Menara Moroccan, 41 E. Gish Road, San Jose. 408/453-1983. Delicious, authentic Moroccan cuisine, complemented by exotic cocktails and belly dancing nightly. $$ PACIFIC ISLANDS Banana Leaf, 182 Ranch Drive, Milpitas. 408/ 719-9811. Comfortable, open kitchen-style cooking and flavorful entrees like Mango Prawn. $-$$ PORTUGUESE Adega, 1614 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose, 408/926-9075. Translated as “wine cellar,” Adega puts a chic, modern spin on authentic Portuguese cuisine. Seafood is the star, but hearty meat dishes and wine collection also impress. $$$ SEAFOOD Blue Water Seafood & Crab, 860 Willow St., San Jose. 408/289- 8879. East Coast-style crab house with a wide selection of seafood specialties as well as plenty of choices for land lovers. $ Fish Market, Palo Alto, 650/493-8862; Santa Clara, 408/246-3474; San Jose, 408/269-3474. Fresh, high-quality seafood comes from the restaurant’s fishery and partnering seafood farms. $$ Old Port Lobster Shack, 3130 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, 650/561-9500; 851 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City, 650/366-2400. Fresh lobster dishes and other seafood selections served in a New England style lobster shack. $$ Pacific Catch Fresh Fish Grill (The Prune-yard), Campbell, 408/ 879-9091; Mountain View, 650/941-1810. Fresh fish prepared with a combination of local ingredients and spices and sauces of Southeast Asia, Japan and Latin America. $$ Sawa, 1042 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. 408/ 241-7292. Fresh fish and seafood, including delightful prix fixe sushi-focused entrees. $$$ Steamer’s Grillhouse (in Old Town), 31 University Ave., Los Gatos. 408/395-CRAB. Steamer’s features a variety of steaks, chops, seafood and Mediterranean-inspired dishes and more. $$ The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse, 4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. 650/213-1111. Blend of contemporary cuisine and Japanese sensibility. $$$ SINGAPOREAN Shiok! Singapore Kitchen, 1137 Chestnut St., Menlo Park. 650/838-9448. An exciting fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine. $ Straits, 333 Santana Row, Suite 1110, San Jose. 408/246-6320. Serving up fine Singaporean cuisine, this sleek and sophisticated spot is well-suited to its posh Santana Row locale. $$$ 96 South Bay Accent SOUTHEAST ASIAN Ginger Café, Sunnyvale, 408/ 736-2828. Gilroy, 408/847-2625. Comfortable, family-run restaurants that feature a flavorful fusion of Chinese favorites with a Southeast Asian influences. $ Mint Leaf Cuisine, 14420 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. 408/872-3763. Eatery features fusion cuisine including soft-shell crabs with peanut sauce and curry scallops. $$ SPANISH Cascal, 400 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/940-9500. Spanning the globe with spectacular dishes from Spain and South America, Cascal serves up a menu of “spirited Latin cuisine.” With over 25 tapas—small plates and tastes— divided into “old world” and “new world” choices, there’s something for everyone. Try the classic Spanish chorizo in rioja wine or minted lamb meatballs in a saffron and almond sauce. For a full dinner, start with one of several ceviches and move on to an exquisite, traditional paella (including one for vegetarians). The casually elegant interior, with its bright, bold colors was created by renowned designer/architect Chuck Thompson. $$ Donostia, 424 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos. 408/797-8688. Traditional Spanish-Basque experience featuring fresh local ingredients transformed into vivid flavors. $$ Joya, 339 University Ave., Palo Alto. 650/853- 9800. The hip modern décor mixes well with the contemporary Spanish and Latin tapas and the tasty variety of new age cocktails. $$$ La Catalana, 3720 N. First St., San Jose. 408/324- 1321. Unique Spanish dishes are prepared from family recipes in an ideal setting for business, social or romance. $$ v Picasso’s, 62 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose. 408/298- 4400. Authentic Spanish cuisine made from the freshest ingredients and served in a relaxed, athome atmosphere. $$ Zambra Tapas Bar, 250 Lorton Ave., Burlingame. 650/344-5655. Spanish-influenced dishes anchored with seafood, steak, chicken or pork. $$ THAI Amarin, Mountain View, 650/ 988-9323; San Jose, 408/253-8424; Santa Clara, 408/988-2982. Fresh, contemporary Thai menu with traditional accents and vegetarian dishes. $ Bangkok Cuisine, 407 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto. 650/ 322-6533. Charming ambience with lovely patio dining. The curries are especially tasty. $ Siam Orchid, 496 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto. 650/325-1994. A menu that mixes traditional Thai dishes with more modern cuisine, all infused with the finest quality organic ingredients. $$ VIETNAMESE Fuel Restaurant, 385 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose. 408/248-0018. Stylish dining room sets the stage for tasty, contemporary Vietnamese fare. $-$$ Tamarine, 546 University Ave., Palo Alto. 650/ 325-8500. Elegantly presented dishes, such as crab wontons in a consommé of lime, coriander, lemongrass and coconut milk served in a warm, inviting atmosphere. $$ Xanh, 110 Castro St., Mountain View 650/ 964-1888. Upscale restaurant featuring Vietnamese cuisine that pleases both the eye and palate with creative combinations. $-$$ n BEST BITES ESTHER GOKHALE (continued from pg. 54) mother-in-law, who had a withered left side from childhood polio, severe osteoporosis and arthritis and could only move bent over a walker. “Within one session, she was already sitting up straight and by the end of the program, she had learned to pick herself up from the floor unassisted in case of a fall,” Stegman says. During the Gokhale classes, students are taught gentle techniques for sitting, walking, sleeping and bending based on the J-shaped spines exhibited by more primitive people. The positions and movements are subtle and sometimes quite involved, as in the case of what Gokhale calls glide walking. But even incorporating just a few techniques, such as contracting the gluteus medius muscles in the buttocks with each step, can make a profound difference. According to Pam Page, “I can still have pain in the morning, but as soon as I go out and do the glide walking, it disappears.” As for Gokhale herself, “I’m in the clear,” she reports. “I haven’t had a back pain or a twinge in over 20 years. I’m glad I didn’t have another surgery and found another way to get to the root cause of the problem.” Disproving the advice she got from physicians years ago, she had two more children after her firstborn, who earned her medical degree and is now completing an internship. All her children have excellent posture, of course, and her two youngest participate in competitive athletics. At this point, she is on a mission. “My goal is very clear. I would like to make back pain rare,” she says. To that end, her techniques are taught in classes throughout the world, and she is a frequent guest at companies seeking to help their deskbound employees better cope with the physical strains of white-collar jobs. Google, Facebook, Ideo and Varian Medical Systems are among the local companies where she has appeared. Echoing her mother’s calm, encouraging and hopeful perspective that she displayed when caring for sick and abandoned children in Bombay, Gokhale is optimistic about the future. “Water finds its level,” she explains. “At some point, this will become fashionable. I’d like it to be strange, once again, for people to have lower back problems,”she says, and if she has her way, it will be. n Tarragon Hult’s
South Bay Accent - Jun/Jul 2016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above