Yakitori Kokko

I came here for dinner with some friends last Friday. This place is really tiny and is very busy so make a reservation! I made my reservation for 6 people about a week in advance and was surprised that we were only allotted one hour to eat! This is a yakitori place so it takes some time for them to grill the skewers so I was a bit worried, but that was the only reservation time we could get so I agreed.
Like I said, the place is always super busy so it took them some time to even acknowledge us at the door and get us seated. They were prompt with drink orders and were kind of pushy with our food orders because they wanted us out in an hour. They never came by to refill our tea and water until asked.
Although this wasn’t the most relaxing dining experience, their food was really good! The only thing we didn’t really enjoy was the beef tongue. You get a skewer of four pieces — two beef and two jello-​like things that taste kind of like beef. The jello cubes were a bit weird and caught us off guard.
Bottom line is that this place is super small. It has great food, but their services are lacking. I’ve never been restricted on the amount of time I had to eat before. I’d definitely recommend this restaurant for date night, but would not recommend it for large parties. Also, the menu is a bit pricey, so keep in mind what you’ve ordered because each order is one skewer. Lastly, go on a weekday! You’ll probably have much better luck with parking.

Takoyaki was the best here. I’ve been to Osaka and had the original as well. Same style but a lot crisper here because they’re not in a rush to cook it.
Favorites: takoyaki, enoki with bacon, pork cheek, chicken karaage, agedashi tofu, chicken thigh. Don’t miss the yuzu pepper in the condiment section of the table.
Reasonably priced. Make reservations.
****

I think that most of these reviews would say that the service is poor :(and in this case the majority of people are right. The service took FOREVER. from getting seated, getting our orders in, our food served, getting refills of water and soda, to getting the check. Sigh.
This place is not your typical Japanese place, they do not serve sushi, or bento boxes anything of that nature, its more of a la cart items, skewers, and apps, DO NOT COME HERE IF YOUR EXPECTING A BIG MEAL. Everything is served with 1 — 3 pieces. I had the Yakitori Ramen, which was OK, I’ve honestly had better ramen with more flavor, I can say that the 2 pieces of pork was flavorful. I also tried the Fish Cake with Cheese, it came semi-​cold and not as you expected when it says «cake», it looked like fish cylinders, it was OK, maybe would have tasted better if it was warm. I got to try their sausage as well, it literally tasted like hotdogs.
I think the best thing at here would be their alcoholic beverages. The had great tasting soju that tasted like grape soda, and this sake that was 20% alcohol (Potato flavor) that was tasty and strong.
PS they charge you for refill of sodas –_​– who does that now a days?

This is a small restaurant that serve small bites, but its explosive with flavor. I’m not sure what the typical wait time here would be, but I imagine there probably usually is a wait on a busy night, so I would probably recommend getting a reservation.
For those of you who haven’t tried anything exotic yet, here is your chance! They have gizzard, liver and tongue, for example, and the good thing is, since these come in individual skewers, its the perfect opportunity to try a bite or two to see if you will like it or not. It just so happens that I liked all of the skewers though: everything I tried was really flavorful. I think the trick is to not order too much of anything, and not think about the fact that you are eating a gizzard (which to be fair, I’m still not too entirely sure what it is. I can barely master human anatomy, let alone bird anatomy)
They have items such as ramen but I don’t think that is their specialty. Besides, I have a slight bias towards Shinsengumi, which is my usual go-​to for ramen.
In any case, I think this is a cool place for drinks and snacks. I don’t think this will be a place if you expect to have a big meal and leave full. Well… correction: this is not a place that you can expect to have a big meal and leave full without spending a pretty penny. But regardless, I do think it’s worth a visit!

Food was great but unfortunately the service was not up to par. The server took a while to bring us things we needed and it caused the experience to be less enjoyable. They were very nice, but not attentive. It would probably be better to go when it is not busy in order to receive better service.

Great food, bad service!
Kokko has been our go to izakaya place for many years now. You know what, I have to say this place delivers consistent quality of food for a pretty good price. I mean I can’t compare it to Japan because all Izakaya is supposed to be super good and cheap there, but for the Bay Area it’s not bad at all.
The only reason why I can’t give 5 stars is because of the service. I don’t know why the owner keeps hiring those ditzy waitresses off the street who can’t take orders right or serve the food promptly. None of them are Japanese by the way. They are friendly though, but not the sharpest.
But after all, food is the most important thing so I’ll gladly give them 4 stars!

