Gaku Restaurant

The staff were all very nice and friendly, also they made good recommendations of food. The food we had for dinner were decent. Sashimi was fresh, Kobe beef skewers were the best, Cod was thick and nicely fatty. It has the grilled rice ball which were quite good. I have been looking for good one for long time. The bluefin black meat karaage was a bit salty. As this restaurant is for grilled skewers. We will try more different types of skewers next time. Small restaurant but good use of space management. All of the tables were close but still feel good by the way they put partitions. I like the atmosphere and staff of the restaurant. For its food, I would like to try more of its specialties for more thoughts to share.

This place is great for those who want to transport to Japan and have some authentic yakitori. It closes a couple hours later than the other yakitori restaurant in Milpitas. We went on a Tuesday night and there was plenty of parking. We ordered the chicken heart, liver, and our favorite the gizzards. For drinks, we ordered Asahi draft and the sake carafe. Overall, it was a nice quiet atmosphere, privacy seating due to the walled booths, and the waitress was very friendly and helpful in case we had questions about certain menu items.

Gaku Restaurant offers a delightful dining experience with its fresh, high-quality food and excellent service. Each dish is carefully prepared, allowing you to truly savor the flavors. The portions are on the smaller side, which is a positive as it allows you to taste and enjoy a variety of dishes. The atmosphere is cozy, making it a great spot for a relaxed meal. If you're looking for a place with consistently good food and attentive service, Gaku is definitely worth a visit. Just be prepared to order a few more dishes to satisfy your appetite!

Really really good skewer. So close to what we’ve had in Japan. Love the salt flavor. It really tries to bring out the true flavor of food! They must but very confident in their the quality of their ingredients. Charcoal is also the key!! I highly recommend the wings and thigh skewer, the beef tongue, and the shrimp karaage. 😍

Came here for dinner as I had wanted to try out their charcoal grilled dishes. Ordered beef skewers from the yakitori menu, grilled Barracuda fish from the Specials, and grilled squid and grilled onigiri with uni from the regular menu. Everything tasted good and uni was fresh but the fish did have quite a lot of bones. Ended the meal with a yuzu and honey cheesecake but it tasted and had the consistency more like that of a custard pudding. The service was good and the staff were very nice and friendly. They have extended their operating hours to 11pm daily. 1st time here but wouldn’t mind returning.

Probably the best Japanese BBQ I had in the bay so far, although not inexpensive. The lighting is good for photography. Recommend the skewers, uni with jelly and egg rice. Fish liver is too dry and I don’t recommend it.

My cousin from San Jose recommended this to me and I'm glad I tried it out because yakitori is one of my favorite foods. The flavors, vibes and dim lighting at Gaku Yakitori take me back a visit to Tokyo. I've been twice to Gaku in two weeks and can't wait to come back for more. For my first visit, they ran out of a lot of items, so it shows how popular they are and how loyal their customers are. During dinner, the place was packed and I could here people speaking Japanese, so I could tell it's an authentic spot. My favorites were the chicken thigh and wing skewers of course, but everything hit the spot. They nailed the flavors here-- good quality meats, sauces, and everything was grilled to perfection. The appetizers were also tasty. Everything tasted great with the draft Asahi and brown rice tea. I do recommend a mix of appetizers and skewers here. Japanese people eat tomatoes and edamame with beer, so I recommend those two. Shrimp karaage, gaku spicy wings, chicken wings, chicken thigh, bacon steak, meatballs, butabara, and king oyster mushroom are great. The desserts are also good. When I went there was a special dorayaki with red bean and whip cream that we had to try. The green tea creme brulee was another tasty way to finish dinner.

The yakitori here is amazing - we ordered beef, chicken meat ball and chicken wings, they all tasted so good. Especially the beef, so tender, fresh and flavorful. We also had rice and salad, they also had great quality. The sauce for the rice was very yummy. It’s a bit pricy but I think worth it! Highly recommend!

Gaku is definitely a splurge date night or once in awhile spot as it is on the pricey side! I came here last evening with a couple of girlfriends from work for our monthly get together. We definitely over ordered a little bit and could've done without a double of things. I'd have to say that the clay pot salmon rice, the fried chicken skins and the pork belly in spicy miso sauce were my favorite items of the meal! We had made a reservation so did not have to wait. The servers were friendly and offered us 3-4 small tastings of different kinds of sake even after we had already decided on a bottle. Overall, service was great. Id definitely come back on a splurge meal but definitely not a once a week type of place if you don't what I mean?!

