Another great place to eat! Unique fusion of Italian and Japanese The curry is very good with a nice spice to it. This was my first time and won't be the last time A nice parking lot with a lot of restaurants choices. Kaz's has to be the first one to try! read more

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Disappointing customer service experience... I was DoorDashing in the area and mistakenly walked into this restaurant because I had gone to the wrong location. I understand that mistakes happen, and I simply needed clarification on where the restaurant I was actually looking for was located. Unfortunately, the host/server I spoke with was extremely standoffish and rude. Rather than simply letting me know that I was at the wrong restaurant and pointing me in the right direction, I was met with an attitude that felt unnecessarily dismissive and unwelcoming. I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable just basic courtesy and a little direction. I ultimately left and found the correct restaurant on my own, but the interaction left a very negative impression. I understand that employees have busy days and may deal with a lot of people, but basic professionalism and common courtesy should still be extended to customers and delivery workers alike. I'm leaving this review because the way I was treated was genuinely distasteful and completely unnecessary. A simple, respectful response would have made this an entirely different experience. read more

The food was edible, but overall below average, and the service was incredibly slow. I honestly think Trader Joe's pizza tastes better than their truffle pizza. The Ponzu hamburger steak was overcooked and burnt, which was really disappointing. The clam appetizer had the tiniest clams I've ever seen in my life, although the flavor itself was decent. The braised beef pasta was the only decent dish we ordered, but even that had a major issue: the pasta itself wasn't very good. I ended up just eating the braised beef with a side of white rice because that was honestly the best part of the entire meal. Overall, nothing we ordered really stood out, and the slow service made the experience even more disappointing. read more

Extremely disappointed with my meal, especially because this place has such great reviews! I got the salmon pasta, which had pieces of cooked salmon, spinach, and salmon roe, but unfortunately it was SO bland. The ingredients didn't really come together, and honestly, it felt like everything was just thrown onto a plate... but at least the presentation was pretty. The sauce was also a major letdown. It was lacking in flavor and EXTREMELY watery for something that was advertised as a creamy sauce. read more

Bistro Kaz - Salmon, Spinach in Creamy Sauce Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

IG @allysxn.eats | unique and flavorful pastas, we got the cod roe, salmon roe butter soy sauce flavor & the tuna, tomato, mozzarella spicy penne arrabbiata - overall pleasant experience and yummy food! read more

Bistro Kaz - IG @allysxn.eats - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Celebrated a birthday last month on a Thursday afternoon and we were the only guests there. This place is a Japanese-Italian fusion place that's quite small! I got the Vongole and I wish it had more flavor to it. I also tried the truffle mushroom pizza and it was rich in flavor which was nice. I did not try the spaghetti or paella so I can't speak for how they thought it tasted. Overall service was good. Parking can be difficult since it's a busy area. read more

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Bistro Kaz is truly a hidden gem in the San Diego area. I visit at least two times (at the minimum!) whenever I'm in town. This unique Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant consistently impresses with its fresh, high-quality ingredients. My must-order dishes are the cold cod and salmon roe pasta and the unagi pizza. If you're a fan of squid sashimi, then the pasta is an absolute must-try! I don't think I've had anything like it before. They also offer a lunch special on weekdays that includes your choice of entrée, salad, soup, and a drink for a reasonable price. read more

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Located on convoy street, along with a lot of great Asian restaurants. This is an amazing Japanese fusion restaurant, featuring some of the best dishes. Their Cold Cod Roe and Squid Pasta Lunch Combo is the best that I have ever had! Pasta dish(of your choice), soup, salad and drink for $26! read more

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Kind of like a hole in the wall. Been here for many years and I hope they continue to stay. The store front is quite small and easy to miss compared to the neighboring stores. Inside is also quaint. I really like the atmosphere and vibe of this place. Rarely do I like fusion, but this place does it well. Italian and Japanese. It's not commonly seen here and I'm glad they have good portion sizes still after so many years Food is consistent. Service is the same as it has been. We usually see the same lady. Food is also delicious read more

Bistro Kaz - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We passed today and decided to ditch the dim sum place next door for this restaurant! It was the best decision!!! We had Japanese style Italian food in Japan before and loved it and gave this place a shot. Man, they didn't disappoint. We ordered the lunch special which came with a salad, soup, and choose and entree and drink. You can upgrade your salad, soup and drinks for few bucks extra. Everything was yummy! But if u want more meat, do not order their pasta, they are mostly of veggies. My salmon pasta had a good amount of fish. But they do have other Japanese dishes. My son had the Japanese meat loaf. The size was small for a teenager so he left still hungry. For me, the pasta was too much for me. The lunch combo was $24 and I paid an extra dollar for hot green tea. IMO, not too bad these days. This will definitely be my go to place for lunch! The server was very patient and efficient. The place was clean and cozy. read more

