gochi

Lisette was browsing Jatbar (a good Bay Area resource for restaurant reviews) and noticed Gochi’s 9-star rating. Coincidently, her friends David and June had been recently and were interested in returning. So, tonight the four of us headed to Gochi Fusion Tapas.

Gochi is only 4 months old, but it has already been well reviewed, and it has developed quite a following of loyal customers. Apparently it is an “in” spot for the local Japanese community. Part of the reason may be its chef, Masahiko Takei, previously at Blowfish in San Francisco and the defunct Le Poisson Japonais in Palo Alto. And, part of the reason is likely the menu. Despite the fusion name, many of the items are traditionally Japanese and not common in the US. Read (and see) more here and here.

The menu is quite large (more than 100 items) and some of the creations are quite fanciful. Take, for example, the two “fusion pizzas” we tried. One had Korean BBQ beef, kim chi and miso sauce. The second had shredded pork, wild mushrooms and miso. Both were delicious, especially their rice paper thin crusts.

We also enjoyed the more Japanese grilled salted duck breast, the simple spinach salad with soy dressing, the black cod with asparagus, and rice with salmon, seaweed and salmon roe in a clay pot (pictured). But, the best item was the crab and mushroom omelet. Tons of crab meat, light, fluffy eggs and a great sauce made this a perfect dish.

Their homemade desserts were good as well. We had the green tea crème brulee and the innovative Earl Grey milk pudding. But, not all was perfect with Gochi. We had a long wait for a table and waitresses doing double duty as hostesses seemed a bit disorganized. Additionally, their sake is over-priced and they don’t let you bring your own (we tried). And, finally, despite the rave reviews hyperlinked above, David and June’s previous experience suggests that the sashimi can vary in quality. Still, we had a great meal and a fun night. I look forward to my next visit to Gochi.

Gochi: 19980 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA (408) 725-0542