We ordered Oyako Don and Pork Katsu Curry. Can't say they were great. I prefer thin cut krispy pork katsu straight out of the fryer; then top off with curry right before servicing the plate to you. The one I got was thick and drenched with curry sauce way to long (no longer krispy), might be better if they got it to me faster - place was busy! 2 star due to my preference and service. But I will give it 3 star, maybe this is the way they intend to serve it. Oyako Don was good. But hard to get wrong. Need to be exceptional for any more than 3 star. Good place to go if your up for comfort Japanese food. bTW. CASH ONLY. read more

Gombei - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

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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

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

I came here after reading all these reviews about how this place is so authentic and has Japanese homestyle cooking, and so on! I was expecting to see some delicious Japanese treats I don't usually see, so I was excited. I was a bit underwhelmed when I saw the menu, though. I'm sorry guys, but do Japanese people only eat teriyaki and katsu at home? Seems like the whole menu consisted of just that. I had the beef teriyaki and the deep fried shrimp (which yes, was in katsu batter, just like my boyfriend's chicken). Don't get me wrong, the food was good! The beef was tender and flavorful, the shrimp (coupled with a squeeze of the ol' katsu sauce bottle), quite delightful... I was just hoping for something.... more interesting? Also, we sat at he bar and stared into the kitchen the entire time. Boy howdy I hope this cooks wash their hands thoroughly, because they prepare EVERYTHING with their bare hands. Anyway, if you're looking for a delicious variety of authentic (at least it seems that way to this white girl) Japanese cuisine, I suggest you take a ride to Tomisushi. read more

I NEVER KNEW THERE WAS A GOMBEI IN JAPAN TOWN! WTHECK! Anyways. the restaurant was actually bigger than I thought. When I went last week and saw the restaurant I felt really stupid that I didn't notice it before -___- On to the food. I think it is pretty authentic in that the serving portions are just right just like in Japan, they don't believe in super sizing everything to an unhealty outrageous level. My friends got the dinner combos and finished everything. The steak was good medium rare deliciousness. The croquette appetizer was pretty good (still think orenchis has the best doee) ahi was fresh I got the udon was really yummy the soup was really savory but I couldn't finish my portion and let my friend take it to go. Apparently it was really good the next morning as drunk recovery food. Overall I am satisfied and will definitely be back, but if you're raging hungry beware, portions are not super large but it comes with a decent amount of food. (salad, entree, soup etc..) read more

I'm stuck at the SJC Airport again . So I head to J Town on my mission again . Tonight's Target is Gombei. I arrive there and the place is packed . I slide into a Counter seat LOL. Sometimes it pays to be a Stag Diner. I get a Menu and order the Beef Teriyaki and Tuna Sashimi combination dinner . That also includes Salad , Miso Soup and Steamed Rice . Their cook staff is Asian and Hispanic . The Servers are friendly and fast . I get my food 10 Minutes later . The Tuna is great . The Beef is good but portion size is small. Everything tasted good. Place was packed the whole time I was there. I'm getting psyched for another Lost Weekend . One Note bring Cash they don't take Credit Cards. read more

Homestyle Japanese food that doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. Service is good and food is fresh. I wish the ginger pork dish was a regular item but alas, it is not! The potato salad is excellent! Reminds me of the one served at a Japanese restaurant in SoCal near Redondo Beach. The decor is simple although the tables are pretty close to one another so when the restaurant is full, it is very tight (like elbow to elbow with the next table). If you use a wheelchair, this is not the restaurant for you based on the aforementioned. Too bad they don't accept ATM/Credit cards but I guess that's how they keep the prices down. read more

Soild Japanese food. I've eaten here plenty of times, some of the things on the menu i really don't care for, such as their curry dishes, but the stuff that i do like more than makes up for that. If you are a fan of tofu (or even if you're not) you should definitely order something that is made with tofu while here, they have some really good, fresh tofu that comes from the place right next door, San Jose Tofu. I especailly love the agedashi tofu (fried tofu) from Gombei, it is excellent--lightly coated and lightly fried, then served with all the fixins. They do have sashimi here, but i wouldn't really suggest coming to this place if that is what you are in the mood for, go to one of the other sushi restaurants in the area, but if you are in the mood for Japanese food this is a great spot. The prices are pretty decent too, at least for the lunch menu. Prices range from $8-10 or so, and it comes with soup, salad, and rice. My favorite is the mackerel, which was also served with a block of cold tofu on the side. Yum. CASH ONLY and NO atm. read more

