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"Opening in Kearny Mesa this weekend, Yasai brings Japanese sensibilities and ingredients to vegan cuisine in a 50-seat restaurant on Convoy Street, replacing Pokirrito where it was previously paired with popular noodle shop RakiRaki Ramen + Tsukemen. Owned by Junya Watanabe and partnered with chef Eduardo Fierro (formerly of vegan spot NoW Sushi), the eatery serves lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m. and offers beer, wine, and sake. Fierro’s experience with vegan sushi shows in an extensive sushi menu that ranges from nigiri topped with fermented eggplant, roasted red pepper, and pickled pineapple with marinated konjac to specialty rolls like the King of the Clouds—filled with tempura kabocha squash, cucumber, and asparagus with avocado mousse and lotus root. Daily-made fresh tofu features in a warm chawanmushi, and the small-plates selection includes crispy gyoza, Brussels sprouts with wasabi mayo, and Japanese-spiced pretzel sliders made with Impossible Meat. The menu also includes a vegan tantanmen built on a from-scratch dashi and a spicy, creamy sesame broth, with customizable handmade noodles (classic and gluten-free options as well as strands enriched and colored with kale or beets). The shuttered Pokirrito next to Rakiraki in Little Italy will also be turning into The Yasai, likely early next year." - Candice Woo