Bashamichi

Went with a group of 8 for lunch. The fried lotus was incredible. Tempura was good too. Fish was fresh (Sashimi) and the salmon was moist. I would go again.

The place is in an odd location inside a motel. The décor is nothing special, but the food is good, and the service is attentive and welcoming.
We usually order by plate and not the dinners. Beef tongue, yakitori, croquette, onigiri, renkon chips, tempura, agedashi nasu, tonjiru, everything is really good. For those that get lost in that menu, they can also go for the easy dinner options.
They also have a great selection of sake if you like sake.
It’s not fancy, but comfortable, authentic and great for families.
This is our go-​to spot!

steak good. beer good. time good. On a busy saturday night, they were able to fit us in despite calling Broadway Prime and BJs Restaurant. My cousin came in town for a layover and was just a perfect place because it was close to the airport. We ordered a bunch of stuff and even though it was Japanese tapas style, those dishes were not small! Our waitress said we were lucky! The ribeye was nicely proportioned and cooked medium even though requested med-​rare, didnt mind it at all because it still tasted smokey and wasn’t tough. We also ordered the biggest saba shioyaki ever.

I pretty much come here for all of my family special occasions now. My parents also have been coming here pretty often since they opened a few years back as they know the owner. I really enjoyed their lunch on the weekend, but they no longer are open for weekend lunches.
The wagyu tataki is very good quality at around $ 25 a plate. It’s pricey, but when you can afford it, you should give it a try!
Unfortunately I haven’t gotten to try the Wagyu steak yet because it’ll make my wallet bleed, but I’ve heard from my family that it’s very good.
I have tried the regular ribeye steak and although it’s a small portion, it’s very flavorful and the wasabimayo sauce goes very well with it.
The sukiyaki is a pretty good size and can probably feed 2 if you order a few bowls of rice. Make sure to also get a raw egg.
Lately I’ve just been ordering 1 entrée and a bunch of appetizers. I love getting the shrimp tempura and agedashi tofu. The poke salad is pretty good as well. Sashimi is pretty good quality too.
With 1 entrée per person for a party of 4 and a bunch of appetizers the bill came out to about $ 175 after tip.
However, I went with a party of 3 and my father ordered a lot of sake just for himself and the bill came out to be about $ 175 as well.

The hamburger is amazing. There are a lot of unique things you can eat here that you generally only get in Japan.

This place is tuck away from millbrae downtown where most restaurants are, but it is definitely a gem. The food is quite authentic. The people working are mostly Japanese and family owned I think. Food was delicious. We didn’t have wagyu tataki but we did have the sukiyaki dish which was so good. It’s sweet and savory just as I expected. We also the green tea cold soba, highly recommended. Plus other appetizers which none disappoint. The only thing I wish was better were the atmosphere. I wish the place were a bit roomier and not so bright.

My friend brought me here for dinner. She has been here for dunno-​how-​many times. More than what I expected, the food and service were all excellent. The staff was very attentive and cheerful. The food was fresh and delicious.
The homemade sauce impressed me most — the wasabi dressing over the salmon avocado salad, and the teriyaki sauce! I totally understand why my friend keeps coming back now!

Now I don’t give five stars willy nilly like most Unilocalers, so the fact that I’m giving it 5 here speaks volumes.
Bashamichi is a small gem tucked away inside the La Quinta hotel, so don’t expect anything extra bougie like most Japanese restaurants in the city. The food is essentially a Japanese tapas/​shokudo establishment, so no asking for dragon rolls or rainbow rolls here.
Really recommend the Shiro Maguro Takaki and any of the dinner plates, really can’t go wrong. Food so good that I forgot to take photos.

I was looking forward to this place since it got such good reviews.
The portions are really small for the cost.
Anyways I ordered 6 appetizers and the waitress for some reason didn’t like this. (I was planning to do all appetizers for the entire meal since I wanted as much variety as possible. It’s still a lot of money so not sure if that came off as cheap but that’s my choice anyways and the meal came out to 60 $).
Anyways the lady asked if we still wanted the sixth appetizer… Yes? We didn’t say otherwise. So we said yes.
Then she said she thought we already received it when clearly she asked if we still wanted it. Playing the miscommunication card as if I’m stupid and will forget what you clearly said is deserving of one star in my book. Why the attitude? I wasn’t rude and I don’t understand where that came from.
Over rated place and kind of put a downer on an otherwise great Friday night. Good not special and deserving of the stars they have in my opinion and service full of attitude for I don’t know why.

