Wakuriya

This review is 7 months long overdue but I will say that this dining experience will forever be embedded in my mind. Being that this was my first Michelin star restaurant, I had high expectations, and Wakuriya and its 3 person staff met them. The location is a little strange (in a shopping center that neighbors a Safeway) for a restaurant so serene and intimate as Wakuriya. The food consistently wowed my palate as each course was served by this cute Japanese lady. It had the comforts of your normal Japanese food but with technique and flavor complexity in each dish. My favorite dish of the night was the lightly cooked salmon. I don’t know how they cooked/​prepared that salmon but it melted like butter in my mouth.
Service was superb. My friend dropped his chopstick and didn’t even make a sound when it fell, and 5 seconds later, cute Japanese lady comes over with a new pair of chopsticks! Also, did I mention this restaurant is super QUIET. My friends and I commented on how little to no noise came from the kitchen, and we were convinced that ninjas were making our food.

Wakuriya is without a doubt, one of the most intimate fine dining experiences you will have. Nestled away in Crystal Springs, this tiny restaurant is dimly lit, covered in classy décor, and in my experience was very quiet. With a maximum nightly capacity of something like 15 individuals, having a conversation with whoever you are with is a breeze, and the mood is very mellow. Dim, and angled lighting is used in abundance, and give the tiny restaurant a nice feel.
Getting a reservation felt somewhat like trying to buy tickets to an extremely popular concert. You are able to call, but it is very possible you were half a second too late and you can curl into a ball and cry about the missed opportunity. We had to push back our reservation a couple times, as we simply did not call in time to set up a date.
The restaurant is operated by three individuals. A chef, his wife, and one other guy who was constantly going back and forth with new dishes and cutlery. The wife brings food to tables, gets drink orders, and chats with customers. She was incredibly friendly, knowledgable about the menu, and was easy to talk to. The husband did not say a word all night, and just focused on cooking. It was an interesting dynamic to observe from the bar.
The food was all quite good, but like most nine course meals you will have your favorites. The menu is pre-​determined by the chef, and you get what is on there, so you should check it out before you go. I liked everything that was on ours, with the deep fried pork being a little bit «meh». Outside of that though, everything was really good. Also, most of the portions are really quite small, so you will be satisfied, but not American full.
It felt like the perfect mixture of ambiance, with quality food. My wife and I had a really fantastic time at Wakuriya, and will definitely be back to try their new menu. Hopefully we will be able to make reservations in time!

Yes please!
Ii would totally come back again and again. Too bad i live in the city.
Came here for dinner with some friends. The place itself is simple and very clean.
Welcome sake (cold, cloudy, and had an orange flavor) then came the symphony of omakase.
seafood bbq on hot stone, trio of amazingness (abalone with rice was my favorite!, there ws also wagyu with jodori egg yolk, and tuna tataki with fuji apples), a small porcelain chuwanmushi looking dish (steamed yamaimo, duck and shitake mushrooms with dashi), sashimi, tempura with a surprise (shirako), a palte cleanser (sweet potato and meyer lemon), lobster steamed in sake, a mini pork katsu with dark miso, and finally dessert (white sesame crème brûlée). Everything was heavenly and perfectly portioned. The service was even better. Not stuck up — the lady was fun, warm and welcoming.
cant wait to go back!

If I could deduct 0.25 stars for the reservation process — I would. In summary — you can’t walk up to this restaurant at any time on a whim. There are a limited number of tables and you have to call exactly 30 days in advance and exactly at midnight. If you have an occasion in mind, you’d better mark your calendar.
This entire experience is intimate — the restaurant is nestled in an office suite — the interior is small and the chef (there is only one) and his station are in clear sight, making for a very special experience.
Everything is carefully set up and placed in front of you. It is clear that the chef and his wife, who serves the food, are very meticulous in their preparation and presentation. It feels like every dish is a gift. There were aspects of each dish that were unlike anything we had ever tasted. Some highlights:
— The homemade oven baked sesame tofu was so simple, but so tasty. It came with a small ball of wasabi and some sweet ponzu sauce underneath.
— The uni on rice and wrapped in prosciutto in the appetizer plate was a standout. The saltiness of the prosciutto paired very well with the uni’s seafood flavor.
— The raw shrimp on the sashimi platter was the most fresh shrimp sashimi I had ever tasted. I kept taking the smallest bites because I didn’t want it to be all gone so soon!
— Boyfriend’s favorite was the wagyu beef. They gave a healthy portion of tender, juicy beef that was filling at the right time towards the end of the meal.
— Tempura ahi tuna with egg. I’ve never had tempura’d ahi tuna sashimi before — it came with a sweet sauce underneath that was so delicious. It was not a heavily crispy tempura batter like most tempura preparations, but rather a soft batter with the warm ahi inside.
This was a very special experience. I would recommend to anyone for a special occasion (again, you have to reserve!). And there menu changes frequently so you have an excuse to come back!

