diff --git a/src/iceberg/expression/literal.cc b/src/iceberg/expression/literal.cc
index cb0a4c6d0..1ceb68b09 100644
--- a/src/iceberg/expression/literal.cc
+++ b/src/iceberg/expression/literal.cc
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ std::string Literal::ToString() const {
           .value_or("invalid literal of type decimal");
     }
     case TypeId::kString: {
-      return "\"" + std::get<std::string>(value_) + "\"";
+      return std::get<std::string>(value_);
     }
     case TypeId::kUuid: {
       return std::get<Uuid>(value_).ToString();
diff --git a/src/iceberg/test/expression_visitor_test.cc b/src/iceberg/test/expression_visitor_test.cc
index f2bbe70ea..1df797763 100644
--- a/src/iceberg/test/expression_visitor_test.cc
+++ b/src/iceberg/test/expression_visitor_test.cc
@@ -114,14 +114,14 @@ TEST_F(BinderTest, ComparisonPredicates) {
   ICEBERG_UNWRAP_OR_FAIL(auto bound_eq, Bind(unbound_eq));
   EXPECT_EQ(bound_eq->op(), Expression::Operation::kEq);
   EXPECT_TRUE(bound_eq->is_bound_predicate());
-  EXPECT_EQ(bound_eq->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) == \"Alice\"");
+  EXPECT_EQ(bound_eq->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) == Alice");
 
   // Test NotEqual
   auto unbound_neq = Expressions::NotEqual("name", Literal::String("Bob"));
   ICEBERG_UNWRAP_OR_FAIL(auto bound_neq, Bind(unbound_neq));
   EXPECT_EQ(bound_neq->op(), Expression::Operation::kNotEq);
   EXPECT_TRUE(bound_neq->is_bound_predicate());
-  EXPECT_EQ(bound_neq->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) != \"Bob\"");
+  EXPECT_EQ(bound_neq->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) != Bob");
 }
 
 TEST_F(BinderTest, StringPredicates) {
@@ -130,15 +130,14 @@ TEST_F(BinderTest, StringPredicates) {
   ICEBERG_UNWRAP_OR_FAIL(auto bound_starts, Bind(unbound_starts));
   EXPECT_EQ(bound_starts->op(), Expression::Operation::kStartsWith);
   EXPECT_TRUE(bound_starts->is_bound_predicate());
-  EXPECT_EQ(bound_starts->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) startsWith \"\"Al\"\"");
+  EXPECT_EQ(bound_starts->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) startsWith \"Al\"");
 
   // Test NotStartsWith
   auto unbound_not_starts = Expressions::NotStartsWith("name", "Bo");
   ICEBERG_UNWRAP_OR_FAIL(auto bound_not_starts, Bind(unbound_not_starts));
   EXPECT_EQ(bound_not_starts->op(), Expression::Operation::kNotStartsWith);
   EXPECT_TRUE(bound_not_starts->is_bound_predicate());
-  EXPECT_EQ(bound_not_starts->ToString(),
-            "ref(id=2, type=string) notStartsWith \"\"Bo\"\"");
+  EXPECT_EQ(bound_not_starts->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) notStartsWith \"Bo\"");
 }
 
 TEST_F(BinderTest, SetPredicates) {
@@ -179,7 +178,7 @@ TEST_F(BinderTest, AndExpression) {
   ICEBERG_UNWRAP_OR_FAIL(auto bound_and, Bind(unbound_and));
   EXPECT_EQ(bound_and->op(), Expression::Operation::kAnd);
   EXPECT_EQ(bound_and->ToString(),
-            "(ref(id=2, type=string) == \"Alice\" and ref(id=3, type=int) > 25)");
+            "(ref(id=2, type=string) == Alice and ref(id=3, type=int) > 25)");
 
   // Verify both children are bound
   auto result = IsBoundVisitor::IsBound(bound_and);
@@ -447,7 +446,7 @@ TEST_F(RewriteNotTest, NotExpression) {
   // Equal should be negated to NotEqual
   EXPECT_EQ(rewritten->op(), Expression::Operation::kNotEq);
   EXPECT_TRUE(rewritten->is_bound_predicate());
-  EXPECT_EQ(rewritten->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) != \"Alice\"");
+  EXPECT_EQ(rewritten->ToString(), "ref(id=2, type=string) != Alice");
 }
 
 TEST_F(RewriteNotTest, DoubleNegation) {
diff --git a/src/iceberg/test/inclusive_metrics_evaluator_test.cc b/src/iceberg/test/inclusive_metrics_evaluator_test.cc
index 27867f1a4..e8d620245 100644
--- a/src/iceberg/test/inclusive_metrics_evaluator_test.cc
+++ b/src/iceberg/test/inclusive_metrics_evaluator_test.cc
@@ -841,7 +841,7 @@ TEST_F(InclusiveMetricsEvaluatorMigratedTest, StringStartsWithTest) {
   auto above_max = TruncateUtils::TruncateLiteral(Literal::String("イロハニホヘト"), 4)
                        .value()
                        .ToString();
-  RunTest(Expressions::StartsWith("required", above_max), kRowCannotMatch, file4_);
+  RunTest(Expressions::StartsWith("required", above_max), kRowsMightMatch, file4_);
 }
 
 TEST_F(InclusiveMetricsEvaluatorMigratedTest, StringNotStartsWithTest) {
diff --git a/src/iceberg/test/literal_test.cc b/src/iceberg/test/literal_test.cc
index 01a7a7ce6..1022bbd99 100644
--- a/src/iceberg/test/literal_test.cc
+++ b/src/iceberg/test/literal_test.cc
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ INSTANTIATE_TEST_SUITE_P(
         BasicLiteralTestParam{.test_name = "String",
                               .literal = Literal::String("hello world"),
                               .expected_type_id = TypeId::kString,
-                              .expected_string = "\"hello world\""},
+                              .expected_string = "hello world"},
         BasicLiteralTestParam{
             .test_name = "Uuid",
             .literal = Literal::UUID(
diff --git a/src/iceberg/test/predicate_test.cc b/src/iceberg/test/predicate_test.cc
index fab0b5617..ed3e37371 100644
--- a/src/iceberg/test/predicate_test.cc
+++ b/src/iceberg/test/predicate_test.cc
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ TEST_F(PredicateTest, UnboundPredicateToString) {
   EXPECT_EQ(in_pred->ToString(), "ref(name=\"age\") in [10, 20]");
 
   auto starts_with_pred = Expressions::StartsWith("name", "John");
-  EXPECT_EQ(starts_with_pred->ToString(), "ref(name=\"name\") startsWith \"John\"");
+  EXPECT_EQ(starts_with_pred->ToString(), "ref(name=\"name\") startsWith John");
 }
 
 TEST_F(PredicateTest, UnboundPredicateNegate) {