Sushi Monster

Once again! The best experience. Wonderful ambience. Came in for a late lunch at 1:30. They close at 1:45 and I felt bad for coming in right before close. They didn't make me feel rushed. when the staff started cleaning the FOH the waitress stopped him so the patrons didn't have to smell pine-sole while eating- so thoughtful!! Service and food was above par. Wish I could come more often. Thank you for always providing an amazing experience.

Lots of choices, delicious and fresh sushis, kind staff. This is my favourite sushi place in San Mateo.

Loved this place. Very cosy and great food.

I usually order takeout from this place, but tonight I decided to dine in. Despite their closing time being 8:45 PM, I arrived at 8:10 PM and was warmly welcomed, unlike most restaurants around here. The food, as always, was fantastic, and the service was exceptional!

Great little sushi place

Sushi Monster - Innovative and Delicious Sushi Monster delivers an unforgettable dining experience with its tasty and innovative sushi and sashimi creations. The salmon and tempura combo plate stands out with its generous portion of perfectly cooked salmon. You won't leave hungry! The wait staff is attentive and polite, adding to the overall exceptional service. For an extraordinary sushi adventure, visit Sushi Monster and indulge in their tantalizing flavors.

If you want Japanese rolls than Sushi Monster is the place for you, it is a local place that is a bit hidden but so worth the effort. The Spider roll is one of my favorite but you will not go wrong with the Dragon Roll, the Godzilla Roll or the highly recommended Victoria Secret Roll, if you order this give it about 20 minutes as it is baked. I know, a little unusual but you will not be disappointed.

Some of the best suchi I've had in the bay. Recently the quality of how the rolls are crafted has gone down, but the fish is still amazing. It is so good, big bowl of soup and two rolls and I'm all set. The staff are super friendly too.

Awesome sushi for a great price!

I ordered a maguro & combo F. I will be back. The miso soup is fragrant and flavorful. The raw fish roll was fresh and clean. The combo F meal was massive they could do with 1/3rd of the fish in the plate but regardless. If you want sushi this place is perfect.

Tasty local Japanese joint. The lunch specials are a good value.

Amazing service and food. The salmon teriyaki combo was delicious and the tuna/salmon sashimi was fresh. Restaurant has a nice cozy vibe. A bit on the pricey side especially for dinner but otherwise always a great experience.

The restaurant has Amazing food with really friendly staff everything about the place is wonderful I definitely will be coming back.

My new personal favorite for Sushi. The service is excellent and the food is fresh. I enjoy the shrimp tempura and the different options for sushi - of which there are many. My go-to choices are either “G-Spot” or “Washington Roll” for the sushi. I also liked the rainbow roll and the Mackerel.

Really delicious sushi, bulgogi and teriyaki! Probably the best California roll I’ve ever had. Extremely attentive and lovely staff. Great value for money. What’s not to like! Thanks for a good dinner.

6/1/23: Spider Roll is delicious and tastes as if real crab. Golden Roll (Fried California) is a new GoTo roll for me here, nicely prepared, good presentation. Edamame is the largest portion I've seen to date in a sushi restaurant....and served within minutes. ICE COLD Sapporo served in a frozen mug actually froze some of the beer in the top of my glass, excellent. Only mild complaint is pricing, highest in area, but as long as sushi is top notch, I'll continue to come back. 4.8 Stars (-.2 for pricing). Previous: Great overall experience. Very attentive staff, greeted as I walked in the door (and everyone else as well). Drink and appetizer served within a minute or 2 of walking in the door. Although the Edamame wasn't piping hot, it was warm+ and plentiful, but a couple dollars more than other locations. The beer was served with a frozen mug...unlike most others, and a big plus (helped earn the 5 stars. Since ALL CRAB IS IMITATION HERE, and no choice for substitution, I ordered a smoked salmon roll instead of the traditional California. Only 6 pieces here (instead of typical 8), making each piece more expensive as well. I finished off with a Firecracker roll. It hit the spot, but might continue doing so all evening. Florida sushi restaurants don't know what heat is relative to this roll. Overall great experience, but I do side with Chris Wahl's comments (below) though in regards to price.

