Animae Reviews

The restaurant menu has a variety of very good and unique dishes, mostly Asian. Even more impressive is the extremely professional yet unintrusive service by the entire staff. The prices are nevertheless excessive, in part to cover the costs of the high rent space, but apparently also to establish a measure of exclusively and invite patronage by "the beautiful people." There is no need to order the grossly expensive wagyu and other steaks, as these can be obtained elsewhere. Go for the Asian dishes.

Animae was as delightful and unique dinning experience as I have had and I am a long time San Diegan. From the décor of art deco and modern animation design to the staff who were willing participants in providing you the “diner” a clear understanding of the restaurant’s concept and menu. To the menu, which as I had followed Chef Joe (who I loved at Cucina Urbana where he was the executive chef) in his travels earlier in the year up north where he was tasting and building this menu into a one that offers a unique and flavorful selection. All the staff were on board and there when needed without exception. I had an early reservation and having the privilege having owned fine dinning establishments in NYC and LA I witnessed something I rarely if ever see in San Diego. One of the serving staff was measuring a table to ensure the proper placement of all the settings. To me that was of particular delight as it shows the commitment is universal and held to a high standard to make the diner’s evening a memorable experience whether you are in for just the tasting menu or the full approach. The wine list and sake’ selection was great, but I did not partake this time next I will. Kudos to the staff, Chef Joe and of course its purveyor Brian Malarkey. This should set a standard for others if they wish to be in this arena. As for myself I am looking forward to returning soon.

We had a wonderful dinner at Animae earlier this year, with every dish hitting all the right notes. Despite the restaurant's reputation for wagyu beef, however, we did not order a single beef dish at all. Rather, I started with the Tuna Crispy Rice and my husband ordered the Hunan Lamb Chops. For mains I had the Ginatan --- which is a seafood medley in a coconut broth -- and he selectedthe Branzino ChaCha, accompanied by a shared side of the Charred Broccolini. The 2 best dishes, by far, were the lamb chops and the ginatan. The chops were a very generous portion -- i.e., much larger than is usual for an appetizer -- with excellent flavors. The broth for the ginatan was incredibly flavorful. No room for dessert (or we would have ordered the Ube Profiteroles, to share, as they sounded delicious). We ordered a bottle of red wine from the bottom of the list, after a consultation with the wine steward of what we were seeking. Not only was she very helpful, but not at all stuffy, with a lovely sense of humor. Absolutely, no pressure at all to order a more expensive bottle. If I have any complaint at all about the restaurant, it's the ambiance and decor. The style of the furnishings is overwrought and the music discordant. On the plus side, the tables are very nicely spaced; we could not hear the conversation from those at adjoining tables. This is a very pricey restaurant if you order the beef. We didn't -- not because we were watching our wallets but because we much prefer seafood when we are eating out. We would definitely return.

We chose this restaurant for a birthday dinner, drawn by its reputation for exquisite cuisine and expecting a night of indulgence. The service throughout the evening was great—attentive and professional. However, despite having made a reservation and noting the occasion, we were seated at a small table top along the main hallway. This made the setting feel cramped, especially with barely enough space for all the plates and cups. The food, on the other hand, was truly remarkable and lived up to our high expectations. The Wagyu Miyazaki Tenderloin was a standout dish, so tender it practically melted in your mouth—a genuine testament to culinary excellence. The Szechuan Spicy Seabass also impressed us with its perfect blend of flavors and spices. While the cocktails were just okay and not memorable, the main courses certainly made up for it. Considering the price point of this classy establishment, a bit more attention to seating arrangements and overall guest experience would have enhanced the celebration. It didn’t ruin our evening, but a better table would have made the expensive outing feel more worth it. Nonetheless, for the food alone, this restaurant remains a top choice for those looking to treat themselves to an exceptional meal.

