After being burnt to the ground in a devastating fire, Jackie’s Place rose from the ashes to dish out authentic soul food passed down through four generations of family recipes. The restaurant, located at 840 N. First St. offers a combination of Texas barbecue and soul food. While the chili and Uncle Greg’s barbecue ribs...
The Biz Beat: San Jose’s Cup and Saucer serves up comfort food
Before coffee shops became synonymous with overpriced beverages sold in foreign-sounding cup sizes, they were places where the neighborhood met for casual dining. The staff knew what every frequent customer liked and would send their regular order to the kitchen without asking. San Jose’s Cup and Saucer is that kind of place, where a great...
The Biz Beat: Kyoto Palace in Campbell still reigns after more than 40 years
The clang of the chef’s utensils delight as he twirls and flips them in the air, sending bits of egg for his customers to catch in their mouths. On the steaming griddle, he draws a rooster out of egg yolk to children’s squeals. This is part of Kyoto Palace’s renowned dinner and a show, but...
The Biz Beat: CamBinh Nguyen keeps Vovinam martial arts alive in San Jose
On a chilly January evening, a group of students stood in formation and practiced their routine in Master CamBinh Nguyen’s backyard. She looked out from a gazebo surrounded by medals and trophies and recalled the many years she’s spent teaching generations of San Jose students the principles of Vietnamese martial arts, Vovinam. “It’s not easy—this job requires your heart, your...
The Biz Beat: For 40-plus years, Hicklebee’s in San Jose has brought stories to life
Sitting comfortably in an aisle of Hicklebee’s bookstore, Calvin, 11, shares a book with his 9-year-old brother, Malcolm. The boys look right at home, which isn’t surprising since their mom Emily Liu-Elizabeth has been bringing them there since they were born. Liu-Elizabeth herself has come to the shop since she was a little girl. “Bookstores...
The Biz Beat: Peters’ Bakery in San Jose puts the icing on the cake
One San Jose bakery has been making to-die-for burnt almond cake for more than 85 years, bringing customers from hundreds of miles away for this signature dessert and other mouthwatering delights. Tony Peters founded Peters’ Bakery in 1936. He grew up in a poor Portuguese family in San Jose. During the Depression, he worked for...
The Biz Beat: San Jose locals discover Ethiopian home cooking at Mudai
Mudai Ethiopian Restaurant owner and chef Selam Tkabo has a passion for cooking and strives to “serve happiness” through traditional, homemade dishes. She recreates flavorful family recipes, rich in exotic African spices, she learned to make in her mother’s kitchen in Ethiopia. Located at 503 W. San Carlos Street in San Jose, the restaurant seats...