We went here a little after lunchtime and this place was busy. Inside was simply decorated. Every time someone enters, the whole crew happily greets you. It is definitely a welcoming vibe. I placed an order to go, and the 2 ladies there were happy to help. I ordered: 1. Teriyaki steak (dinner portion) - The teriyaki steak came with salad and miso soup. They told me the order was a bigger portion, which was perfect for my husband. I'm glad I ordered an extra order of rice, even after they said that the rice was more than enough. Sorry, we are filipino and love our rice, lol. The steak was super tender and flavorful. 2. Combo B2 (bul-gogi, beef teriyaki, bbq beef short rib, 3 pcs CA roll, and 2 pcs shrimp tempura) - This was perfect for me. A sampler of all the meats. All the meats were so tender, but all stood out in their own way. They didn't taste like they were marinated all in the same sauce if that makes sense. Each one stood out on their own. I loved it. The shrimp tempura was not the standard one that we all know. This one was light and crunchy. It's not soggy and greasy likeli how the other shrimp tempuras get. I wish I had ordered more rice because the portions were on point. 3. Gyoza - This was crispy and crunchy. Almost felt like it was deep fried and not pan-fried like other places. It was also a 2 biter for me, not where you usually pop a whole one in your mouth. 4. Spicy tuna roll - To my surprise, it wasn't spicy, but it was flavorful. 5. Godzilla roll - I think this is the standard dragon roll. Their dragon roll didn't have shrimp tempura. This was delicious. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to go back. The only bummer was that their credit card machine wasn't working when I went. Had to pay Venmo. Good thing I had Venmo. This place was a little pricy but well worth it.

Place was packed and had waiting list but we were sited quickly and service was fast. We ordered maki combo with spicy tuna and comes with California rolls and cucumber rolls and chicken teriyaki.it was taste and fresh. This place feel warm and comfy.

Really cool hideaway type location! I am vegetarian and I ordered the wrong type of veggie sushi. It was too seafood tasting to me but they noticed and helped me get a avocado and cucumber roll without seaweed which was delicious. They have soda, beer, tea, apple juice. Yummy! 😋

I cannot compliment this place enough! What else can i say about this magnificent Japanese restaurant?! The staff kindly greets you upon entering, gives you prompt service, offers delicious food and isn't too hard on the wallet. Fabulous and flavorful grilled seafood, chicken, steak and veggie combo plates complimented with rice and salad. Incredibly creative hand crafted sushi rolls, Ramen and Udon noodle soups to die for. Located in popular Belmont, this place tends to get busy on Friday evenings only because it's an icon for Japanese Cuisine!

We came around 8:25pm, thinking they close at 9, but their sign said 8:45. There were still some people ahead of us, but I was already looking for other places to eat. Around 8:35, they said we would be seated soon. Even though we came pretty late, they seated not only us, but also a few more tables after us. The food came out so fast. We waited maybe 10 minutes. We ordered peach bow, rainbow, rock and roll, and spider rolls, edamame, house salad, and potstickers. The sushi was really fresh and had pretty thick pieces of fish on top. The edamame was cold but that's ok. The potstickers were small, but really crispy and hot. The server was really nice and she likes to talk with everyone. They were really attentive and made sure everything is good. It is pretty small in here, but there seems to be a decent amount of tables. There is also a parking lot right by the restaurant. I would definitely come back and try their other food.

Christopher Tran

Amazing service and food. The salmon teriyaki combo was delicious and the tuna/salmon sashimi was fresh. Restaurant has a nice cozy vibe. A bit on the pricey side especially for dinner but otherwise always a great experience.

Joseph Stein

My new personal favorite for Sushi. The service is excellent and the food is fresh. I enjoy the shrimp tempura and the different options for sushi - of which there are many. My go-to choices are either “G-Spot” or “Washington Roll” for the sushi. I also liked the rainbow roll and the Mackerel.

Felix Gardner

Really delicious sushi, bulgogi and teriyaki! Probably the best California roll I’ve ever had. Extremely attentive and lovely staff. Great value for money. What’s not to like! Thanks for a good dinner.