I'm a huge yakitori fan and I've been to Gaku quite a few times, maybe 5 or 6 times so far. If it was closer to me, I would surely go more often. Whenever someone asks me for recommendations where to eat in the Bay Area, I recommend Gaku. The yakitori and other Japanese charcoal-grilled skewers are seasoned perfectly and always consistent whenever I go. Charcoal grills bring out amazing flavors of the skewers that you need to try if you haven't already. Nobu and team are professional yakitori gurus in the Bay Area. The experience here is authentic, and you can find the side menus that looks like what you can find in a izakaya in Japan. My favorites are the skewers, like mi, tsukune, hatsu, tomato, sasami, teba, chicken skin, gyutan, kalbi, and butabara. They are all really good and it's nice to have such a variety. When we get to make it out here, we'll order rounds of almost all the skewers and then try something new. Our tab will go $300 easy, but it is so worth it here to go all out for the yakitori and izakaya vibes. You can find a lot of incredible items from the large menu. For example, I like the tai ochazuke, gobo fries and Gaku spicy wings. There are also seasonal menus which specials to keep it fresh. From the seasonal menu, I had the chicken skin wrapped gyoza which was incredible and a table favorite for the night. Service is super quick-- food comes out one after another! They nailed the efficiency and service. Gaku's always gonna be my favorite place in the Bay Area by far. I recommend going on weekdays if you can to unwind! You have to call after 3pm to make reservations. Weekends are often busy and fully booked with reservations. Always going to support and root for Gaku.

It's been a while since I had yaki-tori and it did not disappoint. Everything we ordered tasted really good - particularly enjoyed the blue fin tuna karage, chicken thigh skewers, and soft shell crab. Overall a great dining experience but decided to give it 4 stars since it is on the pricier end for what the food is.

My bestie and I had a fantastic experience at Gaku! The restaurant has a boutique-like charm--cozy, intimate and inviting, perfect for a relaxed night out. The menu offers a wide variety of classic izakaya dishes, and some unique items. The staff went above and beyond to guide us through recommendations for both food and drinks. Everything we tried was delicious, beautifully presented, and served with great attention to detail. The matcha crème Brule was yum! It was rich and creamy, and (stereotypically asian in a sense that it was) not too sweet. Service was top-notch--attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely friendly. A couple downsides- Parking is definitely a challenge, so plan accordingly. They are a bit on the pricey side, but you're in silicon valley (so it's almost expected) and the quality of the food makes it totally worth it. It's certainly an experience I can check off my collection list of must try places.

Skewers were a hit or miss. I'm not usually a huge fan of just salted skewers (I feel like the special sauces ones give a yakitori place a chance to shine by setting themselves apart from your basic charcoal grill flavor), but for Gaku, the salt skewers were my favorite, especially the pork belly. The beef with the radish and green onions was a total miss... the radish made it so watery and the beef ended up sitting in a soggy pool of liquid. The chicken cartilage is typically one of my favorite skewers, but not here. It was too much meat that looked slightly on the pink-er side, but it's all preference. Their ramen was actually pretty good (usually, when I get ramen at skewer restaurants, the ramen is really bad). I liked the broth flavor and although I'm not a thin noodle fan, I liked Gaku's thin ramen noodles! Lots of chew, good portion size. The tuna carpaccio really threw me off--it was seared, sitting on a bed of raw onion, served with raw garlic slices, green onions, and crispy fried onion bits and watermelon radish. I genuinely thought I was only getting a few slices of fully raw tuna because there was no description (none of the items on the special menu had descriptions). I guess I should have asked, but I do feel like it'd be nice to know how it came. I would have ordered the chutoro instead... oh well, maybe next time. Dessert was great! Matcha crème brûlée and lychee sorbet made a great combo! The crème brûlée was really thick and rich, while the lychee sorbet was light and crisp. Sat at the bar right by the service window, which wasn't awful, but if you're annoyed by frequent traffic, definitely avoid sitting there. Loved the service--servers are all friendly and kind~

4.5/5 Superb experience here! It's a little hole in a wall experience. Came for dinner on a Tuesday when it just opened and within 15 minutes this place filled up super quickly. The interior is a bit small so make sure to make reservations if you have a big party! The food here is delicious. We primarily ordered several sets of skewers and they all tasted perfectly charred. My favorite were the chicken skewers. We also ordered the chef combo sashimi which was also great. Only downside is it did feel a bit pricier than other yakitori spots I've been to, but it was delicious nonetheless. Overall a pleasant dining experience and would come again!

