Hotaru Restaurant — Restaurant in San Mateo

As another reviewer has noted, this place doesn't actually offer much in the way of vegetarian or vegan options despite a green leaf denoting "vegetarian" menu items. Most or all of these "vegetarian" main dishes actually contain fish and cannot be made without it (the sauces and broths are already mixed, presumably? Or the kitchen simply won't leave it out? The reasoning was unclear). If they don't want to offer vegetarian or vegan options, that's totally fine! I respect that. But it isn't cool to mislead folks about it.

It would be as easy as covering up the little green leaves with a bit of opaque tape. Since they haven't done that, it gives the impression that Hotaru isn't concerned with transparency about ingredients when it comes to dietary restrictions.

I ended up just sipping my water while my companion finished their meal and we went elsewhere afterward to pick up something for me. Our waiters were polite and I appreciate their honesty and helpfulness in clarifying...

Solid Japanese traditional-ish food with generous hearty portions.

The quality of the food justifies the sometimes long lines and put-your-name-on-the-clipboard waiting lists. The pork cutlet donburi is deep-bowled and delicious. Skip the fried oysters.

The favorite of my chow session was easily the Hotaru Special Sushi Roll, which is tempura eel, avocado, "crab" salad, fish roe, and cucumber. The roll is larger than your average bear but is full of flavor and yummy crunchiness.

The ambiance itself shows signs of a once shiny wood finished restaurant evoking a bustling traditional Japanese eatery, but time has taken its toll. Furnishings are frumpy, broken shades in the single, unisex restroom, water glasses are chipped, entire food trays have missing corners.

Overall food is tasty and service is friendly, prompt, and full of smiles.

And fun fact: "hotaru" is Japanese...

The lunch specials are delicious, and are smashing values here. They don't have these for weekends and evenings, which makes Hotaru pricey at those times.

Hand Roll special comes with 2 spicy tuna hand rolls that have whole fish pieces mixed in an actually spicy sauce, plus a bowl of udon or soba, for $7.75. Just one hand roll at other places is already $3, so it's as if you're getting udon for $2.

Kaarage special comes with a plate of fried chicken (6-8 small pieces) over a bed of lettuce, a bowl of miso soup, and 8 pieces of California roll for $7.95. Chicken was perfectly crispy and scorching. Usually, I consider California rolls to be filler items, but here, they stuff the insides with loose shreds of mayonnaised crab meat, along with packing the sushi rice loosely on the outside, which makes it the best I've ever had.

Closes at 2pm on weekdays, takes credit, free...