As a newly relocated Jersey gal I am blown away by how much California, and particularly my new home San Diego, has to offer. I am fortunate enough to now live within ten to twenty minutes of so many different towns, each with their own personality, vibe and culture. With so much to do my roommate and fellow New Jersey newcomer, Amanda, have vowed to visit no local restaurant or bar twice no matter how delicious it is until we have covered some ground and seen what all of these new places have in store for us. Amanda and I have both been in the food industry since we turned sixteen, working as waitresses and bartenders to earn enough money to move out here and pursue our Cali dreams. Because of this we not only expect good service, but we greatly appreciate it. We tend to notice the little things like a simple smile or suggestion from a server or some friendly conversation while someone makes our dirty martini. We are also both vegetarians – I’m actually a vegan- so this has made eating out a little tricky and difficult in the past where we come from. However, I’m confident that there will be many more delicious options now that we are living somewhere a little more health conscious and way more ahead of the game when it comes to food and diet.
The journey began on our second night here, after a long day of drinking water, lying in bed and recovering from our first night out in Pacific Beach. Around 7 pm on a Friday we finally left our air mattress in search of some dinner and much needed fuel. We decided on sushi and set off down Garnet Avenue for something that looked appetizing, but we quickly realized we needed to focus on some place that would have parking instead. We found a parking lot not far from the beach on Mission Blvd and walked a block or so up between Garnet and Hornblend to a place called Sushi Kuchi. As soon as we entered the restaurant we were enthusiastically greeted by every staff member who saw us come in. Even the men and woman rolling up the fresh sushi behind the counter looked up and gave us their full attention and thanks for coming in. We were sat immediately and ordered our drinks right away from the friendly server who came over to greet us. Since the night before had been a rough one we simply got two waters and got to work on picking out an appetizer to start with. We decided to stick with something light and ordered edamame, our go-to favorite. It came out quickly and then we each ordered our own roll (vegetable for me, volcano for Amanda) and split a big vegetable udon noodle soup as well. Everything was really flavorful and quick, which was appreciated since we were starving to death. As we mercilessly dunked our rolls in soy sauce the conversation slowed down to a minimum – a sure sign that the food you’re eating is absolutely delicious and it was.
Although we didn’t save room for any dessert the meal was pretty perfect. Friendly staff, good food, timely service and a nice atmosphere to sit and enjoy. After paying the bill we got up to leave and we were once again acknowledged with a big goodbye from the staff, just like everyone else who entered or exited the restaurant. It put a personal touch on everything and really felt like the people working were paying attention and grateful for the business you were giving them. Although we won’t be back to Sushi Kuchi until we test out some of the other sushi places in San Diego, I would definitely recommend everyone else to try it if you’re looking for a laid back night and some delicious food. Wine and beer are also available there so that’s always a big plus when you’re looking to go out. With one PB restaurant under my belt I feel confident that things are only going to get better with each place that stumble into.
