Gochi Japanese Fusion Tapas
Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 725-0542
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Mon-Fri 6:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Sat 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
54 reviews
Santa Clara, CA
"*UPDATE: (2/3/2008) Re-wrote this slightly as I ate here more and have more info! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I…" read more »
283 Reviews for Gochi Japanese Fusion Tapas
This place was excellent. My fiance and I tried it last night and I can't remember everything we had - but among the delish items were the scallop gratin and the kaki fry. Oh yes, we also had the best onigiri I've had in a long time. Service was pretty friendly, and pretty fast, too.
The only thing that knocked it to 4 stars instead of 5 was that it was a little spendy for the amount of food we consumed - however, it is another good option for Japanese in this area, and I'll definitely be back.
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First time to give 5 stars, and this place deserves it. The food was excellent, the service was quick and friendly (and everyone speaks Japanese) and the atmosphere was like being in an Izakaya (fairly upscale one)in Japan. Admitted, the food was a bit expensive, but folks who know Japan know that a good meal can cost about 1hundy a person. Especially if you are drinking.
My only complaint (hardly a complaint) is that they only had (Anheuser-Busch-made)Kirin on tap. No big deal, as you can get a Sapporo anyway. And if you like Shouchu, there are a fair amount of varieties; Soba, Mugi, Imo.
I think it makes good sense to get a bottle with your name on it if you plan on coming back. I know we will be going there a lot.
I was here the other night.....but I wish I came here hungry. I had eaten only a few hours previous...oh well. That never stopped me before. So we pull up and I jump out to get a table....cuz I had heard that it was busy on the weekends. I walked into the entrance on the right....."WTF?!?!?!" I apparently walked into the wrong entrance and found myself in a karaoke bar??? I have no idea but quickly walked back out and walked through the glass doors that had these brown curtain things behind them (that's why I though it wasn't he main entrance =D). the lady behind the counter was helpful and told me that there was 30 minute wait. Ok...
Fast forward half an hour - the place was full and they got this floor plan where it's mostly sit down without shoes on floors with cut outs under the table mixed with some traditional seating arrangements and a few private rooms. I liked it.
They got beer and shochu....is that like soju? And they have kirin on tap....fyi The lychee shochu was great....I think I'm becoming a drunk because I really didn't taste the alcohol even though my guests insisted that it was there and strong. Be sure to take a look at the daily specials located on a placard thingy on your table. Unfortunately the eggplant and tofu was not available but the replacement eggplant and pork was great. I don't quite remember what else we ordered...I just kind of picked a couple of things haphazardly trusting our waiter's judgment. Never been to a Japanese fusion venue before...I wanted to taste the adventure unravel as the night progressed. Everything was great and different. Who knew? Again in Cupertino..
The service was fantastic..the staff was helpful, informative and very attentive. It didn't hurt that the ladies were attractive....I'm just saying. They were on top of everything, made great suggestions and were quick....amazingly enough considering how busy and full the place was.
And if find yourself with a little room left....the green tea creme brulee is great.....yeah, it's green.
;D
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Oh, how wonderful it was to be back in an Izakaya again! For those who have been to Japan and miss that setting, head over here if you're open to the changes that fusion introduces to standard izakaya fare (& a not-so-modest bill).
I went with a group of 3 friends from Berkeley & Santa Cruz as a reunion from our study abroad program in Japan, for dinner before we headed to the karaoke place next door. We didn't have a reservation so had to wait about 25 minutes (quoted as 20) before being seated - reasonable, I think. The place was packed to the brim & very loud - everyone was enjoying their food & the company. Being surrounded by Japanese-speakers was a real delight, too.
Be prepared to spend a good $20-30 per person (sans drinks), for lots of little dishes that come out looking small - but keep in mind that as you nibble away at them you steadily fill up, so that when you order your last plate because you think you need more, don't be surprised when you look to the big eater in the group to finish it off because you're stuffed.
It's a place where you order to share, so that's what we did. Here's the breakdown:
- Kaki fry (deep-fried oysters): Yum! I thought it was odd that they were served with tonkatsu sauce (sort of like barbecue sauce), but it was a good pairing - especially with the karashi (Japanese spicy mustard).
