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    Gombei

    3.9 (1.4k reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Closed 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Gombei Photos

    Business Info

    GOMBEI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Gombei

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    tofu curry rice
    Jenny T.

    My friend and I came here on a Saturday for an early lunch. Food: I ordered the tofu curry rice plate. It came with a good amount of tofu, and it was pretty good! I would order it again. Service: Service was quick. My friend and I came at opening and were seated in the first group of folks. Our food came promptly after ordering. TL;DR - Good food and quick service!

    Lunch Menu - Jan 2026
    Maribel M.

    Stopped in for weekend lunch with a friend, curry was the perfect fit! * Location: On Jackson in heart of Japantown, plenty of street & lot parking * Ambiance: Compact but cozy with indoor & outdoor seating * Service: Kind staff sat us quickly, took our order, & got our dishes out quickly. Very on top of things & great service! * Food: I got the Tofu Curry, friend tried the Chicken Cutlet Curry. Sauce was tasty - not too sweet, not too salty, good balance. Will definitely be back!

    Chicken katsu Curry Sauce with Chicken Cutlet
    Barbara S.

    A semi-traditional Japanese restaurant in downtown San Jose. I have been a patron for over 30 years and the meals are authentic with the taste being the same year after year. The restaurant is small, has a few tables that seat four and an old fashion counter to eat at. The service is always impeccable, pleasant and fast. Highly recommend.

    Bryan C.

    My friends also asked me if there is a Japanese restaurant in San Jose that you can visit again and again without thinking too much, and I think Gombei Japanese Restaurant is really this kind of place. This restaurant is more like real Japanese home style food, not fancy, but very solid. Dishes like teriyaki, tonkatsu, udon, and spicy chicken are our favorites. The taste is comfortable and familiar, portions are good, and the price is reasonable for Bay Area standards. That is why we keep coming back for years. Gombei feels like a neighborhood Japanese restaurant, not for special occasions, but for regular meals you can rely on. If you like simple, classic Japanese food and a relaxed atmosphere, this is a place you will probably return to many times.

    Daniel S.

    Pork Cutlet Curry was: was decent. The smell was spot on but the pork wasn't to my liking and the curry was pretty basic, no lumps of vegetables. Basically, not to my preference and a little lacking.

    Jann B.

    Visited for lunch on a weekday. The place was busy so we had to wait a bit to get seated. Parking a bit of a challenge. The restaurant was clean. Prices were fair. Food was delicious! Staff was kind.

    Fried Chicken
    Michelle T.

    I've been to Gombei twice so far and both times have been impressed by the quality of their food and efficient service. While the interior is old-school, it's also clean and welcoming. The first time I visited, it was a crowded Saturday night and we were seated at the bar, where we watched chefs take their callouts and cook their dishes in a timely and organized manner. The second time I visited after Christmas, it was much quieter and we received our food in about the same time, in under ~15 minutes. Their beef is fresh and their fried cutlets aren't overly greasy. Prices are quite reasonable as well, though I'd recommend bringing a debit card to avoid extra credit card fees. We always tip a bit higher than usual here because service is great and their food is consistently high quality and satisfying, despite how simple it is. Highly recommend trying Gombei whenever you're in Japantown.

    Alayna K.

    Dined here on a weekend night! The servers were very friendly and felt like a very comfortable spot for a low-key dinner. While the food was decent, it wasn't anything that I'd rave about. The combo was good, the sashimi was fresh and miso soup was flavorful. The steak itself was pretty tough and felt still a bit hungry after.

    Austin W.

    My wife and I stopped by Gombei for dinner because it had been recommended by a friend for having good value. Overall, while the food was fine, it wasn't special enough that I'd go out of my way to dine there again. That said, if I worked in the area and was looking for a quick filling lunch, I could see myself stopping by. My wife ordered a dinner special with grilled mackerel, a potato croquette, a chicken cutlet, while I got the cold soba and pork cutlet from their whiteboard special menu. After we placed our order, our food was prepared quickly and we received both entrees in less than 10 minutes. The chicken cutlet -- although well-fried and not very oily, is pounded very thin, so it ends up being not particularly juicy, nor tender. The soba noodles had a good bite to it and you get a mountain size portion of it. It's definitely more than a single serving and is suitable for sharing. In summary, food is probably a three star for me, but the friendly staff bumps my rating up to a four. Cash only.