I had a wonderful experience here. There is a 30day reservation and it’s no joke. Before coming here I spent 3 days trying to get a reservation.
Its a pre set menu. During the confirmation of your reservation they will ask if you have any allergies. The menu was amazing with fresh ingredients from both Japan and local farmers. The food was unbelievable, just the right amount of courses for us. They have a beautiful selection of sake and beer as well all imported from Japan. They owners are so nice and easy to talk to. It’s an art form they way they serve to removal of your plates and pour the drinks. This is a great place on a special occasion.

Believe the hype. This small husband and wife Japanese restaurant is tucked away in a San Mateo mall. I imagine regular mall goers curiously popping their heads in for a quick bite of sushi to be horrified to hear there is a 30 day wait.
Yes this place requires dedication. For my wife’s birthday, I woke up at 3 am NY time nov 9 and called 53 times to make a reservation for dec 9^th. It’s a voice mail and when you first call it’s line busy. So you try and you try to get through. They will call you back in 1 – 2 days to confirm your reservation for 2 seating times. I went with 7:30 pm.
The place is cozy. There are three tables and a counter top that. There is room for about 15 guests total. They do the first seating for 2 tables and leave the remainder vacant until the second seating. This way the chef and his wife can serve you with top notch quality and attentiveness.
We felt very comfortable and welcome. There was a starter sake drink and hot towel. The menu is basically set for an 8 course meal unless you have allergies. $ 98 per person. Extensive sake menu. Make your choices. Then the fun begins.
Each course was quaint but satisfying. I was full at the end without question. Each plate was presented in its own artistic way and was absolutely memorable in taste. The best sushi was the wild yellow tail with lemon and a drizzle of hot flavored oil. The best hot dish was either the cod tempura or lobster tail casserole. Everything was perfected to an art. Texture, taste and seasoning were flawless. Surprisingly the dessert was simple but completely different. It was a white sesame crème brûlée. Tasted like black sesame ice cream with a touch of egg crusted over with sugar glaze. This was paired with a house made mochi that was very nice and mushy.
The menu will likely be completely different for you so I won’t go on and on about the dishes. Wish we could go back and experience it again. Enjoy your meal!

Great meal. Great service. We were very happy about our meal. 8-​courses for $ 95. Not a bad price for such quality. I highly recommend this place.

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday and I have to say– I was so surprised; it was such an amazing experience! This was my first pre-​set meal and I found it to be the perfect amount of food. We didn’t leave hungry or so full we couldn’t move.
To be honest, when we looked at the menu before dinner, I was pretty nervous because I saw some dishes on there that I knew I didn’t like. However, we finished and enjoyed every dish! They had a way of making it taste so delightful together that I forgot I didn’t like monkfish liver!
They started us off with a shot of sake, and I ended up ordering a fruity sake flight ($ 18) which came with 3 shots. I normally prefer dry sakes because some sweeter ones are just too sweet for me. But I decided to give it a try because it looked so appealing! I have to say– these were definitely the most fruity sake’s I’ve ever tried. They were delicious! Not too sweet– a definite must try if you like fruity drinks.
The food was delicious– all 9 courses of them! Everything was cooked to perfection and served so carefully. The chef, Katsuhiro Yamasaki and his wife, also the floor manager (waitress), Mayumi were wonderful and so friendly!
Reservations need to be made exactly one month before the date that you want to go, at midnight. If you get a busy tone, just keep calling until you reach voicemail! Then you leave a voicemail with your name, the number of people in your party, and your number (also mention if you have a birthday!). They will call you back asking for which time would be best. We sat at the bar, which I would much rather prefer than a table because you can see the chef in action (and you get served first)! There are two rounds– one at around 6pm and the other at 7:30pm. Half the restaurant is served at the first time, and the other half, the second time. The menu is also changed every month so don’t expect certain entrees!
I definitely would love to come back to try out a new menu!

