Del Mar

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Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

I celebrated my husband’s birthday at Jake’s in Del Mar! We’ve eaten at their sister restaurants in Malibu (Duke’s) and Kauai (Keoki’s) and were excited to try Jake’s! I thoroughly enjoyed the Surfing Steak, which came with sirloin, jumbo shrimp, whipped potatoes, roasted cauliflower, and chimichurri sauce. The sirloin was cooked to a nice medium rare and very tender and flavorful—it didn’t need the chimichurri. I loved how juicy and succulent the shrimp were, and the potatoes were very creamy! However, the star of the dinner was their famous Hula Pie. This is what keeps us coming back to their sister restaurants. It’s a heavenly dessert with macadamia nut ice cream, a chocolate cookie crust, hot fudge, toasted mac nuts, and whipped cream. I’d come back to Jake’s for the Hula Pie alone because it’s that good. The hot fudge with the ice cream is irresistible. Highly recommend Jake’s for a fancy dinner or special occasion!

Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Marufuku is my favorite ramen place in the Bay Area and I was ecstatic when I found a location in San Diego! It’s one of my all-time favorite bowls of ramen because of the chashu and noodles. I can’t think of a more flavorful or tender chashu, and I love the thinness of the noodles.

Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Chin’s Szechuan is a popular Chinese chain in San Diego County that serves up huge portions of delicious dishes. Their Tangerine Chicken was amazing! The chicken was crispy and juicy and the sauce was tangy, sweet, savory, and spicy. I love how you can adjust the spice levels on every dish. I highly recommend this San Diego staple and will be back to try more of their dishes!

Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Their Seoul Spicy Sandwich is one of my all-time favorite chicken sandwiches. The star of the dish is easily their gochujang sauce, which is addictively delicious and has the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. The chicken is also so crispy and juicy. And the slaw and pickled radish compliment the chicken nicely. One of my favorite North County dishes!

Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

We spent the day at Torrey Pines and ended it with dinner nearby at Buonasera New York Pizzeria. Their pizza reminded me of Joe’s Pizza in NY and Mamma’s In South Pasadena! I loved the flavor of their sauce and the cheese-to-sauce ratio was on point.

Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

Salt & Lime is an upscale Mexican restaurant in Del Mar. They had an interesting take on a Quesabirria Taco! While Birria is usually my favorite, I surprisingly preferred their Taco Mi-Rey, which came with grilled shrimp, melted cheese, and bacon. 

Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

Le Bambou is an amazing higher-end Vietnamese restaurant in Del Mar. They even have a wide array of vegetarian options and bang for your buck lunch specials! I enjoyed the Chargrilled Pork on Skewer lunch special, which came with rice, salad, chicken wontons, and their soup of the day (not pictured). The highlight was the sauce on the pork. It tasted very similar to the Peking Duck sauce. I’m looking forward to trying their pho and other entrees!

Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

This spot is rated the Best Pizza in San Diego! While I didn’t agree, they did a great job at recreating authentic Italian pizzas. It didn’t come close to the pizza we had in Italy, but I still enjoyed it. The highlight was the San Marzano tomato sauce, which had a distinct and fresh flavor that paired well with mozzarella and basil.

Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 8/10

This was a customizable bowl with two scoops of protein. The tuna and salmon were fresh but the scoops could’ve been bigger. I loved the mixture of sauces (Pokewan, K Spicy, Sriracha Mayo) I got because it added great flavor and heat. I’m not rushing to come back here, especially for the price, but it’s a pretty solid poké bowl.

San Marcos, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Del Mar   |   Website

Food Rating: 7/10

I enjoyed the Eggs Benedict, especially the Sope one. But my favorite part of the brunch was the Mimosa Flight! I loved their Mango and Pomegranate Mimosas.