My wife and I love coming to Yakitori Kokko. From yakitori to ramen they have it all. Love to the 90’s hip-​hop too.
Good place to go right before a movie!

Made reservations and came here at 7:00. We were seated right away which was perfect cause I was starving !! ^_​_​^
Drinks:
Ordered a Yuzu and Peach Soju cocktail and asked the waitress, Yuki, if she could make our drinks a little stronger. She was VERY sweet and made the drinks exactly how we liked it. Most places only give you a lot of syrup and very little soju, but Yuki made it just the right amount!
Now onto the food!
Appetizers:
— Fried Garlic: OMG. I love garlic so FRIED garlic was just delicious plus this mustard dip it came with (5 stars)
— Takoyaki: 5 Ball-​shaped and made of wheat flour. Very saucey and inside consists of pieces of octopus which I pick out everytime. I just dont like octopus or squid but that’s just me. The takoyaki itself was VERY flavorful and had these moving flake-​like toppings. (4 stars)
— Corn Butter: SOO good! comes out in this iron skillet thing so it’s still sizzling hot and cooking. I usually ask for more butter! So unhealthy but so good: D (5 stars)
Skewers:
— Bacon Wrapped Asparagus: I DO NOT like bacon and would never eat it on a regular basis or at all. UNTIL my the bf made me try Kokko’s bacon asparagus a long time ago and I was hooked. I would only eat bacon here. (5 stars)
— Bacon Wrapped Quail Eggs: One of my favorites! Very nice combination especially with the soft egg collapsing in your mouth and you taste of the yolk comes forth. So soft and yummy! (5 stars)
— Okra: One of my all time favorites! Grilled and cooked nicely. i LOVE the feeling of slimy-​ness from every bite of the okras. This is one skewer I would not like to share. I like dipping the okras in mayo. (5 stars)
— Beef Tongue: Never tried it but apparently its very tender and delicious.
— Duck Breast: Never tried also but its said to be very moist!
Rice:
— Tori Soboro Don: MUST GET. its this mini bowl of rice with ground chicken and a poached egg on top. I always have to get this to finish off my meal and I add mix it together with the corn butter. Delicious ! (5 stars)
All of this in total with our drinks was around $ 35 not including tips ! Not bad !
Food was very good and made to perfection almost! Service was prompt and Yuki came back to check on us occasionally, even asked if we wanted another one or some water after we finished our cocktails! Great service!

The best yakitori place outside of Japan! Having lived in Japan for two years, I’ve had my fair share of late nights filled with yakitori and beer. This was a typical after work outing for my co-​workers and I.
So trust me when I say I know yakitori. Kokko delivers and makes me so nostalgic. You have to try the heart, meatball, fishcake stuffed with cheese and bacon wrapped tomato! For most skewers, you have a choice of plum sauce or salt. I prefer the plum sauce but it can be quite strong for some people.
However, it can be hard to get a seat cause it is a small restaurant so I highly recommend making reservations in advance.

We came here late on a Friday night, and the place was packed! We had to wait for a table and got seated the same time as another couple. Funny thing was that even though they seated us literally right next to each other, they didn’t take our drinks or orders until probably 15 minutes later when the other couple was already getting served some of their food. I understand that the place was packed and loud, but most of the time, I just saw the workers hanging out in their little corner, talking amongst themselves, and watching the drunk men that were there.
Once we actually got our food, the skewers and the rice bowl was actually quite delicious! Everything was flavorful and cooked perfectly. The meat had a lot of juicy flavors to it, and the rice bowl that we got was amazing! If only I can remember the name.
The only reason why we would come here is because they’re open late, and the food is always delicious. Service probably could have been a little better if it wasn’t so busy. Maybe.

