Himawari

The ramen is good. I love the amount of meat I got, but I'm not a big fan of thick pork belly usually. The service is a bit impersonal and could be improved. Good selection of sake. Love the background music. Feel more elevated than usual music in other ramen places.

I ordered the Tan Tan Men and it was good! A decent price for what you get, but definitely not the best Tan Tan or spicy ramen I’ve had. What I appreciated the most about this restaurant was the theming and comfy atmosphere, and the fact that many menu items were accompanied by a drawing of the dish. It made sure you weren’t blind to what you were ordering, and that was certainly unique. A ramen place worth trying in downtown San Mateo. Overall, I might come again. 3/5.

We liked the vibes, service, and noodles! I got the miso chashu men and it came out promptly, but I would say it was okay - but the noodles themself were good enough to warrant another try of the restaurant but I’ll go with a different order. Seating is pretty packed in so conversations bled together; I bet it would be fun to come during a jazz night.

I tried the ramen several years ago before the pandemic. There was a line to wait to get in and sometimes the wait was more than 1 hour. This time, literally there was not a single person waiting. When I tried the Ramen, the flavor was completely different. It could be the economy, but when the flavor is gone, same for the people…

Excellent traditional ramen. Our kids loved the butter corn miso, and enjoyed watching the ramen being made. The meat is slightly more tough than other ramen shops, especially the pork belly chunks, but there was no wait for lunch on Saturday, which is perfect for a family with kiddos, and the ambiance was nice: clean, sunny, with a jazzy feel to it. They had a high chair for my little one. If your kids need plastic plates / bowls, bring your own!

The ramen was very flavored and yummy! 🍜 They do have so many choices that it takes forever to decide. I picked the butter corn ramen with fried rice, but I wanted to try other ones, too! I think I should come back to try again. The fried rice was okay. The meat was too dried and hard to chew 😢 I may not order it again.

Solid spot for the basic tantanmen. Nice atmosphere and vibe with jazz album covers decorating the walls. Will return to try the other styles.

No line when I got there around 6pm on a weekday. I got shiro tan tan men, braised pork belly appetizer, and my friend got the tonkatsu ramen. Good quality noodles, but the broth is on the salter side. The pork belly appetizer reminded me of Vietnamese braised pork, and it definitely needed to be paired with rice...plain white rice. I tried with the ramen, but it only added more saltiness to the already salty ramen.

We gave Himawari another try after not having the best experience before, and we're really glad we did. Since then, we've been back many times. The staff always greets and seats us promptly, and the service is pleasant, we never feel rushed out. The ambiance is the same as ever: low key with that vintage, funky jazz vibe. Many of the same friendly faces are still working there, just like when they first opened, and they're open almost every day, which makes it easy to come back. The ramen has been consistently good, the noodles always have the perfect texture, the condiments are flavorful, and the broth is rich and satisfying. My personal favorite is the Tan Tan Mein, with its sesame-flavored broth that's rich, mildly spicy, and topped with sprouts and green onion. The snow crab fried rice was also delicious. The karaage is still the best we've had anywhere, we haven't been able to find one like it. The California rolls are fresh and tasty, the gyoza is flavorful, and the Cha-Shu Don, with its roasted pork, egg, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts over rice, is another standout. It just goes to show, sometimes a second chance is all it takes to discover a favorite.

This place reminded me a lot of a ramen shop near my grandparents' home in Tokyo. Unfortunately while the flavors were nostalgic, I can't say that's necessarily a good thing. Ramen has gotten so good, so elevated that an average ramen just doesn't cut it anymore. I got the deluxe shio ramen. You can tell a lot about a ramen broth when you try a shio ramen because you can't hide it with thick pork broth of a tonkatsu broth. Sadly, there wasn't a ton of umami and it could have used a little more salt. The pork was pretty good and added some flavor but their thinly sliced chashu lacked flavor too. All in all, disappointing but it did give me some nostalgia for when I was a kid so that's something. I ordered the spinach which is usually supposed to have a stronger sesame flavor but this was a little sour. I kind of liked it but it wasn't what you would expect from a Japanese spinach dish. I also got the spicy tuna roll. Not at all spicy but it was fine. And that's probably the best way to describe this spot. Fine. Not somewhere I would seek out but it's servicable.

