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Hamon Washoku
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Tue-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
20 reviews for Hamon Washoku
This was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had, and hands down, the best Japanese dining experience I've had. We came for dinner a few weeks back, you must sit at the sushi bar, that's where everything happens. When you walk into the space, you feel like you are no longer on Laurel Street, I felt like we were actually in Japan. I've been there so I can say that. :-)
During our couple hour dining experience that night, a few people who were just walking along Laurel looking curious, they were invited in by the nice, gorgeously dressed traditional kimono-clad waitresses, to come in through the 14 foot high wooden door and check out the place. They didn't eat, this time around, but everyone was in awe over the space, it's breathtaking. From the 14 foot high wooden door to the black rock high walls, down to the simplistic yet elegant restroom, to the simple lines of the restaurant.
So, enough about the decor, onto the food and people. We had the $55 omakase which is like a 6 course meal, chef's choice. The chef is very spritual and takes his food seriously, working hard on the balancing of flavors and colors on each and every plate that is served. This comment about Chef doesn't do him any justice, but I'm trying to put it into tangible words for the reader to understand. For their own thoughts on the place, check out their website.
You have to come here with the mentality that you aren't coming for a 45 min meal of chicken teriyaki. This is for the hard core foodie whom, hopefully, is coming for the whole traditional Japanese cuisine experience. If the chef isn't busy, he might even explain to you his thoughts on how all the flavors and color combos on your plate go well together. I sat right in front of ALL the various dishes they had stacked up, they had a lot. Like a traditional Japanese place, they change out their dishware depending on the seasons. So since this month was about the cherry blossom, more than a few of my dishes came out on cherry blossom-themed dishware. The Japanese always pay close attention to all the details.
I did leave full, but this isn't a place where you go to fill up on lots of rice and plate lunch. I didn't write each course down but I think it started with a soup, some tofu custard, grilled salmon skewer, sashimi, some other meals, and then ended with a lightly sweetened gele with red bean and really sweet melon cubes. I thoroughly enjoyed every course I had. The sushi was some of the freshest I've ever tasted. My favorite is toro and it was to die for!!! I kindly begged my friend for her share. I had other pieces of sushi from fish I hadn't heard of, this place gets the VIP choice of sushi.
I didn't have any alcohol but I am sure they have a good assortment of sake. One couple sitting near us at the sushi bar had just gotten there and ordered a chilled sake. It came in this pretty, clear glass decanter with a hole in it which they placed a single, live pink flower in it. It was just like pure art.
The chef makes these dishes look very simple and taste very true to nature. But the secret is that that takes A LOT OF WORK! Maybe some of the reviewers didn't get that since they thought the food had a bland taste and look. For example, they had spices I've never seen before like mountain spice or herbs and their miso broth took like days to prepare, it wasn't just from a quick mix you buy at Marina.
If you have the money and are intrigued to experience what an omakase, traditional Japanese meal would taste like in Kyoto or Osaka, Japan without leaving the Peninsula, you should come here and experience it for yourself. I had a great time and would come back again. Bring a friend or a date so you can sit at the sushi bar and take it all in, the taste, smell, experience watching the guys in the kitchen creating all the magic.
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My husband and I ate here months ago and were rather disappointed. We thought it looked neat, so tucked away that we almost missed it. I was excited at a new Japanese restaurant opening on Laurel since the existing restaurants are not spectacular.
The food at Hamon Washoku was definitely delicious and well-presented, and although I have never had authentic Japanese food in Japan, I would imagine it would be something like this. The portions were tiny and extremely expensive. We ended up going somewhere else afterwards since we were both still hungry but unwilling to add to our already high (without alcohol) bill.
For us, the value was just not there. We paid a lot of money for very little. High class places especially should leave you satisfied at the end of the meal, not still hungry. That was the bottom line, and we never came here again.
Sadly, I tried to make reservations for dinner here the other night and the woman on the phone told me that they were closing down. I don't know the details but it looks like San Mateo lost a great Japanese restaurant. I noticed J. U. wrote a review stating that they are still serving food, as they are closing but we were turned away when I tried making reservations, maybe they are just taking walk ins... Ill go in person instead of calling in and make an update... and if they are open stop on by!!!