All the reviews regarding how amazing this place is are very accurate! Someone from my party made a reservation and she did confirm that getting on the waitlist was difficult. The one month advance reservation is not a joke!
The restaurant is in a plaza with a huge Safeway. Very surprised that a restaurant like this would be in a regular looking shopping plaza but I guess this is a lesson not to judge on appearance. There’s a «fully booked» sign outside which is always on because they are always a full house. The restaurant itself is small — a short bar that seats 4 people and 3 or 4 table. But I’m sure they’re not planning to expand because the intimacy of the restaurant gives a very home-​y feel. You feel taken care of and you’re given maximum amount of attention. There’s only one waitress and one cook (possibly more employees in the back?) and they’re actually a wife and husband duo!
The food was so perfect! It’s a prix fixe menu consisting of nine courses. And the menu changes seasonally. I came here for the winter menu and now I want to go back to try the other seasons! The portions are small but since there are nine courses, you definitely come out feeling very satisfied. One of my favorite dishes was the lobster appetizer, blue shrimp tempura and sesame flavored snapper over somen. The lobster was so refreshing and the tempura was perfectly battered. It came with a pumpkin sauce, so good that I could eat it by itself but it was a perfect complement to the tempura — who would’ve thought. And the somen was a great way to end the entrée section. It had such a home-​cooked feel to it.
The presentation of the food was impressive as well. I’m sure you can scroll through the photos on this Unilocal page and agree. They definitely give you the entire experience from food, presentation, atmosphere and service.

Infamous for their one-​month advance midnight reservations, Wakuriya is a restaurant nestled in San Mateo that specializes in Japanese kaiseki style cuisine. Every night is fully booked due to the care that the restaurant gives to each party and the fact that only three-​four tables are taken at a given time. Each month has a different set menu, but the tastes are always flavorful and refined. By the end of the meal, you will leave with experiencing truly authentic Japanese flavors with the freshest ingredients carefully selected by Chef Katsuhiro.
Wakuriya stands out as deserving of recognition and anyone going there is truly in for a fantastic fairy tale of flavors. Definitely Recommended.

The other reviewers weren’t joking when they said you had to call at exactly midnight and hope for the best. We were trying to make a reservation and got the busy tone multiple times before we finally got the answering machine. You leave your name, phone number, party size, and preferred time and then they call you back the next day to confirm your reservation. (If you were lucky enough to make the cut.)
The food was TOTALLY worth it. The presentation was gorgeous, and the food. My tastebuds were in heaven. They bring them out to you and then explain what’s in it, and the plating was impeccable. Almost too pretty to eat… but too delicious not to eat.
Each of the courses had me savoring every bite.
In summary:
— Amazing service
— Beautiful plating
— Delicious food
— Quiet, but intimate dining experience
You can also see them prepare and plate all of the food behind the counter, which was a great experience.

We had our first wedding anniversary dinner here. It was the best meal I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Together, we shared the many courses and enjoyed every minute.
Intimate dining.
Amazing food.
Superb service.
Lovely presentation.
I am not a foodie, but I think it was worth the effort to secure a reservation, the hype, and we can’t wait to go back already.
*We loved the counter seating. Seeing the chef cook and by arriving early and having the counter to ourselves, made it a very nice option.
**One of my favorite dishes: cooking slices of fresh abalone on heated stones. Yum! Fun, interactive presentation. ..

