Top Tofu Restaurant in Santa Clara
SGD Tofu House
3450 El Camino Real #105, Santa Clara, CA 95051, United States
Crowded with lots of smiling ethnic Koreans. This is one thing I look for when trying a cuisine that I do not know. (Learned this from a San Francisco food critic about Chinese restaurant.) And SGD Tofu House draws me back.SGD Tofu House is very visible in the Korean strip, but not a flashy venue like Palace BBQ nearby. (And not charge a arm and leg, either.) It has one of a kind floor window on the outside, and rather simple decorations inside. In fact, the inside can be a little congested as the houses mainstays are tofu pot and bibimbap. These are the dishes I come for.One word: heavenly. Cant say I eat tofu pot and bibimbap often or in many places to form a studied and fair opinion. But every time I return to SGD Tofu House, I leave with that very satisfied feeling. Perhaps this is partially thanks to the family restaurant air. You can hear Korean front and back. In the end, though, it is your stomach - and tongue that have to judge.
Tofoo Com Chay Vegetarian Cuisine
388 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113, United States
This is a tiny hole in the wall place. It was a cold and windy day so I was craving for something hot (noodle soup) and spicy is even better. Decided to try this place out since it was a late lunch (around 2pm).This is in downtown San Jose so no parking. Paid street parking only so take that into consideration your time of arrival. The shop has about 2-3 tiny tables (seat 1 each side but youre pushing it for 2) as its extremely cramp.Originally, I wanted to order just the spring rolls and spicy Hue noodle soup. I ended up ordering probably a weeks worth of take-out. In addition to the 2 items above, instead of the steam rice + entrée combo from the hot bar, I bought the entrée individually. Small round container is $6.00, large is $8.50 (I think)?.I got the braised lemongrass tofu, braised pickled Chinese mustard & tofu (this can be very spicy level) for the average person and lastly fried wonton (but they look and tasted more like goyza.This is a no frill, no thrill, tasty yet homey take-out vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine restaurant. Another vegetarian/vegan option for plant based dinners.
Top other services in Santa Clara:
Euro Grill
980 El Camino Real #100, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States
What can I say. Ive been here twice and it seems that it is getting worse and worse. I love Čevapčiči (small sausages) and Pleskavice (patties) and Burek (puff pastry with meat, or Sirnica with cheese). Those were my main reasons for doing this 40 mile drive. But not anymore. Im really disappointed. Their menu is growing shorter and shorter and I have no idea why. Is it the lack of people whod know how to make this type of food, or is it too much fuss for the owners and they just stopped doing certain foods?The first time we got here I wanted to order Burek and Čevapčiči. They didnt have Burek, so I had a portion of Čevapčiči and was satisfied. They didnt have Kajmak (type of cheese) to go with the meat (youll get it in any place that makes Čevapčiči in Europe and its not hard to make it at home), but I thought okay, maybe they ran out, so I had Ajvar instead (Yogurt/Sour Cream only goes well with Burek, not with Čevpačiči in my opinion). Meat was well prepared and tasty, so was the Lepinja bread that comes with it. No complaints there.Side note: People are complaining about the food being very salty... its actually normal. If youre gonna try these foods in the Balkans (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia,...), youll have the same problem. Its just old school, thats how theyre made, with lots of salt. Its bad for you, yes, but nations down there grew up with that. Authentic as you might call it.Ok, next. We came the second time. This time I really wanted to have Burek, but the owner said they dont have it. Again! Seriously?! They didnt run out, they simply dont have it. Then why does the menu say you have it, if you dont? Not to mention they stopped serving fries, Goulash and Sarme (cabbage rolls). I was told a few weeks later that theyve changed the menu now, so they dont offer these things anymore. At least that. But its too bad, cause Burek is just a part of their cuisine and its such a shame they removed it from the menu.I really am disappointed. I know they probably have their regular clientele that comes and orders same things over and over, and thats fine, but they used to offer so much more and just stopped. You can still get certain items (frozen) next door in their store (Euro Shop), but its not the same. Burek made from scratch is better than any frozen one.I dont think were gonna give them a third try. It is a too long of a ride to come for something they obviously stopped making ages ago. And I can get good Čevapčiči and Pleskavice elsewhere.
