DowntownUnder the helm of acclaimed chef Tara Monsod, San Diego’s first James Beard Award finalist, the Puffer Malarkey stunner ANIMAE has become a destination restaurant for Filipino and Southeast Asian food, drawing a loyal clientele that comes from as far as LA. Her upscale dishes tweak familiar Filipino comfort food dishes and flavors of common street treats into a fine dining experience that’s not often seen in Southern California. Sip something sweet or savory from the cocktail menu alongside crispy pig ears or ume oysters, then explore the sake menu while you indulge in A5 wagyu, Kare Kare Short Ribs with green beans and eggplant, or Branzino Cha Ca.

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.

Animae is not only one of downtown San Diego’s most fashionable restaurants, it’s the place to see and be seen in town right now. Conceived by celebrity chef and San Diego local Brian Malarkey, and at the helm, Executive Chef Tara Monsod, a 2024 James Beard Award finalist, the cuisine takes guests on a journey where modern US meets Asian fusion, and while you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here, don’t sleep on the tuna kinilaw, coal roasted cabbage, and A5 Japanese wagyu. View this post on Instagram

Draped in velvet and glowing with art deco glamour, Animae is one of San Diego’s grandest dining rooms. Its plush oversized booths have been perpetually full since the Pan-Asian menu took a more focused, Filipino direction. The strongest dishes here are like glow-ups of traditional homestyle plates, like sweet pork tocino that’s transformed into an outrageously succulent pork tomahawk steak with a beet glaze.

Animae sits atop this list as a luxury fine dining experience that rivals bougee Las Vegas, sheek Hollywood and Miami Beach. The dining room is a futurist’s interpretation of Art Deco design, elegant beyond compare - with its floor-to-ceiling drapes, soft chairs and velvety booths, at Animae - all your senses become awakened… it a place that suspends time and space you can spend hours sitting with the company of family and friends enjoying the family-style Asian infused cuisine and phenomenal service. Delicate drinks presented beautifully with bursts of flavor.

Money can't buy happiness but it can buy you and your someone special a palate-pleasing pan-Asian feast of Korean fried chicken, 45-day dry-aged rib eye, Ora king salmon with pomegranate ponzu, or a variety of delicious crudos at "Top Chef" contestant Brian Malarkey’s latest entry in the San Diego fine dining scene. The space, a $5.5 million project, is awash in sumptuous shades of gold, chartreuse, and coral from the elegant chandeliers to the custom carpeting. Both can be admired while sipping something from the quality Japanese whisky collection.

It's smack dab in the heart of San Diego's power scene, located on the ground floor of the Pacific Gate by Bosa in the Embarcadero Marina, so it comes as no surprise that Animae is sexy and scene-y. This bastion of glamour attracts a who's who of trendy diners who come here largely to be seen—attention seekers should ask for the cushy round booths in the center of it all. Luxe details abound, with thick velvet curtains and art deco elegance, but the Asian fusion plates are on pace with the setting and most dishes are meant to be shared.

The interior of Animae isn’t quite as chill as your grandmother’s house, but I bet her home didn’t cost $5.5 million to renovate. Executive chef Tara Monsod has been at the forefront of San Diego’s culinary transformation since taking over Animae’s kitchen in 2020, and while her menu remains undoubtedly fusion, it’s filled with Pan-Asian influence drawn from her Filipino heritage as well as from Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia. The Wagyu steak program is hard to top, but don’t skip the short rib kare kare.

In the heart of the Marina District, Animae invites couples to indulge in a sultry ambiance featuring verdant velvet banquettes and dramatic drapery. Chef Tara Monsod’s Asian-influenced steakhouse easily impresses with standout dishes like the triple-seared A5 wagyu, expertly prepared over a traditional Robata grill. But the innovative cocktails and shareable plates—such as tuna crispy rice and spiny lobster Palabok—transform any evening into a special occasion.

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.

Chef-restaurateur Brian Malarkey and business partner Christopher Puffer opened their broadly defined “pan-Asian steakhouse” a month before the pandemic bore down. Its enormous Little Italy dining room, grandly carpeted and curtained, was from the start a comfortable place for conversation at reasonable volumes. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2021, when the owners promoted Tara Monsod to executive chef, that the direction of the menu cemented and excelled.

Money can’t buy class but might purchase a delicious meal for you and your loved someone. -Korean fried chicken, 45-day dry-aged rib eye, Ora king salmon with pomegranate ponzu, or a range of delectable crudos at “Top Chef” contestant Brian Malarkey’s newest entry in the San Diego fine dining scene. From the beautiful chandeliers to the handcrafted carpets, the $5.5 million areas are drenched in lush tones of gold, chartreuse, and coral.

Imagine stepping into a world that is the epitome of urban futurism combined with culinary excellence. Located in Downtown San Diego, Animae takes you into the streets of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, offering an Asian-fusion menu that feels like an exploration into a dystopian culinary fantasy. Unique Factor: The restaurant incorporates plant-based elements not just in the food but also in the décor, blending future and nature.

Chef Tara Monsod is absolutely crushing it at this Pan-Asian kitchen housed in chic downtown digs. Her playful dishes pop off the table, pulling influence from the Philippines all the way to India. Standouts include Taiwanese chicken dressed in hot honey and Szechuan peppercorn; crunchy shrimp toast smothered in trout roe; inasal plated alongside turmeric butter rice, with atchara and spicy toyomansi.

