Zeni - San Jose

Tucked away in a little strip mall in San Jose, Zeni's is a shining example of Ethiopian food. Don't believe us? Try going for dinner after 7:30 PM -- you will have at least a 30 min wait.

If you have not tried Ethiopian food before, it is one of those cuisines that is rustic and immensely comforting. The food consists of many different types of stews or wot. Lentils seem to dominate the cuisinee ranging from those stewed just with turmeric, garlic and salt, to those seasoned with berbere.

Berbere is a complex spice blend, and usually includes chili peppers, garlic, ginger, dried basil, korarima, rue, white and black pepper and fenugreek, and is often used in both Ehiopian and Eritrean cuisines.

These wots are served on a bed of injera, a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture made with the grain teff. The sponginess is a great medium to soak up all the sauces, but be warned, it seems to have a way of expanding in your stomach. So, do the smart thing, eat like there is no tomorrow, so your brain doesnt have time to comprehend how full you are! Conversation can wait till later, afterall you wouldn't want to keep a meal waiting.

One of the more unusual things about how the meal is served, is that it comes on a huge platter, to be shared by all the diners at the table. Your fingers are your utensils as you tear little pieces of injera and use that to scoop up a bite of your favorite dish. One thing is for sure, it is not just a meal, it is an experience!

If you can't already tell, excessive eating is the name of the game. Our standard approach is to get the vegetarian combination, and then add on a few other a la carte dishes. The vegetarian combo comprises of Ye Miser Wot (Pureed split red lentil, simmered in a berbere sauce), Ye Kik Alitcha (Split yellow peas made with onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric), Atakilt Wot (Boiled chopped cabbage, sliced carrots, and potato chunks, simmered with onions, garlic, and ginger), Ye Gomen Wot (Chopped collard greens simmered with onion and herbs), Ye Timatim Fitfit (injera tossed in blended fresh tomato, onions, green pepper and house dressing). Yep, all that, plus a really tasty salad with their signature house dressing, tangy & refreshing.

And yes, we do add on additional dishes, cos thats how we roll! So, listen up! The other recommendations are, one of my absolute favorites, Shuro Wot, a dish made with roasted, powdered chick peas, simmered in spicy sauce, a rich and flavorful dish.

If you are into lamb, the Ye Beg Tibs is great, the lamb is sauteed in butter seasoned with onions, green pepper, tomato and rosemary. A must get chicken dish is the Ye Doro Wot, a drumstick cooked to perfection in a hot & thick red pepper, onions, garlic, ginger & purified butter sauce, and served with a hard boiled egg and home made cheese. The onions are cooked really slowly, adding only very small quantities of water through the cooking process, this slow and painstaking process yeilds perfectly caramelized sweet onions, that contrast the spicy berbere perfectly. The Foule is great too, if you like fava beans.

Of course, you can always an option just to get a few dishes a la carte, but wheres the fun in that!?




Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant

As far as beverages go - if you like sweeter wines, try a glass of Tej, Ethiopian honey wine, which has a flavor similar to mead. If you like reds, the South African red wine is great. It is a fruity, medium bodied wine, and pairs well with the food.

Not in the mood for wine, try a cold bottle of Harar, or better yet their tea. The tea (black tea), is served with a steaming cup of water spiced with cloves and cinnamon.

I am sure you can tell how much I love this place, if you haven't been here, and more importantly if you have never eaten Ethiopian food, Zeni's is definitely the place to go.

Bottom Line:

Price - $
Ambience - Casual/Ethnic
Vegetarian Friendly - Yes

KoJa Kitchen - Food Truck

Their tag line -- Korean-Japanese reinvented. I concur!

I first tried KoJa Kitchen at one of their Saturday shindigs in the Garden City parking lot in San Jose. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had vegan/vegetarian entrees on their menu. Not something I expect of food trucks, let alone food trucks that serve Korean or Japanese food!