- Kani (crab) cream croquette: I was a little bit disappointed when mine didn't hold its shape, but maybe I was just a little too rough on it with my chopsticks. Flavorful without being too creamy & went well with the tonkatsu sauce & karashi.
- Tori kara age (deep-fried chicken): Yum! Served with a lemon wedge (as it must be), they were piping hot when we got them, & they were fried just right so they weren't overly greasy.
- Yuzu ceviche: Pretty good. Not a whole lot of ceviche for the amount of potato chips (surprisingly a very good pairing) that they served it with. I'm not really big on shiso (Japanese basil, called beefsteak plant in English), so I though the shiso's flavor overpowered the yuzu -- but overall it was pretty good. If I liked shiso more (like my companions) I'd probably be happier with it.
- Saba (mackerel) carpaccio: 8 tender, flavorful, DELICIOUS slices of saba sashimi drizzled with deliciousness & served with bean sprouts. I LOVE mackerel so this was delicious!
- Yakiniku kimchee clay pot rice: This took *forever* to come out. I know that clay pot rice takes a long time to cook, but people who came in after us actually got theirs first. We got the small size, which they say is good for 2-3 people (we had 4), & it was just right, especially since it came after all the rest of the food.
When they brought it to the table, they served it all up for us, after mixing it in well & scraping all the delicious crispy parts off of the pot. Yay for okoge!
- Ebi chili: Not as spicy as we were hoping it would be, & more saucy than I expected. It sort of tasted a little bit like Thousand Island... definitely my least favorite dish but still pretty good. I wouldn't order it again, though I'd get any of the other stuff in a heartbeat.
Overall, I really liked this place. The beer was reasonably priced, the cocktails not bad. Tab for 4 people with drinks before tip: $127. I would recommend looking at the menu before you sit down (if you don't have a reservation) so you can order right away, & ask them to start on the clay pot rice STAT.
Fantastic! We made reservations, thankfully because that place was POPPIN'
You were required to take off your shoes if you got a special Japanese style booth. But it really wasn't Japanese, because your feet hang under the table. Real Japanese would make you kneel. Ouch!
We were feeling adventurous: Unagi Pizza! Duck Steak, Claypot rice, croquettes .
Oh man, the Unagi Pizza was a bad idea. The Cheese and Asian food combination was a disaster in my stomach, but the crust was really good. The Duck was unusual, but still good and the claypot reminds me of food a Japanese Baachan would make you. :) I was quite pleased in general! But I wish we got a special booth.
Check out this video of the waitress mixing the claypot dish!
http://www.youtube.com...
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Fantastic and unexpected.
When you first approach the plaza, it appears overrun and unimpressive. Things change, however, when you are seated (without shoes) and learn that the restaurant is fully booked except for a few seats along the bar.
Service was excellent, with smiles from all servers and helpful suggestions for the novice Gochi patron. My wife and I had the beef rolls with asparagus, hamachi sashimi, soba noodle soup, seafood ceviche, and beef tongue with mashed potatoes.
The beef tongue was an absolute surprise; tender, large cuts and full of flavour. Clearly a winner and a repeat order upon our next visit. Altogether the price wasn't astronomical, but rather reasonable. $40 for the two of us, without beverages.
Gochi has earned a return customer and a word-of-mouth advocate. Kudos.
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I've heard really wonderful things about this restaurant. I couldn't figure out why.
I was impressed because it's a no-shoes type of place, and after two weeks in Japan, I had lots of high hopes. But after servers and seaters were rude and the food was meh, I don't think I'll bother again.
The food was oversauced (sashimi salad, ebi sautee, and others), and way expensive for how much you get. I didn't like the froo froo feeling of the restaurant. There were three of us who went out last night, and we left hungry. If we didn't, we would have left broke. This place is way too expensive.
The service at this place wasn't great. They brought us (three of us) all our dishes at once, and they didn't trade out the plates when they became dirty (common practice at most izakiyas).
After we were done, they really took their time at getting us the check. And we asked them everything in Japanese. I know this is a popular place, but for what the food costs, I would expect it to be better.
Then again, maybe I just don't get the fusion thing. I like Tanto (prefer the one in Sunnyvale), and I'm sure I'll get flack for that, but it's my money and I'll eat it however I want.
