Kobeya

I was somewhat disappointed the first time I tried this place. I read how spectacular their curry is, but I wasn’t blown away when I tried it. My wife even thought there was some weird flavors mixed in. I don’t have a very sensitive palate but I also felt something was off. We decided to give it another try a few months ago, and the curry was great this time. The flavors are pretty unique, and the weird taste from last time isn’t there. We also tried their potato croquette and futomaki, but are pretty good as well. The prices have gone up since then (it was dirt cheap when I first went), but it’s by no means expensive. It’s about the same price range as the other Japanese restaurants around the area now.
What I really want to rave about is their service. Every restaurant makes mistakes, and luck would have it, I always seem to get screwed one way or another. It’s no exception here. When I went this latest time, they forgot to pack my potato croquette. I had to drive back and get it from them. What kind of surprised me was that they apologized the moment I got to the counter and insisted on giving me a free drink. This doesn’t seem like much, but lately I’ve been getting screwed a lot recently, and none of the other restaurants ever provided any compensation. The drink isn’t even worth much, but it’s gestures like this that would make me want to go back again and again.
The only downside about this place is the location and atmosphere. 25^th street doesn’t have that many parking spaces, and the roads around that area are a mess. It’s hard to find good parking during lunch time. The restaurant itself isn’t well decorated, but not terrible either.
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Food: ⁴⁄₅

The food is still good for the price, but I have to say the service is super slow and disorganized. We sat down for dinner before 3 other tables and they were all given their food before us. Turns out another table received our food. Might just be doing takeout from now on.

Everything on the menu is great. Price is very reasonable.
Selection is relatively limited, no raw fish on the menu.
They dishes offer no frills, which happens to be what I like.
Curry rice dishes are great.

I was surprised by this location! They have incredible food that’s both delicious and affordable. I definitely recommend their California roll and tempura roll. It was surprising how delicious they were!
I had the plain curry rice. That was okay if you’re into that boxed curry package flavor. It could’ve been better in my opinion. But their rice is cooked to perfection and was delicious.
The one downside is that this place seems incredibly understaffed. We waited quite a while before they came to take our orders, serve us utensils, and deliver us food. And this was with only 3 other parties in the restaurant.
But this place would be perfect for take out!

Came here on a Tuesday night and I was surprised at how packed it was. It took us awhile to put in our order and get our food and pay. There was only one woman running the register and serving the food. I’m guessing that she was the owner. We had the tonkatsu and chicken katsu curry. Both were nicely fried and juicy. I think the chicken might have been juicier as I think there’s a lot more turnover for the chicken. I thought I liked the curry, but after dinner I started to get that msg headache. The food tasted good to me, but the aftermath wasn’t worth it. Don’t think I would come back unless there was no guests inside.

Definitely not a sushi place, which is what I was hoping for. The only sushi they have is in rolls and there is no raw fish or nigiri. The rice used in the rolls was very bland and my California roll tasted like nothing more than mayonnaise. My tempura roll was also super bland. The Gyoza were (as someone else said) fried and very greasy.
However, you really can’t beat the price — I think my California roll was $ 2.95.

11.19.15
I cannot believe how inexpensive this place was. Still in a bit of a shock how little we paid for dinner. Granted, this is a hole in the wall bit off the beaten path for me, so I’m glad my friend chose this as our next dining spot.
We started with the gyoza, agedashi tofu, and two rolls.
Then we each had entries (me, the fried salmon). I left full and realizing one of the most expensive items we paid for was the beer.
The quality is worth more than the purchase price. Take it for what it’s worth.
Total damage for three: $ 48ish

Worst Japanese I have ever had. The potstickers here were extremely greasy. The curry tasted like paste. That itself, should never be said. You definitely get what you pay for at this restaurant. Definitely not coming back.