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A quiet little spot with orders made to order. It's a nice date night spot. The dishes fuse Japanese and Italian flavors. The guys really enjoyed the curry dishes. My pasta was good - but I was expecting bigger pieces of seafood. read more

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We first visited and ordered the hamburger steak with demi-glace sauce and the Seafood Doria, and we were immediately impressed. Every part of the experience--from the food and service to the cozy atmosphere--was exceptional. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we came back just a week later for dinner to try the cream crab croquettes, unagi pizza, okonomiyaki, and cod roe soy butter pasta. The unagi pizza and Seafood Doria were definite favorites, and I can't wait to come back and try even more of the menu! read more

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This restaurant is small and quaint. There was only one other customer while we were there, so we were seated immediately. I came with two friends. I ordered the corn soup and the creamy uni pasta. I enjoyed what I ordered. My friends ordered a curry & rice dish and the squid ink pasta. I enjoyed the curry, but there's definitely better Japanese curry out there. The squid ink pasta was SO terrible. I don't understand how that's the most popular dish here. It was extremely plain, flavorless, and stains your mouth. My friends asked for Parmesan cheese to add to the squid ink pasta to improve the taste. I've never had squid ink pasta so maybe that's how it's supposed to taste? Oh well! read more

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Great interior and atmosphere. It's a small dining area and small bar but ambiance is 5 stars!! One waitress is juggling it all plus the bar so dont expect super fast service but still good. Food portions were big and the pasta is light which makes sense for Japanese-Italian fusion. Friendly and classy comfy place and couple regulars frequent the spot. We tried: Unagi pizza - great for sharing or as an entree Crab with tomato creamy sauce pasta - great pasta and flavor Meat bologonese - lighter taste than normal bolognese but still good. read more

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Food: The chicken cream pasta was light but still packed with flavor definitely a pleasant surprise. The pescatora was good but it could have used a little more seasoning to really make the seafood shine. The Hamburg steak was easily the standout dish of the night. It was flavorful, cooked well, and my favorite entree we ordered. Service: We arrived about an hour before closing but the server still greeted us warmly and never made us feel rushed. The service was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. Ambiance: This place feels like a small hidden gem. It's cozy and not overly crowded making it a relaxing spot to enjoy a meal without all the noise. I'd definitely come back to try more of the many things they have in the menu. read more

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Get their pizza, seafood doria, ceviche and croquette. Avoid chicken liver pate, we love chicken liver but I spat this one out. The squid ink pasta is good, but if you work at a hair salon or know what vivid hair dye smells like avoid this too. read more

Bistro Kaz - 390490. Squid Ink - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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There aren't many places in San Diego that serve Japanese Italian food so I'm glad I can go to Bistro Kaz! * The crab cream croquette was crispy and delicate but also rich but not too dense. * The okonimiyaki was unique in that it had cheese, which we really enjoyed! It was a bit too doughy for me, but I could still feel the cabbage at least. * The pastas were cooked really well. For the tuna and tomato pasta, it wasn't very spicy (but Japanese food isn't that spicy anyways haha). Though the sauce was mild at first, the flavor deepened the more I kept eating. The Neapolitan pasta felt like a upscale version of Jollibee spaghetti in the best way! The sauce was addicting in its own way. I would come back again when I'm craving Japanese Italian food again! read more

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Looks like a nice cozy family style restaurant. Really generous portions for the price and they taste great! Really friendly server and gave a good recommendation on the mentaiko pasta. She also recommended an unagi pizza, which I will try next time. read more

Bistro Kaz - 50324011. Pescatora - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I stumbled upon this restaurant while doing some research on beli for Japanese-Italian fusion spots, and I instantly knew that it would be right up my alley. I loveeee Japanese-Italian fusion food. To start, the restaurant was so cute. Although it had limited seating, it was extremely cozy and mellow. After some heavy contemplation, we decided on the truffle pizza and creamy sea urchin pasta. The truffle pizza came out first and it was SO good to say the least. It tasted very creamy and buttery, but it was definitely on the heavier side. I wish they added corn to it--I feel like that could be a nice addition. Shortly after, we were then served with the pasta. First, it looked soooo appetizing. The plating was phenomenal! The pasta itself was very creamy but not greasy at all. It also did not taste overlyyy fishy. Instead, the seaweed paired very well with the urchin & roe. Overall, I had a great experience at Bistro Kaz! The service was also lovely. The only downfall is that it is on the pricier side, so I definitely recommend to bring friends to share & split! read more

