Playa Kitchen is a new restaurant amongst the life science companies in Torrey Pines Science Park. I have seen several of these establishments pop up in various industrial complexes across the county. This one happens to not be far from the entry to Torrey Pines Golf Club on the other side of the road. Several dedicated parking spaces were across the driveway in front of an office building.
Plenty of outside tables were available including a set along the sidewalk with terrific views. The inside dining room had an open-air atmosphere allowing sunlight and the breezes to flow in. Four menu boards were posted behind the service counter. Beverages were listed on the far left panel, breakfast and light plates were on the middle left, wraps and sandwiches were on the middle right, and bowls were displayed on the far right panel.
From the last category, I picked the Soba Noodle Salad which was the bottom choice of the six varieties. Chilled soba noodles were mixed with cabbage, carrots, beets, cucumber, edamame, green onion, and crispy tofu. A peanut sauce was applied as a dressing. What I liked the best was the four pieces of tofu because the crispiness added texture to the salad. The noodles were buried underneath the other ingredients while the sauce was savory but almost too salty.
Workers at the nearby buildings have this great spot to now hang out and collaborate over food and drink. The prices aren't cheap, but the convenience and good quality cannot be overstated. I gave a four star rating for my lunch at Playa Kitchen. read more