The Good Salad (To go only)
371 Laurelwood Rd, Santa Clara, CA 95054, United States
I would love to give this place one star to gatekeep it because this place is THAT good. I love good salad and I crave it weekly. They are fast, their portions are HUGE, their ingredients are always fresh and taste great. My partner never eats salads but this place, he craves! Its such a hidden gemUpdate:I still stand by the quality of the food here, I love it. But since their business is taking off and its gotten more popular, theyre service has diminished. They need to find a new system that works better for people who come to the window. They seem to have a hard time keeping track of who has arrived for the order because they keep asking for your name several times like they dont remember youve been waiting outside for your order.They often take your name and if its not ready, they will tell you and close the window, sometimes they wont say anything and close it.. then when the next customer comes, the workers will do the same and completely forget about your order and the cycle will continue until all of the customers (5-8 ppl this time) names have been forgotten and the workers ask for everyone names AGAIN which tells me they either havent worked on it since the last time I told them or they completely forgot that I told them my name. And they do it to everyone who is there so its extremely chaotic because everyone has to ring the bell several times and state their order AGAIN, all while there are new people coming in and the crowd only gets bigger with no orders being served because they cant keep track of who is already there.. its really frustrating and the lot of us were getting pretty annoyed with having to say the name of our order more than 3 times.
Island Taste Caribbean Grill
225 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95112, United States
I came here on a double date and it was highly recommended. The service was extremely friendly and welcoming. I am vegan and i was so pleased with the vehan options they have. They have jerk Tofu, vegan rasta pasta, and some vegan sides too. The vibe of the restaurant is very easy going and theres great Caribbean music playing. The food came out quickly and was fresh. We enjoyed it so much here that we stayed after closing time. Thank you for a nice and friendly experience.
Restaurant Gish
1998 Homestead Rd #113, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States
We had dinner at Restaurant Gish on Saturday, January 27, our usual Saturday date night out--and were lucky enough to get the last two spots at the chefs counter during their 8:00 pm seating. The restaurant is small (maybe 24 seats or a few more), tucked away in a small building housing a number of small businesses and an Eritrean Community Center, and with an unassuming exterior. So much so, Id suggest allowing yourself a few extra minutes to find it the first time you go, just so you dont miss your reservation.The atmosphere inside is wonderful, with a sort of industrial decor (the wall closest to us was concrete) warmed up with some nice lighting, warm colors on the table, and an open kitchen with a counter having a few additional seats. The kitchen is spotless, well-organized and quiet as the team goes about plating each course. If youre lucky enough to sit at the counter, you will have a chance to speak with the chef/owner and his wife, plus other members of the kitchen team, as they all take turns in serving the dishes and pouring the wine.In case youre unfamiliar with the restaurant, they serve a fixed menu that changes monthly. Id describe it as heavily Korean influenced haute cuisine.The January menu included (1) a salad with homemade walnut tofu, thin, freshly fried lotus chips, bitter greens, and a citrus vinaigrette (plus a few drops of a tangerine emulsion, I think -- definitely citrus, not quite sure how it was prepared); (2) a shrimp and zucchini roulade in a sauce made of soy, blue crab stock, accompanied by a couple of thick slices of broiled zucchini topped with a bit of a soy marinated blue crab reduction, with a couple of small pieces of apple as a palate cleanser at the end; (3) duck breast jungsik (grilled duck breast served with seasonal banchan -- the small plates commonly served with many Korean meals -- including a variety of pickled greens, pickled radish and burdock root, plus a Korean chili paste and a tangerine marmalade), accompanied by duck leg confit served over rice with some seaweed and sesame seeds (this was wonderful!); and (4) an assortment of Korean desserts (yaksik, tteok, and sikhye). We also shared a wine pairing (a nice glass of French champagne, a Spanish Albarino (white), and an Italian red blend), which was very reasonably priced at $40.Everything was excellent! The menu is well-thought out and interesting: my particular favorites were the duck breast with tangerine marmalade and a bit of the Korean chili paste, and the duck confit with seaweed and sesame over rice, but I enjoyed every dish. The entire front-of-the-house team was great, really friendly and helpful -- in fact, I told the chef how much I enjoyed the tangerine marmalade, and he gave me a bit of another jam he made to take home and try. Thats the only downside of going at the end of the month, as they are running short of some of the bespoke items made in-house for the January menu, since they only have a couple of days left serving it.Im so glad we tried Restaurant Gish yesterday! The food was wonderful, served by nice people in a friendly atmosphere. Well definitely be back!
