Hoyt Nelson
This month I want to talk about an unusually tight group of good restaurants just off of Saratoga Ave on Payne in W San Jose. They are all within 200 ft. along a strip mall, with only 3 or 4 non-restaurants. Going from L to R, there is a Japanese, Korean, Burmese and Ethiopian place. The prices are all moderate and I would happily return to any of them.
The first on the left end is Dan, an “Izakaya” Japanese informal pub (originally meaning a stand-up sake bar). The menu is especially long, with many of the standard Japanese menu items and many special entries like several intestine and sea urchin items. The drink menu is also very extensive, including Junmai Ginjo and Ginzano Suzume Kuro.
Next in line is Yummy Tofu & BBQ. It’s a Mom & Pop Korean place with many of the standards and a good Banchan (7–9 small side dishes that normally come free with all main dishes). Korean was never a favorite with me, but we have been there about a dozen times in the last 3 years and we now consider the cuisine to be one of our “standards”.
A couple of doors down is Kyusu, a Burmese place with probably the best atmosphere of the bunch. The cuisine is close to Thai, but many dishes are similar to that of Laos, and some are only found in Burma. Everyone must try the tea leaf salad. It’s one of the signature dishes for Burma. It’s a mixture of cabbage (or lettuce), ground peanuts, minced Burmese peppers, garlic, fermented tea leaves, lemon juice, split peas, sunflower and sesame seeds, tomato and shrimp powder – all mixed together by your server at your table. They are also famous for their fish “chowders”. It’s pretty good, but Mandalay on California at 6th in San Francisco is still my favorite of this cuisine.
On the end of the mall is Zeni, an Ethiopian restaurant. We typically order a veggie combo (and a non-veg combo if there are at least 4 in our group. There are no utensils, so 6 – 9 dishes of meat and/or veggie stew and salad are plopped on an enormous pancake-like bread called injira. Another basket of injira (usually cut up into 2” by 5” strips and rolled up) is provided and is used to scoop up a mouth full of whatever. At the end of the meal, bits of the soaked injira that was the base of the meal can be eaten, if you have enough room. If you like to drink with your meal, there is usually a bottle of taj (a semi-sweet Ethiopian wine) available. This cuisine is not for everyone, but is an experience everyone should have at least once. Another down side is that the place is usually quite crowded and has a line of 10–15 out the door. I also must admit, I like the similar Walia at the corner of San Carlos and Bascom even better. You may have to wait here too, but it’s worth it.
Note: I always consult YELP.com before going to a new place, but there are a few caveats. 1). I usually like to see at least 25 reviews so that It’s unlikely that reviews are “stacked” with just the owners’ biased comments. 2). The more up to date the reviews are, the more I believe them. Things can change. 3). I frequently wait a few months after a place opens so that places have time to iron things out and the reviews have a chance to gather a believable consensus.