Amazing meal from entry to exit… the entire meal was very intentionally presented and served. With only 16 people per seating (yes, 16 per evening!) the husband and wife team really gave us a personalized experience. The ambiance is elegant, minimalist, and peaceful, yet casual enough not to feel uptight. The space is pretty dimly lit with an open kitchen. The table settings were very purposeful and every piece of dishware looked like it was created especially for the dish it held.
This was my first time trying a kaiseki (japanese tasting menu), and it definitely did not disappoint. Since it was August, the menu had a summer seasonal twist to it consisting of stone fruit and corn. For example, we started off with a refreshing peach sake. The highlights were the abalone appetizer (incredibly tender after having been cooked for three hours) and a fluffy, airy peach sake sorbet palate cleanser. I also really enjoyed the raw snapper sashimi with sesame and yuzu preserves along with a semi-​cooked blue shrimp. The chawan-​mushi was incredibly smooth and flavorful — with an interesting western fusion take with wild salmon underneath and tomato broth on top. The sweet corn tofu tempura was also something I’d never tried before, and it had an undeniable sweet corn flavor.
Really couldn’t have asked for anything more! So fortunate to have had this rare opportunity to eat at this restaurant considering the need to book a month in advance! Savored every bite!

Wakuriya was my first Michelin star, pre-​fixed menu experience. It was worth the hassle to get a reservation and every penny spent. My friends and I (four of us) had two separate reservations so we sat apart. After some parties left at the end of the night, the hostess asked if we wanted to relocate to a bigger table so we could rejoin our friends for the dessert course. We did and I thought that was very thoughtful of the hostess. For most of the meal, my partner and I sat at the bar where we were able to see and smell the magic that was happening in the open kitchen. Everything was immaculately clean and orderly.
We were given a small shot of peach sake to start — it was dangerously delicious.
1) somen noodles with lobster — came with more lobster than I thought it would. The broth was so good I drank it all.
2) appetizers: The wild Alaskan salmon was cooked for a few minutes at a low temperature. The flesh melted away on my tongue. Foie gras and bean curd was rich and decadent. Tempura fig was sweet and delicate.
3) duck and Italian truffle in steamed egg custard — my second most favorite thing of the night. Egg custard was creamy. Duck was tender. The truffle didn’t add anything to the dish for me though.
4) sashimi — some type of fish that is like a cousin to the yellowtail. This was one of the best pieces of fish I’ve ever had. The texture was different from anything I’ve had and there are no words for me to describe it. I wish I knew the name of the fish!
5) fried tempura vegetables and chicken — I’m allergic to shrimp so they replaced the shrimp cake with chicken. Of all the dishes, this was most ordinary.
6) watermelon sorbet with black sesame — refreshing
7) Snake River farms wagyu served in a mini Le Creuset cocotte — tender beef slices and caramelized onions. The heaviest dish of the night but not heavy like a piece of steak.
8) sauteed scallop over Japanese rice and corn — I wish I could recreate the wonderful texture of this scallop in my kitchen.
9) white peach mousse and mochi sandwich cookies — chocolate mochi in between two matcha cookies was a delicious end to the meal. I would’ve preferred another cookie over the peach mousse but it was still yummy.
If I had the money, I would come here monthly. I’ll just have to save up until the next special occasion I’d like to celebrate here.
(The bar seating area has much less light than the tables; hence, the dark photos of food!)

Making a reservation here is no easy feat. You need to call at exactly 12midnight a month before the date. If you’re unlucky like me, you’ll get a busy tone and you’ll need to keep retrying for the next 10 – 15 minutes. Remember to leave your name, number, number of people in the party, and the time you wanna go in and expect to receive a call back the next day for your reservation confirmation.
The restaurant itself is tucked at an unassuming location in a strip mall. The interior of the restaurant is dimly lighted, quiet, with an open kitchen and lots of space. Perfect ambience!
We started off with some soju before we jumped into our starter dish, free range chicken deviled egg with lobster, italian summer truffle and ponzu jelly. Yum. This is definitely one of my top favorite dishes of the night.
The appetizers came in a trio — fresh octopus with cucumber and sourplum sauce, panko pork tenderloin (similar to pork katsu), and unagi with avocado «sushi». The octopus was surprisingly good. Soft, tender, but not super chewy/​gooey. Yum.
Our steamed dish was foie gras served with Japanese mountain potato and okra with dashi sauce. It felt like a twist on foie gras chawanmushi, and it definitely worked.
The sashimi fish of the night was wild king salmon. It was very fresh and sweet. I wish there was more :(
We had deep fried tempura shrimp with green pepper and tofu cake right before the palate cleanser (japanse basil sorbet).
The wagyu beef was slightly disappointing. I felt that the beef was slightly overcooked, and it didnt bring out the flavor of the beef enough :(
Nonetheless, the meal ended with a bang with tuna and mushroom over rice, as well as a lovely dessert. The crème anglaise was served on the side and you can pour it on the matcha jelly with fruits and mochi. Yum.
The service was impeccable and the food was exquisite. Definitely a well deserved Michelin Star! :D

