Rin-Tei - San Mateo (CA)

5 /5 Dharma M: Very nice japanese, Thai and Vietnamese fusion restaurant. I have been planning to visit since it opened couple years a a go. It is small restaurant with table and counter top bar seating. The menu is simple and it changes frequently. Looks like lunch menu is different than dinner menu. You order at the front and pay first. We ordered Chicken rice, Thai fried chicken, and seafood Khao Yum lettuce wrap. All are yummy. I love the light taste of all of the dishes. Will visit again to try others dishes.

5 /5 Maria Stoimenova: Loved this fine establishment. Tasty food and a good selection. We made a reservation, so we were seated right away. Service was fast, friendly and professional. The food was delicious.

5 /5 Anthony Giang: Looking for a nice little lunch date, my partner and I had decided on Rin-Tei after hearing a lot about it on social media. At first I was a little confused about the whole concept, as it seemed to be Japanese owned, but had Thai flavors with some Vietnamese ingredients. However, this place was fantastic. The flavors were complex and the fusion of dishes actually made a lot of sense in this case. Fusion foods are always a bit risky, as they border the line of appropriation or disrespect for the given cultures, however this restaurant nails the flavors it seeks to combine. We ordered the Cold Sesame Tan Tan Pho, Thai fried Chicken, and the Kra Pao with Braised Beef. We thoroughly enjoyed each item. Service was a little surprising as you order and pay at the front, before you have your meal, however, everything was awesome. The vibes were cozy and the food was warming. I definitely have to come back to see what a dinner service is like.

5 /5 Tim: Its very rare to see a 4.8 star establishment with over 1000 reviews on yelp. The 2 reasons for Rin-Tei is because they ask for a review after each meal (without bribery, just a QR code to review on yelp) and their food/service is actually good. So they actually earned it. Called in a couple days ahead for a reservation for lunch on Christmas day at 11:15 and we were the first ones there. The table was ready. Other customers tricked in steadily after. Its a strange ordering set up in that you are seated at a table with menus, order and pay/tip at the register whenever you are ready, then the food is brought out to your table. They serve a variety of non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, but no full bar or draft beers. It is full table service in that they will check in on you regularly. Very nice staff and good service. Indoor seating only. Very clean medium sized restaurant with many small tables and a long row of counter seating as well. Metered street parking right in front of the restaurant. We ordered the chicken croquette $15, green curry $23, and creamy soy milk pho with mushrooms and chicken $25. All the food was good. Nothing was salty and the quality is apparent. The croquettes were tasty, especially the sauce it comes with. Green curry isnt anything special from what you would get at a Thai restaurant, I would skip that. The star of the meal was the creamy soy milk pho. Very unique. Broth is not salty yet very flavorful. It is loaded with noodles, mushrooms, chicken. The price is justified by the portion for the pho dish, but the other dishes seemed a bit pricey for what you get, but you are paying for quality. I highly recommend the soy milk pho and would come back just to have it again. I recommend this place overall

4 /5 Chester Law: Authentic quality for Japanese fusion food. The food is delicious and complex, but not spicy, which would be good for people who would like to give Thai food a try, but worried about the spiciness. I personally recommend the Thai fried chicken. The batter and the chicken are both well seasoned, and the chicken is juicy. Mostly because they used dark meat. The other dish that I recommend would be the Tom Yum Noodle soup. It is tart and sour, minus the spicy. Even people who cannot eat spicy has not problem finishing it. They seems to be very busy in lunch time, so recommend reserving a table or come in earlier.