I've heard so many raving reviews for this place and decided to take a friend here for her birthday today. We went for lunch and did not have the chance to try their tapas dishes. The overall experience was not good.
Good thing we didn't have to wait to be seated since I made reservations but we will NOT be returning here. After we sat down, I inquired about the tapas dishes and was informed it was only for dinner hours. Ok. How about any appetizers? No. Ok. So we each ordered donburri rice bowl with choice of meat (beef, pork, whatever) and each bowl came with a side salad and miso soup. Side items were mediocre. My rice bowl was on the salty side and the rice was overcooked, near mushy. I tried both of my friend's bowls and they were just ok. Since we were there for a birthday lunch, we brought a cake with us (Satura - great bakery!). I asked for plates and utensils so we could eat the cake. The server comes back with one dish and fork. Smart! We ask him again and upon his return he mentions that there is a cake cutting fee. I then look at him and question why there's a cake cutting fee when I am cutting the cake and serving it MYSELF. Most upscale places will charge a cake cutting fee, but that's when they actually serve it nicely on a plate for you, not self service. And if you're wondering, this is not an upscale place. The server even looked weird and uncomfortable when telling us we would be charged per person for the cake. Not a big deal, but just not a good impression.
-food was mediocre, does not live up to the reviews. I'll update this IF I try dinner.
-service was slow
-charged for a service that wasn't even a service
-ambience was boring, dark and the floors were dusty
-too bad, I was really excited about this place, what a disappointment :(
I just went here for lunch. I asked the waiter for their most popular lunch item which turned out to be the fried chicken and eggplant combo. I got mine with udon. It wasn't too bad but I thought it was a bit too salty. Dinner might yield better results.
The restaurant itself has a very nice interior with tatami mats to provide that "ethnic" appeal. I wouldn't use their slippers though, not unless you want athlete's foot.
This restaurant seems pretty popular so make reservations if you're going for dinner.
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I'll give this place the benefit of the doubt that it can be better. ~250 reviews can't be wrong, right?? I came here for dinner and it was pretty expensive... I only ordered 2 things and both were good but not spectacular. The clay pot rice was better than okay (I got beef and kimchi) and then I just got generic udon so I can let that one go for not being anything special... Just those two items were over 20 bucks (granted, you're supposed to share the rice).
There were a lot of items on the menu that I would have liked to try but I guess I'll have to save that for sometime when I'm not paying heh heh. Yeah, I'm a cheapskate. So what.
why the 4 stars? I was soooooooooooo disappointed about this place. So I did my research before I went here for a birthday party. Saw what everyone on yelp said was soooo good! First dish, was the seared albacore, nothing special, could of got it at a sushi place. Second dish was Mushroom Risotto croquette or something like that, a deep fried mushy mushroom flavored rice ball type of thing, which i was not a fan of, I ate one and my girlfriend ate one we both didnt like it, we tried to offer it to anyone at the table and everyone refused to try it maybe cause it didnt look to appealing. The curry rice pot was okay but WAY too powered by the curry flavor that I couldnt finish my little bowl. And last the Cod with plum sauce, would of been nice if the sauce wasnt so over powered by some sour taste. Seriously how can people rate this a 4 or 5 star place?
yeah its cool that its kind of a traditional style japanese restaurant where u take off ur shoes and what not, but i left with a stiff lower back from trying to sit on those mats. for a fusion restaurant that charges a bit too much for their food, it was not appealing at all, the presentation of the food was UGLY! 2 pieces of cod with sauce over it and two pieces of asparagus on top of it? that doesnt look like fusion cooking to me. maybe this place was good before, but my experience there would not make me come back. id rather stick to a sushi restaurant.
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2 stars because we had a party of over 20 and the service was prompt and somewhat organized. We ordered our food 3 days in advance so it could be ready when we got there. no waiting!! =) the only bad thing is, I've never been here before so I randomly picked what I thought would be good. Of course I yelped this place first and picked out what people suggested.
I ordered the cod, albacore, curry ricepot and these.. little.. mushroom.. balls. sorry, I can't remember.
