Six months is usually considered the earliest a new restaurant, bar or coffeeshop can receive a fair review. By then the kinks should be ironed out, the bad apples fired and the dishes and drinks refined. But who’s got time for that? Each month, Metro spotlights five of the newest places we think are worth a look-see.

Spoon Korean Bistro
46995 Mission Blvd, Fremont. 510.445.0500. spoonashby.com
This unseasonably cold winter just got a little bit easier to bear; Spoon Korean Bistro has brought their strong soup game down south a piece by opening their second location in Fremont (original is in Berkeley). Their Pork Back Bone Casserole ($35) is their house speciality and comes in a giant serving and can comfortably feed 2-3 people—depending on the size of the appetite. Its rich broth is slowly simmered for six hours and served at the table with a warmer to help keep it piping hot. Their Dolsot Bibimbop ($13) also comes hot, served in a sizzling stone bowl that’ll be music to your ears.

Braise
1185 Lincoln Ave, San Jose. 408.294.2919. braisewillowglen.com
This Tapas bar is located in Downtown Willow Glen, just a few doors from The Table which, interestingly enough, one of the head chefs, Anthony “AJ” Jimenez, used to front. He and his co-head chef Josh Hanoka, of Bray Butcher Block, are blending their contemporary and old-school cooking styles to bring forth a seasonally driven menu. AJ’s kimchi ($7) and chicken liver mousse ($7) are two old Table favorites that everyone will recognize, but the braised sunchokes ($12) are a definite “must-try,” as well. Their 30-day dry-aged NY strip steak with uni butter ($36) should be listed on just about every check, as well. Braise is open for dinner only and happy hours are served in the bar from 4-6pm (Tue-Fri) and 10-11pm (Fri & Sat).

The Sandwich Spot
176 Ranch Dr, Milpitas. 408.878.1818. thesandwichspot.com
 This sandwich, ahem, spot is slowly taking over with its fourth South Bay location. This one is located in Milpitas’ famous McCarthy Ranch Shopping Center. Seen as a strong competitor to Ike’s, the Sandwich Spot brings the kitsch with their own locally named sammys, like the Dub Nation, Silicon Crusher and the South Bay Baller. All their speciality sandwiches are priced around $10 and come with their fresh-baked bread and daily housemade sauces. Try the house favorite Beastmode sandwich ($9.50) which comes with hot pastrami, bacon, cream cheese and topped with their Bomb sauce.

Project Pasta
991 Saratoga Ave Ste 110, San Jose. 408.753.6623. projectpastaco.com
Taking the Chipotle-zation of America to a place it has yet to tread, Project Pasta brings the build-your-own concept to noodles. Their bowls start out with picking your pasta (spaghetti, farfalle or penne); adding a sauce (marinara, pesto or alfredo); choosing from some or all eleven of their veggies; and then selecting one of their meat options (meatballs, sausage, chicken and bacon). The prices range from a reasonable $7 for a pasta-and-sauce-only plate to $11 for a multi-meat bonanza. Customers can even add carrots, peas and corn to their pasta creations if they want to get really wild. And that’s the sound of my Sicilian grandmother rolling over in her grave.

Bezawada
544 Lawrence Expy, Sunnyvale. 408.524.5555. Thebezawada.com
Bezwada is known for their authentic Andhra food, which originated in a coastal region in India along the Bay of Bengal. The house specialities are their all-you-can-eat Thalis, which are available in vegetarian ($13.99/lunch $15.99/dinner) or non-vegetarian ($15.99/lunch $17.99/dinner) options. The thali is giant round dish that comes packed with rice, curries, rotis, pakoras and all manner of spicy goodness to make your taste buds sing, cry and dance. Bezwada also caters and has a banquet hall available to rent for up to 65 people.