200^th review goes to one of the best & well deserved Michelin star meals I’ve had to date.
Reservation policy — reserve EXACTLY one month in advance and call exactly at 12am (they actually disqualify your voicemail if you leave it before), leave a voicemail with the date, your name, contact number, and number in your party. Be careful because the lines do get blocked so factor this in when you’re up at 11:59 about to hit the call button. This process might seem daunting but please don’t let this deter you. I assure you it’s well worth it and it’s really not that bad or hard. TRY & TRY! You will get that reservation! They only have 2 seatings Wed through Fri (6:30pm or 7:30pm) and on Sat-​Sun (6pm or 7pm) and the restaurant only accommodates approx. 15 people at a time.
The dining experience was absolutely wonderful. The chef’s wife serves you and takes the time to explain each dish to you. The whole experience lasted about 2 hours because the dishes are staggered so you have time to savor & appreciate the art that goes into each dish. Each dish was so beautifully presented and it tasted even better than it looked. Wakuriya’s menu changes constantly and there is no option to order a la carte. Their prix fixe menu is very reasonably priced at $ 98 per person. This includes a starter, appetizers, 5 main dishes, and a dessert. The dishes are all miniature sized (see photos) but were surprisingly very filling.
Of the dishes I tried, my favorites were the broiled lobster dish, the tsukuri (sashimi), and the mochi in crystal jelly dessert. Everything was yummy and I will definitely go back & recommend Wakuriya to Japanese food lovers & anyone looking for an exquisite dining experience!

Wow, what a wonderful wine and dine experience… well, sake and dine! Wakuriya is truly deserving of their Michelin star. The kaiseki-​styled, nine course menu was as delicious as it was presented. The chef/​server, husband/​wife duo delivered an impeccable dining experience. It’s a fine-​dining type of restaurant, but very casual and intimate and not pretentious at all. We got our reservations at the bar overlooking the open kitchen and watched the chef prepare each dish. Each course had wonderful, fresh flavors and the entire experience was well worth every penny.
RESERVATIONS:
getting a reservation here is not easy, but not impossible (as other reviewers mentioned, it’s all about the timing). You have to call exactly a month before, right at midnight! My boyfriend said he must’ve called 20 times before finally dialing in at 12:05. You leave a message with approximately what time you want to come in and how big your party is. They will call you (or may not call you) if your reservation will fit. Located in the Safeway plaza in San Mateo, the restaurant is small and we dined with only two other two-​person parties at our 6:30 reservation.
FOOD:
a couple of my friends asked me the question that makes you wince at ‘fine dining’: SO WERE YOU FULL?! & I’m happy to say, I was very comfortably full. The whole experience lasted about 2.5 hours. Each dish was a good 2 – 3 bites. And these bites are the, oh-​my-​gahhh, MmmmmMM, kinda bites. Kaiseki styled dining entails that you have a variety of styled dishes: sashimi, broiled, rice, dessert. It really is a dining adventure as you wait, see and hear what’s coming next. I also had delicious Yuzi sake in my fruit sake trio and it was perfect! The menu changes monthly I believe (at least seasonally), and my favorite dishes included the unbelievable fresh sashimi salad, the appetizer trio that included inare with uni, and the rice dish with a snow crab and shiitake fritter and quail egg tempura (donburi-​styled)
Thank you Wakuriya for the fantastic dining experience — from every detail in the food presentation, to the attentive and smooth service, you make a foodie’s dream come true!

