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    I Heart Bento

    3.3 (129 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 week ago

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    I HEART BENTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Priscilla L.

    Last minute random choice for lunch for 7 people. Our original plan was to eat at restaurant across the street, but they had no room for 7 people, so we just practically ran around the 2 plazas to look for a place that could hold all of us with a good variety of food and we landed here tired of running around the place in such hot weather. This was a mom and pops takeout cafe with a few chairs and NO RESTROOMS. There was one nice cashier lady taking our orders and making our food. It was true like other reviewers said about the chicken teriyaki chicken pieces being a bit on the dry side, but there was some sauce on it. Rice was ok a bit lumpy due to a little too much water in them. But all right. From their website they are a mom and pop shop opened since 1988, specializing in Japanese and Taiwanese bento boxes. Their Halal chicken and Angus beef is marinated and grilled to each order and they add their house made teriyaki sauce to bento box. Pricing is reasonable and good for locals around this area. I personally would not come out of my for this takeout for food is average. But it's important to support mom and pop locations as many are closing up due to the economy.

    I have no idea what this item is.

    I tried coming a few times to try this restaurant and it is never open when I am in the area. Finally caught it open, and what a huge disappointment! Plastic utensils should have been the first clue. I ordered chicken teriyaki with fried shrimp but got small pieces of chicken . The kind they give you as samples at Costco. No flavor or no dipping sauce either. The shrimp was frozen and fresh from a box. Best thing in the bento box was the salad. Nice a fresh! I also got this small burnt thing in my bento box. It' was unidentifiable. So I tossed it. Please do yourself a favor and pass on this place.

    Top: Unagi Don Bottom: Teriyaki Angus Beef and Fried Shrimp Bento
    Mariela M.

    A small mom and pop restaurant!!! Their bento boxes are amazing! So many options to choose from and all of them looks so loaded. I got the teriyaki and friend shrimp bento and it was YUMMY. It comes with salad, rice, and California roll and I was so full when I finished. My boyfriend got the unagi don and it was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of unagi sauce. The veggie tempura was crispy and hot and just full of flavor. It was my first time eating fried lotus and wow! I'm missing out! Overall, everything was great! From service to food, it was OISHII! Definitely coming back to try out more bento boxes from them.

    LeeLee C.

    Never understand why we would eat bento because I can just do a quick stir fry at home for half the price, anyhow, hubby picked this so I tagged along. The menu's the regular items, didn't find it attractive. After ordering we waited for them to freshly prepare the main entrees. Maybe it's my first experience with bento shops but I was surprised that it's not an in and out ordering pattern. Now comes to food. There are a variety of small items in the bento. My fried pork cutlet is a bit too salty for me.

    Menu
    Mishan G.

    This is one of those places I wish was better, but I regretfully have to give it a middling review. The concept is very good - simple bento box, prepared quickly, with a nice amount of food in each box. Also a local business run by mom&pop, something that is really dying out here in the bay. I got the salmon and chicken teriyaki bento plus a California roll side. Honestly, the California roll was surprisingly good - very freshly made and carefully wrapped. Superb for the price really. The bento on the other hand was just average. The salad was good, nice variety of vegetables and had edamame which I like. But the chicken was fairly dry and didn't have a lot of flavor. The salmon had a decent crunch, but I wish it was more seasoned, although the texture was a high point. Additionally, the price is quite high for the taste quality. ~$20 for a bento is not competitive and makes it hard for me to want to come back with so many options that have a larger impact on each bite. If I had to give a pointer/feedback, I'd say the best thing would be to reduce the amount of items on the menu. Focus on just a few different bentos and bring their taste up. Right now, the stock to upkeep the variety has probably too high overhead, driving cost up. So, I'd suggest doing what places like Hironori do. Less than 5 variations, but top notch quality.

    #9 Teriyaki Beef & Fried Shrimp
    Jeff I.

    I initially didn't have high hopes for this place, but I decided to order here as it was recommended on my doordash. We ordered the teriyaki beef bowl, teriyaki beef and fried shrimp bento, takoyaki, and some California rolls. Firstly, the food was delivered hot! I'm sure this is more kudos for DoorDash, but nevertheless I will give the restuarant some credit. The portion looks small, but is still a good amount. I will say that the cut of meat for the beef teriyaki was so good. Some places keep so much fat on the meat, but this restaurant uses a leaner cut. The takoyaki presentation could be better, but they taste adequate. For the price of the food, I find this place pretty good. It does lack an authentic feel (seems more fast foody). If I need something quick and good, I will be order from here.

    Salad was good but the teriyaki looked and tasted terrible!!
    Annette H.