Steve Hunsader

6/1/23: Spider Roll is delicious and tastes as if real crab. Golden Roll (Fried California) is a new GoTo roll for me here, nicely prepared, good presentation. Edamame is the largest portion I've seen to date in a sushi restaurant....and served within minutes. ICE COLD Sapporo served in a frozen mug actually froze some of the beer in the top of my glass, excellent. Only mild complaint is pricing, highest in area, but as long as sushi is top notch, I'll continue to come back. 4.8 Stars (-.2 for pricing). Previous: Great overall experience. Very attentive staff, greeted as I walked in the door (and everyone else as well). Drink and appetizer served within a minute or 2 of walking in the door. Although the Edamame wasn't piping hot, it was warm+ and plentiful, but a couple dollars more than other locations. The beer was served with a frozen mug...unlike most others, and a big plus (helped earn the 5 stars. Since ALL CRAB IS IMITATION HERE, and no choice for substitution, I ordered a smoked salmon roll instead of the traditional California. Only 6 pieces here (instead of typical 8), making each piece more expensive as well. I finished off with a Firecracker roll. It hit the spot, but might continue doing so all evening. Florida sushi restaurants don't know what heat is relative to this roll. Overall great experience, but I do side with Chris Wahl's comments (below) though in regards to price.

Lynn Eglan

We went here a little after lunchtime and this place was busy. Inside was simply decorated. Every time someone enters, the whole crew happily greets you. It is definitely a welcoming vibe. I placed an order to go, and the 2 ladies there were happy to help. I ordered: 1. Teriyaki steak (dinner portion) - The teriyaki steak came with salad and miso soup. They told me the order was a bigger portion, which was perfect for my husband. I'm glad I ordered an extra order of rice, even after they said that the rice was more than enough. Sorry, we are filipino and love our rice, lol. The steak was super tender and flavorful. 2. Combo B2 (bul-gogi, beef teriyaki, bbq beef short rib, 3 pcs CA roll, and 2 pcs shrimp tempura) - This was perfect for me. A sampler of all the meats. All the meats were so tender, but all stood out in their own way. They didn't taste like they were marinated all in the same sauce if that makes sense. Each one stood out on their own. I loved it. The shrimp tempura was not the standard one that we all know. This one was light and crunchy. It's not soggy and greasy likeli how the other shrimp tempuras get. I wish I had ordered more rice because the portions were on point. 3. Gyoza - This was crispy and crunchy. Almost felt like it was deep fried and not pan-fried like other places. It was also a 2 biter for me, not where you usually pop a whole one in your mouth. 4. Spicy tuna roll - To my surprise, it wasn't spicy, but it was flavorful. 5. Godzilla roll - I think this is the standard dragon roll. Their dragon roll didn't have shrimp tempura. This was delicious. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to go back. The only bummer was that their credit card machine wasn't working when I went. Had to pay Venmo. Good thing I had Venmo. This place was a little pricy but well worth it.

Chris Rich

Place was packed and had waiting list but we were sited quickly and service was fast. We ordered maki combo with spicy tuna and comes with California rolls and cucumber rolls and chicken teriyaki.it was taste and fresh. This place feel warm and comfy.

M M

Really cool hideaway type location! I am vegetarian and I ordered the wrong type of veggie sushi. It was too seafood tasting to me but they noticed and helped me get a avocado and cucumber roll without seaweed which was delicious. They have soda, beer, tea, apple juice. Yummy! 😋

Jason Foard

I cannot compliment this place enough! What else can i say about this magnificent Japanese restaurant?! The staff kindly greets you upon entering, gives you prompt service, offers delicious food and isn't too hard on the wallet. Fabulous and flavorful grilled seafood, chicken, steak and veggie combo plates complimented with rice and salad. Incredibly creative hand crafted sushi rolls, Ramen and Udon noodle soups to die for. Located in popular Belmont, this place tends to get busy on Friday evenings only because it's an icon for Japanese Cuisine!

Brad Andrews

Tasty local Japanese joint. The lunch specials are a good value.

Mei Fu Lee

We came around 8:25pm, thinking they close at 9, but their sign said 8:45. There were still some people ahead of us, but I was already looking for other places to eat. Around 8:35, they said we would be seated soon. Even though we came pretty late, they seated not only us, but also a few more tables after us. The food came out so fast. We waited maybe 10 minutes. We ordered peach bow, rainbow, rock and roll, and spider rolls, edamame, house salad, and potstickers. The sushi was really fresh and had pretty thick pieces of fish on top. The edamame was cold but that's ok. The potstickers were small, but really crispy and hot. The server was really nice and she likes to talk with everyone. They were really attentive and made sure everything is good. It is pretty small in here, but there seems to be a decent amount of tables. There is also a parking lot right by the restaurant. I would definitely come back and try their other food.

The food is tasty, price is reasonable, and service is great. We liked sashimi, teriyaki salmon, teriyaki steak, and tempura.

Frances Lin

The food is tasty, price is reasonable, and service is great. We liked sashimi, teriyaki salmon, teriyaki steak, and tempura.

