)Suzanne C.
Surprisingly a good sushi restaurant! I have always driven by this little house, but never went in until a friend suggested it for lunch. There's a variety of sushi choices as well as cooked items from the menu. And the great thing is that it's cheap in $$, but not in taste. Parking during lunch time was challenging but that wouldn't deter me from going back.
(4)Sara S.
Love it! Fish is fresh, tempura is pipin hot, and my oh my they have the most perfect california rolls. They are tightly packed and with very minimal mayo (maybe not any? I hate sushi that has a vat of mayo in it-- nasty!) and they're not monster truck sized. The place is tiny so you it feels homey and like it's your own special find. And, the price is seriously right. I like to get the sashimi and chef's pick sushi dinner box.
(5)Richard L.
I met some friends at Higuma for dinner recently. We sat at the five-chair sushi bar, where we enjoyed a nice meal and chatted with the owner and chef. I was very impressed by the freshness of the fish and the creative combinations the chef prepared. Besides the various rounds of nigiri sushi, we enjoyed a few maki rolls. We also ate some small cooked dishes, that you might find in an izakaya style restaurant in Japan. Dinner was VERY good and very Japanese. I'll be certainly be back!
(5)Mervyn M.
Very dissapointing meal and far too expensive. I ordered a rainbow roll, an order of Hamaachi and chicken katsu didn't get much change for $40! Nice little place though if not a little claustraphobic and cramped.
(2)Chuck D.
I'm from Appalachia, I dunno crap about Japanese food, but this stuff tastes great. I have a friend who lived in Osaka for a couple of years, whose kids grew up there and agitate for Higuma when they're together now. All I know is, it's somewhat more expensive than Todai, but noticeably better, and the sake is a dangerous combination of good and cheap. They get busy, and sometimes that slows them down; I recommend showing up earlier in the evening, like we do, around 5 or 6 rather than 7 or 8, by which time the cognoscenti have arrived. I particularly recommend the spicy and crunchy tuna handrolls, and the yellowtail and halibut. But all the specials I've tried have worked out well. If you're in a non-kid-friendly mood, go later and wait; I think you'll end up believing the experience was worth it. There are younger patrons earlier in the evenings sometimes. My experiece is they're quite well behaved, in part because they're eating so well.
(4)Tommy R.
My favorite Japanese place in RWC. I usually get the sashimi.
(5)Dana D.
tiny and adorable. this restaurant is in a teeny tiny stand-alone building that looks like something out of a fairy tale. the space inside is cozy, with itty bitty tables crammed close together. even the glasses of water were lilliputian. food, likewise, was tiny and pretty. sashimi was fresh and meltingly tender. we also shared a roll which was ok, but fish that good deserves the spotlight. my only complaints: 1) service was slow. 2) compared to the same dishes similarly priced at other restaurants, the sushi portions were... proportional to everything else about this place. some people at the next table ordered bento boxes that looked big though.
(4)Jacob N.
Fantastic little gem of a place - their bento boxes are awesome. In fact, that's the only thing I ever had from the menu, they're that good. Service is courteous and not in the way. I used to go there every week when I lived in Menlo Park.
(5)Michelle C.
Sushi, we tried the spicy tuna cruch, pretty good. We also tried a number of nigiri, all are fresh except the blue fin tuna, it was a bit fishy and defintely not worth the $4 per piece. Salmon nigri is more fattier than usual, but pretty good. Fried chicken and chicken teriyaki are also ok. Condiments are not that great. Overall, I would certainly come back to get some suhsi when I'm in the area.
(3)Walter C.
Follow up - still highly recommending this place. Went there again after a couple months... this time brought a long a few extra people. We rolled up in the 335 with the hard top down & ate & ate. I mean we ate a lot of sushi. + miso, tempura, sashimi sampler ... & sapporo ichicban... salad too. All this for 4 people including tip came to $77. Raw quail egg and tobiko included. If no one else goes there then that's better for me. I am going to keep it for myself, but I feel like compelled to post because I found this place using yelp. ---------------- This place is all it's cracked up to be. Good deal, good food. Very homey for a japanese place. If you're a big spender and you're looking for a fancy shmancy place then maybe your requirements might not be met... but I like homey.
(5)Andrew S.
This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. Beer & Katsu Curry ... awesome!
(5)Shin T.
My favorite ramen place in the bay area! Have to try to the shio (salt) ramen, the best of all other kinds here in Higuma. They added xiang-cai (chinese leaf) that makes the broth very nice. The place is very cozy like most japanese ramen house.
(5)Anita L.
This was a recommendation by a Japanese friend of mine and I must say, she was right.... it's good! The restaurant is small so during lunch time it is really packed and gets filled up very quickly. We saw people eating lunch bento boxes, but we opted for something else. The sushi was really good.... had the uni (yes it's my absolute favorite) while good was not as good as Sushitomi's. The salmon skin maki was outstanding. The crunchy texture of the skin was perfectly matched with the softness of the rice. The cucumber also added a different sort of crunchy texture to the entire experience. We shared a zaru soba, a special salad (yum!!) and a hamachi kama (another one of my favs) which is probably not for everyone because it's the collar part of the fish, grilled and served with minced daikon. There is quite a bit of bone but once you get around it, you will taste some of the most delicious fish flesh around. A lot of people were eating onigiri which is a rice ball (salmon or other stuff on the inside) and wrapped with a piece of nori. Not my cup of tea but kids seem to love it.
(4)tpt T.
Not a sushi lover but their curry is one of the best! A little bit on the spicy side for me (but I generally can't handle much spice). Service is always friendly and fast.
(4)Natalie K.
Very tasty ramen! My coworkers and I got the spicy miso ramen and tuna poki don. So good!!! The service was great - we were in and out in under an hour too!
(4)Setareh N.
Such a cute place......not sure where the bathrooms are but it doesnt really matter.....they have the best Miso dressing and delicious Tuna sashimi......o so good I tell ya. The prices were excellent service was great and fast!
