Last time I went, the head chef behind the counter was not there. I was very disappointed, food was not as good any more. This time he is back! Everything we expected are back. It was great!! Except the price is almost 25% higher, but who cares. We only go there once a great while. We were full but not sluggish with oily stuff! Very satisfied! Watch the line.. read more

We love to go here for Japanese curry! It was spicier than I recall, but still delicious. Chicken katsu cooked perfectly. Came with small side salad and orange wedge. There are other locations as well. Be sure to check the hours before you go, also this location is cash only. read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Got the Chicken Katsu Curry, not as good as at restaurants that are devoted to curry (3/5) However the atmosphere at this restaurant was great and really reminded me of restaurants actually in Japan. I wasn't expecting much out of Japantown, but this restaurant captured that vibe perfectly, even down to the tiny bathrooms. (5/5) read more

Very disappointed. I used to like this place but not anymore. Everything taste bad...the pork Udon was the worst. Udon was super soggy, broth was so sweet and the pork was tasteless and chewy. Pork cutlet was blend and dry as well. Curry has no curry flavor either. Definitely not coming back. read more

I have no idea how this place got that many stars. The quality of the food here is the lowest I've ever seen at any Japanese place. Note to self don't trust yelp ratings anymore. read more

Gombei is by far my favorite Japanese Restaurant in San Jose! My favorite all time item is the "ginger pork" mouth watering goodness! I came here during quarantine and there was a limited menu for obvious and understandable reasons. Sadly my ginger pork was not on the menu. However, I did get a different dish which was absolutely delicious. I am not sure if they will be changing up the limited menu so it might be exciting to check back soon. I have ordered the ginger pork three times prior to covid and every time it was delicious! I was very worried about ordering something different but I was not disappointed! The staff have always been kind and energetic. Prior to covid they were cash only but they now accept card. So no more runs to Nijiya down the street before your meal. Over all I would give it a try. I'm pretty sure you wont be disappointed! Delicious, kind and courteous service! read more

Food is okay, service is subpar. Nothing super special. This would be a better review if the lady at the register didn't force me to tip, I only left a 10% tip cause the waitress only came ONCE to refill our tea and our food orders got mixed up causing us to wait longer for our food. I gave her the money and was about to walk away when she said, "excuse me, that's it?" I was like "what? I paid the full amount and tipped." She said, "not enough, at least 15% please." I felt sort of bad, so I just tipped her the full 15. But still, her asking me for a tip is crazy talk. She isn't entitled to tell me to tip more. Jeez. Plus this place takes only cash; too cheap to pay the credit card fees. So that's an inconvenience. Should probably try a different Japanese place in Japantown for a better experience. read more

Bad service and rude attitude as soon as my friends and I walked in. Food was mediocre and the menu doesn't have pictures thus not giving us a clear picture of what we're getting. I recommend going to Kumako Ramen if you're planning to get anything with noodles. read more

Service was rude to my friend, possibly racist, the curry was what i got and it was 17.50. The pork was super dry and the curry was flavorless. I was than forced to tip when our waitress was rude to me and my friends. Not good read more

This was a mistake. A Typical Old American Japo-Restaurant that people still think that Deep Fried stuff like a Ton-Katsu is Real Japanese food. Oh Hell. Over sweet Tery-Yucky sauce, thousand Island dressing, over cooked Udon-noodle, S&B Golden Curry roux, .....sigh. I was like, "Am I in a Time-tunnel or something? time slipped to 1960's when fake Japanese food was OK because people couldn't tell the difference." Ugh! There was a white-guy having a bowl of Udon using chopsticks to pick Udon noodle up with his right hand, and put into Renge, Japanese Ramen spoon holding his left hand, and eat. http://www.jbox.com/PRODUCT/NYH065 Oh Shit. I saw his Jerk-Off-face. FXXXin' Shit. It doesn't bother me to go to Japanese restaurant with a guy who thinks he knows how to use chopsticks. It doesn't bother me who pour soy sauce over rice. It doesn't bother me who ask sugar for green tea. It doesn't bother me who eat sashimi without Wasabi. It doesn't bother me who drinks hot Sake. It doesn't bother me who bites Nigiri and double dipping shoyu. It doesn't bother me anymore. I have seen enough. But, no body, I mean No body eat Udon noodle with Renge spoon! That's FXXXin' disgusting DUMB ASS! Renge spoon is for drink the soup. Like Dirty Harry said, " No body eat hot dog with ketchup!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5JIpT4GkyM My GF said, 'is this Denny's Japo version?" She is right. I would rather go to Denny's. read more

