The Best New Restaurants in San Diego, March 2025

"AKA is a new Asian fusion restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter serving a menu of Japanese, Chinese, and Thai dishes in a lively, nightclub atmosphere. A Buddha statue presides over the dining room, complemented by Asian lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and walls softly bathed in red light. Curated by chef Takuya Kudo (Nobu, Lumi), the menu features dishes like the rich Jidori chicken rosemary teriyaki, Australian wagyu drunken noodles, and maki rolls like the fruity mango yellowtail and sweet kung pao soft-shell crab. Along with wine and sake from across Japan, cocktails concocted by mixologist Gerardo Bedolla include the A-5 Pandan with wagyu-fat-washed whiskey and Sichuan bitters, as well as the Ube Matcha Horchata with rum and rice foam." - Helen I. Hwang, Candice Woo, Eater Staff