    Awful. We ordered I Heart Bento the other day because we had some Door Dash credits that we needed to use up. Ordered two simple boxes---chicken teriyaki and beef teriyaki. Never has such awful teriyaki at a restaurant before. I'd liken it to if you asked a kid to cook, and they didn't really know what they were doing. Maybe their regular cook was absent and they had a server cook instead. Terrible presentation, terrible food. Small portions and the pieces of meat look horrible. With all the great restaurants in the area, not sure why anyone would go here.

    Naina S.

    Delicious bento box joint. Food - quality of chicken was good, fully cooked but not too chewy. Teriyaki glaze was delicious, not too sweet or overbearing. I got the teriyaki chicken with shrimp, so I had a bit of variety. I recommend it because to me, the premise of bento is having a variety of dishes. The amount of chicken to shrimp ratio was just right. I was quite full after the meal. It wasn't expensive either -- 11.95. You can get this with California rolls as well but I felt like I'd eaten more than enough rice. My partner got the steak, and he thought that was excellent. Logistics - this is mainly a takeout spot. They do not have a bathroom. Food took a while to cook because there was a Doordash order ahead of us, but there are options to order ahead. Seemed like most people were doing takeout. There is a lot attached to the restaurants on this strip, so parking was not an issue. Also, the owners were really nice, I'll definitely be back. This hit the spot. :)

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    1 month ago

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    13 days ago

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    3 years ago

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    11 months ago

    Overpriced, waited a while for the food, and the chicken was dry. Spent $30 for a bento box and bottle of tea for lunch. Not worth it.

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Solid place for amazing lunches. I have had their salmon bento box, spicy tofu bowl, vegetable gyoza and shrimp tempura. Enjoyed every time.

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    3 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Love love love!!! Super yummy and reasonably priced. Why do you make me write more to post this review.

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

    I LOVE their bento box! You get so much food for such an affordable price and it's literally so delicious! Highly recommend!

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    8 years ago

    Inexpensive & fast. Got the chicken teriyaki bento and it was very filling and tasty :) would comeback here again!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    The best takoyaki in the bay area.The fish cakes are very good also. I will come back again and again.

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    4 years ago

    Fast, tasty food and a ver friendly staff. They always treat us well. Definitely come and check this place out.

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    12 years ago

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    4.4
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    went here on a whim lol…read more the servers were really sweet and attentive. tbh forgot what i got but it was like my twentieth time back so ive had them all VERY yummy :D

    I ordered the Dashi Kinoko & Bacon Cream Pasta, and right away there was a mix-up with my order…read more When the dish first came out, I immediately noticed it wasn't what I had ordered, it was the Shiso Mentaiko Cream Pasta rather than the other one. The waiter initially tried to show me the menu and point out the dish, but it was clearly different from what I had ordered. He shortly realized there had been a mistake, and thankfully the correct dish came out about 5 minutes later. Unfortunately, the pasta itself was disappointing. The noodles were undercooked, and the sauce was quite bland. I was expecting the four-fish dashi and bacon flavor to stand out, but I didn't really get much of either. The sesame seeds were also very overpowering and seemed to take over the dish. Overall, the sauce tasted more like a basic, thin cream sauce that didn't coat the noodles very well. The bacon and mushrooms also didn't add much flavor or stand out as much as I expected. My friend ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry. The katsu itself looked crispy and appetizing, but the curry came out lukewarm. My friend was okay with the temperature, but when I tried it, I was honestly surprised by how close to room temperature it was. I would have expected the curry to at least be served hot or noticeably warm. Overall, the presentation of the food was nice, but unfortunately the flavors and temperature of the dishes didn't meet our expectations. Between the initial order mix-up, undercooked pasta, bland sauce, and lukewarm curry, it just wasn't a particularly memorable meal. There are definitely some things that could be improved.

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    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    3.8
    (2k reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    The service was pretty good the food was delicious but the price is just a little expensive extra…read moredressing is also more money

    Guy-Kaku's lunch special is one of the better values I've found if you're looking for a satisfying…read moreJapanese BBQ meal without spending a fortune. For $18.99, you get your choice of two proteins, rice, salad, and miso soup, which is a pretty generous meal for the price. We all upgraded to the premium proteins for an extra $6 each. We tried both the short ribs and the ribeye. While the short ribs were good, I actually preferred the thinly sliced ribeye--it cooked quickly, stayed tender, and had great flavor. One pleasant surprise was the salad. It wasn't just an afterthought; it was fresh, well dressed, and honestly as good as the side salads served at many Japanese restaurants. The miso soup was also solid and rounded out the meal nicely. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the s'mores dessert. At $3, you get one small rectangle of Hershey's chocolate, one marshmallow, and two graham crackers. The portions are tiny, and if you have kids, they'll almost certainly want more than one. By the time you order enough to make everyone happy, it doesn't feel like much of a value. Overall, this isn't the best Japanese BBQ I've had, but that's not really the point. It's a consistently good, affordable meal with quality ingredients and generous portions for the price. If you're looking for a satisfying lunch that won't break the bank, Kura's lunch special is an easy five-star value.

