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Mon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Had dinner here last night for hubby's birthday. We fell in love with tapas after trying it in Vancouver (Guu with Garlic - hands down our favorite).
I had made reservations on Tuesday night and took the 6-7:30pm time (yes, you have a time limit). Call early (maybe 1-2 weeks, maybe even longer if you have large party) to make reservations. The place fills up quickly. I liked our early time because the food came out very quickly.
Everyone is really friendly and provided great service.
The menu is very extensive! We ordered 8 dishes (our waitress asked if we were sure we wanted so much food)...we always take extra home if any. We ordered the following (sorry, can't remember the exact names:
-risotto stuffed squid (I liked it - hubby isn't a fan of risotto)
-beef tongue (we both thought this was the best dish - so tender!)
-curry croquette: always yummy
-grilled mackerel (ok, a bit salty)
-karaage (yummy - love it with lots of lemon)
-shrimp with a sweet/slightly spicy red sauce (delicious)
-fried taro (husband liked this one better than I did)
-salmon croquette from the day's special menu (didn't like this - it was salmon & potato wrapped into sushi, deep fried and topped off with tartar sauce)
Our bill was almost $80 without tip. I knew it would be pricey, but we'd like to try as many tapas restaurants as possible.
This place simply has amazing food! Who would have thought Japanese Fusion can get this good! And Tapas doesn't always mean small plates.
This is one of the only restaurant in the bay area that has those traditional Japanese seating. You have to take off your shoes at the center seating area and private booths. Would be smart to make reservations before hand to get a seat in one of those floor seats.
Sake Cream Cheese Miso (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - $12.50 This pizza was gooood. With an extra two o's in the good. It's a thin crunchy crust pizza with melted cheese, almost fully cooked salmon and raw salmon roe on top. It has the right amount of cheesiness to it. Size of a personal pizza which isn't a bad portion.
Yaki Onigiri (Tuna Mayo) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - $6.50 for two pieces. This one is basically a japanese rice balls thats deep fried and topped with tuna mixed with mayo. Its crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This one is good to try but I don't think ill order again.
Chukafu Yakko (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - $5.50 A block of tofu topped with minced pork and veggies. I'm always down for tofu appetizer at a japanese restaurant and this one is especially good with the lightly salted minced pork. mmmmm
Tori Sovoro Meshi Rice Clay Pot - $17.50 for a small. Lightly salted minced chicken with poach egg over rice clay pot. I love love LOOOOVE the rice clay pots here!! I believe it can be the best rice clay pots ive ever eaten. Why? Its because they cook it so that the clay pot makes the rice crispy on the outside. The chicken juices also makes the rice very flavorful and heavenly! The waiter usually mix the rice at your table. Mixing the meat, crispy rice with the soft rice together. I think the small is more than enough for two people to share if they had an appetizer before this dish. Highly recommended!
Sake Oyako Meshi Rice Clay Pot (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - $21.50 for a small. Salmon and raw salmon roe over rice clay pot. This one was also good! Wasn't as flavorful as the chicken one but still very good. And again, served the same way as the chicken one.
Garlic Green Salad - $6.50 They give you a good portion good enough to feed 2-3 people. Its mixed green sprinkled with yummy garlic chips and light dressing. This salad looks simple but surprisingly pretty good. I also heard the other salads are good too!
This place is one of the best japanese fusion place ive eaten at and at a very reasonable price! I also love the atmosphere. Will be back for more. :)
RIDICULOUSLY overpriced...but still oh so delicious. horray for mostly authentic japanese food in a cozy traditional environment. the sakana iroiro salad wasn't anything special, but the shiromaguro tataki had to die for flavors, and the fried garlic chips were the perfect touch. the yaki onigiri had an interest twist of toppings. and the duck was delich as well. cooked perfectly and paired with a rich sauce. being the dessert kinda girl, i couldn't choose between the green tea creme brulee or the green tea tiramisu. both were mouth watering good. =)
definitely my kinda place for a japanese fix for dinner--but its pricey for what you get even if portion sizes are larger than typical izakaya/tapas food. i fell in love with everything about this restaurant but the price. but i doubt that'll stop me from coming back :X
I was impressed with the dinner menu before but I reeeally enjoyed the lunch here the other day. It's an affordable way to enjoy their food and you don't need reservations weeks in advance to get in!
The lunch special consisted of a meat (bbq pork), rice, tart salad, miso soup, and fried potato salad with salmon. That makes for a huge and filling lunch but you don't feel all dirty afterwards because it's all healthy japanese food or at least I equate japanese with healthy...
What can I say? I really do not mind driving 35 mins from SF to dine at Gochi. My number 1 restaurant in the south bay...
A nostalgia when I was dining in Japan. The tapa size portion dishes, drinks and the esthetics of the place shows similarity of some of the joints in Tokyo. Trust me, Tokyo definitely does not serve California rolls it's really the American thing. You would think a place this good must have a gimmick in it somewhere, but it's all authenticity Japanese cuisine that I've found.
The claypot's are always unbelievably great, especially the Kimchi pot.
I love, love the Igedashi tofu and it's super tasty (honestly the best I've ever had).
You also have to try their pizzas because it's definitely unique( you would think over time it will get soggy, but it does not).
Honestly the list can go on, but you gotta go there and try it yourself. Trust me it's worth the drive. Good food and good company are always a plus.