Oh you know how I do… ball so hard mother f*ckers wanna fine me.
Jk. I only ball medium hard, but luckily I know a coupla cats who legit ball pretty hard and they’re happy to let me tag along when they score a pretty pimp reservation for 6 at the Michelin-​marked Wakuriya (props to Janet O and Adam D for all that jazz).
Wakuriya only takes one staggered seating a night and seats just 15 people on a full evening so getting a reservation here is a feat in and of itself. You need to call at the stroke of midnight exactly 30 days before you’re to dine and in most cases the reservations fill up within 1.5 minutes past 12am with remaining enquirers left with a busy signal and/​or leaving a voicemail to never be answered.
You get to experience a traditional Japanese Kaiseki with a staff of 3 people on hand — one Chef (Chef Katsuhiro Yamasaki), his wife, Mayumi (service), and one dude who does some super mysterious stuff in back (pretty sure it involves washing dishes). Wakuriya was unlike any other Michelin experiences I’ve had simply because it’s so apparent that this is a very small Mom and Pop operation and I really liked it that way — nothing gets lost in the mix and you truly are the center of the Chef’s attention.
I split two of possibly the very best sake flights in existence with my solo boy, Vu, and was happy to clink glasses while popping two additional full sake bottles with the remaining coupled members of our party.
Our meal lasted a little over 3-​hours, I think, with ala carte drinks, tax, and tip came out to around $ 260-​ish a person and fully worth it for the attention to detail and artfulness in every dish by the minimal staff. I would recommend going with someone who’s a good conversationalist because while there are 9+ courses, the portions are bite-​size to several bites big and there’s an appropriate amount of lag time in between courses to hold a meaningful conversation, otherwise it may seem like you just scarfing small bites and then waiting an excruciating amount of time for the next course detailed on the menu in front of you. I know I get antsy when I don’t have stuff in my mouth so I was glad to have such an entertaining group to chill with.
The menu on its own isn’t vegetarian friendly, but they were able to somewhat accommodate my pescetarian lifestyle, though I for sure ate duck in one of the dishes… but I’m pretty chill about about my diet so it wasn’t a big deal. Not like they shoved a sausage in my mouth or anything.
Our menu went something like this (though the menu changes seasonally throughout the year)…
\\ Sakizuke (Starter)
/​/​Kaisen ishi-​yaki — seafood grilled on heated ishi (stone) at table
\\ New Caledonian blue shrimp, ika (squid), ikura soy sauce
\\ Zensai (Appetizers)
/​/​Hotate (scallop) with uni (sea urchin) and tonburi (vegetable caviar)
\\ Tasmanian ocean trout sushi with Mascarpone cheese
/​/​Umaki (barbequed unagi rolled in egg omelet)
\\ On Mono (Hot Dish)
/​/​Maple Leaf Farms kamo no nyu-​men
\\ Duck, Sun Smiling Valley Farm shimeji mushroom and Burgundy truffle on somen (Japanese angel hair pasta) noodles in soup.
\\ Tsukuri (Sashimi)
/​/​Japanese buri (matured hamachi yellow tail with well-​fatty body) to mebachi maguro
\\ Wasabi-​oroshi (grated daikon radish)
\\ Age Mono (Deep Fried Dish)
/​/​Lobster tempura with yuzu miso sauce
\\ Yuzu citrus from Muto’s garden in San Jose
\\ Hashiyasume: Granite
/​/​Daikon radish sorbet in yuzu juice
\\ Yaki mono (Broiled Dish)
/​/​Snake River Farms wagyu no sauté
\\ Sauteed Kobe styled beef with shiitake and tofu
\\ Gohan Mono (Rice Dish)
/​/​Donabe de taita takitate no tai-​meshi
\\ Freshly cooked madai snapper rice in donabe (clay pot)
/​/​Served with hot dashi (fish broth) for ocha-​zuke (rice in soup)
\\ Homemade Dessert
/​/​Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) crème caramel with kale-​sesame tuile cookies
I left full but not with a busted gut and happy with my splurge for this unique experience with friends. It’s not something I could spring for all that often and since I’m pretty new to the area I’d like to give other restos a shot at my cash, but I could see myself coming back next year for a new menu and another go at that sake list.