I'm sorry. The food was nothing to die for. My friend had a saying "very filling but not fulfilling". For 80+ dollars for 2 people I would expect the food to be good! The cod was sour almost, drenched in the plum sauce, mushroom croquettes (i think they were called) was eh.. (my friend actually spit it out when she tried it) curry rice was only good (sad to say) because I put saracha sauce in it. The only thing that was decent was the Albacore, but I could of found that at any sushi place for a lot cheaper.
I also tried the cream crab... something.. No good. Lettuce wraps. no good.
The only thing out of 20+ people that someone said they liked was the kimchi pizza.
Anyways, I don't see the big deal about this place. All 20+ people said that they wouldn't go back. Maybe I'm just missing the key items on the menu..
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Good izakaya place.
Crowded with people, mostly Asians. Need to pass the kitchen area to get to the restroom at the back, the restroom was far from impressive.
Food wise, the menu was extensive. First half is in English followed by drink/wine, then the Japanese part of it. Surprised to find some Korean type food too. Overall, like the food we ordered there. Good place to get together with friends or dine alone even.
I don't know what an authentic izakaya is supposed to be like so I can't rate that. My friend said the food was definitely fusion and since that word is in the name of the restaurant, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised. Gochi looks pretty damn Japanese to me though.
The menu is extensive and kind of overwhelming so, again, I left the ordering up to someone else. We had: a frisee salad with sauteed mushrooms, grilled squid, a crudite with 3 sauces, kimchee buta and crispy rice balls with fish on top of them. The best things were the salad and squid. The buta tasted fine to me but I was told the pork should've melted in my mouth and it didn't. We got the crudite to try the dipping sauces but I would definitely skip that next time. The rice balls were interesting, kind of like a reverse California roll with a lot of crunchy rice or maybe just a giant, crunchy nigiri.
They have Kirin on draft and some other Japanese beers I've never heard of and the service was great. I had fun. I'd definitely come back with a bigger group to try more things on the menu.
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I used to go this same location when it used to be the Peacock aka the 'Cock. A cool little bar with air hockey and foosball tables, no, not that type of bar that the name would imply.
Anyways, this spot was recommended to me by a few friends who also enjoy Tanto on El Camino Real. A really nice Japanese Izakaya styled around western tastes in a very ugly looking strip mall.
Reservations are highly recommended as they take in very few walk-ins and if they do then the wait might be hellish, which isn't very Izakaya like but whatever.
The menu is intense, lots of stuff you may never have heard of but try them all the same, thats half the fun.
I really enjoyed the braised beef tongue, the black cod fillet with plum sauce, hamachi carpaccio and the green tea creme brulle.
Prices are sort of high and things start to add up without you even realizing that you ordered 12 different plates, so proceed with caution. Look to spend around $50 per person if you're drinking.
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I've had a 5-star and a 3-star experience here.
The first time I came it was +1 and the restaurant it blew me away. I followed all of the suggestions from the really friendly waitress and was happy with the result. We had the scallop on tomato (my least favorite though of the 3), the eggplant chicken (amazing!) and the crab pizza (awesome!). It was the right amount for 2 and it wasn't too pricey.
The second time I came with a group of 10 for a birthday party. I was really excited and contributed in the ordering process with my vast experience of one previous trip. I was excited too because with so many people, surely we could order 5 times as many dishes that were all as good as that first night! Sadly, nothing stood out much. Even the pizzas (we ordered 3 types) which came out at the end, failed to save the dinner.
Whether it was the large party size or the late time of night (we were there 8-close on a saturday) the food just didn't live up to the first experience. 4 stars is still high but I'm hoping this was just a hiccup in performance and I wouldn't hesitate to jump on a chance to try this place again.
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I've finally tried Gochi. It's pretty good though things can sure add up fast. We didn't have reservations and when I called found out they were fully booked on Wed 3/26/08 and could be a walk-in only. So went to Oakmont Produce Market around 5pm and shopped there, then stood in front of the restaurant at 6pm when it opens. We got the first 2-top table in the back which was fine by me. She wanted us to be done by 7:30pm, & we made it.
The menu is pretty huge. Tiny printing with much to read so it takes a bit of time to order. I knew some of the dishes because of yelp reviews - they don't have the menu online which is lame, not even a sample menu. They got: soups, noodles, nabe, clay pot rice, appetizers, pan sauteed & grilled; stir fries(sic), deep fries (sic); braised & steamed; sashimi & tataki; salads, & today's specials.