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From the ashes of Laurel Street Cafe comes another player in the resurgence of downtown San Carlos. All the somewhat sub par showings of Japanese food in the area now have something to worry about, the pattern of the blade. Unrecognizable from the crepe place it once was, the space has been transformed into a sleek, dark expression of Japanese serenity. The facade is mysterious and it opens up into the dark wood tables of the first half of the restaurant. The back is the kitchen and the coveted counter space where you get to interact with the staff. As we came for our reservations, we were asked where we wanted to sit. Counter of course!
As we waited in the staging area for our seats, every single one of the wait staff made sure that we knew our place was being setup. Talk about attentiveness. We hadn't even ordered yet. Once we made out way to the counter and received the menus, I got to talking to one of the four chefs. Would there be an omakase selection available? The head chef came over and asked us how far we would like to take it. $50? $100? $300? Since my friend had not "gone the distance" in marathon meals with me before, he was worried but the head chef said, "let's do 50".
After ordering the Omakase, our server brought over a platter of what was going to be the appetizer special. Hell let's throw that in too and a 300ml Sake to boot. As the night progressed, our meal came as follows:
Amuse Bouche
-Unagi rolled in tamago (cut like a star)
Appetizer:
-Lotus root slices
-Japanese eggplant with Japanese mountain yam
-Shishito pepper with sesame sauce
-Bamboo rolled in Bonito flakes
Omakase:
-Crab soup with Kombucha squash mochi filled with black sesame
-Skewered taro balls dusted with Matcha powder with miso paste
-Sashimi assortment: Hirame, Hirame fin,Maguro, Tai, Tako, fresh wasabi
-Hiyayakko Tofu topped with carrot, cucumber, azuki bean, wasabi/daikon mix
-Kuruma Ebi cooked in flambeed sweet soy/sake with ebi miso paste
Everything was delicious. There were some dishes that were better than others but still solid across the board. The service to complement was outstanding. Everyone was affable both front and back of the house. Sitting at the counter gave us the benefit of both entertainment and insight into the food. From what I could gather, everyone came from other Japanese establishments, except for one chef who was from CCA. At the end as the chefs and staff were enjoying sake and beer, I got to try a Japanese Coffee Stout (awesome!) and joined in on on a toast of their first few days in business. Tons of items that were on the menu, that we saw in passing to other patrons, and with the friendliness of the staff, you can bet I'll be back to try those things I missed. 4.5 stars
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The food was tasty, but the overall experience was a bit lacking. The highlights from our mid-priced omakase meal included some amazingly fresh sashimi and a mackerel dish cooked in a wonderful rich and flavorful miso-y broth. The egg custard with mushrooms and snapper was interesting in texture, but lacked complexity in flavor. The desserts were a piece of almond jello and red bean jello, lacking in sweetness (and I don't need much sugar to make me happy), and a bit of a letdown.
Unfortunately, it took nearly an hour for the first portion of our meal to arrive. After a while, every time the waiters brought food towards us, I would watch them eagerly only to have my hopes dashed as they served other tables nearby. On the other hand, they were attentive when it came to filling our drinks, so it's not like we had been completely forgotten. It seems they might still have some kinks to work out with the kitchen and pacing of the courses.
For the price point, I was hoping for a similar experience with respect to food and service as you would get during, say, a kaiseki meal at Kaygetsu. I don't know if I would necessarily do omakase again, but I would go back to try their sushi Sunday (the sashimi was really good, after all) and perhaps order a la carte.
The food is 5 stars and the value/price is 3 stars.
Hubby & I went there tonight and ate off the a la carte menu. We ordered octopus vinegrette from the cold menu, and the eel & egg soup and ducklin from the hot menu.
My favorite was the ducklin. They brought out a couple of hot charcoal coals in a pottery container and a wire mesh on top for cooking the ducklin. It was reminiscent of Korean BBQ but on a much smaller scale.
I would stay away from the sparking juices. I had the sparking orange and it had an overwhelming artificial sweetener taste.
Although the food is great, the portions are small and the prices are high, making this a very expensive meal that is most appropriate for special occasions.
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We had the Omakase
All though the Sushi was very fresh the cooked dishes seemed to lack polish and finish. As a previous poster stated they tasted bland. I would more say that all had a very delicate taste to them.
