Gombei

Reviews 16

SP

spams 911

Goodbye Gombei! Our family had always enjoyed coming to this restaurant in the past many years for good Japanese food. We came for lunch and this time we were surprised at how the older Japanese lady treated us. First, I was told to keep my arm to myself because there were another six guests coming and joining with us at the same table at the back of the restaurant. I was shocked but tried hard not to say anything. Then when she came to take the order, she told us she would take the order starting from one person and going counter clockwise and not any other way. For a moment I thought we were in North Korea. This is surreal. Third, the udon noodle was overcooked. Noodle was stuck together and the broth tasted like powder mixed with hot water. There are plenty of restaurant in the same area these days. Gombei used to be one of the best food around. The servers are all Hispanic. They are nice most of the time. Some Japanese ladies could get cranky when it gets busy. We just came back from a 2 week Japan trip and were quite shocked at the attitude of Japanese servers at this Gombei San Jose versus the ones anywhere in Japan. What happens to guest hospitality or human respect one to another?

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JA

Jack Chu

We had lunch here on a weekday. There was a wait but we were seated pretty fast because we were only two people. If you have a large party, they do require everyone in the party to be there before seated. Inside is simple and clean. The space can easily fit more than 50 customers. The food tastes just okay for me. Maybe I had high expectation after reading Yelp review. They serve mostly bento box and combination dishes. The menu selections are pretty common, just like what you can find in most Japanese places. However, the material is indeed quite fresh. They deliver the dish to you pretty fast once you place an order. Overall, I think this place is a good choice for business lunch.

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AN

Annie Lin

Japantown is close to my work so when I get the chance, I like coming to Gombei for lunch. The service is always fast, easy come easy go. I wouldnt say its particularly authentic but itll do for lunch and I especially like how comfortable it is here. I always order their Oyako-don here. I really like how simple the menu is here, and the egg is runnier than most places Ive been to. Theres a decent portion of rice given so I always leave stuffed/in a food coma. I also like how they serve you miso soup prior (but I guess thats what most Japanese places are like). Affordable too!

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KA

Karen Wang

Crowded seats, but the restaurant itself doesnt feel crowded, which is an odd dichotomy. Its sort of a first-come-first-serve seating arrangement, slightly dependent on your party size. Our waitress seemed really distracted, and we werent sure she even heard our order, but then all our food came out perfectly. The menu is typical Japanese fare, with an emphasis on tofu dishes (possibly due to the popular tofu store next door). However, there is no sushi or tempura unless its featured in a daily special.

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JE

Jennifer Lang

The food was good. The service was not. I ordered green tea and water and never got either. They have a shared table, which I like in principle, but the wont let you sit side by side. Its a wide table in a loud place, so I couldnt really hear my husband. I tired to move and apparently moving to sit next to my husband meant to the staff that the two seats side by side were useless to the next two people to come in... Not very friendly.

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A

A Private User

I love Gombei (this location and the one on Homestead and Lawrence, near the Kaiser Santa Clara). Ive had most of the things on their menu but my favorite is the Beef Yakiniku. Its like teriyaki beef but with a sweeter, aromatic sauce. The meat is always fresh and tender. Their specialty is lunch plates so their Japantown store only offers that and a little bit of sushi. The store on Homestead also has a full sushi bar.

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TA

taylor eaton

took forever to get served and HAD TO ASK THE SERVER FOR OUR CHECK 15 MIN AFTER WE FINISHED. come to find out they are cash only. but have "no credit cards or check" signs all over......JUST PUT UP A CASH ONLY SIGN!!!!! HOW ARE WE TO KNOW YOU DONT ACCEPT DEBIT CARDS OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF PAYMENT. SO to pay for my meal I had to walk across the street into a bar and use the atm and pay an extra $3 to take money out.

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YO

Yoshika Hedberg

This has been my go to place for years, but it seems that the quality and flavor of the food has gone down the hill. I was very disappointed with the salmon croquette special they had. It appears that they no longer have any Japanese chefs working lunch now. As a Japanese person it was deeply disappointing that what used to be an authentic Japanese restaurant is no longer very good.

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JA

Jacob Rogers

This place gets really pack at dinner and Im going to assume it gets busy during all the normal business hours too. The food here taste great and the prices are reasonable. If I had to choose anywhere to eat Japanese food instead of sushi, itll definitely be here. Im a fan so I would come here as often as I feel like getting Japanese cuisine.

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WI

William Garcia

I was a little sick of my usual Japanese takeout place so i decided to give Gombei a try, placing the order was easy, paying was easy (in cash in person), and the food was ready on time, nothing worse than waiting at the restaurant for the food. I particularly liked the Croquettes! Will return for more Takeout.

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AU

Auran B

Great food and atmosphere. I had the tonkotsu with rice which was very juicy and crispy. However, they were understaffed on a Friday night so it was difficult to ask for anything and get my water refilled. Nonetheless, Id definitely recommend locals or visitors to give this place a try.

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EM

Emmanuel Gigante

been coming here since 1997 food quality has always been maintained. expect long wait during peak dinner and lunch hours... worth the wait. alway check out their Daily Specials has undiscovered gems.... always pleaseantly surprised. lil japanese ladies always treat you like family.

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JE

Jeff Coleman

Love Gombei!!!! The fish is fresh. Not 4 stars because it is small and most of the time theres a wait. Usually the wait goes by pretty fast but usually theres ALWAYS a wait. They usually start off with some yummy oysters. Rolls are not the cheapest but you get what you pay for!

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JO

Joseph Tu

Decent price with good quality food and environment. Menu on the wall changes daily and each comes with miso soup, salad, main dish and small plate depends on what you order. In my opinion, their miso soup is the best in bay area. Ginger pork is also good!

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KU

Kurt Keyser

本物和食！ Its as Japanese as weve had since moving home from Tokyo. Pricing is perfect. Service is Japanese style, so if you want anything, just raise a hand at the wait staff and say, Sumimasen! Will be bringing all my family here for a true taste of Japan.

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HO

Houman R.

Even though the food is great I am giving them 3 stars because they only accept cash. This neighborhood is not very safe at nights and the last thing youd want is to be walking around after your dinner trying to find an ATM to pay for your bill. H

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