I want to like this place but it’s only just OK. The prices are fair and the food is well ok. First off its on 25^th very good location and parking is free if you can find it during prime hours. If you’re not paying attention this place can be easily missed. Most of the times I stop in is because I want something fast. Once you walk in you step into an open dining area with tables on the right and to the left is the counter to order. The waitress takes your order and you choose your seat. the food comes out fairly fast. The bento box is a nice size and a good price the taste could be a little more flavorful but it’s cool is usually just for lunch. The sushi is really small and it doesn’t taste the best in my opinion. It almost reminds you of Safeway sushi yep I said it Safeway. All I can say is if you’re in the early looking for quick eats it’s OK.

I am a regular here for take out lunch or dinner, at least once a week. The place is casual — sit yourself, order/​pay at the counter and someone brings the food to you. Terrific prices for the teriyaki chicken or the tonkatsu plate for only $ 5.50. I also like their sushi (california roll, inari, futomaki) although they don’t offer any sushi with raw fish. The menu options are very basic. It isn’t fancy but definitely a good place to put into rotation for take out or casual dining. Getting your order can take long (15 – 20 minutes) at busy times.

Very cute place. Maybe has 12 tables, but the food is reasonably priced and good. The service is friendly and prompt. It’s a very nice neighborhood sushi restaurant.
The katsu was crispy and the rolls are tight. It’s a go back.

Accessibility (Parking /​Wait Time)
¹⁄₁ Star: easy street parking. No wait for table for 2.
_​_​_​_​_​
Service (Waiter /​Cleanness /​Ambiance)
¹⁄₁ Star: normal service. Clean. It was a bit warm in there.
_​_​_​_​_​
Taste (0=Not Edible /​1=Edible /​2=Good (average) /​3=Must Try!)
¹⁄₃ Stars: the food tasted basic. Something that an average person could make at home.
_​_​_​_​_​
Overall Experience
³⁄₅ Stars
_​_​_​_​_​
Last Words
Simple, basic, cheap eat

Parking on 25^th, I never realized there existed a little neighborhood like this in San Mateo. With the smaller buildings and small town feel, the avenue had me feeling optimistic about Kobeya. Sadly, I was underwhelmed by my experience.
The restaurant is small, simple, and clean. The main counter has the register on top of the main drink cooler, with the extras utensils and sauces to the left. There is about 10 tables, a majority of them #table4two.
Off the bat, the service was subpar. We were rushed to our table, and our orders weren’t taken till 10 minutes later. The patron to our right, obviously frustrated, experienced the same thing, waiting almost 15 minutes before any recognition. While sitting there, a to-​go customer was unhappy with mistakes on their order. And in total avalanche style, they lost my check and took 5 minutes to figure out the TWO plates I ordered. Even when I was telling them my orders, I had to stand there while they scoured the whole kitchen for a check they never found. Yes, I wasn’t expecting good service by any means. But in a nearly empty room, there are some standards that need to be met.
The food was OK, and that’s all I really can say. The chicken curry katsu over rice was a good serving size. The chicken was crispy, but the curry itself lacked flavoring. The initial spice is decent, but the finish lacked any punch and came off bland. The grilled chicken teriyaki was adequate but nothing noteworthy. The char on it was good, but the teriyaki flavor was almost nonexistent. The meal included a salad and noodles. The price point, however, made it a good deal ($ 15 for the 2 plates).
Other than being in the neighborhood and needing takeout, I probably would not visit Kobeya again. But I did see an interesting cigar bar down the street that may entice me to give it another try.

I love it more and more each time I come. Service is always on top of things.
you must try–
japanese katsu curry… dear Lord. Thank you so much for this food you have blessed into my life.

Found this restaurant on Unilocal.Located at a cute street along w/​so many other shops.
I ordered the tokyo noodles side dish ($ 2.75) thinking it was something special based on Unilocal,but turns out it’s just like the korean chap chae. Boo :(it tastes good though. The portion is decent.
I also ordered chicken katsu curry. The chicken is tiny, unlike other japanese restaurants in SF. I finished my chicken without touching half of the rice and curry.
My friend ordered miso soup and alaskan roll. I guess for the price you cant really complain. Not sure if I will come back.