A friend of mine loves this place, so we gave it try on Sat. night. They don't take reservations, and there was a line outside, so I couldn't help but wonder if we'd be waiting for awhile. To my pleasant surprise, we didn't wait very long at all! Their menu wasn't exactly what I was expecting,for some reason I thought they had sushi rolls. Although, they do have sashimi. I was torn between that, and the unagi don I ended up with. I loved the unagi don! It was cooked perfectly, and didn't have too much of the sweet sauce some places overload it with. It was a fairly large portion, and so cheap! Maybe next time I'll go for the sashimi. There will definitely be a next time! I also shared a tofu dish with my friend. I didn't expect to like it nearly as much as I did. I'm so glad she ordered it! The service was great too. we got our food quickly, and they refilled our water and checked on us a few times as well. I was a little surprised, since they were so busy. Another thing I appreciated, I asked for no green onions on my unagi don, and the server didn't make a big deal about it, and...there weren't any green onions in my dish! Good, simple food, good service, and cheap. What more can you ask for? read more

I was looking for traditional Japanese food. I think this restaurant has typical Japanese food menus and affordable price, but I cannot say they have quality. Also, this restaurant accepts only cash, so sometimes it's inconvenient. read more

Gombei - Beef teriyaky don - Japanese Near Me - San Jose, California

I've been eating at Gombei since it opened. They have many locations and most of them are pretty good. Cash only. I always get the Curry with Croquette. The curry is on the mellow side but it's good. The teriyaki and saba are also popular. The sauces, soup and dressings are very good. The owner was a chef at Azuma restaurant in Cupertino in the 70's and 80's. All the chefs which have come out of Azuma have great restaurants. Gombei and Shiki are the only two that come to mind as the other master chefs have retired. Marukai's fish monger is an Azuma alumni as well. read more

Been here a couple times and I'm a Japanese reviewing this place. On my last visit here, I order the Gombei lunch and the Katsu Curry. Price: (*** 3 stars). Nothing special. Just like other Japanese restaurant where it's not too fancy. Looks like one of those restaurant in Japan. Ambience: (*** 3.5 stars). Not bad. It's not those fancy japanese restaurant with tatami mat and shoji and bamboos. This place is not for lunch meeting with your clients but is more of a casual place. If you are looking for a nicer restaurant like that(ambience wise), then I recommend Kubota in SJ Japantown, Gochi in Cupertino, Yoshida in Cupertino, Kitahama in Cupertino. Food/Quality: Gombei Lunch bento 3 stars(***). The price is ok but the food was no different than any other ok japanese restaurant. The chicken teriyaki that came with it tasted just like the ones in other restaurant with too sweet a sauce for a Japanese, lots of cabbage w/dressing on one side, Ebi-fry (deep fried breaded shrimp) was very small and definitely a 2 star(and only one relatively small shrimp), the deep-fried imitation crab....never had this before. Cheapo... The deep fried curry croquette was pretty good though. From the quality of this Gombei lunch, I would assume the other food is probably around 3 stars as well from what I learned from eating out. The Katsu Curry was 2.5 stars. The curry was bland, not spicy(not meaning it wasn't 'hot' enough.), the katsu was ok and it reminded me of those cheap curry I had at the soba stand at those train station sin Japan. Totally not worth eating their curry. Overall: 3 stars (***). For the price, casual atmosphere and the ok food, it's a place you can just swing by with your friends if you are in the neighborhood. read more

First and often very important. This is CASH ONLY. That said, my spouse and I walked into Gombei on a Saturday evening. We were immediately seated and started taking in everything. There is a chalkboard at the back of the restaurant with the specials and a menu with the regular items. We started with a beer and a sake. A good way to start. For starters we had the Fried Stuffed Tofu. It was served hot in with a bowl liquid that was clear and tasty. We also had the Ohitashi which was boiled spinach with a light marinade of soy and some other spices. It went very well with the Tofu. For our main course, I had the Combo Dinner beef teriyaki and tuna sashimi. This was a huge plate that had beef, tuna, rice and a cup of delicious miso soup. It could almost feed two people by itself. My wife had the fish special and it was cooked perfectly and very tasty. Overall, a very nice meal served with the attention to detail one would expect in a Japanese restaurant. Thank you! read more