    11-15-24. Today's Special Menu Board at the cashier area
    Lloyd C.

    I picked up some takeout. Salmon Teriyaki Dinner - served with salad and steamed rice. Croquettes - deep fried curried potatoes. My mom really enjoyed them. The service was excellent!

    Noelle P.

    Had a great lunch experience here today! I ordered one of the beef and fish specials. The beef was super tender and had great flavoring. I'm pregnant, so they were accommodating on ensuring the meat wasn't raw or undercooked. I also love the dressing on their salad, light and refreshing. It is usually packed until it closes at 1:30pm. I'm surprised they close so early Friday afternoons as there are usually a ton of people grabbing lunch around that time. Will be back for more specials in the future!

    Ter L.

    This is my daughter's god father's fave joint to eat in SJ so whenever we link up, Gombei is usually his requested meal. I attempted to come here for dinner a few times and ended up leaving due to the long wait times. Standing in the cold with a young toddler was just not feasible. Come here fully prepared to be patient due to the large crowds, especially during dinner time. The establishment itself is on the small side so getting seated takes time. Food is great, hence the large following that religiously comes back for more. I've had the beef & chicken teriyaki, deep fried shrimp, as well as the shrimp udon noodle soup. Flavors are always on point- never bland, flavorfully balanced, and extremely tasty. 4 stars. I eagerly look forward to coming back so I can try the beef dofu.

    Poki with fried chicken
    Emily M.

    Small Japanese restaurant in Japan town. Good for parties of around 4 as they don't have a lot of seating for large groups. Most of their meals are bento box sets. I got the #1 special that came with poki and friend chicken. The poki was good but I think they went a little heavy with the sauce on the fried chicken

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    Gombei Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Gombei

    Can you get the chicken teriyaki with white meat only?

    Do they take reservations?

    AFAIK they don't take reservations

    Is the restaurant still only accepts cash?

    Nope, CC and applepay is accepted

    Has Gombei opened up for indoor dining?

    Yes, but spaced out. As of a week ago no counter seating.

    Are they still open from Monday through Saturday?

    Only open Tuesday to Saturday. Closed on Sunday and Monday.

    Is the location closed? We went on 1/7/19 and it looked like construction and a new business was prepping to move in.

    From what it looks like is they are expanding into the previous Tofu shop

    View All 7 Questions

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    Udon Mugizo - San Jose

    Udon Mugizo - San Jose

    4.4(1.3k reviews)
    5.4 miWest San Jose
    $$
    Kid friendly
    Locally owned & operated

    I came here one weekend afternoon for lunch and it was not too busy. There was a waitlist, but it…read morewent by pretty quickly. I ordered their tempura udon which came with udon, fish cake, green onions and tempura bits in a hot broth. It also came with 3 pieces of shrimp tempura, 3 pieces of vegetable tempura (eggplant, sweet potato and pumpkin). The order came out quickly after ordering and good size portion. The tempura were fried crispy and went nicely with the udon. Udon had a nice broth and good amount of udon, nice and chewy. Overall, good experience and will come back again.

    I recently visited Udon Mugizo, and honestly, the experience started the moment we walked up. The…read moreentrance itself looked so unique that I actually paused and wondered, "Wait... is this the door?" It made such a cool first impression and immediately caught my attention. The vibes of the place is really nice. Warm and comforting. As soon as we stepped in, we were warmly greeted and seated quickly. The service stood out right away. Our server was incredibly attentive. I barely tried to get his attention from the corner of my eye, and he noticed immediately. I honestly don't know how he did that, but it was impressive. Since it was my first time there, I felt a little overwhelmed by the menu because there were so many options that sounded good. My friend ended up taking the lead on ordering, and we definitely ordered with our eyes because it turned out to be way too much food for just the two of us. We got the salmon spinach cream sauce udon, crispy onigiri bites, edamame, chicken karaage, and the salmon ikura seiro set. Out of everything, the crispy onigiri bites were my personal favorite. The chashu was incredibly flavorful and tender. It melted in your mouth and made each bite so satisfying. The salmon spinach cream sauce udon gave me pasta vibes, which I really enjoyed. The sauce was rich and comforting, and the flavors worked well together. The udon itself was a bit firmer than what I am used to, and not exactly my personal preference, but it was still delicious overall and paired nicely with the sauce. Overall, it was a really enjoyable first visit with great food and standout service. I would definitely come back next time with a better sense of portion control.

