Japanese marketplace and restaurant coming to Palo Alto

Published 1 week ago• 5 minute read

A rendering of the cafe component of Yutori in Palo Alto, which will have its own ordering counter and seating area. Courtesy Yutori.

One of my favorite spots for a quick lunch is Nijiya Market in Mountain View. The Japanese grocery store offers ready-made sushi that’s freshly prepared each morning, as well as hot food and a great selection of Japanese snacks and bottled beverages.

But if you don’t live or work near Mountain View, stopping by Nijiya doesn’t really make it a quick lunch. For those in the Palo Alto area, that’s where Yutori comes in. Created by Jerome Ito, the chef-owner behind Go Fish Poke Bar and Taro San Noodle Bar in Palo Alto, Yutori is a new Japanese marketplace concept planning to offer ready-made lunch items, a coffee and tea bar, a full-service sit-down restaurant and a Japanese-inspired cocktail bar on El Camino Real in Palo Alto.

While it won’t open until the end of the year, Ito said it aims to fill the dearth of Japanese markets in the area, an issue he’s experienced as a Palo Alto resident.

Stay tasty,
Adrienne

Grab a bento box and matcha latte to go, peruse a marketplace with Japanese ceramics and fresh vegetables or even enjoy a full-service, Japanese-inspired brunch at a new culinary destination slated to open in Palo Alto by the end of the year.

Little Green Cyclo’s Vietnamese coffee with a tamarind twist is topped with roasted peanuts. Also pictured: a hojicha latte. Courtesy Little Green Cyclo.

Goat empanadas with limey huacatay sauce ($18) at Valley Goat in Sunnyvale. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

If you prefer bright, fresh and vibrant flavors over heavy, rich and decadent, Valley Goat in Sunnyvale should be the next restaurant on your list.

What impressed me about chef Stephanie Izard’s menu was how every dish had a bright, acidic component and prominently featured fresh herbs. Vegetables, which typically play a supporting role, were placed center stage for many of the dishes. And carbs are nearly nonexistent on Valley Goat’s menu, which is great for those who are gluten-free or looking for a healthier eating out option.

The menu is divided into snacks, plates, bigger plates and desserts. For a snack, the goat empanadas with limey huacatay (also known as Peruvian black mint) sauce ($18) were phenomenal. The empanada dough was extremely tender, flaky and light, and the goat was succulent and well-seasoned. Pairing the heavier empanada with a punchy and bright dipping sauce worked nicely, as it cut through the richness.

Wood-fired sprouted cauliflower with shio kombu crunch, mint and limey huacatay sauce ($17) at Valley Goat in Sunnyvale. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

The dish that stood out most to me in the plates category was the wood-fired sprouted cauliflower with shio kombu crunch, mint and the same limey huacatay sauce used for the empanadas ($17). Looking at the dish, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it. Typically I’m not a fan of restaurant-prepared broccolini (which the sprouted cauliflower resembled), as it’s often bland, tough and too oily. But I completely misjudged the dish. The sprouted cauliflower was smoky and tender, with a pop of acidity from the limey huacatay sauce, a beautiful umami crunch from the shio kombu crunch and an unexpected freshness from the ample use of mint.

Sticky pork shank with lettuce cups, pickled cucumber salad, spiced Asian pear, hoisin mayo and limey huacatay sauce ($44) at Valley Goat in Sunnyvale. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

Out of the bigger plates I tried, my favorite was sticky pork shank with lettuce cups, pickled cucumber salad, spiced Asian pear, hoisin mayo and that same limey huacatay sauce ($44). I barely touched the pork shank with my fork, and it just fell apart. The meat had a crispy, meat-candy-esque exterior with an incredibly succulent, fall-apart interior. Marinated to perfection, the sweetness played well with the tangy pickled cucumber salad, and the soft meat with the crunchy, fresh vegetables played well texturally. It was a mess to eat, but what an incredible mess.

Mint chocolate mousse with mint chocolate chips, mint chocolate whip and kumquats ($16) at Valley Goat in Sunnyvale. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

For dessert, the mint chocolate mousse with mint chocolate chips, mint chocolate whip and kumquats ($16) was unlike anything I’ve had before. Typically chocolate desserts tend to be rich, indulgent and decadent, but this dish was light and refreshing, with pops of citrus zing from the candied kumquat rinds. The dish also featured many contrasting textures between the luxurious mousse, the airy whipped cream, the crunchy mint chocolate chips and the gummy candied rinds.

It’s pretty clear I thoroughly enjoyed the food at Valley Goat, but the ambiance is equally stunning. The best way for me to describe it is whimsical cabin in the woods meets rich-kid campgrounds. Think plenty of natural lighting, plants and wood textures.

Valley Goat, 1100 N. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale; 408-900-9470, Instagram: @valleygoatsv. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Find Kally in Peninsula markets and restaurants this Dry January and all year long.

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