(4)Nathan J.
the food was aight and the service wasn't too friendly. the waitress kept poking one of my coworkers asking him to hurry up and order, then she took our bill away from us while we were still looking at it. the only reason they don't get one star is because the sushi chef was actually pretty cool. aside from that, i may come back one more time to try their ramen. if their service is the same, i'm definitely not coming back here. prices are okay. tiny lot in the back for parking. $15 minimum if you use your atm/credit card. LEGIT -- sushi chef trying to make things right NOT-LEGIT -- crabby old ladies serving you food
(2)A H.
We used to visit Higuma almost once a week but after their portions started to get smaller and their prices went up we visit this place less and less frequently. The food is good but its just not worth the price anymore.
(2)Chai T.
Wow - this place did not disappoint! We tried a number of sushi items, including my favorite Negihama Maki, and my husband's favorite Spicy Tuna Hand Roll. Although he said he has a new favorite now that we ate here - Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll. It's a tempura version I guess. The only thing I wish is that they had real crab options for their CA Roll. And that one only comes in 3 pieces for each order. Which is odd, I think. The place was small, clean and quaintly, if not oddly, decorated (basketball clock and a stuffed animal bear skin hung like a real one - need I say more?). But the service was great. And we got a table right away on a Saturday night. It was also quiet - which is nice because I'm over eating at loud places lately. One thing the REALLY need to improve: the parking lot. Sketch-ay!! Would it kill them to get some lights back there? It is dark, scary and um...yeah, scary. But we'll definitely be back. We'll just park elsewhere.
(4)Aldric B.
Came here with high expectations. Was left somewhat satisfied. The rolls were just okay and the fish was fresh enough. I also ordered the katsu curry which I liked, but it's just not the same as ordering it a place that specializes in japanese curry.
(3)Da J.
This place certainly doesn't need another review, but, I went there for the first time on Friday (thanks, Yelpers), and had amazing sushi and drank. A lot. We mostly had maki rolls - my favorite is the yellowtail and green onion. Actually, we mostly had SAKE! Even though the restaurant was small and busy, it was still awesome, and they put up with our drunk and slightly obnoxious selves.
(5)Susan L.
I don't know why people think this place is good. It is not good. It's cheap but you pretty much get what you pay for. Also the rice is weird... kind of dry/hard.
(2)Superduperpooperscooper T.
m-f closed at 9:30 sat closed sun closed by 9:30
(4)Mai T.
Good japanese food, we had a few nigiris and sushi rolls - excellent sweet shrimp and scallop rolls at least to my inexperienced taste. Sushi chef is very friendly, maybe because he knows my bf - i dunno. i would go here more regularly if i were in the area and if it didnt burn a whole in my pocket - yeah, its a bit pricey, but then again, what good japanese resturant isnt.
(5)Rachelle R.
This place is itty bitty...you could probably shut it down for a dinner party of 20. But the smallness of the restaurant creates an intimate atmosphere... because you can hear everyone's conversation (they're practically sitting right next to you). And sometimes it feels like everyone's in on a secret when you eat here because it's like a secret good sushi place that no one knows about. Ssshhh! The sushi is consistently fresh and the service is ok (could improve). I have eaten here numerous times. Yummm...
(4)Leah A.
Good find. It's a cool setting, but tight quarters. The service was very friendly and very attentive. The sushi was ok - their crispy tuna roll was awesome but some of their other stuff was kind of over-the-top in sauces. Reasonably priced too. No AMEX though.
(3)J. N.
we love this local sushi hideaway.
(5)Jackie B.
shushi is good, the place is small! This is a house and you sit in the living room! Wow!! It is cute, and clean, and has great food!
(3)Mike S.
This place was great because of the food, service, and prices. The only two things i didn't like were the lack of parking and the relatively small eating area.
(5)Gianna C.
This is the best Japanese restaurant in town - both for consistently good food and reasonable prices! The fish is always fresh and the wait-staff friendly. They treat their regulars very well.
(5)Laura S.
I go here at least once a week for yummy sashimi for supa cheap, man! Woot!
(5)Anne A.
Another japanese food yelp? Well, what can I say, I love me some sushi. For the area, I think Higuma is your best bet for good sushi... and cheap too! The bentos are a really good deal as well...only $7! You have to try the spicy crunchy tuna roll...it's a favorite among my coworkers and I. The firecracker bowl is also quite tasty...the sauces on top are full of flavor! The place looks like a tiny house and it always gets full around noon. And make sure you get there early for lunch cuz the kitchen closes at 2.
(4)Toto T.
Not spectacular, but good. Probably I'm biased after a bad meal at Sushi Sam. Yes, the trout sushi is really delicious. They can probably do a better job with the "warm" foods - like take out the teriyaki crap, and add in some japanese food - and expand the selection of sashimi/sushi. I usually don't like those fancy rolls that is "made in US", but their firecracker creation is quite good! Good value for the quality of food they serve.
(3)C R.
They have the best tuna poke appetizer. All of their fish is super fresh and they are always extremely friendly. My boyfriend and I go at least once a week on Fridays for dinner before it gets packed! The halibut is very good... Definitely worth a try!!
(5)Ms M.
My husband and I decided to go to Higuma after work on Friday together with our 1 year old daughter. Since it was an impromptu decision to dine out, we went to the nearby Whole Foods and got our daughter a toddler meal and yogurt. When we walked in and asked for a table, the waitress saw my daughter's food and told us that she has to charge $30 for outside food. My husband tried to reason with her that it was for our daughter, who obviously cannot eat sushi or tempura, but she did not care. When we asked to speak to the manager/boss, she said she is the owner and ran off to the kitchen. I stood there shocked while carrying my hungry and crying daughter. This is the worst restaurant that I've ever been. They have no conscious and do not try to accommodate for kids. Please do not go to this place. There are many other better Japanese restaurants in the bay area that are children friendly.
(1)Aaron S.