I am a frequent customer at Gaku and I must say that their attention to service and good quality is by far the best! You can never go wrong with any skewers but my favorite skewers that I would recommend are pork belly, chicken meatball, and Kalbi skewers! Pick any starter/appetizer and you can't go wrong. This time around we tried the crispy chicken skin and firefly squid. But...you MUST order the BACON STEAK!!! Charred perfectly and over a bed of onions...trust me...this combination of smoke bacon steak/grilled w/onions is to die for! Add in a pint of Sapporo and you will end your day perfectly! Very lively atmosphere with lots of laughter and chatter!

Gaku Yakitori is a cute spot inside and lots of parking in the lot. The service was also pretty good and so was the presentation of the food. However I was disappointed in the food especially for the vegetarian options. The mushroom skewers were extremely bland and not seasoned. The fried tofu was also very unflavorful. The sesame cucumber was tasty.

The food here is great. Definitely a splurger but the place isn't too busy. Its a hidden gem and recommend all foodies to check it out

The staff were all very nice and friendly, also they were willing to make good recommendations of food. The food we had for dinner were decent. Sashimi was fresh, Kobe beef skewers were the best, Cod was think and nicely fatty. It has the grilled rice ball which were quite good. I have been looking for good one for long time. The bluefin black meat karage was a bit salty. As this restaurant is for grilled skewers. We will try more different types of skewers next time. Small restaurant but good use of space management. All of the tables were close but still feel good by the way they put partitions. I like the atmosphere and staff of the restaurant. For its food, I would like to try more of its specialties for more thoughts to share.

Just absolutely great food! Every dish was perfectly seasoned and balanced. We had the gobo fries (we ate one order then got another), the duck salad, mushrooms, pickled celery (just delicious), chicken skin and chicken tatsuta. My favorite restaurant in the South Bay.

Came here last weekend with my friends since one of our friends came back from New York to visit. Upon arrival, I couldn't tell if the restaurant was open because it was pretty dark when looking from the outside. We joined the waitlist and waited about 15-20 minutes to be seated for a party of 6 people. The wait is understandable because the store is small inside. The interior definitely gives off a Japanese vibe when you're being seated and looking around. The servers here are quick with ordering, bringing out food and bringing out drinks. We enjoyed mostly everything we ordered and had an enjoyable experience here. Would recommend and come back for yakitori.

We came to Gaku after multiple recommendations, and we agreed that it's the best yakitori we've been able to find in south bay/peninsula. There's limited seating so it's best to come early or call ahead to reserve. We came in at 6pm on Friday and no wait for bar seating (tables were full). But it's comfortable at the bar/more space than you'd think and a lot of fun. Staff were so warm and helpful - they walked us through the menu and how to order skewers by checking off the items we wanted. Our favorites were the large intestine, pork belly and liver - so flavorful. Between two hungry eaters, we ordered around 8-9 skewers each plus rice bowls and drinks. Yakitori is generally more expensive - came out to around 100$ each incl tip - but well worth it. Already can't wait to go back!

We cameo on a Friday night, with no reservation, and there was plenty of bar seating. The restaurant isn't huge by any means, but it was cozy. The art on the wall is really cool, all drawn with chalk. The menu is pretty simple, a good variation of all types of Japanese food. We started with a few yakitori skewers, beef, chicken, chicken gizzard & cartilage. Every order comes with 2. The beef was super tender and flavored, the chicken with sauce was one of my favorites. The soy sauce it came with was to die for imo. The gizzard is always a must, and the cartilage had meat all around it. The skewers were delicious! For our mains, we started with the Akami (Tuna) sashimi. It comes in a order of 5, and the pieces are huge. With a side fresh wasabi, it tasted super fresh. Probably one of the best tuna's I've ever had. The eggplant appetizer was surprising. It's a cold dish, soft and the flavor was amazing. The fried chicken was tender and battered perfectly, with the mayo, every bite was juicy. Lastly, the udon was definitely something else. The broth was out of this world, and the udon had a nice chewy texture to it. It came with a nice piece of pork belly. The food was delicious, we couldn't be happier with the choices we selected. The service was great! The servers were attentive and friendly. It was a nice atmoshere. If you come with a bigger party, I recommend making a reservation. Another GEM! Highly recommended!