My foodie friend recommended this place and I already knew it was gonna be bomb… and omg it so was. This place is basically skewers and small dishes meant for sharing and pairing with alcohol. But don’t be fooled, these small dishes really add up and I was so stuffed by the end of the meal. Also very affordable too, especially compared to similar restaurants in SF.
My friend did most of the ordering and I just ate whatever came really but everything was super delicious and I’m going to try my best to identify as many as I can!
Fish cake skewers with cheese: This was just ooey gooey goodness that I absolutely LOVED. Fish cakes and melted cheese just pairs super well together I guess! My bf didn’t actually like it that much but I did end up finishing the rest of his skewer haha.
Bacon wrapped enoki mushroom: Already knew I would like this before I tried it but it was AMAZING. The mushroom is charred and smokey and the flavor combo is just perfect.
Tori Soboro Don: Something not on a stick but this was ground chicken with a raw egg over rice and omg this was also SOOO DELICIOUS! Highly recommend :)
Beef tongue, pork belly, agedashi tofu, and takoyaki were also super good. Honestly everything we ate just wow-​ed my taste buds off. They have really nailed the art of skewers!
As for drinks, being the typical girls we are, me and my friend ordered the peach soju cocktail and the grapefruit soju cocktail. The grapefruit one they actually give you a grapefruit and a squeezer so you can squeeze in which was kind of cool. But it just wasn’t flavorful enough to mask the alcohol (yes I’m a wimp). The peach one was really good and we could not taste the alcohol at all!
ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: I tried coming here a second time on a Saturday night around 9PM and they were out of tables all night for a table of 6 (yes hearts were broken when we found out). So please please please, make sure you make reservations!!!

Hell yea… celebrating a job in Burlingame being completed finally. Working late and was dying for some food and beers.
Rolled in about 10.35 on a Tuesday and Sat down.
By 10.55 we had beers, sake, and yakatori on our table.
At 11.15 it was all gone and we were happy.
Service was great, atmosphere of the restaurant is nice and
Great sake !

You know a place is popular when there is a wait for dinner at 7pm on a weekday in SAN MATEO. I was able to snag a reservation at 6pm no problem though (when they open) on a random weekday. I loved most of the small bites, and as with most izakaya’s, expect loud music but don’t expect good/​friendly service.
THE BEST:
* BEEF TONGUE: One of my favorite of all the yakitori’s.
* PORK BELLY w/​BLACK MISO: So delicious!
* PORK BELLY YAKITORI: Yum.
* GROUND CHICKEN RICE: served with a raw yolk — tasty!
GOOD:
* CHICKEN THIGH YAKITORI: The chicken thigh, was tender and juicy but tasted pretty standard.
* BACON WRAPPED ENOKI: Yum, as you would expect!
* DUCK: Good but would pass for something more unique next time.
* GROUND CHICKEN RICE: Nice hearty soul warming bowl of rice topped with a raw egg yolk.
* KAKUNI (Pork belly): Very fatty but tender and served with a sweet sauce. A little too sweet for me but worked well over rice!
OK:
* KOKKO RAMEN: Better than black sesame. Good but wish the noodles were more al dente.
* CHICKEN MEATBALL: Interesting and well marinated and seasoned, but not my cup of tea.
* GREEN TEA CHEESECAKE: A little too sweet for my taste but good.
* BACON WRAPPED ENOKI: Too salty.
* BACON WRAPPED SCALLOP: Too salty, scallop too small.
* BACON WRAPPED TOMATO: Exactly what you think.
* AGEDASHI TOFU: Good, standard.
DISLIKE:
* CHICKEN KARAAGE: A little dry yet too oily.
* BLACK SESAME RAMEN: Not a huge fan of black sesame, but pretty good ramen.
* LAMB CHOP: Good flavor but too chewy.
* EGGPLANT: Tasted very oily, overly mushy, and didn’t like the flavor.

Came here with my bf as he said he loved this place. Being used to Mokutanya, this place was not as great. I didn’t like the food and the service wasn’t something that could keep me from returning. The tea was warm and it was not green tea when I asked for green tea. The price is pretty high here for some small portions. I didn’t have a favorite dish here. The chicken momo was not that great, I’ve had way better. This place overall is pretty small, understaffed, and service isn’t that great. There is a small parking lot right outside.