Good food for cheap. Small restaurant and is a pain in the cold/rainy months when folks waiting for a table are standing right next to you while you eat. I give this place high marks cuz the food is consistenly good and they are kid friendly (except they ask that you leave the strollers outside). Ask for the Ramen Special during lunch.
(5)Robert H.
After hearing about it from friends, family and Yelp, I decided to give them a try for lunch. Their food is good, price reasonable. Gets crowded pretty fast, so early arrival is a must. Parking was a little inconvenient. Cute little place. I would come back to try some other dishes in the near future.
(5)Nikki S.
Phenomenal udon. Sushi was pretty good--though I have to say that there are places I'd rather go. It's a little cramped and service can be mediocre. Not much parking.
(4)Marc M.
I live so close to this place so i wanted to love it, but i just couldn't. I came in for lunch with a coworker. I had the lunch special of sashimi and chicken teriyaki. The highlights were the price, the california rolls, and the orange. The low was the tuna (smallest piece of tuna ever). The parking is in back and there is not much, so make sure to come early.
(3)M J.
Great food! Service a little slow, but makes up for it in the food.
(4)Barrie M.
We love Higuma and eat there or take out at least a couple of times a month. The food is always fresh, the waitresses are very friendly and attentive. It's a very small space and can get crowded on Fri. & Sat. nights so be prepared to get cozy with your neighbors. The sushi is good, the dinner box is an excellent deal and a lot of food. It is consistently good all around!
(4)rosanna m.
Absolutely 100% the best sushi, I would compare it to bluefin on sullivan Street in NYC and there's nothing better! It may look like a hole in the wall, but wow! I've been there a dozen times now and it has been very consistent. Excellent!!!
(5)Raymond K.
This is a very good Japanese place with a lot of variety. I eat at this place a couple times a month. I have tried their Katsu Curry, Miso Ramen, and bento box. The curry is good and flavorful. The Miso Ramen has lots of toppings and both the noodle and brooth are good. I found the bento box to be most lacking, as the size of the bento was a little small. The sushi is fresh and I recommend going there. There is a parking lot, so it makes it convenient to go there.
(4)Barn M.
This is a tiny establishment, and because of this, getting a table can be gamble. I wasn't too impressed with the food I got, although I only tried the a-la-carte chicken. The portions are generally small, but the prices aren't bad.
(3)Lisa P.
This reveiw is primarily focused on Higuma's ramen. There are few restaraunts in RWC that have ramen. I came to Higuma just to try it. The lunch special ramen is very good. The noodles are good and they put a satisfactory amount of toppings in their ramen included bamboo shoot slices, seaweed, corn, a piece of cooked pork, bean sprouts. The broth is not as good as some of the specialty ramen houses such as Ramen Dojo in San Mateo. Higuma may even used a premade mix for their ramen, but it is enough to satisfy a ramen craving without having to travel too far out of Redwood City. The lunch special ramen also comes with a side of california roll. I was disappointed with the dinner time ramen which costs $2.50 more for less. The noodles were not the good noodles they use for the lunch time ramen, you don't get a side of california roll, there are no extra toppings, and you don't event get a larger portion to justify the $2.50 more per order! In fact you get much less than you do for the Lunch time ramen. I will not order the dinner time ramen again. It seems a bit of a rip off. Lastly, while this review is primarily focused on the ramen, I did try an order of the firecracker tuna roll. After two pieces, I could not eat anymore. The tuna was not fresh and tasted extremely "fishy". I don't know if this is an indication of the rest of the menu, so take this comment with a grainof salt.
(3)Jesse L.
This is a small little restaurant that is actually Japanese owned and operated. I ordered the chirashi and it was alright. Not that big of a selection, the freshness was average. My biggest complaint is probably the service. After reading all the reviews, I was expecting some grand stuff. But I was actually kind of dissapointed. The service was slow, and the food was even slower.
(3)yeana j.
I love tiny authentic mom and pop Japanese sushi restaurants like this. And I guess a lot of people like it too, because we were there on a rainy weeknight, and the place was packed! I had the chirashi bowl, and it was delicious! The fish was very fresh and the variety was great. These people know how to do Japanese food right!
(4)exploradare G.
Good lunch boxes for good price. I got tempura and saba shioyaki for $8. Includes miso soup, California rolls, rice, salad. I thought the tempura was really good -- fried just right.
(4)Manali K.
Its not LA sushi by any means....but its very good, particularly the trout sashimi which suprisingly was buttery and very fresh. The restaurant is very "cute" and is in a random area of Redwood City near all the auto dealerships. We ordered a mixed sashimi platter, some nigiri, and some futomaki. The salmon and scallop sashimi was excellent and in general, everything was fresh and reasonably priced. Ill keep this place in mind when I make visits to the Peninsula again.
(4)Monica T.
Place has great sushi... I loved the atmoshere, you know hole in the wall type atmosphere. There are about 10 tables and 5 seats at the bar. It took about 30 minutes to get a seat, but it was well worth it. Everything was super fresh. The Otoro was like butter. Next time I will order the Otoro sashimi..
(4)Caitlin H.
Really good food, moderately priced, fast service, cute restaurant, not too noisy (because it's so small). I just tried this place this weekend and I LOVED it. I went with 3 other people, one of whom does not even like sushi, and we all really enjoyed it. I am definitely going back.
(5)Wesley W.
When I want a sushi fix I go here - You can get a good dinner with soup, salad, Cali roll, pot stickers, several pieces of nigiri, and salmon teryaki for just under $10. It doesn't have all the American rolls (Godzilla, Philly, etc...) except of course for California. After spending time in Japan, this place still measures up.
(5)Jennifer H.
Great Rolls and sashimi for a reasonable price.
(5)Oyster K.
Average food, with not so average price. Definitely can find a better place for Jap. food paying the price this place charged.
(2)Dave M.
my standards for sushi are high, but higuma rates a solid 4 stars. there are plenty of great sushi restaurants in downtown san mateo, but they tend to be harder to find in the redwood city area. this one seems to be the best around RWC.
(4)B A.
Great sushi at reasonable prices (if you avoid the special rolls).
