August 27, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

The allure of Gombei

by Dale F. Bentson

"Sorry, no checks, no credit cards" stated the sign posted just inside the door.

That was my unpleasant first impression of Gombei, having just emerged from the din and tumult of El Camino Real. Fortunately, matters improved rapidly.

As I rounded the corner and entered the serene dining room a Japanese man wearing a blue apron over a white T-shirt yelled out, "Hi. How many? OK, three? Come this way, please."

Mr. Nobu, I later learned, is the restaurant manager. He is also a continuously on-the-run receptionist, waiter, busboy and cheerleader for the restaurant.

"Ah, that is good. Good," I heard him repeat countless times as he scurried from kitchen to table.

Gombei, located in Menlo Park, is celebrating its 14th year. It was the second restaurant for owner Shiro Kubota, whose near-quarter-century-old original still flourishes in downtown San Jose. How could a Japanese restaurant that serves no sushi and no tempura survive that long? The answer is not complicated: They prepare simple, inexpensive, home-styled fresh food -- attractively presented and quickly served.

Japanese dining is an aesthetic experience, in which great emphasis is placed on the balance and harmony of the meal. Not only is the quality of the ingredients important, but so are texture, shape and color. Japanese cuisine is a delight to the eye and nose, as well as the palate.

The 50-plus item menu is divided into five sections: dinner (with meat or seafood); tofu dinner, (soybean curd); donburi , (a meal in a bowl consisting of rice and a topping), udon noodles (wide, flat wheat-flour noodles) and combination dinners. Dinners and combination dinners come with soup, rice and salad. In addition, Gombei offers four or five blackboard specials each evening.

Mix Yosenabe pot ($10.75) was a heaping bowl of fresh vegetables and seafood: shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, Napa Cabbage (hakusai ), spinach, carrots, scallions, tofu, fishcake (kamaboko, which resembles a soft radish), salmon, mussels, and Japanese Vermicelli noodles (harusame ). The vegetables in this colorful dish were cooked slightly more than al dente and were easy to chew, yet supple enough to be handled easily with chop sticks.

Deep-fried shrimp donburi ($9.50) incorporated lightly battered, crisp jumbo prawns pocketed in a deep bowl of sticky rice. A dish of pickled bean sprouts accompanied and provided yet another taste and texture variant for the palate. Adding variation to basic dishes are miso (fermented soy bean paste), hot mustard, seaweed and soy sauce. But I added nothing to the shrimp donburi.

The beef don ($9.25) was a donburi bowl of sliced beef coated with teriyaki marinade, onion, scallion, seaweed, egg and bean sprouts over rice. The meat was a tad fatty, but I doubt it added much to the overall fat or caloric count of this otherwise healthy dish. To spice the bowl up a bit I added a splash of Tonkatsu sauce, a Japanese version of Worcestershire sauce placed on every table.

Mr. Nobu suggested I try the pork udon ($8). Filled with fat noodles and fresh vegetables, the heaping bowl was garden-fragrant, with an olio of flavors. The scented broth reminded me of homemade soups my grandmother made for me while I recovered from measles, chicken pox or the flu. Each bite seemed to rejuvenate and made me feel a little better.

The combination dinners are teriyaki-styled pairings of meat and seafood. The word, teriyaki , is a combination of two Japanese words: "teri," meaning luster, and "yaki," meaning to grill or broil. To prepare a teriyaki dish, ingredients are broiled, roasted or grilled after being marinated or basted with the a sauce comprised of soy sauce, ginger, sugar and seasonings.

Beef teriyaki and pork cutlet combination dinner ($11.25) featured a small plate of exceptionally tender shredded beef and several deep-fried pork slices. Miso soup, a small lettuce salad and a bowl of sticky, short-grain white rice accompanied. The miso, a broth thickened with fermented bean paste, contained several white tofu cubes which contrasted with the cloudy and soothing yellow broth.

Chicken teriyaki and deep-fried calamari combination dinner ($10.75) were chunks of tasty marinated chicken and flattened squid cakes. The calamari was OK but didn't have much flavor. Deep-fried at Gombei means crisp, not greasy. There was no oiliness evident in any meat or seafood I tried.

At an informal restaurant such as Gombei, all the food -- soup, salad and main course -- is served at the same time. Combination dinners are attractively presented on trays covered with bamboo mats, lacquerware, ceramics, porcelain and basketry. Presentation in Japanese cuisine is as intricate and pleasing as the food itself.

The ambience is unpretentious: wood tables with gray Formica tops, durable burgundy-colored carpet, paper lanterns, muted banners, an open kitchen and big windows facing busy El Camino. It is quiet inside, though, with the tranquility broken only by the chatter of neighboring diners and the occasional interjection of Mr. Nobu.

Gombei serves beer, wine, sake and soft drinks. The wine list consists of a single entry: "Wine, $4." I stuck with Asahi beer ($4.25 small; $6 large). Hot tea is available, but no ice tea. There are no desserts.

Don't be misled by the smallish portions that comprise a meal at Gombei. With the variety of tastes, textures and flavors, you will almost certainly be satisfied when finished -- a concept that is sadly missing in our fast-food, giant-portion culture.

But if you are in a rush and eschew fast food, Gombei is a great alternative. Dinners are served quickly, and the food is nutritious and aesthetically pleasing. The last impression you will have is likely to be Mr. Nobu's animated voice calling out, "Thank you. Bye. Thank you. Bye."
Reservations: no Credit cards: no Parking: back lot and street Alcohol: beer, wine and sake Children: highchairs Outdoor dining: no Party and banquet facilities: no Take out: yes Catering: no Noise level: moderate Bathroom cleanliness: average

Gombei, 1438 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; (650) 329-1799

Hours: Lunch Monday through Friday 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; Dinner Monday through Saturday 5:30 - 9:30 p.m.; Sunday 5 - 10 p.m.

Foods in Japan are not classified the same way as in our Western culture. They do not categorize their cuisine as vegetables, seafood or meat, but rather by the way they are prepared: grilled, steamed, simmered, deep-fried or vinegary.

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