Impeccable service with authentic Japanese Yakatori, probably one of the best with the Japanese feel in the Bay Area. Service are from these female Japanese waitresses while the chefs are all male, just like in Japan. If you want a table, please make sure you reserve a few days in advance, otherwise you are looking to wait quite a bit.
Hands down, ramen is super rich and flavorful, we got the black sesame one and nearly dropped dead. The minced chicken with raw egg was paired with oh some pickles, reminds me of a bit of home style cooking. For Yakatori, the chicken skin, liver, meet balls, fish cake, quail egg, ginkgo are well seasoned. All of this is topped off with a solid selection of sake. I’d recommend the Desai, one of my all time favorites, bit pricey, but guarantee its a big hitter.

3÷10÷16: IMPORTANT: If you order a ton it will be impossible to find extra items and charges. Well, I guess that’s not that great of a tip since you gotta order a crap load here – the items are MINUSCULE. There were only 3 of us, 2 were girls, but we ordered 17 items and I was still not full. Seriously!!!
And so I never noticed that they put 2 drinks on our bill ’till now, writing this review! AND, they also charged us for a dish they never brought out. That’s like $ 14 worth of stuff they overcharged! WTF.
Well, alright, besides the theft, the food was great. Some dishes were quite exceptional, but most were at least pretty good. I think there were only a couple I disliked. One of the better yakitori places I’ve tried up in the Bay Area for sure.
Sorry there are just too many items, so I won’t go into depth. Just jotting down some notes for if we come back (and we probably will)… *‘s mean must have…
1. Baby Mackerel «Aji Namban» $ 5.95 «deep fried spanish mackerel marinated in sweet vinegar»: Never had this before. They really mean baby – smaller than smelt even. Pickled fish. Unique tasting but don’t need to order again. ⁵⁄₁₀
***2. Monkfish Liver «Ankimo» $ 6.50 «steamed monkfish liver w/​ponzu sauce»: Supremely great! One of the best monfish livers I’ve had – and I’ve tried this at some fancy schmancy sushi places too. This one has the best flavor and creamy texture. Great. ¹⁰⁄₁₀
3. Pork Belly «Butabara» $ 2.60: Okay. ⁵⁄₁₀
4. Ocotopus «Chanja» $ 3.95 «Korean style marinated spicy octopus»: Ridiculously TINY. We laughed when they put this in front of us. Just about 1 big spoonful of the stuff. Waaaaaaaayyyyy too garlicky too. Otherwise the flavor of the sauce was good. ⁵⁄₁₀
5. Fish Cake w/​Cheese «Chi-​Chiku» $ 3.00: I love the fish cake cheese at the SoCal chain Furaibo, which are like mini sandwiches with American cheese inside, and breaded and fried. Alas, these are not those. These are round and hollow, with white cheese inside, grilled. But still tastes pretty good, but not epic like Furaibo’s. ⁷⁄₁₀
6. Enoki Mushroom w/​Bacon $ 2.60: Suprisingly good despite the bacon being a bit mushy. Nice flavor. ⁷⁄₁₀
7. Beef Tongue (Sweet Miso) «Gyu Kon» $ 3.60: MISCHARGED! They never brought this out but it was on our bill.
*8. Beef Tongue (Salt) «Gyu Tan» $ 2.70: Really great beef tongue. My gf thinks it’s the most tender she has ever had. I think it’s certainly close to some I’ve tried at LA’s best KBBQ’s. Awesome flavor. ⁹⁄₁₀
9. Duck Breast «Kamo» $ 3.40: Alright. ⁵⁄₁₀
*10. Lamb Chop 2P $ 8.95: Never had Japanese lamb chop before. Really delicious sauce! A bit fruity and sweet, but great balance. Cooked medium rare. Awesome. ⁹⁄₁₀
11. Neck Meat «Seseri Tare» $ 2.40: No clue which one this was.
12. Smelt w/​Roe 2P «Shishamo» $ 3.30: I loved the ones my mom used to fry up. These are grilled, and I don’t think it tastes as good this way. But still, not bad. ⁷⁄₁₀
***13. Shiitake Mushroom $ 2.30: Very interesting texture! They were like ultra-​light cakes in a way. So airy… lighter than air! But they still managed to get soy and sweetness in there. I think these are the best grilled mushrooms I’ve ever had! ¹⁰⁄₁₀
14. Pork Cheek «Tontoro» $ 3.00: No clue which one this was. Did they even bring it out?
15. «Tori Soboro Don» $ 3.90 «ground chicken and poached egg over rice»: Served unmixed. Then the girls immediately mixed it up, so I dunno how the components tasted. Was okay. ⁵⁄₁₀
16. (Chicken) Meat Ball «Tukune Tare» $ 2.60: I’ve had chicken meat balls at other Japanese places, and I think this one was the most dull and least juicy. ⁴⁄₁₀
17. «Yaki Onigiri» $ 3.50 «charcoal grilled rice ball w/​soy sauce»: I think the worst grilled rice ball I’ve ever had. The outside was just way too hard. Was not pleasant. ²⁄₁₀
WHO ORDERED THESE???:
18. Plum Wine $ 4.50
19. Grape Hi $ 5
NOT ME. Thanks.
So, they charged us for 2 items we didn’t order, and 1 we never got. But just based on the food… which varied from yuck to amazing…
⁴⁄₅
#yakitori #japanese #japanesebbq