This is an upscale restaurant with a swanky vibe. Nice wine list and competent wait staff. Many of the plates are shareable, which makes it fun to go with a group. Specifically loved the Cucumbers, Sweet and Sour Cauliflower, Beet salad, and crispy potatoes. It was disappointing to me that they didn't have a main dish that was vegan-friendly. When I asked about options, they were flexible and offered a rice dish or noodle dish that was plant-based. It was a nice experience with beautifully plated, delicious food.

I wanted to give this new restaurant 5 Stars, but I can't. Really 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 Stars. Yes, the restaurant is drop dead gorgeous. Yes, the prices are high. Yes, the food has great presentation. BUT, the quality of the food and the service brings the rating down. Four of us dined last night. It was the 2nd visit for the other couple. We all were disappointed and surprised the evening wasn't better. Food: Two mains, five starters, one dessert, plus lots of alcohol, for the four of us. The Duck came out raw, not even rare, and had to be sent back. The Long Beans were also slightly under-cooked, and more importantly, lacking in flavor. Grilled Octopus, while flavorful, came out lukewarm. The Pea Salad and Black Cod were great. Alcohol: My cocktail was perfectly prepared. Our bottle of Champagne went down easy. However, the selection of wines by the glass need to be expanded. Service: Yes, everyone was all smiles. But from the restaurant's own website regarding their 4% surcharge policy...."This allows us to staff this beautiful restaurant luxuriously, so that we do not sacrifice our standards of excellence in food and service. When you push a plate to the side, it should immediately be removed." Well, this didn't happen, on several occasions. When we cut into the duck and realized it was raw, we had to flag any server to come over to take it back....Aren't the staff trained to check in with the table to confirm satisfaction??? We had to ask for our water bottle to be refilled twice. After finishing our mains with sides, we waited five plus minutes for our plates to be removed. Recognizing they are new, we will certainly be back to try their Happy Hour, and also dinner again.

Just enjoyed an outside dinner at Animae. The flavors are fantastic. I had the charred corn and lamb ribs. Both had great flavors, the ribs were a bit tough, I’m no chef but I’d say go back to the usual lamb lollipops. Definitely going back to try some other items on the menu.

Had a great evening at Animae! beautiful decor, great drinks, with good food and service. Had Persian cuc salad, crab hand rolls, duck and lamb. All nicely prepared and presented. Hand rolls were a visual highlight. Wanted the pork, but not available. All dishes flavorful, but non an over-the-top knockout. Nonetheless, a solid choice for a great meal and surroundings.

We had the best meal and service imaginable. Nina and Madeleine were amazing! Everything was delicious from start to finish. We also loved the decor and the vibe of the restaurant. This is a must visit place in San Diego.

Since the chef's recipes are convoluted, heavy and dense you really need to see what you are eating but the room is so dark it was impossible. (All of the publicity photos are brightly lit with colorful fresh-seeming ingredients and it was simply impossible to tell the Chinese sausage from the beets.) And forget about having a conversation! The room was so loud we ended up having to shout at each other throughout dinner. The feeling of the room is the decor of a large Hyatt Hotel. On the plus side the staff is attentive and especially pleasant. The manager came by the table near the end of the meal and when he saw that I had not eaten even half of the (peanut) oily, (fat) ladened short rib he immediately offered to bring something else and in the end quickly said he would remove it from our bill....so someone in charge of staffing is doing a good job. The restaurant was full with a mix of mostly younger couples and small groups. I hope they all can afford the $150 Wagyu steaks. The chicken was well cooked and moist. The crispy potatoes were lots of things but not crispy. Sadly, tonight's meal was a complete disappointment. PS. Plan ahead. Valet was efficient and cordial but will cost another $25, because there is no place to park.

