Eats - Favorites

I know a few restaurants that I can rely on to provide a pleasant and interesting meal. Keep in mind, as always, that MY taste in restaurants or food may not be your taste. I admittedly have a fetish for oddball dishes, like okra and squid (the slimiest dish on the planet).

Joy Restaurant - Taiwanese food
1495 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City, CA
650/345-1762
Rating: *****
$$

Mayuri - Indian food
2232 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95126
Tel: 408/248-9747, Fax: 408/248-9746
Rating: *****
$$

Hatcho - Japanese food including kaiseki
1271 Franklin Mall
Santa Clara, CA 85050
408/248-8500
Rating: *****
Lunch: Mon–Fri, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Dinner: Mon–Sun 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Kaiseki dinner (call ahead)

The Food Court at the Vietnamese Mall
1111 Story Road, to the left as you enter from the front
San Jose, CA
If you want to sample a wide variety of Vietnamese food for cheap, plus stop off and pick up some EXCELLENT popovers at the bakery near the entrance (I think you get 6 for the price of 5), then this is your place. We've tried a bunch of oddball dishes, some great, some just odd here and you can easily have a massive, interesting lunch for under $15. The people who take your order don't always speak clear English, so do your best to understand them; it's worth finding out about herbs and dishes that no one has ever heard of before, e.g., the fish flavored herb which we've never found again anywhere else.