Totoro Ramen — Restaurant in San Mateo

Amazing food at an amazing price point. The service at this new restaurant was completely above and beyond. To start, the tablet service to order food was very seamless; when prompted, the waiter would immediately be there to address any concern, to which there were none. Once the order was made on the tablet, the food arrived with haste. The ramen was especially stunning, although I do like my eggs a little on the runnier side. The broth was so smooth, not to salty and had all the distinct flavor profiles of a house broth. The pork was very tender to my surprise, and the noodles had that insatiable bite that had me coming at it again and again, until the bowl was empty. The rice bowl was very good as well, the price point of it is the main attraction there. One small concern with the usage of the tablet system is how it impedes on the dining experience, especially because the space is already so small in terms of square footage, having the tablet mounted over the table impedes upon the dining experience, especially when it is a on a table for a party of two. But in hindsight, the arm of the tablet can easily be adjusted so I don’t think it is a concern at all. I think this restaurant really takes an interesting twist on instead of using technology to make eating alone easier, it chooses to make the social aspect of eating easier, as you no longer have waiters breathing down your neck, but when they are required for a quick refill of tea, they are right there (without much ado). This place got off on the right foot and it contributes a much needed unique flair to the newly renovated Woodlake Shopping Centre. I highly encourage anyone, whether you're on a budget, or frequent the likes of Espetus to try this place, you will not...

Excellent ramen restaurant! Probably one of the best in the Bay Area in my opinion. Food and service are fantastic! Yuri and Ryota were both kind, considerate, quick, and caring to make our dinner a wonderful experience. Food is delicious and quick.

Highly recommend!

I wish it were closer to San Jose!

Parking can be a bit tight sometimes, but not terrible.

Tip: if eating with kids, keep them away from the ordering screen so they don't accidentally order items 😅

Update: back again and food and service were impeccable. If you like rich, fatty pork chashu, I think Totoro's must be the best we've had in the Bay. Ryota was a wonderful server and the kitchen was QUICK to turn around the whole order, following all "instructions" perfectly.

Another pro tip: coordinate coming here on your way to or...

Everything was great, except the dessert. This was my first visit. I ordered the takoyaki and tonkatsu ramen. Both were very tasty, although the takoyaki balls were smaller than I anticipated. The ramen was very enjoyable. My only complaint is the dessert. I ordered the mochi which is advertised as 4 pcs. This would normally be interpreted as 4 pieces of mochi. I was unfortunately disappointed. They serve only TWO mochi balls and cut them into quarters. Tasty ice cream, but not worth the almost $5 for two pieces. They also add whipped cream and some chocolate drizzle to make it fancy. Neither of which was mentioned and I didn't need it. If anything the chocolate drizzle made it slightly less enjoyable. To each his own. I just wish they would accurately advertise what they...