Animae offers a twist on a traditional Japanese steakhouse, infusing it with an eclectic California vibe. At first blush, you'll notice the rich gold tones and Art Deco decor, but it doesn't take long to pick up on quirky details like robot-themed art and neon-colored cocktails. It's one of the few romantic restaurants in San Diego serving the A5 grade of Wagyu beef.

After the massive success of Herb & Wood by Chris Puffer and Brian Malarkey of the Puffer-Malarkey Collective, comes another fresh venture in San Diego: ANIMAE. Located on the ground floor of the Pacific Gate by Bosa, ANIMAE is Puffer Malarkey’s uber-stylish spin on West Coast Steakhouse, layered with a delightfully unconventional take on Asian flavors.

If you want a meal that feels like a movie set, head to ANIMAE—a true showstopper led by a James Beard-nominated executive chef. The decor is futuristic Art Deco meets luxe hotel lobby, and the vibe is pure drama (in the best way). This place takes West Coast steakhouse standards and flips them with Asian influences and obsessive technique.

Animae, Downtown: Chef Tara Monsod is extending its usual dinner-only hours on May 8 to host a prix-fixe Mother’s Day brunch service. The Asian-influenced menu will include poached shrimp with papaya, steak tartare, chicken congee, steamed buns, crab cakes and sisig char siu scramble. Cost is $80 for adults, $40 for children 10 and under.

Inside the stunning ANIMAE is a restaurant where the food is just as delightful as the aesthetic. The world-class steakhouse restaurant is located in the Marina District of San Diego. As the brainchild of celebrity chef and restaurateur Brian Malarkey, ANIMAE is a unique take on a West Coast Steakhouse with Asian culinary influences.

Animae is a world-class steakhouse restaurant located in the Marina District of San Diego. The brainchild of celebrity chef and restaurateur Brian Malarkey, Animae is a unique take on a West Coast Steakhouse with Asian culinary influences. Animae is the one of the few restaurants in San Diego serving Japan’s finest A5 wagyu beef.

Animae describes themselves as “eclectic West Coast cuisine layered with Asian influences”. It is definitely much more upscale and trendy and less casual than the other 3 but worth every penny. Animae is part of Brian Malarkey’s restaurant group and features James Beard Award-winning chef Nate Appleman as the culinary director.

Owned by Top Chef Brian Malarkey and helmed by Filipino-American chef Tara Monsod, Animae has been the talk of the town since it opened, lauded for delicious Filipino flavors and Asian-inspired dishes. Order the short-rib kare kare with bagoong (shrimp paste) oil, the caviar shrimp toast, and the wagyu fried rice.

When opulence is what you’re after, you can’t go wrong with Animae. This steakhouse in San Diego presents an elegant, intricately designed dining space, ornamented with white marble table tops and velvet olive-green curtains. Every dish at this Asian fusion steakhouse is an Insta-worthy work of craftsmanship.

This must-visit anniversary spot perfectly combines Asian flavors with traditional fine-dining Steakhouse cuisine. Celebrity chef and restaurateur Brian Malarky is behind Animae, so you know it will be good. Animae is one of the few San Diego restaurants serving Japan’s finest A5 Wagyu Beef.

Walking into Animae, I was immediately captivated by its contemporary ambiance. The sleek and modern design created an atmosphere that perfectly complemented the culinary artistry that awaited me. As I perused the menu, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the descriptions of each dish.

Downtown San Diego has no shortage of fun, interesting, exciting places to visit and Animae fits right in. West Coast Asian Fusion cuisine provides guests with unique offerings to delight the palate. Begin dinner with Lechon Kawali, an apple pate sarsa with fig and shiso.

Make dinner a truly grand affair at San Diego's "it" restaurant, Animae. The 5.5 million dollar pan-Asian restaurant sprawls across 9,300 square feet and the ambiance is opulent and seductive. If you go on Valentine's Day, they offer a four-course menu for $128/person.

Across town at the astonishingly dramatic Animae, where I step into a gold and moss green mystical forest dimension with kinilaw on the menu, executive chef Tara Monsod echoes Esteban’s ruminations on regionality and criticism from within the Filipino community.

When it comes to wagyu, chef James Beard-nominated chef Tara Monsod does it best at Animae in the Marina District. Sourced from Japan’s finest cattle, each cut of beef is gloriously marbled and seared over a robata grill, showcasing one-of-a-kind umami flavor.

The honor was also given to four other San Diego restaurants, including Animae, Callie, Fort Oak, and Menya Ultra. From the letter, Spatafore gleaned that the judges had come to Little Frenchie at some point for brunch and liked what they saw and tasted.

969 Pacific HwySan Diego, CA 92101(619) 432-1225 Visit Website See Menu Open in Google Maps. This sleek restaurant replete with Art Deco elements with a modern twist features exquisite wagyu steaks and other Asian cuisine, plus wine and cocktails.

In the heart of San Diego, Animae is a top spot for food lovers. Located at 969 Pacific Hwy, this modern restaurant is more than just a place to eat; it’s a journey of tastes. With a kitchen you can see into, every meal is a show.

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1166 reviews)- Price level: $$$- Address: 969 Pacific Hwy San Diego, California - Categories: Asian Fusion, Cocktail Bars- Read more on Yelp. You may also like: Food bank volunteer opportunities near San Diego

Executive Chef Tara Monsod brings flavors of Southeast Asia – influenced by her Filipino-American upbringing – to San Diego’s beloved fine-dining restaurant, Animae.

Examine the offerings at George’s at the Cove, The Grill at Torrey Pines, Brickmans at Lakehouse Resort, Animae, Miss B’s Coconut Club, and Rumorosa.

969 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 92101Phone: 619-432-1225 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Animae (@animae.sandiego)