Dash Japanese Tapas and Sushi

"Decent spot in san Mateo downtown for Japanese food with a creative twist. The ambiance was good and service was a tad slow. We enjoyed most of the dishes. However there is one dish that completely ruined our experience. Their chanko nabe hotpot had absolutely no flavor. The soup was so bland it felt like they forgot to add seasoning. It honestly was like eating chicken and veggies that’s boiled in plain water. I usually don’t like very heavy flavors and even I found it hard to eat because of the blandness. The meat (wagyu slices and chicken) were both overcooked and really hard to chew. We had to add soy sauce ourselves as they didn’t provide any dipping sauce. Recommend their tapas - the tamagoyaki and peach shirome were both really good."

"First time here. Ordered two types of nigiri and both were underwhelming, don't know if it was a one off incident. The rice was not properly sticking to the nigiri piece, and fell apart as soon as we picked them up. The nigiri slices were very thin too. The shishito was decent and you can't really go wrong with it. The aburi saba was decent and nothing special. The good ones were the ika-uni and the baked scallops tapas but too tiny portions. price point was high for everything given the quality in general was average . I would not be overly eager to return."

"Very cute place for sushi in a casual setting. We ordered a bunch of appetizer and they were both aesthetically beautiful and tasty. Highlights were the Dash Taco for visuals and Cartilage Karage for taste. For sushi, we ordered the crunchy roll and the sakura roll. The former was really good but the latter was a bit disappointing. Overall great food, service, and price - would come back again."

"5/21/23: Another excellent meal. Tried the Seared Tataki Tacos, on a deep fried bed of seaweed. Tasted great, but hard to handle. Also tried the Tataki Bruschetta, topping is great, but would prefer a thinner can crispier piece of bread. Still loving the Crunch Roll, and Nigiri was also excellent. Prior: Super fresh and tender sushi, attentive staff, and unique TAPAS, are the reasons for NEEDING to visit this establishment. Julie greeted us at the door, and were seated immediately (Wed, 5pm). Physical menus were presented when we asked (QR photo below), drinks and Edamame were served immediately. There are 2 seating areas inside, making it the areas feel cozy and inviting. Even the traditional simple sushi choices felt upscale relative to most places I've eaten. The chef does an exceptional job of putting his special twist on nearly everything served. Our Sake, Unagi sashimi was quite fresh and tender. Even California Rolls were delicious. The Crunch Roll will now be my 'goto Roll' here at Dash, awesome. We also asked got an order of Julie's favorite Tapas, the Baked Baby Scallop. It wasn't our favorite, but it presented really well. Hope to try the Ahi Tuna Bruschetta next time. It's hard to show restraint when ordering since everything looks so good. 5+ Stars for this sushi/tapas restaurant. Already looking forward to my next visit."

"If you're looking for an authentic and casual Japanese tapas and sushi experience in San Mateo, look no further than Dash. we had the pleasure of dining here recently, and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. First and foremost, the sushi is incredibly fresh and delicious. Each piece of fish is expertly prepared and served with just the right amount of wasabi. But what really stood out to me were the tapas. The variety of options is impressive, and each one is bursting with flavor. I particularly enjoyed the Iku Uni Himo which was elevated by a few drops of white truffle oil. It was a unique and delicious dish that I would definitely order again. The staff were also a pleasure to interact with. They were friendly and attentive, and made sure that our dining experience was top-notch. The atmosphere of the restaurant itself is cozy and inviting, with warm lighting and tasteful decor. Overall, I would highly recommend Dash. Don't miss out on this gem of a restaurant!"