San Diego

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Chula Vista, Gaslamp   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Their adobada tacos are exquisite—the pork is perfectly spiced and marinated. Each bite is a symphony of flavors and I can’t recommend their tacos enough!

Kearney Mesa, HIllcrest, Mira Mesa   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Nishiki Ramen is one of my all-time favorite ramen spots. I was blown away by their Smoke Bomb Black Ramen; they nailed each component. This was one of the most unique broths I’ve ever had. It was creamy and thick and the roasted black garlic sauce wasn’t overpowering. Adding chili oil was chef’s kiss. Their chashu was perfectly marinated as it was bursting with flavor. I appreciated the thick, tender slices of pork belly with a generous amount of fat. The ramen egg was cooked to my liking—I loved how runny it was. This bowl of ramen transported me back to Japan and I’m so grateful we have this in San Diego. I’m also amazed by all the plant-based options! Highly, highly recommend!

Little Italy, North Park, UCSD   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

I was blown away by Underbelly in San Diego. The meat in the Underbelly Ramen exceeded my expectations. First, it came with two different kinds of meat (chashu and pulled pork)—quite atypical for ramen. Both were heavenly. The fatty chashu practically melted in my mouth. And the pulled pork was surprisingly the best pulled pork I’ve ever had (even better than the ones I’ve tried in the South!). It was so flavorful and clearly marinated to perfection. This was one of my all-time favorite bowls of ramen. And I still gotta try their Beast of the Belly ramen, which has oxtail dumplings!

Clairemont, Point Loma   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Mike’s Red Tacos is on Yelp’s Top 100 Places in the US list and I was thrilled to try it, especially because Birria is one of my favorite foods. Their Combo #1 came with two hefty Quesabirria Tacos, Consomé, and Chips. Each bite (dunked into the Consomé of course) was heavenly. The tacos were oozing with juice and together with the Consomé was a symphony of flavors. This is one of my new favorite places in San Diego, and quite possibly of all time. 

Gaslamp   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

If you’re at Gaslamp in San Diego, I highly recommend Werewolf! Their Pork Belly Benedict made it to my all-time top 3 benedicts. The pork belly was obviously the highlight. It was so fatty, crispy, juicy, savory, sweet… I could go on. The eggs were poached to perfection. And the maple glaze brought all elements of the dish together so well; I think there were even hints of apple and cinnamon. Chef’s kiss!

Downtown, Ocean Beach   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Hodad’s definitely lives up to the hype. Great, juicy burgers + potato wedges = win.

La Jolla   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

I tried Din Tai Fung in Taiwan and have been a huge fan since! Thankfully they have locations in the States. My favorites are their Pork Xiao Long Bao and Pork Chop Fried Rice.

North Park   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Tajima is one of my favorite ramen places in the San Diego area! Their chashu and egg are immaculate. I also appreciated the fried garlic and bok choy, which you don’t find in most bowls of ramen. Highly recommend!

University Heights   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Loved their Pad Thai. It was very flavorful and had the perfect amount of sauce. Highly recommend!

Convoy   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Since moving to the SD area, I’ve been missing LA’s amazing Korean food. But we finally made it out to Convoy and had some delicious short ribs and soft tofu soup. The highlight was the marinade on the short rib; it had the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Miramar, Little Italy   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

I was surprised by how good Ballast Point’s Slow-Braised Tri Tip Birria Tacos were. The tri-tip was so tender and juicy that it practically melted in my mouth. The consomé was so rich, flavorful and had a nice kick! And their tacos paired so well with the Speedboat Salt & Lime Blonde. Highly recommend Ballast Point for beer, food, or both! 

Liberty Station   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

Liberty Public Market is a San Diego foodie’s dream. I recommend White Rice for yummy Filipino food! The Lechon Kawali was fatty, crunchy, and savory.

La Jolla   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

I’ve had Ramen Nagi a few times in the Bay Area and was so excited to hear that they added a location in San Diego! Unlike most ramen shops, they let you customize the broth and toppings. I went with the Original King Ramen with all of the chef’s recommendations for the broth and toppings. The highlights were the noodles and chili sauce. If I were to adjust the chef’s recommendations, I’d go for the pork belly instead of the thin chashu slices and the level 2 spicy next time. 

Fashion Valley, La Jolla   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

I had tried Silver Lake Ramen at their original location in LA and am glad they expanded to San Diego! Their Garlic Truffle Ramen is one of their unique, signature dishes. I loved the rich, umami broth and their chili paste elevated it. They also served a thick slice of chashu that was well-marinated and had a generous amount of fat. Their ramen egg never disappoints and the noodles had a nice thickness to them. They nailed each component of this ramen and I highly recommend it! I’ll try their Blaze Tonkotsu next time though.

Escondido, San Diego   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

This simple smashburger blew me away! You can taste the difference with their high quality ingredients, and I was impressed by its size. I also loved the crispy edges of the patties.

Clairemont, Mira Mesa, Hillcrest   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

We finally tried the famous Menya Ultra, which originated in Japan and has been rated the best ramen in San Diego. It wasn’t my favorite bowl of ramen but was still so delicious. The broth was my favorite component because it was perfectly rich and savory. The chashu was surprisingly my least favorite because it was too thin.