Came to Gaku for yakitori with a group of 5 people and we ordered a bunch of skewers to share along with some appetizers and rice. The highlights were the yakitori of course - we loved the negi beef tongue, oroshi galbi (with grated radish with ponzu), and pork belly! We also ordered some apps and dishes to share - the hamachi collar was unfortunately cold when it got to our table and more steamed than grilled. There wasn't much flavor and really let us down. We also got the otoro sashimi (5 pieces for a little under $50). The fish was very fresh but not as fatty as I usually see, it was closer to chutoro. Overall we found the non-yakitori items to be just ok. For pairing with the skewers, would highly recommend getting ontama rice (rice topped with a poached egg with kombu sauce & scallions). It's simple but so good and great to complete your meal.

Called in a little after 8pm, and was able to make a reservation for a party of 4 at 9pm that night. The restaurant is on the smaller side for seating though; I'd recommend calling in if you have a party larger than 4. Standard yakitori spot, but it did feel a bit pricier in comparison to other yakitori restaurants in the Bay Area; however, still tasty and of decent quality. We got mainly skewers for our meal, and the beef tongue and gizzard skewers were our favorites. Galbi skewer was on the tougher/thicker side for my taste (not as tender).

Best place to try yakitori in the south bay, i have been to many places in the LA area but nothing beats this one. Chicken liver and gizards are always my favorite items, it compliments with Sake. The meat is evenly cooked and well seasoned and all skewers are served with salt or the sauce.

Super good yakitori. All of the food was so fresh and cooked so well. The chicken breast was so juicy and tender. All the different seasonings were great. Prices good for what you're getting. Great service as well. Small location so make a reservation or be prepared to wait for a spot at the bar.

This yakitori spot was a bit pricier than other ones that I've been too. The service was ok. It was fine at first but as the restaurant started filling up, it felt like our table was getting neglected. We couldn't get our waters refilled and had to haul down another waitress to bring us our check. Interior is very small and only able to host a handful of parties. They do have a tiny bar area for those that want a quick grab and go. The food itself was ok. I tried two different skewers: galbi oroshi & galbi garlic. The kalbi garlic flavor was a bit dry and tough to chew. I really enjoyed the flavor of the galbi oroshi and would recommend ordering that one. I also tried the pork belly and was not a fan of the flavor. It was a bit too sweet for my liking and quite fatty. The ontama rice and cabbage were tasty and a nice side with all the meat dishes. This restaurant is located in a plaza with plenty of parking. Overall, a pricier spot. I would recommend calling ahead of time & making s reservation if you plan on stopping by!

4.5 rounded up to 5. I stumbled upon here accidentally so I had no idea what to expect, and it was a great find! The inside felt welcoming and somewhat grandiose compared to its plain looking outer appearance. The wait staff were very welcoming and patient. I really enjoyed the chicken thigh skewers, tai ochazuke, potato salad, torikawa ponzu, and cod dishes. The scallop and vegetable skewers were okay. Would definitely come back!

Monkfish Liver 5 soft, pasty, sour sauce, seaweed Diced Duck Steak 3 sous vide duck breast, seared on grill, red wine sauce, not juicy, medium flavorful Ayu Sweet Fish 1 grilled tiny whole fish, bitter Chicken Gizzard 3 crispy chewy, salt Chicken Liver 3 soft, slightly bitter Kalbi 3 too chewy, medium flavorful Beef Tongue 5 chewy, tender, flavorful scallion sauce Scallop 4 medium rare, not sweet enough

Gaku is one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. I have never had a bad meal here in the last ten years I've been going. My consistent favorites are the fried shrimp, spicy chicken wings, and the Gaku udon. A new item we tried out were the yuzu fried chicken skins and those were fantastic as well. All of the yakitori is great and much recommended. Gaku is perfect for date nights and for nights out with friends. Definitely come here for a consistently great dining experience.