This is seriously the best place for traditional Japanese food. I would not come here for the sushi, but if you're looking for a huge bowl of ramen, or fried tofu, or a splattering of various goodies and hot dishes that truly bring you to Japan, here's the place to go! Croquettes, pork cutlets, stuffed tofu, and delicious beef teriyaki/chicken teriyaki is a total win. My FAVOURITE, however, is the fried oysters. And this... really this is 50% of the reason I go. That's right. 5 lightly fried panko oysters crisp on the outside, tender on the indside, accompanied by colorful purple picked cabbage and bright yellow pickled radish! the sweetness of the accompaniments compliments the mild saltiness of the oyster... fresh from the sea... Mmm... delish. Hungry. Now. :) read more

Everything here is always so good and home style. Premium bento style Japanese food. Not a place for sushi and rolls. Spicy Chicken, Salmon Teriyaki, and curry are my go to choices usually. But have explored the menu through and through...Udon is done well, Oyako Don is very good! Cash only, good prices for large portions and cooked very well. read more

I am relatively picky about Japanese food, so I was pleasantly surprised when I ate at Gombei last weekend. Yes, they do not serve sushi, but there are many good dishes to choose from. I was happy with the vegetarian options, because I am not a huge fan of meat. I had the tofu and vegetable udon and it was delicious. It can be hard to find udon that does not have fish or meat in it. (However, for strict vegetarians, I am guessing that the udon at Gombei probably does contain chicken broth.) The prices are reasonable and the food comes out very quickly. The restaurant is small, but the turnover is pretty fast. The food is great, but the atmosphere is nothing special. read more

Food is still solid. Comfort food at its best. Like eating at my aunt's house. I introduced this place to a coworker who insists on eating here when we go to lunch. We order the same thing every time, #3 on the white board. Just a note - this is not a noodle house nor a sushi restaurant if you are expecting that. read more

Yup, it's cash only. No bueno. It's 2009. Credit cards have replaced cash. My Sake Assult Squad (SAS and we're not in the Queen's service) stopped here after Sake San Jose. Needing some chow in our bellies that were swishing with rice wine, it was really nice and cozy inside. I dig little places like this. I ordered was was like udon, not sure exactly what it was, but DAMN it was good! Everyone at the table ordered different items and everyone commented how great and tasty it was. The service was really good and we had a good time with the server, who knew we'd been drinking and was just a fun-loving guy doing his job. Nice. read more

I don't understand why it deserves so many stars. Money wise, yes you get decent authentic food, lots of it indeed, for relatively cheap price ($9-12). But nothing really stood out..... The tofu they use, is AWESOME! People in my group who didn't care for tofu before, LOVED the tofu there. So soft but not tooo soft. The tofu salad was nice, but i'm not convinced that tofu and salad is a good combination. The Unagi Don was probably my favorite dish. The rice has a lot of the unagi sauce in it. Yummy! The fried curry mashed potato was amazing with the tonkatzu sauce. The miso soup was very nice, with extra tofu and seaweed. That's all I could remember. We ordered a whole bunch of food, but none of them stood out as I said. Would go back because it's good food, god price, and fast service. It's like a diner, cheap and fast. read more

You would think a place this highly rated would have fresh food. Not when I was there. I can't say much about the menu as I have only been there once and I'm not planning on returning. Met by the happy Japanese restaurant welcome seemed like it would bode well. You are greeted by some complimentary tea and then the order. I asked the lady what she recommended and she said their gombei special with broiled fish. -Sure I'll try that. So I get a plate of three deep fried versions of shrimp and a curry puff like thing served on a lot of lettuce that seemed like an attempt to fill out the plate. With it a bowl of kind of dry rice and a descent miso soup. Oh, and of course the broiled fish. That broiled fish tasted like ash from a cigarette and the deep fried shrimp was horrible; tasted like something out of a frozen microwave meal. The curry puff was even worse and to top the whole meal off I got food poisoning from this place! Shame on you Gombei to even serve that kind of meal. Maybe your nicer to the locals and serve them fresh food, who knows. You might deserve half a star for the pretty original miso soup, but I'm not going back to this restaurant until somebody convinces me to. read more

For some reason, I used to think this place was a great deal for the food. Had lunch here past weekend and realized quality is not all that or is it my taste has changed? I got the special lunch with creamy salmon croquette and broiled yellowtail for $9.95. My SO got the 'Gombei special', which was not all that great. My lunch bento tasted better than SO, but I will probably be trying out other japanese spots in j-town next time. Note: they take cash only. read more