I ate really badly, there was not one of the six dishes we ordered that did not disgust me. In the aftermath, I still haven't digested their food. Evidently it is a very overrated restaurant in terms of food. Nothing to say about the service, but the food is not good. The dishes are all too greasy. The Wagyu tartare was filled with oil that covered the flavor of the seasonings, and the fried milk bread was completely drenched in oil no matter how crispy it was. The flavor of the short ribs was profusely covered by the grease from the peanuts dressing, which no matter how much I tried to put aside was plentiful on the plate. I found the two desserts to be of low quality. The profiteroles were too soft, the ube cream had no flavor, and the only tasty thing was the parmesan topping. The chocolate creamy was disconnected from the accompanying cream, and the Korean Chili Cashew did not improve its situation. Unfortunately, the food at this restaurant was a real disappointment.

Went here with colleagues for the experience. Ambiance was spot on and food was refreshing! A lot of dishes are based on the Filipino cuisine and the chef sure gave it a personalized touch. Everything we ordered were good....especially the short rib kare kare. Now some might say it is overpriced and that you could get one at the usual Filipino restaurant but remember you came here for the whole experience. Meaning ambiance, service and good food and drinks. Just helping to set expectations.

Nice Asian fusion restaurant with a Filipino twist. Food and drink menu is exciting. Food and drinks was great. Service and ambiance were very good.

First off the ambiance upon entering is first rate, beautiful inside. Very classy. Our server was Andrew who was excellent. Very knowledgeable and great with advice…(not the response that everything on the menu is excellent). His suggestions were spot on! The hamachi appetizer was so well done, lots of different flavors that came together beautifully. The branzino could very well have been the best preparation of this fish I have ever had! The octopus was also delicious! Corkage was $35. Highly recommend! We will be returning and I know what I am going to be ordering!

Love the food here, this was our sixth visit and food continues to impress and not disappoint. However, I’m gonna make a complaint and suggestion here. The music was LOUD, between the servers mask (which can’t be controlled) and the music volume I heard about 25% of what our server said. I could barely hear my guest…sitting right next to me. I was so annoyed by the volume by the end of the meal I skipped another glass of wine and didn’t bother to even look at the dessert menu… it was just too annoying to sit there a minute longer. Perhaps this is a plan to keep the tables turning, but it (the music volume) had a direct & negative impact on our experience.

Our visit to Animae began with disappointment. As we always do, we had picked their Happy Hour because of the food offerings listed on the internet. But the actual HH menu had about 25% fewer items on it than the website, and some of them were different. KEEP YOUR WEBSITE UP TO DATE ! The second, less major disappointment was the bar seating. Since there were four of us we could not comfortably sit at the lively bar and converse, so we sat at one of the sofa groupings. The tables were not big enough for food and drink for four, and the uncomfortable couches needed large pillows (at least for short people). The drinks were overpriced, both the HH and the regular drinks, but that is to be expected in a celebrity chef restaurant. Our server was a lot of fun. But we did have to remind her--twice--to bring one of the appetizers we ordered. But the food--with one exception--was delicious, and very different. The miso butter rolls were incredible. The spring rolls with spinach and mascarpone, ditto. The bulgogi beef skewers, the crispy rice, and the sashimi rice dish were all very good. The one exception was the chicken skewers, which were undercooked (still pink in the center) and made of tough chicken thighs instead of tender breast meat. Overall, worth going back to, probably for dinner--now we know how to find it !

Very good service with an Asian fusion menu. All dished were delicious. Had the whole fish and the presentation was great. The Lumpia and Cauliflower appetizers were amazing. Our favorite was the Som Tam Salad was our favorite. Full bar.

I came to Animae for dinner with work colleagues. We went with various fish-based starters, which were good, but the meat for main course was the star of the show. Again, we shared a a couple of large steaks (a ribeye and one other that I can't remember) which were cooked to perfection and which we coupled with a fantastic Italian red. Heaven! Service was good and the restaurant had a nice buzz to it. I would definitely go again.

Animae offers a unique dining experience for San Diego. We had delicious food and excellent service from the wait-staff. The food was excellent. You can not go wrong with any of the items on the menu. We particularly like the Tom Yum Mushroom appetizer and the whole fried Ginger Snapper. The Garlic Noodles were also deliciously prepared. The hostess could have been more accommodating as it was known that it was our wedding anniversary when we made the reservations. She sat us in the middle almost at the entry way. Despite that, we look forward to going again.