This yakitori place was a little more pricy though compared to some other shops in the Bay Area, but the service was friendly and the food was really good! The skewers were perfectly grilled and well-seasoned. I loved the smoky flavor, especially in the grilled chicken ones. They were juicy, tender, and slightly charred, with a savory-sweet glaze that added depth to each bite. We also got the fresh cabbage and chilled silky tofu as starters. They were very refreshing~ The deep fried spicy chicken wings were crispy and flavorful~ And of course, we couldn't resist indulging in the dessert menu. The matcha cream brûlée struck a perfect balance between sweetness and creamy texture. The lychee honey cheesecake was a decadent finale, its flavors dancing on our palates, a great way to end the meal!

One of the best places on the Bay Area for Yakitori. Frequent patron for at least the last 8 years, and service is still top notch. Food is consistent in quality and taste from the charcoal grill. The servers time different parts of your order to ensure the best experience, with thoughtfulness of ramen as the final course to fill you up. Skewers: kalbi, hearts, liver, mushrooms. Faves: liver and mushrooms. Kalbi is a great 2nd place tender and flavorful... but it's because it's kalbi and always tender. Menu items: duck breast- yes it's pricy, but I rarely see delicate tender duck breast cubes on the menu. Rice onigiri...perfectly crisped and lightly seasoned. Ramen: good finisher, filling, broth is average. Clams: as expected. Boiled and in dash broth. Good warmer for the tummy as an appetizer. Music is still on par, and a great place to get drinks, and well made yakitori.

My partner and I have just returned home, and we are still taken aback by the supreme quality that Gaku delivered. We ordered the following: chicken liver with sauce, knee cartilage, gizzard, heart, bluefin toro karaage, kalbi with miso, pork belly, tecchan, ankimo, and rare honey cheesecake. Here's the following order by phenomenal tasting: Tecchan, chicken liver, bluefin toro karaage, knee cartilage, and ankimo. James, our server, was extremely kind, humorous, and knowledgeable with the menu. Thank you so much, James! We also ordered the Kinka bottle, which was chef's kiss along with the plates that stood out to me. My partner also loves the above plates--man it was worth the one hour wait. And that cheesecake? My, my, my. Until next time. :)

I don't usually leave reviews but I had to this time around. We were served raw chicken for the chicken cartilage skewers. We didn't realize it after already eating one. When we told the waitresses they said "Oh yeah that's raw". They offered to have another one cooked but by then we lost our appetite and became paranoid of food poisoning. They only offered to take the price of the chicken cartilage off the bill, but thinking back at it. We're at risk of salmonella because of this mistake. Disappointed especially after seeing all the good reviews.

I've been looking for a regular Japanese skewers place to go to in the bay area and I think this place is it! This is a more formal place than its sister location but the taste is just as good if not better. If possible, make sure to get a reservation here since it can get super crowded. All of the skewers were really really delicious. They had a wide assortment of skewers to choose from, and honestly I don't think you can go wrong with ordering any of them. The service is super fast and everyone there is super friendly. They do tell you when you have to leave since they might have reservations and stuff but I don't think it's too much of an issue, since you'll get plenty of time. All in all, definitely a wonderful place for a fancier dinner. It's a bit pricey but I think it's well worth it.

Vibe: Cozy chill atmosphere Food: Unagi skewers with poached egg 4/5 -very umami Bluefin carpaccio 3.5/5 - dont get it if you dont like onions (green onion, red onion, fried onion). Large slices of fish that serves 2-3 people Chicken thigh 4.5 We got both the garlic and sauced chicken. Overall very juicy and has some parts of chicken skin which enhances the flavor Beef tongue negi 3.5, large slices love the green onions on Oroshi kalbi skewer 2.5 - not as flavorful as we thought it would be Hotate scallops 4 - good quality can taste the light smoky charcoal flavor, tasted even better with the lemon. Yaki onigiri with ikura and salmon 2.5/5 - I wish it was crispier - I liked the shishito leaf - Not enough filling Service: service is good you might wait a bit for the food but i think the quality makes up for it. Very solid. Would come back again.

