Sumiya Bento — Restaurant in Milpitas

I'm a fan of SUMIYA YAKITORI in Sunnyvale. I do however like this concept...a sister restaurant... Well more like a little sister...lol. I hope they make it...the last few restaurants in this location didn't survive. This shopping center got hit hard during the pandemic...I remember struggling to find parking during lunch or dinner hours. Now there is plenty of parking, I reckon most of the surrounding companies are employing the hybrid work model... therefore the food traffic is not the same as before. Sumiya Bento is a fast casual venue, unlike it's older sibling SUMIYA YAKITORI. Food is tasty and portions are a good size, but it does take some time to make. I think our food took about 10-15 min to come out and we were the first people in the restaurant. All the combos are custom...pick and choose type of menu. My biggest complaint is the the strong dislike for the all plastic packaging.

Bento time: ~ Bento B w/ Ontama Rice, Nasu Agebitashi & Ume Miso Dressing - 4/5 I do wish the skewers were a little bit bigger though...I feel they are on the smaller side. Eat the beef on first...doesn't taste the same when it cools down...in fact it's not good cold. Everything else was brilliant! the dressing and the sauces had great...

Grabbed some takeout from here since it was walking distance to my hotel and I'm glad I did. Everything I had was very good, but the nasu agebitashi (marinated cold eggplant) was absolutely delicious. The grilled saba in my bento was also notably good, and the various yakitori skewers were all above average, as well. The soboro rice is worth the $2 upcharge, as well. It was pretty good and plentiful. The only thing I'd mention otherwise is it's a tad pricy for takeout, but with the current 20% discount for online orders, it was a great deal. I may even eat there again...

Authentic Japanese touches: daikon oroshi with the saba, okra with the rice, style of tsukemono. The taste is also very good and grilling is to perfection: the saba, the beef, the pork belly all came out with just the right sear and crisp and soft juicy insides. The sides were all good: we got the saba and the nasu (eggplant). The ramen is very simple in a good way, not complicated or overly seasoned. Everything is balanced and refreshing. Highly recommended. More people should appreciate this quality you get for...