Ranking up there as one of the best meals of my life! Oysters, wagyu wonton, spicy tuna crispy rice, crudo, crab fried rice, short rib, filet and clams. shared it all - amazing. Can’t even say what was my favorite. Great ambiance and service.

We had many dishes to share, and they were mostly delicious and of Phillipino origin (we were told). Maybe a bit difficult to share at times - but ok.

Went here for dinner with coworker friends. The space is really nice - great ambience and very clean. I love the comfortable round bench seating around the generously sized round table. The tables were not spaced too tightly together. I loved that they brought out hot towels to clean your hands; however, I believe the timing was off. They brought them to the table almost immediately. I waited to use mine until after I was finished with the menu and by that time the towel was cold. Not a big deal and still great that they do it at all - perhaps with their current timing they ensure the menus stay clean. Anyway, the Asian-inspired menu was creative and the food was very good -- I especially liked the wagyu filet entree (which was perfectly cooked and came with 2 filet strips and glazed carrots) and the grilled avocado side. The snowpea salad wasn't my favorite as it had a fishy taste to it from the nori. The corn side was very good too; the sweet potato was ok. The wine by the glass selections could be expanded, but it was ok. We had a bottle of wine at the table and the server took it away when the plates were cleared even though there was still some wine in it (about 1 glass or a little less); my friend got up and retrieved the bottle to top off people's glasses. Overall, a very good evening. I will return.

I'm sorry to have to make such a negative review, but unfortunately the reality is that I had a really bad dinner in this restaurant, the food not only disgusted me in terms of taste, heaviness and greasiness, but it also gave me nausea and food poisoning for the whole night. None of the dishes magnify the flavor of the main ingredient, everything was heavily cooked and dipped in fat. Low quality cuisine, unsuccessful “creativity”, non-existent delicacy of the dishes. In short, not just a huge disappointment, but a huge disappointment having paid $250 with just one beer and tap water. In reality it would have been a disappointment even if we had paid 80$, given the disgust that accompanied us during and after dinner. Bad experience. It was the first time that, having dined in a high-end/medium-high-end restaurant, I ate really badly. Sure NOT RECOMMENDED. The "A5 wagyu tartare" could have had a discreet taste, a little spicy and a little acidic, but it navigated in fat and oil and was served with slices of pan brioche fried in poor quality oil, which had not been dried from the frying oil and therefore were very greasy and completely soaked in oil inside, causing disgust, even though they were crunchy on the outside. Overall it was a dish of extreme heaviness. The “caviar shrimp toast” was the same repetition of the fried pan brioche soaked in oil, a sort of French toast, with tasteless shrimps inside and salmon caviar on top (nothing special). No fish taste at all, but only the taste of heavy frying, full of oil that had killed every taste. Taste of sea: not received. After eating a quarter of the toast I was already disgusted and lost my appetite. We should have asked to cancel the rest of the dishes ordered, but stupidly, in order not to appear rude, we continued with the dinner, in the hope that once the "fat-soaked and fried bread" effect had passed, we could hope for at least a decent combination of flavors. Unforgivable mistake! "Short rib Kare kare" was an abundant portion of meat sailing in fat, peanuts oil, meat fat... the whole was not pleasant but cloying. “Chili octopus” was a portion of 2 large (fried and crunchy) octopus tentacles. In itself the taste was not bad, especially if they were accompanied only by the eggplant puree. But the addition of the strong sour taste of the pickles covered the other flavors, making it impossible to amalgamate the components of the dish, otherwise its taste would deteriorate. The roti bread would have been good if it wasn't also soaked in grease. Unfortunately we had ordered desserts from the beginning too, and although we said we would like one of the two we had ordered, they brought us both. Here too we made a mistake in not having it brought back, but it seemed rude to us. “Ube profiteroles”: a useless, meaningless dessert. It tastes of nothing, lots of ube cream and zero flavor. Again heavy and tasteless. “Chocolate cremeux”: how to kill the taste of chocolate (what quality of chocolate??!!). Bad taste, which did not add anything special to the chocolate but rather took away its flavor making it unpleasant. Good chocolate crumble, but you had to discard the korean cashew (flavor that does not bind with anything) to be able to eat it. In short, a dessert with an ugly taste and whose elements did not amalgamate with each other. The environment is pretty nice, except for the carpet which is a bit kitsch in my opinion, the tables are large and the seats comfortable. The staff are friendly, kind and in some way attentive.