Bashamichi doesn’t disappoint! I’ve been meaning to check this place out since I read about the wagyu here. I got the ribeye and it was delicious. It was a big portion, surprisingly, so it’s a great deal for $ 25. The other dishes are also quite delicious and very authentic. I recommend the gyusuji (stew of beef tendon) and agedashi tofu. There were a couple of other items that I wanted to order but didn’t get to. I guess I’ll have to come back here again!

We were in the mood for some Japanese food and this place showed up during our searches. It is sort of hard to spot if you weren’t looking for it. But totally worth a drop in.
I liked how it has a nice and somewhat Japanese feel to it. The waitress was very nice and helpful in recommending dishes for us to try.
Hits:
— Wagyu beef: super pricey but definitely worth it! The wagyu tasted amazing, so flavourful and has the right amount of lean and fat texture making it seem like the wagyu is almost melting in your mouth. And the sides (garlic, daikon and wasabi) were delicious
— Seared white tuna tataki: tasted very delicious with just the right amount of searing on the outside but still raw and fresh inside
— Sashmi: the sashimi was very fresh and very well presented.
Meh:
— Buta Bara Kushiiyaki (grilled pork belly): it tasted OK, but could be a little better. has good flavours though
While this restaurant is more towards the pricier end, there are a few dishes that were definitely worth trying, even if the portion size is a lot smaller than people are use to (Japanese portion sizes tend to be smaller).

Food is ⁴⁄₅ stars overall but given the value, it gets a bump up to ⁵⁄₅ stars.
Service was ⁴⁄₅. No water refill the entire time, no flexibility on substitutions (frieds for garlic fries) until pushed. But staff was very friendly and that counts for a lot.
Ribeye steak was surprisingly good. Might have had to do soemthing with low expectations. Pretty amazing for $ 25. Now it’s not a _​big_​steak but it’s very nicely grilled and quite juicy. ⁸⁄₁₀
Veggie tempura. For $ 6 you don’t get very much at all. Batter not flaky like a good tempura. ⁴⁄₁₀
Gyoza. Well it’s gyoza what do you expect. Slightly on the greasy side but still tasty. Sauce fine. ⁶⁄₁₀
Grilled rice ball. I didn’t really like it all that much but my wife did. Seems like everyone was raving about it. So okay ⁷⁄₁₀
Garlic fries were tasty but rather salty. Instead of making both of our fries garlic I would have just had one of them done that way. I’d probably order it again. ⁶⁄₁₀
LOVE the fact that there’s tons of free parking in the garage underneath the hotel. This alone gets this place +1 stars.
Décor is very basic. Nice family restaurant. Nothing fancy. ³⁄₅ stars.
Overall, very good value for what you get. We’re totally going to make this a place we come back to again and again. Especially given how close it is to where we are and how convenient parking is.

Very authentic Japanese food! Supreme quality, super friendly service, and CLEAN and TASTY! Also, not expensive at all compared with other Japanese spot in the Bay Area.
I don’t see a reason why people don’t give a five star! Me and my hubby ordered pork belly skewer, grilled hamachi collar, grilled beef tongue, spinach with sesame dressing, and beef sukiyaki~ OMG, every single dish is amazingly good! And have to mention, they serve Lupicia tea which is a luxury Japanese tea brand which is very pure with aroma. Can’t wait to come back!

This place is a little hard to spot unless you are really looking for it. There’s a parking garage under the hotel, which makes parking easy, if you know it in advanced. They have on family room at the far of end of restaurant with the tatami mats and floor cushions. They also have the hollowed out floor so you don’t really have to sit on your knees the whole time. The sliding shoji doors also offer a little more privacy.
Staff was friendly and the food was all very tasty. We tried just about all the dishes on the menu between the 8 of us.
Very typical Japanese food.

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a surprisingly decent find, especially without reservations! …parking is available with the hotel… which saves a walk in the sketchier parts of Millbrae…
We were welcomed upon arrival and presented our table.
Hits:
— Miso Soup
— Very flavorul and the onions definitely made this very tasty… came out lukewarm
though…
— Small Salad
— Light and refreshing. Vegetables were fresh.
— Tamago Yaki
— Decent and fluffy.
— Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura
— Light and fresh pieces. Oil quality used to fry the tempura was good.
— Wagyu Beef Tataki
— Excellent and flavorful! Very marbly and the dipping sauces complemented the dish well.
— Chicken Kar-​Age
— Very fresh and flavorful chicken. .didn’t quite need the sauce
— Gyoza
— Daily special that was also super fresh.
Ok
— Buta No Kakuni
— This one came out slightly over-​cooked.
Service was very good by the staff and Tea is a $ 2 surcharge.
~$ 37/​head after tax and tip for dinner.

