What is Animae:

In a city with a culinary scene known for its daring and unique cross-border flavors, Animae takes the spirit of San Diego’s creative, collaborative culinary culture to the next level.

A Pan-Asian-inspired restaurant, Animae features an east-meets-west, anything goes, breaking all the rules menu created by celebrity restaurateur and former Top Chef finalist, Brian Malarkey, along with his executive chef Tara Monsod. But these two kitchen rebels aren’t just throwing out the rule book, they’re writing their own.

Inspired by their own unique culinary backgrounds, love of wild experimentation, Asian flavors and San Diego’s abundance of local ingredients, Animae is a true original – merging Italian culinary training, with traditional Asian ingredients and locally-sourced seafood to create something entirely new… like their broth-less ramen noodles, or their escargot butter dumplings with wagyu beef and lemon. Yum!

San Diego’s easy-going year-round climate, its location along the Pacific Coast, the abundance of rich, agricultural farms and energetic spirit, draws chefs from all over, and Brian and Tara acknowledge that it’s a great place for experimentation and invention.

“There are so many great farms,” chef Brian says, before also listing off the great fishermen at San Diego’s docks and fish markets, the great beaches he visits with his family during his off time, and all the great food and fun to be had in the city.

What's on the Menu in San Diego?

From the fresh seafood coming off the San Diego docks, to the organic farms in the area, Animae brings in all the rich resources the city has to offer to craft its amazing menu. And you can sample it all, from corn scallion karaage, broth-less ramen noodles, wagyu porterhouse cuts cooked in miso butter, escargot butter dumplings, and kare kare short ribs with bagoong peanut oil, all prepared on a custom charcoal flame oven that delivers a one-of-a-kind taste in a one-of-a-kind city.