Love me some Gombei as it offers a meal that you might not expect from a typical Japanese restaurant. Gombei is a non-traditional joint where you won't find Tempura, Gyoza or Sushi, well not at this location anyway. This is a place more for the working class and always full of Japanese (from Japan) business men and women especially during lunch so you know it's gotta be good. I love the Gombei Special where I usually get the Tonkatsu and Chicken Teriyaki. The plate also comes with a potato Korokke, a fried crab stick, rice, salad and miso soup. Thats a TON of food for a bargain of a price and we've never left hungry. Oh, and the salad dressing is so good that if they bottled it I'd definitely have a couple stashed away in my fridge and be eating my greens more often. Gombei is always super busy so sometimes its easier to get a seat at the counter than it is to wait for a table. Place is small so expect to wait if you hit it during peak hours but its soooooo worth it. They have a sister restaurant across the street called Kubota's (more high-end) and another Gombei that offers a Sushi bar and a more traditional menu in Santa Clara. I highly recommend any of them as they each offer a unique experience. read more

So good! Cheap price for such a big portion. We popped in quite late, the service was great, the lady who served us was so sweet and popped in always to ask for refills on our water. The food tasted great, I got the pork curry, and it made me really happy since I had not had good authentic asian food in a while. read more

Here's the deal: I want to like Gombei more than I do. Why? Because the food is legit, but it's not holistically amazing. Cold Tofu - the tofu, chives, and soy work great together; I really love the fresh tofu Gombei uses, BUT there is way too much bonito; the whole thing just ends up really fishy Vegetable and Tofu Udon - again the tofu is great and so is the broth, but the vegetables have been inconsistent (I've had hard slices of browning potato and lotus), and sometimes the noodles are overcooked and just taste like chicken soup noodles Croquette - probably a safe bet; my partner loves these things Teriyaki Chicken - another mixed bag; sometimes the cook of the meat looks great, sometimes it looks like "meh" Chinese take-out We've never had a bad server. So that's good. ***As everyone else has mentioned, Gombei is cash-only.*** read more

Gombei offers really good comfort food at a price that doesn't break the bank! I would consider it me and my boyfriend's "go-to" for a quick meal. We both enjoy the yakiniku (essentially grilled meat with a flavorful Japanese BBQ sauce, the origin of this stem from Korean influence apparently) combo that offers a small side salad, miso, and occasionally some pickled vegetables. I enjoy adding the katsu sauce to the rice for a little zest. This place is cash only and the closest parking spaces (street) are metered. Would definitely recommend for those looking to branch out their options, as the food choices are tasty and isn't too wild. read more

I was coming down with a cold so I decided to get the chicken udon. There were a lot of noodles which I loved. The chicken is cooked with some egg and a piece of seaweed. The broth is clear and I did have to add some of the chili powder that comes with it to add a bit more flavor. The bowl is huge and I took half of it home. It didn't taste as good the next day because the noodles absorbed a lot of the broth so they got soggy but it was still good. Would definitely get it again and it was hearty, tasty and a huge portion. I've hand lunch here before and definitely ordered off the white board. The portion is big and enough to share so I usually do or take half of it home. read more

My Ratings: Quality of Food - 4 Stars Quantity of Food - 3 Stars Price - 4 Stars Location - 3 Stars Parking - 3 Stars Service - 3 Stars Speed - 3 Stars My Opinion/Story: The only thing that would add one more star is if they start accepting credit cards. Many times we wanted to eat at this place and we're short on cash. One of us always end up going across the street to the grocery store to get cash. Yes their food is good, their selection is great, but the service is ok. It's always hard for us to get seated because there's always a crowd which is good but that also forces their customers to go elsewhere. Not to mention CASH ONLY!!! I love their food but sometimes it just bugs me that I have to run to an ATM to pay for my dish. read more

We came earlier on a Friday, around 6pm. So luckily we only waited a few minutes and were seated at the counter, which I found to be quite large so I was happy. We were quickly given menus and soon ordered a large sapporo to share and some waters (though I had to ask twice). Seated, it's a bustling little place. Simply, very older diner feel. It has no real charm, presence, cuteness or uniquness. It's simply a diner, complete with a white board for specials. So ordering was simple, it's a rather uncomplicated menu. I ordered pork katsu with salmon teriyaki. He ordered a japanese meatball thing, lotus slices and something else I can't remember. Everything was pretty good but kind of bland even with a fair amount of sauces served with it. Just nothing stuck out or really impressed me but nothing slapped me in the face with mediocraty either. But my dinner date liked it and said we'd come again, which I wouldn't mind. The service was quick and attentive when needed. Cash ONLY. The place was clean but boring and older feeling. The food was ok, great for the money - just kind of bland. read more