(4)Jill H.
My family and I have been coming here for quite a few years and we always enjoy it. It is definitely a tiny place but we tend to time it out to come before the lunch or dinner rush and have never had to wait for a table. My mother and I are vegetarians. I love their seaweed salad. They do have one of their special rolls that is vegetarian. It is quite good. We also get the regular avocado roll. Also even though it is not on the menu we ask for a shitake mushroom roll which they are always happy to make and it is great. I feel they are very great about being accommodating on making sushi not on the menu so long as they have the ingredients. The staff are always very friendly and quick and always have a smile. There is another sushi restaurant in Redwood City that has a few more vegetarian options on the menu and good food but the service is not good. Even though I may have a few less options as a vegetarian here the consistent service always keeps us coming back. There is a lunch (and maybe dinner) minimum amount to order.
(4)maya d.
I've been craving zarusoba for about 2 weeks now so we decide to try this Japanese restaurant in Redwood City. When you walk in, it's very small but looks very nice (it's not a dive at all). There are a few families with a couple kids each. First, they wouldn't let us bring a stroller inside. Fine, we leave it outside. After all, it was small and I could understand it being a fire hazard. Second, we ask for a highchair. After much discussion amongst themselves, they disappear in the back and come out with a questionable looking booster seat. My baby is too small for it but fine, we strap her in and keep one arm around her. We finally order. Third, the waitress comes back and says we need to spend $10 minimum per person. Fine, between my husband and me we can order an appetizer along with our meals and have it come out to $20. No, she means we need to spend $30 because according to them, my 8 month old baby who has 7 teeth and eats mushed meat and formula, counts as a paying customer. Not fine. We ask to speak to the manager. According to her, our baby is taking up a chair and therefore needs to spend $10. She's only taking up a chair because they did not provide a high chair. When I refuse to pay $10 for her, the manager grabs the menu from our hand, says goodbye, turns her back on us and storms into the kitchen. Another question I have for them is, do they ask people in wheelchairs to park them at the door? Nice. We leave, outraged. Maybe it's just us, but we think of our baby as our child, not a customer. Don't go there.
(1)T M.
Higuma is a great spot which I love visiting on a regular basis. Their sushi is tasty and at a very good price. If I lived closer I would be there every day for sake and sushi!!!
(5)rupa b.
Higuma lives up to its reputation for serving very good food at a very good price, and providing great service with a smile. We have tried all kinds of Japanese places on the peninsula, and this is my favorite not just b'coz of the food and service, but it is also a great value! I was a bit nervous about "cheap sushi" but the sashimi and seared fish were both impeccably fresh and not at all fishy smelling. I cannot wait to go back!
(4)Trulee K.
I'm supercritical on Japanese food, so normally wouldn't have even tried this place (looks questionable, in a weird location on El Camino, plus my experience with Japanese restaurants in RC has been universally traumatizing). BUT while complaining to the chef-friend of another Japanese restaurant about having to go to San Mateo or Burlingame for decent sushi was recommended this place. I've hit it a couple times for lunch, and always felt I got good value for money. The restaurant is unassuming, so no points for decor or ambiance, but it's a good straightforward restaurant, good quality sushi and nice price/performance. I'd recommend the chirashi if you're up for a selection of sashimi on rice as selected by the chef. Lunch crowd is typical, so if you can make it a bit before 12 or a bit after 1 it's pretty easy seating.
(4)Mike B.
Good food, friendly service, decent prices. Its a small place, which fills up pretty quickly at lunch time. I "accidentally" ordered the crunchy tuna hand roll which was excellent. The blue fin tuna sushi was tasty as well.
(4)David P.
Authentic sushi with welcoming and accommodating staff in an intimate, homey setting. Not necessarily perfect, but I wanted to give them extra credit for where others have dinged them on. Yes, its in tight quarters but any decent restaurant in Tokyo is often not much bigger. After a beer or two and squinting a bit, you can imagine yourself in a mountain lodge in the owners' native Hokkaido. Their seasonal fish select is meant for connoisseurs who know what sushi is all about. Its about seasonal selections, not about heaping concoction rolls which one would never find anywhere in Japan. When the chef was asked by someone at the bar what his personal favorite roll was, he answered that he doesn't eat rolls -- right answer. Other meals I've had there are dead on, fortunately not kowtowing to American quirks. Yes, parking awful: knowing that, just park on a side street. The exercise probably couldn't hurt living in suburbia.
(5)Ryanne H.
i thought the food here was great and very affordable. my bf and i ate 4 different rolls and tempura with drinks for $25. it was served really fast and it was yummy. there is not much atmosphere, none really and the tables are a bit squished together. but we got a seat right away on a friday. so big ups to Higuma!
(4)M G.
tasty food...less than generous portions...itty bitty tiny restaurant (maybe to match the food portions :p??)
(3)dennis b.
no problem with the food, but the patron's wife is a bit rude; so rude that we've not been back. one of her staff accidentally served my kid an unordered soup. we didn't notice, but the patron's wife did and said something very rude in japanese. one doesn't say that in a restaurant. not where customers can hear, anyway. ex-customers ...
(1)Dana Z.
I should have known when they did not bring us a menu for what seemed about 6 or 7 minutes that it was going to be a bad night. I ordered a Bento box with chicken teriyaki and tempura and my husband ordered a few rolls. It took forever to get soup but "who cares" the place is busy and I can wait for the real stuff. BUT IT NEVER CAME! They forgot my order. We should have spoken up way sooner, but my husband had his rolls which came at least 15 minutes apart and he'd still had time to finish. Finally, after multiple attempts to get the waiter's attention he got up walked across the (tiny) room and asked about it. He went to check and realized they'd forgotten and offered me some seaweed to snack on. Well at this point I'm PREGNANT and have watched everyone else in the place eating for the last hour- at least bring me a California roll or tempura!! I said forget it and we left, went home and microwaved some pancakes . . . . I'm still hungry.
(1)Michele P.
