Totoro Ramen

Totoro Ramen is very good for San Mateo standards. It is a good attempt from a non-Japanese ownership. I can tell because I've been going to Japan since the 1990's. We had their chicken karaage $10, black garlic ramen $18 and a tonkotsu ramen $18. The chicken karaage was good because of the light batter, crunchiness and with the two aioli sauces, which made it more delicious. We would order this again in a heartbeat. Although they did give us the oldest wedge of lemon ever with no juice inside. The broth for the ramen were rich and creamy with a lot of depth. The broth flavor was very good for the black garlic ramen and not so much for the tonkotsu ramen. The tonkotsu broth seemed weaker and not well balanced. It was the opposite for the black garlic ramen where two cloves of garlic were on top and tasted divine. As for the noodles themselves, this fell short. It was missing that kansui consistency that I love. Service is as expected for a fast pace ramen restaurant. In terms of ambiance, this might not be the best place to have a conversation. It was loud at dinner time. Not the fault of the restaurant, but the tables are right next to one another. These annoying tech older bros were talking very loud about defunct technologies as if they were still relevant.

Loved our experience here! The food was fantastic and the service was top-notch. * Food: The ramen is delicious and packed with flavor. We got the veggie and curry ramen and would recommend both. Great to see clear vegetarian and vegan options available. * Ordering & Service: You order from a tablet at your table, which is convenient and lets you customize your bowl extensively. The staff is very friendly and our food came out fast. A nice perk is the free hot tea and water you can add to your order. * Price: It's pretty standard for prices these days. You're paying for high-quality ingredients and a great meal. Definitely recommend giving them a try!

Cute little ramen restaurant, tucked away in the Woodlake Shopping Plaza in San Mateo. The Agedashi tofu was delicious and perfectly cooked. The ramen soup broth was tasty and full of flavors, with a well-proportioned amount of noodles and pork slices. Fast and friendly service. Large free parking lot.