Japantown San Jose, one of three surviving historic US Japantowns, draws locals to its izakayas and ramen counters on N 6th Street for shareable plates and draft beer.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
San Jose's Japantown was established in the late 1800s when Japanese farm workers and merchants settled along N 5th and 6th Streets. After Executive Order 9066 forced Japanese-Americans into internment camps in 1942, the community returned after the war to find their neighbourhood partially dispersed, but rebuilt it as a cultural anchor. The izakaya tradition, pubs with small plates and sake, took root in Japantown through the 1970s and 1980s as a social format that combined the community centre function with the pub. Today's Japantown izakayas draw diners from across Silicon Valley.
Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Shellfish
Tip from the editors. Double-frying karaage at 180C is essential: the first fry cooks the chicken through, the brief rest lets steam escape, and the second fry drives off residual moisture for lasting crunch.
Kaita is a family-owned San Jose Japantown restaurant serving authentic Japanese comfort food with daily rotating lunch and dinner specials on Jackson Street.
Order: Rotating daily lunch special with seasonal Japanese comfort dishes
Minato Japanese Restaurant in San Jose is the Japantown institution since 1957, a Parts Unknown stop known for teriyaki spareribs and katsu curry plates.
Try: Teriyaki spareribs combo
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