East Village Asian Diner

We love this place! Been coming here on vacations for the last decade. Always a good highlight of the entire trip. Never found a restaurant like it. Lots of great memories here. So sad to see it closing soon. GO TRY IT! Big love.

Food was delicious and a great price. You get a ton of food for like 15$. Recommend building your own bowl. Got the pulled pork fries as an entree and was impressed. Our server was pretty good, but could have been a bit more attentive. The sauce bottle was empty and we werent really able to get her attention to get any more of it.

Karelly was our server and she was excellent. She asked us if it was our first time there, it was. Then she explained the Monk Bowl to us and how to order it. She took her time and answered every question we had and made it easy for us to understand. The food was really really good! The portions are huge, I do mean huge. You will be taking some home with you. The two sauces on the table were very tasty. One of them was sweet n spicy and the other was soy sauce plus their extra flair to it. We also had the pork and shrimp pot stickers. These were excellent as well as everything else. The soy type sauce used with the pot stickers was very yummy. I forgot to take before pictures but here's what it looked like after we dug in. Words alone cannot describe how much we enjoyed this place. We will be back. Bobbi Jo and Jeff

Carlos was our waiter, and the busser I can't remember his name were very professional and kind, and after we were seated and ordered Carlos had our food to us in less than 5 minutes on a busy Saturday night. The service was phenomenal. The food was out-of-this-world delicious. If you want quick yummy healthy food with a slight spice you'll love East Village Asian Diner.

Great place! it was super busy so we had a bit of a wait. The service was good and the food came out as quick as you'd expect. The menu was really unique and fun. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because the food was a bit underwhelming. It was good! It just missed big flavor, a fulness, and a good mouthfeel. Next time I'd get two eggs on the Mongolian Monk Stone Pot.

The peanut noodles were delicious. Service was fast and friendly. I recommend this place for vegetarians.

Our server Taylor made our night so nice. He is very kind and patient. He knows the menu very well and has great recommendations! I got the hot pot bowl with tofu and it had veggies, brown rice, a beautiful runny egg and it tastes like a little piece of heaven! My friend had the power beef noodles with veggies. She loved it too! The coconut shrimp was delicious! Loved the dipping sauce too. My most favorite is their Kimchi! I could eat my weight in kimchi. They make it so tasty and it's not spicy. I like it spicy too but their style is flavorful and easy to eat. So great! Also...I'm a big water drinker. Taylor kept that cup filled! Thanks Taylor! Another delicious item is the strawberry mochi. So creamy and soft. It was the perfect end to our meal. I will for sure be back!

One of my favorite meals during our visit to SD area. My husband got the peanut Thai noodles with shrimp added and I got the chicken teriyaki with an over medium egg. Large portions, phenomenal food, and very prompt and helpful service. We will definitely be back when we are in the area again!

The food was so delicious and William was so awesome with his service it made me feel like I was at home I am very happy with his service and I will be coming back Thank You so much William I hope u get a promotion some day ur service was to die for thank you

Picked up some takeout from here on a Saturday afternoon when they had just opened. Their online ordering service was convenient and the order was ready upon arrival. I ordered the Mongolian Beef Monk Bowl (with noodle instead of rice) and the fresh and crunchy Side Salad. Both were a welcome relief from the heavy holiday fare I'd been consuming all December long. The veggies in the bowl and the salad were delicious and very fresh. The sauces which were ordered on the side were tasty and enhanced the meal. The dining room was bright and inviting, and though my order was to go, I'd definitely eat there if I were in the area. Delicious and very enjoyable, can't wait to return.

Wow! I really loved my food here! I had just come across the street from the candle making place & needed to kill some time, but this was a wonderful surprise! I ordered the fallen monk (pulled pork) stone pot & made sure to make it spicy. I opted for noodles in mine & my bf got the beef over rice. We both added eggs. We tried each others & loved them both quite a lot. We ordered Oolong hot tea with honey & it was such a beautiful pairing for the food. Their tea + honey were both a nicer flavor than usual. Our waitress was pretty cool. She had a chill, sweet vibe about her & really helped us make great decisions. We got seated at dinner time on a Saturday, but somehow managed to beat the "rush." It filled up mostly, yet wasn't crazy, which is nice.