Maybe it's because I'm not local, but ramen is getting quite expensive nowadays. Himawari is small and cozy, with light jazz music filtering through. The workers move fast. It has a relatively small but diverse menu, mostly offering classic ramen options, with some twists. I opted for the Shoyu Taro-men, which was the stewed pork belly ramen. Instead of the classic chashu, it came with stewed pork belly. The cuts were thick and the extra fat from the pork belly polluted the soup. The shoyu was tasty but not anything particularly amazing. The noodles were thin and chewy, with a good texture. At some point, the stewed pork belly started tasting strange, like almost sanitary, so I had to give up on it. The portion size is quite large. For almost $20, it also didn't come with a ramen egg, which was a little disappointing but unfortunately expected. From what it looks like from reviews, I should have opted for the butter miso corn ramen. Overall, not anything I would go out of my way for nor recommend to visitors but I can see why this has held its ground against the ramen battlefield of the Bay Area.

First off- LOVE the jazz ambience Service was super quick, all the staff were really friendly Broth was very flavorful I got the tonkotsu ramen (add spice and with gluten free noodles) couldnt recommend it enough- The soup was SPICY- the delicious kind I really like that they had some additonal remedy for you~ My hubby got extra chashu which was a very good choice Overalli really like the food, ambience and service here Highly recommend to try their appetizers Will definitely be coming back!

It had been a while since we last visited Himawari, so it was nice to come and get their ramen again. It was crowded today on MLK holiday. Smallish restaurant. They could probably put several tables together to accommodate a large party of 6-8. But in general, a typical ramen place geared for 4 or less. Simple design and decor. One restroom for the entire restaurant. Metered street parking mostly. Tonkotsu DX: cha-shu, stewed pork belly, egg, kikurage mushrooms, beansprouts, red ginger, green onions, & nori (3.5/5). The broth was smooth & flavorful. The stewed pork belly was very tender, soft, and well seasoned. It was very good! The noodles were thin yet chewy. Cha-shu Ramen: Choice of ramen broth shoyu/shio/miso. Extra slices of cha-shu w/regular toppings (3.5/5). My wife went with the Shio. She really liked her broth - more than she liked my tonkotsu broth. The service was good, nice, & attentive. The friends we came with liked their ramen. One ordered the miso broth and one ordered the tonkotsu.

It has a warm and comfortable ambiance that makes you feel at ease. The food is delicious, and the portions are very satisfying. What truly made our visit special was the excellent service. Suzanne was extremely friendly, polite, and attentive. We will definitely be coming back.

Chicken Karaage: 5/5 - so tender, juicy perfection! The dark meat... Miso Butter Corn Ramen , added spicy and egg : 4/5 - Thought the broth would be more buttery and creamy but it was more bamboo flavored base . Not a huge fan but still good . - meat : tender and juicy - ramen noodles: al dente and good texture - eggy: perfect! Soft boiled and nicely flavored . This is additional pay add-on . Service: outgoing staff and fast service Service dog friendly

The ambiance is very soothing! Very jazzy! We came here for lunch and the service was efficient and the service was very nice and helpful. They have a very wide variety of ramens and fried rice! The broth of the ramen was so tasty! Loved everything about this place!

Pretty disappointed with my tan tan men ($17). Although the tan tan men was flavorful and wasn't super spicy, you could see visible globs of fat floating in the soup and the noodles were chewier than I prefer. For deluxe ramen options, the additional pork was more fat than meat. My friends couldn't finish their ramen because it was too fatty. The staff was friendly and the ambiance of the restaurant was fantastic with relaxing jazz music and vinyl records. I wouldn't mind coming back but there's definitely better ramen options in the area.

ramen here is always good. my go to is the tan-tan ramen. just the perfect blend of spice. my kids aways get the tonkatsu which is perfect for sharing for two young ones, but I do always get them extra noodles. service is always great, but there are times when the wait could be a bit long.

