Tokyo Teriyaki Restaurant

Sorry to see this place go, even though I moved from Daly City years ago. I was a twice a week patron at the tiny sushi bar. Suzuki-​san always took care of me. I wish Lily and crew all the best in retirement or wherever their paths take them.
Anyone know if Suzuki moved to another restaurant or retired?

After 36 years of operation, my aunt has decided to close the doors for good. It was pretty amazing to see how many patrons were moved by the close. ⁹⁄₁₃ and ⁹⁄₁₄ (last weekend of operation) were absolutely insane! They had lines going out the door ad around the corner. So long Tokyo Teriyaki. You were the place of my (and may others) childhood. I will forever miss your infamous and delicious burrito rolls, mouth watering sukiyaki and ever so crispy and sweet chicken karaage. Notable mentions to the Indian summer roll and very decadent tempura ice cream drizzled in chocolate. I will of course also miss the staff. Most of these guys have known my family for a long… long time. We couldn’t have asked for a bigger exit for my aunt and the restaurant and she was absolutely touched.
I came in on Tuesday evening to have burrito rolls for the last time and was incredibly saddened knowing that it would be the last time I’d have them. I stuffed my face until I was damn near sick cause I knew that would be my only chance. I sipped the flavorful miso soup, took pictures of the restaurant and reminisced about spending time here as a kid. Everything I ordered was just as I remembered. I went home that night feeling very full and my heart was just as heavy. At that moment, I decided that I had to go back one more time.
I flipped my schedule around so I could once again have what I grew up on. I came in on Saturday and LOW and behold the place was incredibly packed. Hell, even togo orders took over and hour and there was a HUGE flow of customers. Loyal patrons were just as sad as I was to see this place go. I ran into my aunt and she said «My customers are mad at me for closing shop!» She was touched… we all were and are and as much as it sucks to see this place (for me anyway) go, she does need to retire. 36 years in the business.
Farewell restaurant of my childhood. Thanks for the memories!

Yes, It’s not the fanciest place, they have ok-​prices, they are under staffed for lunch, I’m scared to use their bathroom
BUT, I still love this place!
Why? Because I fell in love with their sesame chicken. And because I fell in love with their sesame chicken, they know me and what my order is every time I go in. I eat there almost once a week just to get my sesame chicken fix — it’s sweet and savory, a change from the traditional teriyaki flavor, and crispy. Yesterday I actually changed it up and order sashimi — super fresh and filled me up!
Mmmm… I think I’m gonna go there for lunch today!

I can’t understand why people are giving this place good reviews. First of all, the waitress was EXTREMELY unenthusiastic; everything she said was monotone and she offered only a minimal grunt to acknowledge us. In addition, service was slow, and nothing short of a neon sign was enough to get the waitress’s attention.
On to the food: the wife ordered a sukiyaki, I ordered a bento box combo with chicken teriyaki and salmon shio yaki, and we shared a spider roll. The spider roll was TINY, and it was tough; honestly, it tasted like it was made hours ago. The bento box combo was really strange: it came with glass noodles that tasted close to Korean chap jae. The only redeeming thing with the bento box was the chicken tasted okay. The salmon was over-​cooked. The sukiyaki was mediocre: it was just very generic. For the price, it definitely isn’t worth it: there are better places nearby that are cheaper to boot!

Very disappointed. I can’t believe this place has that many stars. Parking is horrible, it was busy and a semi long wait (10 MINS just to get our menus that I had to ask for). We got 4 rolls, the dragon, lion king, tempura, and spider. They were all ok, but I’ve had much better at lower rating places. Spent $ 40! Won’t ever be coming back.

Ordered chicken udon: okay, nothing special.
Lion king roll: wayyyyy too salty

My review for Tokyo Teriyaki is long overdue. So today, I went here to refresh my memory so I can come up with one as accurate as possible.
Today’s experience was pretty bad, however, which is very unfortunate. This is not how I remember it to be. I’m hoping that this is just a fluke and is not the advent of their demise as a good Japanese place in my eyes (and palate) as I’ve been here a lot of times before and I don’t recall bad experiences in any of those visits. In fact, I really love their fresh variety of sashimi. The last time I went here was not more than a month ago.
So why the drastic change all of a sudden? Was the owner not here today? Did the cook have an argument with his/​her spouse that affected the way of cooking? Or was my food from yesterday? These were what’s on my mind as I disappointingly munch on my meal.
As usual, I was greeted warmly. The staff were all welcoming and accommodating (one of the reasons I come back here).
I ordered the special– and I regret I did. Here’s why:
1. The Salad was warm. I usually get it somewhat cold but today, the salad’s temp gave me the impression that it’s been sitting outside at room temperature for a good while.
2. Rice, mushy and overcooked. I seriously can pick up my whole cup of rice with the chopsticks (I actually did!).
3. Chicken gyoza dry, yet greasy. Yes, it was dripping with oil, but as soon as you put it in your mouth, you’ll realize it’s actually dry. You go figure why.
4. Pork cutlet was also a little bit dry, and was served with just a tiny bit of sauce.
Even the giveaway candy was squished, which made me really sad.
At least the soup was still good, and let me reiterate this: the servers were still very nice, even up to that moment when I got up and left. Those are probably their redeeming factors.
In the end, I guess I’ll still give them another try but I’ll definitely try to avoid whatever their special of the day is.