Yakitori - chicken wing: too salty - chicken meatball: awesome texture, recommend - chicken knee cartilage: good, but you have to like the texture of chewing through soft bones - shiitake: good, did not standout to me Others dishes - monkfish liver: love the soy gelee and seaweeds that accompany it. Great combo of textures, recommend - shrimp tempura: shell was a bit much to chew through, but good as a beer snack - gaku udon: surprisingly good. Broth is medium weight, mainly chicken and white pepper flavor. Udon had good texture. Wish it had more 'stuff' inside. Only one small cube of pork. Not a full meal portion - yuzu rare cheesecake: yuzu flavor is pretty strong, depending whether you like that or not. Cream cheese base had good flavor. Could taste the cream cheese, but not overpowering. Wish there were more raspberry bits to add contrast - grilled onigiri with ikura: always great Misc - Second time I've been here, and both times, have been out of uni. Disappointing since a number of menu items have uni in it - Book a reservation ahead of time, limited table seatings - Skewers are pretty pricy, about $8-12 a plate

Hidden gem. Great find, real Japanese food: great ingredients and variety. Service is friendly and attentive without being too intrusive. Great place to catch up with friends or bring your significant other for a week night dinner. Love Kobe skewers, tuna sashimi, and duck.

This was amaaaaaazing! Japanese girl approved!! We had alllll kinds of stuff and everything was fantastic! We ate: Kakuni - must get fatty goodness Spicy chicken wings - light, airy, crispy, has a kick Fried gobo - must get Udon - this was the only thing that I could pass on Yaki onigiri - wish it had a little more flavor in it Chicken thigh garlic - plump, juicy gooooood Pork belly spicy miso - delish sweet and spicy miso Chicken heart salt - crunchy/chewy Kalbi grates daikon - love the daikon!! Tsukune tare/sauce - a kid fav Chicken wing salt Cherry tomato Eringi Mushrooms garlic - love my veggies! Dorayaki with azuki cream Lychee sorbet - kid said it might be the best in the world The kids enjoyed being able to see into the kitchen and the Ramune they were able to drink! The servers were fantastic, restaurant not loud, and it was just a fantastic overall experience!

I love this place I love this place I love this place I can't say it enough. Great food, great service. Authentic and approachable.

Food and service was so wonderful that I'm actually taking time to write a review. Chilled Eggplant 3/5 Uni and ikura shot w/ dashi jelly 10/5 - Unique. Must try Tori Soup 3/5 - Very rich broth, good but just not my preference Yellowtail Sashimi from Japan 5/5 Scallop skewer 5/5 Chicken gizzard skewer 5/5 Enrigi mushroom 1000/5 Kobe/Beef tongue/Beef intestine skewer 2/5 - Very chewy imo Ontama rice 10000/5 loml tbh GET THE DESSERTS!! Made in house 10000000/5 Yuzu Cheesecake + Matcha Creme Brulee

My husband and I dined here on a Monday night. We walked in at 6:30p and were seated right away. There were still few tables available and open spots at the "bar" counter. There were two servers, both of them were nice and friendly. We order two of the uni shots, it has uni, salmon roe and jello - the amount of uni they put in each shot is decent and they're very fresh and goes well with the roe. Then for skewers we had: beef (good quality but a bit overcooked), wings (perfectly cooked and seasoned, decent sized too), thigh with skin (a bit too salty for our taste if we choose garlic instead of salt), livers (had it in sauce and it was tender and tasty), gizzard and heart (good but overcooked, which made them too dry), pork belly (perfect cooked and seasoned, great meat and fat ratio), then large beef intestines (perfectly cooked and seafood, surprisingly not burnt which is difficult to do - my favorite dish here), I also had their Takowasa, which I forgot to take a pic because it was so fresh and delicious, I finished it in no time. It had just the right amount of spicy from the wasabi. Overall, it was a nice experience and we will definitely come back. I do wish that they open for lunch like Sumiya and Sumika. Also wish they incorporates the Yelp waitlist system and QR code ordering. Less paper and more efficient.

This place is great with three or more people, allowing you to order a variety of food and share. Their special sashimi is fresh, and all their yakitori are delicious (note that one order gets you two skewers of yakitori). Their Gaku udon is also very delicious. The food is the closest to authentic Japanese cuisine.

