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Asian food dominated the headlines of Peninsula food news in 2025.
From various Asian supermarkets opening this year to a multitude of high-end omakase and kappo-style restaurants, the demand for Asian food in Silicon Valley continues to rise. This trend can also be seen in the growing prevalence of Sichuan cuisine, matcha culture and the expansion of Vietnamese coffee out of its San Jose epicenter and up the Peninsula.
Sichuan cuisine reigned supreme
Sichuan cuisine – in the form of malatang, noodles and pickled fish – really made a name for itself this year with the establishment of multiple high-profile Chinese chain restaurants.
While some restaurants were short-lived (LHL in Sunnyvale and MiPot in Mountain View and Sunnyvale all opened and closed this year; the Mountain View outpost expects to reopen in March), other Peninsula newcomers are proving to be quite popular, including YGF Malatang in Daly City and Tang Bar and MalaTown Express in San Mateo.
In this style of dining, customers select meat, vegetables and noodles buffet-style before paying by weight. Staff then boil the ingredients in the customer’s broth of choice, and diners can use the sauce bar to craft custom sauces.
Bold, spicy Sichuan noodles also were a breakout star this year, with Southern California-based Sichuan noodle chain Mian opening in Santa Clara in February (now temporarily closed) and Cupertino in September. More noodles are on the way: William Lim Do, whose viral Sichuan-style noodle kits drew a 24,000-person waitlist, is planning to open a restaurant in Millbrae, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Suan cai yu, or fish soup with pickled mustard greens, was a major player this year in the culinary landscape. Fish With You, a Chinese brand with more than 2,500 locations, opened in downtown Mountain View in July, months after its late 2024 opening in San Mateo.
Tai Er, another Chinese chain specializing in suan cai yu, opened in San Mateo in September and has plans to open at Santa Clara’s Westfield Valley Fair.
Asian supermarkets
New Korean, Japanese and Filipino grocery stores burst onto the scene this year.
In March, Jagalchi, a 75,000-square-foot Korean food complex, opened in Daly City’s Serramonte Center. In July, Filipino grocery chain Seafood City opened its first Peninsula location in Daly City. Then in September, the parent company of Jagalchi expanded Korean grocery store Mega Mart to East Palo Alto.
Japanese grocery stores are also having a moment, with Osaka Marketplace opening Dec. 12 in Foster City, Hashi Market expected to open later in Cupertino and Yutori slated to open in Palo Alto in February. And still to come in Millbrae is T&T Supermarket, a Canadian Asian grocery store chain.
Chef’s choice
Omakase, which translates to “I’ll leave it up to you,” and kappo, meaning “to cut and cook,” are two dining styles that have really taken the Peninsula by storm this year. Customers are seated at a bar, and the chef prepares a prix fixe, multicourse feast directly in front of guests.
In January, Redwood City’s third omakase restaurant, Sushi Ai, opened, specializing in dry-aged fish. Then in June, Ren Omakase opened in Menlo Park. Four months later, Sushi Kinsen replaced Nagai Edomae Sushi.
Most recently, kappo-style dining has exploded onto the scene, with Portola Valley’s Hibari debuting in November and Kappo opening at Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center in December.
These experiences don’t come cheap, with restaurants charging $140-$250 per diner.
Changes in cafe culture
Three major shifts happened this year in the caffeinated world of coffee and tea: the rise of robusta, matcha and Middle Eastern-inspired cafes.
While broadly Asian-influenced coffee drinks have been popular and prevalent along the Peninsula for quite some time now, Vietnamese phin-dripped coffee and matcha showed up in a big way this year.
Previously only concentrated in San Jose, Vietnamese coffee is slowly trickling outside of the South Bay epicenter and creeping up the Peninsula. Last year, Robu Coffee was one of the first coffee shops specializing in Vietnamese coffee to enter the Peninsula scene with its opening in Mountain View. This year, SaiGon BreadFast and Pour Decisions Craft opened in Mountain View, bringing more flavored foam-topped, phin-dripped coffee to the area.
San Jose-based chain Phin Cafe is starting to expand northwest with the opening of its Campbell location in November. And Los Altos romance bookstore-cafe A Novel Affair plans to introduce a coffee program focused on robusta beans.
A global matcha shortage was accompanied by the growth of matcha-focused cafes along the Peninsula this year. Junbi Matcha & Tea opened in Mountain View in June. In August, Ryokucha Cafe opened in Palo Alto and Matsu Matcha debuted in Santa Clara. The following month, Matcha Ren opened at Daly City’s Serramonte Center. Still to come is BonBon Matcha in Cupertino and Izumi Matcha in downtown San Mateo.
Another notable coffee trend is the rise of Middle Eastern coffee shops. Sana’a Cafe, a San Francisco-based franchise since 2022, opened its Mountain View location in February and Redwood City location in August. Plans are underway to expand the cafe to Sunnyvale and Foster City. Sana’a isn’t the only Middle Eastern cafe with a planned opening in Sunnyvale – Texas-based Arwa Yemeni Coffee is also coming to the city.
Elsewhere, Zörek opened in San Bruno in April and Milyar Cafe debuted in Santa Clara a month later.
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