Lovely ambience, very good service - verging on upselling, and beautifully presented dishes. Unfortunately, very few of the dishes we had were memorable in any way which was a great shame. As a beef tartare connoisseur (if it's on the menu I have it) what a disappointment it is when the dish is so overseasoned and overmarinated that the flavor of the beef cannot shine through. The beef tongue was OK - and was probably overshadowed by a really well done pomme puree, and noodles were meh at best. My favorite dish would have been the most basic fried chicken which came with a nice aioli emulsion. This restaurant is not cheap, which is fine if it was delivering a unique gastronomique experience, but it is not, and I find it really difficult to see why I would return to it again.

There is nothing else like this in San Diego. The ambience and service are impeccable. Extremely professional wait staff and knowledgeable about every single dish. Superb wine selection. I loved that many things were combinations we'd never heard of and appreciated the creativity. Some dishes through are a bit hit or miss, like the black cod was the best I've ever had, but the cru salmon was bland and lacking. The deep fried whole fish was a real show stopper beautifully presented but I wasn't crazy about the not cooked cabbage that it was stuffed with. and sauce a bit sour for such a delicate creature. We'll definitely go back.

Food and ambiance were perfect. Had a lovely evening with friends. Loved that it was quiet. Very cozy.

Really lovely and relaxing atmosphere with knowledgeable staff. Had an excellent cocktail, wonderful wines, and very good food with two good friends. Definitely the best food I had in San Diego.

Marvelous from threshold to threshold. Beautiful environment, wonderful food and very attentive staff. Cocktails were delicious and we had the Thai fried chicken pieces, crispy potatoes and sea bass in Szechuan sauce. Crunchy, spicy and tasty. We had Sakura (cherry blossom) panna cotta. Yummy!

We had ended up having a late lunch, so we only ended up ording a bunch of small plates and drinks. Animae is a more expensive restaurant, but the quality of the food and drinks are in line with the price. Our waiter took an allergy very seriously, which we greatly appreciate. He brought back a menu with any nuts or sesame seeds listed, and the ability to have them left off a dish. Everything was phenomenal. We had 6 in our party. One person ordered a 2 to Mango cocktail. The next round of drinks, we ordered 4 more. A big thanks to Jeffrey for going the extra mile on the allergy information. The next night our group was not so fortunate at a different restaurant, and had a terrible allergic reaction.

We went at this Filipino Fusion restaurant. Michelin, you say? Oh okay. Let’s go! This place did NOT disappoint! Tomahawk Tocino (what? Tocino Tomahawk? Are you kidding me?!) with crab fried rice & short rib Kare-Kare. For drinks, we had Midnight in Manila (ube!) & Turon Espresso Martini. I’m telling you, they definitely deserved that Michelin! Very elegant setting & a classy-type of service too! For celebrating at their establishment, they provided with a couple glasses of wine. Nice, right?!?