    Photos
    Udon Mugizo - San Jose - Try our Unagi Seiro-mushi set!

    Try our Unagi Seiro-mushi set!

    Udon Mugizo - San Jose
    Udon Mugizo - San Jose

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    Sanraku Oakridge

    Sanraku Oakridge

    4.1(880 reviews)
    6.9 miBlossom Valley
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Kid friendly

    Food: Food is really good. We ordered rolls : rainbow,…read morecrunch and spicy trio. All were simply fantastic in flavor and taste and presentation. Loved the miso soup as well. Service: Good service. Quick, friendly and very accommodating of special needs like making everything for someone with shellfish allergies. They took very good care. Fantastic kudos to Alison, Rie, Margie, Divina, they were so good at their services! Thank you to our chefs as well! Will definitely come back! :) Ambience: Great sushi bar vibes. We could see our chefs dishing up our specials. Nice decor. Restrooms & Parking: No issues, it is inside the mall so the restrooms and parking are that of the mall. Clean well maintained restrooms. Parking does get busy during the weekends but manageable. All in all highly recommend!

    After seeing great reviews, including from KQED, I decided to try this sushi spot in the Oakridge…read moreMall. We had a reservation and were seated immediately upon arrival at 6:30 P.M. on Tuesday. Most tables were occupied, which was a good sign. Our server came immediately to ask for our drink orders. We weren't ready, so asked for some time. She returned probably within a minute, so i quickly decided on a sake flight and my husband ordered a Japanese soda, original flavor. The server asked for our food order and we requested more time. A minute later she was back with our drinks and asked for our food order again. Sigh. I guess there is something to be said for efficiency, but it was my birthday dinner and I didn't like feeling rushed. For food, we had the sashimi appetizer, 3 pieces each of tuna and salmon ($21). Both were fresh and decent sized pieces. We also had the Crunch Roll ($17) and the Spicy Trio Roll ($19). I could have done without the wasabi pickles and the shiso leaf on the latter. Overall, everything was fresh and tasty. Prices a tad on the high side but not outrageous. Service was a miss with feeling rushed and my husband received the strawberry flavored soda versus the original he ordered.

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    Sanraku Oakridge
    Sanraku Oakridge
    Sanraku Oakridge

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    Goku Sushi - Spicy dragon roll

    Goku Sushi

    4.5(172 reviews)
    7.2 miBlossom Valley
    $$

    Went to this place on a week day night with my girlfriend and had a great time. The owner is so…read moresweet and treats every customer with care. The food is super good and super affordable! I really enjoyed having the rolls and I would definitely recommend the Philadelphia roll it was my favorite. The owner and her daughter was so sweet and gave us gyoza for free. Overall really enjoyable experience and will defiantly become my go to spot to eat sushi whole in the area. Go here if you want an amazing friendly atmosphere with even more amazing food.

    We were in the area and wanted to try a new restaurant. Found this place less than a mile from…read morewhere we were at. So glad we found it! Goku Sushi opened up in our hometown of Morgan Hill and just opened up this new location in South San Jose. Ambiance was inviting and friendly with good decor. Servers were all friendly and refilled our waters without being asked. The rolls were reasonably priced considering we frequent a lot of sushi restaurants not just in the Bay Area but also out of state. The Baked Rolls were $13.95, which is way less expensive than other sushi restaurants and the flavors were very delicious. Our son ordered the Lion King with baked salmon and I ordered Bay Island with baked scallops. We all agreed that the Bay Island was the bomb! The Unagi Avocado roll & Warrior Roll was also tasty. Especially the garlic chips on top of unagi sauce and seared salmon. delicious ! Nice combo. Kinda disappointed that they didn't serve wine but was able to order a hot sake to share and it was still satisfying and complimented the meal. Will be definitely coming back to try the lunch specials and other specialty rolls!

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    Goku Sushi - Salmon skin hand roll

    Salmon skin hand roll

    Goku Sushi - Hamachi Jalapeño

    Hamachi Jalapeño

    Goku Sushi - The salmon belly fusion!!!

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    The salmon belly fusion!!!

    Gombei - japanese - Updated May 2026

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