Westfield UTC boasts some really great restaurants that are anything but your typical mall fare. But their Asian-inspired offerings keep stacking up—Din Tai Fung came in 2018, followed by Qin West Noodle and Hai Di Lao in 2022, Menya Ultra and Ramen Nagi in 2023, and Marugame Udon earlier this year. That’s not even everything—there’s boba, sushi, and, coming this fall, Katsuya Ko.
Katsuya Ko at Westfield UTC will be the first outpost of the iconic Katsuya restaurant brand from hospitality group Sbe and chef Katsuya Uechi, which currently has locations in California, New York, Florida, Dubai, and the Bahamas. Ko means “child” in Japanese, and Katsuya Ko is what Sbe founder Sam Nazarian describes as a vision of what as a vision of what Katsuya’s child would be—a more approachable experience that aims to appeal to a more Gen Z and Millennial clientele versus Katsuya’s higher-end brand.
Slated to open this fall, the 3,000-square-foot restaurant is across from Alo Yoga near True Food Kitchen and will seat 80 inside and 32 on the outside patio. Studio Murnane handled the design to create an elegant but comfortable vibe where all guests, including families, can feel at home.
Chef Uechi is still behind the menu development, which will mix traditional Japanese cuisine with California comfort with shareable items like miso cod bites, pork and kimchi gyoza, and chicken yakitori. Katsuya Ko will also offer Katsuya classics such as sushi and sashimi and baked crab hand rolls, plus some new items like the Ko burger with special bulldog sauce and corn croquettes, where corn gets roasted on a robata (a Japanese charcoal grill), then cut from the cob, mixed with a miso-potato mixture, doused in panko, and served with taberu rayu (similar to Chinese chile oil) aioli, bonito, and pickled ginger.
The team behind Katsuya Ko says this is just the first concept to launch, with their eyes already fixed on global expansion. Sbe’s hotel division recently partnered with Wyndham and lifestyle brand HQ, which will allow the Ko concept to enter strategic Wyndham hotel locations worldwide quickly. UTC is just the beginning.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
George’s at the Cove Celebrates 40 Years With Series of Chef Alumni Dinners
Homecomings are always nostalgic affairs, and chefs returning to kitchens they previously worked in is a great way to revisit the days of yore (and get a great meal out of it). On Tuesday, May 7, chefs Jon Bautista (most recently of The Fishery), Brad Chance (Hotel La Jolla’s Sea & Sky), and Lori Sauer (Café Monarch in Scottsdale, Arizona) will return to George’s at the Cove to dish out an eight course prix fixe menu for $200 per person. Reservations are required, and you can view more Alumni Dinners coming up here.
ARTIFACT at Mingei Launches New Programming
Eating at the mall is great, as evidenced above. Eating at a museum can be just as tasty, especially if said museum happens to be Balboa Park’s Mingei International Museum, which completed a $55 million renovation in 2021 and is launching several new initiatives at ARTIFACT by at Mingei by Urban Kitchen Group to attract hungry arts and culture lovers.
Every second and fourth Friday of each month from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. is now Dine & Vibe, a partnership with San Diego’s Winyl Club. Expect a listening experience paired with a four-course prix fixe or a standard dinner menu. Culinary director and partner Tim Kolanko also announced the spring and summer Regional Dinner series, exploring the cuisines of Colombia (April 18), Pacific Northwest (May 23), Greece (June 20), Yucatán (July TBD), Sardinia (August TBD), and Turkey (September TBD).
Beth’s Bites
- Coin-Op Game Room North Park recently launched a menu right up my alley—hot dogs. Nothing but hot dogs. There’s a chili cheese dog, a TJ dog, a Chicago dog, and a veggie dog. They even paired each hot dog with a suggested cocktail (for example, the Short King cocktail goes with the NY Dog). I’m speechless with joy and currently stocking up on quarters.
- The high holy day May the Fourth, is quickly approaching, and Star Wars fans can get their annual fix at California Wild Ales in OB. They’re bringing back beers like Jabba the Hop, C3-POrter, Darth Citrius, and the Mangolorian, plus a few surprises.
- Speaking of what to drink in May, Thursdays at Cutwater are looking sweet. It’s agave season at their tasting room, and every Thursday this month, they’re offering a different experience, each guided by a master of the craft. Things kick off May 2 with a tequila tour and tasting with co-founder and master distiller Yuseff Cherney, followed by a guided tasting on May 9 with head of innovation Gwen Conley, tequila cocktail class on May 16 with beverage ambassador Laura Price, and mezcal cocktail class on May 23 with bartender Hayley Wilcox. Sign up for each class on their site.
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