The waiter had no clue what he was serving. Everything coming out of his mouth seemed to have a wrong description than what he was serving us.
I asked the waiter to describe the different beers they had to offer and all he could come up with is they tasted different... Oh really?
To my surprise I ran into the waiter while I went to the restroom. He was mopping the floor. Perhaps serving food is not his specialty =)
Also we all ordered the same beer and each glass had a different smell to it like perhaps the glasses were not washed properly. I explained that my beer had a fishy smell to it like it was not properly washed and he was reluctant to taking it back to get me another beer.
In short Sushi was good and the Cooked Dishes were average at best.
This is a very unique place. There isn't a restaurant like it anywhere on the Peninsula, as far as I know.
Every two weeks, the menu is changed. This is not your typical Japanese restaurant. The offerings are very eclectic, and the sushi that is offered is what is fresh and on-hand at that moment.
I don't have a menu to refer back to, so I can't comment on the individual dishes. However, over all it was a very interesting and tasty experience eating here. The prices are rather expensive, but if you want unusual Japanese food for a special occasion, I would definitely recommend Hamon Washoku. The place is rather small (it used to be Laurel Street Cafe), so come early or on a less popular night to ensure that you get a table.
This place is first class, authentic Japanese cuisine. The ambience and service are unbelievable. Amazing sake selection. Be prepared to drop at least a Benjamin though.
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This place is a gem, a truly devoted practitioner of traditional japanese cuisine is running this restaurant. My wife and I have been here three times and we have been thoroughly impressed.
I could go on and on about the decor, food quality, service, etc. It may be one of them most impressive places I have found in the bay area, in my opinion.
OUT OF BUSINESS - great example of when a business is actually of a higher quality than a market can bear, price point I don't think could be supported by people in the area for food that I frankly think they didn't understand or appreciate...
I went there with a friend last week. The place is super narrow, almost like a tunnel, dark inside with dark wood paneled walls. It has only 3 tables and about 8 seats at the bar. Good thing we made reservations ahead of time. Both my friend and I agreed that the place looked very urban and I was pleasantly surprised to find such decor in San Carlos.
The bar was definitely a place to be as we watched all the magic happen. We had a plum and mint sushi roll, which was very yummy and unexpected. We also split a piece of flounder over egg custard in some seasoned broth. The flavor was very subtle, but pleasant. Then both my friend and I ordered grilled duckling, because we both love duck so much! It was very different from the way duck is prepared at Chinese restaurants. No crispy skin and no big chunks of fat. I really enjoyed it. If you order your item as a dinner option, you also get soup (for us it was mild broth with mushrooms), a small side item (a marinated piece of fish). We also got complimentary dessert, which I wasn't sure if it was part of the dinner menu.
The guys behind the bar were very friendly and entertaining, but did not intrude on our conversation.
I'm giving this place 4 starts because it has taste, class and it creates a nice experience. However, it is quite costly, so save it for special dinners with friends.
They offer some sort of traditional Japanese cuisine. But I found it bland and thoroughly unexciting. And it was very expensive to boot. If you grew up on this kind of food, I think you are in for a treat. If you are an culinary adventurer looking for that next new thing, you will probably have to devote time, multiple meals and a $1000+ to develop an appreciation for this style of food. It is not going to reveal its charms to you in one visit. If you are your average diner, forget it. There is nothing here for you.
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I was honored to be invited to a private tasting to this wonderful new restaurant on Laurel Street. Incredible! It's not like your typical Japanese restaurant. The place itself has a zen-like feeling with warm, dark tones and a relaxing ambiance. The food was delicious and artfully presented. The whole experience was unique! This place is a great addition to downtown San Carlos.
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If the miso-marinated wagyu beef is on the menu (which will change every two weeks to take advantage of seasonal ingredients)--ORDER IT. You grill it yourself over tiny, glowing embers, and with grilled scallions and oyster mushrooms eaten with tapered chopsticks it is a delicate, ultra-savory dish. It ain't exactly filling, but !@#$ it's good.
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Stellar.
The definitive Kaiseki destination for the adventurous, be prepared for the razor sharp savory and visual stimulation of the joyride that is Hamon.
By nature, kaiseki is difficult to review, on the single note that every adventure is different. Even during a single dining session, different patrons may receive different assortments of cuisine which may shock many, but is precisely the point of such personal and masterful dining ingenuity.