I absolutely love Tokyo Teriyaki. As someone who grew up eating legitimate, home-​cooked Japanese food, finding food of a similar quality is almost impossible. But when I first ate at Tokyo Teriyaki I was shocked to see that they offered really traditional Japanese items like sukiyaki on the menu. (and at a crazy reasonable price!) I come here all the time and have never been disappointed. The staff are friendly and actually Japanese!
I highly reccomend for anyone looking for a cheap place to eat an authentic Japanese dinner :)

What the eft?
I used to come here over 20 years ago with my moms. And it’s actually how I began my love for all things Japanese. The quiet, lovely staffed restaurant had never done me wrong. I decided to share this experience with my man and step daughter who is about my age when I first came here.
WHAT HAPPENED?
We waited over an hour for our food, the maguro was mediocre at best, did not taste fresh at all, and why must there be wasabi in it? Not everyone likes wasabi, shouldn’t you ask? I eat sashimi and nigiri almost 4 times a week, don’t tell me every one does it. My step daughters california rolls were smothered in tabiko. She was horrified at the eggs popping like pop rocks in her mouth. The sushi rolls presentation was mehh, my food came to me cold after an HOUR, it tool more than 45 minutes for our soup. Are you kidding? I can’t put into words how disturbed we were at our entire visit. I feel horrible having to review the same sushi man who’s been there over 20 years, the same owner who i ONCE loved. But seriously? 60 $ for the worst service in my entire 29 years of existence is pretty bad. I feel robbed and pocket raped. Never again.

Ate here on Nov. 24, 2012.
This place is a little neighborhood gem in Daly City! Good homestyle Japanese cooking! I’ve been here couple of times and each time it has been of good quality and consistent! Each time I’ve been here I was super hungry so I ordered the bento box combo dinner and it did not disappoint!
SALMON TERIYAKI = you know it’s perfect when the salmon skin is crispy! 5 stars!
TONKATSU = not bad, pretty good! 4 stars!
SHRIMP & VEG TEMPURA = not bad either, pretty decent! 4 stars!
CHIRASHI DONBURI = my goodness, my buddy ordered this and it looked bomb & huge portions too! He worked hard to finish it and when was the last time you heard about working hard to finish sashimi!!!
You won’t be disappointed eating here!

This restaurant is small but very nice. The food is delicious. As you walk in you’re greeted warmly. Their service was quite fast. I got my food in less than 8 minutes. The waitress’s are very attentive. Constantly looking at your table to see if you need anything. They will also ask if everything is ok. I’ll definitely return here and would recommend this restaurant to other Unilocalers.

I always pass by this restaurant when I’m at westlake but never took notice of this restaurant, but after trying it out, I wasn’t missing much to begin with.
I got a katsu donburi but I wasn’t extremely satisfied. It was a little on the bland side, and it was completely soggy. I felt like it was made and it just sat there for over 10 minutes waiting for the waiter to actually bring it to the table.
Babe had the sukiyaki, and I really liked this dish. I think this might be the redeeming dish that’s keeping me from giving this place 2 stars. This dish sort of reminded me of the korean bulgogi or kalbi, I forget which. If I had the stomach, I’d probably eat the whole bowl and then grab some rice and drench it in the sauce. lol
Babe’s friend’s had some combination sushi dish and it took forever for them to prepare it. How long does it take to slice up some raw fish? We joked that they probably had to run out to a store to buy some more because they probably ran out. LOL I don’t think he even ended up eating all of the salmon because they tasted funny,
I guess this is an alright japanese restaurant, but there are plenty of better places out there.

If you told me that there was a Japanese restaurant in a Daly City strip mall that could stand toe to toe with some of the better places in the city two years ago, I’d have called you a sad and weird little liar. That was before I knew about Tokyo Teriyaki, and my eyes were opened to the fact that Daly City isn’t just a place with a BART Station and a Home Depot, but is in fact a place with a BART Station, a Home Depot, and an excellent Japanese restaurant.
While I’ve had their sushi here and it’s generally quite good, I would say that the real star of the show is their cooked food. Their Eggplant Steak is the best I’ve ever had (vegetarians take note). Their Miso Soup is markedly better than what you find in most places, which I attribute to the infusion of fresh scallions, as well as a really nice yellow base. I’ve tried and enjoyed their Sukiyaki, Oyako Don, and Teriyaki. So when you’re in the neighborhood for some paint cans or two by fours, why not stop in for a quick bite?