I was a bit disappointed with my butter corn ramen and the chicken karaage, to be honest. Maybe my expectations were too high because I'm so used to Ramen Nagi, but this just tasted a bit bland and flavorless to me. I figured the broth and green onion would bring some punch, even with the butter corn flavor, but no luck there. My boyfriend enjoyed his order, though! I think he got the standard pork ramen, but I can't quite remember. The service was prompt and efficient, and the ambiance was lovely. We went on a Friday night, and there were only two other dining groups in the restaurant, so it was super chill. And I guess the effort put into the ramen's flavor must be pretty chill as well - overall, 3 stars!

I've visited this restaurant twice with my family now and each time was a success! I love how simple and cute their menu is and you honestly can't go wrong with any of the ramen choices. I always get the Tonkotsu and service is always great. I'd definitely come back here again, and again!

Had dinner at this small ramen place in downtown San Mateo. The place is small and there's definitely a wait. The ambiance was great..,jazz music was being played. The walls were decorated with album covers from various jazz artists. We ordered the cucumber salad and salmon fried rice to share. The cucumber salad was more on the briny side. Too much salt and not enough tang. The Tan Tan Men Deluxe was nicely spiced but way too salty. The saltiness overwhelmed the broth and permeated the noodles and toppings. Between the three of us, we had no more than just a few bites. The rest was boxed. The Asari Shio wasn't bad. The soup was rich and very garlicky. A bit less garlic and a little umami would have been perfect. The Shio was probably the tastiest of the three. It wasn't overly salty and the broth was rich. It was the only bowl that we finished. I do hope they take control of the heavy handedness of salt in each dish.

Tonkatsu dx 2.5/5 Not the best I've had to be honest. The broth was lacking that creamy rich flavor sends you spiraling into happiness. The cha sui was overcooked(idk if that's a thing but usually it a melt in your mouth tenderness. Still a good ramen overall but wasn't fully satisfied. Might be a different style of ramen but personally for me tonkatsu has always been rich in flavor.

I had high hopes for this ramen place since it's been on my list to try for awhile. Immediately when I walked in I noticed there was a weird smell. I can't put my finger on what the smell was but it was not pleasant. I got the tonkotsu ramen and the broth was super light which not what I expected. It was missing that rich flavor that I would expect a tonkotsu broth would have. The noodles however were cooked to perfection and the soft boiled egg was jammy.

Went here during lunch and have a great time. On a Tuesday, there wasn't a wait. We got our food fairly quickly. The waiter filled our waters frequently and were helpful when we ordered . The vibe of the restaurant was very nice as well. It had a record shop theme that I didn't expect. I got the tan tan men ramen. I think that's the way to go. It's flavorful and not overly spicy. For me, it wasn't spicy at all. I had a good amount of toppings and noodles. I enjoyed my bowl for sure. The bowl was $14.50 I believe which is pretty standard to me in the Bay Area.

Solid spot for ramen. I'm a fan of the butter corn ramen. It has a lighter broth, which sometimes I prefer when I'm not in the mood for super heavy ramen. The restaurant itself isn't too large, but they have a cute retro vibe going on. Definitely a good spot for a quick fix!

I came to Himawari with my boyfriend and my friends. We were seated immediately at 6:45 PM on a Saturday. The ambiance inside is very relaxed, with some jazz and music memorabilia on the walls. I ordered the deluxe ramen with shio broth. When the ramen arrived, I was excited by the absolute quantity of meat I got. However, I ended up having a hard time chewing the cha siu. The braised meat was very good and tender though. Overall an okay experience, but there's plenty of other spots in the area also worth a try!

I love the retro record bar vibe! The Ramen shop has an intimate feel with cozy, dim lighting. The service was great, and overall I give the ramen a 3.5 out of 5.

Had dinner with a friend at 5:30 pm on a Wednesday and the restaurant wasn't too busy so we got to choose our seating. The interior of the restaurant was so cool, records lining the walls and diner vibes as well as fun jazz music playing inside. Cha Shu Men - The ramen came out pretty quickly after we ordered but it came out lukewarm so the noodles were a little stiff and hard to break. The cha shu was nice but the soup didn't remind me much of shoyu, not as tangy, clear or those strong savory flavors. My friend tried the deluxe ramen and said her pork belly was really good, a very worth it addition. Overall, the restaurant was a unique experience but the ramen was very ordinary.

