I thought I had been here before. But maybe not. The place didn't look super familiar and no previous reviews. But I met some friends there. Apparently there was a Gombei location in Menlo Park, but it closed and it used to be one of my friend's fav Japanese places. Came on a busy weekend for lunch. I had to drive around a bit to find parking. It's mostly metered parking...which is kinda a bummer. I would def frequent Japantown a lot more if parking was free. Anyways the menu is pretty simple and the price point is not too bad, for Japanese food. I ended up with beef don, which is beef and egg over rice. I think you can get the eggs two different ways and I opted for Japanese style. Food came out relatively quickly. My other dining companions got a bento box, an udon dish and another don/rice dish. I really liked my rice dish. It's simple but well cooked and seasoned. The egg was slightly runny and went well when mixed with the rice and beef. I was pretty hungry so I finished the whole thing and was satisfied. My friend loves their udon so I might have to get that next time. I will be back. read more

This is a hearty and homie vibe place. They serve good portions and makes you feel at home. The service was prompt even though they were busy. We enjoyed all the dishes as they were fresh, crispy and came out quickly. The sashimi was decent, but the texture was not very firm. read more

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I came here for a weekday lunch with 2 other people. Be aware that Gombei has a requirement that your party order the same number of items as people in your group. The place was busy but not packed, so we were able to get a seat right away inside. The restaurant was small and comforting. Customer service was friendly. There were a few servers, so we were able to flag someone whenever we needed support. They also came by frequently to refill water. Food came out considerably fast. Overall, the dishes were standard - nothing special about them. The miso soup and salads were normal. The spicy chicken wasn't actually spicy and had a normal teriyaki sauce. The croquette felt very dense to eat. The fried oyster is definitely a surprise to try. read more

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Hello obasam, please improve your service first before asking for more tips. Nobody came by to our table to check in if we need anything. I need to ask 5 times for tea refills but never came. Until we finished dinner only a super hot tea came. How can you ask more tips where there isn't any service provided? -3 stars for poor service, -1 star for the quality of foods have gone down. read more

The service was excellent and the food plentiful. I ordered a dinner special Teriyaki Chicken which was a large and flavor was acceptable. Also a large bowl of rice balanced by a bowl of miso soup and a good size portion of salad. All in all, I will return for sure because the price was very fair, and we left feeling full and satisfied. Will try the beef next time! read more

I scrolled through this spot multiple times on Yelp. I finally tried this place with a group of 10 and we were seated out front. Their beef teriyaki and croquette was okay, but the chicken cutlet w/ curry sauce was surprisingly good. The chicken was very juicy and tender. Bf and I were surprised at how much we enjoyed our meal. The staff is committed to reducing waste, therefore they ask if you want rice served in half or full portions. I highly recommend half portion and ask for the other half later because they won't charge you later. Waters were constantly refilled. Street parking. read more

I went here for lunch. Ordered the lunch special (with Teriyaki chicken) and udon noodles with chicken. The food was... meh. Super bland, the noodles were tasteless, the teriyaki had barely any sauce. The worst part (apart from the meh food) is the price shock. The menu said $17 for the lunch special and the $14 for the udon, instead I was charged $21 and $19! Definitely not returning. Cupertino has way better food than here. read more

I got the chicken teriyaki and tuna sashimi and this was the best Japanese combination dinner I've ever had. Everything was delicious and perfectly prepared. when I finished my food I already wanted more. Not to mention, the servers we're so cute and polite. read more

Gombei - Chicken Teriyaki & Tuna Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

To the new / current owner: On behalf of 35+ years of faithful patrons, you are destroying a very special restaurant. Under your ownership, the food quality has gone down drastically, especially the sauces and dressing have changed for the worse. The signature tastes are completely gone. Don't try to fool us. Please revert to the original recipes. For new customers - this place used to be great, and it's now below average at best. Don't waste your time. read more

Great tasting Gombei chicken combo as usual. Salad was fresh. Pork katsu was crispy outside and tender inside. Teriyaki chicken was juicy.

Excellent Japan Town restaurant that has remained affordable! One of my go-to's when I'm in San Jose. Consistently delicious. Tenter teriyaki beef and all of the bento boxes are plenty filling. They do a huge lunch takeout likely due to the speed of service and reasonable prices. Lots of options in Japan Town but this is my favorite for teriyaki! read more

Gombei - Lunch bento with Beef Teriyaki & Deep Fried Calamari - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Love, love, love it here! Great menu/options. Specials were a-plenty. Service was great. Small place but i think it feels just right. It feels like home when you're there. Cozy and familiar. The steak is spectacular - cooked perfectly. And the sashimi is fresh. I would go there everyday if i could. Too bad i don't live in San Jose! Haha. This is most definitely going to be a scheduled stop from now on when in the area. Just a heads up - parking is street parking and the establishment is cash only. Come prepared! It's worth it! read more

Cash only. Usually all the tables are full but it's worth the wait. Portions are on the hefty side. Japanese comfort food.