TOP Sushi restaurant. We walk here for dinner--usually at least once a week. It's always fresh and delicious, good service, GREAT prices. We have been eating here for about six years. It's my favorite neighborhood eatery.
(5)lou d.
ooooooook, just got a yelp account to write this review. higuma offers a steal of a meal. thats right. however you have to know what to get. 20 bucks can buy dinner for 2. thats right, a 10 dollar dinner. given after getting that deal you might as well give them a good tip... ok. here's whats good: *don't bother with spicy tuna, while delicous, the SPICY CRUNCHY TUNA is better, (it's spicy tuna rolled in tempura crunchies) i guess if you're trying to make the 10 dollar meal you might want to go with the boring spicy tuna, but personally i vote spicy crunchy. say, "i'll take two" next is the the SHRIMP TEMPURA ROLL. steph says there's cucumber in there too. it's good. then get a YELLOWTAIL AND GREEN ONION. it's solid, not the best of the five, but it's a staple. if you're going alone (why do that? if you dont know anybody ask your secretary out or get to know your neighbor ) but if you're going alone i might leave this one out. and finally try the UNAGI AND AVACADO. def solid, creamy and smooth, good to balance out the spicy of the spicy crunchy tuna. delish. big eater? try the deep fried chicken. different and pretty tasty. i tried the firecracker bowl today. deep fried spicy tuna. it's fine. but i think i'll stick to my others. gyoza is good. not like my mom makes, but really tasty. aaaand top it off with a large sapporo. so to recap, all these things are tasty, and 20 bucks will buy you 2 spicy crunchys, a shrimp tempura roll, a eel avacado and a yellowtail and green onion. you 3 and 4 start givers, try these dishes, and i suspect you'll upgrade them.
(5)Jon P.
Great sushi for a fantastic price - a hidden gem. Not fancy but high quality, good food.
(4)Jason S.
Stopped here last night for the first time and grabbed a sashimi dinner to go. Pieces were very small and NOT what I ordered. The salad that came with the dinner I think also had, like, ranch dressing on it? I was like, why? Am I at Chili's? Noticed, too, that they seemed to be closing even though it was only around 9. I'll probably never go back alone at night because that parking lot is super sketchy.
(2)Eater S.
This is not a 5-star restaurant in the traditional sense. Yelp really needs more than 1 criteria for a rating! I give this restaurant 5 stars because of the value. I have never had such good food and good service for such a low price! All of the staff was Japanese and provided traditional, caring, Japanese hospitality. The food was solidly good with delicious and fresh and well prepared with quality ingredients. I had a green tea, miso soup, warm sake, eel roll, salmon skin roll, toro, and ikura followed by a sesame seed ice cream. The ambiance here is cute, pretty basic. I didn't order much raw fish because I wasn't so sure about this place, based on the appearance, when I entered. I was therefore shocked to find that the fish was so good. The Toro was among the best I've had anywhere, and at $3, it's a fraction of what I pay in SF. Everyone should try sesame seed ice cream, what a wonderful balanced flavor, not too sweet at all. Everything else was great too. I stuffed my face with all this delicious food for a total price of $24 including tax and 18% tip. This is a great place to stop for dinner if you're in the area, or perhaps, if you're stuck in never-ending gridlock on the 101 and want to have a nice bite to break the monotony of the drive.
(5)H C.
good sushi and ample parking. traditional food, nothing unique. reasonable price
(4)Yuzan K.
Higuma is a good Japanese restaurant owned by Japanese Sushi chief. This is a good place to have Japanese style lunch becuause they serve daily lunch special. This is not listed on the menu, you need to ask to the staff. I'd say for Japanese people, it's great. But not sure for American people. For exapmple, from time to time, they serve grilled mackerel pike fish as a lunch special. Though it's popular in Japan, not in the US. Higuma's lunch special is a pure common Japanese style lunch which is not Americanized at all.
(4)Alex H.
good fish, good price. definitely coming back.
(4)Margarita B.
I love this place. It is samll and cute. the service is good and sushi is fresh. It is nto fancy but very intimate.
(5)Michelle G.
I was driving on El Camino trying to find this place and I totally missed it for some reason. I think trees were blocking the restaurant sign... Got here at noon and it was still empty so seating wasn't a problem. I could see how this place would get packed because it's definitely SMALL. You do not have the luxury of ample elbow room here. Once seated, the waitress quickly served me with some green tea and handed me the menu. I like how I can write down the items/quantities I'd like so there's no confusion. I ordered various sashimi (see photo above) and they arrived quickly and tasted fresh. Do note that Low Sodium soy is available if you ask (it's not out on the tables). Overall, a good lunch at a place that's not so hard to find. Parking however could be a little sketchy; they may have had their own lot but obviously I didn't see it...
(4)Jennifer T.
My Dad's office is in the building a few doors down, so I have driven past this restaurant a thousand times. Finally last night me and my guy went here and tried it. It was SO GOOD, the maguro sashimi was DELICIOUS, not slimy not smelly, great flavor! The Spciy tuna roll, yum, Dragron roll yum yum..and the other stuff, great! We got a lot it seemed like and the bill wasn't very high(this is of course with saki and beer). The service was quick, waitress took our order and left us alone. ...I don't see a problem with coming back!!
(4)Jennifer G.
Oh, firecracker bowl. How you burn. How I love you. (original post info - three people, we ordered sashimi, sushi, miso soup, and hot saki for three people - and it all came to $42. We've paid $80 for the same quality at other places! My only complaint is my water glass was empty most of the meal.) Just to note - they are open 11:30am - 2:00pm for lunch, and re-open at 5 for dinner.
(5)Paul F.
I have come here many, many times for lunch, and both the sushi and ramen (spicy miso) is tasty and good quality. For me what raises this to a 5* though is the service - the owner and staff are as friendly and helpful as could be. I would thoroughly recommend this as a regular lunch spot.
(5)Carrie-C N.