Amazing food but on the pricier side. It's impossible to make a reservation on the day of dining and without reservation , the wait is usually 30 minutes+. It's a great place for special occasions when you plan days ahead. My experience (3 dinners) with their services have been great so far for a place that is complete packed. I would recommend any of their Clay Pot items, especially the Kimchi one.
On a Saturday night, our group of eleven made our way to Gochi for dinner. While Gochi has steadily grown into one of my favorite izakaya restaurants, the crazy crowds, the challenges of making reservations, and the difficulty of navigating the extensive menu and choosing "great" dishes had always made me hesitant to plan a group dinner here.
Despite a few minor hitches, dinner here was fantastic and with a large group we were able to sample a greater cross-section of the menu than I've ever tried.
The first challenge with Gochi is knowing that they are extremely crowded on Fridays and Saturdays. Waits can be as long as 1-2 hours and reservations are highly recommended. The challenge becomes two-fold when planning for a large group. We made reservations 3 weeks in advance and were clear we'd have at least 10 people. We were told that reservations would only be held 15 minutes.
I called to confirm two days before the dinner and was told that not only were we confirmed but that we'd be able to dine in a private tatami room. Score!
The first hitch came the day of the reservation. Gochi, despite the confirmation just a day before, left three messages on my home phone. Each message, while wanting to confirm, increasingly suggested that our reservations wouldn't be held unless we confirmed and that cancellation was a strong likelihood. When I attempted to call back, their phone line was either busy or no one would answer. Extremely frustrating, given the prior confirmation, the multiple phone calls, and the very early reservations.
In the end, I was finally able to get through 1 hour prior to the reservation and was told that the person I had confirmed with a day earlier had not noted that. The poor communication combined with Gochi's worries about no-shows and crazy crowds clamoring to get in probably exacerbated the situation. Gochi, for big groups, secure a credit card if it'll ease your worries.
Everything after was perfect. Tatami room: awesome. Fun, cozy and private. Service: friendly and very helpful with recommendations. Food: delicious and diverse.
A few food highlights:
Shiromaguro tataki - thin cuts of tuna covered with ponzu sauce. Tasty.
Blue fin tuna carpaccio - similar cut to the tataki, but melt-in-your-mouth butteriness. Yum.
Eggplant and deep fried chicken - I think the sauce is key but the dark meat chicken is delicious goodness
Unagi and Snow crab fusion pizza - you can never go wrong with the pizzas. I wish the snow crab had more crab, but it was cheesy, crispy, and decadent.
Other dishes included lettuce cup, soba noodles with broth (great with the fried food), large fatty pork clay pot (not flavorful or salty enough), fried oysters, grilled beef tongue, and risotto croquettes, and tempura. As the drinks flowed and the food came out steadily and consistently, everyone's belly was warm and full.
Gochi, thanks for a great group dinner and thanks for the great tatami room. I was going to take -1 star for the reservation hitches, but at the end of the night, you told me you now (compared to last year) ACCEPT American Express. A BIG +1 for that and 5 stars overall!
Upgraded to 4 stars. After returning to this restaurant several times, I've learned to order what… Read more »
Had a working lunch with colleagues. It's ok; selection is limited to lunch set like donburi and udon.
Doesn't wow me or anything; maybe should come back for dinner instead just to be fair....
This is a great place. After a recommendation from a friend and looking at Yelp reviews we went here for our anniversary dinner and let me tell you, I could not have score more browny points with my wife :-D
We made reservations as suggested by the yelpers and were led to our table as soon as we got there. The service was execellent. The wiatresses are very helpful and know their stuff on the menu (which is looong) and help you very patiently to select the best food.
Specials are to die for. Sochu cocktail with lemon was awesome.
And bigger the group the better..thats way you can enjoy more dishes.
I gotta admit, they got some great food here! but one down side is that it is so hard to get a table if you have no reservation; it took us two hours just to be seated. Yeah, it's that goddamn crowded! Most of the time people already made reservation like weeks ahead and most of them always show up on time. So my advice to you guys is, if you go with a big group (5+), make reservation a week or at least couple of days before you go, or else it'll be a pain in the ass to get a table.
P.S. Aiya-san is a good waitress!^-^
I'm a bit selfish when it comes to writing a review for my favorite restaurants, but GoChi really does deserve it's praise.
First off my advice would be making reservations in order for you to have dibs on your table. There are three areas that you might be seated: Regular tables, private booths, or another table area where you're required to remove your shoes.
Everyone that was working there was extremely nice. The food are sort of family style snacks, but they're cheap and yummy. Since it was my first time there, I didn't know we were suppose to order a lot of dishes so it would be brought out all at once. I love GoChi, I just wish I found out about this place a lot sooner.
It has been two years since my original review. Time for an update. Note that their lunch and dinner menu are totally different. IMO, their lunch is quite boring. This review is on their dinner only.
We go to this restaurant a lot because the dishes are really good. This is an expensive place for us, we average $30~$40 per person each time without alcohol. Their lunch menu is extremely boring compared to their dinner menu. So if you have only tried lunch, you have not tried the real thing yet.
This is an izakaya restaurant. I guess they expect customers to drink a lot and order a little snacks to go with the drinking. So their dishes are called tapas (like those in Spain). That may be the reason why they don't want children. They probably worry that we won't spend enough when we bring children. However, we order enough tapas dishes as a full dinner. That explains why we often spend hundreds in this place.
Your bill may be less if you eat like a regular izakaya customer.
