I've been going here regularly for almost the past 20 years. My go-to was the chicken udon and I had gotten to know the owner well over the years. Sadly, the restaurant permanently closed on 11/7/2021. :-(
Sandee A.
We have lived in the area for eight years and had never gone to Gombei Menlo Park. We ordered take out after we lost our power for two days. Wonderful food that is very authentic. Please go and support this local business. Right now it appears they are only doing take out Monday to Thursday and in restaurant dining on other days. We got take out and it was delicious.
Sara O.
$39 Japanese dinner for two?! Yum! Can't go wrong! This place is located in San Jose's Japantown! They specialize in authentic Japanese cuisine with no frills! We tried: $19 - tuna poké sashimi, fried chicken, cucumber salad, rice, soup, salad $17 - pork cutlet, curry potato croquette, teriyaki chicken, rice, soup salad Notes: Staff was extremely nice and humble. Ambiance was clean & cozy. They promote a no-waste environment so rice, soup and salad is at no additional cost if you ask for it! Parking: Street parking Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining. They accept credit card and cash
Rose L.
This is my second go-to Gombei after the one in San Jose's Japan Town. I really like this Gombei as it's ambient, quiet, spacious, and the waiters are always quite nice. The service is really great as they give us whatever we need whether that be water, hot tea, or anything else, and the dishes are often brought out in a quick manner. My favorite dish is definitely the beef teriyaki and ahi tuna combo since its so worth it for the amount, but for this visit I decided to go with the calamari. They use long strips of calamari (presumably from the head of the squid) rather than the legs if you have a preference! Their rice is always great and perfectly cook and so is their miso soup, so flavorful! Definitely if you do go, I also recommend trying out their hot tea, the green tea adds such a nice umami taste to an already delicious palette.
anthony ramos
Our server, Jada, made sure our visit was wonderful. They were super kind and made great suggestions. The food here make you feel at home. Would definitely recommend their specials and udon. There's parking in the back for your convenience.
Derek D.
Been going to Gombei for decades. Today was the last straw. Last 3 times disappointed. The service was bad even though we were the only customers, the food was subpar. Worse miso soup and tea I ever had there. Salmon, pork cutlets, tofu, chicken teriyaki all unacceptable. Had to yell to get the waiter's attention to get water and the check. We were so disappointed, we will not return.
Adelaide N.
Gombei is my favorite place for Agedashi Tofu. And it's been almost 2 years since last eating here - due to the pandemic. They still do a terrific job, as always. Thumbs Up!
Genki T.
My family started coming here waayyy back starting with my grandfather. It's such a homey atmosphere especially the Gombei in Menlo Park. My favorite appetizers are the agedashi tofu, agedashi eggplant, and miso-glazed green beans. Their combination dinner is always my family's go-to order & they always hit the spot! Even though they were understaffed throughout the pandemic, they stayed strong and are still going! Since they don't have enough staff, you may have to wait for a little, but I promise you, it's so worth it! Please go support & share the goodness of delicious authentic Japanese food :)
Cheryl L.
My family and I have been coming here since childhood but not as good as when I remembered it. Mostly due to COVID and the lack of staff. Pricing was a bit steeper than when I remember it but of course, inflation and COVID. Although compared to other Japanese places, it is reasonable. The food quality was fantastic. My salmon teriyaki was delicious as long as you are willing to wait around 30 minutes. I got two big pieces of salmon that were cooked perfectly. Service is slow. Also when the food came out, the miso soup almost went splash city on my lap. The guy who brought our food nearly shoved the bento plate to me. Also we never got utensils to eat our food. We had to ask. I would suggest this place if you want very leisurely meal, have plenty of time, and don't care about the service level.
Horace Zhang
classic and comforting place for Japanese staples.
Love this place almost as much as #1 in San Jose.Also had my favorite, Nabiyaki Udon???
Natalia Potente Atienza
We love this place! Family friendly and delicious!
Henry Y.
Somehow, not nearly as good as the original one in Japantown SJ, where I have gone since the mid 80's, but it's a lot closer. Their salmon teri is the standout and there were two big pieces. But, their miso didn't have any tofu in it and the salad had little dressing, versus the one in SJ had more of both. Their chicken karaage is the weakest I've had anywhere, so the four stars is generous in this regard. There was no lemon or mayo, and the chicken itself was not really seasoned. The portion, on the other hand was quite large. I was able to make a few chicken sandwiches from the leftovers. I would say it's 3.5 stars with a little generosity for this gombei being a gombei.
Frank R.
Well I've never had a Japanese home cooked meal but boy was this good comforting food. I walked into an empty place, this older gentleman was my server and maybe the chef/owners father, anyway I ordered a few things and they were all really good, good enough to where I wanted to back the next day and order other things. I got the karrage chicken, beef udon and a (not well put together) California roll. I will say it was all very good, even the disheveled roll. To top it all off the prices were totally reasonable.