I'm so late in writing this review, but this is for February. I treated my brother here for his birthday since he was craving ramen. It was nice to try something different because I normally opt for Marufuku. Himawari is located in Downtown San Mateo, where parking can be so difficult to find. It took us at least 10 min to find street parking. Once we got inside, we were seated immediately. The vinyl records and jazz music was a nice touch to the restaurant. It definitely provides a different, but good vibe! The owner was even wearing a fedora to keep up with the jazzy vibes of the place. They have many choices for ramen, but not overwhelming where you wouldn't know what to get. Love that they offer veggie options like the vegetarian ramen and vegetarian tan tan men. Table Order: - Prikara kyu-ri - 3/5 it was okay, I felt like it was missing something. Maybe salt or more spice? - Vegetarian Ramen - 5/5 the noodle texture was on the thinner side, chewy and bouncy. I could do without the bean sprouts next time. Broth was amazing! And the crunchy garlic topping makes it even better! I don't remember the order for my brother and his friend but they did enjoy their ramen. On our next visit, I'd love to try the Vegetarian Tan Tan Men. Hopefully we get there a little bit earlier so parking won't be an issue.

Came on a Saturday during dinner time and was lucky to see no wait. Ramen is great and so far the different ramens are good. The service is pretty fast and nice. I love the deco using the vinyl and it's clean and welcoming. I love coming here when I want a nice soupy ramen especially on a cold day!

All the food we ate was really good.. We good 2 types of Ramen. We god 2 types of sides. They were all great. Evelyn our waiter was great

We liked the vibes, service, and noodles! I got the miso chashu men and it came out promptly, but I would say it was okay - but the noodles themself were good enough to warrant another try of the restaurant but I'll go with a different order. Seating is pretty packed in so conversations bled together; I bet it would be fun to come during a jazz night.

Tried a mabo tofu appetizer and the Shiro tantanmen. I wasn't impressed with either dish based on taste. The mabo tofu was a rather large serving for an appetizer and it didn't come with rice. It was also unusually sweet and not spicy or tingly as I was expecting. Thank goodness for the dried garlic, chili oil, chili flakes, and vinegar at the table because I don't think this dish would be very edible without a lot of alteration. I was also unimpressed by the tantanmen. I'm glad the Shiro version uses a pork broth because I wouldn't have tasted any pork otherwise. It also wasn't as creamy, spicy, or porky as I am used to in a tantanmen. There's a tantanmen recipe from Seonkyoung Longest that I highly recommend to try out if you like tantanmen. It's pretty easy and even though the main base is soybean milk, it's much closer to tantamen that I've had in Japan.

I come to this restaurant with my family at least every month and a half because we love it here so much! We've been coming here for years and I never get tired of it. Their ramen is super unique and hits every time. Every time I come I always get the chicken karaage and agedashi tofu. Sometimes I switch up the ramen but I usually get tonkatsu ramen. Servers are always very attentive and kind!! There is also always some smooth jazz playing which is a nice vibe. One thing that I wish they would pay more attention to however is the bathroom which could use some updating. Doesn't bother me too much that I still come here very frequently.

Came here a second time recently many years later after the first visit. I was craving the hinodeya clam ramen summer special but wasn't anywhere near one. Came here to try their clam ramen; you get probably a third as many clams and noodles could be more chewy, but the broth was pretty good. I think it satisfied since I had a specific craving. I got five clams in mine while my dining companion got seven clams, so not consistent. The fried calamari app was really good. Service was average. I wouldn't mind coming back because it has a unique offering for the area but there's definitely better ramen to be found. They're like 3.75 rounded up.

Ordered the deluxe Ramen and Tonkatsu ramen plus the chicken karaage. All were spot on and delicious service was quick and efficient. Great job to all the chefs hands-down five stars.

There are so many great ramen spots in San Mateo, and Himawari is definitely one of the top 4. The menu has create ramen options, including cold ramen. Overall, I like to rate ramen by the following categories - these are my thoughts on Himawari's ramen across these categories: Broth - 4/5 Noodle - 4/5 Ramen egg - 5/5 out of all ramen spots in San Mateo, Himawari's was my favorite! So soft and SO flavorful Overall toppings - 4/5 The braised pork was amazing, the regular chashu was ok.

