Gochi Fusion Tapas - Part 1 - Cupertino

WARNING POSSIBLE OVERRATING AHEAD

I really fell in love with the food at Gochi when I went and as such, this entry may be filled with yummies, inflated reviews, and virtual drool.

 First off, the menu and the drink. I think this Lychee Sake drink is about $5 something. It was very light and tasted like lychee soda. Tastes very good but if you want to get buzzed, go for something stronger.

We ate in a group of about 7 people and sat in a private room with sliding Japanese paper doors. This was the view from my seat. Are you ready for the yummy foods ahead?

($16.50) Hamachi Carpaccio. In short, carpaccio is marinated sashimi. This dish was good. A little sea salty both in seasoning and in the fish but still delicious.

Artsy shot of K-hive and the hamachi.

($14.50) Madai Carpaccio. I thought the hamachi was good but then this red snapper blew me out of the water. The fish is so light and the seasoning is just right. I rhymed! It was mostly better because the fish didn't have the same sea salt taste as the hamachi.

($9.50) Gyuniku Reishabu Salad. This is basically shabu shabu beef in a salad. While it was still delicious, it was a rather common taste that I feel I could have gotten anywhere.

($6.50) Ankimo. Steamed monkfish liver in ponzu sauce with seaweed and lemon garnish. Oh this was fantastic. It's what I expected the foie gras at L'ecole to taste like but better. It's just rich melty goodness.

Chashu. Pork belly. This is not listed online so I couldn't get a price. The pork belly was really only good when it first comes out. If you let it sit too long it gets a little chewy. While this was by no means inedible, I'm not a huge fan of pork belly or fatty meats so to me it was just ok.

Braised Rock Cod. They should really put this item on their online menu because I need to know the price. It's a very popular item as I see many yelpers have ordered it also. This was by far the best dish of the night, better than any sea bass you get at Asian weddings. It takes the longest and you have to allow about 20 minutes or so after ordering for the chef to prepare it. The fish is light and flaky but also moist. There are little bones but the meat just falls off and melts in your mouth. The teriyaki sauce is excellent.

Crab croquettes. This is another item that must be eaten right when it's served. This is basically a crab cake with some corn filling in ball form. It was actually very good. There's a creamy sauce to dip with and the consistency of both the inside and outside of the croquette was perfect.

Angus beef steak. This is delicious as far as steak goes. While it did not push the boundaries in terms of the "fusion" part of Japanese fusion tapas, a good steak is still good and I'll take it where I can get it.

(~$12.50) Seafood pizza. I'm no expert on classic Japanese cuisine and hesitate to consider this a modern take on something but it sounds pretty modern to me. Imagine a large, flat, takoyaki pizza with seafood inside and topped with bonito shavings. It was alright but the contents of the pizza were too heavy for the crust. I think the end result was mushier inside than intended. I prefer my takoyaki in ball form, please and thank you!

Citrus yuzu mousse. The mousse was fluffy but everything else was too sour. It was definitely interesting to try but maybe not the greatest dessert, in my opinion.

Green tea creme brulee. I liked this one much better. Who doesn't love cracking the top of a creme brulee? This is definitely a fusion approach to a classic dessert. I still like regular or coffee flavored creme brulee better but the green tea was interesting.

Stay tuned to see what I thought of Gochi the second time around.

Gochi on Yelp