Wakuriya - San Andreas

Exquisite kaiseki. This is a teeny tiny place that received its first Michelin star in late 2010. One needs to make a reservation a month ahead there's virtually no room for walk ins. Only two individuals run Wakuriya: Chef Yamasaki San and his wife Mayumi. Together they'll bring you a superb menu of elaborate kaiseki courses only 1 menu per evening, with no choices. This is a special place. One needs to plan ahead.

Wakuriya is UNBELIEVABLE!!. We experienced one of the best (if not the best Japanese meals ever last night…Wakuriya (Crystal Springs shopping center…go figure . A total surprise...Kaseki style...8 delicious courses...not necessarily for kids (too many 'different ingredients ' but undoubtedly some of the most delicate, intriguing and well thought out food we have ever had…who wants to go?

Ok, I'll admit it, Wakuriya only hit our radar after it received its first Michelin star. I have a horrible fault of usually turning a blind eye (with a few exceptions) to anything south of San Francisco, preferring to focus on wine country or Oakland/ Berkeley instead. DD had tried to get reservations before, but had called too late for a birthday dinner. We wish we had gotten to Wakuriya sooner. I'd go every month if we could. Its location is in an nonedescript strip mall called the Crystal Springs Shopping Center. One upside, however, is that this part of San Mateo appears to be quite bucolic, and filled with tall looming Monterey pine trees friends of mushrooms and DD's favourite. It's a tiny place, and reservations appear to be difficult to get, especially for weekends. I followed the advice of one of my Flickr friends and called at midnight a month before the date I desired, leaving a hopeful message. I received a response 3 days afterwards

Wakuriya is definitely one of the finest Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. It is worth a trip if you love Japanese food and haven’t tried this type of cuisine. Although portion size is on the small side, all 9 courses ended up making us quite full.

The word kaiseki derives from 'stone in the bosom ' that refers to ancient Zen monks ' practice of tucking hot stones inside their kimono sash to ward off hunger pangs. Today, it has become an elaborate art form of multi-course culinary ritual that is deepl