Five more stars for this nice mom and pop Michelin star restaurant. My take on this place is that is does deserve the star based on the food execution, attentive service and kaiseki cuisine. Considering this is probably the cheapest Michelin star meal you can get, it’s a great deal.
So although I ate here almost 6 months ago, I wanted to save it to be my 100^th review of 2014. It deserved some kind of recognition. I didn’t make 100 in 2013 and was determined to in 2014, so congratulation Wakuriya, this review was probably long overdue.
This restaurant while not big on ambiance and flair inside, what you’ll find is a down to earth small business run by husband Katsuhiro Yamasaki (chef) and his wife
Mayumi (hostess, server, pretty much everything else) who have this place running like a well oiled machine.
We arrived at the restaurant early and chose to sit at the bar. This way we got a chance to watch the chef work. There are only 4 seats at the bar so if this is your preference I would recommend letting the staff know when you book so they can set it aside. I would highly recommend it as it was fun seeing how all of our dishes were prepared and put together. There is only 1 menu per month so if you do get in, you can go back every few months and get a different menu.
The Key to this place is getting a reservation. Remember to call 1 month in advance of the day you want to reserve at midnight. Make sure to check the calendar as well as they aren’t open Mon-​Tues so if you do call 30 days in advance of a M/​T you’ll just have to try again.
Here is what we received in our meal with some comments on each.
Sakizuke (Starter) — «kaisen ishi-​yaki» (seafood grilled on heated «ishi”(stone) at your table) New Caledonian blue shrimp, «aori-​ika (squid)» «ume”(plum) soy sauce; the hot stone cooks the shrimp and was very nice med rare
Zensai (Appetizers) — Snake river farms American wagyu beef, «yamakake”(fresh mountain potato sauce), Japanese «nama-tako”(fresh octopus) and cucumber
with «karashi”(Japanese mustard)-miso vinaigrette, barbecued «unagi”(fresh water eel) rolled with egg omelet; the tomago (omelet) was one of the best I have probably ever tasted, it was a good variety of food for an appetizer.
On mono (Hot dish) — «Alaskan gindara no sora-​mame an-​kake» steamed black cod, shiitake mushroom and tofu served with «soramame-an”(fava beans sauce); good clean flavor, very typical steamed asian fish — the steamer he cooks this in looks like a fancy machine. Very similar to the char nushi that they serve at Morimoto’s
Tsukuri (Sashimi) — Japanese «madai”(snapper) carpaccio nuts, «shiso (Japanese basil) and ginger
Age mono (Deep fried dish) — «lobster no tempra» deep-​fried lobster, Sun Smiling Valley farms king-​oh mushroom and asparagus green salt
Hashi yasume: Garnite rhubarb and sake sorbet
Yaki mono (Grilled dish) — «Maple leaf farms kamo no tomato miso-​yaki»
duck and vegeables simmered with tomato and miso sauce — the duck was very nice
Gohan mono (Rice dish) — «mebachi-maguro”(big eye tuna) chirashi (sashimi over sushi rice)
Homemade Dessert — «ichigo”(strawberry) mousse and almond cookie with «matcha”(green tea) cream — all very nice
All of the food was excellent but nothing extraordinary probably why it only gets 1 not 2 stars. The execution was perfect and the small restaurant feel made it very nice and felt like you were in a small shop in Japan. I will definitely try to get back here in 2015.

While thinking about Wakuriya today I knew I have to write a review based on my journey to last nights amazing experience.
I agree with everybody’s admiration for the wonderful food that they serve. The amount of attention given to details from the first course to the end is unparalleled.
I’d like to focus on the process of scoring yourself a reservation here. Not to say that the food takes second precedence to it. It’s just it’s also important. I’ll start by confirming that it is a five star review a 100%. Michellin Star worthy a100%!
Know this ahead of time: That you have to stay up past your bedtime to make reservations (12 midnight). Oh yeah add the 30 day wait.
Example: Reserve today December 1 to get in by January 1. Get it? Leave a message. Wait for the return call. It could be right away or a couple of days later) you will still be accounted for as having called and left a message on Dec.1. You will get a confirmation for your target date to let you know if it’s available or not. If the above date as an example is not available you will have to hang up and call again. Yes even if you’re already on the phone with her.
Yes. You REALLY have to want to experience Wakuriya somewhat bad to go thru the above.
The end result is unforgettable. But you have to understand the mechanism of how to get THAT reservation. Cumbersome as it may seem I’d do it all over again.
Two hours and a half of OMG’s and pure art of one of human’s basic need– FOOD.
One stark contrast I discovered was my own perception of the lady over the phone. She’s funny, with beautiful skin, fit and appreciates her customer base. All that and she runs the place like a general with her chef husband while he concentrates on the edible art form he makes behind the counter.
Our table of six very pleased foodie went home with a plan to do this again sometime soon.