from the pass —
Menu photos
A few dishes from the current card — tap any shot to view larger.
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Explore Izakaya Mai's diverse menu featuring fresh salmon, tuna & yellowtail sushi combos, flavorful ramen, stir-fried udon, and classic Japanese rolls. Enjoy casual dining with attentive service in downtown San Mateo, CA.
Izakaya Mai in downtown San Mateo invites diners to explore an extensive menu blending classic Japanese flavors with casual izakaya charm. The restaurant excels in its donburi bowls, such as the rich Unagi Don featuring eel glazed with homemade unagi sauce, and the comforting Chicken Teriyaki Don with succulent grilled chicken over rice. Sushi lovers will appreciate the variety of nigiri, from delicate Tamago to fresh Maguro and vibrant Ikura. The deep-fried rolls stand out with bold combinations like the Spicy Tuna Squid Roll and the crispy Crazy Jalapeno Roll, offering a satisfying crunch paired with flavorful sauces.
Highlights include the balance of texture and umami, especially in dishes like the miso-glazed pork donburi and the well-executed fried bites. Service is attentive and the atmosphere casual, making it a great spot for sharing with friends. While the menu is large, each dish feels thoughtfully prepared with authentic ingredients and comforting flavors that resonate beyond typical fare.
A few dishes from the current card — tap any shot to view larger.
- 5 pcs. Freshly cut Salmon Sashimi + 4 pcs. Salmon Nigiri + Salmon maki + Oregon roll + FREE DRINK! (No substitution)
- 5 pcs. Freshly cut Tuna Sashimi + 4 pcs. Tuna Nigiri + Tekka maki + Miami roll + FREE DRINK! (No substitution)
- 5 pcs. Freshly cut Yellowtail(Hamachi) Sashimi + 4 pcs. Yellowtail Nigiri + Negihama maki + Negihama hand roll + FREE DRINK! (No substitution)
Japanese curry over ramen noodle with mixed seafood, veggies, fish cakes, green onions, jalapeno and sesame seed on top. Served hot.
Stir fried udon noodle with mixed seafood, pork, veggies, yaki soba sauce, sesame seed and fish flakes on top. Thin noodle made from wheat flour.
The broth is made of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Comes with fish cakes, marinated mushrooms, and green onions. Served hot.
Cold ramen noodle topped with crab sticks, grilled pork, egg, seaweed, cucumber, fish cakes, served with spicy mustard and homemade hiyashi chuka sauce. Served cold.
Cold udon topped with dry shredded seaweed served with green onions and homemade dipping sauce. Served cold.
Cold soba topped with dry shredded seaweed served with green onions and homemade dipping sauce. Served cold.
Served hot. Creamy pork broth topped with stir fried veggies, pork, seafood mix, fish cakes, sesame seeds and green onions.
Comes with seaweed, fish cakes, green onions and 2 pieces chashu (Japanese braised pork belly). Served hot.
Served hot. Creamy pork broth with Japanese curry topped with stir fried veggies, pork, seafood mix, fish cakes, seasame seed, jalapeno and green onions.
Eel over rice with homemade unagi sauce, Japanese yellow radish, shredded dry seaweed and sesame seed.
Grilled chicken with homemade teriyaki sauce served over rice. No egg, no donburi sauce and no onions.
Shrimp tempura and egg served over rice.
Stir fried pork, onions with miso paste served over rice. No egg and no donburi sauce.
Egg and onions served over rice.
Eel and egg served over rice.
Pork or chicken cutlet and egg served over rice.
Chicken and egg served over rice.
Thin slices beef and egg served over rice.
Veggie tempura and egg served over rice.
Rice in hot green tea, topped with pickled Ume plum, salmon, or spicy cod roe along with seaweed and seasonings.
Pork cutlet Japanese curry over rice served with red pickles.
Japanese curry over rice served with red pickles.
Korean style marinated and grilled beef.
Grilled atka mackerel with ponzu sauce.
Grilled salmon with salt.
Homemade ponzu sauce with fish flakes on top.