I’ve gone here on and off for years when I’m at Westlake shopping. What I like about it the best is it feels old school Japanese, and it is. They’re celebrating their 35^th anniversary… not that many places make it that long. I see old Japanese singles and couples at the tables speaking Japanese to the wait staff, not Korean or Chinese. I’ve no gripe against either, but there are so few Japanese owned Japanese restos around anymore.
They don’t serve anything trendy. Their sushi chef isn’t a chatterbox; he’s quiet and deliberate and focuses on making his sushi. Everything I’ve had there has been good, although oddly enough their miso is a bit of a weak spot. This time I had the daily special combo bento with chicken teriyaki, mushroom tempura and california roll, well priced at $ 7.95. The Cali roll used real crab, but they don’t brag about it, they just know that’s the way it’s supposed to be done. It’s a good, solid, reliable place where the servers are always attentive and seem to really care if you enjoy your food.
3 stars, in a good way.

Well he best places arent always the ones that have been in bssiness for over 30years. And this is a prime example. They need a major makeover in décor and an improvement in fish quality. Maybe I went on an off day but nothing impressed me.
Average to rank fish. overcooked fried food and well after that I’m gone. How do you make fried food taste bad. I mean everything fried is good right? Not here.

My next best option when Tanis is closed and I don’t feel like driving too far for food. And these days I feel as if even Tanis Kitchen is slipping in quality. I’ve sampled quite a few dishes here. Portions are large, service is friendly and quick. One of my favorite dishes is the beef sukiyaki, they serve it in a large pot with a large amount of vegetables and korean noodles. I’ve never had sashimi here, as I already have a few select restaurants where I go to for my sashimi craves. The sushi rolls are decent and they have quite a large selection. There is a small TV by the corner often with Japanese shows on, and a small sushi bar by the other side.
Overall, this is a decent Japanese restaurant and the quality has always been consistent. The location is really convenient with lots of parking.

we were in the area and wanted to try something new. i think the place is japanese owned, since most of the staff speak japanese.
sashimi plate was bad. all sashimi was not fresh and some were so stringy that i had to spit them out. teriyaki chicken was as much fat and gristle as it was meat. it was also dry. tempura mushrooms were not crisp or appetizing.
yikes. but, i guess i should have known better with a name like that. shame on me.

Cute little Japanese place in Daly City.
Came here twice so far. My friend took me here for the first time months ago. We both got the bento box sets which was pretty good. Then I came here last night to get some sushi rolls cause I had a serious craving for some sushi!
I ordered the Lion King, Rock & Roll, & Spider. I liked all of them, but my most fave would be the Lion King Roll. So yummmmmm: D
Service is friendly & pretty fast.
Mmmm definitely fulfilled my sushi craving. Yay: D

I’ve been to Tokyo Teriyaki a couple of times, one of the visits being when I was like 12, but since my last visit, I’ve developed a great appreciation for this restaurant. This year marks the restaurant’s 35^th anniversary and when I walked in for dinner recently, it appears that things haven’t changed since they opened in 1977. Tokyo Teriyaki is a bit outdated in terms of décor but for some reason, it’s quaint and this gives the restaurant plenty of character. Plus, this restaurant is authentic, ran by nihonjin who have the same accents my japanese sensei did in high school. Love it.
I ordered a combination dinner with teriyaki beef and tempura. Our waitress asked how I wanted my beef cooked, a question which I have never been asked about in regards to teriyaki meat I have ordered. I love that she asked and the beef was cooked melt in your mouth medium, exactly what I ordered. There was a variety of veggie tempura, cut at the perfect thickness along with 3 shrimps which were good but battered a bit too much. I also tried some rolls including their burrito roll which is wrapped in tamago and was probably my favorite. Everything was delicious including their pickled veggies.
I came to dinner within the last hour before the restaurant was closing and despite this, my table never felt rushed and the overall meal was very relaxing. Our waitress was super sweet and funny too! She told us she had been working at the restaurant for 20 years. I can only hope another waitress will be saying the same thing in 20 years time and that Tokyo Teriyaki will continue to hold its place along Southgate.

I’ve driven by here so many times while we shop at Westlake. Never went in here until recently. We were looking for a nice place for dinner that is not Chinese, not Phở, etc. I remembered this place so we took a stab and went in.
We were seated immediately and a high chair was produced for Kid 2. They gave use free edaname while we waited. I ordered the pork cutlet, the kids got the Tokyo Teriyaki Udon and DH ordered the sampler.
The salad was huge. It is the biggest I’ve ever had in a Japanese restaurant. The dressing was tasty too. They gave us free pickled cabbage which Kid #1 said was good.
Food portion was decent. Except for the platter sampler. Well, what do you expect, these samplers are never filling so I don’t blame them for this. The pork cutlet was yummy. They gave us a big dish of dipping sauce too. They are very generous with their condiments — unlike other Japanese places.
Service was friendly and quick. Restaurant is clean. Food is pricey though but this isn’t Panda Express. Would consider coming back!
They’ve been in business for 33 years. That’s amazing considering the climate in the food and bev industry!