We like their Sashimi salad, Japanese style pizzas, the tonkatsu, the clay pot Unagi rice with dashi, and sesame ice cream without the outrageously sweet red bean paste.
Despite how much we like their food, I still don't give them 5 stars because they discriminate against children. Every time we made reservation, they asked how many children in the group. Since we always bring our kids, we always fail to get a table for dinner. Over time, we've learned how to trick them. We just lie to them and then show up with our kids. Besides, our kids eat more than we do so they don't pay any less. $120 for a family of four with no wine is decent business for them especially in this kind of economic conditions. I swear I'd never give them the fifth star until they welcome our kids.
We went there at 6:30pm on a Thursday evening without reservation. We thought we might not need one… Read more »
Underwhelmed with my lunch experience! Much to my disappointment, the food quality and menu selection (Too focus!) failed to deliver!
However, I believe there is enough promise in the dinner menu/selection to warrant a return to give the various small plates a try before writing this place off!
=)
I'm a little torn between giving this place 4 or 5 stars because I don't easily 5-star a Japanese restaurant unless it has at least 1 dish that really hits my wafu spot. Gyutan at Sumiya, that earned it; Santa Ramen, that earned it (although I'll not go back for awhile because I prefer not to see my cholesterol floating in the broth when I'm eating it); Kirala's spider roll, that earned it, etc,etc.. The tapas plates are well-sized, probably too big for 2 people to share. We had 4 people with healthy appetites and we were full after 7 plates.
Here's the break down:
buta meshi - very good
tori nasu garlic marine - okay, not sure if chicken karaage and eggplants is a good combination, as stand-alone dishes they would've been fine
tai hassai - really good (Thank you, fellow yelpers!!!)
ankimo - good
gyutan Kakuni Jaga Butter - melt-in-your-mouth-wow good
lotus root stuffed with shrimp - meh, shrimp stuffing has too much fish paste, won't order again
gindara - friend highly recommended it, and it was very tasty, but the fish was so well-cooked that it disintegrated as soon as the chopsticks hit it, which would be a plus if you're a denture-wearer I suppose.
Overall the food was good; probably have rated this place higher if we had booze with our meal, but sake was pricey and we don't do beer. Next time will definitely hit the yaki onigiri and carpaccio department of the menu. And bring more people.
Great hidden restaurant in Cupertino
OMG, food IS amazing here!
Come here to share these "tapa" dishes with others
Hard to get in without a reservation
Incredible dinner with 8 co-workers!
LOVED dinner last night! I had to learn to share! haha It was my first time coming to Gochi and it's been on my bookmark for quite sometime! At first I was hesitant towards eating here because most of their small appetizers were around $7 and entrees were around $17. But definitely expect to pay around $25-$30 a person. It's great coming here with a big group because you can sample more things!!
LOVED:
- Ankimo ($6.50): steamed monkfish liver in ponzu.. LOVED!!!
- Gyutan Kakuni Jaga Butter ($9.50): braised beef tongue with mashed potato butter gravy... LOVED!!!!! As one of my co-workers put it, it was soooo good, almost like making out with a cow! :P
- Unagi Meshi ($21.50): small bowl of bbq eel with crispy rice... IT WAS HUGE!! Definitely feeds at least 3 people if you're getting additional side dishes!!
-Yuzu Sorbet ($6.50): citrus-y! so much going on in my mouth! LOVED!!!!!
It was OK...
- Kani Cream Croquette ($6.50): crab cream puff
- Tofu Cheese Steak ($8.50): pan sauteed tofu topped with melted cheese and wild mushrooms in ponzu daikon sauce
- Mentai Kinoko ($11.50): pizza topped with spicy cod roe, crab meat, wild mushroom, and cheese
Wasn't too crazy for...
- Edamame
- Yakionigari ($5.50): crispy rice ball with choice of seafood topping.. =\ We got salmon topping. I wanted to rave about it and like it, but it was mehh. Our other co-workers loved theirs with mayo!
- Risotto Croquette ($8.50): mushroom risotto puff with shiso-pesto-tomato sauce... seriously, a ball of mush to me.
- Green tea creme brulee ($6.50): I wanted to love this dessert, but I couldn't quite taste the green tea =\ maybe I need a bigger portion.. or my own tub of creme brulee! haha
I'm excited!! I can't wait to come back again with another group!! :D
The Most Effing Amazing Japanese Fusion spot you will ever find in the bay area. EVER.
I should really just stop right there and leave my five stars alongside 581 other yelpers. But I wanna put in my $0.02!
Two things: One, you WILL wait anywhere from 1.5-2 hours if you don't have a reservation (seriously, it's not recommended). With a reservation, 10 mins tops. Two, you'll have to take off your shoes when seated (mandatory, no exceptions). The cubbie space allotted for shoes is entirely public. So ladies, I'd suggest you leave your Manolos and Louboutins at home. There isn't any type of insurance that they'll still be there once you're ready to head back to rest off your food-induced coma after all the yummy delicious plates you will undoubtedly over-order.
Now then, on to the Gochi experience. The name "Gochi" is short for the word "Gochisou", which means "treat" or "hearty meal". Masahiko Takei opened this gem in October 2005. Thank you, Masa. We love you.