Bashamichi was particularly convenient as my brother stayed in the adjoining La Quinta Inn so he can catch an early morning flight. Historically, Bashamichi was an old horse drawn wagon trail in Yokohama Japan. To commemorate this, the owner has appropriately named his eatery Bashamichi, as it is located on El Camino, also a defunct wagon trail. I thought this was an izakaya although it might not be full-​blown. An izakaya should be a little funkier; lights are dimmer, a little more boisterous and livelier and a combination between a bar and a restaurant. In terms of cuisine, it is difficult to pinpoint what Bashamichi’s cuisine truly is except to say it is a hodgepodge of sorts. The lunch format is designed like a teishoku-​ya. It features very reasonably priced business set lunches. In the evening, it morphed into a Steakhouse featuring wagyu beef steaks from Japan with wasabi and grated daikon. Also featured are US prime grade ribeye and sirloin steaks. Lastly, it is portrayed as an izakaya where drinking should be one of their mainstays. It does have a sake bar albeit not as glitzy. It carries a wide range of premium junmai ginjos, junmai daiginjos and shochus. Drinking is not the only area Bashamichi excels in. The ‘pub’ serves tasty, nutritious and affordable small dishes (tapas style) along with the free flowing sakes in an uninhibited and welcoming atmosphere.
We ordered up a storm of small dish delicacies to share and throughout the evening, we had a great time laughing, shooting the shits, drinking and eating. What better way to kick off the cold rainy night than a hearty bowl of Tonjiru ($ 6.50), a traditional soup made with pork and veggies and flavored with miso. The taste was more substantial by adding pork and veggies like gobo (burdock root), daikon and konnyaku (a kind of Japanese potato). For the vegetarian among us, we ordered for her a bowl of Kenchinjiru (Vegetable Chowder $ 6.50). This is a Buddhist temple food, very tasty and nourishing teeming with gobo, daikon, carrot and taro and can be a whole meal. While sipping on the soup, we had an order of Tamagoyaki ($ 4.00) just to nibble. This slightly sweetened Japanese omelet was uniquely made by rolling several layers of cooked eggs and cutting them into rectangular bite-​sized pieces. To counteract the sweetness, we had an order of Goya (bitter melon) Tempura ($ 5.00). Well the bitter melon was not kiddingly bitter but by ‘tempura-​ing’ it, it not only toned down its bitterness but it also showed off the deep-​frying skill of the chef and his delicate usage of a super light batter.
Asari no Sakamushi (sake steamed clams $ 9.00) would be wonderful had the clams been a little plumpier. Clams were naturally flavorful requiring minimal seasonings. Steaming with sake was similar to using wine, accenting the clam’s flavor and aroma.
There wasn’t as much skewer/​yakitori items here, as one would expect from an izakaya. We opted for the lightly salted basic Yakitori ($ 5.00 for 2 skewers), as there were no thigh meat, gizzard, liver, wing or skin. This was disappointing as eating yakitori was part of the fun of going to an izakaya where you need not try to be polite. You can bite into a piece of the meat and aggressively slide it off the stick with your teeth! Coupled with an animated conversation, this somehow added to the flavor. Another grilled favorite of ours was the Ika No Sugatayaki (Grilled whole Squid $ 9.00). It was grilled slowly until crisp outside, and the texture was chewy, tentacles and all. The smoky, strong squid flavor, together with soy and grated ginger, went brilliantly with sake! A good carb accompaniment was Yaki Onigiri ($ 4.00), a grilled rice ball glazed with soy to give the outer layer a perfect crunch.
Finally, instead of milk over cereal, the Japanese pours dashi or green tea or hot water over cooked rice. This was Ochazuke ($ 6.00) and we picked salmon as our condiment. This was not only a filler but it did warm our bodies and souls!
These folks, from the servers to the owner, are by no means amateurs in the Japanese restaurant business. It has an all-​Japanese cast with some Japanese ladies running the front who were hospitable and knowledgeable on the food. Bashamichi may not be the best just yet but it certainly shows good promise.
Gochisosama deshita! (Thank you for the meal)

Great having hibachi style Japanese after a wave of ramen, shabu, and sushi. Don’t waste your time ordering off the dinner menu and just get a ton of appetizers. We probably ordered 12 or so appetizers and it was perfect. My favorite was the agadashi eggplant. Never had that before and it was delightful.
It’s in a hotel, the Laquinta. You can park on the street but there is also free parking in the hotel garage. Its a small place, but it for 8 of us fine, and there is one traditional shoes off table that can probably fit another party of 10.
Not bad. I’d come back.

