Suruki Supermarket — Attraction in San Mateo

Conveniently located at the corner of E 4th Ave and San Mateo Dr, a few stores away from the famous Taishoken Ramen and in the heart of downtown San Mateo, Suruki Supermarket is a must-checkout location when you're in the area. You can find parkings (with fees) easily either in front or just 1-2 blocks away from the supermarket. Highly recommend you avoid lunch hours though as it's harder to find parkings.

At 10am in the morning, you can see a line of people outside the store, waiting for the it to open. They're all here for the fresh, of high quality and reasonably priced bentos, bowls, sushi, and sashimi dishes. As soon as you walk in the door, all the deliciously-looking food on the left side of the store will capture your heart. You'll see aisles of hot food first, freshly prepared daily and presented with care. As you walk on and make a right turn, you'll see a sea of endless sashimi, sushi and nigiri varieties. The hardest thing for me every time I come here is to not buy everything LOL.

The quality of their food is top notch. Today I bought a set of salmon sashimi and a chirashi bowl with uni and otoro (fatty tuna). The fish are exceptionally fresh and melt in my mouth! Something could cost me $$ to $$$ if I ordered in an expensive Japanese restaurant. But here at Suruki, I can get similar quality sashimi for a fraction of the price (typically $12-16).

Another best kept open secret is that you can actually order party trays of sashimi here from the store. Simply go to the back of the store where you'll see display of fish fillets and inquire there with the staff.

Like every other Japanese restaurant, Suruki also carries all other Japanese-related stuff like shampoos, skin cares, snacks, wines, etc. Everything is well-displaced and the store looks clean and well-kept. Suruki is a small store but I enjoy the coziness of a small store over a huge supermarket anytime.

Lastly, all the cashier staff here are friendly and accommodating, highlighting the hospitality of Japanese cultures. I always have a great time every time I shop here and highly recommend you check this out if you're...

Suruki Supermarket is an absolute gem - the establishment (although not this particular location) has been a beloved neighborhood staple since 1974. Identifying a need in his local community, Shuji Suruki started the first door-to-door Japanese grocery store on wheels bringing the flavors and nostalgia of his home country to the greater San Francisco Bay Area. In 1990 their brick and mortar store moved to its current location in downtown San Mateo in 1990.

Suruki is noticeably smaller than your average grocery store; however, what it lacks in size it makes up in flavor. They boast fresh product, Asian snacks, high-grade sashimi, grab-and-go meals, and little Japanese trinkets as well. Suruki is truly a one-stop shop for any of your Japanese grocery needs and more if you're looking for some ready-to-eat food.

We decided to browse around the supermarket while waiting for lunch and we were immediately taken aback by the wealth held within its walls and walked up with many more items than we had expected to - including some mochi, salad dressing, condiments, and an onigiri mold. If we hadn't already made lunch plans, we would have been extremely tempted to try one of their ready-made food options like their chirahi bowl or their bentos.

My absolute favorite find of the day was handmade mochi from Osaka-ya in Sacramento! I moved from Sacramento back to the San Francisco Bay Area six months ago and something I definitely missed from my old home was the deliciously soft and flavorful mochi from Osaka-ya. Imagine my absolute surprise and delight when I discovered that Suruki stocks their goodies in their store, promoting their small business and giving back to the community.

Suruki truly is a local treasure and I'll definitely be coming back the next time I'm in the San Mateo area (or to be honest I'll probably make a dedicated trip down just to go to Suruki) to pick up some more grocery items and hopefully enjoy some...

I recently visited Suriki Supermarkets, and I enjoyed the experience. The store had a great selection of Japanese snacks, drinks, and other grocery items, and I was particularly pleased with the quality of the food that I purchased.

One of my favorite items was the salmon onigiri, which was delicious and fresh. I also tried the spicy salmon sushi, which was equally tasty and had just the right amount of spice. The store had a variety of other sushi options as well, all of which looked equally appetizing.

Parking was a breeze as there were plenty of street parking spots available. The store itself was not too big, but it was not too small either, which made for a comfortable and enjoyable shopping experience. The prices for the items I purchased were also quite reasonable, which was a pleasant surprise given the high quality of the food.

However, I do have to say that while I enjoyed my visit, I still prefer Mitsuwa Marketplace in Saratoga, San Jose as it is much larger and has a wider variety of options. Nonetheless, this Japanese grocery store is still a great option for those looking for a smaller store with a good selection of Japanese items.

Overall, I highly recommend this Japanese grocery store to anyone who loves Japanese cuisine or is looking to try something new. With its excellent selection of food and drinks, comfortable shopping environment, and reasonable prices, this store is sure to please. I will definitely be returning...