Happen to stop by after my haircut next store. Owners said it is good. Food was great. Fresh, tasty. Very good service. All ordering is automated. We had spam masubi and a pastry. Need to go back for the sandwiches.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nancy Ding-Manning
High quality Hojicha pudding! A must try!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kayla Pedersen
So cute, and such a lovely atmosphere. The food is delicious and has cute plating, too. Nice employees. I love it here! The prices are a little on the high end but thats to be expected for the area, and very worth it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eddie Lee
Great little bakery in the area! All the bread is delicious. I wish they opened either earlier or later so I could get bread before/after work :(
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tanya Birch
Tonkatsu quesadilla, pan, and cat shaped bread are so good. Great hot drinks. Amazing little corner Japanese bakery, in Belmont!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Anpan, Tonkatsu Burrito, Spam Egg Rice and Seaweed
Tasha H.
This cafe is like going to your favorite aunt or grandmas house who is really good at cooking and baking. There is a menu but it seems more like they make what they want and sell what they have - feels very quaint and homemade Tonkatsu sandwich - big pork cutlet with a squishy bun and a generous portion of finely shredded cabbage. Yummy and crispy, pork was a touch dry. Matcha cornet was delicious, great flavor w the cream and nice soft cornet Melon pan - did not get much melon fragrance and felt a bit dry/stale, but great crisp sugar top. There's some chocolate inside the bread which I did not expect.
Wook Chung
It is remarkable that an authentic Japanese bakery exists in the Peninsula, let alone a quaint neighborhood between San Carlos and Belmont. Don't get me wrong - nothing wrong with this. Just that you might wonder whether the demand is there.Now imagine if your favorite friendly Japanese aunt had a hobby in baking. She's quite good. And she puts a smile on everyone's face whenever she serves bread. And one day, she decides she wants to try opening a bakery. Start small, sell it to those that's around her. I'm not sure what the backstory of Jiro's is but it absolutely feels this way.The breads here are nothing but love. You can "feel" the love and care they've put into it. Yes, they taste quite good. Not your top notch Michelin grade but also not a factory-style super sweet sales-optimized production. They are hearty.To judge any Japanese bakery, you must try its Melon-pan. It's the primary staple of any Japense establishment. The crust must be crisp yet gentle. The insides airy. The melon scent is the key. Jiro's does not nail this. I wished the bread was a bit more briochy and the crust didn't carry the melon scent well. Also, a hint of chocolate filling surprised me. It is definitely not your commerical "classical" recipe. But it worked. I enjoyed it.And now... the price. $4.50 for a Melon-pan is nearing the border of blasphemy. It is like charging $20 for a burger. However, this is what you should be wililng to pay to taste bread made with love.I'm so happy that Jiro's opened in San Carlos. Will absolutely return to try all of their menus.Parking: There's no official parking other than the 2~3 spots in front which are never open. You might want to consider parking across the street in front of Lunardi's and cross over.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Melon Pan
Isabella R.
VERY AMAZING!!! So delicious would recommend and good price. Amazing customer service. Would recomend the spam musubi. good ambience
Kevin Kao
Cute Japanese bakery/cafe in the San Carlos, Belmont area. The space is cozy and intimate inside, with roughly 10 seats. Lots of Japanese bread and hot food items at great prices - we tried their yakisoba bun and it was delicious. Also tried their Japanese purin (pudding) and tasted very authentic as well. Definitely recommend swinging by to try their food for lunch or a snack! Reminds us of cafes back in Japan.Parking: Parking lot in the rear and a few street parking spots right out front. Lots of street parking nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin K.
Cute Japanese bakery/cafe in the San Carlos, Belmont area. The space is cozy and intimate inside, with roughly 10 seats. Lots of Japanese bread and hot food items at great prices - we tried their yakisoba bun and it was delicious. Also tried their Japanese purin (pudding) and tasted very authentic as well. Definitely recommend swinging by to try their food for lunch or a snack! Reminds us of cafes back in Japan. Plenty of parking in the rear parking lot, as well as street parking both out front and nearby.