Chloé Owen
Really good food. Always. Have been going for over twenty years.
I've been going here regularly for almost the past 20 years. My go-to was the chicken udon and I had gotten to know the owner well over the years. Sadly, the restaurant permanently closed on 11/7/2021. :-(
We have lived in the area for eight years and had never gone to Gombei Menlo Park. We ordered take out after we lost our power for two days. Wonderful food that is very authentic. Please go and support this local business. Right now it appears they are only doing take out Monday to Thursday and in restaurant dining on other days. We got take out and it was delicious.
$39 Japanese dinner for two?! Yum! Can't go wrong! This place is located in San Jose's Japantown! They specialize in authentic Japanese cuisine with no frills! We tried: $19 - tuna poké sashimi, fried chicken, cucumber salad, rice, soup, salad $17 - pork cutlet, curry potato croquette, teriyaki chicken, rice, soup salad Notes: Staff was extremely nice and humble. Ambiance was clean & cozy. They promote a no-waste environment so rice, soup and salad is at no additional cost if you ask for it! Parking: Street parking Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining. They accept credit card and cash
This is my second go-to Gombei after the one in San Jose's Japan Town. I really like this Gombei as it's ambient, quiet, spacious, and the waiters are always quite nice. The service is really great as they give us whatever we need whether that be water, hot tea, or anything else, and the dishes are often brought out in a quick manner. My favorite dish is definitely the beef teriyaki and ahi tuna combo since its so worth it for the amount, but for this visit I decided to go with the calamari. They use long strips of calamari (presumably from the head of the squid) rather than the legs if you have a preference! Their rice is always great and perfectly cook and so is their miso soup, so flavorful! Definitely if you do go, I also recommend trying out their hot tea, the green tea adds such a nice umami taste to an already delicious palette.
Our server, Jada, made sure our visit was wonderful. They were super kind and made great suggestions. The food here make you feel at home. Would definitely recommend their specials and udon. There's parking in the back for your convenience.
Been going to Gombei for decades. Today was the last straw. Last 3 times disappointed. The service was bad even though we were the only customers, the food was subpar. Worse miso soup and tea I ever had there. Salmon, pork cutlets, tofu, chicken teriyaki all unacceptable. Had to yell to get the waiter's attention to get water and the check. We were so disappointed, we will not return.
Gombei is my favorite place for Agedashi Tofu. And it's been almost 2 years since last eating here - due to the pandemic. They still do a terrific job, as always. Thumbs Up!
My family started coming here waayyy back starting with my grandfather. It's such a homey atmosphere especially the Gombei in Menlo Park. My favorite appetizers are the agedashi tofu, agedashi eggplant, and miso-glazed green beans. Their combination dinner is always my family's go-to order & they always hit the spot! Even though they were understaffed throughout the pandemic, they stayed strong and are still going! Since they don't have enough staff, you may have to wait for a little, but I promise you, it's so worth it! Please go support & share the goodness of delicious authentic Japanese food :)
My family and I have been coming here since childhood but not as good as when I remembered it. Mostly due to COVID and the lack of staff. Pricing was a bit steeper than when I remember it but of course, inflation and COVID. Although compared to other Japanese places, it is reasonable. The food quality was fantastic. My salmon teriyaki was delicious as long as you are willing to wait around 30 minutes. I got two big pieces of salmon that were cooked perfectly. Service is slow. Also when the food came out, the miso soup almost went splash city on my lap. The guy who brought our food nearly shoved the bento plate to me. Also we never got utensils to eat our food. We had to ask. I would suggest this place if you want very leisurely meal, have plenty of time, and don't care about the service level.
classic and comforting place for Japanese staples.
Restaurantji Recommends
Love this place almost as much as #1 in San Jose.Also had my favorite, Nabiyaki Udon???
We love this place! Family friendly and delicious!
Somehow, not nearly as good as the original one in Japantown SJ, where I have gone since the mid 80's, but it's a lot closer. Their salmon teri is the standout and there were two big pieces. But, their miso didn't have any tofu in it and the salad had little dressing, versus the one in SJ had more of both. Their chicken karaage is the weakest I've had anywhere, so the four stars is generous in this regard. There was no lemon or mayo, and the chicken itself was not really seasoned. The portion, on the other hand was quite large. I was able to make a few chicken sandwiches from the leftovers. I would say it's 3.5 stars with a little generosity for this gombei being a gombei.
Well I've never had a Japanese home cooked meal but boy was this good comforting food. I walked into an empty place, this older gentleman was my server and maybe the chef/owners father, anyway I ordered a few things and they were all really good, good enough to where I wanted to back the next day and order other things. I got the karrage chicken, beef udon and a (not well put together) California roll. I will say it was all very good, even the disheveled roll. To top it all off the prices were totally reasonable.
Really good food. Always. Have been going for over twenty years.