Came here for lunch one day and was pleasantly surprised. This little place found at the entrance of la Quinta started off by having their fire alarm go off and firemen go through the bathroom? It didn’t affect us and the food was delicious.
FOOD: I ordered the bento which apparently changes every so often. Despite its lack of orthodox items such as tempura and some sort of sushi, it was really good. To start off, their miso soup was really tasty. It wasn’t just super salty, it had a great balance of flavor that I haven’t tasted in years. They had a grilled mackerel that was fresh and cooked perfectly. It has a good char and had a side of radish that complemented the mackerel. There was also a deep fried minced beef cutlet that was absolutely amazing. It had great texture and amazing flavor that went together perfectly with their mustard wasabi. The salad was standard and the only not amazing part was their chikuzen-​ni. It was just stewed chicken with potatoes and carrots. It was okay.
Overall the whole lunch was delicious. They also have complementary green tea for lunch. Definitely coming back for this bento!

With a dire craving for some authentic Japanese steak, we found ourselves driving out to Millbrae to give Bashamichi a try after seeing its few but promising reviews.
Tucked away and connected to the La Quinta hotel, it can be difficult to find parking, but luckily you are able to park in the underground garage of the La Quinta hotel as a patron of the restaurant.
I will admit that the aromas of the japanese bistro are incredibly inviting, however, the food was considerably underwhelming.
We ordered the Seared White Tuna Tataki and Chicken Kara-​Age for appetizer and a Pork Katsu Curry and 4oz of the Satsuma Wagyu for dinner.
Unfortunately, nothing stood out.
Seared White Tuna Tataki — it was decent, seared a bit too much to be honest and lacked the delicate handling that I would expect from an authentic seared tuna dish
Chicken Kara-​Age — didn’t seem like much more than an order of pop-​corn chicken from a milk-​tea shop
Pork Katsu Curry — I love japanese curry… and this was disappointing. The curry was bland and tasteless, the pork katsu was underwhelming and small
SATSUMA WAGYU — What everyone seems to come here for. Yes, it was very tasty, especially paired with the truffle salt. Yes, it is imported from Japan, and yes, I know the quality of Japense beef. However, coming in at $ 12/​oz with a minimum of 4oz, it was really underwhelming and not as impressive as I’d hoped.
In the end, we left hungry and satisfied.
I’ve never put a price on delicious food and am more than willing to spend a good amount on great food. However, with how underwhelming and unimpressive this meal was, it certainly was not worth the nearly $ 100 check in the end.

Came here on a whim, looking for something new to try. And honestly besides Joys down in San Mateo, this was the one of the only other places with ratings that garner legitimate consideration, given that Old Town Sushi is now catering to those we would consider «extremely cheap dates». Or «quantity servings rather than quality hogs».
Just from the aroma and ambiance alone as you walk in. It feels much more welcoming and lively in nature than Mokutanya. The food smells fresh, the prices are generally standard and the lighting makes perfect Unilocal pictures haha.
(No need for exotic meats to garner attention + I can’t stand people who try to up-​sell borderline average food, it would be like letting a Joviis Witness in to your home and allowing them to preach to your kids even though you and your family are Buddhist)
Yes the layout isn’t exactly as trendy in appearance as Mokutanya but at least here you’re paying for your food not the overpriced inanimate eye candy.(ref to their food and their décor)
On to the food. — — — — — — — — –
1.Tuna Poki– Fresh by the cut and light by the taste, the seasonings on the tuna are by no means overpowering, nor are they non existent. Just by the first bite, it did not taste frozen nor did it taste like someone cut up the wrong fish and used it as tuna. By first impressions, Their Tuna Poki is a definite MUST GET. (+2)
2.Prime Beef Rib Eye– It’s roughly a step above benihana except a slightly bigger portion, cooked medium rare, without any scorched dry spots and not overly drizzled in unnecessary sauce. No complaints but not the thing i would order next time. (+1)
3.Coke. It wasn’t flat and the expiration date was no where nearby) (+1)
.
The Restaurant itself provides much more of an Authentic Japanese.
Cuisine feel, and the menu is not overreaching by any stretch of the imagination.
My only 2 gripes with this restaurant was:
1.This place is hard to find if you are driving southbound because it is conjoined to the same building as the hotels so you have to look carefully when you are near by La Quinta Inn i think it was (i could be wrong)…but basically its street parking cause the lot down the street will tow your car without issuing you a ticket or warning…
2. that there was only one server during dinner time, but damn she nailed everyone tables without forgetting or mixing anything up, I was impressed. Wait time was less than 20 mins after ordering even on a full house. (+1)
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Recommendation Stick to the seafood options. Though their Wagyu looks tempting.
Will be Back!