The menu can be overwhelming, so do take your time to read over their very extensive selection. Their fusion tapas are served in rather generous portions, if shared between two. We ordered the following:
-Hamachi Carpaccio *Fan-fking-tastic, nothing further to comment*
-Beef Tongue *super tender, large portions, juicy*
-Kani Cream Croquettes *of course this is good- it's fried*
-Cod *this was like an entire entree on its own, super fresh, perfectly paired sauce*
-Chashu Pork *my favorite dish here so far- the flavor is divine*
-Unagi Seaweed Cheese Pizza *uber-creative, really showcases Masa's talents, surprisingly the flavors meld perfectly*
-Buta Meshi (Fatty Pork Rice Claypot) *ate this at the end of the meal, nearly ruptured my stomach, but still had to try some before taking it to-go*
Good service (despite the fact that the staff stomp around behind you while you're sitting on tatamis), nice interior (authentic, hence the tatami-style table set-up in the first place), worth the wait- the creativity is unequivocal.
Five stars for the service, food and company. As first timers, we were fortunate to dine here with two Japanese speaking friends who are regulars that even have their own bottle of shochu stored in the restaurant. Having been to an Izakaya joint in Japan, this place is up there on the scale of authenticity.
The "fusion tapas" menu is overwhelming, and even with a thorough read through, I wouldn't even know where to begin ordering. Luckily, I did my Yelp homework and got some suggestions, but definitely relied on my friends to make the selections. They ordered from the Japanese menu, so I really can't remember ALL of the names of the dishes we had. Some super stand outs though:
*Shiromaguro tataki (seared albacore drizzled with garlic oil & ponzu)
*Madai carpaccio (red snapper with yuzu-pepper salsa)
*Gyuniku reishabu salad (thinly sliced shabu shabu beef on a bed of greens)
*Chashu pork
*Squid stuffed with mushroom risotto
*Chashu pork, mushroom and miso pizza
*Pork clay pot rice
*Green tea creme brulee
I know we ordered more, but I just can't name them all... Everything we had was incredible, and on top of that, presentation was lovely. It was certainly one of the most satisfying meals I've had in a long time, and surprisingly, the bill was very reasonable at around $30/person including tax and tip. Go(chi) and make a reservation now!
I have friends who rave about this place constantly and yelp confirmed the positive reviews, yet, I still wasn't that impressed after ordering half a dozen dishes here. I still like some of the stuff at Tanto and Saizo better.
Gochi kind of gives me the feeling it's trying hard to be trendy/cool in an "authentic" way. I was kind of shocked/weirded out they had the "floor" seating arrangement when I walked in. I was also shocked this place was situated in a really tiny, hard-to-find plaza! I was like..what in the world..where are we!
I liked the soba and the different fishes we tried. I wasn't much of a fan of the fusion type stuff like the fried oysters. I was also disappointed w/ the beef tongue - nice flavor but sooo hard to chew, didn't taste tender like beef tongue is supposed to.
Expect to pay $25 per person if you are going to share dishes..no matter what the party. We were in 2 and needed $50 worth of dishes to make us full.
Yummy food but don't expect spectacular like people say.
Tapas tapas everywhere...we've been on a Izakaya kick these past few weeks since hearing about Gochi. We've been to Tanto & En as well over the course of three weeks or so, but I think Gochi is the best.
Pros:
Food is excellent...almost nothing is bad or even so-so. The only thing we had that didn't make the grade was the Salmon carpaccio--not good at all :(. Hamachi carpaccio, beef tongue, other goodies were all pretty much top notch. We also had a claypot rice thing that was excellent to eat, but not so excellent on the wallet--avoid. Try the salads and pizzas--stellar.
Selection--too many things to eat, not enough stomachs. Have to keep going back again and again. You can literally order 5 new things each time you go and you'll still not overlap after 10 visits.
Service--this place gets busy...really busy. The staff always seems on top of it though.
Location--close to our home. Most likely does not apply to you so you may ignore this part. Already read this far? Oops, you should just skip down to the next part...
Cons
Parking can totally suck sometimes (friday/saturday evenings).
Lunch is meh--good quality but selection is very limited to "lunchy" type things...noodle bowls, bento boxes, etc. Dinner is like a different place.
Crowded--reservations are usually a good idea especially if you don't want to get stuck at the bar style seat facing a wall.
Prices--more 'spensive than the other aforementioned Izakaya joints. Worth it? Yes, but definitely hurts the pocketbook a little more.
GOCHI!!! I wish I had met you sooner!
I came here last year for my friend's birthday with his family, and was amazed at how good the food was here. Since then, I've tried a number of other Japanese tapa styled restaurants and Gochi still is my favorite! So it made sense for me to come here with my family this year, to celebrate my own birthday!
Yuzu Ceviche - i loved eating it with their homemade potato chips
Hamachi Carpaccio - it just melts in your mouth
Kaisou Salad - anything w/ seaweed & daikon in it works for me!
Mentai Kinoko - pizza w/ crab, spicy cod roe, wild mushrooms, and bacon ...sounds off the wall...but it was DEEEE-LICIOUS
Yaki Onigiri Mentaiko - no one can beat this! somehow they can keep the outside crispy without drying out the inside :)
Shiitake Ebi Zume - loved the combination of shrimp and tofu stuffed mushrooms!!
Sake Oyako Mesh - salmon clay rice pot w/ broth....if i could eat this everyday i'd be set!
See you soon Gochi!!...I promise my next visit won't take another whole year!!!
Now this is japanese food!
Even when they say "fusion", most of the food is actually authentic japanese izakaya food. Izakaya is an eating/drinking place in Japan. Specializing in small plates. With the exception of their tataki and japanese style pizza.
