Menu Item Details

Beef Teriyaki

The correct name is "Gyukushiyaki" (Literally, Cooked Beef Skewers). Thin slices of beef sirloin is hand skewered, marinated in our secret teriyaki sauce overnight and cooked over coals. It is a perfect complement for a cold drink. This recipe hearkens back to the 70s.

Chicken Teriyaki

Quarter chickens are trimmed, marinated in our secret teriyaki sauce for several days and barbecued over a low charcoal heat to create our famous Teriyaki Chicken. A version of this recipe has been the cornerstone for many fundraisers at Buddhist temples including the Morgan Hill Buddhist Church. But we think this version is the best Obon chicken in Northen California. (Actually every Obon says that.) Interestingly, this style of BBQ chicken is relatively rare in Japan and often seen in the countryside.

Corn

Many people ask "Why do you have corn at a Japanese Festival?" Two reasons:

Our corn is from the Sacramento Valley area and is picked fresh. 

Gordon-Biersch Beer

Dan Gordon who founded Gordon-Biersch Brewing lived in the San Jose Japantown when he was young. So when he wanted to establish his own brewery, Japantown was the natural location. He remembered coming to Obon when he was younger, so it was natural to offer his beer at the San Jose Obon Festival.  Dan's been a fantastic friend of the Festival over years. 

Gyoza

Japanese pan-fried dumpling are also known as potstickers and are descended from the Chinese jiaozi which tend to have thicker skin.

Ingredients:

Filling: Cabbage, Pork, Onion, Soy Sauce, Sesame Seed Oil, Salt, Garlic, Sugar, MSG, Spices

Wrapper: Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour, Water, Food Starch, Salt, Soybean Oil

Inari Zushi

Ingredients:

Age (Fried Tofu made from soy beans), Rice, White Sesame Seeds, Su (Water,  Sugar, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Rice Starch, Caramel Color, Salt, Kelp Extract)

Inari is the fox "kami" in Japanese mythology and is a protector of the rice fields as it hunts the field mice. The main Inari shrine is in Fushimi near Kyoto and is famous for its many red torii gates.  Inari Zushi are thought to look like fox ears.

Mushi Manju

Ingredients:

Flour, Bisquick (Flour, Shortening, Salt, Sugar, Baking Powder), Baking Powder, Salt, Simple Syrup (Sugar, Water, Food Coloring)

Ramen

There are four main noodles in Japanese cuisine: udon, soba, somen and ramen. Ramen is considered the newest with it arriving in Japan in the early 20th century. The word comes from the Chinese word "lamian" meaning "pulled noodles" and the dish originated in Yokohama especially after World War II. Today, there are many varieties in many different parts. Some of the more well known are: Yokohama with its salt flavored konbu broth and Hakata's pork bone broth (tonkotsu).

Ingredients: 

Tonkotsu Broth: Water, Pork Paitan (Concentrated Pork Stock, Pork Fat, Salt), Salt, Sugar, Soy Sauce, Pork Fat, Concentrated Pork Stock, MSG, Garlic Puree, Concentrated Chicken Stock, Xanthan Gum, Distilled Vinegar, Disodium5'-inosinate Disodium 5'-Guanylate, Spice. Contains: Wheat, Soybeans.

Konbu Shoyu Broth: Soy Sauce, Water, Sigar, Salt Soybean Oil, MSG Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Kelp (Konbu) Extract, Organic Tamari Soy Sauce Powder, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Caramel Color, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Disodium Succinate. Contains: Wheat, Soybean

Strawberry Shortcake

Many people ask why we sell Strawberry Shortcake. They are correct that it's not necessarily Japanese. However, it is quintessentially Japanese-American here in Santa Clara Valley. At the turn of the century, the Driscoll Company and other large strawberry growers started to hire Japanese workers for working in their strawberry farms especially in the North Valley areas.  This was the start of Japanese immigrants coming into this area.  This would repeat itself after World War II when these companies moved their operations to Watsonville and Salinas and and brought over workers from Japan to work in their farms.

Our strawberries are freshly picked and trucked over from a grower in Watsonville who has provided the strawberries for over twenty years.

Sushi

Although the earliest record of Sushi is from 300 BCE, what eventually came to be called "Nigiri Sushi" was invented in 1824 in Tokyo where seafood is placed on hand-pressed vinegared rice. It was considered fast food by the middle class of the time since it could be eaten with one hand while standing. and was a natural extension of the the "Nigiri" (which means "to hold")

Makizushi (rolls) are older than Nigiri Sushi, but California Rolls which are surimi (imitation crab) and avocado wrapped in a rice and nori were invented sometimes in the late 70s. By its name, in California, but there are claims for being its birthplace from Los Angeles and Vancouver, BC. Spicy Tuna Rolls are even a more recent invention with the mixing of spice mixes (originally, it was ichimi peppers) with chopped tuna.

Oshizushi is where vinegared rice is layered with different items and pressed in a form and later cut into portions.

Chirashi or Barazushi are mixed forms of sushi where items are either mixed in or simply laid on top of vinegared rice.

Tempura

Tempura is said to have originated by the batter fried fish that the Portuguese traders made in Nagasaki. Its popularity skyrocketed when it was introduced to Tokyo in the 17th century. Typically fish and vegetables are lightly battered in a light flour, egg. and cold water mixture and quickly fried so that the coating is still fluffy but the exterior crispy. 

List of Vegetarian and Vegan Items

Vegan 

Vegetarian 

Vegetarian including Egg