KoJa Kitchen
(Clockwise from Top Right - Mochimisu,
BBQ Beef KoJa and Kamikaze Fries)

I got the Teriyaki Zen with Pineapple (its vegan!), with a side if their vegetarian Kamikaze fries. Not always a fan of teriyaki, or pineapple in my food, I wasn't sure what to expect. The sandwich, served between perfectly cooked rice cakes, was amazing! The rice keeps the Asian feel going, with a perfectly crisp crust. The patty is well seasoned, and the sweetness of the teriyaki and pineapple contrast the spice perfectly.

The traditional Kamikaze fries come topped with beef, but they also have a vegetarian version, which I had to get! The cashier asked whether the kimchi sauce would still be okay since it includes shellfish, its amazing that they are so sensitive to the fact that some people don't eat any meat or seafood!

The rest of the gang got the BBQ Beef KoJa which was also a huge hit! That plus the fries is a pretty large meal though, so make sure you are hungry enough. We also got the Mochimisu (who can resist that name!?) - a tiramisu that uses Japanese mochi in the middle instead of the traditional lady fingers. The result is a definite triumph -- the tiramisu is every bit as decadent as should be, and the mochi adds just the perfect amount of chewiness to it.

All in all, a very successful fusion in my opinion. Don't take my word for it, go judge for yourself!

Find KoJa and many other food trucks near you - http://mvblfeast.com/

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - Yes

Thien Long - San Jose

Thien Long is one of many Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose.

What separates them from the others is primarily their Bun Cha Ca La Vong - fish that is delicately seasoned with Vietnamese curry powder, and served on a hot plate atop of a bed of dill and onions. The hot plate causes the dill to wilt, and gently season the fish.

For those of you not familiar with Vietnamese curry, it is much milder than its Asian cousins, and in my humble opinion, has a more balanced flavor profile. However, you judge for yourself. And, if that involves a curry taste off, better make sure I am invited!

Thien Long
Bun Cha Ca La Vong

This dish, meant to be shared by 2, comes with rice noodles, shrimp paste sauce, fish sauce, and in true Vietnamese style with a myriad of herbs and lettuce leaves. As is true of all Vietnamese food, this meal is offers a variety of flavors and textures making it an interesting meal from start to finish.

Not small eaters, we still had trouble finishing the dish, It is really better suited for 3 to 4 people.

If you are not into seafood, they have so many interesting things on the menu. I for one can't wait to go back and try some of the other dishes, they all look amazing!

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - No

Cocola - San Jose

Love dessert? Think chocolate should be its own food group?

The folks at Cocola are with you. Thankfully, so do bazillion other people! No matter what time of day, or day of the week, Cocola always seems to be crowded. Who knew sugar, butter, flour and some flavoring agents could be this addicitive!

For someone that doesn't really have a sweet tooth, I still seem to find myself here more often than is reasonable. It is especially fun to walk over here after a meal at one of the other restaurants, and get some coffee and dessert.

Cocola
Cakes, Cookies, Sandwiches,
Soups, Coffee and so much more

The mosaic bistro tables are placed optimally to maximize people watching, so whether you are sipping on a cup of jo, grabbing a quick lunch, or gorging yourself on the sweet treats, this is a fun place to meet friends, get your sugar fix, or just a quick bite to eat. Some of my personal favorites include the Rouge (Strawberry Cake), and the 3-Color Chocolate Mousse. 

If you have not already been here, go try it, and tell us what you think!

Bottom Line:
Price - $$
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - Yes  

Vintage Wine Bar - San Jose

Wine bars are all the rage now, or have been for a while. They are right up there with froyo places, and cupcake shops. One big difference though, a glass of wine lasts longer (most times), and with the right company, it can be one of the most relaxing things to do.

Vintage Wine Bar in Santana Row is one such example of a place where time seems to stand still. The have 2 locations there, one in the middle of Santana Row park (near Pinkberry), and the other, more of a store, but they also serve wine (by Amber - the Indian restaurant).

Our favorite location, obviously, is the tasting room in the park. What better way to enjoy this wonderful weather, than to sit outdoors and enjoy a good glass of vino! And on a cold night, there is nothing cosier than sitting indoors, and people watching through the large windows.

They have a selection to suit every palate, and inspired wine flights. Best of all, if you love what you got, you can buy it at the store!