The small plates here are not small and is actually good enough to share. Went here for dinner, no reservation on thursday night and was lucky to get a table. It's nice that you have to take off your shoes and sit on the floor with a sunken recess for your legs.
We ate:
Daikon Salad
Tori Shioyaki Yuzu Kocho Sauce (grilled salted chicken with citrus pepper sauce)
Age Nasu Tofu (fried eggplant and tofu with ground pork in miso sauce)
And the real kicker for the night is the Gindara Kamameshi with a side of dashi soup.
It's been a long time since I last went to Gochi but food quality and service is still the same. It's worth the drive to Cupertino as I usually like to stay in the city.
FINALLY!! I think I've had this place bookmarked for the past 2 years and finally got around to trying it out last week.
Spontaneously came here on a Friday night. Luckily it was still early so we were able to sit at the bar with no reservation. (Tip: You MUST make a reservation - this place gets pretty ridiculous. They said we could sit at a table... if we waited 2 hours!)
The menu is very extensive so either do your research before coming, dine with decisive people, or just do what we did: ask the server! We had the salmon aburi carpaccio, crab croquettes, yakiniku kimchee pizza, and some fish... cod? Whatever the most popular one is.
The best dish was the carpaccio - the flavors are so interesting and it melts in your mouth! The fish was also very good, perfectly cooked and very rich. I'd pass on the croquettes (pretty ordinary) and korean pizza (a little too out of the ordinary) next time.
There's still much to try at Gochi so I'll be back :)
Gochi is bomb. As an non-Japanese Asian-American self-proclaimed foodie, I feel this is one of the few places that "fuses" something new and different AND pulls it off!
Masa's brilliance and entrepreneur spirit contribute to the creation of some of the most tasty traditional yet original dishes. If you love Japanese cuisine but want something more than your run-of-the-mill teriyaki, katsu, sashimi dishes or always wondered what olive oil and balsamic vinegar would taste like on sashimi or how roe would taste on potato pizza - you're in the right spot.
Some of my favorites: hamachi appetizer, garlic green salad, crispy rice balls, kimchee beef claypot, chicken & eggplant and ALWAYS lunch specials (and ordering from the daily specials menu). Bottom line, I think there's something for almost everyone, the challenge is finding it.
Luckily, Junko, Aya and Ken are some of the most attentive servers - you can tell the staff is a really tight knit, hard-working group of folks in the ambiance, food, delivery of service and overall experience.
I had a 30 person birthday party here with lots of sake, and have recommended it without disappointment for several large tech business dinners. People always want more!
Gochi's not for everyone though, if you need last-minute reservations, can't handle intimidatingly lengthy menus, don't like crowds & noise, sitting through a proper dinner service, or are "shocked" by restaurants in small plazas with "authentic floor seating" - just give up your seat. I'm sure one of the hungry people flocking outside the restaurant will gladly take your swoop it right up.
I went to Gochi's for lunch and ordered the special of the day for $9.50 which included a chicken roll (think chicken kiev in nori and deep fried), 5 leaves of spinach, eel over tofu (same flavor as donburi), miso soup and a bowl of rice. I would definitely give 4 stars for creativity and taste, but 3 stars because I left feeling still hungry. I asked our waitress about dessert but she said that dessert is for dinner time. We could order last night's leftovers which were quite limited however. I appreciated her honesty and decided to pass. To my surprise, the restaurant was loud so I could only have a conversation with the two people next to me and not the other 5 people sitting at the private table. I would go back to Gochi, but with some hesitation.
We were invited to go to Gamba's next door for a night of karaoke, but after a hard day of shopping a couple of girls have got to eat first!
I was very excited to finally try this place, and we had a very hard time deciding that I asked the waiter what he recommends. The staff here are all friendly and helpful AND actually Japanese XD
As we walked in, I was taken back by the fact that everyone takes off their shoes and sits on the tatami mats. Super cute! It was pretty packed that night so we sat at the counter. Because we're "girls" and we like to "watch our figure" we ordered the small unagi meshi (eel over crispy rice) and an edamame (soy bean) appetizer to split. XD
The edamame was average, but was a big helping! It made me feel a little better about eating so late haha But the unagi meshi was DELISH! The waitress even mixed and prepared our servings when she brought it out! Nice touch! It's those little things that brings the customers back =D
All in all, it was a wonderful experience, and maybe I'll have my November bday here with some karaoke after! hmMm...
WenT here on a sat night~ i had a bigger group (8 ppl) so i had to make reservations two weeks in advance to be able to get in.. i think if it was a smaller group, no need for two weeks in advance for reservations...
As for food~ the sashimis we ordered were very fresh and the wasabi was reaLLy good! some of the coOk dishes were hit or miss.. cuz the short rib dish we ordered was overly salty.. the warm mushroOm salad was good.. but the sauce was just a tad salty also... what i liked most was the grilled rice balls~ and also the unagi meshi! YUM! especially with the dashi soup~
would definitely come again because there are sOo many options to choose from.. and i want to Try more and more.. toO bad its a little far from SSF... or else i'll go everY other week.. haha.. as for pricing.. i dont think its that expensive.. its about avg with drinkinG... :)
Not "fusion" as advertised, but it's GOOD!
I came here last weekend after hearing all the hype from people. Okay, now I believe the hype -- This is one of the best Japanese restaurants I've had in the Bay Area. It could rival the Japanese restaurants in LA!