Good service, ramen flavor was just okay. Nothing too special in toppings, and a bit pricey for the toppings that were given. Char siu and bamboo shoots are included in the price, and everything else is extra

I enjoyed the food here and ambience and would come back again. This place has an array of jazz records on the wall as well as jazz playing in the background. Service was excellent! - Shio Butter Corn ramen: was quite good. the broth tasted rich but light. Noodles are like a hakata style ramen; thin and straight. the pork was okay.

Love this restaurant!! The food is amazing and I love the ambience. They have vinyls on the walls of great artists and the service is amazing every time. This is one of my go to dinner spots, perfect for something casual or a cute dat spot!!

Best of San Mateo. The atmosphere, the service, the jazz, and best of all, the ramen, Highly recommend

My friend and I went to this place on a Monday night and it was not busy. I really like the vibe of this place, since it's a different feel (more jazzy) than most ramen places. However the ramen was a little underwhelming. I got the Miso Butter corn ramen. It had a lot of corn but the pork was on the tougher side and the broth was on the sweeter side. The sumai was very mid. I wouldn't recommend ordering this appetizer. Overall, would come back here and maybe order a more spicer ramen so there are more flavors!

Loved the ambiance and the food. I had the vegetarian tan tan ramen. It was both unique and delicious. Loved the jazz records on the walls and quick service without a reservation on a Saturday night too. I'll be back.

Himawari is hands-down one of the best ramen spots in San Mateo. Every time I come here, the food is consistently flavorful, comforting, and satisfying. The rich, savory broth has incredible depth without being too heavy, and the noodles are always cooked to perfection. My go-to is the Miso Butter Corn Ramen--hearty, flavorful, and packed with toppings. The staff is friendly and attentive, and even when it gets busy (which it often does because it's so good), service still feels efficient and kind. The ambiance is cozy, making it a great spot for a casual lunch or dinner with friends.

Not usually a ramen person but my bf loves ramen so we came here when all the other ramen places in the area was busy. He got the tan tan ramen and I got the tonkatsu, both very flavorful. The staff were super sweet and welcoming. Good amount of seating inside along the walls.

Haven't been back to Himawari in years and enjoyed our most recent visit. We ordered a shio ramen and a butter corn ramen, and both were tasty. I would not recommend their unagi roll, which was really expensive, poorly constructed, tiny, and barely had any unagi in it.

This was my first time at this Ramen spot amongst the numerous Ramen spots in San Mateo. We got a seat right away and our service was fast. Restaurant is very clean. A friend of ours wanted this spot because they said the broth is very clean and light. I agree first impression of the broth it was very light tasting and not too fattening. I love the noodles and the thickness of the noodles. sucks that I had to add my Ramen egg, but that's OK. It was still very good. My biggest con for this Ramen was the fat chunks that were very visible (attachment 2). They need to sifter the fat out or scoop the fat so it is not in every broth. this made the broth not drinkable because I didn't want to physically eat the fat chunks. I am not sure if I would come back, but if you like the fat in the broth, then check out this place .

I got the Tonkatsu Ramen: 3/5 The broth, noodles, and toppings are good. I did not like the meat though, it was too rough and chewy. It just tasted really average. The price and portions are good. I also wanted to get the karrage, but it was pretty pricy so I didn't. At the time of this review it was $13, which $1 less than the price of the ramen I got. The atmosphere of the place is nice. They always have some nice Jazz music playing