Vintage Wine Bar
(Top Right: 2010 Laroche Petit Chablis Chardonnay,
2011 Monchhof Estate Riesling,
Bottom Right Back: 2009 Frescobaldi Cabernet-Merlot Blend)

Let the Vintage Wine Bar transport you to a place where time stands still. So go, get a glass of wine, maybe even 2, and be sure to order their cheese plate. Better yet, invite your friends to join you!

Bottom Line:
Price - $$
Ambience - Intimate

Vegetarian Friendly - Yes

Ramen Halu - San Jose

Can you tell we love ramen? Seriously, it doesn't get much better than ramen if you are looking for comfort in a bowl.

Ramen Halu, is a treasure in this little strip mall in San Jose. The simple decor reflects the surfer side of chef Kumao. The menu is a good mix of small plates, and ramen.

Our favourite small plates include the Age Dashi Nasu - deep fried eggplant in dashi, the Hiya Yakko - Fresh cold tofu with Japanese relish, and the non fried croquettes.

Their ramen however, is the reason to visit. They have 5 different types of broth, and a few varieties of noodles. The Tsukemen is probably the most unique. Also called the dipping ramen, this is a deconstructed ramen that comes with the broth to dip the noodles and the toppings in, and a side of hot water that you can add to your broth to drink it at the end of your meal.

The winner of the ramen round however, is the Tantanmen.  Tantanmen is inspired by dandanmian, a spicy noodle soup originating in Szechuan Province of southwestern China.

The rich, and spicy broth is dominated by the taste if  sesame. Unlike many of the other ramen bowls, this one comes with ground meat. One bowl, and I promise you will be hooked!

If it is too spicy, you can cool off with a Japanese soda - Ramune, available in a few different flavors (Original, Orange, Melon, Strawberry, and Litchi), that is if you can get it open (this involves a strong thumb, and stronger determination!

Ramen Halu
(Clockwise from top left: Lichi Ramune, Hiya Yakko,
Tantanmen, Age Dashi Nasu, Cold Tofu)

On a diet, or just not hungry enough to eat an entire bowl of ramen? They have a small plate, sort of like a salad, that has all the toppings that go into ramen.

This place is a gem, definitely add this to your restaurant bucket list. Assuming of course that you are not already driving there...

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - No

My Khe - San Jose

Vietnamese food has a lot more than Pho, and rice/noodle bowls. The menu at My Khe (no website, but here is the yelp link), a Central Vietnamese restaurant, proves that.

My go to dish here is Com Hen (Rice and baby clams), a dish traditionally made with mussels and leftover rice. This yummy bowl of clams, comes topped with finely sliced cabbage, green onion, crushed peanuts, sea weed, and a crispy rice cracker. Served along with a side of steamed white rice (or noodles on request), and a bowl of the yummiest, fishiest, and did I mention yummiest sauce.

The idea is the mix in the fish sauce (made with Vietnamese Fermented Shrimp Paste) to taste, break the rice cracker into bite sized pieces and enjoy the contrasting textures and flavors. Without rice, it is a light  salad like meal, add rice and you have yet another texture for contrast and something that will last in your stomach till dinner time.

Fair warning though - do not underestimate the fishiness of the sauce. I suppose you could always use soy sauce instead, but I can guarantee you it just won't be as good.

Com Hen

If I scared you off com hen, there are a bunch of other things to try here! I am sure you have eaten, and enjoyed the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. Meet a close relative - Bahn Uot. Think of a slightly thicker rice paper wrapper, almost pancake like, wrapped around grilled pork, lettuce, green onions and served with house spam. If you ask me, this is far better than any spam I have ever had before!

Other must try's are the Banh Beo, little bowls of steamed rice flour topped with dried shrimp and fish sauce. A really yummy appetizer.


And since I started this post backwards, I suppose it makes sense that I end it with what to drink. On a hot day, there is almost nothing more refreshing that Soda Chanh (fresh lemon soda), or if you are in the mood for strong, sweet coffee, you can never go wrong with Ca Phe Sua Da (strong vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, over ice).


My Khe
(Bottom L: Bahn Uot, R: Soda Chanh) 



Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - No