BEST BITES
DEALS ON MEALS
Shadowbrook
Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza, San Jose
(Willow Glen), 408/971-7080; San Jose (Westgate),
408/871-0400; Los Gatos, 408/354-5566.
Outstanding pizzas, a full bar and a large menu
with fun appetizers. $
JAPANESE
Akane, 250 Third St., Los Altos. 650/941-8150.
Authentic Japanese cuisine featuring an extensive
selection of sushi, sashimi and tasty beef, chicken
102 South Bay Accent
and seafood dinner entrees. $$
Azuma Japanese Cuisine, 19645 Stevens Creek
Blvd., Cupertino. 408/257-4057. A Cupertino
institution, this family-friendly restaurant has a
menu with dishes that offers that everyone will be
able to enjoy. $$
Bluefin, 754 The Alameda, Suite 10, San Jose.
408/931-6875. Sushi, sashimi and more modern
fare, with unique fish imported imported at the
peak of its flavor from Japan. $$
Bushido, 156 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/
386-6821. Offering Japanese izakaya dining, where
people gather in a casual atmosphere to drink and
enjoy small, unique plates. $$
Fuki-Sushi, 4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto.
650/494-9383. Fresh seafood, vegetable and rice
delectables, teriyaki and light, crispy tempura are
the mainstays at this long-time local favorite gathering
place. $$
Hachi Ju Hachi, 14480 Big Basin Way, Saratoga.
408/647-2258. Traditional Japanese cuisine featuring
pure, simple, flavorful dishes. $$
House of Genji, 1335 N. First St., San Jose. 408/
453-8120. Well-executed tableside cooking shows
are the main draw at this family-friendly Japanese
teppanyaki steakhouse. $$$
Kaizen Japanese Bar & Grill, 330 E Hamilton
Ave #7, Campbell. 408/370-1600. This modern
spot features a wrap-around sushi bar and Japanese
mains such as teriyaki and bento. $–$$
Kappo Nami Nami, 240 Castro St., Mountain
View. 650/964-6990. Cutting-edge, kappo-style
Japanese cuisine with fresh, seasonal ingredients. $$
Kubota, 593 N. Fifth St., San Jose. 408/279-8440.
An excellent upscale pan-Pacific menu featuring
seasonal specials and year-round favorites. $–$$
Kumino, Mountain View, 650/964-3300. Highend
gourmet meets casual cuisine at this innovative
pan-Asian eatery. With dim-sum-inspired specialties
like crawfish buns and yucca fries, the categorydefying
eatery has earned a reputation as a favored
foodie destination. $
Kyoto Palace, 1875 S. Bascom Ave. #2500 (The
Pruneyard), Campbell. 408/389-0991. Authentic
Japanese cuisine with teppanyaki method of preparing
dishes tableside. $$–$$$
Leichi, 246 Saratoga Ave., Santa Clara. 408/824-
9052. Specializing in izakaya, Japanese small
plates, this casual eatery is a popular lunch
destination. $–$$
Masa’s Sushi, 400 San Antonio Road, Mountain
View. 650/941-2117. In addition to sushi, you’ll
find tempura and chicken and beef teriyaki. $–$$
Mizu, 1035 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose. 408/
260-7200. Sushi bar and grill features fusion menu
including Korean barbecue. $$
Ozumo, 355 Santana Row #1010, San Jose.
408/886-3090. This South Bay incarnation of Jeremy
Umland’s hit San Francisco restaurant attracts
a hip crowd with sushi, small plates, a Japanese beer
garden and a late-night lounge. $$
Rokko, 190 S. Frances St., Sunnyvale. 408/773-
8225 (also located in San Jose). Full range of tasty
fare, from fresh sushi to hot udon and more. $
Sawa, 1042 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. 408/
241-7292. Fresh fish and seafood, including
delightful prix fixe sushi-focused entrees. $$$
LATIN
La Viga Restaurant, 1772 Broadway St., Redwood
City. 650/679-8141. A seafood-focused menu
of contemporary Latin cuisine has diners raving. $$
LV Mar, 2042 Broadway St., Redwood City.
650/241-3111. A casual modern restaurant with a
contemporary take on classic Latin cuisine. $$
MEDITERRANEAN
Arya Global Cuisine, 19930 Stevens Creek Blvd,
Keep your strength up during the dash of the holidays with
well-priced eats from these restaurants near prime South Bay shopping spots.
Mediterranean Wraps (433 S. California Ave., Palo Alto) keeps customers
satisfied with big wraps filled with fresh ingredients. A wrap of freshly made
hummus and veggies is a favorite with vegetarians. There’s also a shawarma
wrap of marinated lamb and beef or chicken. Sides like
baba ghannoush, tabouleh or lentil soup are good deals, too.
Among the many great choices for eats inside Westfield
Valley Fair, Super Duper Burgers is a good bet for a quick
and tasty meal break. The Super Burger comes with two
juicy patties; the Mini comes with one. All burgers come
with “The Free Stuff”: lettuce, tomato, red onions, jalapeños,
grilled onions and house-made pickles. The organic
Veggie Burger comes with hummus, cucumber and Super
Sauce. Or eat more veggies by ordering the Super Salad and
topping it with any of the patties for a few dollars more.
Sometimes a jolt of java is a needed shot in the arm along with some sustenance.
Great Bear Coffee (19 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos) provides both.
They roast their own coffee beans on site in small batches. For a light meal try
a slice of the spinach or Greek artichoke quiche or a slab of vegetarian lasagna
layered with cheese, Swiss chard, mushroom and tomato slices and pasta. They
also serve up some satisfying burritos: breakfast, chicken or vegetarian.
Another great spot in Los Gatos to get espresso and a quick meal is Café Dio
(151 E. Main St.), a trendy-looking café serving American and Greek specialties—
including authentic Greek espresso drinks. They serve slices of deep-dish pizza,
a Caprese sandwich with the option to add prosciutto, a Greek salad, and the
traditional Greek chicken and orzo soup, Avgolemono. The half-cup of soup and
half a sandwich is always a good deal. Café Dio also has great breakfast wraps,
like the Homer, filled with scrambled egg, bacon, feta and potato.
Street tacos have a long history of keeping shoppers full and fortified. El
Guapo’s (266 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell) sells 4-inch and 6-inch tacos with a
choice of traditional meats like pollo asado or carne asada, chorizo and even
soy chorizo. They also sell fish tacos made of deep-fried cod, grilled shrimp, and
even a Hawaiano with bacon, al pastor, bell peppers, onions and jack cheese.
On the traditional corn tortillas, of course. Or get the El Guapo’s Burrito, filled
with your choice of meat and beans, rice jack cheese and pico de gallo. —P.M.