"Prior to the evolution of Jiro, were Ike's Sandwich and some other sandwich joint that didn't last long. So I was always familiar with this location and was always curious who took over, etc. (Sits on the main road of Ralston, where foot and car traffic is coming and going. Church is next door and Lunardi's is across the street. Around the corner is Carlmont Medical Center and SNF; with the mortuary across the street). Since Ike's was gone, the mystery of who took over finally unfolded, thanks to the signage Jiro got approval for displaying as it was a long battle, according to the cashier I spoke to. The bakery has a chalkboard menu which apparently is updated daily. It is indeed a nicely decorated bakery with pink stripes on the wall---a very inviting touch. I always thought the business hours were not accommodating (11-5 on weekdays), but there were no obstacles that Friday (Veteran's Day) I came in since there were two people ahead of me and I had time to admire the shop while selecting my items to order. First thing I grabbed was the custard dessert in a glass jar garnished with cute pink wrapper, a fresh crab "sando" sandwich and a red bean pastry, which I think was called "An Pan". My first time here and overall experience was a good one with quick service. I would definitely return to try the rest of the high quality items/Japanese dessert. Come check out this bakery joint when in the area, you won't be disappointed!
Noopur G.
Really lovely little cafe in Belmont! I felt transported to Tokyo and the sandos are very authentic looking. We got the tonkatusu quesadillas (bomb) and a loaf of the cat bread!! I also got a hojicha tea with lactose free milk and 50% sweetness. Perfect for a cold fall day. The car bread in pictured here. it's Japanese milk bread in the shape of a cat - so cute but make sure to make it into a sandwich etc at home because it's simply white bread not pastry ofc. Will be back for the melon pan next.
Mia S.
Love that belmont now has a Japanese bakery! They've increased the amount of items here to include hot food. If I was a high schooler I'd come here for food after school. They have the cutest pastries and bread shaped like a cat. They carry drinks and have non dairy options (oat milk, soy, and lactose free milk). Service here is great, and the workers are nice. It may be hard to find parking here out front but I would turn around the corner and park on the street.
Nicolle W.
I can't believe I didn't realize they opened a Japanese bakery by my house until just now! Very tasty breads and their white bread loaf is shaped like a cat. So kawaii. They also have lunch items like tonkatsu sandwich and gyu don. Hits the spot when you are missing the bakeries in Japan!
Happen to stop by after my haircut next store. Owners said it is good. Food was great. Fresh, tasty. Very good service. All ordering is automated. We had spam masubi and a pastry. Need to go back for the sandwiches.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
High quality Hojicha pudding! A must try!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So cute, and such a lovely atmosphere. The food is delicious and has cute plating, too. Nice employees. I love it here! The prices are a little on the high end but thats to be expected for the area, and very worth it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great little bakery in the area! All the bread is delicious. I wish they opened either earlier or later so I could get bread before/after work :(
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tonkatsu quesadilla, pan, and cat shaped bread are so good. Great hot drinks. Amazing little corner Japanese bakery, in Belmont!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Anpan, Tonkatsu Burrito, Spam Egg Rice and Seaweed
This cafe is like going to your favorite aunt or grandmas house who is really good at cooking and baking. There is a menu but it seems more like they make what they want and sell what they have - feels very quaint and homemade Tonkatsu sandwich - big pork cutlet with a squishy bun and a generous portion of finely shredded cabbage. Yummy and crispy, pork was a touch dry. Matcha cornet was delicious, great flavor w the cream and nice soft cornet Melon pan - did not get much melon fragrance and felt a bit dry/stale, but great crisp sugar top. There's some chocolate inside the bread which I did not expect.
