We had an amazing dining experience! The seafood donburi was incredibly fresh and flavorful--it…read morehonestly felt like we were dining in Asia. The quality of the ingredients was outstanding, especially the uni, scallops, ikura, and toro. Every bite was delicious and beautifully presented. The seafood bowl was the perfect size for two people to share, making it a great value while still feeling indulgent. We'll definitely be back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic, high-quality Japanese seafood.

The food is amazing! Really like the sashimi, very fresh. The tempura is also really goodread more

It's been years since we've been here, but my cousin and his wife were visiting from an area of…read moreSoCal where they have little authentic Japanese food, and we remembered that this wasn't your typical Japanese place that has simplified bento boxes. We're glad we picked here to show them what the Bay Area can do in terms of more authentic Japanese food. The decor is traditional and not fancy, but comfortable and clean. The shishito peppers were really tasty, not too hot, pleasantly hot. Edamame was typical, nothing really special, but it's a bit difficult to really elevate edamame. The braised pork was good and the lean parts were easy to selectively eat. Nothing here is aggressively seasoned, but also not at all bland, so it's a good balance of flavorful but not overbearing. The grilled chicken wings were okay, but nothing outstanding or memorable - but simple and fine. Our "main" dishes, the deluxe meshi, nike tofu, and okonomiyaki were all great! Really enjoyed all of them and they were again flavorful, authentic tasting, and generous portions to share. Wish this were a little closer to where we live, but we enjoy coming here whenever we do and I recommend this for trying more traditional dishes when you want something different than simple teriyaki and sushi rolls.

Four of us came here for lunch today. We got seated at one of the regular tables right away around…read more11:30am. The restaurant got pretty busy later, but not completely full. I liked their traditional izakaya decor inside. They also had a tatami seating area towards the back. We decided to go family style so that we could try more items on their menu. We ordered the Niku Trio Set, which included braised pork, grilled chicken wings, niku tofu, edamame, and shishito. The food came out really quickly. Other than the edamame, which was very bland, everything was very flavorful. The pork was very soft, and the sliced thin beef paired really well with the tofu in the niku tofu. Both dishes came piping hot, and were very comforting, like home-cooked food. The shishito peppers came with a lot of bonito flakes; they're charred very well and not spicy at all. Wings well nicely grilled, too. The seafood okonomiyaki was not bad. It's a bit softer than I expected, but had quite a lot of seafood. The large Deluxe Meshi was pretty big. It came in a hot stone pot with a generous amount of salmon, eel, flying fish roe and a poached egg. I loved how crispy the rice around the pot was. No wonder it's their most popular dish. If you like authentic Japanese food, I would highly recommend this place.

Came here for an anniversary and left with a great impression! The staff, food and experience was…read moreamazing. We were seated at the bar for the omakase experience. The chef was fun to chat with as we learned more about the fish, origins, etc. I loved every dish and I am a picky seafood eater so I was nervous at first but I was impressed!! The tuna and hamachi were my favorite and just melted in my mouth. The pairings with the pepper sauces went so well too. They did a great job introducing a variety of dishes to try with different pairings that went well. For our anniversary they gave us complimentary champagne with a little show. The workers were really attentive too especially when I accidentally spilled a water glass on the table, they pulled our chairs out to clean it and were nice about it.

Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 5/5 The Wagyu omakase was a cute experience! All of the courses were very yummy. Service was phenomenal! The server was very attentive and had very good recommendations. The mustard was a bit overpowering in the Wagyu sando but everything was very pleasant. Would definitely recommend this experience! I can't wait to come back to try the regular omakase.

Ramen was stunning. Stopped by here for work and it's what I need in my soul. Keep up the good work…read moreand enjoy the bowl.