The sushi were fresh. The service was good. There are many rolls to try, along with other things. The tables are close together, and the wait was long. For the price, you can get more elsewhere. Honestly, comparing it to all the other Sushi places that I've been to, taste wise, it's probably one of the better ones, but not the best. The sashimi slices were small. I did not leave as satisfied as I thought I would.
(3)Patrick H.
Went here for the first time and got the terryaki chicken tempura lunch special. Not bad. Chicken was good and you get a lot of food for the money. Wasn't great but overall a good deal. I'll probably try it again and go for the sushi next time.
(3)Ray C.
The food here is so so. But the service sucks . Never come back again.
(1)Teju A.
Friendly service
(3)Rob C.
kinda like a gombei. just came for a quick chicken katsu curry to go. sampled it right away, and the panko was ok, meat average (not flavorful), curry sauce super mild and simple but not bad but made me thirsty.
(3)C C.
Solid sushi place - so far the best I've found in Redwood City. The fish is consistently fresh. I like their chirashi - fun to see what they include and usually has uni! The bentos are good value as well.
(4)Nae S.
Higuma is a great find and a true gem. Yes, it is true that the space is "cozy" and that parking is limited but I feel that the pared down, not-so-fancy environment adds to the charm of the restaurant. I have gladly dealt with these minor inconveniences in return for a consistent and authentic bowl of spicy miso ramen. I have tried other dishes and have been equally satisfied. The staff is also great, you just need to get used to the menu and how to order...but honestly, this can be said about any new restaurant one tries. I can truly say, I really enjoy having lunch at Higuma.
(5)Shauna M.
I want to give them 5 stars but the service was seriously lacking, mabye it was an off night. One thing of note it they don't take reservation and they fill up quickly!! I did feel like my meal was rushed... However the day we went family of 4 they had homemade gyoza on the menu!! Yummy!!! Do be aware that they do not have a kids menu. Fish was good, and the udon was good as well.
(4)Linda P.
It wasnt one of my best japanese/sushi place but it was ok. It is a small little place. Your really close to other people and can listen to their conversation. Parking is limit so go early. The price was decent not expensive. We had some sushi and bento boxes. Typical japanese place nothing too exciting.
(3)Durif M.
This is a great place for a quick lunch or a quick dinner with beer. The food here is pretty authentic Japanese food. Their sushi is far from being the best, but they're okay.
(3)NB B.
Maybe we were here on a bad night. The place is inexpensive but the food reflects the prices. I'd rather pay a little more for more love and bigger portions. The service was not as friendly as I'm accustomed to in many other Japanese establishments. The best part about this place is you can order a lot of different things and if it sucks you can just say -- Oh well it was only 3 bucks, then try something else. The place is cute in it's own way. I'd go back but I won't hurry.
(3)Jarren A.
Too bad this place is so small, and tightly packed. I felt like an ant eating here. I couldn't move. I felt bad for the lady sitting next to us, she had to have Erika get up just so that she can pass through. My reason for the four stars...otherwise.. Food is good. Typical bento box meals. Starting at $7 a box, a steal if you ask me, I got the Teriyaki Chicken and Shrimp Tempura Combo. It comes with rice, a salad, miso soup and 3 California rolls. What a great deal! Service is a little slow, but thats only cause they only have 2 waitresses....though they always made sure our water glasses were always full...that deserves an extra star in my book!
(4)Melanie V.
$7 bento box! $3 rolls! $4.50 for a large sake! YAY! Must say that the portions aren't huge but the quality is very good. Definitely the best sushi for the price in the area. The place is tiny and the kitchen closes at 2pm for lunch so make sure you get there early. Be sure to try the spicy crunchy tuna roll, Yummy! Can't wait to go back and try their gyoza and ramen! Update: Tried the ramen today and it was just ok. Maybe I'm not an expert on ramen but it was a little salty and expensive compared to what else you can get there for $8. I guess I'll stick to the rolls.
(4)Kristen C.
I just finished throwing up about $40 dollars worth of sushi and I knew when I ate it that something just wasn't right. I hate wasting good sushi, but this wasn't good. It sucked. The rice was too hard, the fish was fishy, the toro did not have the flavor you pay $6 dollars a piece for, and just overall, the taste was not the delicious sushi flavor I enjoy. The customer service was also bad. The guy took our order in a 2 second flash as he ran by our table, which led to the wrong carpaccio coming out....and the one that did sucked. Terrible sushi. Terrible experience. My fiancee' and I both looked at each other before we left and said, "My tummy is hurting." We drove straight home and I puked. Gross.
(1)Wendy C.
People don't seem to understand English there and are very rude. I was there for the very first time, so I didn't know that you cannot bring the stroller into the restaurant. I was already putting away the stroller when the sushi chef yelled across the restaurant that stroller is not allowed. Then, another waitress rushed out from the kitchen and asked us to leave the restaurant immediately because of the stroller. I repeated myself several times that I'm putting the stroller away. It was frustrating because she could not understand me. She kept on asking us to go outside. Anyways, despite the unhappy scene, we stayed. The waitress gave us a table by the door, totally inconsiderate of the fact that we have a baby with us, and its windy and cold by the door. We sat down anyways since we were starving. I was literally hitting against the table next to us. It's extremely cramped. Started ordering a bunch of overpriced and small portioned sushi. Two of us spent $80 and ordered 2 entrees, 1 roll, and 2 pieces of shrimp. I still feel hungry afterwards. It was an unpleasant dinner and I will NEVER come back to this place.
(1)Leslie W.
Higuma is where I go when I need a neighborhood sushi fix (about once every 1.5 weeks). It's a quaint little joint and the staff is very nice. The prices are fair, but the sushi cuts are definitely on the small side compared to like restaurants. What I order EVERY single time I'm there is the spicy scallop temaki (hand roll). It's the perfect mix of scallops, rice and that spicy mayonnaise sauce and only $3.50! I recently had their fresh ikura for $2.50/piece and it was quite good. Sometimes certain cuts of fish are not very fresh, so you really need to order more from the specials listed on the sign near the sushi bar or check out the quality of the fish at the bar. But pretty good for a sushi place in RWC.
