Minako Organic-ish Japanese Cuisine

A gluten free goldmine!Yes, it's gluten free Japanese food! Made by an actual Japanese chef! You can get almost everything on the menu gluten free INCLUDING the elusive fried items like tonkatsu and karaage ! And the curry is homemade not from the curry cube in a box! And yes, I did buy 2 lunches and 2 dinners all at once!But the real gold is if you ask to see the gluten free notebook for old school handwritten gluten free restaurant recommendations for the Bay Area and beyond!!!!To go only!

Charming Neighborhood PlaceWe were getting my bestie's car serviced at Ducky's and went looking for a neighborhood lunch spot. We picked Minako on a whim and started walking the two blocks.Minako is an adorable neighborhood place. If it was in my neighborhood, I'd be eating there all the time. But let me make this clear up front so you know what to expect- This isn't really a restaurant. It's more like a takeout food stand. They do have two small tables on the sidewalk, but that's it for seating.This is a mom and pop or maybe mom and daughter place. Front of house is handled by daughter Judy, who is friendly and charming. We did not meet mom, but she was in the kitchen. I lived for a time in Japan and the feel of this place is simply authentic. The menu is hand-written and the decor reminds me of those popup street stalls in Osaka.We both placed our orders for Chirashi with Judy at the counter and took a seat at one of the two sidewalk tables. We were served a little bowl of rice crackers, which was nice because we were hungry. Water was also provided and that was also a nice touch. ok, THE FOOD: This place leans on the authentic side with traditional sushi fare. If you're looking for your mayonnaise, cream cheese, or fried sushi, you will not find it here. We both ordered chirashi (a mix of fish in a bowl of rice), which is my favorite Japanese dish. It was ready in reasonable time and prepared simply, but perfectly, with delicious fresh tasting fish. I will point out that the serving size was smaller than I am used to for chirashi, but the price was also only $14. I'm used to paying $24 or more for chirashi, so I consider that it was good value despite the smaller size. I did round out my meal by ordering some tuna nigiri, which was also perfect. There were no other customers when we finished eating, so we chatted with Judy a bit. We talked about how it's getting hard to find good authentic and traditional sushi these days and she recommended a place called Sushi-Kei in Millbrae, which we will definitely check out. It turns out that her mom was also friends with Shimosan, who owned Shimo back in the day in the Richmond district on Clement. That was an amazing sushi place I used to go to a lot when I lived there. Small world.I think this place would benefit from upgrading their outdoor seating, which was a bit shabby. And if they can find the manpower, start a food truck. They are perfectly suited for that and there's good money in it. Overall, we had a lovely and pleasant lunch experience at Minako. It's very casual and also very charming. Do stop by if you're in the area.Jikai made!(Until next time!)

I've had Minako's on my list for a while since seeing the homemade, organic vegan Japanese options that they provide. As someone who loves Japanese food, it's always nice to see a place that offers more than just an avocado cucumber roll for someone like me.We ordered three items: my mom got the Chirashi bowl, I went with their Tofu Kaarage, and a Mushroom Avo Roll. They told us it would be a 30-40 minute wait due to the number of orders, and we said we'd be okay waiting. When they realized we were dining "in," they even brought out a small bowl of rice crackers for us to enjoy while the food was being prepared.To my surprise, the kaarage came like a set so there was rice, pickled veggies, and their daily side included. The tofu kaarage was fantastic and a nice change of pace from the standard tofu katsu I often see at Japanese restaurants. My maki roll was good too but was a bit small for me. My mom also enjoyed her chirashi but felt it wasn't a lot of food, and the wait probably made it a bit harder to justify the full cost.Service here was great and I did appreciate talking to the owner and daughter about their business and seeing how many vegans have stopped by to share their recommendations on plant-based spots around the country. They were very attentive and kept coming out to check on us even if it meant leaving the restaurant.As of October 2023, they are still very much take-out only but have a few small tables outside to dine on site. I recommend ordering to-go since it's not guaranteed you'll have a table and there isn't a whole lot of activity situated on a street corner with a gas station next door.

What a special place to have in the neighborhood! After driving by many times, I finally stopped here today to pick up lunch. I tried the saba shio bento (mackerel roasted in salt). The fish was perfectly cooked. The bento also included prepared veggies of the day and rice. What made this experience extra special was good conversation with the woman who helped us. Definitely a family run establishment, as her mother was the one doing all the cooking in the kitchen. I'll gladly return, though time I will order in advance. Reasonable prices, well curated menu with plenty of vegan options, family owned and operated. Street parking only. Mostly take out, though there are a few small tables lining the side of the building.

