Northern California - OT Asian central

So I have found a place in Santa Clara. It's about 4 miles from my work and 4 miles from foothill expressway. I didn't realize until I moved in that it Asian centric area. A lot of Asian restaurants and stores. I could not be happier! :thumb: I can walk to a smaller market from my apartment. I stopped by Ranch 99 and it made one in SoCal look dingy. So much different seafood! :love: I plan on cooking some fresh squid next week (probably stir fry in my Wok). This is going to be a fun summer!

UD

Is that the one on Homestead and Wolfe? That's technically Cupertino, but it is still awesome.

Yep, thats the one. :) There seems to be more stuff behind it, will have to check out the plaza when I have more time.

Congrats UD, you're in Chinatown. :)

Seriously it's a great alternative to your typical, strip mall, suburban food.

I work just around the corner and you can find me there, most days, eating lunch. Last week looked like this for me:

Mon: Noodles
Tues: Dumplings
Wed: Veggie dish
Thurs: No lunch but good tapioca drink

welcome to the hood. Enjoy the great food. I love that little Taiwanese restaurant in the front, near the Bar.

However, watch out for Asian ladies wear full face masks driving over sided vehicles. That parking lot is a death trap.

However, watch out for Asian ladies wear full face masks driving over sided vehicles. That parking lot is a death trap.

I've been meaning to wear those masks on a recovery ride.

I live really close by too. And there is Koreatown too, on El Camino

welcome to the hood. Enjoy the great food. I love that little Taiwanese restaurant in the front, near the Bar.

However, watch out for Asian ladies wear full face masks driving over sided vehicles. That parking lot is a death trap.

I saw a woman wearing a mask in the market, thinking she was guarding against the swine flu. Then, there's the umbrella dwellers, shading themselves even in overcast conditions.

Back a couple weeks when it was 90 degrees, I saw a few wearing down jackets and a knitted hat. :roflmao2:

I saw a woman wearing a mask in the market, thinking she was guarding against the swine flu. Then, there's the umbrella dwellers, shading themselves even in overcast conditions.

Mmm...Koreatown. Double fried chicken, kimchi and cold beer. Win! :D

Ooohhh, and on El Camino, there is a great Korean BBQ place near Lawrence Expressway. I think it is called Palace BBQ or something like that. :thumb:

Ummm.... ok .. you guys are making me hungry.

Ooohhh, and on El Camino, there is a great Korean BBQ place near Lawrence Expressway. I think it is called Palace BBQ or something like that. :thumb:

Yep been there couple years back. I think there is also a great soon tofu place around that area. Mmm seafood tofu soup with side order of rice and all the side dishes. :thumb:

UD

Ummm.... ok .. you guys are making me hungry.

Hmm, maybe next NorCal BF get together should be in this area....? ;)

Cut it out guys! You're making me drool with all this talk of yummy food.

The only bad thing about being out here in Half Moon Bay is the absolute lack of good Asian food. None, nada, zip. :cry:

Cut it out guys! You're making me drool with all this talk of yummy food.

The only bad thing about being out here in Half Moon Bay is the absolute lack of good Asian food. None, nada, zip. :cry:

Business opportunity?

How about a Pho cafe, right next to a bike shop? Shop, then Pho.

Mmm...Koreatown. Double fried chicken, kimchi and cold beer. Win! :D

Micheal,

Since you're from San Mateo, have you ever eaten at the korean tofu joint near Marina market on Norfolk/Hillsdale?

It's actually pretty good.

The waitresses never smile... but I kind of expect that at Korean restaurants ;)

Anyway, they have good stews, BBQ meat, and of course the myriad of side dishes to start.

I haven't been there in a while though.

How about a Pho cafe, right next to a bike shop? Shop, then Pho.

I was going to ask about Pho. Where is the shop and where is the cafe? :)
A good, not expensive, sushi place in Santa Clara area recommendation would also be nice. I stopped by Cherry sushi few times. It was good, but on the expensive side.

Micheal,

Since you're from San Mateo, have you ever eaten at the korean tofu joint near Marina market on Norfolk/Hillsdale?

It's actually pretty good.

The waitresses never smile... but I kind of expect that at Korean restaurants ;)

Anyway, they have good stews, BBQ meat, and of course the myriad of side dishes to start.

I haven't been there in a while though.

No, I haven't been there since I don't usually venture down that far on Hillsdale. The only restaurant I've been to, in the Marina complex, is the Indonesian / Malaysian one - pretty good.

I was going to ask about Pho. Where is the shop and where is the cafe? :)
A good, not expensive, sushi place in Santa Clara area recommendation would also be nice. I stopped by Cherry sushi few times. It was good, but on the expensive side.

Actually, there isn't one. But if SesameCrunch wants to invest in one ... hint hint?

Sushi o Sushi was okay, but I like some of the ones in Mountain View a little better, like Sushi Tomi or Yakko Sushi.

I was going to ask about Pho. Where is the shop and where is the cafe? :)
A good, not expensive, sushi place in Santa Clara area recommendation would also be nice. I stopped by Cherry sushi few times. It was good, but on the expensive side.

A decent pho restaurant can be found across the street from Ranch 99. It's next to the gas station on Homestead & Wolfe.

A decent pho restaurant can be found across the street from Ranch 99. It's next to the gas station on Homestead & Wolfe.

So we can take over the gas station and build a bike shop next to the pho stuff.

If you are ever up in San Mateo, hit up Izakaya Mai. Good sushi.

We also have some of the best Ramen up here at Santa Ramen.

Is Hana Maki Sushi still there at El Camino & Bowers, down the way from Sushi O Sushi? They used to be pretty good.

