Animae 969 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101

"First off…gorgeous restaurant! The decor is stunning, and lets you know you’ve walked into something special. I left my dinner feeling incredibly full because there was so much I wanted to try. As a fan of tartar, I had to try the Wagyu Tartare, and glad I did. It was fresh, and flavorful, and the shoestring potato was a welcome addition of crunchy texture. We didn’t stop there with apps, we also tried the Crispy Pig Ears, which may not sound very appetizing, but I’m an adventurous eater, and couldn’t resist. It was delectable! Definitely had a wonderful light crisp, and was tossed in a finger licking tangy sauce. Was heavenly! For the main dish, the Pork Tomahawk, cut from the bone in thick slices, was rich and savory. The beet glaze lends a sweetness to the light salt, while the fattiness lends an added juiciness and flavor to the meat, which is already juicy and tender. When dipped in the vinegar and shallot side sauce, it’s unbelievable! A restaurant of this caliber is certainly not going to drop the ball at the bar. The Midnight in Manila is a rich, rum infused cocktail that has an incredible tone of chocolate though there’s no chocolate in the drink. It was divine!"

"I had Animae on my list to try for ages and finally had dinner on a Sunday night. We had reservations and were seated right away. They have booths and tables and we were initially sat at a booth. The staff was very nice and accommodating when we asked to be moved to a table. For appetizers, we tried the cavier shrimp toast, Taiwanese chicken, tuna kinilaw, and hamachi. All of our appetizers tasted great but my favorites were the cavier shrimp toast and Taiwanese chicken. For our main dishes, we tried the short rib kare kare and pork tomahawk tocino and for sides, we got the roasted cabbage, crab fried rice, and wagyu fried rice. Both entrees tasted great and I think the short rib kare kare is very popular. However, I'm generally not a huge fan of short ribs and am partial to pork belly so I liked the pork tomahawk tocino better. If you order the tocino, you definitely have to get a side because the dish is literally just a huge piece of pork. All the sides were delicious. The cabbage is definitely unexpected because it's grilled and in a flavorful miso sauce. Both fried rice dishes were delicious and very different. The crab fried rice was lighter than the wagyu fried rice. For dessert, we got the ube profiteroles and really enjoyed them. The filling had a strong ube flavor. I really enjoyed my meal at Animae and will definitely be back to try other appetizers, sides, and desserts. A note about parking, the restaurant does not have a dedicated parking lot but they do have valet parking. However, we were able to park on the street for free. Normally, I would give Animae 5 stars but I'm taking a star away because the meal was quite expensive ($250 for 2) and our entrees and sides came out lukewarm."

"Amazing dinner. The service and atmosphere were fantastic! We did the Valentine's Day 4 course dinner. Everything was fantastic, but there were a few standouts. The beet salad was delicious; the way they used tofu to mimic ricotta cheese was perfect! The lemongrass chicken entree was the true standout of the evening. The way the lemon grass was infused into the chicken was incredible. We also had the fillet and it was delicious, but next to the chicken it left us wanting something more creative or flavorful. And the chocolate mousse dessert was fantastic, the toasted sesame oil really added another dimension! It was a very expensive evening but worth treating ourselves to a wonderful evening out."

"We ordered delicious cocktails and a few dishes to share, but the dish that really left a mark on us is the Taiwanese popcorn chicken and that’s saying a lot since we went to Taiwan this past spring. The vibes of Animae is perfect for a date night or a girls night out with your favorite people in the world. We’re excited to come back and try other dishes."