Shahi Darbar Indian Cuisine
2155 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States
Im writing reviews after trying 4th timeFirst 3 times i was like might be new place it took time to setup1st time food was tasty, delicious but poor customer service both guys completely ignore customers2nd time totally ignore customer arrive late to take order and was extremely slow with everything3rd time it was busy and poor ventilation if you hate food smell i wouldn't recommend this place might need change clothes after visiting place again poor customer service food was okay4th time extremely food smell while entered food came quickly after order breads were soggy not fresh 100 sure plus main course was not that delicious it was tried before.*** i will not come again. Guy was taking out garbage bags with gloves on took out gloves and garbage it in same bag and put new bag in mean time quickly after grab service tray n serve it no hand wash no use of sanitizer then again i saw he was cleaning no hand wash again. If you need date n time i can provide can check cameras.I tried to talk to him raised hand few times he completely ignores like completely ignore i don't know you giving them lessons of customer service.Overall experience lot of other surrounding restaurants are good.
Annies Sandwiches
2925 Park Ave, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States
Maybe I chose the wrong sandwich, but I dont love this place as much as other reviewers. I was looking forward to it while visiting the area for the first time in years, but the reviews set expectations too high. Service was nice enough, but the chicken sandwich I ordered had the goo you typically see in a can of dog or cat food. I may not be much of a meat eater, but getting that all down took some resolve, gratefulness that I had something to eat at all, and not wanting to disrespect the college mate who paid for the meal. One star for service, another for not dying from what I ate, and final star for not getting sick other than from imagining that I might actually be eating dog food. I dont mean this is a snarky way. Its an honest expression of my experience and Im glad others have a higher opinion than I do.
Poke Poke Fish Bar
2362 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050, United States
I have two favorite poke places: Pokehouse and Go Fish. PokePoke is definitely a very close runner up.SERVICEIt was my first time here and after I started asking what the fish were the person who helped me noticed that I was unfamiliar and was very through with me until the end when I got my toppings. I want to say the service here is excellent, compared to Pokehouse where they get so many orders that they just dont care and wait for you to figure it out yourself. At PokePoke, my server started listing all that they had toppings wise because there werent signage nor were they easily identifiable. I think that small notion of trying to be helpful got to me. I usually dont tip the first time I go places and usually tip my 2nd time around but this was one of the few places I tipped on the first visit and a bit extra too.FOOD QUALITYI am in LOVE with the yam noodles here. It is incomparable to GoFish. PokePoke has the best yam noodles hands down. Pokehouse doesnt even have that option.My fish werent warm and the toppings were plentiful in variety; HOWEVER I wish it were the same with the protein. I love octopus and tofu options and sadly they didnt have it. I did notice that they had both regular and spicy crab salad, and yellowtail which is very nice. Unagi wouldve been a great addition too but thats more difficult as opposed to the traditional ahi and salmon. I adored their little sauce list too, although I wish they added sauce to the yam noodles as they were quite bland for me. Honestly, if their were more variety with protein, (for toppings they had cheetos and carrot/daikon which are unique and I love it) this would be my #1 go to.Everytime my portion fell out the small scoop my server would always go back and scoop up what fell with a bit more. And its such a small gesture but the fact it happened at all makes me grateful. I DEFINITELY will come back sometime soon.