Seemingly every day since it opened in late 2024, Julie and I have driven past San’s Sushi, Poke, Ramen along State Hill Road in Wyomissing without stopping. Sometimes we would comment, “we need to go there.” Other days, we’d just go right past without a second glance.
For more than a decade, the small corner spot was home to Bella’s, a pizza and sub shop. Even then, the space was seemingly in a blindspot. I can’t tell you how many times we passed by in favor of neighboring Mama’s Pizza. Part of it is the parking which is limited compared to the neighboring strip mall. And part of it is that the building is just easy to overlook.
But on a November afternoon while both of us were home, Julie and I decided a lunch date was in order. And San’s was the right spot.
We walked in a little before 1 p.m. for a late lunch. There were two people sitting at a table when we arrived and another woman filling out a build-your-own poke bowl order slip. That gave us time to look over the menu and look around.
The restaurant has always been a tight fit, but San’s squeezes three tables and a counter by the large front window into the dining area. There is also a nice sized deck with seating for the warmer months.
The order counter is accented in a light-colored wood. More wood paneling serves as the backdrop of a dark five-canvas print of a poke bowl. Another image of a poke bowl hangs on an otherwise bare white wall.
Julie decided that the poke bowl sounded good so she built her own. Each bowl comes with a choice of rice base (sushi or white), protein, up to five mix-ins, sauce and garnish.
For her bowl, Julie started with sushi rice and tempura shrimp. Sesame dressing was the sauce choice. Mix-ins included edamame, mango, avocado, corn, and scallion. She topped it with crispy onions.
It was a very good dish. It was light and fresh, sweetened by the mango and the sesame dressing. At the same time, it was filling – a combination of the sticky rice and the protein from the shrimp and avocado.
As good as it was, Julie could only finish half of it with the remainder going home with us so she could finish it at dinner.
Wanting to do something different, I opted for the yaki soba (lo mein) with chicken. The egg noodles were thinner than a lot of lo mein that I have had in other places.They were stir-fried with onions, carrots, and shredded chicken in a soy sauce.
It wasn’t a daring dish, but it was very well done. There was plenty of chicken, and because it was shredded, it didn’t feel processed like at fast food-style Chinese restaurants. It felt like it was high-quality, and it tasted high-quality.
Both of us would happily order our meals again. We paid cash, saving 15% and bringing our total check down to $27 for our two meals and two bottles of water. Not only is the food good, but it’s a great value.
And we were in and out in less than an hour, perfect for a workday weekday.
Lunch or dinner, San’s is a great choice. Don’t overlook it.
BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Good
Price: $
San’s Sushi, Poke, Ramen
1912 State Hill Road
Wyomissing, PA 19610
