by Meg Cieply Peterson
Gombei, a small well-established eatery on El Camino Real in Menlo Park, is not your typical Japanese restaurant. You won't find sushi, saki or tempura on the menu. But you will be treated to friendly service and a satisfying, home-cooked meal--Japanese style. Owner Shiro Kubota says he likes it that way. The key to the success of both of his restaurants has been a warm ambiance and simple, good food with plenty of fresh vegetables.
Kubota opened the original Gombei on East Jackson Street in San Jose 16 years ago. Today, it is still going strong, while the 6-year-old Menlo Park spin-off also thrives. Lunch or dinner, the place is alive with the chatter of a loyal clientele, many of them Japanese, and the scent and sight of steaming platters of "home-cooked" food.
The walls are hung with simple Japanese prints. The open kitchen adds an air of liveliness.
Japanese cuisine is different things to different people. It is everything from the specialized cooking that derived from the 8th-century Imperial Court of Nara, to tea ceremony dishes, to the party cuisine developed to enhance the flavor of saki at every course. But the type of Japanese cooking that is closest to the hearth and heart is called katei ryori.
These are household dishes designed to be savored with boiled rice. It's the kind of fare one will find at Gombei. Simple and flavorful.
Even the name of the restaurant fits within that tradition. Kabuto says the name Gombei was the Japanese equivalent of Tom or Mary at one time in Japan. And it was the name of his great-great-grandfather.
Kubota goes so far as to call the hearty meals he dishes up "fast food." Granted, the deep fryers at Gombei may be working over time, but I would be hard-pressed to use that moniker on any of Kubota's creations. That is, unless we choose to expand the definition of fast food to include hot white rice, crisp green salads and dishes delicately seasoned with miso, hot mustard, seaweed and soy. And if that is the case, then bring it on.
On several visits to Gombei, I have yet to be disappointed. In fact, I've been continually impressed by the heaping plate of fresh greens that accompany most meals and by the generous portions. The chicken cutlet ($7 lunch, $7.75 dinner) is a good example of a simple Japanese dish done right. The chicken in this dish is exceedingly lean and juicy, without excess oil, and served with a lively dash of hot mustard.
The salmon teriyaki plate ($9.50) is fresh and tender with just the right amount of teriyaki sauce. And the curry sauce with deep-fried shrimp served over rice ($6.50) is a wonderfully old-fashioned curried gravy stew, sprinkled with a handful of carrots and potatoes and topped with three fried shrimp.
If you wish to go shorter on fried foods and bigger on broiled, there are options available. Broiled mackerel ($7.75), for instance is a staple on the menu. There are also various teriyaki dishes, and one of the nights we were there sashimi with chicken dumpling ($9.25) was offered.
Don't forget to look at the specials board. Kubota says you will occasionally find California rolls there. It's also been the source of such interesting treats as saki-flavored cod and hot or cold buckwheat noodles (soba) with fried tuna ($8.50).
One thing that you learn early on in visiting Gombei is that the restaurant has a fondness for the onion. I discovered this with my first taste of the miso soup. The onion flavor was just palatable for my onion-averse husband. It was absolute heaven for me. And there it was again in a richly scented bowl of shrimp udon ($6). Only here, there were just a few scallion greens floating at the surface to add flavor and color.
Gombei's chicken udon, healthy chunks of tender chicken served in a rich fishmeal broth, is another colorful and flavorful dish. This big, hearty soup does well as a lunch and works great as the proverbial bowl of chicken soup when you are looking for a pick-me-up.
If you visit Gombei there are just two things to remember. Bring cash. The restaurant doesn't take checks or credit cards. And bring your appetite.
Gombei Japanese Restaurant, 1438 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, 329-1799
Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; dinner 5:30-9:30 p.m. daily
Highlights: Tasty home-style food; lots of fresh vegetables
Atmosphere: Open, airy decor; friendly service.
About the owner: Shiro Kubota came to the United States from Japan in 1974. He studied cooking at a small European-style restaurant in Japan, then joined the staff of Cupertino's Azuma restaurant. Kubota likes to keep things simple, a philosophy that has proven to be successful for his two Gombei restaurants. But now he is turning his eye to the possibility of starting a third, very different sort of restaurant. One that serves Saki. Reservations: no Credit Cards: no Parking: yes Beer and wine only: yes Takeout: yes Banquet: no Wheelchair Access: yes Nonsmoking: yes High chairs: yes Outdoor seating: no
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