Made a reservation a couple of months ago to visit Animae for a birthday dinner. Very difficult to get a reservation one or two weeks in advance. It was a rare cold and windy evening in San Diego and Animae's decor was warm and inviting. The mgmt must have reacted to past criticisms because the lighting and background music were about right. Animae's cuisine is Asian-fusion with a focus on Filipino food, which is pretty rare, especially outside a few places like San Diego. Be prepared with an open mind (palate) for some novel flavors. Our waitress took our drink order. I decided to go with sparkling wine by the glass knowing that the food would have intense flavors. Turned out to be a good choice. Four people ordered six appetizers and two main courses and shared everything. And we shared some Wagyu steak. All of the dishes were excellently prepared and delicious. Was great to be able to taste 9 dishes. overall, I would say this was too much food for a group our size. My only criticism is that all of the dishes were pretty intensely flavored. Would be good to have a couple of bland dishes to break up the flavors and cleanse the palate. Didn't get to that until we ordered the Yuzu sorbet which was very refreshing. Finally, service was friendly and professional. Dishes arrived at a nice cadence. I would definitely go back.

We generally try to stay away from celebrity chef restaurants, because all too often, ego and profit margin tend to supersede food quality on the priority ladder. And indeed, Brian Malarkey’s ego is fully on display in this lovely art deco space – as are the celebrity-chef-level menu prices. But for once, the food is worth it. Everything we ordered featured unique and delicious flavor combinations, not to mention beautiful presentations. Once again, nothing is cheap – but most entrees can be shared and some are intended to be. When in doubt, ask. The 3 of us shared one pork-shank “tomahawk”, 4 appetizers, and one dessert, and that was plenty of food for 3 hearty eaters. The space is unusually quiet, even when full, which is also refreshing. Wait staff was plentiful and very courteous. We spent ~$100/person (including 1 drink), but for once, I felt like we got our money’s worth. Very popular, so make a reservation.

I thought the whole thing was overrated. The food was average at best. Lots of energy in the place and the staff was certainly attentive, but overall, meh.

Excellent food with a great atmosphere, cool vibe, great service with Antoinette! Foodies would love it as it is Asian/Japanese with a modern twist. Lots of very creative innovative entrees, sides, appetizers, desserts and cocktails. Good just for cocktails and appetizers or a special night out! Tomahawk Pork was huge —30-32 oz. Waygu Steak was amazing — 8oz. Duck Pate and Carpaccio escargot dumplings were incredible. Ying and Yang Martinis...whoa!

There were 8 of us for dinner. None of us liked the idea of bringing out all the sides before the entree. We were too full with all the sides which they encouraged. Very good mushrooms, sweet potatoes, corn, capacio, shrimp, I think we almost had all sides. Our waitress didn't seem to help much with explaining the dishes. She didn't come back to see if we needed anything or to fill glasses. We had to wave her down several times. We were very disappointed with the "whole snapper". Over cooked, greasy and they filled it with non important salad things so we needed a dish to finally get to the fish. The steak was good and the chicken was enjoyed. As for being touted as "quiet" it's not. We were at table 72 which can take 8 people and that end of the restaurant is very noisy. I am hoping that they can improve before we go back.

Amazing eclectic experience. Yummy share plates and good choice of meals with option for Waygu beef. Something for everyone. Spacious atmosphere with good distance between tables. International wine list and creative cocktails. Definitely returning when back in San Diego!!

Wonderful food ( especially the bao bums and the shrimp toast . Kayce was a fantastic server- good knowledge about the menu, very friendly and helpful

Every dish we tried was superb. We got to sample many items as we shared with others at our table. I especially enjoyed the Caviar Shrimp Toast and Wonton. However, the Wagyu Beef was hands down the best I have ever tasted. The service was top-notch. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful, but not stuffy like at some high-end restaurants. Animae earns my highest recommendation.

Fantastic dining experience. They were very accommodating as we were late for our reservation and the kitchen was closing soon. The service was very quick but it did not feel rushed. Our waitress was very attentive and happy to recommend dishes. The soft shell crab bun and the lamb ribs were delicious. The caviar toast was good but didn’t compare to the rest for my taste. The Wagyu and the duck fried rice were both mouth watering and an explosion of flavors. Lastly the dessert was a really interesting mixture of textures and flavors. Very happy I ordered it in the end. All in all will definitely be coming back.