We called to ask if they could accommodate a table of 8 30 minutes prior to our arrival. The staff were super friendly and did their best to do so in a small and cozy restaurant. Don't come hungry! The restaurant serves small bites meant to be eaten with beer, so it will get pricey if you order a lot. Skewers are all grilled fresh and service was quick. My favorites were the beef tongue, kalbi, scallops, chicken wings, and garlic pork belly. The miso pork belly was spicy! A little too spicy to enjoy. We had the special, an assortment of sashimi including otoro which was fresh and tasty. I thought the squid appetizer was just ok, not too flavorful. Overall a nice experience, but I wouldn't recommend for large party. The bill came out to about $50 per person after tip and most of us were not satisfied. I would be willing to come again as a splurge date night though.

The food was okay, but then again maybe we don't have the taste buds for it. The Kobe beef skewers ($13 for two sticks) was chewy, wagyu skewers (2 for $13) was very good, and the pork belly skewers ($12 for two) was the best. We also got the oxtail soup, very tasty and everything was simmered perfectly. It was on the louder end inside and the wait time was pretty quick (830pm on a Saturday). Lots of parking

Food was really good. They could go easier on the dressing on the salad tho; it was a bit too sour. Other than that, Al the skewers are freshly grilled. Hot when served. The gizzard really reminded me of my time in japan. Definitely would return. We didn't make a reservation, so we were told that we can only stay for 1.5 hrs. Fine with us. But then they tried to take orders in like... less than 5 minutes. Also, they probably don't have their own section so all 3 of them took turn coming to ask us for our order. LoL Place is nice. You can see the chef grilling the skewers. Tables are spacious too.

Parking is a hit or miss here because it shares a lot with other businesses. We came on a Friday evening around 5:15pm, no reservation. We were greeted right away and given the option to sit at the counter or eat at a table. To sit at a table the server had informed us there is a reservation coming so we had to finish eating before / at 7pm, which was fine with us. We did finish our dinner before 7pm and didn't feel rushed. We ordered an Asahi beer that came in a chilled glass, 5/5! The spicy chicken wings were crunchy and light, squeezing the lemon on top gave it that extra yumminess. We ordered 5 different types of skewers. This is a great little place for a date night or even a group of 4! Can't wait to come back with friends.

Just got back from Japan & was craving Yakitori. This place did not disappoint. One of the things my bosses from Japan always point out is the lack of authentic Japanese owned sushi / bbq restaurants in the South Bay. I can fully support Gaku Yakitori as a place I would bring my bosses for a great dinner knowing they would be happy. Excellent beef tongue, and the special drink event the other week was super fun!

Best yakitori I've ever had; the meats are very high quality, and the selection is impressive. Some of my favorites: chicken skin, chicken gizzard, garlic chicken thighs, king trumpet mushroom, and garlic pork belly . The food isn't cheap, but the food is worth every dollar.

Gaku has been a Yakitori staple in San Jose for a long time. I started coming here 4 years ago and returned for the first time after COVID last night. It's was amazing as expected and lived up to everything I remembered it being. I got a variety of items from their Yakitori menu along with their tuna belly special. Everything was very tender, not over cooked and not overly seasoned either. The miso soup is great with a lot of seaweed and tofu and tasted amazing for a cold evening. This place is also known for their drinks but I did not partake. When you're in San Jose and in the mood for Yakitori i highly recommend you come check it out.

Although this is a late review, my partner and I had a wonderful dinner a while ago. We loved their tuna karaage and selection of skewers. We accompanied this with a bottle of sake that our amazing host took the time to explain to us the different flavor profiles we could expect from their menu. He was a great host and the food was incredible, so this was very well worth it for a special date night out :) We definitely recommend reservations as the space is very popular and has limited seating.

Always enjoy eating here and at their sister restauraunt sumiya. They have interesting flavours for their skewers beyond the standard options, in particular the large intestine and the beef tongue were excellent. The a la carte items are less impressive, the duck was well cooked but bland, as was the wagyu katsu. All in all, amazing food but super expensive.