Bistro Kaz - Truffle pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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A 3.5/5 Starting with the most notable...the server was not very helpful/knowledgeable when asked about what to order or his opinion on the items we chose and that started us off on the wrong foot. We ordered 2 pastas, eel pizza, and crab croquette. The croquettes started off strong - fried well and flavorful. The two pasta dishes were underwhelming and felt flat. I also didn't enjoy the eel pizza. Heavy on the cheese and not interesting. The restaurant was a nice little space but sadly left us disappointed. With these reviews I guess it may have been an off day. read more

The Japanese curry was simply delicious and flavorful. Loved it. The egg plant was cooked perfectly as well. The meatloaf sandwich was also very flavorful and tasty. Breaded and then fried??? Hell yeah. Sign me up!! The cucumber, fresh mozzarella just really added to it. Complimented everything perfectly. The fries it was served with was crispy and delicious. read more

Bistro Kaz - Eggplant curry - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love the Japanese Italian fusion pastas that they serve here. I think it is such a great blend of Italian and Japanese flavors that complement each other. I have always went with their seafood varieties so I cannot speak on their other menu items but the cold cod roe pasta and the crab meat and scallop pepperoncino pasta are very good and they do not skimp on the ingredients. The server has always been friendly every time I have been there and I love the small space and interior of the restaurant. It has a certain charm to it that feels very cozy. If possible I would highly recommend going for their lunch menu as they include a house salad, a soup, and cold roasted barley tea or orange juice. It is such a great value that does not compromise on the quality of the food. read more

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Looking for a place in SD that offes meatloaf and this place came up. First time here and we absolutely love the food. The meatloaf sandwich was deep fried, came with mozzarella and a side of fries. The Japanese curry was also excellent. I had the fried eggplant and it really worked together with the curry sauce. Place is small and parking can be difficult. read more

Bistro Kaz - Meatloaf sandwich - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Cozy Japanese Yoshoku Cafe in Kearny Mesa Like a Euro cafe in Japan, Bistro Kaz is a super cozy seeming hole in the wall, bringing the comforts of West meets East yoshoku eats to the San Diego metro area. Nestled in a strip mall in the heart of Kearny Mesa, you are instantly greeted to modern kissaten cafe lounge jazz enveloped in a cute little space of reddish brick and dark woods. For lunch on a Friday, the crowd was small with plenty of seating, which even has a coffee bar. Service was gently slow and actually worked great with the music. I ordered the lunch set, which is a bit on the pricey side, but what you get is an actually great value: main + salad + soup + drink. And with a large portion size! Hayashi Omurice. I love omelets with rice inside, a Japanese comfort food. Combined with hayashi sauce and beef, I couldn't resist. This isn't your classic hayashi sauce, however, being a rich umami tomato base filed with onions, carrots, and sweet-and-sour soaked bamboo shoots. It's a lovely mix, and frankly, it's worth trying. Comes with some red pickled radishes to change it up on the flavor every now and then. Definite recommend. House salad. No extra charge. All green leaf lettuce in a light vinaigrette. Can recommend with combo. Cold barley tea. Served with ice, and it has a nice mild flavor, easy to drink with a hot meal. No extra charge with set, so recommend. Corn soup. Creamy and sweet. Nothing says cozy Japanese food like a hot corn soup. $1.50 extra with set, so a definite recommend. Overall, a great lunch spot if you want to take your time and feel like you stepped into Japan for a cozy bite. Next up: dinner. read more

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Great spot to check out if you're in the area. Reservations recommended. We've been here several times and my recommendations are the Seafood Doria, Cold Cod Roe Salmon Roe Angel Hair Pasta, and Corn Soup. Always have a great time here! read more

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I really enjoyed Bistro Kaz :) the food was very delicious and the drinks were great. My boyfriend loves squid ink pasta and their did not disappoint :) the service was okay, I feel like they didn't check up on us a whole lot, but the were nice. The restaurant is also small, so on a busy night you could experience a wait. Overall a good spot for date night :) read more

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The food was good. The pasta is al dente and the sauces are creamy but light. The bread was perfect. The corn soup was super yummy. read more

Bistro Kaz - 50325238. Crab Cream Croquette, 50325475. Garlic Bread - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I absolutely love this restaurant! The crossover between Italian and Japanese is so good and they do it so well. We ordered a Unagi Eel Pizza to share and tried the Crab Meat in Creamy Tomato Sauce Pasta. Both was divine and they give you a good portion! The pizza was very fresh and had a generous number of unagi on there with perfect amount of eel sauce, which paired perfectly with the cheese. The pasta held a very good balance between being heavy and refreshing, which worked well with the huge crab chunks and crunchy asparagus. It's a very small restaurant that's on the quieter side. It felt cozy inside and service was great:) I want to go again already. read more

Bistro Kaz - 390488. Crab Meat in Creamy Tomato Sauce - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great food. No so great service. The waiter needs an attitude adjustment. Pork Belly was good.