Generally reluctant to get Asian food outside of Kearny Mesa but I was pleasantly surprised! Ordered the stone pot with beef and a side of kimchi. The bowl was well balanced with all the veggies and having the option to additionally season your bowl is nice. I will say that it does come with an absolute minimal serving of protein (maybe 2 or 3 oz total) in the bowl and $4 for a tiny side of kimchi is a bit outrageous (total serving size pictured), but can't deny that it was delicious. I'd prefer to go to Kearny but if I was around the area and craving bibimbap, it's a decent option.

Came here last night and have been here a few times before! Sign your name on the waitlist right when you walk in if they're full. Waited about 10-15 min to be seated on a busy Saturday. Had coconut shrimp and some pot stickers for appetizer which were delicious and came out quickly. Had the monk bowl with pork and noodles and an over hard egg and it was sooo amazing! their monk bowl is their signature and so delicious. put their sauces they have in the table on the bowl and you're in Heaven! server was very sweet and attentive. great little local spot:)

Cute place and fast service. Got the fried spring rolls and thai peanut noodles. They gave a lot of food and the friend spring rolls were fresh and not too oily. The service was friendly as wwll...

We love this place! Monk pot is the best; my picky eater also loved the ramen! So glad this place is still here after so many years!

Experienced this spot last night for dinner. I was really impressed with their stone bowls. This place is fresh and healthy. I will be coming back. The service was 7/10. And the atmosphere was comfortable. I really enjoyed trying new things. Looking forward to another experience soon.

Still love East Village! The rule here is you place your order, always get an app if your dinner is the monk pot, because you'll have to seriously wait 10 minutes after the food comes or your lips will melt off. It's SO worth it though. My go to is the fried spring roll which are rolled up fat boys filled with fresh vegetables that are then deep fried and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. I then always order the monk bowl with ribeye. The blend of crispy rice on the bottom of the pot, mixed with vegetables, the protein of choice and the egg on top creates a masterpiece. Add the two sauces that come to the table and it's a dream come true. The hubby added chicken this time but said he much prefers the steak, salmon, or shrimp. We've had their dynamite fries a few times and sub out carnitas for ribeye instead. Their fried coconut shrimp is a delight as well.

Food - seriously delicious. I always get the Mongolian monk's stone pot and it never disappoints. My husband has tried both the salmon and tofu stone pots and he likes them both. They have 2 kid's meal choices - chicken tenders or your choice of noodle or rice bowl. They also have drink combos to choose from (e.g small sake + draft beer for $10) Service - we've been several times and service is always solid. Super friendly and attentive Ambiance - it's a cute little place, not super large so maybe it can get busy. We went right when they opened so we didn't have a wait. They have little TVs and usually Totoro is playing (silently). My son couldn't keep his eyes off of the tv, which worked for us since it meant we could eat in peace! All in all, love this place! Wish they were also open at lunch so we could go more often!

Great local place with consistent service and quality. I've been here a multiple times and finally getting to my review. We ordered the following: pot stickers, hot stone pot with steak, Peanut noodles- one with shrimp the other with beef. First, everything is really fresh and second, they don't skimp on the protein or vegetables- it's the perfect balance of protein/veges to noodles or rice! Pot stickers were delicious as was the dipping sauce. They are known for their hot stone pot dishes, the base is the same and you choose the protein and the rice. This is a star dish and highly recommended! We had the steak and it was the so good. Cooked perfectly, tender, and had very good flavor. I wish all of their beef dishes used this particular steak. The peanut noodle dish was very good, however the peanut sauce was too spicy (heat) for me. I'd rather have normal peanut sauce and then hot sauce on the side so you can increase the heat to your individual liking. Next time I'll ask if they can give regular peanut sauce. The proteins were good- very large shrimp. The beef was good but certainly not as tasty as the steak that was on the stone pot! Again, this dish had the perfect balance of protein & veges to noodle ratio. That made feel like I'm getting good value! It's not just a plate of noodles. Dessert was the apple cinnamon wontons with ice cream and caramel sauce. Excellent! So good I was scooping up the last remnants of ice cream/caramel/cinnamon to the last drop. I highly recommend this dessert! Service was great, they ask you if you've been here before and always walk you through their homemade sauces. If you come on a Friday or Saturday they fill up quick (small dining room) and there is a wait- but it's downtown Encinitas so you can walk around and shop/sightsee while you wait. Easier to walk in on other days, but I'll say it's always worth the wait! I often come right when they open so I don't have to wait. This is a great place with delicious food with generous portions of protein and veges and strong service.

