Kearny Mesa is ground zero for San Diego’s Asian-food community, with izakayas and ramen shops and kimchi and curries and pho steaming out of every other window in the strip-mall area in central San Diego. But for a while, growth in the area seemed stagnant. It was the usual awesome suspects like Dumpling Inn, Wa Dining Okan, and Yakitori Yakyudori. But a recent spat of newcomers has brought renewed excitement to the area.
And the newest is Hive, a massive expansion of Chorus Karaoke (4428 Convoy Street) with owner Scott Na, executive chef Q Yoo, and bartender Jay Choi. The three-phase project will eventually be a 20,000 square-foot entertainment juggernaut. The first phase is complete now: a 300-seqat dining room, a 50-seat bar featuring 50 tap beers and barrel-aged cocktails, an LED-lit bar, and four 150-inch TVs for the sporting types.
The food menu from Yoo is an ambitious culture jump with Mediterranean-Baja-Asian influences, including a tostada, bulgogi salad, flatbreads (wild mushroom, avocado-pulled pork), burgers (mushroom-pork belly, fried cheese burger), pastas, and a few entrees (whole chicken thighs, baby back ribs).
The second phase (tentatively set for the end of April) will include 14 private karaoke rooms and a vintage arcade (pinball, Mario, etc.). And the final phase is set for summer with the addition of a 3,000 square-foot nightclub with a massive, 150-person karaoke room.
Take a look at the first phase, open now.
First Look: Hive
First Look: Hive
First Look: Hive
First Look: Hive
First Look: Hive
First Look: Hive
First Look: Hive
First Look: Hive
