San Diego’s Top AANHPI-Owned restaurants
From the sun-soaked shores of North County to the streets of Downtown and the culturally rich neighborhoods of South Bay, AANHPI-owned restaurants are deeply woven into San Diego’s culinary landscape. Explore this sampling of chefs and restaurateurs whose roots span Asia, the Pacific Islands and Hawaii.
Soichi Sushi
Where: 2121 Adams Ave., San Diego, CA 92116
It’s easy to walk past the unassuming bamboo fencing outside this small University Heights restaurant without realizing it leads to San Diego’s only Michelin-starred sushi experience. Chef and owner Soichi Kadoya created an intimate omakase dinner with just 10 seats at the sushi bar and a handful of small tables where the experience is big on flavor, featuring seasonal fish prepared with elegant simplicity (no wonder reservations book well in advance). Opt for the full omakase course to enjoy a mix of hot dishes alongside expertly crafted nigiri and sashimi, such as a silky, savory chawanmushi (egg custard) and shirumono (clear fish soup). Chef Soichi’s warm, personable service rounds out the evening. If it’s a guest’s birthday, he may even bring out his guitar to offer a serenade.
Menya Ultra Ramen
Where: 8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Ste. M, San Diego CA 92111; 8141 Mira Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92126; 4577 La Jolla Village Drive, Unit 1231, San Diego, CA 92122
Over the past 10 years, the number of ramen-ya in San Diego has boomed, and the city’s food scene earned some serious noodle cred when Menya Ultra Ramen opened its first location in Clairemont. Founder Takashi Endo has won Japan’s national ramen competition and owns nearly a dozen ramen shops there, and he specializes in serving homemade wheat noodles in a rich, satisfying-to-slurp tonkotsu broth topped with braised slices of tender chashu (pork belly). There are also variations of miso ramen and a fiery tantanmen with ground pork, and optional toppings, such as ajitama (marinated soft-boiled egg), that can be added to your bowl.
Cross Street Chicken and Beer
Where: 4403 Convoy St., San Diego, CA 92111; 12955 El Camino Real, Ste. G2, San Diego, CA 92130
This new-wave Korean fried chicken restaurant combines the crunchy, twice-fried goodness of Seoul-style chicken wings with local craft beers and soju-based cocktails in a convivial atmosphere. The flagship location in the Convoy District was opened by husband-and-wife team Tommy Nguyen and Grace Chi, and was named one of the “20 Best Fried Chicken Places in America” by USA Today just two years after it debuted. Order traditional wings or tenders with a choice of nine sauces (go for the Seoul Spicy), or kimchi fried rice and budae jjigae (army stew) for the table. If someone in your party is on a plant-based diet, Cross Street also has vegan wings on the menu. While there are many chains in San Diego that specialize in “the other KFC,” Cross Street has ties to the local community — Chi’s family owns Friend’s House Korean Restaurant down the street.
Realm of the 52 Remedies
Where: 4805 Convoy St., San Diego, CA 92111
This speakeasy inside the gastropub Common Theory Public House is aptly named, as stepping inside feels transportive. The entrance resembles a Chinese apothecary, and behind a glass door etched with calligraphy that evokes a traditional scroll lies a dimly lit space with cozy alcoves that make you forget you’re just steps from an industrial stretch of San Diego. Here, bartending is an art form: the skilled mixologists will craft you the perfect cocktail, whether you're in the mood for something off the seasonal menu or want a custom creation. Reservations are a must, and it’s worth booking a seat at the bar to catch all the shaking, mixing and stirring in action.
Wildflour Delicatessen
Where: 2690 Historic Decatur Road, Ste. B, San Diego, CA 92106
San Diego-born chef Phillip Esteban has been a driving force in bringing Filipino flavors to the forefront of the city’s culinary scene. He first made waves with White Rice, a casual eatery known for its bowls of garlic fried rice topped with ulam (a main dish) such as pork sisig, lechon kawali or short rib kare kare. Esteban’s latest venture, Wildflour Delicatessen, recently opened in Liberty Station in Point Loma, and it’s an all-day spot that blends a bakery, deli, bar and restaurant in one beautifully designed space. In the morning, grab a coffee and a house-baked concha (Mexican sweetbread) or gravlax. Come lunchtime, don’t miss the mortadella sandwich with pistachio cream on focaccia (the full sandwich is enough to feed two). For a sit-down dinner, standout entrées include the prime rib and whole grilled fish. Whether you stop by for a pastry or settle in at the bar with a glass of wine, Wildflour invites you to linger, especially on nights when a live DJ sets the mood.