Note: Cash Only! Located in the heart of Japan town, Gombei, has some of the bento boxes in the area! Their bento boxes also come with miso soup and a salad so I say the prices are pretty fair. They have pretty good service here. Fast and efficient. They don't really spend time creating small talk with you, but rather just focus on what they need to do and I can appreciate that. Overall, I highly recommend this place as this is probably one of my favorite places to eat in Japantown. It really gives me that authentic Japanese home-style meal, which I absolutely adore. Be careful! Parking can be tough and the wait time can be long around lunch and dinner time. read more

One of the best deals for Japanese bento food in the SJ area hands-down. The Gombei special comes with an amazing variety of food: pork cutlet, panko shrimp, croquette, and teriyaki chicken; all for less than $20. Everything tasted amazing with crispy-crunchy bits and saucy bits, but my favorite thing is probably the croquette. It was a savory curry potato mix that has been deep-fried for a light and crispy exterior. The only thing that was a little lackluster was the salad, but that's insignificant. Overall, delicious food with generous portions for a decent price. read more

Gombei - Gombei Special - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Gombei has been in Japantown for decades and hasn't changed in the years I've been going there. This isn't a sushi bar, it's a place to get good Japanese comfort food. They specialize is simple bento boxes, grilled beef, chicken, pork and fish entrees. They also have Japanese curries and udon. I usually go for lunch and generally pick something g from their specials whiteboard. The specials are rarely changed if at all so it's basically an extended menu. The stuffed tofu and tuna sashimi special comes with pickled sides, a heartier miso soup, and white rice. It's nothing fancy but tastes great and leaves you satisfied. My other favorite is the calamari and chicken teriyaki. It comes with miso soup, salad and rice. Solid square meal. read more

Gombei - Sashimi and stuffed tofu bento special $14 (Aug 2018) - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

this place serves up japanese food with a very home-y feel. located in japantown (all street parking). both outdoor & indoor seating. -pork cutlet & croquette combo: comes with side salad, rice, and miso soup. i liked the croquette and was impressed that it was able to hold its shape given how packed and heavy it is. packed with flavor and very crunchy exterior with soft pillowy mashed potato filling. strong curry flavor. the pork cutlet was slightly disappointing because it was slightly dry and the crust kept falling off my chicken. $15 decent price for portions -#2 special mackerel & steak: comes with cucumber side dish, miso soup, rice, side salad. the steak was very tender with a strong soy-sauce based flavor. genuinely very impressed with how soft it was. mackerel was also impressive with a crispy exterior. cucumber side dish was my favorite side dish i've tried from them -- slightly sweet sesame sauce with crunchy cucumbers. $19 -curry: delicious!!! strong flavor and very great consistency. a small bowl costs about $5-6 read more

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Solid legit mainstay authentic Japanese restaurant in historic Japantown. San Jose is 1 of the only 3 remaining Japantowns in the U.S. It's a historic treasure with so many stories of family and culture built into the fabric of this community. Gombei has been around for years and family run. All of the food is homemade, from the tofu to the korokke. Delicious and traditional homestyle Japanese food, there is something for everyone. read more

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I was craving Japanese curry for the longest time, so a friend introduced me to Gombei. Honestly I wish I knew about this spot earlier because it's the BEST chicken curry I've ever had in San Jose. The cutlet was seasoned well and was super juicy and flavorful. Perfect rice/curry ratio & the side salad was also delicious!! I've only been here twice and ordered the same thing, so I don't have much to say about the rest. My bf found that his donburi was a bit bland but I can't attest to that. The restaurant is small so it can get very busy on weekends. Service was prompt so be ready to know what you want beforehand. This spot is located in downtown SJ's Japantown, not too far from where I live but I don't particularly like driving or parking around here. read more

Gombei - chicken katsu curry w/ chili powder - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Solid homestyle Japanese cooking with friendly and efficient service. Having a choice of indoor and outdoor seating was nice. Gombei Combination Dinner ($17): * tonkatsu - good choice in the cut of pork chosen, love how non-greasy and crisp the frying turned out. would order this on its own * croquette - 1 perfect curry potato croquette, yummy! Exterior was crispy and the interior piping hot and creamy. * broiled mackerel - got the fish to be somewhat healthy. unfortunately slightly bitter and just a tad overcooked. Standard salad + miso soup rounded this dinner set out. read more