Mmmmm, I love Sushi O Sushi. They are really good. Also, Chocolate Sushi is pretty good also. They are just a bit down the road from S O S. Never been to Hana Maki Sushi. Will have to try that sometime.

As for Pho, I have never found a place that is absolutely amazing, but I tend to frequent the one on De Anza Blvd next to the Britannia Arms or the place down at 10th and King in San Jose (don't remember their names).

Oh, since Thai food has not been mentioned yet, my favorite place is House of Siam in downtown San Jose.

Sadly, none of these places mentioned are near bikeshops. The closest would be the Pho on 10th st, Fabers is a few blocks away.

Is Hana Maki Sushi still there at El Camino & Bowers, down the way from Sushi O Sushi? They used to be pretty good.

Yeah I saw it when I was driving by the other day. I used to go there couple years ago while I was working in SC. They were cheap, but quality was meh. Actually one of my co-workers refused to eat there, he was a bit of a sushi snob. lol

UD

Oh, since Thai food has not been mentioned yet, my favorite place is House of Siam in downtown San Jose.

I worked near it last summer and stopped by couple of times. I wasn't impressed both with quality of service (it took 10 minutes and 2 waiters for my friend to order vegetarian) and food. Actually after visiting Thailand I kind of lost taste for stuff they sell here.

Speaking of downtown San Jose, Smiling Sushi there is pretty good quality, and not all that expensive.

UD

Yeah I saw it when I was driving by the other day. I used to go there couple years ago while I was working in SC. They were cheap, but quality was meh. Actually one of my co-workers refused to eat there, he was a bit of a sushi snob. lol

UD

We used to hit it when I worked at Sun.

Anyways, what about Walt's in Sunnyvale and all of the foodage on Murphy St, only a block away? That's close enough for an eat/shop combo.

We used to hit it when I worked at Sun.

Anyways, what about Walt's in Sunnyvale and all of the foodage on Murphy St, only a block away? That's close enough for an eat/shop combo.

Gumba's is close by ... Okay, it's Italian, not Asian, but it's food!

"Asian" is too generic a word for Silicon Valley.

For good authentic cheap ethnic food, try these neighborhoods:
Cupertino = Chinese
Santa Clara = Korean
San Mateo = Japanese
San Jose = Vietnamese
Fremont = Indian and Afghan

Yeah I saw it when I was driving by the other day. I used to go there couple years ago while I was working in SC. They were cheap, but quality was meh. Actually one of my co-workers refused to eat there, he was a bit of a sushi snob. lol

UD

Agreed, Hana's sushi sucks. I refuse to eat there again. I do consider myself a little bit of snob, Although I find Sushi O Sushi ok, it's not great. I don't order rolls, and the Nigiri can be hit or miss.


"Asian" is too generic a word for Silicon Valley.

For good authentic cheap ethnic food, try these neighborhoods:
Cupertino = Chinese
Santa Clara = Korean
San Mateo = Japanese
San Jose = Vietnamese
Fremont = Indian and Afghan

correction Cupertino = Taiwanese

correction Cupertino = Taiwanese

Oh snap! :p

Oh snap! :p

lol...I'm chinese, it's all the same to me, but there are a whole lot of Taiwanese that gets bent out of shape if you call them Chinese.

lol...I'm chinese, it's all the same to me, but there are a whole lot of Taiwanese that gets bent out of shape if you call them Chinese.

I'm a twinkie ... although some would say banana.

So what do you call someone who is white on the outside, and yellow on the inside?

I just want to chime in that I have actually been to Asia, can eat with chop sticks, and twirl pencils Berkeley style.

As you were.

I'm the only asian who can't twirl a pencil ... I guess that's why I'm a twinkie.

I'm a twinkie ... although some would say banana.

So what do you call someone who is white on the outside, and yellow on the inside?

I have heard them called eggs.

do you mean to tell me that there are beautiful asian buddhists on bicycles living a simple car free life?

here? in cupertino?

I have heard them called eggs.

Oh yeah ... forgot about that ... :roflmao2:

A decent pho restaurant can be found across the street from Ranch 99. It's next to the gas station on Homestead & Wolfe.

i hear very bad things about that one...

i hear very bad things about that one...

There's a great dive-y pho place in Mountain View. I feel very left out in this thread given that Mountain View has good Thai/Viet/Sushi places. We even have the grocery with the boxes of live crabs!

Pho Nam, on El Camino, just north of Mathilda is not bad.

i hear very bad things about that one...

You must share, ASAP. I eat there pretty frequently, without incident, but now am very interested... :eek:

You must share, ASAP. I eat there pretty frequently, without incident, but now am very interested... :eek:

...it's made of people...

I have heard them called eggs.

I've heard that one before.

I bought some fresh squid yesterday and grilled it with some fish. It's the first time I actually cooked it myself, it was turned out so delicious! :thumb: Really reminded me of all the grilled squid I ate in Thailand from the street vendors. On the last day I so pigged out on it there at the Weekend Market in Bangkok.

UD

Gombei Japanese restaurant on Homestead & Lawrence Expressway is very good for your buck.

Cut it out guys! You're making me drool with all this talk of yummy food.

The only bad thing about being out here in Half Moon Bay is the absolute lack of good Asian food. None, nada, zip. :cry:


I know for a fact there's a Panda Express in town. Just kidding. PE is Asian like McDonalds is Scottish cuisine.

By the way, since I'm part Chinese and Filipino, kids used to call me a chocolate banana.

There are some decent Filipino restaurants in Pacifica, right next door to HMB. And there are lots of good Japanese restaurants and a couple of good Chinese restaurants in San Mateo, right over the hill from HMB.