The Sun has not Died....it's just Sen Dai!!

Finally found the highly praised Sen Dai on North Abel St in Milpitas. You may reacall from my previous posting about my visit to Sushi Mamoru on Main St that this was the place I was actually looking for. If you didn't catch that post, I was referred to Sun Dei by a Milpitas resident and fellow food adventurer, only to forget the name and exact location of the place; ended up on Main St instead of Abel St, has a so-so experience; continued my search; found Sen Dai. Sun Dei is a mom-and-pop japanese food restaurant in Milpitas that is a local favorite for Milpitians. As a former resident of Milpitas, I was suprised I had not heard of it before.

I visited here on a Saturday for lunch. The decription I got was pretty much dead-on. The dining area is about the size of my bedroom, with a cheesy exterior, but clean and orderly interior. As the place had just opened for lunch that day, there was only 1 other couple dining there, so we were seated immediately, a BIG plus++. They have a choice of regular open area dining tables, a bar, or the traditional stick-your-legs-through-a-hole-in-the-floor type of table. I have had this experience before and I cannot say I enjoy it, but it makes you feel like you are really experiencing something authentic. We decided to site at one, but it was really just a table with a bench that you had to step over to sit down on. Close enough! Our service was prompt, and our waitress was not pushy or snappy, very easy going, another plus+. We ordered some usual stuff, as I have found that trying something new on your first visit to a resaturant sometimes gives me a bad impression if I don't like what I ordered (I may not have liked that dish anywhere). We played it safe in order to make a sensible comparision to other recent japanese lunch spots (you know, Cali Rolls, Bento Box).

The food was adequate, and surely of better quality that I expected from the out of the way lunch spot (I noticed they are open for dinner, too, but all the recommendations I got was to go at lunch...not sure why?) Our water and hot tea was refilled constantly, another big plus++! Our bill was just over $20 for 2 people with some left over to take home for lunch the next day. The real reason to visit here it the great service and low prices for a tasty meal. The day I visited, there was a 1:1 ratio of employees to customers....you can't beat that.

This will be a regulary dining spot for us from now on, and if you find yoursefl food-adventuring in Milpitas, Sun Dai needs to be on your list!

-Tom W Tell