We got:
hamachi carpaccio $16.50 - very nice
shiromaguro tataki $10.50 - nice, though could have used more flavor.
fusion mentai kinoko pizza $10.50-4 slices about the size of a personal pizza. I was getting full after the 2nd slice.
yaki udon $8.50-stir fried udon w/ pork & cabbage. just ok
gindara manieru (pan sauteed black cod fillet w/ plum soy sauce) $10.50 - not my favorite, just ok.
green tea creme brulee $6.50-crisp sugary top was nice, green tea was not flavored enough but still nice.
Tea might be extra (didn't ask). I just got water. Friend got 2 small things of sake at $15 ea order in a nice glass serving thing & tiny cup. Very cool. Taste like sake to me.
Credit cards taken. Separate bathrooms in the back. Women's had 2 toilets/1 sink.
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Friendly staff.
Tasty food.
Slightly overpriced.
If not seated at a table with chair, must take off shoes.
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The name says it all - Japanese fusion tapas. Gochi's menu consists of standard traditional items, such as onigiri, karage, and tempura, but also has a great selection of interesting dishes that mix in European elements, such as unagi-topped pizza and green tea creme brulee. So this izakaya would be a good place for both the Japanese foodie purists and the inquisitive adventurers.
Reservations are a MUST at this place. I showed up with two friends at 6pm on a Saturday, only a half hour after they opened, to find that most of the tables were already booked and all the remaining seats were occupied by walk-in guests. Luckily we only had to wait about half an hour to sit down, but I made a mental note to myself to call in next time.
The ankimo (monkfish liver) was amazing. This "foie gras of the ocean" was smooth and silky, with a milder flavor than most types of liver I've tried. Served with a healthy amount of ponzu sauce and sliced green onions.
My personal favorite for the night was the duck tataki - slices of lightly seared duck with a dash of spicy mustard on top. The meat was tender and retained a wonderful pink color in the middle. My only complaint was that the duck could've been sliced a little thinner.
Also tried: mushroom tempura (very light and crispy batter), katsu with three kinds of dipping sauce, and salmon onigiri. Everything tasted wonderful!
(See accompanying photos!)
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Let me preface this review by saying I've never been a fan of ethnic fusion places. Often times, fusion places tend to sacrifice traditional styles for creative western flair.
But to my surprise, as mentioned by Carol L below, Gochi somehow managed to pull off fusion food without feeling like a fusion place.
I was pleasantly surprised by the traditional decor when I first entered. As a last minute decision to try out the place, we didn't have reservations. But we were able to get seated right away in the middle section with the low-top tables.
I had never been to an "authentic" Japanese place with lowtop tables before, so I was apprehensive at the thought of having my legs folded for the next hour so. But I was surprised again to find that the tables had an opening in the ground for your feet. Is this typical at other places? I don't know, but I was quite amused.
The only complaint is the overwhelming menu. Their menu is fracking HUGE. So we had to ask the waitress for suggestions. I guess it's another reason for me to go back as I have a tendency to try out all items before moving on to another restaurant.
Can't remember what I had anymore, but everything we had was delicious!
Ended up being $90 for two of us - which was a little bit more than I had expected. And it wasn't all that filling either. But I guess that is to be expected for a place with the words Japanese and Tapas in its name - both types of food which are neither cheap nor large in food portions.
The waitress did suggest their signature pizza - but I wasn't adventurous at the time. California isn't exactly known for its pizza... and I wasn't quite sure what Japanese pizza was. After reading some of the reviews, I think I really missed out. It's going to be the first thing I order when I go back.
Definitely a fun place to bring a date. Check it out when you can. 5 stars!
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I actually really liked this place. They had a large variety of things to choose from on the menu, and the good thing was, I knew exactly what each item was, which made it easier for me to order. I think it would have been a little harder if I wasnt familiar with traditional japanese ingredients, which some people in my party seemed to have.
I had the Katsuo (one of my favorite fish) Tataki and the Crab Cream Korokke. The katsuo tataki was fresh, new, and was a traditional dish turned modern from the garlic added to the mix. Try it, you'll love it. The korokke was o-k. Nothing great, nothing new, good for its traditional tastes, but I think I could have made it a little better.
