The Best New Restaurants in San Diego, March 2025

"North Park is home to a new versatile Japanese food hall, housing food and drinks from four restaurants under one roof. Options at Rising Sun include pastries from Salt & Butter Bakery, the first San Diego branch of the popular Japanese bakery chain Okayama Kobo. The menu showcases pillowy milk bread with sweet fillings like original milk cream, ube, strawberry, matcha, coffee, and seasonal creams. Also on offer is kobokuma, a bear-shaped pastry filled with vanilla custard cream, and an emoji-shaped pastry with Nutella custard cream. Pair the pastries with a drink from Matcha Café Maiko like an iced matcha or hojicha latte, made with ceremonial grade teas. In the afternoon, the space turns into a taproom with beers like Midnight in Tokyo, a matcha-infused hazy IPA from the Shogun line at Embolden Brewery and New Motion Beverages. The kitchen will also serve chicken karaage alongside vegetarian plates like pad Thai from Sipz Vegetarian Kitchen, the standalone restaurant that formerly occupied the space." - Helen I. Hwang, Candice Woo, Eater Staff