Kingfisher
Vietnamese restaurant · San Diego ·
French-influenced Vietnamese fare with creative cocktails
French-influenced Vietnamese fare with creative cocktails
"This pretty bird makes a splash in its stunning Golden Hill location, which offers no shortage of charm. A striking central bar provides the perfect perch for thirsty guests to wet their beaks with a terrific assortment of inventive cocktails, which serve as excellent complements to the mouth-watering menu of inspired Vietnamese cooking. The shareable dishes are bursting with vibrant, herbaceous flavors typical of the cuisine, treated with a modern sensibility and careful technique. Expect creative, ingredient-driven takes on classic dishes, as in raw scallops prepared with the flavors of canh chua, a sweet-and-sour soup with tamarind and pineapple. Vegetarian offerings, like a hearty bowl of congee topped with wild mushrooms, are no slouch, either." - Michelin Inspector
"A modern Vietnamese stunner named essential; known for outdoor grilled skewer events dubbed "Nướng Nights," which are described as not to be missed." - Kelly Bone
"Kingfisher continues to be one of the city’s most dynamic restaurants, bringing destination dining from executive chef David Sim and team to the undersung neighborhood of Golden Hill with a menu that elegantly modernizes classic Vietnamese dishes while highlighting San Diego produce from farms like Chino Farm. Don’t miss the dry-aged duck, available in limited quantities, seasonal congee (look for the Chino Farm corn congee in the summer), and scratch-made spring egg noodles with stinging nettle, a bright lemongrass sauté, topped with a soft poached egg to poke and stir through the comfort porridge dish. The fantastically creative cocktails incorporate Asian ingredients like miso, jackfruit, and Chinese five spice in a knock-your-socks-off, refreshing kind of way. Know before you go: Make it to the Golden Hour happy hours with elevated bar bites like salt and pepper baja striped bass belly and tai snapper crudo. Don’t forget to try the lady finger banana fritter with roasted banana ice cream for dessert." - Candice Woo
"Kingfisher is transportive on every level. Cocooned in gilded wallpaper, the dramatically-lit dining room is a glittering backdrop for its menu of Vietnamese-French food, like a spicy spin on beef tartare with thai chiles and crispy shallots that not only reimagine the bistro classic. There’s also a show-stopping platter of dry-aged seared duck breast and confit duck leg that usually sells out before the end of the night, and a flan cloaked in Vietnamese coffee syrup, one of the city’s best desserts. The drink menu is worth its own review, but we’ll stop at the Saigon Moped, a mix of gin, debitterized bitter melon, perilla, and lime that makes a perfect sidecar for the salt-and-pepper fish belly snack that’s served only at the bar." - candice woo, cora lee, candice woo, cora lee, candice woo, candice woo, candice woo, cora lee, cora lee, candice woo, candice woo, cora lee, candice woo, cora lee, candice woo, candice woo, cora lee, candice woo, candice woo, candice woo, cora lee, candice woo, cora lee, candice woo, candice woo, cora lee, team infatuation
"Kingfisher is transportive on every level. Cocooned in gilded wallpaper, the dramatically-lit dining room is a glittering backdrop for its menu of Vietnamese-French cuisine, like a spicy spin on beef tartare with thai chiles and crispy shallots that not only reimagine the bistro classic. There’s also a show-stopping platter of dry-aged seared duck breast and confit duck leg that usually sells out before the end of the night, and a flan cloaked in Vietnamese coffee syrup, one of the city’s best desserts. The drink menu is worth its own review, but we’ll stop at the Saigon Moped, a mix of gin, debitterized bitter melon, perilla, and lime that makes a perfect sidecar for the salt-and-pepper fish belly snack that’s served only at the bar." - Candice Woo
