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New Restaurants

The 10 best new restaurants of 2009 in the Silicon Valley showed remarkable diversity in a tough year

by Stett Holbrook on Jan 08, 2010
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WHEN I FIRST set out to compile a list of 2009’s best new restaurants, I figured it would be a rather short one. I wanted a nice round figure like 10, but I figured five would be more likely. Two thousand and nine was a mean year and not conducive to opening new restaurants. And yet, as I looked back at my reviews over the past 52 weeks, I was surprised at how many new restaurants did open and how many of them were quite good. In the end, there were nearly 20 new restaurants to choose from, and I whittled them down to the Top 10. Here they are in alphabetical order.

Casa de Cobre For me, 2009 was the year that Mexican food got interesting in Silicon Valley, as restaurants delved deeper into Mexican cuisine and celebrated regional specialties. Saratoga’s Casa de Cobre champions the food of Michoacan. Look for dishes like braised chivo (goat), enchilada Michoacana and chile rellenos de puerco, poblano chiles filled with braised pork and dried fruit and topped with a roasted-pecan cream sauce. Casa de Cobre also distinguishes itself with the use of organic produce, hormone-free meats and sustainably sourced seafood whenever possible. 14560 Big Basin Way, Saratoga; 408.867.1639.

Com Ga An Nam This new restaurant stands out for its singular devotion to one thing: chicken. In particular, the many variations of chicken noodle soup (pho ga) are what really make this San Jose place noteworthy. Bright clean flavors, clear, aromatic broth and high-quality ingredients all add up to great bowls of soup. I could use one right now. 348 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose; 408.297.3402.

Cyprus Bistro Elegant Cyprus Bistro adds to Campbell’s growing food scene. Most of the menu reads like standard Mediterranean stuff: kebabs, babaghanouj, dolmas and tabouli. But Cyprus offers a few lesser-known dishes, such as grilled haloumi cheese, mohammara (a slightly sweet purée of walnuts, red bell peppers and pomegranate molasses that gives hummus some serious competition in the vegetable-dip department) and eclectic and delicious soups. All the produce is organically grown and prepared with a light touch that allows the simple but big flavors to come through. The eclectic wine list is drawn entirely from organic and biodynamic producers. 379 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell; 408.370.3400.

Donato Enoteca Italian food is not Silicon Valley’s strong suit, but Redwood City’s Donato Enoteca is working to change that. Chef/owner Donato Scotti has drawn from all over Italy. Although there are a few standards, like pizza, panini and tiramisu, the bulk of the menu is a fresh breeze of lesser-known dishes that stray from the well-worn Italian-American path. When the kitchen is on target, Donato Enoteca scores with rustic but elegant preparations of pan-Italian cuisine. There’s a great Italian wine list to match, too. 1041 Middlefield Road, Redwood City; 650.701.1000.

Hachi Ju Hachi A late entry for 2009, Saratoga’s Hachi Ju Hachi further establishes Silicon Valley’s strength in regional and traditional Japanese food. Presided over by chef/owner Suzuki Jin, the restaurant celebrates the food of Osaka with a wide-ranging list of impeccable small plates and block-style sushi unique to Osaka. The long bar and kids’ playroom make it perfect for harried parents looking for a night out with young ones in tow. It was for me. 14480 Big Basin Way, Saratoga; 408.647.2258.

Howie’s Artisan Pizza Another late entry for ’09, Howie’s brings obsessively well-crafted pizza to Palo Alto. As the former executive chef at Marché, owner Howard Bulka has considerably culinary chops and applies it to pizza. Great toppings, including house-made charcuterie, and some excellent appetizers like the roasted shrimp and ricotta-stuffed eggplant rolls add to Howie’s winning ways. 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto; 650.327.4992.

The Kitchen Table This new Mountain View restaurant blazed a trail for California-kosher cuisine served in a bistrolike setting that draws Jew and gentile alike. There’s a lot that’s good, but the knishes and pastrami and corned beef sandwiches should be your first stops. 142 Castro St., Mountain View; 650.390.9388.

Reposado Like Casa de Cobre, Reposado brings a fresh approach to the same old rice and beans. The restaurant is easily one of Palo Alto’s most striking. The soaring, exposed beam ceilings make the dining room feel at once industrial and inviting because of the warm colors, wood accents and dramatic light fixtures. A beautiful bar and cozy booth seating on one side are complemented by spacious table and banquette seating on the other. The menu takes classics of Mexican cuisine and some unfamiliar known dishes and gives them a smart, urbane spin. While some might quibble with the downtown flourishes and fancy ingredients, I think Reposado pushes Mexican food in delicious new directions. The tequila list alone is worth a visit. 236 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto; 650.833.3151.

Sakoon Sakoon chef Sachin Chopra pairs traditional Indian food with a menu of exciting and inventive dishes that incorporate ingredients and flavors that redefine Indian food for the 21st century. Visually, Sakoon is a stunner, too. The luminous bar, fiber-optic lighting and illuminated floor panels create an ambience to match the modern exploration of Indian food. 357 Castro St., Mountain View; 650.965.2000.

Santouka If you’ve never had real Japanese ramen, head straight to Santouka for an education in how good a bowl of soupy, porky noodles can be. Located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace, a Japanese supermarket, Santouka is a mecca for ramen lovers. There’s typically a line even before the place opens. Real ramen is made from a slow-simmered, complex broth poured over springy, fresh-cooked noodles and crowned with an array of delights such as braised pork, pickled bamboo shoots, green onions, soft boiled eggs, fish cakes, spinach and dried seaweed. For a trip to ramen heaven, or cholesterol hell, the salt-flavored ramen with toroniku is the way to go. 675 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408.255.6699.



by Stett Holbrook on Jan 08, 2010
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