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Awesome service and food!! Have been coming here for years!! Love the bar seating and fast and super nice staff!! The Gombei specials are the best!! read more

The food and service at this restaurant is impeccable! There are many different combinations of food- chicken or beef Teriyaki, croquettes, boiled fish, pork cutlet. Everyone can choose their favorites! The meal comes with both miso soup and rice as well. They also have different specials everyday! My favorite is the Gombei- pork cutlet, croquette, and chicken teriyaki or broiled fish. Everyone here is very helpful and kind. We had a group of 6 and so seating is limited but they graciously moved tables outside to accommodate us. Most of the tables are 2 and 4 so not great for large groups. We have also taken this to go during Covid and the packaging and pick-up process was a breeze. Stop by and enjoy some authentic Japanese food! You won't regret it! read more

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Came by for lunch the other day and it was a mediocre experience. Street parking was available and there were still a couple empty seats during the peak lunch rush. Ordered the salmon kama and fried chicken combo via their whiteboard and it was mediocre. The salmon was a generous portion, although it tasted better on previous visits. Their fried chicken was also mediocre...it was a touch dry... Their salad was premade and even their miso soup has gone downhill... They've done a remodel on the inside and now even have A/C. They are still cash only. ~$20/head after tax and gratuity for lunch. read more

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Don't look for the authentic Japanese food any more! Gombei is the one you look for. This is our go to restaurant for many years. The portion are generous. Combination plate such as Gombei with fish or chicken teriyaki is $14 for lunch and dinner for $17. My daughter loves their Tonkatsu. I always order today's special. We love Gombei! Definitely try if you are in Japan town! read more

Gombei - Today's special Poki and fried chicken - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Gombei has been in the Japantown district of San Jose for quite some time (like 40+ years). If you're looking for traditional Japanese food, this is the spot for it. Think vintage diner (with bar stools) within a Japanese setting. The staff are very polite and patient as you go through the menu, answering any questions you may have. We ordered a (ton)katsu-don and a tonkatsu & croquette combo. The miso soup and the salad were both decent. The star of the meal was the fantastic fry on the tonkatsu and croquettes. They are perfectly crispy with a panko coating and very flavorful. I really should eat here more often, but I'm so rarely in this district outside of visits to the optomitrist across the intersection. Expert tips: 1) They now take credit cards (which they didn't used to do). 2) The restaurant can get packed quickly at lunch; so, keep that in mind if you've a post-lunch meeting. read more

$39 Japanese dinner for 2? YUM! this restaurant is located in San Jose's Japantown! Great food, generous portions, no frills, humble service. We ordered: $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 available. They accept credit cards read more

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Probably not going to come back. Interior is showing age. Seated at table next to restroom. Haven't came here in ages so decided to drop by. Perhaps I should have avoided. Worst part was I got a Gombei Special Bento with Chicken teriyaki. However the miso soup had a tiny cockroach inside... Showed the server and they changed my soup chopsticks immediately. However, not a nice feeling to see this. There's many better options, such as Kaita down the street, which I should have gone to. If you see the miso soup closely, you can see the small black bug inside. Luckily I caught this or it would have been bad... read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Came here on a Friday for lunch and there was no wait. I didn't know it was cash only, but luckily we had enough cash. We ordered the pork udon, curry with chicken cutlet, and the sashimi and stuffed tofu special. The pork udon was good, it definitely hit the spot. The curry came with a salad and my coworker seemed to enjoy it. The tuna sashimi was okay, not that fresh, but the special came with rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, tuna sashimi, and stuffed tofu. The stuffed tofu was good and well marinated. Street parking was easy to find because we came right after the lunch rush. Service was good and Gombei is near work, so I'll definitely be back to try their other dishes. read more

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Delicious food and great service. We had a great experience here and plan to go back. Would recommend to anyone who likes home cooked style Japanese food in a clean, well-run establishment. read more

Loved the food here! Services are so friendly and they offer quite a wide variety of authentic traditional Japanese set meals. You will really feel like dinning at someone's house because the menu offered items that you normally get to eat if you visit a Japanese family in Japan! My boyfriend and I both ordered nabe. He ordered a vegetable one and I ordered the yosenabe (mixed nabe). My mixed nabe was filled very generously with lots of items! Yummy chicken, scallop, tina, salmon, tofu, fish cakes, and lots of different vegetables like different kinds of mushrooms, radish, cabbage, carrots. And they gave a lot of chicken! Dipping sauce enhanced all the flavors and the rice is so delicious! I know, why am I taking about plain old boring white rice? Hey people, it's yummy Japanese rice! That means it's sushi level, so soft and chewy and so flavorful! I tried to stay away from carbs but could not keep myself from picking at eat! Definitely would come back to try many more items on the menu. They have daily specials so don't forget to look at the posted wall for items of the day! read more