Small mom and pop shop. Good for a quick lunch or dinner. I discovered this place by searching for cheap but good Japanese food. After coming to this place, my wallet was still fat and happy.
Food was yummy and AFFORDABLE but wasn’t amazing. I got the chicken katsu curry rice and potato croquettes. Their curry seems to be the most popular with clients. I’ll be back for some more. :)

Kobeya is good for a quick, easy and fast stop for Japanese food. Think college town style, but not quite in a college town.
I ordered katsu curry and thought it was okay only. Nothing terrible, but nothing spectacular either. Menu and interior is basic, but gets the job done when you want a quick Japanese fix.

We swung by here on a whim because we needed to eat some lunch before our visit to SF! Parking available on the street. It was open at an earlier time that most Japanese eateries in town. Food was quickly served after you place the order.
(1) Chicken katsu curry — curry sauce was plentiful; i liked the preserved veggies they give you (pink color)
(2) Beef Teriyaki
Both plates were good, but ordinary. I finished mine quick and my husband enjoyed his dish too. Then out the door we rushed!

When our wallet is as empty as Al Bundy’s, I’m always on a hunt for cheap eats. Fast food restaurants don’t count; besides they’re not even cheap. I recently noticed that McD «value meals» are now $ 8+!!! That’s expensive!
«Of course you wouldn’t notice, you’re not the one driving nor the one paying at the drive-​thru at 2 am when some drunkie wants McD French fries dipped in vanilla soft serve,» he says.
Hmmm, I wonder who that is? =X Seriously though, piping hot McD fries dipped in cold, creamy vanilla soft serve is the bomb!
Kobeya has been on my cheap eats list for a long time and we decided stopped by on our way home to SF for a late lunch. On the menu are teriyaki, katsu, curry, and sushi rolls. They also have a menu for vegetarians. The prices are old skool cheap: 6 piece gyoza is $ 2.75 or a 6 piece CA roll is just $ 2.95! Nothing is over $ 7.95. No msg is used. CC’s accepted.
I ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry ($ 7.95):
. The panko crusted, flatted chicken thigh was fried to a lovely golden brown that laid atop a bed of sticky Japanese short grain rice with a generous ladling of curry sauce. I didn’t care for the curry sauce which was watery and bland. Wish there was more fukujinzuke (Japanese pickles) to add some flavor. I had to eat it cold though… more on that later.
Mr. NSS ordered Chicken Teriyaki ($ 5.50) which he said, was dry. It’s no better than what you can get at the mall food court but for the price, you really can’t complain right?
Food was 3.5 stars but service was just plain bad. Not expecting stellar service considering the price point but the staff is unfriendly, ridiculously slow, and the kitchen has poor time management (saw 2 – 3 cooks in the kitchen). It took 30 minutes for my order (it was not busy) but our waitress forgot Mr. NSS’ order. 25 minutes passes by, my food is cold and at this point, two solo tables who arrived after us had already eaten and were waiting for their bill. When he finally received his order, the waitress just plops it onto the table and walks away. Dayam girl, I know this ain’t Gary Danko but a «sorry, thanks for waiting» would have been nice. *rolls eyes*
Leaving it at 3 stars though because the prices are super cheap which leaves you with money for more important things. Ya know, like romancing Mr. Hendrick’s!

Kobeya is pretty good of you expect «to-​go» quality of simple rolls and appetizers. Most people seem to come here for the Katsu which makes sense.
I ordered a side salad (home made peanut dressing), Agedashi Tofu, shrimp avocado roll and the Futomaki roll with miso soup. A bit much for lunch alone I know. but! I was pleasantly surprised by their salad which was very fresh — peanuts, cucumber and home made sauce on the side.
Shrimp and futomaki were average as well as the tofu appetizer and miso soup was a bit bland.
Next time I will def resort to the Katsu dishes and maybe my rating will go up!
Good service by the way!