Such a good value for their lunch set! Comes with a drink, a salad, soup and the main meal. I got the omlet rice and WOW was the sauce on top super flavorful. The meat was so tender and elevated the omlet rice. The soup was also very yummy it had lots of veggies in it! Would love to come back to try one of their pastas. read more

Bistro Kaz - 50322806. Omelet Rice with Hashed Beef Sauce Lunch Combo - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Bistro Kaz is an absolute gem of a restaurant!! Their fusion of Japanese and Italian flavors were done so incredibly well, we were practically dancing in our seats from how flavorful some of the dishes were. We started with the miso salmon belly, and wow wow wooow this was hands down one of the best bites I've had in a while. The salmon was incredibly soft, practically melted in your mouth, and the miso enriched flavors were spot on. We also tried the pork belly served on a bed of mashed potatoes with a sweet sauce, and it was absolutely delicious! A good portion of a pork belly with such a unique and tasty flavor and texture combination. My boyfriend had the chicken doria, which to us was tasty, but didn't quite compare to the other two dishes. To me it was a little lacking in texture, where I feel like it would've benefited from a little crunch, but honestly still very comforting and flavorful. The restaurant is a bit small, so if you're with a bigger group, you might need to wait, but they do a fantastic job accommodating everyone. The service was super quick and friendly, and the atmosphere felt cozy yet elevated. Almost like we were dining at a hidden fine dining spot. Bf and I will definitely be back here for more date nights. read more

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This place is a small and intimate restaurant. There was only one server, so he was the only person that we interacted with for the whole time. He was quick and efficient. We ordered the: -Unagi Eel Pizza ($20): This was delicious, and the first time I've had unagi on pizza. The unagi was cooked perfectly, and all of the flavors blended together perfectly. It was the first to arrive on our table, and we all finished it before trying anything else. -Spaghetti with Crab Meat in Creamy Tomato Sauce ($18): This was actually quite filling, and came with two pieces of garlic bread. There was a good amount of crab meat and tomato. -Fried Chicken Curry ($18): The chicken was fried well, and there was a good portion especially for the cost. -Black Squid Ink Paella ($32): It had a nice assortment of seafood. The plate was pretty small though, so it seems a bit pricy. -Miso Marinated Salmon Belly ($20): The flavor of the miso was good, but the salmon was a bit dry. Overall, we enjoyed the dishes that we got. At the end of our meal, the four of us were all full, and even took home some leftovers. The next time that I return, I am going to order the Creamy Sea Urchin with Salmon Roe spaghetti. The couple that was next to us each ordered one, and said that it's their favorite dish here. read more

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Disappointed. We really wanted to like this place. I read all of the reviews and was hopeful even though they were mixed. Overall the only reason for a 3 star was the ambiance and curry, it would have been maybe a 1 or 2. Food was not anything worth while to fight the parking traffic for. Waiter messed up on our order, even though it was repeated 3 times and my daughter even pointed to the item on the menu and the waiter supposedly 'looked' at it. He even tried to correct us, even though my husband and I heard her right order all 3 times! SMH. Pizza had more cheese than anything else. We ordered the Unagi/Eel pizza and I swear it was just melted cheese with a few small eel pieces and a gang of unagi sauce. If you just wanted flavored melted cheese, order this. I got the Uni pasta at $36 MP. Never again. It was very al dente pasta, water and a few small pieces of Uni. It was so extremely watered down and flavorless. I absolutely do not recommend. Only item that may have been worth it was the fried pork curry. It was a really good portion and son said it was actually really good. It looked good too, but he started scarfing it down before I was able to take a picture of it. read more

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I'm a fan! Bistro Kaz is kind of an unassuming place. It's small quiet and tucked away. I honestly didn't even know it was there until I searched on Yelp. Bistro Kaz is a Japanese / Italian fusion restaurant located in Convoy area of San Diego. My boyfriend and I went there on a weeknight to eat. My Italian-American boyfriend ordered an Italian dish - surprise surprise - Chicken Cream Pasta. I ordered a Japanese dish - surprise surprise. Hahahaha. I ordered their Curry Rice. Portions were generous that we both ended up taking home leftovers. Delicious. Will definitely be back! read more

