Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or a sit-down brunch, this new Japanese culinary concept will offer both
One of my favorite spots for a quick lunch is Nijiya Market in Mountain View. The Japanese grocery store offers ready-made sushi that’s freshly prepared each morning, as well as hot food and a great selection of Japanese snacks and bottled beverages.
But if you don’t live or work near Mountain View, stopping by Nijiya doesn’t really make it a quick lunch. For those in the Palo Alto area, that’s where Yutori comes in. Created by Jerome Ito, the chef-owner behind Go Fish Poke Bar and Taro San Noodle Bar in Palo Alto, Yutori is a new Japanese marketplace concept planning to offer ready-made lunch items, a coffee and tea bar, a full-service sit-down restaurant and a Japanese-inspired cocktail bar on El Camino Real in Palo Alto.
While it won’t open until the end of the year, Ito said it aims to fill the dearth of Japanese markets in the area, an issue he’s experienced as a Palo Alto resident.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
A Japanese marketplace and full-service restaurant concept is coming to Palo Alto
Grab a bento box and matcha latte to go, peruse a marketplace with Japanese ceramics and fresh vegetables or even enjoy a full-service, Japanese-inspired brunch at a new culinary destination slated to open in Palo Alto by the end of the year.
Weekend pop-ups come to a Brisbane cafe, Los Gatos now has burger-building robots and an inaugural restaurant week kicks off
- Little Green Cyclo, which began as a food truck in 2010, has introduced sparkling Vietnamese iced coffee and is hosting weekend pop-ups at its Brisbane cafe.
- Robots assemble burgers at Los Gatos restaurant Breaking Dawn/First Born. Burger Bots is the latest culinary concept to join the Oishi Mirai Restaurant Group.
- The first legal cocktail served in downtown Palo Alto was at the Hotel President in May 1971. Take a look back at Palo Alto’s booze ban.
- Breakwater Barbecue, a Coastside Michelin-recommended barbecue spot, hosted the grand opening of its new location last weekend following a move in the spring.
- Molly Tea will be replacing Kung Fu Tea in downtown Palo Alto, according to signage posted on the storefront.
- Beijing-based chain Fish With You will move into the former Bushido space in downtown Mountain View, according to signage posted on the storefront. Fish With You has 2,500 locations globally, with its closest outpost in San Mateo.
- After 23 years in San Mateo, Donut Delite will permanently close in September, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
- Telefèric Barcelona in Palo Alto “has undergone a complete transformation,” and will host its grand reopening Sunday, according to a press release.
- Redwood City’s Pub in the Park kicks off a new season Saturday. On May 31, July 12, Aug. 2 and Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Red Morton Park will have an inflatable British-style pub featuring local beers, ciders and seltzers, as well as live bluegrass music and food trucks.
- The first ever Sunnyvale Restaurant Week begins Saturday through June 7. Participating restaurants in downtown Sunnyvale will offer exclusive dishes, limited-time offers and special menus.
- The San Mateo County Fair kicks off Friday and lasts through June 8.
- MO’s deli & cafe is hosting its grand opening Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. in Belmont with free samples, a DJ and vendors.
- Lelé cake café, sister restaurant of lelé kitchen in Los Gatos, is celebrating its third anniversary Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with kids’ activities, crafts, live music and a cake cutting at noon.
Lunch at Valley Goat
If you prefer bright, fresh and vibrant flavors over heavy, rich and decadent, Valley Goat in Sunnyvale should be the next restaurant on your list.
What impressed me about chef Stephanie Izard’s menu was how every dish had a bright, acidic component and prominently featured fresh herbs. Vegetables, which typically play a supporting role, were placed center stage for many of the dishes. And carbs are nearly nonexistent on Valley Goat’s menu, which is great for those who are gluten-free or looking for a healthier eating out option.
The menu is divided into snacks, plates, bigger plates and desserts. For a snack, the goat empanadas with limey huacatay (also known as Peruvian black mint) sauce ($18) were phenomenal. The empanada dough was extremely tender, flaky and light, and the goat was succulent and well-seasoned. Pairing the heavier empanada with a punchy and bright dipping sauce worked nicely, as it cut through the richness.
The dish that stood out most to me in the plates category was the wood-fired sprouted cauliflower with shio kombu crunch, mint and the same limey huacatay sauce used for the empanadas ($17). Looking at the dish, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it. Typically I’m not a fan of restaurant-prepared broccolini (which the sprouted cauliflower resembled), as it’s often bland, tough and too oily. But I completely misjudged the dish. The sprouted cauliflower was smoky and tender, with a pop of acidity from the limey huacatay sauce, a beautiful umami crunch from the shio kombu crunch and an unexpected freshness from the ample use of mint.
Out of the bigger plates I tried, my favorite was sticky pork shank with lettuce cups, pickled cucumber salad, spiced Asian pear, hoisin mayo and that same limey huacatay sauce ($44). I barely touched the pork shank with my fork, and it just fell apart. The meat had a crispy, meat-candy-esque exterior with an incredibly succulent, fall-apart interior. Marinated to perfection, the sweetness played well with the tangy pickled cucumber salad, and the soft meat with the crunchy, fresh vegetables played well texturally. It was a mess to eat, but what an incredible mess.
For dessert, the mint chocolate mousse with mint chocolate chips, mint chocolate whip and kumquats ($16) was unlike anything I’ve had before. Typically chocolate desserts tend to be rich, indulgent and decadent, but this dish was light and refreshing, with pops of citrus zing from the candied kumquat rinds. The dish also featured many contrasting textures between the luxurious mousse, the airy whipped cream, the crunchy mint chocolate chips and the gummy candied rinds.
It’s pretty clear I thoroughly enjoyed the food at Valley Goat, but the ambiance is equally stunning. The best way for me to describe it is whimsical cabin in the woods meets rich-kid campgrounds. Think plenty of natural lighting, plants and wood textures.
Valley Goat, 1100 N. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale; 408-900-9470, Instagram: @valleygoatsv. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A Portola Valley couple wanted a nonalcoholic wine that was a ‘complex, sophisticated beverage.’ So they made their own.
Find Kally in Peninsula markets and restaurants this Dry January and all year long.
FROM THE FOODIST
When you support local journalism, you support the Foodist
The Peninsula Foodist is proud to be a sister publication of Palo Alto Online, and as an independent and local news organization, we rely on reader support to bring you 100% original content focusing on the places where you live and work — and of course — eat out. Your support is needed now more than ever. Help sustain local journalism and the Peninsula Foodist by becoming a member. > SUPPORT US TODAY
About the Peninsula Foodist
We cover the dynamic, under-the-radar food scene around the Peninsula through articles, interviews and eating excursions. Pass along tips, comments and recipes to PeninsulaFoodist@PaloAltoOnline.com.
Are you looking to reach locals interested in food and dining on the Peninsula? Learn about advertising in the
Peninsula Foodist newsletter.
Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved.
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|*
Our mailing address is:
*|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|*
You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list.
View this email in your browser