One interesting thing to note is that they advertise this place as "Japanese Fusion Tapas"... It's not really fusion -- they have plenty of normal Japanese dishes, and a few with a "twist" such as the risotto croquettes. Again, not really fusion.. more like a regular modern Japanese restaurant with a few creative menu items. The "tapas" part was a bit misleading too -- I was expecting more of a Spanish + Japanese fusion style menu, but it was only "tapas"-esque in that all of the dishes come small. Pretty standard when you go to real Japanese restaurants.. but for the teriyaki chicken + sashimi + tempura + california roll crowd, I guess this serves as a good warning.
Anyway, here's what we ordered:
Honmaguro Ootoro sashimi (Blue fin tuna - fatty tuna sashimi) - Special of the day. Very fresh ootoro that MELTS in your mouth. They actually give you a good number of pieces for the price, too! Yea, it was $20, but I think it was a really good deal for ootoro with the amount they gave us.
Sanma (mackerel) sashimi - It pays to be Japanese and be able to order in Japanese... The Japanese waiter immediately recommended the sanma sashimi as soon as he figured out that I can speak it. According to him, very fresh sanma, fresh enough for sashimi, is difficult to obtain and they just happened to be able to get some that day. Mmmmm VERY fresh and yummy!
Risotto Croquettes - A traditional Japanese home dish with a slight twist. I liked this just fine... the gf did not like it, for some reason. Think of this as a mushy croquette with marinara sauce. If you're in the mood for a little flavor mix in your order, it's not bad at all.
Yakionigiri (Grilled rice ball) w/ Salmon Mayo - For those of you who have not had yakionigiri, don't knock it till you've tried it. Yes, "grilled rice ball" may sound weird to Americans.. but trust me, it's delicious! You also get a choice of "topping" on the onigiri, and we chose the salmon mayo. The rice ball came topped off with this mixture, and o-m-g it complimented the charcoal + grilled soy sauce flavor very well.
Yuzu Ceviche - ceviche with a hint of yuzu citrus flavoring, along with some shredded shiso leaves. It's a slightly more tangy version of ceviches you may find at American restaraunts.
Gyuutan shioyaki (Beef tongue grilled with salt) - Eat it while it's hot!!! For those of you who are turned off by the idea of tongue, trust me, you wouldn't even know it was tongue unless someone told you. The texture is slightly chewier than your typical parts used for beef, but it's great nonetheless. This is a must-order when you go get Japanese-style Korean BBQ (Speaking of which... I don't know of many Japanese-style Yakiniku/KoreanBBQ places in the Bay Area other than Juuban, which I find to be only so-so. Anyone know of any others??)
Ankimo (monkfish liver) - "Foie gras of the sea", as Anthony Bourdain put it. Delicious. It came in a ponzu sauce and its tangy-ness overpowered the flavor of the ankimo a bit, but it was still pretty good.
Natto soboro maki (natto + ground chicken wraps) - Who knew natto would go so well as part of a lettuce wrap??? I didn't have high hopes for this when we ordered it, but wow.. what a pleasant surprise that was!
Green tea creme brulee - Need I say more?
With such an extensive menu of many different varieties of Japanese cuisines, I definitely have to come back again and try other things out on here. It's not as "creative" as maybe Musha in Torrance, but everything we ordered was SOLID. Nothing disappointed me, and I'm a hard customer to please =)
Be sure to make reservations a few days in advance, or be prepared to wait a loooong time on weekends!
I went here a few times for lunch with my grandma and was impressed at the deals they had on donburi's. You get a donburi, small bowl of udon, and salad for about $10. I decided to take my fiancee there for lunch and she agreed that it was delicious because of the combination of different asian flavors and sheer selection of donburi's!
We then decided to go there for dinner and was blown away by the difference. It was not simply the difference that they did not have tapas for lunch, but it was that they do the best job in this area in terms of a true "asian fusion" restaurant. I've been to my fair share of fusion restaurants and usually end up satisfied, but not impressed. Gochi definitely does this the best!
I recommend the clay pot rice, rib eye steak, gyuniku maki (asparagus and cheese roll and flash fried with a panko outside), mushroom risotto croquettes (mushroom and cheese, deep fried and drizzled with a pesto and tomato based sauce), and the carpaccio. We just really appreciated the flavors and how well the restaurant meshed them together.
The price is slightly high for dinner, but we believe that it is worth it everytime we go. Also, the sake containers that they serve the sake in are really cool :)
Japanese? Tapas? Hell yes! Came here for dinner with three of my girls, and it was oh so yummy in my tummy. The food is comparable to Tanto, but the ambiance of the place is a little nicer. There is an open tatami area in the middle, "bar" seating to one side, and a row of private tables on the other side. This place does not require reservations to dine, but it is very preferred. I highly suggest to make the reservations to save you the trouble later.
We had a fried corn appetizer, albacore tuna, crab croquettes, shrimp with a chili mayo sauce, steak, kim chee rice, and pizza. My favorites were the tuna (really fresh), and the rice. The pizza was interesting. It is a miso based crust, mushrooms, and char siu.
Great place for groups. I'll definitely be coming back.
Wow wow wow, didn't expect gochi to be as good as it was. It was damn good. I would eat here everyday of the week if I could. I went with the bf and we ordered maybe 7 or 8 dishes (yes we were hungry). The best of the night was definitely fresh sashimi bluefin fatty tuna, sashimi mackerel, grilled beef tongue, grilled nigiri w/ salmon mayo, and green tea creme brulee. Oh gosh this was a yummy meal. Definitely recommended!!
