When new owners took over Market on 8th in National City, it triggered a mass exodus of eateries like White Rice, Smitty’s Taste of the Bayou, and Butcher’s Plate. However, two previous tenants, Pizza Kaiju and Cafe Indonesia, teamed up and are now gearing up to launch a new iteration of Pizza Kaiju in Barrio Logan by the end of the year.
Eric Manuel (Pizza Kaiju) and Robert Alfonso (Cafe Indonesia) partnered together previously to launch Ewa ‘88 at Market on 8th, but when they had to vacate the space earlier this year, they knew they wanted to stick together and expand their collaborative efforts. They brought on two new partners: Winter Smiley of Homegrown Youth Collab, a cross-border collective to nurture creativity for young people, and Mike Simpson, Alfonso’s lifelong friend.
Alfonoso says multiple eateries will all fall under the Pizza Kaiju umbrella, including Yoshuku Diner, Ultra Coffee & Donuts, and a bar area with 20 taps. “It’s kind of one big vision under one roof,” says Manuel.
The diner, inspired by Alfonoso’s childhood in Japan, will feature homestyle Japanese dishes like katsu curry, hambagu (hamburger steak), and spaghetti napolitan that riff on the idea of yoshoku, or a Japanese interpretation of Western-style cuisine.
“What we’re doing is we’re taking the Japanese interpretation of what the west should look like, and we’re bringing it back where we’re trying to interpret what they think the west looks like—here in the west,” Alfonoso explains. “It’s kind of flipping it back again.”
Mostra Coffee will be the exclusive coffee provider for Ultra Coffee & Donuts, named for Ultraman, the fictional superhero who battles kaiju (Japanese monsters like Godzilla). “Ultra Donuts is going to feature a rotating menu of curated brioche donuts—we’re looking to have maybe four or five, with a steady rotation of new flavors every two weeks,” explains Alfonoso.
Pizza Kaiju’s original menu of New York-style and Detroit-style pizzas will make their comeback, along with weekly specials and rotating chef collaborations. Manuel says collaboration will be a cornerstone of the space, with plenty of pop-ups and guest chef opportunities already in the works. Through that aspect of the business, Smiley says the group hopes to add to the already rich culture in Barrio Logan, where their door will remain open for the community.
“Having a space where we can basically post up and do our programming, and have the community come through and experiment and find their voice—whether through performances or workshops or different events—that space is here for them.”
The new Pizza Kaiju hopes to open in December at 1985 National Avenue in Barrio Logan.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
An’s Tianguis Pops Up Twice This Month
We’re in the Golden Age of restaurant collaborations, and when two entities like An’s Gelato and Puesto join forces, I have to assume that deliciousness will follow. On Saturday, October 26, from noon to 3 p.m. and Tuesday, October 29 from 5-9 p.m. at Puesto’s Mission Valley location, guests can sample four new collab flavors, including Rebozo (Fresas con Lemon Verbena Crema), Sarape (Double Mexican Mint Chocolate Chip), Morral (Flan), and Huipil (Mango with Passion Fruit Jam), as well as a unique gluten-free blue corn waffle cone. Reservations are needed for Saturday (available here), while Tuesday is open to all.
Beth’s Bites
- Two big wins for San Diegans at the VinePair Next Wave Awards this year! Derek Gallanosa (GOAL Brewing) took Brewer of the Year home, and Erick Castro (Gilly’s House of Cocktails) captured Drinks Professional of the Year. Congrats to them both on the well-earned recognition.
- Big City Bagels continues its slow spread across San Diego with 12 satellite locations. However, only their second brick-and-mortar bagel and coffee house is coming to 4152 30th Street in the former Solomon Bagels & Donuts space. The grand opening is slated for the first week of December, just ahead of the company’s 30th anniversary on December 26.
- Halloween is coming up fast, and Hangar 76 in Oceanside is ready. The space’s resident brewery, Tipping Pint Brewing, is holding a Halloween Swashbuckler Soiree on Saturday, October 26, starting at 1 p.m. Expect food, beer, tarot reading, a costume contest, live music, and more. I’m not 100 percent sure if that means a pirate will be the one reading your fortunes, but I guess we’ll have to show up to find out.
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