Animae

"Animae’s dedicated private event space, Nima, has large floor-to-ceiling windows for dramatic views of the city skyline and an upside-down zen garden hanging overhead. The room can accommodate up to 75 people for events. Another area to consider is the Heart, secluded by curtains, which can seat 60 seated and up to 75 standing. Executive chef Tara Monsod works with the parties to customize the menu, but be sure to consider her signature uni shrimp toast and kare-kare short ribs." - Helen I. Hwang

"Indulge in an Asian-inspired twist on Christmas Eve dinner in Animae’s gorgeous downtown dining room. This year, chef Tara Monsod’s menu will feature Filipino dishes like tuna kinilaw, pork tomahawk, short rib bistek, and ube profiteroles, served in a Kamayan traditional family-style dinner format with food placed on banana leaves and eaten with your hands. The cost is $110 per adult." - Helen I. Hwang

"San Diego isn’t a formal city when it comes to fashion, but this is one of the handful of restaurants in town where people will dress up for dinner. Celebration-worthy dishes include the highly marbled A5 Miyazaki strip and tenderloin, and cuts of American wagyu that are melt-in-your-mouth and served with banchan (the restaurant's take on Korean side dishes). The entree plates highlight the creativity and Filipino heritage of Animae's executive chef, Tara Monsod, who was named a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California in 2024. A pork tomahawk chop prepared tocino-style and served with a mango dipping sauce, “dinuguan” braised beef with coconut rice, and short rib kare kare with bagoong (a fermented seafood paste) and peanut oil are some of the standouts. There’s also plenty of craft cocktails, sake, some Japanese beers on tap, and a California-dominant wine list." - Archana Ram, Marie Tutko

"Executive chef Tara Monsod, a 2024 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: California, is cooking the restaurant’s most compelling menu to date. Earning Michelin Plate honors for the restaurant, Monsod’s cuisine brings a new perspective to classics like lumpia and kare kare by showcasing Filipino flavors and ingredients on an opulent stage." - Candice Woo

"After you’ve done the fish taco thing and want a high-end meal, come to Animae for wagyu steaks and reimagined Filipino dishes. Think short-rib kare kare served with bagoong peanut oil and long green beans, or braised beef cheek dinuguan with shishito peppers and a side of coconut rice bread. The restaurant has a playlist that pumps out ‘90s hip-hop and R&B throwbacks, dramatically-draped curtains, and a painting behind the bar of a robot floating in the ocean. Make a reservation here for a fancier date night, or bring your entire friend group and ball out in one of their velvet booths." - ligaya malones