Have I eaten here for lunch before? no, but I see that a lot of people have and i now know why It must have been my appetite interfering with my brain and nothing to do with the passenger but I couldnt figure out how to get to where we were going. I mean, I wouldnt have been able to navigate out of a wet paper bag. That aside we got there and there were hella people everywhere. Some outside, someone inside the door, some in the hallway and everywhere a chair was, a person sat. RAGE!!! And then two opened up at the counter and we snuck right in. lulz. We both ordered their specials.. I had the #4 which consisted of broiled hamachi with a number of roots/vegetables which I was having a very difficult time identifying but not so hard a time of eating. They were great. She ordered # the fried.. erm, breaded fish.. thing and what appeared to be beef teriyaki of a sort. She too had some of the UVO (unidentified vegetable objects) which she did not object to either. I'm just glad we didnt have to wait too long for seating. Ultimately and fortunately for me, she wasnt the type to care whether we sit at a table or the counter. And fortunately for her, I can still read a sign at the far end of the room that distinctly lists only 6 specials of the day.. SIX... not 9. kekeke ;D read more

Omg! The food was fresh & flavorful. The women there were very friendly & accommodating. One thing about a restaurant that is important to me is the cleanliness of the restroom. Their restroom was very clean. read more

Ever been to the right place with the wrong person? The good part of the equation, the right place, was Gombei. I've had this place bookmarked for years and read countless reviews raving about the amazing Japanese food. The best part of "the good" was the food. I ordered the Bento Box special with Teriyaki Chicken, Tuna and Shrimp. It came with very hot Miso Soup, salad, white rice (brown rice if you request it), a little scoop of potato mash (similar to potato salad), and wasabi. I'm sure I could've asked for some fresh peeled ginger, but I was so consumed with getting away from the blind date-- I didn't want the waiter to make it any more painfully longer than it was going to be already. Dating is hard! Yep, the bear and I finally parted ways and I'm back in the dating world. Yay. Good times. lol. On the upside, I've got plenty of more chances to make it over to Gombei now- lunch time mid week was a breeze. We were seated and served quickly, with ease. *TIP* Park on the street (El Camino Real)- it's better than their lot read more

Gombei is SJ Japantown's long time standard for a great Izakaya restaurant. If you come on a Saturday, you have to come right at 5pm, when it opens. because by 5:30 all the tables will be taken by local Nissei and Sansei Japanese, leaving a few chairs at the counter only. Gombei specializes in Izakaya food (not Sushi or Shabu Shabu or Teppanyaki, but a variety of smaller dish combinations.) They always have several specials on the grease board, so be sure to check them out before ordering, as they are usually interesting and generally about $10. So if you like more down-home Japanese faire, like Donburi (rice bowls) Udon/Soba (noodle soups) or dishes like Saba Shioyaki (grilled mackerel), Croquette or Katsu (breaded fried mashed potato ball or pork cutlet) this is the place for you. You can get a bento like combination (not served in a bento box, though) with soup and salad and a couple of choices. The prices are reasonable. Last Saturday we had sashimi/teriyaki combo, which was great. They don't offer Tempura, since the kitchen is small and Tempura can be tedious to make well, so if your favorite combination is with Tempura, try something new instead. It is run by Japanese, but the kitchen and serving staff is Hispanic or Anglo. Still, the staff has been trained well, it is authentic Japanese food, tasty and reasonable. They remodelled the dingy place several years ago, so now the decor is more up to date and in reasonable condition, brighter and more airy, including a new outdoor awning. Be prepared to wait 30 minutes for a table, sit at the counter, or even share the long table in the rear if you come after 5:30. They close at 10, so plan accordingly. read more

I've been to this branch and the Menlo Park one many, many times over the years. I've always liked the food, been friendly with the staff, and have tipped well. So I was baffled one night by the cashier's unwillingness to spot me 2 cents. I was buying take-out dinner for a bunch of people and was short 2 pennies, and she insisted I go across the street to the grocery store to buy something and get cash back. This is a person I've spoken with many times and would hope she had a vague recollection of me being a repeat customer. Then she had to the nerve to give a patronizing "Sorry" to me when I returned. Unbelievable how money-grubbing and short-sighted this decision was. Congrats Gombei, you've lost a loyal customer over 2 pennies. read more

