Animae
Asian restaurant · San Diego
969 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 92101
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Highlights
Steakhouse & Asian fusion with James Beard finalist chef Tara Monsod
Steakhouse & Asian fusion with James Beard finalist chef Tara Monsod
"The restaurant whose chef, Tara Monsod, was named a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best Chef: California but did not win the award in this cycle." - Matthew Kang
"Led since 2020 by chef Tara Monsod, who was promoted to head the kitchen less than a year after joining, this restaurant offers a fine-dining take on Asian cuisine with an emphasis on Filipino household staples such as kare kare and dinuguan; the chef was also a James Beard Best Chef: California finalist." - Mona Holmes
"Acclaimed Filipina-American chef Tara Monsod has been shaking up the restaurant scene with Asian fusion cuisine and triple-seared wagyu steak. Couples can celebrate in the whimsical Art Deco space designed by Los Angeles design firm, Bells + Whistles. The main restaurant — a modern spin on a Japanese zen garden mixed with post funk futurism — is available for a buyout and can host 175. The adjoining private event space, NIMA, is a sleek venue with green shrubbery dripping from the ceiling that holds 75 reception-style guests. For a more mysterious venue with tall curtains and rich blue velvet seats, couples may also book The Heart which is a private space for 45 guests that is hidden in the restaurant’s dining room. Three-course private dining menus give attendees the opportunity to savor Animae favorites: ahi tuna crispy rice with charred chili ponzu, the som tam salad with green papaya and rice noodles, as well as the kare kare short rib." - Roxana Becerril
"Home to James Beard Award finalist Tara Monsod and cited for progressive takes on classic dishes; specifically mentioned for tuna kinilaw described as "citrus-marinated in calamansi with coconut." - Kelly Bone
"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