This is our first time to try ramen in downtown San Mateo. We saw many Japanese restaurants there but the one we like had long lines and needed to wait for 45 minutes. Therefore, we decided to try this one and we got seated immediately. There was some weird smell when we walked in, it smelled like bamboo shoots but we don't like bamboo shoots. The place was not small and with some record discs on the wall.. quite different than other Japanese restaurants' decor and they played Jazz music. We ordered 2 orders of deluxe ramen ($18.50) stew pork belly, egg and bean sprouts with regular toppings and we picked the broth in Shio and the one in Miso. Speaking of the ramen, the noodles were a bit different than the one we had and the soup broth (both Shio and Miso) were so salty. The soup broth was quite heavy and also different than regular Japanese restaurants. Either you like it or dislike it. However, we like the stew pork belly. They were flavorful and tender. The other pork slices were mediocre. We also ordered California roll ($8.5) and avocado roll ($8.5) However, the presentation was quite "fusion". They put lime slices on top of the California roll and avocado roll. The texture of the crab meat was so weird. It felt like it had dry tuna so it wasn't smooth at all. It messed up the taste of the crab meat. It wasn't our favorite so I can only give it 3 stars.

I've been coming to himawari for years and they never disappoint! Super consistent and the cha han and gyoza are my favorite in San Mateo!

My usual go to Ramen spot in San Mateo can't go wrong with the tan tan deluxe. Great service. No wait

My friends and I wanted ramen in the San Mateo area and decided to go to this restaurant. It's a pretty small restaurant and was pretty full when we arrived around 6PM on a Thursday. I got the Shiro Tan Tan Men. The ramen was good but nothing special. I added chashu for $4 since it only comes with ground pork. My friends got the shoyu and tonkatsu ramen which were honestly not my favorite. I didn't think the broth was as rich here (especially the shoyu) but the noodles were pretty good. The service is great here but I would not come back if I was craving ramen.

Stopped here for dinner and I thought the ramen was decent, but a couple misses. Service was great, very attentive. Ramen noodle is the thinner style, and I thought the texture of the noodle was great. However the tonkotsu broth lacked a depth of flavor that I was looking for, although the mouthfeel was good, and I wish the bits of pork fat had been strained off the top since I don't find those too pleasant to eat. The added egg was also a bit overdone, so some of the yolk was solidified. Stewed pork was just fine, nothing special.

Just WOW. I've been wanting to explore San Mateo ramen joints, and I'm so glad I landed onto Himawari. It's a small restaurant, but there were tons of open seating when we came in on a Wednesday around 1:00 PM. We ordered the chicken karaage to share, and I got an order of the shiro tan tan men DX. The karaage was the best I've ever had. It was very peppery and flavorful, and I love that they fry it with the chicken skin so you get a nice crunch with your bite of chicken. The shiro tan tan men was also incredibly flavorful and bold, and you can really taste the nuttiness of the sesame paste! The minced pork and pork belly in it was also really delicious and stood out because it had a savory and sweet flavor, which went so well with the broth. The portion size was also huge, and they give out so much meat. First time I've had ramen and was insanely full without finishing. Staff was also friendly and helpful! They were attentive and noticed whenever our water cups were starting to get empty. If I could give this place six stars, I 100% would. Must visit if you love ramen and are in the area!!

4-stars for taste, quality, service. Service was good. Ambiance was cozy and jazzy on the loud side, yet soothing. Tonkatsu ramen was just right. Salmon fried rice with a side of clear soup was just right too. The soup was an appetite opener. Good choice! 0-star for hygiene due to finding a piece of metal in my salmon fried rice. It's a metal from those metal pot scrubbers. This is very concerning to me. We came on a weeknight and it was crowded but we seated very quickly.

1. Ta-ro Men ~ stewed pork belly, bamboo shoots, and green onions 2. Deluxe ramen ~ stewed pork belly, egg, bean sprouts, and green onions 3. Agedashi Tofu ~ deep fried tofu with bonito flakes 4. Kimchi Himawari is a restaurant located in San Mateo that serves classic Japanese ramen bowls with several broth options to choose from (e.g. shoyu, shio, miso). Workers are attentive, portions are huge, and restaurant decor is inspired by record players! This weather in Bay Area would pair perfectly with ramen from Himawari!

Himawari is our go to spot for ramen when in the peninsula area. The variety of ramens is nice and they are always tasty. For appetizers we usually get a few rolls of sushi and pot stickers. The restaurant is on the smaller side so there may be a wait during busy periods. On our latest visit, we were seated immediately. The service is very good and the food comes out quickly. Definitely check out Himawari if you're in San Mateo and craving good ramen.