Kemuri Japanese Barú

First time trying this place and the ambiance seemed chic and dark lighting. We definitely felt like we were eating at an upper scale restaurant.

The waiter came by immediately and asked if we had any questions on the menu. We ordered the Ikura and smoked salmon Benedict and the Unagi hitsumabushi. Both were delicious! It was a different take on Benedict and we loved they both had crispy rice! There was so much flavor in them. Definitely recommend!

Kemuri offers a pleasant atmosphere for a casual Japanese dining experience. The vibe is modern and inviting, with a focus on sharing plates.

Our server was friendly and attentive. The service was fast, but it would have been nicer if they had not rushed our meal. They served our appetizers along with the entrees, so our entrees were cold by the time we were done with the appetizers.

The food was decent overall, with some highlights and misses. The oxtail udon was a flavorful option. The richness of the oxtail broth complemented the chewy udon noodles. The wagyu steak was melt-in-your-mouth buttery and cooked to a perfect medium-rare. The accompanying garlic rice had a good balance of savory and garlicky flavor without being overpowering.

However, there were a couple of let downs. The uni flan was a bit of a disappointment, lacking the expected umami punch of fresh uni. It fell a little flat on the taste bud. The chicken karaage was okay, but the accompanying sauce was good.

Overall, Kemuri offers a good selection of creative Japanese small plates in a nice setting. While some dishes impressed more than others, the friendly service and decent food make it a three-star experience.

Wow, there were some really impressive dishes here! I have 4/5 stars because the dishes were hit or miss and super pricey, but the ones that hit definitely hit.

Uni flan - amazing and so unique. Must try!
Kemuri ceviche - not my favorite, but loved the presentation with the torch
Shiitake kaarage - tasty but a bit off in texture
Salmon Ikura - tasty but tiny and nothing amazing
Suzuki - loved the pesto flavor
Shishito peppers - prepared well and super tasty
Spicy miso tofu bowl - amazing rice and tofu, but nothing special

We also had some cocktails and soju, which were all great.

Definitely wayyyyy on the pricey side for what it is, but overall I had a good experience and would recommend.

We came for a late Saturday lunch and just made it for last call around 1pm. Our friends had a lot of praise for this spot so we were excited to check it out. Kemuri is a Japanese-inspired bistro with mainly small plates meant to be shared. The menu reminded me of an izakaya and we ended up getting the niboshi oxtail ramen and smoked pork katsu off their lunch menu along with chicken wings to share.

I really liked the smoke tonkatsu which was juicy and crispy without feeling too heavy. The lunch set came with rice, miso soup and salad to make it feel like a full meal. The chicken wings were pretty good as well - they were coated and fried giving it a crispy exterior. The ramen unfortunately was too salty with the anchovy broth and the 2 pieces of chashu that came with it was too lean. With so many great ramen shops around, this one was pretty disappointing.

Came back to Kemuri with more friends -

This. Is. The. Way.

The menu is meant to be explored and shared and I felt like every dish we had was pretty much better than the last!

A highlight of some of the dishes:

1. The smoked poke. It definitely had a prominent smoky flavor and did a really nice job balancing textures with the buttery fish, rich egg, fresh onions, and some leafy greens to pile atop a crispy wonton chip.

2. The fish and chips. I loved the presentation of a fried red snapper on the bone laid atop a generous pile of fried sweet Japanese yams. The fish was buttery and tender with a nice natural sweetness. The fries were sweet but more importantly, sturdy! Definitely not your limp orange sweet potato fry. The ponzu and the yuzu mayo were also very tasty accompaniments!

3. The wagyu over garlic rice. Although the portion size is not the biggest, this dish was not shy with garlic. It was rich and unctuous! The wagyu bites were so tender and only added to the decadence a la Parasite, maybe.

4. Smoked pork katsu. This was a THICK pork chop that was very thoroughly seasoned and then breaded and fried. It was remarkably juicy and tender and I loved the mustard that came with it!

5. Matcha crème brûlée. The bitterness of the matcha paired perfectly with the glassy burnt sugar topping in my opinion! The custard was also impossibly smooth and creamy - a perfect way to end the meal!

We also shared a couple other dishes like the uni chawanmushi (very creamy and good, but honestly could have used more uni or ikura), cauliflower (excellent smoke and crunch), and the agedashi mochi with black cod (the cod l was dreamy!) and everyone had at least one signature cocktail. Price per person this time was about $67 with tip.

