Rok's Bistro Review

Jason here. It’s going to be just me this time, since Kayleigh wasn’t with me to enjoy this unique restaurant dining experience. 

Not too long ago I took a trip down to lovely Sunnyvale California, and ate a restaurant called Rok Bistro (Warning it plays annoying music). The restaurant caught my attention because it advertised having hot-stones. What are hot-stones you ask? Well you can read about them on their website here (no music), but essentially they are square stones they heat up to incredibly hot temperatures and they serve your food on when it comes out. The whole idea is that you don’t have to order your main entrée in any particular style (well-done, medium, rare), instead it comes out sizzling on the hot-stone rare and you leave it to cook, or slice off bits and cook them individually to your exact liking.

 I should point out at this point that I ordered a steak, but they do serve plenty of other items which can come on the hot-stone.  I wasn’t immediately sold on the idea, since the part of the appeal of eating out is that ideally my food is cooked by an expert chef to perfection. However, when my food arrived I immediately warmed up to the idea.

 The hot-stone certainly adds presentation and style to the meal, which in turn adds into a good meal. My steak came out sizzling on the hot-stone giving off a delicious aroma. Furthermore, when I said I warmed up to the idea, I also meant that literally since the hot-stone gives off a decent amount of heat making it feel like you are sitting next to a small fire. It was chilly that day, so the heat made me think of eating by a nice warm campfire.

Then came the actual part of cooking the meal to my liking. I actually found this an enjoyable experience. Slicing off little bits so they would lay more flat against the hot-stone and cook quicker, made it so that each piece was more-or-less how I wanted it done. The benefit I didn’t foresee, but completely sold me on the entire thing, was that the whole time I was eating, my steak never got cold, or even warm. It was always hot, like it just came out of the kitchen. I am a pretty slow eater, so having each bite taste like that first bite fresh out of the kitchen was great! 

I am pleased to say the restaurant is also gluten intolerant aware. When I asked if the sauces which came with my meal were gluten free, the waiter politely said she wasn’t, sure but has a list in the back. It is always a very good sign when they say they have a prepared list, since that means at some point someone took the time to really figure out which items were safe. 

It’s worth mentioning the restaurant also specializes in fondues, but I did not get a chance to try them. Perhaps next time.

Overall, I would say it was a unique experience that I think everyone should give a try. The food was good, they are gluten friendly, and they offer an experience that would be hard to find anywhere else.