February/March 2018 97
and friendly service. But it’s the food that
seals the deal, including many starters,
sushi and raw items, salads, sautéed and
grilled, stir-fried, braised, steamed, deepfried
and roasted choices, as well as gratins,
thin-crust Japanese pizzas, clay pot
rice items, noodles, soups and desserts. It’s
nicely overwhelming.
Among many must-order possibilities
are mushroom risotto croquettes;
soy-braised eel in clay pot; grilled squid;
buckwheat noodles in dashi broth; hamachi
carpaccio; braised black cod; pizza
with spicy cod roe, snow crab, wild
mushrooms, bacon and cheese (it actually
works); pan-seared duck with a chilemiso
balsamic sauce; sake-steamed clams
in dashi broth; and shimeji mushroom
tempura. Remarkably given the size of the
menu, there are daily specials like seared
foie gras on shredded daikon in a lovely
sauce. There’s even a “hamburger” made
from ground pork with thin-sliced radish.
Trenchermen should save room for
the delicious matcha crème brûlée. 19980
HOMESTEAD ROAD, CUPERTINO, 408/725-0542; GO
CHIFUSIONTAPAS.COM
GOMBEI
This is the original location of a longtime,
successful local chain offering friendly,
no-frills, attractively priced dining and
serves a range of popular Japanese dishes.
The down-home cooking has earned
many fans for filling meals that include
soup, salad and rice. It’s worth visiting
this Gombei location because it’s in San
Jose’s Japantown, one of just a few left in
the country. Highlights are the teriyaki
dishes, donburi (simmered fish, meat or
vegetables served over rice), udon noodles
and sashimi. Particularly tasty is the
tonkatsu, which is panko-crusted fried
pork with moist meat and delightfully
crunchy exterior.
The combo meals are some of the best
bargains around, such as chicken teriyaki,
deep-fried pork with soup, salad and rice
for just $13.25. Gombei is popular, but
the lines move fast so this isn’t the place
for a leisurely outing. Do try the hamachi
kama, hamachi collar that’s simply roasted
with salt but it’s wonderful—sweet,
tender, juicy meat full of flavor—and it’s
less expensive here than usual. Be advised
that Gombei takes cash only. Other locations
are in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and
Menlo Park. 193 E. JACKSON ST., SAN JOSE, 408/
279-4311; GOMBEI.COM
FUGETSU
•
NEGI-MAYO
SHIOSOBA
JIN SHO
•
BLACK COD
WITH MISO