(4)Kim N.
Funny little hut of a place right off of El Camino real, across from the Menlo car dealerships. My co-worker and I have not really explored the Japanese options in the area and we gave this a try. He went for the Teka Maki and veggie tempura plate while I went for the assorted sashimi lunch. I have to say the food was decent but for 13.50 the sashimi plate was a bit small. I think I could have eaten five of those things and still have been hungry. The ambience is kinda cool but for such a small place the service was a bit slow even when we went late. Maybe the selection and value is different at dinner? 3.5 stars
(3)Cici H.
Terrible service. 9 of us arrived first and ordered a bunch of dishes whose total was already over $160. The last friend came pretty late. He only sit down for 2 minutes and had one piece of karaage before we asked for the check. And the waitress told us they are going to charge him additional $10 because the restaurant has a $10 minimum per person policy. We restated that even 9 of us have ordered more than $100 (which already follows their $10 per person policy for 10 people) and our friend only sit down for 2 mins. The waitress still insisted that she needs to charge us the additional $10. In the end we are not sure if the $10 got charged because the items on the check got pretty messy. Anyways, it's a really unpleasant dinning experience due to the unreasonable and ridiculous policy. This is the worst service I've ever had around the bay area. Besides, the food quality is far below average.
(1)Audrey K.
This my new favorite sushi place! I love it and don't get there often enough. It feels like having dinner at a friends house.
(5)Gloria H.
3.5 stars. Made a point to try this place after reading about it from fellow Yelpers...it looked promising but it's not quite 4-5 stars. We had the miso ramen w/ poki don - pretty good; the shoyu ramen w/ california roll - ok (california roll w/ imitation crab meat to me is a real no no). We also ordered some nigiri - uni, hamachi, sake, shiromaguro and hotate - it's ok. Glad we tried but it's time to move on to explore other restaurants...
(3)Jorf D.
I quite like this place. The fish is reasonably fresh, and not really anything super exciting or special when compared to other sushi places in the area. However I love the atmosphere, the chefs and waiters are super attentive and pleasant, and they have awesome house-made gyoza. I also like that I can order sushi a single piece at a time (instead of being forced into getting 2 pieces)... this lets me try a larger variety without breaking the bank.
(4)Christine M.
Are you freaking kidding me? $3.50 for a DELICIOUS roll? $3.00 for a glass of wine? $1.25 for a Miso soup? This place is amaz- WAIT... Stop reading. I don't want more people to discover this place. The prices, the food, the service - everything is so blissfully perfect that I don't want it to be overtaken. You've duped me into extolling this place so that you could take it from me! Dammit! (pause) Fine. I'll share. But don't say I never gave you anything.
(5)Shane B.
There are few animals more rare than a good bowl of ramen. I've traveled half way around the world (ramen yokocho) looking for a great bowl. Typically you get hard noodles and salty soup. I sure don't want somebody's hard noodles in my face. Higuma has great miso ramen. Their ramen lunch special comes with tasty little side dishes. It's a small, quaint little place that fills pretty fast, so get there a little early.
(4)Sankar B.
Been a long time since i had Japanese and thought would test the 4 star rated Higuma. So me and my Friend landed up there on a friday night for dinner and were lucky to find 2 seats. Looked like the restaurant was very popular since it was almost full capacity. Its a small place for seating maybe 30 people. The ambiance was very cozy and no complaints about the small tables and somewhat uncomfortable chairs, but its not meant to be a classy restaurant. The service was good and the bearers paid adequate attention to our orders. We ordered a bunch of rolls for starters and noodle bowls and assorted tempura. Must say the food was also very good. Was tasty and my friend said his fish/shrimp was tasty and fresh. Would like to go here again before i decide to give a 4 star. I would say a must visit if you have not been there before
(3)Herbert C.
We went there with our two small children and ordered well in excess of the minimum $10 per person (kids included). Nevertheless the waitress had to point out that there is a $10 minimum for the children as well. While I think that poor math skills are somewhat excusable, rude customer service however is not! The hostess is exceptionally good at making you feel unwelcome. Prompt service seems to imply to her to remove dishes even before you have finished them. To summarize, if you don't mind the occasional insult, the food is quite good.
(1)Tony L.
Drove here from Milpitas for a dinner date after reading the positive reviews on Yelp. Food was pretty good, price was fair, service was excellent. Would I make the 20+ mile drive again to eat at Higuma? Not a chance. Would I eat there if I was in the area? Definitely. Overall, date was good, food was up to par. Remember to stop across the street at Burger King for their $2 chocolate cake dessert afterwards!
(4)Winnie Y.
It was ok sushi and sashimi. Nothing special. Nabeyaki udon was not on par with other average japanese restaurants though.
(3)Kelly N.
We went to Higuma on a rainy night with our 4 month old. The place was fairly empty (only about 5 tables were occupied). We were seated at a corner because we had the stroller. A few minutes after we sat down, the waitress came to tell us that we had to remove the car seat from the stroller and put it on "a chair" for safety reasons. Both of my husband and I were puzzled why putting a car seat on their chair, which is fairly small, would be more safe than securing it on the stroller. We then asked them why, they explained that it's their "policy" that no stroller is allowed in the restaurant (as they were afraid that hot tea would be poured over the baby). They further explained that people either put the car seat on a chair or on the table(!), but because they were very "busy", they could not give us a bigger table for the car seat. At the same time, the sushi chef were waving his hands and said loudly that "no stroller" plus some Japanese we didn't understand. We felt that they didn't want our business because we came in with a baby, we just left... So parents, don't go to there with your babies, they are not welcome! Higuma, we wished you were able to come up with some better excuses than some false logic (that putting a car seat on a chair or a table would be safer than in a stroller) in order to kick some customers out.
(1)Walter C.