Japanese style jelly fish.
Grilled yellowtail collar with ponzu sauce.
Grilled rice balls with homemade onigiri sacuce on top with marinated salmon and spicy cod roe inside each.
Grilled prawn.
Spinach with ponzu sauce and fish flakes on top.
Grilled salmon with homemade teriyaki sauce.
Vegetarian. Homemade Japanese style mashed potatoes.
Grilled saury.
Grilled eel with homemade unagi sauce and sesame seeds on top.
Steamed clams with sake and mirin. Served in hot.
Grilled thin slices of calamari with spicy mayo and sesame seeds.
Grilled chicken and green onions skewers with salt.
Appetizer portion of grilled chicken with homemade teriyaki sauce.
Appetizer portion of grilled beef with homemade teriyaki sauce.
Grilled Japanese pork sausages served with spicy mustard.
Sweet Japanese omelette.
Homemade Japanese style pork belly marinated in soy sauce served with spicy mustard and green onions.
Vegetarian. Grilled Japanese chili pepper skewers.
Mixed pork and chicken Japanese pot stickers served with homemade gyoza dipping sauce.
Grilled chicken wings with salt.
Japanese seaweed salad.
Vegetarian. Spinach mixed with homemade gommae sauce.
Cold tofu with grated ginger, green onions and fish flakes on top.
Dry seaweed wrapped rice balls with marinated salmon and spicy cod roe inside each.
Vegetarian. Korean spicy cabbage.
Grilled whole body squid with yakitori sauce, sesame seed and green onions.
Japanese pancakes. Crispy outside Japanese pancake made with wheat flour, egg, seafood mix, fish cakes, veggies with topped of okonomiyaki sauce, sesame seed and fish flakes. Ramen noodle on top (optional).
Seared outside with ponzu sauce with green onions, grated ginger, and sesame seeds outside.
Grilled Salmon collar with ponzu sauce on the side.
Monkfish liver
Stir fried pork and kimchi with green onion
Stir fried pork and eggplant miso with green onion
Grilled beef tongue
- Half dozen (6pcs) of fresh oyster with ponzu sauce, grated ginger, seasoned radish, and green onions.
Breaded whole crab.
Appetizer portion of pork cutlet with katsu sauce.
Vegetarian. 2 pieces. Mashed potatoes rolled in breadcrumbs serve with katsu sauce.
Appetizer portion of chicken cutlet with katsu sauce.
Japanese style deep fried tofu served with tempura sauce and green onions.
1 piece. Deep fried mackerel.
4 pieces. Fried shrimp dumpling with spicy mustard.
5 pieces. Deep fried octopus balls with takoyaki sauce and fish flakes on top.
Japanese style deep fried squid tails served with spicy mayo.
5 pieces. Assorted veggies, 2 pieces shrimp with tempura sauce.
5 pieces. Shrimp with tempura sauce.
6 pieces. Assorted veggies with tempura sauce.
Vegetarian. 5 pieces. Mixed veggie deep fried Japanese pot stickers with homemade gyoza dipping sauce.
Japanese style chicken nuggets with spicy mayo.
Deep fried Sole Fish (serve 3 people)
Deep fried horse mackerel (2pcs)
Grilled and then deep fried rice cake with tempura sauce.
Deep fried baby octopus
4pcs. fried oysters
5 pcs of soft shell shrimp with Japanese mayo
6 Piece Deep Fried Okura with Tempura Sauce
6 piece deep fried Shiso, served with tempura sauce
2 pieces. Grilled mackerel with salt.
Entree portion of pork cutlet with katsu sauce.
Grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce.
2 pieces. Grilled salmon with teriyaki sauce.
Grilled beef with teriyaki sauce.
2 pieces. Grilled salmon with salt.
Entree portion of chicken cutlet with katsu sauce.
Sweet egg.
Octopus.
Squid.
Scallop.
White tuna.
Flying fish roe.
Tofu skin.
Yellowtail.
Cooked shrimp.
Salmon roe.
Tuna.
Real crab.
Salmon.
Salmon Belly.