Cash Only Not what I expected at all but still had a fabulous time at Gombei today! Atmosphere was slightly nice than a cafeteria but still lovely and went along with the food served. We split a Sapporo and I tried Today's Special #2: Beef Yakiniku & Creamy Salmon Croquette served with rice, miso soup, salad and mini dollop of potato salad and Kinpira Renkon all for $9.50. WHAT! SO CHEAP! My Mother had the morning off so we headed up to Japantown in San Jose since I've never been and didn't even know one existed. We wanted to go to the city but just didn't have enough time.. Am I really Japanese?!? No, simply a Meximo. She had the side of Agedashi Tofu which truly rocked and the homemade curry croquette. Quite delicious. My yakiniku was tasty, a bit too sweet for me but tasted like a decent "tare"; a Japanese style dipping sauce. I was kind of impressed with the cut of meat; I'm pretty sure it was sirloin steak. The dressing again was too sweet for me but it did the job and that went well over the bunch of iceberg which took up half my plate. My croquette weren't very creamy and could barely taste the salmon (which is fine with me) but there were chunks of corn, carrots and peas. Colorful and cute. Miso soup was pretty basic again I think they used shiro miso or white miso so again made it slighlty sweet. I prefer red miso, more savory in flavor. Overall I was impressed with the cheap prices, quick turnaround and friendly service. If i lived nearby I would definately hit this place for lunch. It was packed today around noon. Even had a mini line out the door. read more

Over 10 years ago, this was the best Japanese restaurant on the small strip of San Jose Japantown. This may or may not hold true to this day, but nonetheless, this humble everyday man and woman's eatery and grill continues to dish out the standard goods and does it well. Cash only, which is how the prices are kept to a reasonable level compared to other places that either do it pseudo or not even in the same quality. I have a hard time describing Gombei. Not quite fully Americanized fare but not necessarily something that's comfort/everyday authentic food in Japan's countryside for example, but I suppose for the USA it qualifies. The standard menu items include noodles like udon and perhaps soba (both in broth), grilled meats and fish (shioyaki or teriyaki), agemono (fried shrimp, calamari, croquettes), lunch and dinner combos/sets of the non noodle items (which are some of the best value for great portions, includes a nice salad with a creamy dressing AND a bowl of fantastic but a tad bit salty miso shiru which you can taste the dashi base inside, arguably enough katsuobushi/bonito flakes), donburi (simmered meats or fish over rice, and their unagi don is actually unagi with egg!) with oyako don being a favorite of mine here, and as no surprise, oyako udon (known as just chicken udon) is also supreme. The udon of course is not freshly made and probably from packets, but it is a slightly thinner variety that makes for easier slurping. I'm going to risk losing my credibility here, but the beef teriyaki here is actually pretty damn good. I'm not talking about the sauce, but rather the cuts of beef they use for the price, and the mastery of grilling by the counter kitchen chefs. It comes out perfect with heat and still moist to the bite. Not surprisingly the same beef for yaki niku don, is also excellent, though can be a little bit burnt at times on the outside, as an alternative for those who don't like teriyaki that much (like me). Did you know that teriyaki in kanji translates to "bright" and "grilled"? (Bright as in shiny, as reflected by the glimmer/or glitter on sauce against lighting). I didn't know that. This is a much smaller space than its Menlo Park counterpart and interesting enough although Menlo Park has more tables, it lacks a good amount of counter seating and space, which strangely the San Jose location is a complete reverse. I think the best seats at San Jose Gombei are at the counter. The kitchen here is also much smaller but you get to see the cooks at work, and why that oyako udon takes a long time to prepare (they really take the time to do it right). The experience is probably not like those mom & pop American diners but more so like in Asia or Japan, where people are on the go and need a nice heartfelt comfort bite of some tasty bento, or a steaming bowl of rice topped with meat or fish, and/or a piping bowl of udon with a good tasting broth. Here's a tip: if you are kind of bored of the standard menu fare and want something a bit more authentic down home Japanese, check out the white board specials. The one in Menlo Park seemingly has more variety (and is of a larger size) than the San Jose location, but the offerings are more or less the same. The offerings change periodically, but you can also find great value and portions in these set meals/offerings, as well as side dishes. Some might include (and at random) - sashimi set lunch/dinner (maguro, hamachi or salmon, and/or albacore) with steamed rice, miso soup, salad and maybe a side of Hiyakko with katsuobushi (cold tofu in soy sauce and bonito flakes). Of course it is no secret that San Jose Tofu is literally next door where they get the tofu from, so the Hiyakko here is and should be great. I think you can get tofu teriyaki? on the menu? Eeeek. - Braised or stewed whole aji and they might even have had a variation of it (can't remember what it was, did not have it) - One of the side dishes that I like is vegetable stew (from the white board), or I suppose mix veg nimono. Daikon, carrots, mushrooms, fishcake, yam cake/noodle thing, stewed in a very tasty clear broth that had good daikon flavor in it. As this location is small, space fills up quickly. People in the area are smart and know where to go eat. Many of the other SJ J-town restaurants I probably wouldn't even want to risk trying, since this place has been tried and true for me for years (even during my college days). Although Menlo Park Gombei is bigger and probably has a slightly better grill taste, that manager with attitude there will probably not make me want to go back. The smaller SJ location feels more intimate and homey, and if they somehow eliminated all the tables and made it into a tiny space with 8 to 10 counter seats, it would be like those hole in the walls at Tsukiji Fish Market where the fishermen might eat (like that "Edomae" counter eatery that does a famous uni and crab donburi for like 10 bucks). read more