Devin Deguzman

I ordered a maguro & combo F. I will be back. The miso soup is fragrant and flavorful. The raw fish roll was fresh and clean. The combo F meal was massive they could do with 1/3rd of the fish in the plate but regardless. If you want sushi this place is perfect.

The rolls are good, but more expensive than similar places in San Mateo. Our kids really liked the dragon roll and Godzilla roll. The combination plates are also tasty, offer more varieties, and more reasonably priced. I usually order the combination B.

Food was great!! The fatty pieces of fish on top of the sushi were amazing. Servers were attentive and sweet. Only thing is there gets to be a wait and isn't suitable to larger parties

I always have their chirashi bowl: it's not fancy but really fulfills my craving

Very attentive.. Food was good. A bit over priced in my opinion. That being said I would return. The salad dressing not the greatest. But the miso was delicious and so was the Thai ice tea. I ordered short ribs which was a large portion. My friend ordered the sushi and tempura she enjoyed it.

Sushi monster is a fun sushi option for a large variety of rolls. It is always busy during lunchtime and there is a wait if you drop in during rush hour. The restaurant is run like a mom and pop shop and gives off those vibes. Parking is only street parking.

Good local sushi and bento spot on Belmont. The galbi ribs are the best around, including the Korean bbq restaurants in the area. The rolls are good as well and the tempura ice cream is a familiar favorite. The dining area is small so it can get crowded at busy times. The restaurant usually has sporting events on the wall monnted tvs.

I visited Sushi Monster for dinner on a weekday while on business in the Bay Area. It’s a cosy neighborhood sushi place. Loved the sushi combo, also tried the Korean noodles. Service was quite fast. This is a good place for decent food!

Nuria Navarrete

Very attentive.. Food was good. A bit over priced in my opinion. That being said I would return. The salad dressing not the greatest. But the miso was delicious and so was the Thai ice tea. I ordered short ribs which was a large portion. My friend ordered the sushi and tempura she enjoyed it.

A S

Sushi monster is a fun sushi option for a large variety of rolls. It is always busy during lunchtime and there is a wait if you drop in during rush hour. The restaurant is run like a mom and pop shop and gives off those vibes. Parking is only street parking.

Chris Webster

Good local sushi and bento spot on Belmont. The galbi ribs are the best around, including the Korean bbq restaurants in the area. The rolls are good as well and the tempura ice cream is a familiar favorite. The dining area is small so it can get crowded at busy times. The restaurant usually has sporting events on the wall monnted tvs.

Poyraz Ozkan

I visited Sushi Monster for dinner on a weekday while on business in the Bay Area. It’s a cosy neighborhood sushi place. Loved the sushi combo, also tried the Korean noodles. Service was quite fast. This is a good place for decent food!

Probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Belmont area. We ordered the tempura udon, shrimp tempura roll (but it had another name), spicy tuna handroll, and fish and chips. The udon was delightfully firm, almost al dente, which I appreciate because I hate mushy noodles, and they were generous with shitake mushrooms in the broth which gave it a deeper flavor. The tempura the udon came with was a little more disappointing because the portion was so small. The shrimp in the tempura roll was warm so I know it was freshly deep fried and the fish in the fish and chips was surprisingly moist. Everything came out piping hot which I love. From a value perspective, it isn't cheap...plus tax and tip it all came out to about $85 for two people.

C Lee

Probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Belmont area. We ordered the tempura udon, shrimp tempura roll (but it had another name), spicy tuna handroll, and fish and chips. The udon was delightfully firm, almost al dente, which I appreciate because I hate mushy noodles, and they were generous with shitake mushrooms in the broth which gave it a deeper flavor. The tempura the udon came with was a little more disappointing because the portion was so small. The shrimp in the tempura roll was warm so I know it was freshly deep fried and the fish in the fish and chips was surprisingly moist. Everything came out piping hot which I love. From a value perspective, it isn't cheap...plus tax and tip it all came out to about $85 for two people.

This restaurant isn't too big so it can get crowded. Unfortunately they only take reservations for parties 6 and up. For a starter I liked the agedashi tofu. My friends and I tried a few different rolls and they were decent. I enjoyed the lion king roll, especially with the jalapenos. The monster crazy roll was also good. They charge for tea which is a little surprising, but other than that the prices are okay and the staff is nice.