This was one of our favorite meals in a while. Kemuri is our current favorite restaurant and I would drive up from South Bay just for a meal there. Highly recommend checking this place out.

Our favorite dishes were the mushroom tempura, spicy chicken wings, and wagyu rice bowl/paella. We thought the unagi sliders were just okay and would love to try other dishes like the garlic fried shrimp and black cod.

Came on a Monday night with friends and was seated immediately. Parking was metered until 8pm, and there was plenty of parking near the restaurant.

We had several cocktails to start the night, and our server gave great recommendations.

There was one dish we wanted that wasn't available, but our server recommended the fish and chips, and that was one of my favorites! The Japanese sweet potato fries were amazing.

Everything was delicious! Beyond expectations! The pork katsu was so tender and not dry. The uni chawanmushi was creamy and savory. Even the friends who don't like uni liked it!

I loved the chill atmosphere when we were there on a Monday evening. Seems like it could get pretty energetic if crowded on the weekend. I definitely need to come back!

If half stars were a thing, I'd give this place 3.5 stars. Nothing was bad, but I feel like the effort to create the fusion vibe takes away from the original dishes they're named after. But I still enjoyed the meal overall.

Uni flan: Although it's described as a chilled chawanmushi, it definitely wasn't that. Flan is a much more accurate description of the texture--creamy but dense. The flavor is also best described as just creamy with no hint of egg (like true chawanmushi). I also couldn't taste much uni in it.

Quattro mushroom tempura: Our favorite dish of the night. The portion size was pretty big for 2 people, but we finished it anyways. Too bad it's seasonal, because I'd go back just for this.

Wagyu & garlic rice paella: This was tasty, but again not really true to paella since it didn't have any crispy socorrat at the bottom. Picture more teppanyaki cooked and then served in a bowl.

Ikura & salmon benedict: A play on traditional Benedict with crispy rice in lieu of the English muffin/biscuit. Hubby really liked this dish because he thought the crispy rice was very unique, but honestly it reminded me of the fixings of just an average salmon poke bowl served with some crispy rice.

Kurogoma ice cream: The black sesame ice cream was delicious, and even though I'm not a huge fan of mochi, I could tell it was good quality and texture.

Genmai tea panna cotta: I really liked the subtle tea flavor the first few bites I had, but the flavor is definitely very mild and was overpowered by our other dessert. Once I had tried the ice cream, I could no longer taste the panna cotta so I wouldn't recommend mixing the 2.

If you do come here, I recommend coming with a group so you can try a variety of things.

Came here for the first time with one of my closest friend. The restaurant is located in the heart of the capital of Redwood City. It has plenty of parking in the area so it is never an issue. When we arrived our table reservations were ready and were immediately seated. The restaurants ambiance is chill and vibrant. They have a nice bar and excellent looking cocktails and food menu.
The servers were friendly and the bar tenders are on point. We elected to try a few drinks from their cocktail
Menu and decided on a few items from their chef choice. We didn't wait long to be served our drinks and foods by our warm and friendly server Nissan. The drinks were fantastic and the food was just absolutely delicious! Overall we had a fun night chatting and enjoying the company of my friend while we enjoyed the excellent service and food and beverages of Kemuri. Will definitely return for more!

If there's any way to describe Kemuri, it would be Japanese tapas with a western flair.

Because the dishes were tapas-sized, my friends and I were able to share SO many dishes:

Appetizers/Entrees
* Octopus Carpaccio Salad - A great dish to get for the octopus-lovers!
* Crispy Chicken Karaage - Juicy and with the perfect amount of crispiness! The chicken pieces could've been cut smaller though.
* Smoked Poke - A good mix of fresh and smoky flavors. Its an interesting spin on your traditional poke.
* Atsuage Tofu and Veggie Tempura - The veggie choices were interesting. Although different, I prefer the traditional veggie tempuras.
* Unagi Paella - Crispy, delicious, and unique. This is more on the slightly salty side but its one you can't get anywhere.

Desserts
* Panna cotta - The flavors fell flat for me. The texture was great though!
* Mochi - My favorite between the two desserts. The mochi with the ice cream created a good balance between the different textures and flavors.

This location has limited seating so I'd recommend making a reservation. Even with a reservation, my friends and I had to wait a bit.

As for parking, there is plenty of street parking and some lots around the corner as well.