Damn Gaku! You hit the spot and everything else in between. This place is home of the best Japanese skewers!! We ordered the chicken thigh sauce skewers and they were the best that I've had in the Bay Area! The sauce is very decadent and the chicken is cooked perfectly tender! We had 5 orders (so 10 skewers) so it was perfect for our party of 4. Scallop skewers were delicious too!! Don't forget to squeeze some lemon on them and it gives it a extra kick Interior: it's small so not ideal for a big group but it's nice for a chill hangout Location: had a lot of parking and is a little hidden but definitely worth visiting! Hands downs I highly recommend this place!!! And I plan to visit again

Just when I thought I knew all the best Japanese spots in the South Bay, my partner had discovered Gaku Yakitori behind a Burger King in a nondescript strip mall. I was wary as I always am with Japanese restaurants. But Gaku didn't disappoint. On the first visit, we tried an assortment of appetizers and yakitori. On that day, they did not have the Duck Steak or the Ontama Rice. In place of the duck, the Bacon Steak was a really exceptional dish with a perfectly balanced flavor between the succulent smoked pork cuts and razor thin sliced fresh raw onions. The monkfish liver in the Ankimo is cut in small circles and garnished with shredded green onion and a translucent ponzu jelly. The Uni and Ikura shot may not be for everyone, unless you really like uni and ikura. It's a very intense seafood flavor and is especially unique with the voluminous jelly in the shot glass. The Tori (chicken) Soup is served piping hot and rich with flavor. It adds a nice familiar flavor to the meal. The Yuzu Cheesecake has fresh raspberries crumbled onto a yuzu gel and creamy rich pudding with the texture of panna cotta and the flavor of cheesecake. For the follow-up visit this evening, I brought two co-workers to celebrate their birthdays. Tonight, they did have the Duck Steak, which ended up being a bit chewy and less flavorful compared to the Bacon Steak. The Kakuni was dense, soft and flavorful if not a bit heavy on soy. The Unagi was warm, sweet and perfectly cooked. We also tried two other desserts: the Lychee Ice Cream and Matcha Creme Brulee. Both were delicious; there were bits of lychee fruit in the ice cream and the matcha custard underneath the coffee-infused brulee shell was smooth and bursting with the flavor of matcha. Other than that, we ordered pretty much the same dishes as last time. Hard to go wrong with the Bacon Steak, which was universally a hit at the table. The servers are as friendly as can be expected with the fast pace of the restaurant floor and narrow walkways. Their plating is visually appealing, especially for the Bacon Steak and Ankimo. I hope to have captured that in some of the photos below. If you're looking for a new Japanese non-sushi spot to try, I can safely recommend Gaku Yakitori.

** REVIEW IS FROM NOV 2021 ** It seems that the food and grilling staff seems to have changed from when I last visited, which bums me out since I had an amazing experience. I still wanted to document my visit to Gaku Yakitori since it was one of the best yakitori I've had. My boyfriend and I came for a late dinner on a Friday night and were seated right away at one of the tables outside. We ordered 2 Asahi drafts and a medley of skewers: gyutan, kalbi oroshi (daikon radish), chicken thigh w/ sauce, butabara, tecchan (large intestine), and a chicken tatsuta. Every single skewer was ridiculously tender and juicy. We were both so amazed at the quality of the meats and how perfectly seasoned everything was. My absolute favorite had to be the large intestine - I've never had a large intestine yakitori THIS GOOD before. It was deliciously smoky with the perfect amount of sauce and char. The intestine was sooo tender and basically melted in my mouth. The price point is steep, but I believe for the quality of meat and taste, it's definitely worth it. It's really sad that the more recent reviews of Gaku say it's not what it used to be. I feel like this is the perfect spot for a special occasion dinner with your partner, family, or friends.

Cozy. Skewers were not bad. Service was ok. Small menu. Good place to drink and eat with friends.

This was our go-to when we lived only 7 minutes away, we used to bring visiting friends and family because they accept reservations, the great food, and unique experience. We've eaten here at least 10 time and it felt like a homecoming to come back again for the first time in 4 years. Before covid there used to be a large window you could watch the skewers being fanned and rotated over binchotan. It's gone now but there is outdoor seating making it a bit easier to get a table. The chicken skewers are our favorite. Thighs, wings, and skin all with salt and not sauce to really taste the meat and charcoal taste. Quality seems to have gone down slightly, but its still very good. You can also get wagyu, pork belly, gizard, seafood, etc... There's an empty bamboo cylinder on each table and that's where you throw the skewers when you are done. The menu item I miss most was an appetizer called Chicken Skin that came with a pink sauce and was like a giant Chicken flavored Dorito, it sounds odd but it was very delicious and we even asked if they could please make it off-menu (they said no).