Small restaurant on El Camino. I drove by this place for years and decide to stop by and try it. The staff is friendly, the food is decent and the price is good. I really enjoyed myself. It s menu is not the most innovative or extensive. They do some basic sushi really well. Like most yelpers comments that the place is a bit small and also they only serve their ramen at lunch. I will be back and I think I will try to get some sushi for next dinner party also.
(4)tara t.
Good sushi. Cozy ambiance. Affordable.
(5)mark f.
I'm not the expert on japanese food.... But I like this place, people I have told about this place like it, and I was introduced to this place by someone who is an expert. So... Try it you will probably really like it.
(4)H C.
Cute lil' neighborhood joint. Decent bentos in the $7-ish range. Unfortunately, service was not great. Instead of letting me place my order a couple times, I was rudely waved off. I almost left. For such a small place, one would think that 2-3 servers would be enough but they're not in a hurry to serve. I actually thought it was fairly noisy given the small setting and some customers that needed a volume control switch (more than one table). Also, given the size of the overall restaurant and tables, I would not recommend parties over 4.
(3)Ashley C.
Very tiny place but cute. Parking was easy for us because there was only 2 other cars in the lot. Couldn't imagine the parking lot or the actual restaurant if packed, it would be way too crowded. Had The Lion King sushi, I think Safeway would have done it better (sorry). Then had the Chicken Teriyaki , the Chicken was a little tough, I'm guessing (or hoping) that is was dark meat. They have Sapporo!!! and Sake!!!........ hmm rice wine! The boy had the curry beef and liked it and our friend had tons of sushi which he finished all of. I'm really picky when it comes to Japanese food so i if were you I'd give it a shot and not listen to my 3 stars.
(3)Nina D.
Excellente! Small places have that certain personal touch to them. This one had it. From the wooden, rustic, sqeaky door to the fresh homemade potstickers to the small glass cups that make your Coke taste better! I'm a big fan of small. You must, absolutely must, try the fresh sashimi. Any kind of it. Get it without the rice and let it melt in your mouth. I had Hamachi and Sake. Its so fresh and so clean :)
(5)ken o.
Don't bring your kids here - it doesn't matter if you have a 2 yr old or a 7 yr old. Every customer has a minimum charge $10 for dinner. What kind of business does that?
(1)Sarah H.
Ah, Higuma. I have been coming here off and on for years and years and years and years. My first visit I was in high school. I'm now several years out of college, so it really has been way too many years. The place hasn't changed much in that time. The menu has expanded a bit, they started offering specialty rolls, the decor has been updated, and the place has gotten a lot busier. I'll admit, I sort of miss the days when the restaurant was only half full, but back then we always worried that they weren't getting enough business and might close, so I think busy is best :) The prices have gone up over the years, especially in the last 2-3, but they kept the sushi cheap for a long time, so I don't mind. Higuma is a little hole in the wall. It's a tiny cottage in-between two massive buildings and it's real easy to drive right by and miss it completely. Someday I figure they will up and move to a location with more sushi bar and table space, and when that happens I will be sad, because I love the low key, home-style ambiance of their current location. However, I don't love the wait times. It gets really crowded when the tables are full and people often try to wait inside instead of outside. I hate when I'm sitting at a table by the door and people waiting for a table are crowding around me watching me eat. This place gets so busy on the lunch hour that we had to remove it form our rotation even though we work only 1 freeway exit away. Now, on to the food! Sushi - Their sushi is small, tasty, and usually very fresh. I almost always order sushi, even when I visit at lunch time. Most of the crab rolls use imitation crab, but if you ask they will make it with real crab for a bit more. I like my sushi small because a) I can eat it in one bite (I hate messy sushi) and b) small pieces mean I can try more types of sushi. Many of the sushi are served by the piece, but they have a variety of rolls and a few handrolls (I like the umekyu, which is plum paste and mint, it's nice and sour and makes a good beginning or an end to a meal to clear the pallet). They have a variety of traditional sushi types as well as some non traditional ones. My mother doesn't like sushi, but she enjoys Higuma's fried chicken and avocado roll. Sashimi - Nothing too exotic, but they offer the standard fish one would expect. Presentation is nice and the portions are usually reasonable, though I have been on some nights when the tuna sashimi pieces have be very, very small making me think they were low on stock. The fish is generally fresh, I don't think I've been disappointed with anything I've ordered. Curry - Yes, they have Japanese-style curry. The katsu curry is particularly tasty. If you've not tried Japanese-style curry before it might seem strange. It's not as spicy Thai or Indian curries, nor does it have as many ingredients. Instead it is a thick, flavorful sauce eaten over rice and usually a meat (katsu curry is eaten over a katsu (breaded pork) cutlet). One of my coworkers absolutely adores Higuma's katsu curry and gets it every time we go. Teriyaki - I don't think the teriyaki is anything special, but my lunch buddies who prefer a lunch box over sushi always rave about the salmon teriyaki. My mother likes the chicken. Ramen and Udon - I think these dishes are average. This is a sushi place not a noodle joint. If I want noodles I go to a ramen place. Higuma makes better udon and ramen than some other Japanese restaurants I know. Sake & Wine & Beer - They have a small selection of decent sakes. I usually get the house sake hot, because it's the cheapest and it always tastes good. They also have cold sakes but I've never had one. They offer some red/white wine by the glass, but I always stick to a glass of Kikkoman plum wine, often for dessert. It's a refreshing end to a meal. Higuma also has beer. I don't drink beer, but I know they sell it. Pros: - good food, good service, friendly people! - They do To Go orders. I love ordering a huge batch of sushi to go and taking it home to enjoy. Cons: - Small place with limited seating. - Very small parking lot.
(5)Lucia S.
I usually get takeout from this restaurant. My usually order is a chicken teriyaki bento box with a side of tempura and california rolls. Pros: Good food overall. Good prices. Fast and super friendly service. Great place to go for a quick mid-week lunch. Nice atmosphere and always busy! Cons: Chicken can be bit dry and not as tender as I would like. Not plentiful enough with dressing on salad and teryaki sauce on chicken. Those two things in combination can make for a rather neutral tasting meal.
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