Eel.
Mackerel.
Butterfish
Abalone
Yellowtail belly
Sweet Shrimp with deep fried head
Monkfish Liver
Horse Mackerel.
Inside: shrimp tempura, crab, avocado, and romaine. Outside: soy paper.
Avocado and cucumber. Vegetarian.
Tuna and avocado.
Yellowtail and green onions.
Cucumber. Vegetarian.
Cooked shrimp and avocado.
Tuna.
Eel and avocado.
Marinated salmon in soy sauce, cucumber and pickled burdock.
Salmon and avocado.
Crab and avocado.
Tuna marinated in spicy sauce with cucumber.
Inside: scallop. Outside: spicy mayo and chili sauce.
Salmon.
Salmon and cream cheese.
Vegetarian.
Grilled chicken, avocado, cucumber, romaine lettuce wrapped with a soy paper on top of homemade teriyaki sauce.
Japanese yellow radish. Vegetarian.
Vegetarian.
Inside: Salmon, avocado, cucumber. Outside: Spicy salmon, jalapeno, tobiko and chili sauce.
Inside: Eel and cucumber. Outside: Salmon, hamachi, tobiko and unagi sauce
Inside: Tuna and salmon. Outside: Soy paper, spicy mayo and chili sauce.
Inside: Crab and avocado. Outside: Eel and unagi sauce.
Inside: Shrimp tempura. Outside tobiko, crab sticks, spicy mayo and spicy sauce.
Inside: 2 pieces. shrimp tempura, avocado and cucumber. Outside: Eel and unagi sauce.
Inside: Tuna and avocado. Outside: Salmon wrap and tobiko.
Inside: Crab meat and avocado. Outside: Assorted sashimi and avocado.
Inside: 2 pieces. shrimp tempura. Outside: Crunch tempura batter, crab sticks, spicy mayo and chili sauce.
Inside: 2 pieces. shrimp tempura, avocado and cucumber. Outside: Tuna, salmon and crab meat.
Inside: Spicy tuna and cucumber. Outside : Seared albacore, jalapeno, ponzu and unagi sauce.
Inside: Calamari tempura, avocado and romaine. Outside: Soy paper and spicy mayo.
Inside: Eel and cucumber. Outside: Avocado and unagi sauce.
Inside: Avocado, cucumber, spinach, shiitake mushroom, romaine, gobo root and pickled radish. Outside: Soy paper. Vegetarian.
Inside: Hamachi. Outside: Eel and unagi sauce.
Inside: Salmon, tuna, hamachi and romaine. Outside : soy paper.
Inside: Spicy tuna. Outside: seaweed salad.
Inside: Eel, salmon and avocado. Outside: wrapped with soy paper and homemade unagi sauce.
Inside: Whole soft shell crab, avocado. Outside: Spicy crab meat and unagi sauce.
Inside: Salmon + Tamago + Avocado, cucumber, spinach, pickled radish, gobo roots and shiitake mushrooms. Outside: wrapped with soy papers.
Inside: Fried soft shell crab, crab, avocado and romaine. Outside : Soy paper.
In : Spicy Salmon + Cucumber Out : Seared Albacore + Crunchy + Sliced Lemon + Special Wasabi Sauce
Miami roll + California roll + Oregon roll
Spicy Tuna roll + Philadelphia roll + Crunchy roll
Crown roll + California roll + Rock n Roll
Vegetable Roll + Avocado Cucumber Roll + Oshinko Roll
Chef's choice 6 pieces assorted nigiri.
Chef's choice 9 pieces nigiri
Chef's choice 8 pieces nigiri and 9 pieces of sashimi (tuna, hamachi, salmon)
Served 3 4 people.
- 5 pcs. Freshly cut Salmon Sashimi + 4 pcs. Salmon Nigiri + Salmon maki + Oregon roll + FREE DRINK! (No substitution)
- 5 pcs. Freshly cut Yellowtail(Hamachi) Sashimi + 4 pcs. Yellowtail Nigiri + Negihama maki +Negihama hand roll + FREE DRINK! (No substitution)
- 5 pcs. Freshly cut Tuna Sashimi + 4 pcs. Tuna Nigiri + Tekka maki + Miami roll + FREE DRINK! (No substitution)
Eel and avocado.
