Yakitori Kokko

Wasn’t sure what to eat in this town so I randomly decided to come here and I’m sooo happy I did! This place had very nice ppl working there who helped me with the menu. If you are wondering what to get let me help you out!!! Get the lamb chops, get the fried calamari and get the beef kabobs with salt and with sauce!! Only thing I didn’t like was the crab cream cakes. Tasted weird. But the fried chicken was good and also the mushrooms were decent nothing special. Music was good as well. I will be coming back here and recommend this place to all of you!!

A cozy hole-in-the-wall yakitori restaurant that I wasn't expecting to stumble upon. It's not a big place and it sure is popular, so reservations are definitely recommended. It's on the other side of the Caltrain tracks, away from the general hubbub of downtown San Mateo, but well worth the quick walk there. The staff is friendly and the service is quick. The menu consists largely of typical Japanese skewers offerings, plus an assortment of izakaya-style small plates. I ordered two rounds of various dishes and each item was brought out when it was ready... literally hot and fresh off the charcoal grill in the back. And nothing like a chazuke (rice in tea) to finish off a yakitori/izakaya meal. Oh, and a dessert too, of which they have a few options.

One of my favorite Japanese spots in the Bay. Known for their yakitori, they don’t disappoint on other fronts with a delicious roasted duck topped with jalapeños or their black sesame tan tan men ramen. The broth was incredibly flavorful but don’t hesitate to add a little more chili 🌶 oil to the tantanmen for extra spice.

I really enjoyed Kokko's Yakitori dishes. It was a little cold with the outdoor winter seating under the heat lamps, but i forgot all about that when the food started to come. I tried the Hokke Karaage special and it was perfectly crispy and flavorful. The skewers i tried were the Pork Sausage (essentially little hot dogs), the Kalbi, and the Gyutan (beef tongue) which was by far the best one.

Have heard great things about Kokko. Made a reservation on the day of and got a less than ideal table (would highly recommend the outdoor seats over the others). Nonetheless, managed to try the food which was moderate to highly priced depending on what you ordered. The skewers like the tsukune and momo was good with a good marinate. The calamari had a light batter and was tender. Wish the menu was more extensive and would include more items.

Oyakudon - very disappointed. Lack flavor. With more mirin and sea weed may be better. Chicken thigh yakitori - good. Pork belly - too fat, not tender enough. Usually with enough fats, it should be tender. Not in this case. Pork neck - chewy. Don't like. Quail eggs - very good. Texture and flavor is very good. Must try. Scallop - best yakitori in my opinion. Very flavorful. Must try. Croquette - Tasty. Crispy. Not bad. Clam soup - The best! Must try. Yuzu dip - very good! But a little bit spicy.

Good variety. Love that I can just order by number of skewers straight on the menu. Things I liked included the gizzards, kalbi with sauce, chicken hearts, shishito peppers, tongue, scallops, and oyster mushrooms. I thought the shiitake was undercooked. The quail eggs were a little over. Eggplant and tofu Agedashi was wonderful.