Pros: really fresh fish for a good price, everything was a hit and it was a really fun atmosphere.
Cons: didn't like the risotto croquette, not tasty and this place gets crowded.
After having this place hyped up like crazy by my crazy foodie friends, I finally went, with said people... WOOT!
Group of 6 seated in the middle of the open tatami area - it was already loud in the restaurant and about to get louder. Being elected Sake Captian for the team, I picked a bottle of Otokoyama Junmai, my favorite sake. The waitress brought out a bottle about 2 feet high! Each person ordered 3 dishes - I have food allergies and had to abstain from about half the menu, but picked out 3 I could eat: gindara shioyaki, gyutan tataki and yakiniku kimchi meshi. Auf Englisch: grilled black cod seasoned with salt, braised beef tongue and stone pot rice topped with thinly sliced beef, kimchi and a poached egg. In addition, I tried some of everything I could - a crab and cream gratin, sliced grilled beef tongue, flounder with yuzu salsa, dry curry beef meshi and duck steak. FYI, sometimes the chef is able to substitute tamari for the soy sauce, make sure to ask before you get a reservation.
Everything was absolutely delicious, living well up to all the hype. I enjoyed the rice dishes most of all.
I took off a star for sort of non-Japanese service, ie not ridiculously attentive. JK... it was for the more than several occasions where the server dropped off food at the table without a word and left. With over 20 dishes and 2 people who will probably die from eating certain things, INFO is CRUCIAL, as well as just being plain expected in the normal duties of wait staff. As Sake Captain, I had to tackle someone by the ankles to refill our carafe, once the waitress figured out our run rate she brought out a second carafe and eventually the rest of the bottle. One server left a bowl of empty clamshells at our table... ummm who ordered that?!
For your birthday, we will give you free edamame! Wow! So generous! *sarcasm*
I took my fiance here for dinner for her bday dinner. I made reservations a week in advance for a weeknight as it can get crowded. We arrived on time for our reservation, and they told me on the phone that they will hold the table for up to 15 minutes.
We ordered salmon aburi carpaccio, beef tongue, rock cod fish, and unagi fried rice. The food came out pretty quickly and was tasty but not as good as what I've had in Japan. The waiter gave us this teapot of soup to go with the unagi but we weren't really sure what to do with it. We had to flag down someone else to have it explained to us.
Overall the food is good but not great. I was surprised they didn't even give a scoop of ice cream with a candle. - 2 stars for being shady for ppl celebrating birthday's here. I don't know how the person below got free stuff, but the waiter made it sound like he was hooking it up with the free edamame. I would have given it more stars
I came back here for dinner recently on a Friday evening, on the waitlist for 8pm, and we ended up sitting at their little "bar" area which isn't actually a bar.
I have to take down a star because they forgot my green tea and service was lackluster.
The food however, was great, better than I remember! So many small plates to choose from! Of course, I was still on my detox diet so all I could eat was the salmon carpaccio, braised cod, and duck tataki (I can't have red meat, fried items, etc. ). The cod was cooked perfectly and all the flavors blended well together, I loved texture of the crispy skin in sync with the wonderful and light sauce. My friend's favorite was a potatoe/crab/corn/cheese dish which was basically creamy mashed potatoes with crab meat and corn, with tons of melted cheese on top. We also had sake and wine (not me though argh) and at least the server did come by and keep their glasses flowing.
I LOVE this place!!
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Okay, if you are looking for EXCELLENT Japanese food, this is the place to go. Though I do agree with others when they say never go without a reservation because you will be waiting forever... that's how popular it is.
My friends and I came here when we wanted to have a nice dinner out. The service was absolutely wonderful, they sat us quickly (we had reservations) and the waitress was very knowledgeable about the food. Must haves are the Risotto Croquettes and the Hamachi Carpaccio. I loved them both! The sashimi was also very fresh and we also had a clay pot that the waitress offered to mix for us.
Great ambiance, great food, great service!!
After reading so many rave reviews, I finally got the chance to visit Gochi on a Thursday night. we had reservations for 6pm. We got there a little early (5:45) and the resaturant wasnt open yet. Right at 6, when they opened the door, 7 or 8 tables were filled immediately!!!
We had the chicken clay pot, salmon rowe rice balls and beef tongue. Everything was delicious! I also got a decanter of Sake.
Prices are a little steep -- $17 for clay pot, $16 for their cheapest Sake. However, I really like the environment of the place and can't wait to go back to try MANY MANY more dishes.
I hope to be able to give it another star once I get the chance to try more dishes.
Service was good; fast and prompt. Water was constantly refilled and the waitresses came by many times asking if we were doing OK. The best part is that we weren't rushed. Even though they were busy, we sat there enjoying our meal and chitchat without ever feeling rushed. Even at the end of the meal, I ordered a to-go item which would take 20 minutes. The waitress did not ask us to leave the table during the wait.
Do make reservations, especially if it's on the weekend!!
Hands down, my favorite restaurant in the Bay Area.
Last year, my mother, her friend and I had reservations EVERY Wednesday here to celebrate Hump Day. But that was when the economy was better. Now we go in once every 2 weeks or so... but still, the manager and all of the old waiters and waitresses know our names and faces and they always give us excellent service. We often call in a few hours early, and the manager (Junko!) promises to save us a spot at the counter if we come quickly. The team here are part of the reason why our experiences here are ALWAYS so good!
