Gochi Cupertino — Restaurant in Cupertino

I finally got to check out Gochi. I had Gochi bookmarked for a long time, I just don't frequent the area too often.

Delicious Japanese home style comfort food: Gochi is located in a small plaza neighboring a Japanese Karaoke Bar on E. Homestead Rd. in Cuptown!! (Cupertino...for those no familiar with local lingo). They do have another location in Mountain View, I'm not sure which one is the original. There's a decent amount of parking in the plaza, but only if you arrive early...if not good luck! Gochi is a popular venue and gets packed! When we left there were several parties waiting to be seated and the wait times looked like it might have been an hour or more...

We came early, didn't have a reservation, but were seated right away. They had some traditional Tatami seats available. Gochi is a good size venue with a decent amount of interior seating. They also have private rooms one can reserve for larger parties.

Gochi is a bit on the Pricey side as the dishes aren't very large and the menu is extensive. Thank God the food is delectable...do NOT come here hungry or Hangry or the Gods of Finance will most definitely frown upon you!

On the the culinary delights: Yuzu Ceviche - 4/5 The tiny portion is my biggest complaint about this appetizer...errr morsel. I know...I know its an appetizer. The Ceviche was OK, nothing stood out for me, I had much better and more creative before and would rate this dish a solid 3. The extra bonus point came from the homemade potato chips...I thought they were store bought...well done.

Hotate Uni Carpaccio - 4.5/5 Initially the flavor profile was a bit strange ans the Uni (Sea Urchin) seemed to overpower everything. IMHO this dish needed to sit for a while and let the flavors mature or mix / seep together if you will. We came to this conclusion because the last couple of pieces we had were the best. Loved the eccentric combination of Yuzu Soy and Truffle Oil with the Uni on top of each Scallop piece.

Hon Maguro Akami Carpaccio - 5/5 Amazing! Just brilliant! Now I need to order about 10 more of these...lol. Fantastic dish! Great presentation and the Avocado Mousse, Sprouts, Soy and Truffle Oil just created this otherworldly flavor profile!

Shisio Mentaiko Beefun - 4.5/5 Delightful, light with a unique flavor profile. The Vermicelli noodles were perfectly cooked in what I thought was Mustard leaves, but turned out to be Shiso leaves. The Roe was in the middle and needed a bit of mixing.

Kani Tama - 4.5/5 This initially didn't look like an omelette and we couldn't see the Crab either. However after we started to dig in all the flavors came out and it turned out to be an amazing dish...just lacked the visual appeal.

While I thoroughly enjoyed all the dishes we tried, IMHO everything was just lacking that elusive WOW factor that will blow your senses away....

The service was brilliant and attentive. I'll definitely return if I'm in the area or...

DISCRIMINATION by the Restaurant Manager -- OWNER PLEASE READ THIS!

Today, I experienced clear discrimination from the manager of this restaurant. We made a reservation and arrived on time. My mom, daughter, and I went in first, with my husband and son following behind. The manager at the front desk asked if everyone had arrived, and I said yes. As my husband and son were already at the door coming in, hearing us speaking mandarin, she rudely said, "I need everyone stand in front of me" I explained that everyone was already there, but she reluctantly gave us a table with her grumpy face.

To make matters worse, she assigned our group of five (including two kids) to a very small table meant for 3-4 people. Despite ordering a normal amount of food, the table was too small to hold everything. When the last few dishes arrived, she just pushed everything onto the table WITHOUT CARE. I mentioned that the table was too small, and she impatiently responded, "You see, the five of you fit around the table, right?" I pointed out that there was no space for the food, making the experience uncomfortable. Had she shown some understanding and explained that they were busy, I would have been more understanding. Instead, she ignored us, and when I asked her to take away some of the unnecessary plates, she begrudgingly removed just one, leaving a pile of empty dishes.

Her attitude was CONDESCENDING, MAKING US FEEL LIKE WE HAD TO BEG FOR SERVICE. Initially, I thought it was just my experience, but I later saw on Yelp and Chinese social media that many Chinese customers have felt deeply discriminated against here, as her attitude towards Chinese people is noticeably different from her treatment of other group of people. My mom traveled a long distance from China for this family reunion, to have a good meal together, but the manager COMPLETELY RUINED our experience.

I even spoke to her directly to give feedback before i left. I am not only standing up for my fellow Chinese people but also for a restaurant I USED TO LOVE SO MUCH. The food is great, and the other staff are wonderful. It's unfortunate that one bad apple spoils the whole experience. I hope the owner sees this and is concerned about having such a representative for their restaurant. We spent over $200 on our meal, and instead of enjoying it, I left with a stomachache from the stress. It's a pity, but I won't be returning to...

Gochi's? My simple answer, "YES!"

Great Japanese Tapas EVER! You can't back down when someone asks if you'd like to have lunch or dinner at this fine establishment.

Rules: Do NOT skip on their appetizers. Practically everything you devour is delicious! DO order a drink or two, maybe more? I love their flavored sake, as well as a glass of beer in hand. Order EVERYTHING you CAN!

I've had the pleasure of having many courses of food here. I can't name the countless times I've eaten their specialized Japanese "pizzas" to anything but their yummy clay pot dishes. My favorites, so far, curry korroke (potato curry puffs), kurobuta chasu (thinly sliced bbq kurobuta pork belly), okonomiyaki style (squid, side-pork, cabbage and okonomi sauce pizza), gyutan shioyaki (grilled beef tongue), ankimo (steamed monkfish liver in ponzu), salmon aburi (balsamic-ponzu, grated wasabi cucumber drizzled with truffle oil), etc. I wish to say more, but of course, you'd have to come here and try these dishes yourself! FYI...don't forget they also have "specials of the day" menu!

If you want to impress a business client, take them here! If you want to impress your date, take your date here! If you want to celebrate your birthday, invite everyone here!

You get the idea!!!

Service is impressive, decor is simple yet adorned Japanese style, and the food....you'll want to come back for more! For the Yelpers who think this place is overrated, you're wrong. There's no better place to get fine dining Japanese food! I've had a difficult time to get anything close to REAL Japanese fusion tapas since my last trip there but this place gets all five stars! The restaurant may be expensive, but it's for those who have palates to indulge and splurge on divine food! Plan ahead and make reservations! During dinner service, they're well overbooked, so it's easier to have a reservation than dropping in at the last minute if you're lucky to get a table.

Overall, I have no complaints whatsoever! What are you waiting for?! Stop reading...