Hey, nice tree. The newest entrant into Little Italy’s culinary hive has two white-and-pink cherry blossom trees in full bloom behind the central bar. Easily seen from the street, it’s a come-hither centerpiece for the 7,500-square-foot Cloak & Petal, a collaboration between Isamu Morikizono (chef-owner of Tajima ramen restaurants) and Cesar Vallin (ex-Prospect Bar, Rooftop La Jolla).
Their chef, TJ—who spent time honing his skills in Japan—has designed an epic small plates menu with pan-Asian bites, like Jidori chicken karaage, braised pork belly, salmon sushi, elk sashimi, Wagyu rolls, even an indulgent surf-and-turf pairing monkfish liver with foie gras.
The bar crafts cocktails that enlist Japanese ingredients like violets, clove, cardamom, sesame, and of course, Japanese whiskey. A sushi bar off to the side handles the nigiri, sashimi, and rolls program. The land of the rising sun is shining in San Diego.
1953 India Street, Little Italy
Cloak & Petal Blooms in Little Italy
Photo by Paul Body