Solid 4 star place! Easy no frills quick grub spot. Came here for dinner one night found this place while walking around downtown Encinitas. The interior of the restaurant is super simple, no special decoration, seems like a simple eatery. We got a booth right away, the restaurant was pretty busy. ordered several items to share. The monk bowl was really good. Good flavors, very similar to the Korean bibimbap. The soup was flavorful and had fresh ingredients. The dessert was really yummy too. Overall easy no frills experience. Prices are reasonable.

I don't know how I haven't written a rave review yet for East Village. I've been coming here consistently over the last 10 years and it's ALWAYS DELICIOUS. My go to is a Mongolian beef hot pot with extra sriracha and monk sauce and a hot tea. It literally NEVER disappoints. These stone pots are just like big warm hugs. I love the diner vibe as well, it feels like it shouldn't work but it does? Parking obviously sucks (it's Encinitas after all), but it's totally doable. I recommend parking a few blocks away and just walking. The weather is always perfect anyway. Staff + food are always a 10

This was one of the best places I have been to in Encinitas! The bowls are absolutely amazing and everything we ate was so delicious. The goals come with a bunch of veggies, rice and your choice of protein. I got the Mongolian beef and I 10000/10 would recommend. It was cooked so nicely! Everything is so flavorful and you can add as much sauce as u want. The staff is very helpful and kind! The vibe is casual but incredibly cute! I don't feel like I have to be dressed to the nines to feel comfortable in the space but it's a great spot for dinner with family friends or a date

Friendly staff. I got the "not so spicy" noodles with peanut sauce and added chicken. The chicken was over cooked and not so much in the dish. This was also spicy when the title suggests it is not. Sadly the food missed the mark and probably why it is not busy.

Awesome and speedy service. Family oriented environment. Warm crowd. It is a great place to eat. ! We took the coaster to Encinitas today. It started to rain in the evening and we decided to try the restaurant. It turned out to be such pleasant. Their hot pot is sizzling and delicious. Their seaweed salad is very fresh ! I also love their Thai noodles spicy and authentic ! Will definitely come back

Asian fusion restaurant in Encinitas I wasn't impressed with their kettle rice, the loaded fries were average. However the kimchi pancake was pretty good

Cute, good vibes, tasty food. Highly suggest the Monk bowl with your choice of protein (I chose beef).

We were recently in the San Diego area staying for vacation and were wondering through the Encinitas and Solano Beach area looking for a spot to eat for dinner. We didn't even see the East Village Asian Diner on Yelp, we happened to see if as we were walking down the sidewalk in Encinitas and wanted to learn more about it. We walked in and were seated immediately and the staff was extremely friendly. We studied the menu and our server came by a few minutes later and offered to answer any questions we had. We ordered a bottle of red wine to start for $26/bottle. For food we started with the edamame cup for $3.95 and the pork/shrimp potstickers for $8.45. For entrees, we both ordered the Monk's stone pot with chicken ($12.95). The portions were all very fresh and large and all items ordered came out in the order prepared. Staff was all very friendly and welcoming and made us feel at home. I think the food was amazing and a great value for the area. There is plenty of free street parking in front and behind the restaurant. Definitely recommend giving them a try if you're in their area!