Now to the food - tasty, tasty tapas. I've had a lot of things on the menu, but definitely try:
- the salad with 7 components, I think it's called Tai Hassai, and it's usually on the daily specials menu.
- any clay pot rice, those are all really good.
- chicken and eggplant (my personal favorite), which tastes really good paired with the clay rice.
- stir fried udon!
- green tea ice cream... okay, they give this to us for free for being continued patrons... but isn't that good incentive for you readers to keep coming back in hopes of free ice cream!?
I've only had this once, but their Japanese pizzas are really tasty too, and always worth a try just for the experience. And, if you want some good old fashioned sashimi, their sashimi is as delicious as sashimi could be.
Now SAKE. They have tons of sake available for you to choose from, and if you have a big party you can order a gigantic bottle, which is literally about 1.5 feet tall. OR, if you have a small party, and you go there often enough, they put your name on it and save it for you to drink from every time you're there!
Some of my fondest memories from last summer were from dining here. Definitely go and enjoy yourself. And if you don't think you can get a reservation, here is a tip! The counter is on a first-come first-serve basis, and it usually gets less crowded after 7!
So I finally had the chance to come here last night. The bf brought me here to celebrate my birthday, yay! We had a reservation for 8:00pm and good thing we left with some time. As someone mentioned google maps doesn't do a very good job of locating this place. It happens to be right on the corner of Homestead and Blaney. Even though we had a reservation and were right on time we still had to wait about 10 minutes or so to be seated. It was clear that even though it was 8pm it was still quite crowded.
We were hoping to get seated in the tatami area but since we were only two it seems the groups of two get seated on the small tables across from the private rooms. We were only given one menu and our waitress seemed to disappear *poof* right after. We caught another one and got a second menu shortly thereafter. The menu is huuuuuge! It was easier to browse it going by some of the suggestions found here from you trusty yelpers :D.
We decided the yuzu ceviche, the crab puff balls, the blue fin tuna kanappes and the salmon pizza, with some hot house sake (some day I will learn more about sake so that I feel comfortable ordering some of the better stuff). Sadly enough they were out of the kanappes so we went with the blue fin tunna carpaccio which had avocado mousse and truffle oil and was topped with some alfalfa.
We really enjoyed everything but here comes the one disappointment in terms of the food. We got the pizza from other reviews we saw here. It was definitely too heavy to mix with all the other light and delicate dishes we had ordered. We couldn't even finish it and took 1/3 home. Oh, while I have my snob hat on, that ceviche was excellent except for the fact that they serve them with these potato chips. The flavor of potato is too overpowering, something else likea veggie crisp might be better. Next time passing on the pizza and getting a claypot or some udon instead if we want some starch.
We left after 9pm and the place was starting to empty out. Subtracting one star for having to wait while having a reservation, for the disappearing waitress who gave one menu and forgot our sake until reminded and for the potato chips. For those prices I expect everything to be perfect. Still pleased enough to go back and explore more dishes.
This is a really fun place to take friends. The food is great and a little different than your traditional japanese restaurant. We really like it....
Business is good. At lunch time this place is packed. So why not hire some more help, or at least some waitresses that have a longer memory. During our lunch, we asked for water three separate times. Each time she asked if it was for both people, each time we replied yes. We never saw a drop. The entire meal, she never brought it. But when we asked for the check (which itself took 15 minutes), she all of a sudden remembered that she never brought the water, and began apologizing. I guess she remembers when her tip is on the line.
The food itself was ok, but nothing that special. Maybe it's just because it was there limited lunch menu, but I was expecting more. I got the Rib Eye steak, which came over a bed of rice, some onions, and some Udon Noodle Soup. Rice is rice, the soup was whatever. The steak would have been good if not for the high percent of fat. Some of the slices were pure fat, no meat at all. That's ridiculous.
ZOMG I think I found Little Japan...its hidden off of Homestead in Cupertino. FYI if you are a Japanese business man and have NOT gone here after work in your slacks and crisp button up, you clearly missed the memo--all your homies come here after work, and you must not have been invited.
Eric C. and I came here for dinner the other night after seeing so much yelp hype about it. Japansese Fusion Tapas? What an interesting combination of ideas...Well it worked. Here's the helpful breakdown for people who are scrambling to choose off the menu (like we were) but are OVERWHELMED by the fact that there is probably 100+ dishes to choose from:
- Shiromaguro Tataki -
-(albacore ahi tar tar) -
This was a good starter too the meal. Nothing
like a plate of raw fish to kick off your taste
buds...subtle but solid flavors.
- Gyutan Kakuni Jaga Butter -
- (braised beef tongue in broth) -
Probably my favorite piece of the meal.
PERFECTLY tender and it absorbed
the broth a little, so every bite oozed
amazing flavor on top of the meat...
This is a MUST try when you come here.
- Unagi Meshi + Dashi -
- (rice in a clay pot with eel and broth) -
Also so delicious. I love eel, and the
dashi really completed this bunch of
flavors. Seriously, if you like Unagi, you
will love this.
We washed it all down with a pitcher of Sapporo between the two of us, and the bill came out to about $65 before tip. Not exactly the cheapest meal on a Tuesday, but it hit the spot and was some truly good quality food. Check out my pics to see the Japanese-style dining and pics of the dishes we tried...
-1 Star for me trying to go out to eat to a moderately priced dinner and spending like $40. +4 stars for such an awesome meal. Yee yee
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