I agree with the other yelpers that the food is slightly overpriced, but the portions are actually pretty moderate. I ordered with the intention that it would be small, but 2 plates was more than enough.
And DEFINATELY try to Grapefruit Chu-Hai (Japanese sake & grapefruit). It comes with half a grapefruit that you sqeeze yourself and pour into the Chu-Hai. It's delicious!
One of my favorites, dont miss out on Japanese pizza..but try everything!
So it's been 2 weeks since i've gone here and for two reasons it has taken me so long to write about it. One is work has been really busy but the other, i still am not sure if it gets a 4 or 5 from me. But now that i've decided it gets 4 i'll explain more.
As everyone has already stated about the decor so nobody is really interested in what i have to say about it. With that lets get right to the point. where food is the most important thing.
For appetizer we had a panko crusted asparagus wrapped in beef in a ponzu sauce. Absolutely delightful, i love how it's fried and textured and the warm cheeze leaking out as i try to do what i can to perserve my cheese.
Sashimi was fantastic, it's interesting how it's not with wasabi and soy sauce which breaks it away from tradional again. the Salmon pizza, wow what can i say. I loved it for the amount of cheese that was on it. So rich and the saltiness of the salmon roe went well with this crispy crust. But after 2 slices the richness was overwhelming.
The claypot was something i was so looking forward to. I've had clay pot before at other places and i absolutly adore the crunchy rice from the heat of the claypot mixed in with soft rice that was shielded from the clay pot. But we had the "spicy pork" claypot. This was a huge dissapointment. One, it was not spicy that killed it for me. But then pork? where is the pork. i couldn't taste it nor feel it. I was told the little brown specks are pork. third, nobody told me there was eggplant in there. I wasn't even in the menu. That dish should have been called eggplant claypot. Forget the meager amount of pork if it was eggplant claypot then i wouldn't be so dissapointed.
Overall it's a good restaurant. Would i go there again? definately. i love the flavors. The staff was friendly, except for when i wanted the check that sure took a while but eh it's a friday night, it gets busy. The only thing i'm wonder is, if i tried every dish her would i come back again? Truthfully the new twist on food i what intrigues me and i want to see what else is there.
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Perfectly cooked food with amazing sauces.
The special steamed/braised rock cod was some of the best fish that I have ever tasted. Curry fried rice was as good as the picture on yelp looked. Each one of the 7-8 dishes our party ordered tasted amazing.
The only dish that was disappointing was the caesar salad due to a lack of dressing.
Two thumbs up to the chef.
This is a fun place to bring a date for sure. Authentic style Japanese dining which requires you to take your shoes off and stick your feet down that cubby when you eat. We asked the server for suggestions and ended up ordering most of the popular plates. My favorites were the mushroom risotto and the white tuna tataki which were great cuts. We ordered a couple pitchers of the Kirin because they have it on tap! They also have rooms with sliding doors for private parties which is nice.
Good environment and a cute Japanese server.... whatever, 5 stars!
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This place achieved something that I personally think is very hard to do: they pulled off doing fusion food without making it feel like a fusion place. The restaurant's decor and the presentation of the food had a very traditional feel. Each tapas plate we ordered had a creative flair that complimented the traditional taste of the dish, rather than ruining it. However, as good as the food and atmospehre was, none of the plates were "omg" delicious. Perhaps it was overhyped for me, but nothing we ordered seemed amazing for me. Nonetheless, it was a great experience, and I'd definitely go back!
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If I was Capt Kirk I would destroy this place with my light saber! (I would start with the bathroom.) But I'm not, so I won't.
Sweet idea though.
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Came here on a Thursday evening and it was just as busy as a Friday night but at least we didn't have to wait for @ 2 hours - we had reservations! woohoo! Reservations highly recommended!!
This place is for the adventurous eaters...so don't expect to see sushi rolls on the menu here, it is japanese fusion tapas after all :). Below are several dishes that we've ordered ..some worth ordering again and others not so much:
* shiromaguro tataki: seared albacore drizzled with garlic oil & ponzu sprinkled with garlic chips
~ This one was delicious..and one of my favorites! It's a light and refreshing dish to start of with. The albacore was really fresh and melted in your mouth with each bite. The portion is plenty for 2 and possibly 3 people. Although I could've just ordered 2 of these for myself and been content :).