Ocean Beach   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

The Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl transported me to Hawaii. The salmon was so fresh and buttery—it melted in my mouth! I loved the kick of the sauce, too! 

Point Loma, Rancho Bernardo   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

I finally tried the iconic Phil’s BBQ! This was a hefty, delicious, bang for your buck meal. The meat fell off the bone and was so tender and flavorful. The BBQ sauce was on the sweeter end but still so good. Highly recommend!

Hillcrest, La Jolla, Pacific Beach   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

I loved the Surf & Turf Taco, which came with skirt steak, shrimp, avocado, and cheese. The steak was so juicy and grilled to perfection. I’m not a fan of cheese in tacos (unless it’s birria), but it worked surprisingly well here. If you’re looking for a lighter and crispier taco, go for the Battered Fish Taco.

Hillcrest, La Jolla   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

I finally tried Snooze, an AM Eatery, a popular brunch chain with locations in the San Diego area. Eggs Benedict is my favorite thing to order for brunch and I was so happy they had their “Benny Duo” because I got to try two different styles of their Benedicts. My favorite was the Habanero Pork Belly because it was so flavorful—the cranberry relish was a nice touch! I just wished the pork belly was a little more tender. I also enjoyed the Bella Bella because I love prosciutto. 

Rancho Bernardo   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

Cork and Craft houses a restaurant, brewery, and winery all under one roof, and they have amazing food and beer. We loved their Lobster & Shrimp Roll and Garlic Noodles. And I couldn’t get enough of their beer. The Abnormalweiss was so smooth and the Abnormal Blonde Mule was like the perfect mix of a beer and a Moscow Mule, one of my favorite cocktails. Highly recommend!

Scripps Mesa   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

All you can eat? Say no more. Shabu-Works is an awesome spot for AYCE hot pot. The Garlic Miso Tonkotsu and Spicy Miso broths were highlights. I combined the broths to balance the richness of the tonkotsu and the spice from the miso and it was chef’s kiss. I highly recommend the Prime Angus Chuck Eye, Angus Beef Belly, and Premium Pork Belly!

Kearney Mesa   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

The Pork Banh Mi was a delicious, bang for your buck meal! The highlight was the pork, which was perfectly sweet and flavorful. The toppings and baguette complimented the meat so well. This is my new favorite banh mi!

Del Mar, La Jolla   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Batch & Box serves up some of the best cookies in La Jolla and Del Mar. Their Chocolate Chip Cookie is a masterpiece. What sets it apart is the combination of milk and dark chocolate chips. I’m not the biggest milk chocolate fan yet having a mix of the two elevated the cookie significantly. It was chocolatey and gooey heaven and I often crave this cookie. I also love their Cocoa PB cookie, which has peanut butter morsels. I can’t get enough and highly, highly recommend!

La Jolla, Mission Beach, Little Italy   |   Website

Food Rating: 10/10

Bobboi Gelato is a great dessert spot in La Jolla! They had very high quality gelato with a smooth and creamy texture and very delicious flavors. I thoroughly enjoyed their Charcoal Vanilla, Bacio (dark chocolate and hazelnut), and Straciatella. This is one of my favorite gelato places in the States!

University Heights, Point Loma, Kensington, Pacific Beach   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

This is one of few ice creams where I preferred the flavor over the texture/creaminess. The Ube and Pandesal Toffee is one of my new all-time favorite ice cream flavors. I also enjoyed the Milk & Cookies.

La Jolla   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

Van Leeuwen serves thick, creamy, high quality ice cream with a variety of delicious flavors. I sampled the Honeycomb, Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb, and Marionberry Cheesecake and loved all of them. My favorite was the Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Brownie (featured in the photo!) because it had the perfect amount of sweetness and the brownie chunks were so rich. Highly recommend!

Bankers Hill, Little Italy   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10 

I was blown away by La Bete Noir, a 6-layer cake that consisted of chocolate mousse, vanilla crème brûlée, chocolate ganache, dark chocolate cake, AND a vanilla bean syrup. The vanilla balanced the rich, decadent chocolate so well and the cake layers were so moist. This is one of the best slices of cake I’ve ever had!

Downtown   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

They serve the some of the highest quality donuts and are very deserving of all the accolades and recognition. The highlight of their donuts is their iconic, fluffy, airy dough. Their glazes all have great flavor and the right amount of sweetness, too. Highly recommend this famous San Diego donut spot!

Hillcrest, Imperial Beach   |   Website

Food Rating: 9/10

While strolling around Hillcrest, we found a cute dessert shop/cafe called Babycakes! I ordered the Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcake but preferred the Pumpkin Tres Leches because it was so moist and flavorful. The peanut butter frosting was so good though. 

Shelter Island, Downtown

Food Rating: 8/10

This is some good quality ice cream! I loved the coffee and chocolate flavors in their Brigantine Mud Pie.

La Jolla   |   Website 

Food Rating: 8/10

Hanna’s Creamery and Cafe is a great dessert spot at UTC! I loved their Nutella Rolled Croissant and Ferrero gelato — they paired so well together. I preferred the gelato because it was perfectly creamy and the right amount of sweetness

Various Locations

Food Rating: 8/10

The “Plain Jane” was the most elevated s’more I’ve had! All the ingredients were high quality and didn’t taste artificial. The highlight was the marshmallow, which was torched to perfection and very soft and chewy.