I have been eating at Gombei for almost 15 years now, and it hasn't changed other than becoming more popular and crowded! Absolutely excellent Japanese "kitchen food" (as opposed to sushi), from the agedashi tofu to the kaki fry! The only sushi you'll find here is if there is sashimi included as part of the whiteboard specials. If the specials don't interest you that night, I highly recommend their combination dinners, as they are great values and will leave your tummy full and satisfied! I have never been here for lunch, just dinner, so my review revolves around that. Gombei is incredibly crowded during meal rush hours, and the staff is always rushed. Seating is limited, so not the best place to bring a large group. Remember to stop by the ATM before venturing to Gombei, as it is CASH ONLY. read more

I'm getting good at these 2 year update reviews! It has been about 10 years since I first came to Gombei for dinner. I have a problem with being a girl who holds grudges. LOL jk I was super impressed with my dinner last night. Chicken Donburi was perfection. Pork Katsu and broiled Mackrel were delightful. I caught a glimpse of my neighbors tuna sashimi and it looked like a ruby jewel from India. Made my mouth water! Dinner ran us about $26. + shared a large Sapporo. Really should be 4 stars BUT. I noticed something quite interesting. The cooks are all my peeps. They should call it Japamexican food. read more

I've been to Gombei in other places and even this one for a few times, it has been good until my latest visit. I ordered "Sashimi Dinner Combo", for $14. My sashimi plate came with about 10 pieces of tuna, a piece of cold tofu with no sauce, rice, and miso soup. I don't know about you, but normally when you claim to have a sashimi combo, you cut more than just one type of cheaper fish. I decided to ask the old woman (seems to be the owner/manager, a Japanese lady) whether it's possible to provide more variety on the sashimi as I was expecting some salmon or yellowtail on top of the cheap tuna. I'm quite sure I was asking nicely, but the lady quickly turned to be defensive and put her hands up in the air, I believe I heard "what do you want me to do? we do not have any other kind of fish!" I replied, well if that's the case, perhaps you could have said tuna sashimi dinner and let people, like me, who'd expect some variety to be noted before the food arrives. She then said "OK, sorry? But that's all that we have." Her level of voice was enough to catch the attention from other customers. I finished my plate of tuna and rice, and believed this is probably the last time I'd visit this place. Then all the sudden I remembered an advice from an old friend: Gombei is similar to a Panda Express to Chinese people with better setting and location, you should always get their deep fried or teriyaki stuffs, not the real Japanese dishes. Cheap tuna sashimi from Ranch 99 would probably have been more satisfying -- accepts credit card, tastes equally bad, but with a much cheaper price and hassle-free waitress service. 1-Star, not going back. read more

This is my comfort food go to place. Don't come here looking for fancy sushi rolls - but rather more home style cooking of a Nisei (first generation Japanese) or Sansei (grandchildren of Japanese born immigrant). Udon (noodle soup), donburi (egg with chicken, meat or tofu over rice), or agedashi tofu are favorites of mine that warm me down to me toes on a cold wintry day. This is not a place for a leisurely lunch or dinner. Once you're done with your meal and you linger a longer than usual, you will be politely asked to take your conversation outside - especially if there's a line waiting outside. There's daily specials are listed on the white board in the back that are definitely worth considering. Open sorta late - they will serve until closing at 9:30pm. Closed on Mondays. Cash only and there is no ATM on premise. read more

