Animae Restaurant Adds Casual Asian Cafe | Eater San Diego

"I stepped into a high‑ceilinged space, designed by Bells & Whistles, that evokes a giant terrarium with sweeping glass windows and tendrils of greenery dripping from the ceiling. NIMA Café, opened adjacent to Animae Restaurant, is a daytime‑focused spot in the Pacific Gate by Bosa building that’s open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., available for private events, and geared for both dine‑in and grab‑and‑go breakfast and lunch. The menu, from executive chef/partner Joe Magnanelli and executive pastry chef Adrian Mendoza, spans a wide swath of Asian cuisines: breakfast includes homemade spam and egg musubi and Japanese egg omelet sandwiches with American cheese and miso mayonnaise plus pastries such as matcha croissants, pork sung buns, peanut butter togarashi cookies, and yuzu morning buns; lunch ranges from a duck grain bowl and miso chicken salad to a banh mi with duck liver pate, fresh spring rolls, warm savory rice porridge, and a pour‑over ramen with housemade noodles, soft egg, ham hock, and bok choy. Beverages include coconut matcha smoothies, lemongrass gin and tonics, pineapple sencha iced tea, and the full gamut of coffee drinks." - Candice Woo