Got a $25 gift card from ex wife for Fathers Day. As I have been paying her $5,300 per month in Child Support and Alimony since 2013, figured I deserved it LOL! Went with the Monk Bowl with Mongolian Beef to go. Grabbed an IPA while waiting. Food came out ready to roll. Got it home 30 min later. OUTSTANDING BOWL!. Meat was tender, egg was still yokey, loaded veggies and rice! An amazing two meal bowl! Swing buy and grab it for about $16...freakin delish! Only downside is the hours are 5PM to 11PM, so no lunch. But as there are many foodie joints in Encinitas that are open mid-day, I understand East Village is focusing their efforts on the dinner crowd. I am an Asian food foodie and this is the most satisfying experience yet!

I know the cooks there and they take the time and the energy to make it right. You can taste the difference..... ...not to mention the service-- these folks obviously care/you see it in the attitude.. HOWEVER! as an artist I find the "decor" of thei space ,of "challenging Zen wit.." "is less more?" The open space screams at me .... Having said that, the cuisine is to be noted-- Check it out!

Our bowls were great. I had the chicken hot pot bowl an my husband had the tofu hot pot bowl. The food was blazing hot in the pot so be careful lol. Our server was pretty cool as well as very attentive. Cute little place too.

8.3/10. One of the best Asian restaurants in Encinitas. It's pricey but that's due to the location

My husband and I had a wonderful dining experience at East Village Asian Diner twice in the past two weeks. The food was delicious and the service was exceptional. Each time we dined there, our server, Daya, was so sweet and friendly and went above and beyond to take the time to explain the dishes to us in detail which was very helpful in making our decisions on what to order. So far we've had the Crispy Coconut Shrimp, Pork & Shrimp Potstickers, Fried Spring Rolls, Mr. Lee's BBQ Pulled Pork Burrito, and Beef & Broccoli Noodles. Everything was excellent and super fresh! Next time we're planning on trying the Monk's Stone Pot, the East Village Specialty. The Crispy Coconut Shrimp will be a constant every time we dine there as it was so tasty and cooked to perfection. It is obvious everyone who works at the restaurant, from the servers to the chef, take great pride in what they do and are very accommodating to the customers by providing both excellent service and the ability to add or omit ingredients in dishes. My husband and I will definitely be going back to East Village Asian Diner often, and we look forward to the pleasure of seeing and working with Daya again! *****+

Always get the monk bowl and like how it continues to cook while I am stirring and eating it. I like making it spicy. Service from Karelly? was awesome. Fun humor and entertainment in between customers. I'll be happy visit there again.

Try the stone bowls. AMAZING. Ambiance is good, food is even better, service is the best. Plus, the have studio ghibli movies playing constantly, so good for kids as well as adults.

It's been a while since I last reviewed East Asian Diner. Stopped in a couple times recently and was impressed such that another star was due. I recently had the Stone Monk Pot with salmon. It was awesome! The flavors came out well. Since subbing kale for rice was free, i opted to go half rice/ half kale. It was a great option that kept the dish a little lighter and added some more greens to my diet. The only downfall was that the salmon kept cooking in the hot stone pot after coming out from the kitchen, so some salmon bites ended up a tad overcooked. All in all a great spot for Asian fusion in encinitas. Keep on Yelp'n!

I'm normally not a fan of Americanized Asian food but I love East Village Asian Diner! I love their stone pots. I used to go to their Hillcrest location all the time until it closed. Now that I'm in NC glad I'm able to come back and eat their stone pot. It's their bibimbap version. I like that you get to pick the proteins. It gets quite pricey with beef and kimchi, but it's so good and a huge portion. We also like getting a noodle dish. Good flavors. Getting their sake and beer combo is a must! It's a great deal. Love coming here for my stone pot fix.

We have been enjoying their unique Monk food for several years. The food is delicious and unusual. Their Asian noodle soup is to die for. Their service is very very quick and friendly. Prices are reasonable and it's a great value overall. Highly recommended.

