The Marrow Spoon

Tokushima Do-henkotsu is located next to Mistuwa supermarket on Moorpark and Saratoga. They serve tokushima style ramen, which is a little different than the ramen you find at Halu or Ringer Hut. Tokushima ramen has a complex broth made by simmering fish flakes (bonito), kelp, chicken and pork bones and some secret spices for up to 18 hours. The noodles are your standard ramen type, but the meat is fatty pork belly. In short, it is very good, and very inexpensive.

I keep meaning to try it again, but I just can't stop ordering the cod with yuzu paste. The pictured meal is $9.50 and comes with soup, salad, rice, pickles, seasoned bean sprouts, radish paste and kimchee (you can have natto by request, but I wouldn't recommend it.) I like to go there because the food is great and the atmosphere is other-worldly. It really seems like you've found some kind of portal from California to Japan. But unlike many very authentic places, the servers at Do-henkotsu are welcoming and helpful. You don't have to be afraid to ask questions or try something new. The wise old Japanese grandmother sitting at the bar next to me gave it the best endorsement, "This food is like homestyle Japanese food, very healthy."

On Sunday, the TV was showing Japanese baseball and there was a line out the door by 1pm.

Next door, there's a new handmade noodle/dumpling place I'd like to check out next.

Can purely vegetarian food be good? I mean, not good, like "I will eat it if it is good for me," or "I'll eat this now to feel less bad about having In and Out Burger later..." but good as in, "I will drop what I am doing and drive across town, occasionally running a red light to get there by 9pm for take out, even though I already had dinner."

Yes, it can be. Fortunately, I don't have any traffic tickets to prove it, (yet,) but Tofoo Com Chay is that good. It is the epitome of a hole in the wall, barely a restaurant at all with four tiny two person tables and a stove, but the proprietors are warm and friendly, and did I mention the food is amazing?? Oh, and it is $4. Sure, they have a menu with Vietnamese sandwiches and pho' but you can choose from a wide variety of fake meats and have a two item, plus rice, combo meal for $4 (add a dollar for a winter gourd or calamansi drink if you like). The fake meat selection is out-standing!! Now, I like the Morningstar corn dogs, but otherwise I have to admit I really didn't get the appeal of fake meat. If you're a vegetarian, then don't eat meat. You don't need to have pretend meat. But the faux chicken drumsticks, complete with pseudo bones and skin, are an incredible feat of food engineering. And they taste good! Better than good! Maybe even, (gasp!) better than chicken. Same with the bean curd rolls, which are something like moo shu pork, only better, and completely made of soy, mushrooms and onions.

Try this wonder of modern, er, um, I mean traditional Vietnamese cuisine!

Tofoo Com Chay
388 East Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95113

9-9 on Monday through Friday
10-6 on Saturday
Closed Sundays