Gombei - Yosenabe (mixed nabe) - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Kind staff and wonderful food! Our wait was not long on a Tuesday evening. I had the Chicken Teriyaki and Fried Tofu. Their reduced hours are unfortunate, but I hope they expand them soon because the food is 10/10! read more

Gombei - Chicken Teriyaki and Fried Tofu - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

A decent Japanese place located in downtown San Jose! I came here with a small wait and got the croquette and the curry udon - I thought that the curry udon didn't have that much flavor actually so that was a little disappointing but the tofu was good in it. The croquettes were definitely more of the star in the dish and they had really good tonkatsu sauce which was tasty and a great pairing. The waiters here are really nice and patient so service is good! Probably would want to order something different next time since my curry udon was a bit disappointing. read more

Gombei - Tofu Curry Udon - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Very nice home-style Japanese restaurant! All their dishes are basic, but very clean, neat, and authentic. Beef nabe with tofu has nice sweet flavor which comes from enough Napa cabbage and you can feel warm bean flavor from their tofu which is hard to get from the states. I love Yakiniku sauce flavor and Panko Meckerel is very impressive. The bread cover is very light, crunchy, and sticking well to the fish. Their frying quality is better than tempura from some expensive sushi places in San Jose tbh. Their miso has a lot of green onions, my favorite style of miso soup :-) Servers are very nice and attentive. Their beef is not in high quality but I think its still good considering price. It really reminds me food I had at home. * There's no designated parking places. Need to street park. read more

Gombei - Beef Yakiniku & Panko Meckerel - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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In A Nuthshell: -Gombei is an original Japanese restaurant located in Japantown, San Jose. -This place has a tried & true formula that is addicting to anyone that's ever eaten their delicious food. -You can find staples such as teriyaki, but also poke, deep friend oysters & more. -Once the pandemic is over, we can all enjoy going inside to eat b/c/ the atmosphere is always lively. Overall, if you are looking for fantastic Japanese food, look no further than Gombei! read more

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I ordered the dinner combination special with chicken teriyaki and croquette. Overall, a standard meal of delicious home-cooked Japanese food! Wish the portions were a bit more sizable but was still decently filling. The service felt a bit rushed as they asked us to leave since another table was waiting after we had finished our meals. read more

Gombei - Teriyaki Chicken & Croquette Combination - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Hands down the best Japanese curry I've ever had. It definitely feels like it's made at home with love and has become my number 1 comfort food. The restaurant itself is so cozy and always lively around dinner time for good reason. The food is honestly amazing and it's my go-to spot anytime friends or family visit. Number 1 restaurant in Japantown read more

Arrived at 7 with a party of 5. Got turned away because they close at 8. Extremely bad service do not recommend

My friend chose Gombei for an early dinner recently. It was one of those really hot days, and it didn't seem like Gombei's air conditioning was working. The place was about half full when we arrived and it was packed when we left. We tried their special fried stuffed tofu appetizer. It was nothing like what I was expecting, but it was tasty. I thought it was going to be something like agedashi tofu but it was more like a fishcake paste with assorted vegetables mixed in and fried, served with a dashi and topped with katsuobushi, grated daikon and green onions. I personally ordered beef teriyaki and croquette, my friend got the curry rice w/tofu, and we got a bowl of tofudon for her son. Our food was good and we took home leftovers. Protip: CASH ONLY The servers seemed frazzled (maybe due to the heat) but the food came out pretty fast and we enjoyed our food. 3 stars for this Japantown staple. read more

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I'm a fan! I was craving a Japanese bento for lunch and Gombei definitely satisfied that craving! For myself, I got their lunch special with potato croquettes and pork katsu while my parents got the tofu don and lunch special with bbq chicken and fries calamari. The potato croquettes were so bomb, I was pleasantly surprised by the curry flavor. Katsu was a bit on the tougher side. This came with super generous portions of rice and salad. COVID takeout process was solid - ordered by phone and was ready for pickup within 15 minutes. In and out the store within a few minutes. read more

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Yes, even better than I remembered. The menu is brief but everything is great. It was a packed house so arrive on the early side. Tables turn quickly. Watch for specials on the back wall. A well staffed kitchen keeps the food coming read more

Gombei - Tuna sashimi side was so fresh - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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