The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego | Eater San Diego

"Named as San Diego’s first James Beard Award finalist, executive chef Tara Monsod helms San Diego’s Filipino- and Asian-inflected steakhouse. Cooking the restaurant’s most compelling menu to date, Monsod’s cuisine brings a new perspective to Asian classics with dishes like tuna kinilaw, short rib kare kare, Taiwanese fried chicken, and crab fried rice. The modern, opulent dining space with sky-high ceilings, huge windows with velvet drapes, and cushy, curvaceous booths adds to the ambiance of a night out with elevated comfort dishes. Stop at the gorgeous bar for bites and cocktails. Don’t skip desserts like ube profiteroles and buko pandan. Must-try dishes: Don’t miss out on the pork tomahawk tocino, brightened with a red beet glaze and accompanied by a citrusy mango sawsawan, a Filipino favorite that chef Tara has incorporated into the dinner menu." - Candice Woo