When seeking a place to enjoy a festive meal with friends, where the food is tasty and entertainment is no farther than your table, head to Kyoto Palace.
Set in Campbell’s Pruneyard Shopping Center, this Japanese restaurant has been popular with fun-loving diners since its opening in 1976. While the food alone is worth coming for, part of Kyoto Palace’s attraction is the lively atmosphere created by the unique relationship between the restaurant’s patrons and its "kitchen." Against a backdrop of Japanese artwork, diners are seated in groups of eight around long wooden tables with stainless steel cooking grills in their centers, where numerous chefs hold sway with amazing slight-of-hand dexterity as they prepare their guests’ meals to order.
"It’s a restaurant where people come to celebrate, either for an occasion, or even with no occasion at all," said general manager Dale Yoshihara.
On a recent visit, an enthusiastic crowd nearly filled the dining room. My dinner companion and I were seated at a table with six friendly others. From the array of appetizers ranging from sushi to vegetable rolls, we chose the latter. The entrées tempted with many choices of lobster, chicken, shrimp, vegetables, and tofu, along with several types of steak. I opted for the Vegetable Delight, while my companion followed Yoshihara’s recommendation and ordered The Emperor: a combination of steak and shrimp.
For drinks, my companion enjoyed a smooth and crisp Kirin Ichiban beer—a good thing, as it came in a large 21-ounce bottle! Several hot and cold sakes were also offered. As a newcomer to this traditional drink, I tried the suggested unfiltered cold sake. But be forewarned: the thin, white, subtly sweet drink goes down pleasantly, but is certainly potent!
After our delicious vegetable rolls arrived, we sat back and enjoyed the show. A chef in a crisp white apron and tall red hat took his place behind the grill, where he expertly chopped, diced, and sliced vegetables, tossed meats, and dashed on spices at an amazingly rapid pace. The blur of his metal spatulas and utensils was so hypnotic that even children sat quietly in their seats, mesmerized by the culinary theatrics. Humorous touches were added, too, from culinary tricks to short jokes, prompting plenty of laughter. The diners themselves even became part of the entertainment when a chef at a nearby table lobbed a piece of food unerringly into a boy’s wide-open mouth! Upon catching it, the young diner was met with cheers from the rest of the room and a high-five from the chef.
The food itself was equally worthy of cheers. My Vegetable Delight proved to be aptly named— it was a combination of fresh broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, onions, mushrooms, and delicious tofu fried in flour and cooked to perfection in teriyaki sauce.
For the Emperor, the chef set steaming bite-size pieces of shrimp and steak on the plate with sautéed onions and a bowl of rice. The steak and shrimp paired exceptionally well with the two accompanying sauces—a tangy ginger and thick mustard.
We completed our meal with refreshing yet creamy green tea ice cream.
For those not in the mood for a full meal, Kyoto Palace also offers a sushi counter as well as a bar serving fruit-flavored cocktails. And a nearby cluster of tables with a large television displaying song lyrics is the place to be Wednesdays at 7pm, when the restaurant begins its lively karaoke night. From the sounds emanating on my visit, it’s a great spot to keep your fun going all evening long.
- by Katie Vaughn
Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11:30-2. Dinner: Mon-Sat, 5-10; Sun, 4-9.Pruneyard Shopping Center, 1875 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell; 408/377-6456; www.kyotopalace.com.