Came to order to go and waited outside for 40 minutes and when I came inside to check on the status of my order I see my food waiting on the counter for who knows how long. I was sitting outside the entire time in front of the store on the bench and I just watched them pass everyone else their food. It was a very frustrating experience. read more

At its heart, Gombei is a tonkatsu-ya, serving up panko coated and fried cutlets or katsu. They have ton-katsu (pork), chicken, shrimp, shrimp/mixed seafood and croquettes. You can get them served up with salad on the side in a set with soup and rice and mustard and "sauce", over rice in a bowl or with curry sauce poured over it. Everything else they have there from the standing menu to the white board specials is just window dressing and to accommodate local tastes. Restaurants in Japan rarely if ever mix cuisines together. Sushi is served up at a sushi-ya, steak at a tenpanyaki shop (sans the wacky flying knive drama), chicken on a stick at a yakitori-ya and so on. My only complaint would be that the portions are way bigger than in Japan. One chicken cutlet would be plenty. The other would be that they serve salad instead of finely chopped cabbage, the standard accompaniment in Japan. read more

The Gombei Japanese restaurant is a great place to visit for chicken teriyaki and to get away with your wallet relatively unscathed. Where else can you eat chicken teriyaki for $8.75 in San Jose Japantown. OK ...I know you were going to say Happi House around the corner but the two don't compare. The Gombei chicken teriyaki is moist, flavorful and not overwhelmed with the teriyaki sauce that completely disguises the flavor. I have taken many co-workers and friends to this location whenever there is an urge for japanese food. I ordered the combination plate with the chicken teriyaki and sashimi ($12.95). Sashimi was a deep pink and tasted very fresh. The combination came with rice, miso and salad but the dish was missing those colorful radishes and pickles that normally accompany a bento box. I thought the food was very tasty and the servings were very generous. Service was very good but please bring cash, they do not accept credit cards. At this time of the year the San Jose Japantown is decorated in bright colors for there annual OBON festival. Definitely worth the visit to see all of the artwork, music, dancing and exhibits. read more

Incredibly rude and awful service. Never eat here if you're with family or in a group. Walked in and they had no sign in sheet or time estimate for the wait time on a Friday dinner service. On top of that the hostess was not only inattentive but incredibly rude and forceful. I had told her that I had a party of three with one member absent and currently parking. She deliberately ignored me and then counted a stranger standing near me as a group member and showed me to a table. Confused, I and one other followed her to the table, but when she saw we didn't have 3 members she forcefully grabbed my arm and showed us out and called another group who had just arrived to sit in because they had a full party of people. That rude service lost them a customer. And I'm sure the couple who left before us without ordering felt that way too. My arm kept hurting after I left Gombei. Guess that hostess had a really strong grip. Ended up going to Kazoo across the street which had much friendlier and accommodating staff and great food. Tldr; Avoid if in a group of more than 2 people. Hostess won't listen to you and might manhandle you out of there if your whole party isn't present. And you'll never know how long you have to wait before you're seated. read more

This restaurant reminds me of a diner serving a simple menu of japanese food. Simple as in not a lot of variety. In my case, it was either chicken teriyaki served with everything separately (rice in a bowl, chicken separate) or mixed in a bowl (chicken and rice together). Or you can mix up the meat and choose an alternative to go along with your chicken, like shrimp or beef. That's basically the menu. Choose whatever is listed or add more items, mix and match. Chicken Teriyaki Don Buri: It came with a side salad, bowl of miso. Nothing special to note there. The chicken with teriyaki sauce came on top of a bed of steamed white rice. Simple and it fulfilled my hunger. Overall, service was quick and efficient. Food wise, there wasn't anything that struck me, so it was A-Okay at most. P.S. Cash Only and they have specials on a board at the back of the restaurant. read more

I came here on a Friday and surprisingly it wasnt that busy. There is no thing to put your name down so you legit have to stand in line waiting for your seat. I got the chicken udon and the noodles are more thin and chinesey then udon. The chicken tasted a bit off but I liked the noodles and soup. My bf got the bento box with salmon and croquettes and I didnt really care for the croquettes. I am not sure if this place caused it but me and my bf had bad stomach problems after a few days...I think I read a review where someone got sick too.... read more

