Kemuri Japanese Barú

“ First time here and had no expectations. I was blown away by the food - started with the anchovy garlic edamame which elevated humble edamame in a big way. Skewers were all delicious, minus is they’re small so savor each bite. Unagi paella was so flavorful with amazing textures - how did they do that! ”

“ This has become a regular spot for us to enjoy really delicious izakaya. The drink fave is the smoked manhattan. Their sake selection is quite nice as well. Food is full of flavor and inventive. The ceviches are always great, the seasonal crab kitsune is delightful. The mixed mushroom tempura dish is like better french fries. The room is modern and nicely lit. Service is attentive and our favorite is Rin! Friendly yet chill. ”

“ [updated Jan, 2025] Kemuri is a gem that consistently updates its menus with seasonal dishes. The fish and chips, made with rock fish and sweet potato, was the most delicious and visually appealing fish and chips I had (photo attached). The sake-steamed oysters was seasoned to perfection and a must-try, and the duck salad was really refreshing and tasty with a genius choice of veggie. Brussels sprouts on stalk cooked as a whole was also impressive and memorable (photos attached). Can’t wait to try out the rest of their seasonal menu! Kemuri is my local go-to place since 2016. They provide high-quality Japanese food and great ambiance. Menu changes regularly, and this time I tasted one of the best Unagi Shirayaki (grilled plain eel ) dishes, and cucumber lemonade (non-alcoholic) was outstanding. Whenever feel chilled, red kemuri udon with oxtail is the way to go. Strongly recommend to check it out! ”

“ Love the environment and the vibe - hard to describe what it is but it’s vivid, lively, chill, and comfortable. Food is great. Uni rice is a must try. Drinks are good. Tried both takeout as well as dine-in - both good options. If I can have one complaint (more so of a recommendation ), I spent 70 here for a meal but I was still hungry after it... a slightly bigger portion would be fantastic! Doesn’t change my 5-star rating though. ”

“ Restaurant had a lot of open seats at 6:30pm on a Tuesday night. Lots of free street parking around here. You order all your food online on a running tab for your table. Prices are expensive, but quite valuable. The smoked poke was a highlight and the veggie tempura was very fresh and worth it. They don't have a lot of "basic" Japanese cuisine like sushi or curry rice, but instead have a menu filled with really interesting items. Staff are very nice and attentive. Thank you! ”

“ Honestly, this place is so good and I do think the price is worth it since there's no other place like it (at least that I've been to and I generally am a pretty cheap person LOL) The food is so delicious and not too salty at all. The fish and chips are surprisingly huge even though we ordered the small and the fries were so good. I liked everything but would skip the bread with the salmon roe. My stand outs are the temperua veggies, so crisp and delicious and all the fish. I love the rice bowls since they were crispy from the clay pot. The creme Brulee was also divine with a strong matcha flavor. The service was very nice with our waitress checking in two/three times, making sure our water was filled, and for asking us if we've been there before. She also complimented my pants on the way out. I would definitely recommend this place to try for special occasions but make sure to bring a large party as the restaurant recommends to do family style so that you can try more dishes! (Also this place is 30-50 per person but my family just ordered a lot) ”

“ Still my favorite place in town! One of my top three in Redwood City. An izakaya style place with signature smoked dishes. The smoked sashimi is a staple for me, as is the yaki oni benedict. You gotta try this place. ”

“ This was one of our favorite meals in a while. Kemuri is our current favorite restaurant and I would drive up from South Bay just for a meal there. Highly recommend checking this place out. Our favorite dishes were the mushroom tempura, spicy chicken wings, and wagyu rice bowl/paella. We thought the unagi sliders were just okay and would love to try other dishes like the garlic fried shrimp and black cod. ”