Eel.
Fermented soy.
Tuna marinated in spicy sauce with cucumber.
Salmon.
Cooked shrimp and avocado.
Sweet egg.
Spicy scallop.
Flying fish roe.
Shrimp tempura and avocado.
Crab and avocado.
Hamachi and green onion.
Real crab meat.
Inside: Spicy tuna. Outside: Rolled by squid, tempura battered, spicy mayo and chili sauce.
Inside: Spicy tuna and cream cheese. Outside: Tempura battered jalapeno and unagi sauce.
Inside: Crab meat, avocado. Outside: Tempura battered and unagi sauce.
INSIDE : Tuna + Salmon + Hamachi + Avocado / OUTSIDE : Tempura Batter + Spicy Mayo + Chili Sauce
Inside: crab meat and avocado. Outside: baked salmon, spicy mayo, cream cheese and unagi sauce.
Inside : Spicy tuna + Cucumber Outside : Baked Scallop + Spicy mayo with chopped Jalapeno + Tobiko + Unagi sauce + Spicy Sauce
In : Salmon + Cream Cheese Out : Baked Escolar + Japanese Mayo + Crunchy + Unagi Sauce + House Special Wasabi Sauce
Squid and fermented soy.
5 pieces. Freshly cut white tuna seared sashimi with ponzu sauce and green onion.
5 pieces. Freshly cut salmon.
5 piece. Freshly cut yellowtail.
Freshly cut mixed sashimi over sushi rice.
5 pieces. Freshly cut octopus.
Miso marinated tuna served over sushi rice.
18 pieces. Freshly cut chef's choice.
Freshly cut Tuna and salmon served over sushi rice.
5 pieces. Freshly cut scallop.
Salmon, salmon roe and grated yam over sushi rice.
Tuna and fermented soy.
5 pieces. Freshly cut tuna.
Tuna, okura and yam.
5 pieces. freshly cut white tuna.
5 pcs. Freshly cut Salmon Belly.
Salmon roe over grated radish
Tuna with grated yam
Freshly cut Tuna served over sushi rice.
Soy marinated tuna served over sushi rice.
Freshly cut Tuna with grated yam served over sushi rice.
5pcs. Freshly cut soy marinated Tuna.
- 5pcs. Freshly cut miso marinated Tuna.
-5pcs. Freshly cut yellowtail belly sashimi
5 pcs. Freshly cut homemade marinated mackerel. All freshly cut sashimi served with wasabi and ginger.
Freshly cut white tuna with spring mix on top of spicy mayo, chili sauce and homemade salad dressing.
Freshly cut mixed fish with spring mix on top of homemade spicy sauce, sesame seed and tobiko (flying fish roe).
Real crab meat with spring mix on top of spicy mayo, chili sauce and homemade salad dressing.
Marinated Tuna mixed with Green.
- Freshly cut Salmon with spring mix with spicy mayo, chili sauce, and homemade salad dressing.
Non-carbonated soft drink and made from high quality non-fat milk.
Pronounced rah-moo-nay is cool and unique carbonated drink from Japan with a glass marble inside.
296 ml. 100% juice.
Japanese oolong tea in a can.
- S. Pellegrino (500ml)
Japanese green tea in a can.
Carbonated original flavor calpico, made from high quality non-fat milk.
Taste like Asahi Beer but 0% alcohol. 330 ml. (Must Try It !!!)
Longstanding Izakaya restaurant located in downtown San Mateo. Surprisingly large menu of grill meats, fried tapas, curry rice bowls, nigiri, and lots of sushi rolls. Good casual place to hang out with friends. Fast and efficient service. Parking takes some time to find, but several parking lots within a 5 minute walk.
Opening hours, the full address and the best way to get there are all on the restaurant page. Booking policies differ from place to place — so call ahead, or simply walk in.