I can’t believe it, but I’m going to a World Cup game! Stefan entered a lottery via the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce for the delight of being able to purchase two veeeeery expensive seats (we’re behind one of the goals, about eight rows up) and Lady Luck said “you two get to go!” Undeterred by the news of FIFA’s extreme ticket pricing, we have booked a hotel and ordered Swiss fan gear.
I thought my readers might be interested in what came next: I pondered the vast assortment of restaurants around Levi’s Stadium, looking for the right place to eat the evening before the Switzerland – Qatar match. Having eaten at many Santa Clara restaurants, I have plenty of places top of mind. Plus, a few I’ve been meaning to try. Here’s a few of my favorites.
Santa Clara Restaurants
With 24 locations in North America, the Taiwanese dumpling and noodle house, Din Tai Fung, is pretty much on everyone’s RADAR. And with just cause. Green Milk Tea actually tastes of tea and can be made with a soy milk, instead of cow. I counted the 18 folds on each of the crab and pork Xiao Long Bao, the piping hot broth rich with collagen. Spicy Wontons lived up to their name, the smooth-skinned treats nestled together like penguins above a raft of Szechuan chile-infused sauce. I loved my dessert of Chocolate & Mochi Xiao Long Bao with Caramel Sea Salt Cream and Matcha Salt, the tea’s bracing polyphenols a worthy foil for the cream.
Big energy? Meet big fun. Brimming with classic western steakhouse vibes (and an upscale dress code), Mastro’s at Westfield Mall, is a place I would go with my brothers who enjoy a good martini and a well-crafted cut of beef. The bar bustles, the music thumps, and the house’s big energy is unmistakable. A Lemon Drop cocktail, frothy with liquid nitrogen infusion, brims with heady energy. Big Eye Tuna Tartare, the fish cut into big chunks, is a match for the zingy dressing and big enough for a table of six. A Prime Steak Sandwich is perfect at lunch while larger appetites are sure to go for an 18-ounce Kansas City Strip or herbed and whole-roasted Branzino.
Baekjeong, Korean for “butcher,” is another choose your own adventure steakhouse at Westfield Mall. Select beef, pork or a combination and pause for a moment to allow your appetite to catch up for the wave of dishes to soon descend. Up first: Banchan (small side dishes) – sprout salad, two kinds of radish salad, kimchi, steamed sweet potato and numerous dipping sauces – to warm up the palate and allow the grill at the center of the table to heat. Soon, large plates of brisket, boneless short rib and marinated short rib which the staff grills for you. My recommendation? Eat some of the meats, yes, but don’t miss the Kimchi Pancake – its savory-sweet-spiciness and crisp-griddled edges are a knock-out.
Have you tried the Green Beans at Sunnyvale’s Valley Goat? Seared then tossed with fish sauce vinaigrette, they are crunchy with plentiful umami and a hint of sweetness. I nearly ate the whole plate of ’em myself. I like how Stephanie Izard interprets global flavors, making them seem entirely American. She pairs pickled jalapeños with yuzu kosho vinaigrette and tons of fresh herbs on Tomato Salad and layers toasty pecans and cripsy quinoa in a Tuna Poke Salad that’s unlike any I’ve ever had. Plus the space, which features a long bar and a patio that is at the center of the Treehouse Hotel, is bursting to the brim with energy. Can’t say there’s anything like it in the neighborhood!
I haven’t been but am dying to try Sifu Wong Kitchen in Sunnyvale. Have you been? Please tell me all about it!
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For more dining around Levi’s Stadium, here are 23 places I visited in San Jose in Tap Into the Vibrancy of San José’s Cuisine at These 23 Restaurants.