Portions are always small, as they are supposed to be, in the precision world of caviar and uni. No big box bentos here.
And do let your host pair your dining experience with their endless variety of daiginjo sakes. If you're lucky, they may even offer separate carafes for different blends of sake to suit each specific course of your kaiseki experience.
Try as I might, I have failed you. It's as if describing the motion of vapor through air, as that is the euphorically lifting experience you will find in the hands of Hamon.
So worthy in fact, that I would dub Hamon... Osho 2.0.
But those in the know, already know that.
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Having lived in SF & Mountain View (and Japan briefly), I have been quite frustrated with the Italian / American / Mediterranean only restaurants of San Carlos. So needless to say, I was very excited for Hamon to open. I was a bit worried that food might be more pretty to look at than enjoyable to eat but was hoping my yummy experience from Wakuriya would be repeated. Unfortunately, it was more form over function (and sometimes taste). Having said that, I'm still giving it 4 stars (wavered b/w that and 3 stars) because I'd like it to survive and would go back again for an upscale happy hour for the beer & couple of small dishes. Too expensive and not consistently good to make a meal out of it.
We had 4 dishes and 2 beers b/w 2 people. I'd order 2 of the dishes again. We're not sashimi eaters so couldn't comment on quality of raw fish. I'm not at all a beer drinker but I enjoyed both beers because didn't taste like beer to me. Dark ale (liked better) tasted like crisp autumn cider. White ale tasted perfumey to me but in an ok way.
We ate:
Snapper in sesame tofu
Even though we're not big raw fish eaters, this was quite yummy & our favorite dish. Fermented soybeans really rounded out the flavor
Pumpkin dumplling
It's like a pumpkin croquette in soup. Good although flavor slightly too mild.
MA-DAI SHIRO AE MUSHI -- Steamed snapper w/ puree tofu
Liked the puree tofu (slighly sour) although overall only ok tasting
DO BIN MUSHI -- Steamed tea pot w/ hamo eel, matsutake
Did not have much flavor. To boot, eel was slightly grainy & had small bones in it
On form over function, seats at bar (half the restaurant) are too close together & awkward for serving/removing food. Serving dishes are also very small and hard to get at the food.
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How is it that my review doesn't show up on Hamon Washoku's review page anymore? How much did they pay Yelp to take it down? Very disappointed in both parties... I'm just thankful this horrendous restaurant is finally closing.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/20/2009
I should have taken its outward appearance as a warning, as its narrow exterior is literally wedged… Read more »
20 seats only!! this will be an interesting restaurant...cant wait to try it out. It is said that the chef has a red belt in chopping...several years in the making and now a "master"...looking forward to trying this place out.
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First it's really pricey for the small portions.
Second it's on the bland side. Very bland actually.
Third my stomach hurt afterwards. I had to run out of the restaurant and have my husband drive home like mad. I'm not blaming the restaurant and the food they served. Joe seemed unaffected by it. Just temporally it seems like a coincidence. That's all I'm saying.
I wanted to like it. I really did since I love authentic Japanese food. And it's so pretty. Also the smallness of it makes me think of the nyc restuarants that I miss. They have over 50 types of plates/dishes to display the food. So many that the sushi chefs have to ask the head chef which plate goes with which food. He's very particular about which plate goes with which food. The food is so pretty but I wish it tasted as good as it looked. Maybe my husband and I ordered poorly but we won't be trying it again.
Exciting new addition, city-like ambiance and the little we ordered was tasty...but it needs a little help. Here goes...we get this is not a "sushi place"...but what is it exactly? I appreciate the friendly greeting, but we would have preferred a waiter that asked us if we had been there before and upon hearing that we hadn't, he would take a minute to explain the entrees, how one should order and why everything was made with snapper. At the prices they are charging and the minimalist descriptions, we are not encouraged to be"adventurous" ...we are eager to try new...but we are also hungry and not interested in reading an essay on the restaurants' philosophy. I sound tough, but I want them to survive. It is a gorgeous restaurant and the owner seems lovely and is attentive. SO help us enjoy your restaurant....so that we don't leave hungry and head over to Speederia Pizzeria for a slice like we did tonight.