Gombei - Salmon and croquette - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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I have been going to Gombei since I was a little kid and I keep coming back because the food and service are excellent. This home style Japanese cooking at its finest. And they have had the same friendly people working here for years and years. Hands down my favorite Japanese restaurant. They don't serve sushi like most Japanese restaurants (but they do have really fresh sashimi). Authentic Japanese dishes with nice sized portions. You see a lot of Japanese people actually eating here. Everything is good and I always encourage trying the specials on the white board. I also recommend their donburi (unagi and oyako are my favorite), they make the best Japanese curry I've ever had (pair with croquette), and no one does agedashi tofu better. Try everything as it's a great place to be adventurous. Never had a bad meal here and neither will you. read more

Okay, I'm not trying to be rude in this review, this is what my boyfriend and I experienced. So we're walking around Japan town looking for places to eat and we see one of the restaurants we wanted to go to was closed. So we saw Gombei and decided we should try it out. When we first walked in, we sat down for not even 2 minutes and the waitress came up to us and asked us what we wanted to eat. We asked for some time and it took them a long time to come back and take our order. When the waitress came back, my boyfriend was choosing what he wanted and the waitress walked away and seated some other people while he was in the midst of talking. When our food arrived, i got the udon, the bamboo shoots looked old and the soup tasted fishy?? When we left, we did not leave a tip. I left a note on the receipt "Bad service." An hour later I got a stomach ache from the soup, not returning ever. read more

The best authentic Japanese food in Japan town.. great customer services... I recommend to try the daily menu that they post on the wall read more

Gombei - Daily special... - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

Great lunch spot right in Japan Town. It's nothing fancy in here, but you're guaranteed to have the best Japanese home style cooking meal. Always look for the white board at the back of the restaurant to find the lunch specials and skip the menu. They usually have 7-8 lunch specials to choose from. All under $10 in decent portion. The fried stuffed tofu is the best! It comes in a soup based sauce. This also come with 10 fat pieces of Tuna sashimi, miso soup (with seaweed and little tofu cubes), rice, and mini salad. A side order of Croquette is also great as they mixed in with some curry powder, and fried in perfection. Another example of other lunch specials is broiled yellow tail, and creamy salmon croquette. Get in early (no later than 11:45) to avoid the wait. Cash only. Afterwards I usually like to walk next door to get fresh tofu in San Jose Tofu Company and fresh mochi in Shuei-Do Manju Shop. Then I'll be completely satisfied! read more

This place is CASH ONLY. Which sucks... It's the same owners as the Kubota place. This place is always packed, so you'd think it would be good, but it wasn't all that...It's your staple Japanese food. We ended up eating by the bar seeing all the food being prepared and food sitting out waiting to get served...I don't know about you, but I don't like having food to sit and wait, and I've seen food sit there for a while...kinda scary... Anyway, I would still eat here, only if I have cash, but why eat here when I can eat at the other Japanese restaurant on the same block that accepts card! read more

This is the 1st Gombei (there are 3 now, Menlo Park and most recently Santa Clara on Homestead) plus Kubota kitty-corner to the SJ Gombei, but all 4 under the same owner (who is a great guy). I've been going here since they opened, in fact I used to "go there" before it opened, when it was an ice cream parlor(?) back in the mid-1970's. I watched and frequented all the Japanese restaurants in that area (coz i i actually lived above one o the restaurants), but Gombei hit the magic formula of quality (of food), quantity, price and service, and blew all the other restaurants in that area away. They also were unique with some little things, like the delicious salad dressing, super-fresh hand-made tofu from next door, the cooking taking place in front of you, gave the place a livelier feeling, and yet casual and home-y, service was fast. It was always a ful-filling, tasty and yet not breaking your pocketbook kind of place. Fast forward to today (I went there last week), their daily specials written on the board are usually great choices, going with what is freshest. This is not a sushi place, but kind of a home-style, Japanese diner. There is better competition now though in the category of authentic, tasty, lively kind of places, ala Tanto, Hatcho, Gochi, etc., but Gombei is still good for the money. read more