First of all, make sure you make a reservation here if you want to come. If you just walk in, chances are you will not get a seat or just wait forever to get a seat. I think this is because if you eat here, they make the skewers fresh for you so people tend to stay a long time as each skewer order comes out. The skewers are also small, so you can imagine someone having to make each of those skewers as the orders come in (takes a while). That means parties, especially big groups, end up staying for a long time.
Here’s what we got for four people: Note that everything was seasoned really well, and that if you have two people, you should put in two orders for everything. This was a good amount of food for the four of us — a total of 14 skewers (2 of each), 2 bowls of ramen to share, one order of Tori Soboro Don, one order of Chicken Karage, and one order of the Firefly Squid. Overall, I’d get one of the rice/​noodle dishes to supplement your orders of skewers. Otherwise, it will take 134 893 104 839 skewers for you to be full.
— Gizzard: I was not a huge fan of the texture of this skewer. Gizzard is a bit tougher so if you’re not super adventurous, you might not like this.
— Quail Egg with Bacon: I thought this was pretty good, but quail eggs are not my favorite so if you don’t like quail eggs, maybe go with the other skewers.
— Enoki Mushroom with Bacon: I thought this skewer was pretty good. Enoki mushrooms and bacon are two ingredients you can’t really go wrong with.
— Fishcake: So this kind of has the texture and appearance of a grilled mushroom. Rice cake is usually a little tougher and this was more pillowy and
— Beef tongue: I’m not a huge fan of the texture of tongue, but the other people at my table are fans and they really liked it.
— Chicken Thigh: For the less adventurous eater, very delicious choice!
— Chicken Heart: So these were actually incredibly delicious. Part of me felt weird about eating the chicken’s heart, but this was so delicious that forget about it — give me some more! Very well seasoned, and the texture was more chewy than stringy.
— Chicken Karaage: Pretty classic, just fried chicken pieces. It’s pretty good here, I’d definitely get this. This did not come on a skewer.
— Tori Soboro Don: Everyone recommends this, and I think it’s quite delicious. It’s rice, with ground chicken and yellow egg yolk. You can mix it all up for a delicious creation. It’s a little on the smaller side, but two people can definitely share it if you get other stuff.
— Firefly Squid: I was not a fan of this at all. If you like raw squid, then perhaps you would like it. I thought it was grilled spicy squid by the name, but it’s definitely not that. It’s a small portion of raw squid marinated in a liquid. I think I’m generally a pretty adventurous eater, but I think this dish is probably an acquired taste. If you like uni, I think it’s more likely that you’ll like this dish.
— Black Sesame Ramen: This isn’t the most delicious ramen in the world, but it is quite good and a nice complement to the skewers. It’s hard to fill up on skewers, so I’d recommend getting one of these to share between two people. Unless you are super hungry, then you can have one all to yourself.
Finally, we tried their strawberrry sake. It basically tasted like juice! Good if you like super sweet alcoholic drinks, which I usually do. But it was a little too sweet for me.