First time in a long time I have been out. Looked all around the area for something to eat and this place was not to crowded like others and the food looked bomb. I ordered: Stone pot, half chicken half pork Tokyo Black Porter beer Peanut noodles Overall, food was amazing. Service was non stop and great Tables were clean Distance between tables were perfect No sun in our faces around 530pm Food came out quick and hot Stone pot is sizzling as it comes out. Ingredients of rice, meat, cucumber, edamame, green onion, fried egg, mushrooms and their sauce. And, wait till the rice cooks on the side of the stone bowl wall! Peanut noodles were perfectly cooked and taste even better with their peanut sauce on the side. Beer was average but they don't make it. Yet I would say buy it to try it.

Not very impressed but will satisfy if you want a rice bowl in the area. The food is not authentic or honestly super flavorful, but it is a good amount of food and well cooked protein. It's on the pricier side for what it is, the entrees being ~$20. They are essentially just rice bowls. The appetizers were disappointing, kimchi pancakes were just not very good, bland, weird flavor/texture to the batter & barely tasted kimchi. The stone bowls were ok, good mix of veggies and protein but bland and not worth the price. I ended up asking for a big cup of chili paste and dumping the entire thing in my bowl to give it some sort of flavor. Giving it 3 stars instead of 2 because service is good, everyone really liked the pork, the other food wasn't bad or inedible, just not very tasty or honestly very Asian, and they have a good selection of beer/drinks. I wouldn't come back if I was craving Asian food but would if I was in the area I wanted a rice bowl & didn't mind paying the price for the convenience of the location

We love East Village Asian diner! Any Monk bowl will do. Chill vibe, fair prices, nice staff, local eatery, couldn't ask for more!

Kudos to Selene. She was wonderful and very attentive. a major asset to the place!!!!

pretty tasty stuff the hot bowl gimmick though, for me, keeps it too hot for too long i suppose it slows down eating. i also suppose i could get it in a to go box and just eat it. but the bottom line is, its good, everyone i eat it with agrees ive gotta figure out what else is in that ev soba sauce besides soy sauce, garlic, and cilantro ....

Yum, such a cute spot. The bowls are so delicious but everything is enjoyable. Good for a relaxed dinner, TV is playing shows so it can be a little distracting.

Small place but cute. Wait staff was good. Food was yummy. I had Fallen Monk Pot with sauce on the side

My family and I love this place! I would consider this an Asian fusion type of food vibe. Our favorite dish here is the "Carnita Fries" but substitute for beef. I have a food allergy to pork, so it's wonderful that they allow of protein substitutions. Besides the courtesy, it is DELICIOUS! The Monk stone bowl is absolutely delicious! We have tried it in the restaurant as well as carry out. I would definitely recommend having it in restaurant only though. The bowl cooks the veggies and makes the rice so soft, while also blending all of the delicious flavors together. I must be honest, It's just not the same with takeout! Hopefully you get a chance to try this place if you haven't already!!

Solid place for lunch or dinner! Monk bowl is the call.

This place had been on my list for quite some time now so we finally got around to trying it last night. SERVICE - There was a wait so you had to put your name down. There were several parties ahead of us but we actually did not have to wait more than 10 minutes. I am not sure what our servers name was as she did not introduce herself but she was nice. It was weird when she only gave us one setting though (one napkin, one spoon, one fork) for two people. FOOD Dynamite Fries - Fries were well cooked. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The meat was very tender. The sauces and cheese were a solid combination. Monk Pot - This was not too bad for a Korean dish up north. I got it with brown rice so their brown rice was a little on the dry side. They say to let it sit for crispier rice but I do not think it was hot enough to get crispy because mine never did. The sliced ribeye had great flavor though. Beef & Kimchi Burrito - I am not a kimchi fan but I enjoyed this burrito. It was a kick of flavor and if you ate it with the monk sauce, it elevated the dish that much more. I would say solid Asian fusion for up here. The food came out fast and the portions were great!

Fantastic huge stone bowls. Very healthy and well priced. Service was 6-stars! Thank you for such an excellent evening! Great selection of beers and their house wine was an excellent choice (I had that and strongly recommend it!).

We like the stone bowls and the fact that they have vegan dishes. The sauce is flavorful and I love "sake" they have.