4.5 stars! We happened upon Gombei while hungrily meandering around San Jose...saw a line and figured it must be good! You don't take a number, you just line up. They'll seat you as people leave, thankfully it's not too long of a wait. We waited... 15 minutes on a Friday night. We shared a large table w/ strangers. =) Great for us cuz we spied what others were recommending/ordering. Menu is handwritten on the board. Stuffed Tofu ... thought this was going to come small but was actually really big... and this was SO SO yummy!! Very flavorful and was so large that I didn't think we could finish...it's stuffed with meat inside which makes it so yummy. A must order. We also ordered a side of cold tofu.. so much TOFU!! Beef Teriyaki & Tuna Sashimi ... very melt in your mouth sashimi and they give you so many pieces! The combo dinner comes with a lot of little fixings like seaweed, salad, egg custard, warm miso soup etc etc. The beef teriyaki was done perfectly and meat was sliced thin (but there was a lot of meat). We ordered one other thing but it slips my mind.. in any case it was probably also very good. =) For the price.. it's an unbelievable deal. They do not skimp on quality or quantity! BTW-- CASH ONLY ... and you're not allowed to take pictures. AHEM!!! =P read more

My family and I have been going to this place for the past 15 years. They have had many of the same waiters and cooks within that time span, which is a testament to great vibe that this place gives. I am very surprised that many people have not reviewed the udon, and the ones that did were not great. In the 15 years that I have been there I have ordered the beef udon every single time. It is the best! I just came back from Japan and unfortunately it didn't compare to Gombei's. The beef udon is the most flavorful of the udon soups at Gombei, which may explain the disappointment of some of the other reviewers. The fried tofu is the best. I have not found another Japanese restaurant in the bay area that has made it as good. The soupy sauce that they put on top is magical. YUM. Japanese cuisine in the bay seems to consist of sushi and fried stuff. If you have only limited your Japanese cuisine to just sushi this not the place for you. I always feel at home here, which is how this place wants to feel. If you are craving your stupid spider roll and dumb techno ambiance then you need to go somewhere else. read more

Wow! I've never heard of this place before until now. I came here for a team building dinner with my colleagues. The place was packed and the size of the restaurant is fairly descent just like any other Japanese restaurants. I ordered the Sashimi dinner and it came with other sides as well like tofu with fish shavings, miso, rice and pickled cucumbers. The food is good and the price is descent. The service is fast and the staff are super nice. The restaurant is located downtown and it's right across the street from Jimbo's (mochi ice cream shop). I would definitely come back here to try other food from their menu. They also have several restaurant chains here in the Silicon Valley. read more

Gombei - Sashimi dinner - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

An old standby that gets better with age. I've been going here forever and the Gombei "trickle down" has made Gombei better. IF you're in a hurry and want great family Japanese food, come here. MUST HAVES: Look at the Daily specials board and note that they get the awesome tofu from San Jose Tofu, next door. Anything with tofu is fantastic because of it: miso soup, agedashi tofu, stuffed tofu, etc. They also know how to cook meat medium rare. ;-) Atmosphere: Low key family style Food: Very good to great Service: Great initial, NO follow-up 98% of the time Value: Fantastic Note: If the two brothers that coordinate the food in/out of the kitchen leave, then Gombei would suffer tremendously. They also fill in and help anywhere. They make it look effortless. Give 'em a raise folks! read more

Haven't eaten udon that good in a long time. Love udon. Love it to bits. I went in just to try it out and it was the bomb. The flavor in that soup was outside my expectations. "Is that corn? No, that has to be egg. It's a trick of the depth." is how my silly thought process went. Ahem. Enough about the soup. The noodles complemented it nicely, the price was fair, and the service was swift. I was satisfied with my visit and I'll likely go by again. read more

Can't believe people have bad things to say about Gombei's. This is one of the few Japanese restaurants my seafoodless fiancé can agree on. He gets some kind of meat, I order off the white board and we both leave happy. I think the white board meals are usually a better value. This place definitely doesn't break the bank though, so if you're still hungry, order something else! Stuffed tofu is a must try here. read more

My sigfig swears by this place and I'm starting to think he just has a undiscerning GI tract. The food was fine the 3 times I've been here, there's really nothing special about it and I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. However, The deep fried items always, with fail, leave me in bouts of horrendous stomach pains an hour after I get home. I don't have a weak stomach, so this isn't a normal occurrence in my life. I've learned my lesson. So have my bowels. The bf eats here when I'm gone and loves the counter ("great for solo-eating". He made me write that.) and thought the miso soup and rice was delicious ("but I don't really have high standards for that."). He also likes the katsu, but he's reading over my shoulder and making sure I emphasize how much he loves the counter area. Jesus. -1 point for cash only. read more