Average sushi at best with a VERY high price point. We've been Belmont residents for about 13 years, and this place has never impressed, we go when in a pinch, yesterday blew $115 for the Fam and, well....meh. I dont know how to describe good sushi, but I know when I have it.

Not sure if I have done a review before this, but my last trip was VERY disappointing. Normally 'the monster' is very good. My wife and i went for lunch in early February (23). We had Toro, Hamachi, uni, and a few others. It was fantastic. Great freshness, generous cuts of fish, and great uni. Last week, on the other hand, was lousy at best. Very small cuts of Hamachi, uni that was not fresh, and marginal for serving. The ama ebi heads were soggy with oil from the fryer. Not worth the $80 or so for one for lunch. (21.99 for cold sake included in that amount) The place is, to me, a bit on the expensive side, but worth it when the fish is fresh. Unfortunately, if it isn't consistent, it might warrant going back to Yokahama in RWC. They are not quite as good with freshness and variety, but service is good, prices fair, and nice interior. Sushi Monster, on the other hand, is more casual. Nothing fancy about it. And that's OKAY with us. My last lunch there was not.

Small place. Good food. Service is OK. Your typical Japanese restaurant. I used to eat at this place somewhat often. I remember the food really tasted good. Now, it's a little pricey and mediocre, to say the least. Could be better.

Nice variety of brand created sushi options. A bit on the expensive side. Nice atmosphere and good service.

Perhaps I'm being a bit unfair, but this place has absolutely raised prices by a huge margin post pandemic. Call it inflation, but no longer do I feel I'm getting a quality meal at a quality price. The sushi and rolls are prepared well. Top notch? Far from it. Just solid sushi. Well made. But not special enough. Yet they command $10 for the cheapest 2 piece nigiri. The atmosphere is okay at best. Not your date spot. This is supposed to be your everyday sushi joint for locals. But no longer does it fit the mold.

Wook Chung

Perhaps I'm being a bit unfair, but this place has absolutely raised prices by a huge margin post pandemic. Call it inflation, but no longer do I feel I'm getting a quality meal at a quality price. The sushi and rolls are prepared well. Top notch? Far from it. Just solid sushi. Well made. But not special enough. Yet they command $10 for the cheapest 2 piece nigiri. The atmosphere is okay at best. Not your date spot. This is supposed to be your everyday sushi joint for locals. But no longer does it fit the mold.

If you like your sushi deep fried to perfection, this is the place for you! My wife got horribly ill soon after we went, with symptoms that match either food poisoning or the crab in her dish was actually imitation crab (which she is allergic to). Deep fried sushi amuses me, but based on my wife's experience, we won't be back.

Small portions for the prices. The nabe Udon had very skimpy ingredients, but nigiris had a good sashimi to rice ratio. Came here because it was added under the RESY list.

Saw the great reviews here so gave it a chance but it let me down. The nigiri is too basic for the price, it was fine, but had little flavor. The rice was hard and hardly seasoned. Tasted like it had sat in the refrigerator all day. The California roll however was good. Just not worth it, there are so many better places nearby

Deanna Leung

Small portions for the prices. The nabe Udon had very skimpy ingredients, but nigiris had a good sashimi to rice ratio. Came here because it was added under the RESY list.

Zach Berger

Saw the great reviews here so gave it a chance but it let me down. The nigiri is too basic for the price, it was fine, but had little flavor. The rice was hard and hardly seasoned. Tasted like it had sat in the refrigerator all day. The California roll however was good. Just not worth it, there are so many better places nearby

Service experience was horrible. After a long day at work I went there with my daughter to avoid cooking on a Friday night. I should have eaten at home. We got there the same time as another couple. We had reservations and they did not. We were seated at the same long table at the same time. Waitress took their order then walked away. I had to flag her down to take our order . The other couples food came out instantly as we sat there waiting. Other couple finished and still our food did not arrive. Waitress came back as they were finishing up and said our order was messed up. I understood that this can happen so we waited patiently some more. Still no food. Other people who came after us were getting their food. We had ordered rolls. It seems odd that they could not make our rolls before the people who came after us once they identified the error. The fact that we are brown minorities may have something to do with it. Don’t like to play the race card but it felt like we were blatantly ignored. I have better ways to spend my time and money. Having to pay $66 for two rolls and soups and to get this kind of treatment has made this horrible experience even worse. Do not take my money if you cannot deliver proper service in return. An apology would have been nice too instead of dumb excuses.