This place is run by the sweetest people I have possibly ever met, and the fresh cooked food is incredibly delicious. I ordered the tofu katsu, which came with rice and an assortment of vegetables. The tofu katsu was so crispy and flavorful and together with the sides made for a fantastic meal.As yummy as the food is, the real standout of this place is the women behind it. The daughter taking orders at the front was so friendly, and told me the story about how they got into making vegan friendly food since she had a childhood friend who was vegan and her mom wanted to make sure she could cook for her. She told me how they make extra sure that the vegetable sides for the vegan bentos and the sauces used are all vegan, and also showed me this incredible book of vegan friendly establishments around the area that she has been collecting and people have been adding to. She even let me add my own entry for a new vegan place that just opened in Palo Alto!Her mom cooks all the food fresh when you order, and hand prepares all the sauces that go into everything too. She told me the sauce for the katsu takes over a month for her mom to make! The love and care that goes into preparing each meal really shows, and the food is just absolutely delicious. The place is takeout only- there are two tiny tables on the sidewalk outside but I would recommend you take the food elsewhere. There is a nice park within walking distance/short drive. Also be prepared for a long wait if you don't call ahead. We ended up waiting for around an hour since there were a couple orders that came right before us and everything is made by just one person, but honestly the wait was entirely worth it. The daughter also gave us two plums that they grew themselves along with our food.Overall I literally cannot say enough good things about this place. If I lived near here I would come here every week if not every day.

Perhaps the best ever customer service I've received in all of my years in the Bay Area! Judy is the sweetest, most compassionate person ever. I came on a Saturday by walking over. There was no one in line. It is a take-out service only spot, and masks are required - if you don't have a mask, you'd need to stand at the entrance. I highly recommend wearing a mask just to be considerate! :)I ordered the chicken curry after hearing my boyfriend rave about it. It definitely lived up to the hype. How they managed to get it to taste extremely healthy but with so much flavor at the same time - I have no idea! It tasted like there were no additives and no salt.. which I LOVED! Definitely made me feel good after eating it - I didn't feel weighed down or heavy like I normally do after eating such a heavy kind of dish.Judy was so, so kind throughout the ordering process. While I waited for my curry she spoke to me about my time in the Bay Area and how we were liking San Mateo and the weather that day! She also introduced me to some cooling methods and we spoke about other cuisines. On my way out she handed me some adorable dog treats for my pups (who I left at home) and some complimentary snacks just for stopping by. Total was $15 for a great serving of delicious curry - definitely will be back!

Cute mom&pop to-go japanese food with lots of vegan options!It's on the car dealership side of Burlingame. Not much foot traffic, but it's really a great to-go place.Vegan Eel was interesting -- it tastes similar but a bit more mushy. It was good and good price to portion ratio. I wanna try their more colorful bowls like their chirashi next time!The people are so sweet. She gave me a free matcha meltykiss chocolate. Yay I'm happy.

Excellent food. I'm really glad this place exists and plan to come here more often! The main reason being that the food here tastes CLEAN. And so wonderfully homemade. And the little side dishes taste so fresh and healthy. What a precious little rarity! Hope they stay in business for a long time. Service was fine; we had takeout but the person taking the order was nice. In short-come here for some healthy & homemade Japanese cooking.

delicious vegan sushi and the owner was so sweet! she gave us a ton of recommendations for vegan restaurants nearby. the homemade vegan eel was mind-blowing

This place is an absolute gem! Family-run, welcoming, and serving up flavors you're not going to find elsewhere. Plus, it's safe for folks who are gluten-free or vegan. Minako operates out of a small takeout window with a couple of chairs out front. Judy, working front of the house, is so kind, fun to chat with and instantly became one of my favorite humans on the Peninsula. (If you're gluten free, ask Judy if you can check out her handwritten composition notebook filled with GF-friendly restaurant recommendations throughout the Bay and as far as Hong Kong, Italy and of course Japan.) Judy's mom is in the kitchen, preparing everything to order with ingredients made in house. Be patient, the food is well worth the extra care that's going into making it.You can taste the skill, thoughfulness and family history in the flavors, especially the small details. House-toasted sesame seeds bring a nutty pop to a chirashi bowl packed with high quality fish. Chicken katsu curry is topped with a complex, tangy sauce that takes a month to prepare, and the vegetables in the perfected balanced curry change with the seasons. Tamagoyaki is made in-house (in increasingly rare thing with most restaurants sourcing the egg dish premade).What a spot!!!