Bistro Kaz - 50323965. Chicken Cream Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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The atmosphere of the restaurant is very nice, quiet, and calm. We ordered on of the cream cod roe pasta and the unagri eel pizza. The pasta was okay, but the eel pizza was delicious! The crust was not too hard or filling and the toppings were plentiful. The eel and sauce tasted slightly sweet and was very pleasant. Would definitely recommend the eel pizza. read more

Bistro Kaz - 50324001. Cream Cod Roe Pasta 390539. Unagi Eel Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm always up for trying something new. When I found this Japanese-Italian restaurant, I had to give it a try. We went during lunch. They have two lunch combo options - one with pasta and one without. You get to choose one main dish and it comes with salad, soup and a drink. I ordered Cod Roe and Salmon Roe with butter soy sauce. The flavor was good and pasta was the right texture. However it was a bit too dry for my taste. I also tried squid ink pasta which was tasty. The chicken doria was creamy and cheesy. After our main meal, we ordered tiramisu, green tea Mont Blanc cake and pistachio ice cream. I think tiramisu needs a bit more espresso. The green tea cake on the bottom was a bit stale but green tea topping was great. Overall, it's a good place for something different than normal Japanese/Italian Fare. The food came out fairly quick. The service was ok. The space was clean and a decent size. I would come back to try other non-pasta dishes. read more

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Food and service were excellent! Well done Japanese/Italian fusion! We ordered steam clams for appetizer and it was savory! Very appetizing. The cod roe and samon roe butter soy flavor pasta was perfectly seasoned. The crab meat with creamy tomato sauce pasta was another great hit! Everything was delicious. Definitely recommend and will be returning. It's a quaint, charming place. read more

Delicious food and an interesting fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine. I came here because I was craving corn soup and Bistro Kaz is one of the few places that has it. The corn soup was creamy and had some sweetness. The chicken doria (rice dish) was really creamy and savory with the mushrooms, chicken, and cheese. The squid ink pasta was pretty saucy with the squid ink, so you need to be careful. You'll likely have black stained lips and teeth right after eating. The restaurant is small and there are not a ton of tables inside or out. Service was good and the server was attentive. read more

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A quaint restaurant amidst the busy Convoy streets. The menu had a fun hodgepodge of dishes that fused Japanese and Italian cuisine. There was a large parking lot of front with additional spots in the back if that was full. There were two small tables out front but majority of the seats were inside and at the bar. Our server was great albeit the food took a while to come out. =ORDERED= *Ceviche: a strange option but I was stunned by the tastiness and portion size. This appetizer was easily shared between two and the seafood was vibrant. There were big chunks of octopus, shrimp, mango, tomato and cucumber covered in a sweet and acidic lime marinade. There was a cup of Japanese mayo on the side in which I'm going to start adding to my ceviche from now on. *Uni and Salmon Roe Pasta: priced at market price, hence $36 during my visit. The pasta was nicely al dente. I wished more sauce came with the amount of noodles but it was very flavorful. The uni flavor was concentrated and prominent. Although this has to be one of the more expensive options in SD, this dish was executed the best of those I've tried. Each dish tasted great and was well developed. While the menu is more expensive, Bistro Kaz is serving unique dishes that you won't find elsewhere in SD. read more

Bistro Kaz - uni and salmon roe pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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This Italian Japanese place is one of my favorite places in San Diego. If you've ever lived in Japan or had a chance to enjoy the "Itameshi" cuisine, you'll love this place. They have a large menu including things like omelette rice, a large variety of pasta dishes, and my personal favorite, Doria. For those who aren't familiar with it, Doria is a kind of casserole dish that has rice, a light cream sauce, meat of some sort (i.e. seafood), and a baked layer of cheese on top. It is comfort food at its finest. We have been here several times and the restaurant has a cozy interior with a faux fireplace up front and a friendly waitress who always seems to be there at lunchtime (she has been our server every time we've visited). The lunch specials include a drink (Orange juice is our usual choice), a soup and salad along with your main entree. Prices are reasonable and it is very clear that great care went into each dish and how it was presented. If you like any kind of casserole (think Baked Mac and Cheese, Potatoes au gratin, lasagna, etc), you must try the Doria. You will not regret it. I was first introduced to Doria when living in Japan and am always looking for places that make it. ----TL;DR---- PROS: think Japanese-Italian comfort food and you have found the place to get it. The service and restaurant are wonderful, prices are reasonable and the lunch special includes so much. CONS: parking could be tight sometimes but usually there are open spots BOTTOM LINE: one of my favorite places in San Diego for Japanese-Italian food that is authentic to Japan and how they adapted it to the Japanese palate. If you like casserole dishes, you must try their Doria. I get it every time! read more