
3
"Founded in spring 2021 as a roving pop-up that operated from a temporary Oceanside site and a food truck, I found Naegi has settled in South Oceanside replacing Peruvian spot Panca. As a casual counterpart to William Eick’s tasting‑menu restaurant Matsu, it launches with a counter‑service menu of Japanese sandwiches, or sandos, built on shokupan (Japanese milk bread) and featuring fried chicken, egg salad, fried tofu, shrimp katsu and more, plus sides like Japanese‑style potato salad and green beans with tofu dressing. The counter‑service space has a large outdoor patio, is now open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., owner William Eick is aiming to expand Naegi into multiple locations, and he’s tapped Michael Barnett, formerly of Catalina Offshore, as executive chef." - Candice Woo