Kobeya — Restaurant in San Mateo

Cute little place on a single street with lots of fantastic little stores/restaurants, Kobeya offers 7 versions of their "Kobeya curry", including tonkatsu curry, chicken katsu curry, gyoza curry, vegetarian, and even a curry-only option in a bowl without rice. The curry was OK; not too salty, but not very flavorful either. I had the chicken katsu, and the katsu was crisped well. They also have several options of simple sushi rolls for those not in the mood for curry, and a vegetarian menu too. However, don't expect any fancy rolls, bento boxes, udon, etc.; this place has a relatively simple menu. The prices are also low; $5-8 for most of their entrees. The eating area in the restaurant is small and bare/simple in its decor, but clean and bright. The plates and plastic cups were also very simple, akin to what is typically seen in a cafeteria. The service on a Saturday afternoon was not great -- we had to refill our own water, and napkins were not given to us (I felt this is a notable mis-step given that curry can get a little messy and stain-y).

Food: 3/5 Service: 2/5 Ambience: 4/5

Verdict: A cute place if you're looking for simple, straightforward Japanese curry that won't break the bank. Could work on service and making the curry taste a bit...

Nice place and chicken curry, but we paid before we sat down and I did not tip since I didn’t receive any food or service yet. The lady at the front asked if I was going to give tip and suggested if I wanted takeout instead of eating in which confused me, but I realized that she was pushing for tips, which left an awkward air after purchasing the food. Tips are always an optional offering from the customer. As a business owner, if you ask or push for tip, you are essentially shaming and bribing the customer into giving you tip in exchange for the service. No customer wants to be treated like this. If you want tips next time, give the check AFTER people are sat down and served food like any other sit down place, or just make prices higher. Other than that, the chicken katsu curry was pretty good! The chicken was very crispy and the curry had a nice umami that was a bit less strong than other curries I’ve tried...

UPDATED REVIEW: Taking my review down a few notches. They served me noodles that were different than those pictured on the menu. I asked the manager (?) why I didn't get these noodles (but other patrons in the restaurant did). She initially refused to give us the pictured noodles saying that I didn't ask specifically for these noodles when ordering. I am not sure why I need to ensure that I ask for every item that they picture in their menu. She finally relented.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Good food at a good value. Dining room is OK. Parking on 25th can be a bit challenging but...