Finally tried this place. I honestly don't get the good reviews. Maybe it's because there's mainly Italian and Mexican in this area and people are just craving anything Asian? This is basically a take on Korean Bibimbap. If you've eaten at any of the great Korean places in LA or elsewhere, this is going to disappoint. I got the ribeye monk pot with brown rice ($20). Honestly I don't really have anything good to say about it. As others have mentioned, there really wasn't any flavor. The sauces were OK, but not enough to bring up the flavor profile of the whole dish. The meat itself was just simply not ribeye! I know ribeye meat very well, and there was absolutely no marbling in this meat at all - which means no flavor. This was bottom round, or sirloin at best. The rest of it seemed to be thrown together. There was no harmony to the dish at all like you find in a great Korean place. To top it off; there was a ton of liquid in the bottom of my bowl, and it wasn't the sauces! Frankly; I've just never seen this in a Bibimbap before. It was pretty disgusting. The service was not attentive. It was the kind of service that makes you feel like they think they're doing you a favor serving you. The quality of the veggies in the bowl seemed good, and the atmosphere was nice - hence two stars instead of one. I really wanted to like this place because I'd love to have a good Asian spot near my house, but this is just not it. I will not be back.

randomly was in SD and walked pass this place and thought i'd try it, OUT OF THIS WORLD, go try this place if you like authentic asian food. Peanut thai noodles were gas

The carnitas fries were amazing. The perfect combination of flavors. I ordered the pork stone pot and it was great. The monk sauce combines all the flavors and adds an extra touch. I had never gone here before but soon realized that the main item is a Korean dish called bibimbap, but east village calls its stone monk pots. It's a hot stone plate that makes the rice crispy and you basically stir all the ingredients together and add the red sauce which I believe is tamarind and something else. I love bibimbap so of course I think the stone pots are great. Only downside to this place is that there isn't a lot of variety. I wish I had ordered other items to try. The food was good, I would come back for the wanna be bibimbap :)

My favorite place in Encinitas, I love this place so much. Wish it was open for lunch(opens at 5pm).

I really wanted to enjoy this restaurant. Is a upscale diner, which has a modern, clean feel. When your waiting you write your name in a paper on the wall and when a table opens they come and get you. The ambiance is good, it's a fun environment. The service is great. Very nice waiters/ waitresses . The food was sub par. We ordered the fries to start and they were tasteless. We ordered the chicken bowl, which again had no flavor, the chicken seemed boiled. We also ordered the bolgigi bowl which was okay. Since this type of meat has sauce it wasn't so dry. They have to special sauces at the table that you add to the bowls, which I didn't think they tasted like anything special. Unfortunately the food was not the best. The bowls come in a hot stone bowl, which is different, and kind of cool and the food sure is hot!

Delicious food, friendly and informative service. I had the beef monk bowl and it was one the best meals I had my entire vacation. Must try!

The "monk pot" is the sorriest excuse for bi bim bap I've ever had. The only thing that offended me more than the horrific service was the store bought precooked diced chicken cubes, unseasoned and meant to top salads- they threw that sh*t on top as it was coming out of the kitchen. And it was $3.50 extra! The rice never crisped because there wasn't any oil on the bottom... I wish they had just put some seasame oil in there for flavor. They also put regular lettuce in there, which was great once it got soggy... like why, why is there wilted arugula on my rice? It's like they mated a rice bowl and salad and the child came out special. Ah the service, let's not leave that out of this. We waited 20 min, to be greeted by a server who seemed pretty pissed that we were there, no hello or how's it going, no smile, just asked what we wanted to drink then never brought it. I had to ask 3 different people for water. She never checked on us though we did see her in the back laughing and chatting with coworkers about someone engagement. Tl;dr: nope.

I went here the other day for the first time in almost 6 years, food is decent, nothing special, but good portions and is alright. My stomach immediately started hurting when i got home after dinner. Went there last night to thinking it was just me and not the food, my stomach started killing again, my mom had a similar experience. Was on the toilet for a while, beware. Sad to leave this review, I used to love this place and hope they can better the way they prepare their food!