This little joint is hidden in a small plaza. Parking is pretty difficult here and this place gets packed, so make sure you give yourself enough time to find a parking spot or to walk here from the movie theatre parking lot. Make reservations. Once you get passed all those hurdles, you get to sit almost elbow to elbow with the next tables. You can literally reach over and help yourself to the other tables dishes. But… our parents didn’t raise us to be savages, so we just kinda looked side eye at everyone’s orders and got our own dishes.
The menu selection is pretty nice. We started with ankimo (monkfish liver) as a starter and it was really fresh. The sauce and onions in the dish was the perfect compliment. All the skewers started coming out shortly after. Each meat was perfectly grilled. No charred or burnt pieces where the meat gets tough and dry. Everything was good and fresh!
Now here is where I messed up. I wanted the Koko ramen but then saw the Tan Tan Sesame ramen. I crossed out Koko and wrote Tan Tan under it… so if you’re cancelling something. Make sure you cross it out all the way through.
We took both bowls of ramens because we’re a little crazy and adventurous, so why not? We actually ended up liking the Koko ramen that we originally wanted. So things all happen for a reason.
Tips:
Make reservations.
Give yourself ample time to find parking.
Bring an appetite and start checking off the items you want.

I have always looked forward to dining at Yakitori Kokko based on other reviews and the delicious photos. As I was in San Mateo, instead of choosing to eat Ramen per usual, I decided it was a perfect time for some Yakitori!
The space is small, cozy and kind of oddly built. There are walls everywhere and is almost like a labyrinth. I waited 15+ minutes for a table for 2, not too bad considering how popular this place can get. The menu was pretty straight forward, pick and choose what meat/​seafood yakitori you’d like and whether it’s sauced or seasoned (both options on select items only). The menu also had another full page of appetizer options like Takoyaki, chicken karaage, etc.
My boyfriend and I ordered quite a bit of dishes which all came out in a timely manner. The waitresses were very nice and attentive even though they were constantly moving. Overall, we liked the standard dishes (chicken, beef, etc), it was seasoned well and tasted very tender but we also had a hard time finishing others (fish cake-​tasted too spongey, squid, etc.). Our favorite of the night would have to be the Takoyaki. :)
This was my first yakitori experience, and maybe my experience was because I wasn’t ordering the right things. I’ll be back to update my review!

Yakitori Kokko is amazing! All this time that I’ve been going to Usagi next door and Izakaya Ginji for their yakitori, it’s a huge wonder why I’ve been bypassing Kokko. Now after finally dining here a few times, I can see why this place is tough to get a table. The food here is delicious!
After going here a couple of times, there hasn’t been a thing on the menu that I didn’t like. Here’s a sampling of some of the dishes I’ve had:
Gobo Salad —
Love the texture and the flavor is refreshing. Great salad to start your meal with.
Chicken Karaage –
Nicely fried and comes with a small dollop of mayo.
Eggplant Agedashi —
For a vegetarian dish, this was pretty hearty. Very generous amount of eggplant served in this.
Monkfish Liver (The Foie Gras of the Sea!) —
Oh my, they definitely don’t skimp on the ankimo! If you see the pic, you get three huge pieces! So good!
Tori Soboro Don —
This is actually my favorite dish on the menu. It’s not only pretty to look at, it’s really comforting with the ground chicken and runny egg. Because it comes with rice, you definitely want this compliment the yakitori.
When it’s all said and done, it’s really all about the yakitori skewers. Kokko definitely has some of the best and really interesting yakitori in San Mateo.
Pork Cheek & Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushroom —
Duck Breast —
Pork Belly & Beef Kalbi —
Beef Tongue —
Bacon Enoki Mushroom and Bacon Quail Egg —
Fish Cake w/​Cheese —
While all of the above skewers were great, my favorites that stood out were the Duck Breast, Beef Tongue, Bacon Quail Egg, and Fish Cake with Cheese, The Duck Breast and Beef Tongue were grilled nicely and both had a very smoked flavor. The Bacon Quail Egg is just like have breakfast on a stick and the Fish Cake with Cheese really surprised me because I never thought fish cake and cheese would go well together. They hit a home run with that combo.
Kokko is definitely one the best Japanese restaurants in San Mateo. They definitely made me a believer after a couple of visits. With all due respect to Izakaya Ginji, Kokko has taken the throne as my go-​to Yakitori spot. There’s so much stuff there to enjoy that you’ll end up coming back over and over again.