It is remarkable that an authentic Japanese bakery exists in the Peninsula, let alone a quaint neighborhood between San Carlos and Belmont. Don't get me wrong - nothing wrong with this. Just that you might wonder whether the demand is there.Now imagine if your favorite friendly Japanese aunt had a hobby in baking. She's quite good. And she puts a smile on everyone's face whenever she serves bread. And one day, she decides she wants to try opening a bakery. Start small, sell it to those that's around her. I'm not sure what the backstory of Jiro's is but it absolutely feels this way.The breads here are nothing but love. You can "feel" the love and care they've put into it. Yes, they taste quite good. Not your top notch Michelin grade but also not a factory-style super sweet sales-optimized production. They are hearty.To judge any Japanese bakery, you must try its Melon-pan. It's the primary staple of any Japense establishment. The crust must be crisp yet gentle. The insides airy. The melon scent is the key. Jiro's does not nail this. I wished the bread was a bit more briochy and the crust didn't carry the melon scent well. Also, a hint of chocolate filling surprised me. It is definitely not your commerical "classical" recipe. But it worked. I enjoyed it.And now... the price. $4.50 for a Melon-pan is nearing the border of blasphemy. It is like charging $20 for a burger. However, this is what you should be wililng to pay to taste bread made with love.I'm so happy that Jiro's opened in San Carlos. Will absolutely return to try all of their menus.Parking: There's no official parking other than the 2~3 spots in front which are never open. You might want to consider parking across the street in front of Lunardi's and cross over.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Melon Pan
VERY AMAZING!!! So delicious would recommend and good price. Amazing customer service. Would recomend the spam musubi. good ambience
Cute Japanese bakery/cafe in the San Carlos, Belmont area. The space is cozy and intimate inside, with roughly 10 seats. Lots of Japanese bread and hot food items at great prices - we tried their yakisoba bun and it was delicious. Also tried their Japanese purin (pudding) and tasted very authentic as well. Definitely recommend swinging by to try their food for lunch or a snack! Reminds us of cafes back in Japan.Parking: Parking lot in the rear and a few street parking spots right out front. Lots of street parking nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cute Japanese bakery/cafe in the San Carlos, Belmont area. The space is cozy and intimate inside, with roughly 10 seats. Lots of Japanese bread and hot food items at great prices - we tried their yakisoba bun and it was delicious. Also tried their Japanese purin (pudding) and tasted very authentic as well. Definitely recommend swinging by to try their food for lunch or a snack! Reminds us of cafes back in Japan. Plenty of parking in the rear parking lot, as well as street parking both out front and nearby.
Restaurantji Recommends
Tonkatsu bread is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
"Prior to the evolution of Jiro, were Ike's Sandwich and some other sandwich joint that didn't last long. So I was always familiar with this location and was always curious who took over, etc. (Sits on the main road of Ralston, where foot and car traffic is coming and going. Church is next door and Lunardi's is across the street. Around the corner is Carlmont Medical Center and SNF; with the mortuary across the street). Since Ike's was gone, the mystery of who took over finally unfolded, thanks to the signage Jiro got approval for displaying as it was a long battle, according to the cashier I spoke to. The bakery has a chalkboard menu which apparently is updated daily. It is indeed a nicely decorated bakery with pink stripes on the wall---a very inviting touch. I always thought the business hours were not accommodating (11-5 on weekdays), but there were no obstacles that Friday (Veteran's Day) I came in since there were two people ahead of me and I had time to admire the shop while selecting my items to order. First thing I grabbed was the custard dessert in a glass jar garnished with cute pink wrapper, a fresh crab "sando" sandwich and a red bean pastry, which I think was called "An Pan". My first time here and overall experience was a good one with quick service. I would definitely return to try the rest of the high quality items/Japanese dessert. Come check out this bakery joint when in the area, you won't be disappointed!
Really lovely little cafe in Belmont! I felt transported to Tokyo and the sandos are very authentic looking. We got the tonkatusu quesadillas (bomb) and a loaf of the cat bread!! I also got a hojicha tea with lactose free milk and 50% sweetness. Perfect for a cold fall day. The car bread in pictured here. it's Japanese milk bread in the shape of a cat - so cute but make sure to make it into a sandwich etc at home because it's simply white bread not pastry ofc. Will be back for the melon pan next.
Love that belmont now has a Japanese bakery! They've increased the amount of items here to include hot food. If I was a high schooler I'd come here for food after school. They have the cutest pastries and bread shaped like a cat. They carry drinks and have non dairy options (oat milk, soy, and lactose free milk). Service here is great, and the workers are nice. It may be hard to find parking here out front but I would turn around the corner and park on the street.
I can't believe I didn't realize they opened a Japanese bakery by my house until just now! Very tasty breads and their white bread loaf is shaped like a cat. So kawaii. They also have lunch items like tonkatsu sandwich and gyu don. Hits the spot when you are missing the bakeries in Japan!