The experience for New Years was great, the food, the ambience, the staff were all great. I really recommend this restaurant!!

We just enjoyed dinner at Animae last Friday evening. The menu covers quite a few palettes with its array of choices. We started with the Hamachi and cucumber salad and Wagyu for the main course. Drinks are very expensive at this restaurant and at $15 each, yikes. My son planned this dinner for my husband's birthday and when he requested the reservation, he noted the special occasion. Had our waiter looked at the notes, it would have been an excellent way to finish off the evening, but he did not and we had to ask if the note was received. Kind of spoiled the surprise for all of us.

Excellent restaurant with Asian Fusion cuisine with Filipino influence. From the entrances, to the dish, highly recommended in San Diego, Ca. The prices are high but the kitchen is worth it.

I have been waiting for the official opening to write a review, and now I can. My husband and I went to dinner a few weeks ago right after their soft opening. I was a bit worried when we arrived as there were lots of empty tables. We were seated with a great view of the whole restaurant and it quickly filled in. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. We chose two hot and two cold small plates and then shared a pasta dish. Absolutely everything was phenomenal! I have since recommended this restaurant to several others all with rave reviews. The ambiance, the decor, and the food are just wows. The contrast of flavors with escargot and carpaccio, then the black garlic udon with lobster. Seriously this place is amazing! Oh and the sake selection was fantastic too! We even got an off menu birthday dessert, passionfruit mousse. Please go here, it will not disappoint.

Enjoyed our evening at Animae in San Diego. Located in a new condo tower, this restaurant is reminiscent of Las Vegas, with beautiful two story surroundings and pounding, pulsating Muzak. Filled mainly with Yuppies and hipsters, this restaurant has a very good vibe going for it. Our service, headed by Savannah, was attentive and professional. It was seamless and did not miss a beat. Food is a bit uneven, but some dishes were outstanding. The Japanese Miyazaki A5 Wagyu was absolutely the best course. Perfectly cooked; melt in your mouth delicious! Bao Buns, Wontons, Wagyu Carpaccio and a Coconut Cashew Napoleon dessert, were also outstanding. An Ahi Tuna appetizer was a disappointment, with so little Ahi mixed into overly salted Soy Sauce and rice. Not recommended. Wagyu Fried rice was bland and Coal fired Cabbage was a letdown. Would appreciate a Riesling or Gewurztraminer by the glass to match with the cuisine. We would dine here again, but would try other dishes. Valet parking available.

What a disappointment our experience at this restaurant was. From the moment we walked in, it was clear something was off - the air conditioning was barely on, leaving the entire place feeling like a sauna with no proper ventilation. Even the other guests seemed sweaty and uneasy. The service was also lacking. Our waitress rushed through some memorized spiel for 2 minutes straight, with her eyes partially closed, clearly not interested in actually engaging with us and providing any real insight or recommendations. The food was no better - while the chef seems to have a good technical understanding of the craft, the execution was a complete mess. As seasoned diners who have sampled cuisine from around the globe, we're disappointed to say our experience at this restaurant fell short of our expectations. While the cocktails were excellent, the dishes we tried lacked cohesion and were overwhelmingly sweet, creating a disjointed, messy flavor profile that failed to impress. We sampled 4 starters, 2 mains, 1 side, 2 desserts, and 2 cocktails, but none of the food demonstrated a clear culinary vision or execution. The flavors felt scattered, with no distinct or memorable taste. It's clear this kitchen needs to refine its approach to balance and harmony on the plate. Everything was overpowered by sweetness and was ruined by the chef's heavy-handed approach. There was no real depth of flavor or creativity. The only redeeming factor was the desserts, which were the only items that seemed to showcase any semblance of balance and restraint. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to salvage the overall dining experience. I hate to say it, but it feels like the chef is lacking confidence in her own abilities, which is leading to an overcompensation with unnecessary complexity. Perhaps she needs to take a step back and focus on allowing the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine through. Until then, I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking a cohesive and enjoyable meal.