"San Diego isn’t a formal city when it comes to fashion, but this is one of the handful of restaurants in town where people will dress up for dinner. Celebration-worthy dishes include the highly marbled A5 Miyazaki strip and tenderloin, and cuts of American wagyu that are melt-in-your-mouth and served with banchan (the restaurant's take on Korean side dishes). The entree plates highlight the creativity and Filipino heritage of Animae's executive chef, Tara Monsod, who was named a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California in 2024. A pork tomahawk chop prepared tocino-style and served with a mango dipping sauce, “dinuguan” braised beef with coconut rice, and short rib kare kare with bagoong (a fermented seafood paste) and peanut oil are some of the standouts. There’s also plenty of craft cocktails, sake, some Japanese beers on tap, and a California-dominant wine list." - Archana Ram, Marie Tutko