* Salmon Yaki Onigiri: crispy rice balls with cooked salmon on top
~ hmmm..this one is a mix. The crispy rice ball was very good but then again, it's just a rice ball. The cooked salmon on top tasted more like tuna from a can. I may have to try a different topping next time.
* risotto croquette: flash fried mushroom risotto puffs with shiso-pesto-tomato sauce
~ Ahhhh! This one was very tasty. At first when I cut it opened, the smell of the mushroom was pretty intense..and it crossed my mind for a sec that maybe I wouldn't like it so much. However, I was wrong once I took a bite of it. The mushroom risotto was cooked to perfection and the flavor was just right...to top it off, I found oozing mozzarella in the middle of it...oh yummy!! I'm just licking my lips thinking about this dish! :)
* Fusion Mentai Kinoko Pizza: crispy thin crust pizzas - topped with spicy cod roe, snow crab meat, wild mushrooms, bacon & cheese
~ I'm not sure why this is one of their signature dishes...although the crust was good, not your typical italian pizza crust but more like my aunt's homemade eggroll skins which is light and chewy. The combination of the toppings just didn't do it for me. In my opinion, if it wasn't for the bacon & cheese, this pizza would be very bland. Don't think I would be ordering this one again.
Overall, I would definitely come back here again and try other dishes on the menu like the daikon salad and some of the hot clay pot dishes. Heard those were delicious! :)
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After reading so many reviews about this place, I've decided to go there and drag my friend with me, which she didn't mind at all. Like everyone else is saying reservations are highly recommended or come before it opens because that's what my friend and I did. We were in the parking lot just listening to music waiting for this place to open. And there was already a line waiting outside 5 minutes before it opened.
Apparently reservations are more for the tables because my friend and I ended up sitting in the area where you have to take off your shoes but I have no problem with that makes it more authentic. haha! The only thing that was a little bothersome was this cute little girl running around in the area and was bumping into me while I was eating. So if you bring kids control them.
Ebi Daikon - There was this weird after taste but it's that one vegetable but other than that it would have been good.
Risotto Croquettes - Excellent! It's very filling.
Unagi pizza - I wouldn't say it's my favorite but it was interesting. After a couple of bites I got tired of it.
Service was good in the beginning but you need to flag them down when your finished and want your check.
It's possible that the foods I ordered weren't to my liking; anyway, that's why my friend and I have every intention of coming back and trying everything on the menu because we saw all these other foods people were ordering and it looked really good. So an update will happen when summer comes around and the stars might have change.
I have been meaning to write a review for this place for a while now.
First off, if you decide to go here and trust me, you WANT to go here. MAKE RESERVATIONS! They only take over the phone reservations during business hours.
I have been here about a dozen times now and I am always impressed with the wonderful food and the great service. Although there have been times that they get so busy that the staff is basically overwhelmed. With that still they are very patient and are willing to assist with your dinner selection at anytime.
Recommended dishes: ( I apologize for not remember their names from the menu)
*crunchy curry rice dish
*Squid in a ponzu sauce
*braised duck
I've been there 3 times now and have tried about 20 dishes. Not a single one bad! The most memorable is the pot rice. It has a crispy layer that's not too hard and adds a lot of flavor to the rice. I like to add a little bit of wasabe to the sauce which makes it even tastier. The eel rice bowl is my favorite.
They have the modern version of tatami seats and a few rooms to allow for more cozy atmosphere. I would give the decor a 5.
They serve Kubota Manju (the best sake in my humble opinion) for $250 which is fair value compared to other restaurants.
The service is generally good except when they're super busy.
It is on the expensive side, but not outrageous. Certainly a lot cheaper than Nobu. I'd definitely go back again. So far best Japanese restaurant I've been to.
5 stars for the first time I came with the bf: food was SO DELICIOUS except for the salmon with truffle oil, which was way too heavy for me. But everything else we ordered was really delicious. It's been a while so I cannot exactly remember the names but I do remember the green tea creme brulee was yummmy.
4 stars on my way home because I started to feel sick.
But we came back anyway and this time I would give them 3 stars overall because the food was not as tasty as the first time and once again I had the horrible stomachache afterwards again.
