So tonight I’m sitting at home and I’ve got this craving for Japanese food again. However, this time I want some ramen. It’s been months since I had a good bowl. But I don’t feel like driving all the way to San Francisco or to Berkeley…<\/p>\n
Early this year I was on a mission to find ramen as good as the stuff I ate in Japan and in SoCal (Ebisu, how I miss you). With the help of www.yelp.com<\/a> (I love that website—-if you live in the Bay Area you MUST try it) I was able to locate quite a few good ramen restaurants in the Bay Area. Like Santa, Ryowa, Tanpopo, and Gen to name a few.<\/p>\n Tonight I wouldn’t mind going to Santa in San Mateo, but man that wait just isn’t worth it. And let’s just say that the restaurant was built for midgets, not Tom Bissells. Let’s see here, I’ll just fire up my web browser and go to Yelp! again to see what the locals have to say… Himawari in downtown San Mateo, eh? Sounds good, I’ll try it. Within minutes I’m out the door with some directions and a purpose.<\/p>\n West on 92 across the bridge, north on 101, take the 3rd St. exit, and there you are—-downtown San Mateo. Only 17 miles from my house. What a nice area it is, too. I mean *really* nice. Almost too nice. The whole area is squeaky clean and just *reeks* of money. No graffitti, no trash on the street, no cracks in the sidewalk, everything is new, and all the people look like yuppies.<\/p>\n I immediately see the parking garage and take the first spot. I walk outside and whoomp, there it is: corporate America. Starbucks, Noah’s Bagels, and Jamba Juice—-boom boom boom, all three right next door to the other. OK, that’s not my scene, but it’s all good. I noticed quite a few businesses I wouldn’t mind checking out on the drive through downtown to the parking garage. So I walk two blocks and can’t help but notice the plethora of Japanese restaurants—-mostly Americanized sushi joints. But I want ramen, and I’m looking for Himawari. Oh look, there it is…<\/p>\n Wow, this place is fancy. Meh. Jazz on the stereo? I take a seat at a Japanese sized table (read: way too small for me) and order my favorites—-Kirin Ichiban on draft (bonus points), gyoza, and cha shu ramen. My beer arrives quickly and is very cold. The waitress brings my gyoza (which was excellent, much better than Ryowa’s) and a steaming bowl of cha shu men (Soy flavored ramen with extra pork slices). It’s so good and I’m starving so I wolf it down, barely pausing to savor the awesomeness of the food. Wow, that was really good. A little too expensive though. I think Ryowa in Berkeley is still my favorite ramen. Time for a walk.<\/p>\n It’s a good feeling, exploring an area that feels safe, you know? Downtown San Mateo is such a place. I spent a good two hours walking up and down all the streets, and in and out of all the bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs, bistros, and the like. Let me tell you, this place is cool. A little too yuppy for my taste, I feel more comfortable in places where chicks dress like it’s 1950 and the guys have arms covered in tats, but whatever. I like downtown San Mateo and I’ll definitely be back.<\/p>\n Here now… some stuff that I found: I’m sure I missed a lot. There’s no way I can find everything in just two hours. That said, I did see enough to know that downtown San Mateo should be the next location of the next Expedition of the Drinkin’ With Dave Podcast<\/a> All Star Drinking Team.<\/p>\n
\nA pool hall in an old bank building
\nTwo “lounges” (you know, places with chill music, martinis, and comfortable couches)
\nO’Neill’s Irish Pub, which had the best nook in all of downtown San Mateo
\nTwo other Irish bars, can’t remember their names
\nA greek food joint in a hole in the wall, looked and smelled delicious
\nL&L Hawaiian BBQ
\nTwo sports bars, one for yuppies, and one for me
\nAn Internet cafe with free wi-fi
\nA movie theater
\nLots of Chinese and Indian food restaurants
\nA Spanish-Peruvian food restaurant with fantastic atmosphere
\nSeveral Mom ‘n’ Pop coffee houses
\nA Japanese knick knack store
\nLots of Italian\/Pizza restaurants<\/p>\n