Inshou Restaurant Review, San Mateo

By Henry Kwan

Why did we dine here? – Inshou recently opened in the Marina Plaza shopping center, just off Highway 101′s Hillsdale exit. We were shopping at Marina supermarket and decided to give this new place a try.
San Mateo is home to a large Japanese and Asian population making it ground zero for some excellent Japanese restaurants including Hotaru, Yakitori Kokko, and Sushi Sam.

Insider Tip – Check out the specials board.

Cuisine – Japanese Izakaya
Location – Marina Plaza, San Mateo
Opened – December 2010

Service – Inshou was pretty empty when we went, so we got a lot of attention.
Verdict – Inshou surprised us with very good Japanese food. We were not expecting much given how empty the place was, but can heartily recommend this restaurant.
If you find yourself headed up 101 and see a huge traffic jam near Highway 92, turn off at the Hillsdale exit, stop here for a cold one and some small plates.

Signature Dishes – Hamachi Kama, tempura, grilled items.

Inshou’s Menu features a wide variety of small plates from grilled items to sashimi to sushi to small plate specials. Well priced lunch specials are also available during lunch.

Full Inshou image set

Picks:

Agedashi tofu ($4.50) or deep fried tofu was a huge dish filled with 3 big chunks of lightly fried tofu.

Crayfish tempura ($8.50) was recommended by the waitress and on the specials board. A large serving of deep-fried fun that possessed they lot of stuck together items including some delicious crayfish and julienned vegetables.

Hama Kama ($8.50) or grilled yellow tail collar had 2 large pieces of salt and pepper encrusted fish, full of inside goodness.

Nabeyaki Udon ($11) included a top-notch udon filled with chicken, veggies, fish cake, egg and a shrimp tempura. The broth was average.

Kurobuta Nabe ($9.50) is a Japanese hot broth with lots of tender pork, tofu, and Napa cabbage vegetables. Another large dish filled with a savory broth.

Kamo shio ($7.50) was a grill salted duck on the specials menu. Thin, peppery, salty and best eaten with some lemon.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None

$25 Dining Certificate for $5

Inshou Overall Rating: (Very Good 2.5)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Very Good)
Service Rating:	(Good)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Very Good)
Value Rating:	(Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Beer, Wine
Attire:	Casual
Parking:	Street
Reservations:	Yes