I don't think I will be coming back even though I love the green tea creme brulee because 2 for 2 I have felt sick after I ate here.
FYI: if you do plan on coming here, as other yelpers recommend MAKE RESERVATIONS!! because you will be waiting forever if you don't and they'll get you a table fairly quickly if you have one.
Although this is my first time eating here, I found it to be pretty damm good, therefore, I rated my experience five stars. We did not have a reservation, and went on a Wednesday around 8ish, so we only had to wait approx. 5 minutes.
I didn't wear shoes that needed socks, so it sort of sucked for me to have to take off my shoes, I just didn't know what would be under that table where others had previously sat, but to my surprise, it was all clear. No unexpected food items squished under me, nor did I even think of touching the ground.
The service was great, our waitress came, dropped off tea, and she must have returned 3 times before we ordered off the extensive menu.
This menu had so... much to offer, and was very overwhelming, especially for someone like me who has a hard time picking and choosing-hence she came back 3 times! Because there was only two of us, we only ordered 4 different dishes.
1. Kaisou Salad (assorted seaweed and greens)- TASTE
2. Panko beef roll w/ asparagus and cheese and miso
sauce-TASTE
3. Teba Shichimi Age (fried chicken wings)- BLAND
4. Tori Nasu (Garlic deep fried chicken and eggplant)-VERY
TASTE
Overall, this fushion combination was delicious. It is Tapas style, but the portions were very generous. Oh ya, by the time we noticed we didn't have rice, it was too late. We were getting full, so if you have to have rice like most of us asians, I'd suggest asking for it with your order.
The pricing was on the middle to high side, depending on what you wanted to eat, but funny enough we wanted items that cost $7.-8. this time around. Not terrible and well worth the deneros spent.
The ambiance is very Japanese decor, and very high energy, so you have to speak up to talk to the person(s) around you.
Otherwise, if you are looking for something taste and different, check out Gochi Japanese Tapas!!!
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Wow...that was the shortest trip back to Japan.
And I just booked another trip for later this month...because:
1) I'm curious as to how many "daily specials" are available, and I know they're all going to be delicious!
2) I need more of the fried lotus root with tofu, the sakana/sashimi salad, and the black cod nizuke-style -- my TOP THREE so far
3) I'm determined to try every type of those crusty yaki-onigiris / rice balls
4) we might get lucky again and get one of the private rooms (good for ~6 people)
5) we can eat and drink without burning a whole in our pockets
Dependable service, lively but not rowdy atmosphere, and "no shoes" policy make up for the utter lack of parking space.
SUM: 4.5 stars for now.
(For more details, please read the other 216 reviews.)
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Awesome. Don't come here if you're into spicy tuna, dragon rolls, and like your food drowning in teriyaki sauce. This is some real authentic creative JAPANESE food, made and served by Japanese people. With that being said, the food and service were awesome. I called for a reservation in advance, and was told that they weren't accepting any more reservations for the night. So we thought we would give it a shot anyways, and tried a walk-in. The hostess told us that it would be an hour wait, but we only waited about 20 minutes! yeah for us! Wear slip on shoes when you come here b/c the majority of the restaurant is tatami seating. We tried the tonkatsu, sashimi moriawase, gyutan shioyaki, tempura moriawase, mentaiko bifun, kani croquette, saba oshisushi, daikon salad, mentai pizza, buta no kakuni, and I can't remember what else. Anyhow, everything was wonderful. The quality of sashimi here is on par with the quality at Toraya in the city. They also have a pretty good selection of beer! I would recommend making reservations well in advance, but if you don't mind waiting, walk ins are welcome. Loved it and can't wait to go back and try more things!
Sorry yelpers...my friend and I certainly thought the food was just okay. We had suggestions from the waitress, and we thought the food was greasy, and didn't have much flavor.
I liked the idea of taking off our shoes and sitting at the counter. It was nice and homey.
Service was good.
The parking lot was full, and we were the only non-asians in the whole place. We both experiment with food a lot, so this isn't a matter of not liking new foods.
I liked the pork saute, but still it wasn't anything special. My friend like the Shrimp Balls; which I thought had a strange taste. We both very much enjoyed our Garlic Greens Salad.
We probably won't be coming back again.