Grill Talk - Sumika Grill in Los Altos, CA

Miles P. Olson (2017, color)

Smoky

Actually, before we move on to the next parts of Vegas, I have to write about a stellar dining experience I had in my hometown Los Altos, CA. This place is better known as "Steve Job's Hometown", or even "small town next to Mountain View", but the downtown has some restaurants that can definitely hold its own. I'm here this time with Miles P. Olson at Sumika Grill, one of the higher rated restaurants in the town. Miles and I talk often on Snapchat and Messenger, but we only really make the commute to hang out when someone is visiting from outside of the Bay Area. That being said, I was really excited to see Miles again, since we had quite a bit to catch up on since our last time out for food.


I'm just going to start describing the downtown of Los Alto for you to really get a feel of what it is you're getting into. First of all, all the shops are probably closed by 9pm, so there's not much to do past dinner. Another big thing is that it's one of those downtowns that have many historical buildings - so historical that none of the buildings go past the first floor. Okay, many have been renovated and it truly does look quite nice now, but don't expect to see any apartments pop up anytime soon. Most of the main stores are located on Main Street, and it's located literally right next to the border between Los Altos and Los Altos Hills (where elevation and price of property jump quite a bit). Imagine an updated western town, but now shrouded in suburbia. In the daytime, it really is a nice place to walk around, but at night you're better off going to Castro Street in downtown Mountain View.

Grilled Miso Unagi with Spicy Momo and Kobe Beef

So if that gives you a feel of what the town is like, then I can start talking about Sumika. When you go in, you see the door but it actually leads to a downwards ramp to a basement style establishment. Now don't get me wrong, the spot is furnished very nicely and in no way does it detract from the feeling of the place. I actually think the basement style is cool, almost secretive, making the restaurant an energetic escape from the lull of the suburbs above. I arrived first and got seated at the time of my reservation, so I looked through the menu while I waited. I definitely wanted to get the grilled skewers, and right as I was about to decide what to get Miles walked in and looked around the restaurant. He literally looked at me twice, then proceeded to try to text me but luckily I texted him first. Anyway, he sat down and looked at the kushiyaki (grilled skewers) menu, which is a dinner-only thing they serve. We ended up getting the Momo with Spicy Sauce, the Kobe Style Beef, Unagi, and Pork Belly Skewers. My wonderful editor Kristi requested me to eat the grilled miso unagi, so we got that too.

Unagi!!!!

The grilled miso unagi was pretty good with the miso paste on top of the rice, rather than inside. I suppose that makes sense so this way the paste doesn't dry up during grilling. The outside rice was nice and crunchy, but the inside was nice and had a tender feel to it. The momo with spicy sauce was indeed spicy, and when you bit into it you could really taste some nice smoky flavor in it. The sauce and garnish on top really helped with presentation, and the sauce definitely added to the taste of the momo. Next up, the Kobe style beef skewer. The beef was nice and juicy, with taste pouring out as you sink your teeth into the tender meat. Definitely cannot go wrong with some Grade A beef, but the next two really take the cake. Unagi (eel) has been one of my favorites since childhood, with the texture and the sweetness of the sauce guiding my way through the meat. The grilled unagi here was spot on - it was nice and sweet with the sauce, and if I didn't stake my claim on a few pieces Miles would've eaten it all! Finally the pork belly. Ohhh man - with juicy fat and the smoky taste lying within the pork, I was all over it. Once again, you sink our teeth in and just enjoy the experience and have it envelope your taste buds.

Pork belly

Overall, I would thoroughly recommend Sumika Grill, especially for a date. Miles and I weren't on a date - it's just that the portions are smaller so it makes for some more opportunity for small talk here and there. Also it's a nice cozy little spot that feels like an adventure when you're walking down the ramp, which may add some value there. I might have to wait a bit before my wallet fills back up, but I am definitely coming back!
You can find me on Instagram as @stumpyeatsfood and on yelp at theplumpcat.yelp.com. You can also check out more of my photos on Flickr! If you've got a restaurant recommendation or even a recipe that you think I should try, send it to me at ryanjchen2@gmail.com! Thank you for reading!