Best ethnic restaurants in San Diego?
I'm trying to discover the best of (insert cuisine) within a30-40 minute drive of downtown San Diego. Here's a list of the places that are my current go-tos. I'm sure that some of my current list can be beaten - does anyone have better recommendations? I care about the quality and authenticity of the food more much more than atmosphere or anything else like that.
Greek: Cafe Athena
Moroccan: Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro
Persian: Darband Fifth Avenue Grill (Is there a Persian place with more stews/rice dishes rather than kabobs?)
Ethiopian: Muzita Abyssinian Bistro
Mexican: Super Cocina (I also like Mariscos German)
Thai: Amarin
Japanese (Ramen): Tajima (Santouka as well)
Japanese (Sushi): Sushi Ota
Italian (Pizza): Caffe Calabria
Italian (Other): ????? (Italy totally spoiled me, seriously is there good/authentic non-Neapolitan Italian food somewhere in SD?)
Chinese: ????? (Any good recommendations?)
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RhonelyInsanediego
Dec 4, 2012 01:12 PM
Two days ago I got take out from one of my go to Chinese places, Dumpling Inn. My usual offerings were good. All the dumplings, Xiao Long Bao, Beef Curry, pot stickers, etc were tasty, The Seabass in black bean sauce is always a favorite and didn't disappoint. The satay lamb with Chinese greens was also pretty good. But their 3 ingredient pan fried noodle was fed to my dogs. Horrible. Very very stinky seafood smell and taste and the shrimps were literally mush. They had obviously been sitting a long time and had long ago gone bad. They were like nasty stinky paste that dissolved at the touch.
Overall our meal was pretty good, but those pan fried noodles were so bad, I question the kitchen that made that dish and let it go out. I guess they don't care about repeat customers?
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re: pine time
Surati Farsan Mart was a real disappointment! Has it gone downhill lately? I ordered samosas with cholle to take out about a month ago and my son ordered another chaat (I forget which; it wasn't as bad as mine). My samosas were very small and the crust had a hard, overly-reheated texture; there were NO chutneys either! Any Indian restaurant should be able to make a decent samosa; even the Indian pizza restaurant in Joshua Tree makes a better samosa! I can recommend Madras Cafe in the same Black Mt. Rd. shopping center as Surati; their South Indian lunchtime buffet is excellent. Complimentary dosas (not much filling but what there is, is good!) and excellent sambar and rasam and unusual South Indian dishes you don't get anywhere else. Just don't go to Madras Cafe on weekends; too many babies and harried staff.
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re: maryambaker
That samosa doesn't sound right at all - but then their samosas have never been great. As for the chole samosa, it is usually served with chutneys mixed in - I'm guessing they would oblige if you you asked for some on the side. As Iv'e said before, their strengths lie in the Gujarati food domain - everything else is mediocre at best
Madras Cafe remains as underwhelming as ever. Almost everything is underspiced and rather poorly executed in my opinion. My biggest issue with the place has been a lack of effort. On a recent visit the rasam was overdone with asafoetida.On a different note, I had a surprisingly pleasant meal recently at Taste of the Himalayas. They advertise as Indian/Nepali cuisine. Their momos were the real deal (though a couple on my plate had broken - not a good thing). The biryani was also good, as was the Kerau paneer we tried. They had dal soup served complimentary - probably a nod to the staple Nepali dalbhat, which for some reason, is not on the menu. Still - the dal was cumin-y and garlicky, the way it should be. Our friends ordered achari chicken and it actually had pieces of achar (mango pickle) mixed in - the real deal! This is based on just one visit, but we will return - which is more than can be said for 90% of Indian restaurants we've tried in SD.
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re: maryambaker
RhonelyInsanediego
Dec 4, 2012 01:09 PM
Rhonely family and I ate at Surati Farsan just before Thanksgiving. We all enjoy Indian food but were pretty disappointed with our latest offering. The Samosas, weren't crisp at all, the seemed rubbery on the outside and dry on the inside. Sauces they were served with were pretty good. The Dosa was really bad. Very rubbery and tough with very meager and bland filling. Based on the textures and general condition I would say both items were not fresh and were definitely microwaved (too long) until they got that funky microwave rubber texture.
Won't be going back anytime soon.
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Dagney
Aug 10, 2012 01:29 AM
Sultan in El Cajon. Excellent Turkish in El Cajon?? Who knew. The food is good. The service is good. Their lentil soup is to die. The flatbread is made to order. They have a house-made selection of Baklavas that will make you cry. .
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phee
Aug 6, 2012 11:49 AM
Had lunch with friends on Saturday at Muzita. Very good food and wonderful service. Each dish, sauce, side was explained by our server (who even brought out small amounts to taste for a couple of sides), and - important to note based on recent CH complaints - we were NEVER RUSHED. Great spot for vegans, vegetarians, or omnivores.
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Italian - Bencotto, Arrivederci
Thai - Sab E Lee, Siam Nara
Vietnamese - Minh Ky
Chinese (Taiwanese) - Mama Liang's
Japanese (Sushi) - Kaito
Japanese (Ramen) - Yakitori Yakyudori
Korean (BBQ) - Dae Jang Keum
Mexican (tacos) - Tacos El Gordo›6 Replies-
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re: karaethon
I'm glad we both have good taste, karaethon! I think I've read a number of your posts with interest and probably tried restaurants you've recommended.
As for Minh Ky, I say the place is more Chinese-Vietnamese with a heavy emphasis on noodles/soups. My faves are the duck noodles, wonton noodles and the spicy curry noodles (broth on the side).
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re: tavmark
- 1 for Siam Nara. I went there yesterday and the food was bland. The papaya salad lacked spice; it was not spicy whatsoever. The waiter did not ask about spice level, which is fine with me if the food is spicy when it is supposed to be spicy. Come on, you can't serve Som Tam like that. I addition, the beef (Weeping Tiger) was overcooked (well done). Again, the waiter did not ask how I wanted my beef. I looked forward to eating here, but was rather disappointed. I'd rather go to Sab E Lee or Supannee House of Thai.
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jmtreg
Apr 16, 2012 03:55 PM
Italian (Pizza) - Pizzeria Bruno (its about four blocks from me, as opposed to Caffe Calabria, which is about 15 blocks).
Italian (Other) - I like Arrivederci in Hillcrest and Cucina Urbana
Chinese: China Max and maybe, Spicy City
Lebanese: Mama's Bakery -
honkman
Apr 12, 2012 05:52 PM
Japanese (Ramen): Yakitori
Thai: Siam Nara
Peruvian: Q'ero
Pizza: Blue Ribbon›4 Replies -
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