Fish 101
Where: 1468 N. Coast Hwy. 101, Encinitas, CA 92024; 2101 San Elijo Ave., Cardiff, CA 92007
No visit to San Diego would be complete without enjoying some fresh seafood, and Fish 101 serves up a variety of classics, from fish and chips and clam chowder to seafood curries, tacos and burritos, in a fun, casual atmosphere minutes away from North County’s scenic beaches. Owner John Park has intimate knowledge of quality seafood — he freedives and spearfishes as a hobby, and his restaurants are devoted to supporting local and sustainable fishers. Try the katsu sandwich with panko-crusted Alaskan cod topped with the house’s take on Thousand Island dressing, Baja-style fish tacos with beer-battered ahi, or any of the rice bowls with grilled fish that’s prepared simply and allows the fish to shine.
Jasmine Seafood Restaurant
Where: 4609 Convoy St., Ste. A 1/2, San Diego, CA 92111
A stalwart of the Convoy District’s restaurant community, Jasmine Seafood Restaurant has been serving dim sum in its bustling dining hall since the early ‘90s. During brunch hours, tables are packed with diners of all ages enjoying steaming baskets of har gow (shrimp dumplings), pork shumai, xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and other Cantonese specialties, such as roasted duck, braised abalone and rock cod filet. After filling up on all the savory dishes, save room for the sweet rice wrapped in lotus leaves.
It’s Raw Poke Shop
Where: 4991 Newport Ave., Ste. A., San Diego, CA 92107
Poke has become a household name outside Hawai‘i in the American food canon in recent years, and you can find a poke bowl in any major city today. However, when served outside of Hawai‘i the dish often doesn’t resemble its roots — cubed, raw fish (usually ahi) that’s been marinated and seasoned, and served with rice. It’s Raw Poke Shop is the real deal — one of the owners is from O‘ahu and once owned a popular poke shop there — and they serve fresh poke by the pound, half-pound, or on a plate with rice and macaroni salad. It’s a small takeout counter, perfect for grabbing lunch and then heading over to Ocean Beach just a block away. They also serve Hawaiian plates with kālua pork, chicken long rice and laulau (pork wrapped in steamed taro leaves).
Phương Trang
Where: 4170 Convoy St., San Diego, CA 92111
Phương Trang has been a staple for Vietnamese dining in the Convoy District for more than 30 years. Its extensive menu features over 200 items, including the standard noodle soups, bún (vermicelli) bowls, and rice dishes. What stands out are the specialties that are hard to find elsewhere in San Diego: bò nhúng dấm, a hot pot of beef and vinegar broth cooked at the table; bánh xèo, a crispy turmeric-battered crepe stuffed with shrimp and pork; and cá nướng, whole roasted catfish meant for the entire table to share (ordering it requires calling ahead).
Saffron Thai
Where: 3737 India St. Ste. B, San Diego, CA 92103
Chef Su-Mei Yu opened San Diego’s first Thai restaurant in Mission Hills in 1985, a time when Thai cuisine was unfamiliar to many American diners. Yet Su-Mei refused to compromise her cooking, and she stayed true to traditional flavors and techniques. Over the years, the restaurant became a neighborhood staple, while Su-Mei gained recognition as a cookbook author, TV host and culinary ambassador. She is also a passionate advocate for San Diego’s local farmers — fun fact, San Diego County has more than 5,000 small farms, the most of any county in the nation. Although Su-Mei has since sold the restaurant, her original recipes live on, emphasizing healthy cooking and fresh ingredients. Highlights include Thai grilled chicken with Cambodian salad, flavorful noodle soups and curries, and banana sticky rice for dessert. Gluten-free and kids’ menus are also available.
Pizza Kaiju
Where: 1985 National Ave., Ste. 1115, San Diego, CA 92113
Pizza Kaiju cooks up pizzas with toppings and sauces that are way outside of the standard box: calamansi cream sauce and pork belly sisig; Japanese potato curry; crispy fried wonton strips, cream cheese and chili sauce. The result is a fusion of Asian and Western flavors blending into satisfying slices that hit the spot. Both whole pies and a rotating list of slices are offered in New York- and Detroit-style crusts, and if you prefer something more traditional, the standard pepperoni or cheese pizzas are solid. The restaurant’s expansive space is on the ground floor of the Mercado Del Barrio complex in the Barrio Logan neighborhood, and offers beers on tap, doughnuts and coffee. In addition to pizza, there’s the new yoshoku entree menu — Japanese interpretations of Western dishes such as spaghetti and cream sauce pasta — as well as katsu dishes and chicken karaage.
Flour Atelier
Where: 4240 Kearny Mesa Road, Ste. 116, San Diego, California 92111
The owners of this small bakery and cafe draw on their Filipino and Okinawan heritage to create an array of baked goods that are not only decadent, but look like little works of edible art in pops of fun colors. The popular “Lahaina Love” cupcake is a tropical green pandan fruit cake with guava filling, whereas the deep purple ube confection is filled with a semisweet ube cream. There’s also a fun tiramisu cupcake and delightfully chewy butter mochi bars. As a bonus, several of the items are made without nuts, including the spring-colored macarons that are baked with sunflower seed flour instead of the traditional almond flour. They also have a coffee bar where you can enjoy a charcoal or matcha latte with your dessert.