Michael Our department at Yahoo was moved six months ago to one of three large buildings right next to the Great America amusement park on Highway 101. This offers the advantage of hearing people on roller coasters scream while walking from the parking lot to the office, but it also has the disadvantage that the cafeteria there unfortunately does not meet my high standards.
For this reason, small groups of employees often gather during lunch breaks to drive to nearby restaurants and enjoy regional specialties. A hidden gem: the Mongolian grill at 3380 El Camino Real. There, you select raw meat and vegetables from a buffet, place everything on two different plates, and add a few spoonfuls of various sauces (soy, chili, garlic, barbecue sauce, and sesame oil). On the wall, there are some tried-and-true recipes for inexperienced customers, along with the assurance that the establishment will "make it right" if a customer turns their ingredients into an inedible mess with an impossible sauce combination.
At the end of the buffet row, there is a huge (about 5 feet in diameter) circular hot plate on a barrel-like table behind the counter. Two gentlemen stand opposite each other there, take the customers' plates, and dump individual portions onto the hot plate. As they move in a circular motion, both synchronously around the plate, they use two 50cm long drumsticks to push the customer's portion around the edge of the plate in a circle. Then, they grab a fresh plate from a nearby stack and skillfully transfer the finished dish from the hot plate onto the plate using the two drumsticks. It makes your mouth water!
The restaurant is run by a Korean professor and his wife, who are in such good spirits every day that one might think there is no more fulfilling profession than running a grill restaurant. There are brochures available where you can read about their life story, including details about their daughter, who plays some classical string instrument professionally.
The grilled dish costs about $10 with a drink, and supposedly you can go back for more as often as you like. By the way, instead of two plates with ingredients, we always take three right away, and no one says anything. Once again, the name of the place so you can find it: El Camino Mongolian BBQ, 3380 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. Bon appetit from the gourmet zone of California!
Angelika & Michael