The food is good and the Takoyaki is very delicious would be happy to come back again!read more

I was recommended this place by a friend and was really surprised how good it was especially…read moreconsidering it's in a mall! The food was very fresh and tasted authentic. They give large portions too. We ordered the unagi ten don 5/5, the chicken karaage 4/5, dragon roll 5/5, and Eskimo roll 5/5. My favorite dish was definitely the unagi don. The tempura that came with it was so lightly breaded and perfectly fried! The service was excellent, there was always someone ready to fill our water or clean away dirty dishes. It is a pretty casual restaurant, and was very full for a Saturday, but we were able to still walk in and get a table for 2 at 7:30 pm. They also take reservations so we'll know for next time. This is a more authentic style Japanese restaurant.

The quality of fish is okay at best. Not horrible but I can get better from supermarkets and other…read moresushi places. Service is okay, but a little slow. The storefront feels very tight and packed, and not super comfortable. For the price I expect better quality of fish and serving size and that's why it's 3 stars.

Good grief, I thought I did a review already, but clearly I did not! This is now a few months late,…read morebut I still remember a lot! We discovered Gombei while in San Jose for a conference and wanted legit Japanese, not things near the hotel. And very glad we found this small restaurant. And it's as authentic as you'd expect. Family owned, the staff was friendly and helpful, and clearly popular with local people...everyone in there were regulars that knew the owners! Food was delicious and fresh, simple and very much like comfort food. I got their special, with grilled mackerel & salmon. Very tasty, though the salmon was more well done than I liked. My husband had the katsu curry which was delicious. The gyoza was also great and nicely pan fried. We loved the family atmosphere, and how comfortable it felt. Restaurant is cheery and bright, but cozy. Will come again when I'm in the San Jose area! Thank you for the comfort food experience!

As someone who's visited Tokyo not too long ago, Gombei definitely satisfied the Japanese comfort…read morefood craving. Paid street parking is fairly easy to find, and there was thankfully not a long wait on weekend afternoons. I stopped by for a teriyaki chicken and tempura plate, which also came with salad, rice, miso soup, and potato croquettes. I started the meal with the miso soup, which was indeed fairly salty. The teriyaki chicken and rice though - ooh this slapped! The potato croquettes were also fluffy and delicious, although it was a tad difficult to eat since it was fairly large. (Half thickness sized portions would be preferred if possible.) The shrimp and imitation crab tempura were a good break form the chicken, and they were both tasty. For a full Japanese experience, the dining room here is indeed a little on the tighter side, which really fits the theme. Service was efficient, though note that there's a small surcharge with credit card. 8/10, would come again!

This has become one of my favorite spots solely due to the fact that they have spicy tuna crispy…read morerice. It's delicious and I get it every time I come here. It's crispy on the outside, soft rice on the inside, with flavorful spicy tuna and sauce drizzled on top. I highly recommend trying this! They have a great selection of rolls as well as apps. Rolls are well constructed and the fish to rice ratio is just right. The staff are attentive and overall pretty solid sushi spot.

Went for a birthday dinner. One of the most disappointing and bland sushi experiences…read more The rice on the rolls did not hold well together, the baked lion was falling apart. The dragon roll was ok. The katsu was decent . Not a single bite was tasty. All of us ate because we skipped lunch for the celebration dinner. Bad choice of place.

This is my forever favorite Japanese sushi restaurant. I am been here since open till now, once or…read moretwice a week. The quality and atmosphere are always the same as 1st time experience. I had a tour to Japan last March, I traveled from Osaka to Tokyo. I was impressed that the traditional sushi section here in this restaurant compared to Japan is not different. Far from the original, they have their own special rolls which are satisfied other style of appetite. I've been telling that the Japanese never put sauce or anything other than fish in their maki. However, the non-Japanese create sauce and ingredients to make maki more favor. As more as you know about the history of Japanese sushi, the more you respect the head chef here. I am been trying a lot of Japanese sushi restaurant and find myself this place. I strongly recommended Poki salad, Toro on the rock, Sashimi Sampler and salmon belly fusion nigiri. Don't judge what people say, experience it yourself.

Fresh sushi and friendly staff. Highly recommend this place!…read more Wow! The sushi platter looks amazing and so fresh!