The food here seems liek it is slapped together Everything is over cooked Don't waste your money Happy house around the corner would be a better choice read more

My dad would tell me stories about how when Gombei first opened, he and my mom would be the only patrons in the restaurant and Shiro would shake his head, discouraged, and say, "don't know how much longer we can stay open..." Fast-forward over a couple decades later and customers now line up for a simple, homey, Japanese meal. A hard working, modest couple from Japan, Shiro and his wife have built an empire. Shiro may be no Rocky Aoki, but that may be why Gombei has a certain charm that no other place can replicate. read more

They have nice oba-sans, so they get 2 stars for that. They get no stars for everything else. Especially really bad onion rings that tasted like eating nothing, and using crappy Chinese Shandong noodles instead of actual udon in the udon. read more

Always consistently down home great Japanese laid back food. If I could take any restaurant to a deserted island, this would be it...Informal, efficient and fast. A work buddy took me to this place in mid-80s when it was just a smaller restaurant (only one of them then)...because they deliver, so they've grown. Everytime that I now travel back to Bay Area, I make my pilgrimage there..sometimes as soon as I land in San Jose airport, I make a bee line there. The longer term workers all recognize me even after I've been out of the area for a couple of years! "Take me back....to Gombei!..to the place I belong....San Jose J-town, country food..[Japanese] .take me back to Gomei" sung to a song by was it John Denver...never mind...that's how much I miss the place. read more

I walk by often and this place always had people inside. Finally decided to try it; I had the tuna sashimi dinner bento, which was so fresh and tasty. Their miso and salad dressing was also really good. Definitely planning to come here again. read more

If you love Teriyaki Chicken you've come to the right spot. Gombei is like a relaxed Japanese diner for lunch meals. Love this place for their Teri Chicken! They don't have sushi but they do chicken very well. I haven't had the soba noodles but everyone seems to order it. The curry potato thing is also very tasty. One of our fav lunch spots! read more

Super friendly workers, great food, great lunch specials, and would definitely come back here.

Yum! Large portions, good food, quiet restaurant. We were the last people to order before they closed for lunch, and they were very nice and didn't rush us out. An extra star for that. Don't miss the white board specials! My friend ordered something off the white board, and it looked very good. Make sure you have enough cash on hand, because they don't accept credit cards. read more

okay, I wanted to give 1 star but since I feel bad for the old person there I would give it two. Let me start by saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the food there. It taste pretty average to me like most other Japanese restaurants. pro: food is okay, not too bad and the price is decent. con: -only takes cash -no delivery - very ill manner host. My company orders often from this place and we usually end up with the range of $120 - $180 dollars on our order. The old lady today ask me why I don't give a tip. Last time I check, a tip is given when you eating inside the restaurant and also have it delivery (which this place doesn't offer). I am not trying to be cheap, correct me if I am wrong. Isn't a tip means for service provided inside the dining area? If people need to give tip for take-outs then they might as well make it mandatory like these fancy restaurants that you go to. It was difficult to have to pay in cash for this place whenever I come here. It is obviously trying to evade taxes by doing a "Cash-Only" payment method. read more

Very disappointed with the food in this place. I don't know why this place has 4 stars! The food is not fresh (tastes like it was made before and warmed up to serve), the meat was overly burned (tasted like charcoal), and the dressing on the salad is not authentic Japanese (heavy on the mayo). On top of that, it's overpriced for the quality of food you get. Will not return! read more

After years being away from the San Jose area. I came back into this place with my mother and father thinking it would be a good place to catch up and enjoy a Japanese lunch. Oh how things changed. Lunch times busy as usually but with a twist as if frustrated me. They would not sit me since my mother and father was arriving 2-3 min late as there was only two patrons seated. I was just blown away how rude they explained to me these new rules. What really had gotten me discussed was seeing two elderly Japanese women entering the. Door and was Rudely greeted and ask to step outside since there full party was not present.... I stood up and gave them My chair and was politely thankful... This place went to great to shitshow since my last review... Good luck being a cooperation read more