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    Enka Japanese Izakaya

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    4.3
    (363 reviews)
    4.7 mi
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    Happy hour specials
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    Came here Saturday evening with a group of 5. You can add your name to the waitlist, but also make…read morea reservation as we did. The restaurant was pretty full so not sure how long it would take if we waited. The restaurant is inside a plaza with some other stores and restaurants but there was plenty of space even in the evening. They have a happy hour menu from 7 to 10 pm on Saturdays, but they differ depending on the day. They have some appetizers and drinks on the happy hour menu, so we tried the gyoza, mochi and side tempura. The mochi had a house made sauce glaze that was sweet and salty, and came with nori as a wrap. The texture of the mochi was really soft and chewy. The gyoza were really crispy with a soft interior. We ended up ordering a second round of them. The tempura was nicely fried with not too much batter. The shrimp was really succulent and I liked that they have mushroom tempura too. From their regular menu, we ordered a bunch of food. I tried the yaki-onigiri ochazuke with salmon, fried chicken skin, the eggplant and various skewers. The fried chicken skin was really nice and crispy, and came with a ponzu sauce and mayo to dip in. The yaki onigiri was nicely grilled and still had crispy bits when submerged in the soup. I was really excited that they have shishamo/smelt. It was nicely roasted and didn't have any overtly fishy flavor. Everyone at my table really enjoyed their food. I'd definitely come back here to try their other dishes!

    I went to Enka again, and loved it! The quality of each dish has been fantastic-seasoned well &…read moreperfectly cooked, yum! On my last visit, I got the assorted tempura which came with 3 pieces of perfectly, just cooked shrimp, mushroom, kabocha, sweet potato, broccoli, & shishito pepper. The tempura batter with light and crispy. I also got agedashi tofu & grilled salmon belly with salt. Just thinking about it all is planting a craving in my mind. Time for another visit soon...

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    Gochi - Cupertino

    Gochi - Cupertino

    4.0
    (2.4k reviews)
    1.2 mi
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    Gochi is a really nice spot for a date night, but it's also a great place to go with friends or…read morefamily. The atmosphere feels very traditionally Japanese, and taking off your shoes before entering the dining area adds to the experience. The servers were all friendly, attentive, and welcoming. The food was also really good. My highlights were the ceviche with their homemade potato chips, along with both the braised and grilled beef tongue. Everything was flavorful and well prepared. I noticed a lot of tables ordering the claypot rice dishes, so those seem to be popular. I'll definitely be coming back to try them next time.

    I have been dining with Gochi since college days and always loved their food. But recently I went…read moreback for a dinner and had a very disappointing experience with the 90-minute time limit I understand that restaurants may have a time limit for each table, but the way this was handled was extremely disappointing. Some of our food didn't even arrive until about 20 minutes before our 90-minute limit, yet we were told to leave before we had a chance to finish eating. What made it even worse was that there were plenty of empty tables inside. We were literally rushed and shuffled out the door while we were still trying to finish the food we had ordered. I have dined at many restaurants with time limits, but I have never been rushed out like this. If the restaurant is going to enforce such a strict time limit, customers should be clearly warned when placing their final food order that there may not be enough time to finish it. It is not reasonable to serve food so close to the cutoff and then expect customers to leave without finishing it. The issue is not simply having a 90-minute limit--it's the lack of consideration and poor communication about it. The experience left a very bad impression, and unfortunately, I would not return.

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    La Casa Mia

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    3.9
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    2.4 mi
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    Tried this lovely Japanese-Italian fusion spot in the Bay Area for the first time. We tried their…read moremochi pizza-Mentaiko Mayo Mochi Cheese Pizza. I love mochi, so I was really curious how it would work on a pizza. It actually worked surprisingly well. The chewy mochi added a unique layer of texture to the crispy crust and paired nicely with the other toppings. We also had a variety of pastas, both seafood and meat. The portions-especially the seafood and pork cutlet-were generous, and I really enjoyed the subtle sweetness in the meat sauce. The blueberry yogurt drink was beautifully presented. The little heart-shaped container held syrup that you can pour over the ice to turn it into flavored shaved ice, which was a fun touch. The matcha parfait was also tasty and a great way to end the meal.

    Great good and great service. The server offered the children jelly while waiting for the food, I…read morepersonally think that is such a kind act that excited the kids and looking forward for the meals. The servers are very attentive and the wait time for the food is barely 10 minutes. Very efficient. The meals are great, the baguettes came with refilled. The whipped butter is light and creamy. I kept wonder if a drizzle of honey could amplified the taste. Pizza and pasta are obviously very taste and chewy. The restaurant is very nice and cozy as well, a mixtures of Japanese and Italian cuisines. It's a cutesy and vibrant, perfect for date. Overall, I think it's a wonderful experience and meals. Very unique concept!

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