So glad we came here! We were seated right when we entered…read moreand staff were friendly and approachable. Our drink order was taken and we're told we could immediately go pick which protein we wanted to pick. There is a sauce and side dish station along with a self serving of rice and miso soup. I loved the kimchi and radish, it was a great pairing with the meat we ate. There is a variety of protein such as beef, chicken, and sea food. We arrived early around close to 4:50pm and they weren't busy at all. Towards the end they give you free ice cream which tops off your meal. Will definitely be coming back!!!

Finally, a spot in Oceanside that uses real charcoal! (They still offer traditional gas grills) The…read moresmoky flavor it adds to the meat is a total game-changer compared to gas grills. The self-serve setup is super convenient --you can just grab what you want and start grilling immediately. The Bulgogi and Spicy Pork are perfectly marinated, and the quality of the meat is top-notch for the price. If you're looking for an authentic, no-frills Korean BBQ experience with amazing food and a laid-back vibe, this is it. Best hidden gem in the area!

for nearly two years, Scout, my orange, husky-looking mut and I have been driving by their…read morenow-shuttered Encinitas location four times a week after playdates at Power Lines Dog Park. every time we do, I think "we gotta back there for another visit." pretty sure CHIKO has aged out of my draft queue. now that I've finally gotten around to finishing the review, they've been closed for months. in the draft, I suggested CHIKO might not be a destination restaurant, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, it's definitely a place worth stopping by for eats. if you wait long enough, like I did, the nearest ones are in the DC area and probably not worth a cross-country trip. sad.

Post-mortem... I was sad to hear that CHIKO permanently closed their doors at the end of last year…read more It's rare for an East Coast based Asian chain restaurant to migrate to California, but that was what CHIKO did. As noted by its name, this place served a fusion of Chinese and Korean cuisines. Their Encinitas location took over what used to be a roadside diner along N Coast Hwy 101. The seating capacity was less than 40 people which included a few high-top counter spots. At my last visit, I came for a late dinner before their closing time. A large menu was posted on the wall behind the service counter that listed about two dozen food offerings. The items seemed to be comfort food like pot stickers, spring rolls, fried rice, and chicken wings but flavored with unique combinations of seasonings and spices. I started my meal with the Marinated Beef Tri-Tip Skewers which came as a set of three and a Chinese mustard for dipping. The meat was very tender and well-seasoned. I also ordered the Cumin Lamb Stir Fry which the cashier said was medium spicy. After tasting a couple of bites of the noodles from the serving bowl, I agreed that the heat level was moderate, even for my palate. I thought the portion size should have been more for the price. That was my main criticism for both items, otherwise the food was solid for an Asian fusion eatery.

This place is a gem to the community of Carlsbad. We were in the area for a week vacation and my…read morefriend picked this place for lunch. Tabu Shabu is tucked inside the plaza and parking is available. They do get busy so be patient. We all had the lunch special and it is plenty for individual serving. It comes with the appetizer and drink. Service was excellent and the place is very clean and moderate noise ( pleasant). You each have your own pot to cook your food. Delicious vegetables and great meat. All fresh! Definitely a comeback place.

I want to start by saying that I very much enjoyed eating at Tabu Shabu. It's very fair to state…read morethat my three star experience is mostly my own doing more so than the restaurant itself. Our server was fantastic, the setup clean, and the menu was fairly easy to navigate. Where it fell apart for me all came after that. This is not my style of cooking. So many places I've been to, where you cook your own food on a grill or hot plate at your table, you're mainly dealing with thin cuts of meat, salt and pepper, and possibly a dipping sauce. This makes the cooking simple, a quick sear, a light crust on the beef or pork, and the finished product is basic and delicious. Shabu, though ... it's boiled meat. That's not to say that Tabu Shabu isn't good, but unless you're really adept at making soups, it's easy to be completely out of your element. And I can safely say I was a bit over my head at this restaurant. You start with your broth, where I am ashamed to admit that instead of opting for the Tonkostu with its deep and rich fatty flavor, I chose the basic umami of the White Miso. Because of that, I spent most of my meal mistakenly chasing flavors I would normally find in a Ramen Shop. They give you a plate of chopped herbs to add and some basic instructions ... I like garlic, so I added the whole thing, radish sound alright, so add in the whole ball, what was the last thing I put in? They give you a few squeeze bottles of oils with paper labels ... this one makes it more sour, this one makes it more spicy, this one has sesame, and I'm too timid to add enough of any to truly add to the flavor of the broth, so it just keeps that basic umami flavor without being as salty as it should be. Then you have a plate of vegetables to steep in your creation. Cabbage, broccoli, spinach, bok choy, tofu ... all of it serves as a way of soaking up that broth you've made. Other options, like the carrots, mushrooms, and squash, become sweet and tender after taking their turns in the pot. And they're nice as they offer a different flavor other than that umami. And then there's the meat. A wide variety of options ranging from salmon, to chicken, to pork, all the way down to multiple versions of beef. But, all of the meats we ordered seem to differ only in texture after spending some time in that broth. Some fell apart on the tongue, some still had a nice chew, but all shared that umami from the pot, with an aftertaste of beefy flavor before swallowing. After a few initial pieces, I found myself thankful for the dipping sauces to distract me from how boring I had made my broth to be. You also get a choice of rice, which I don't think you really need. You get a choice of noodles, which they give you a good amount where it doesn't fill you up with carbs. And anything left over is readily bagged up to eat at home after the flavors mix together and mature. In the end, it's a very filling and fairly healthy meal. I think it's difficult to not compare this to eating a bowl of Pho or Ramen. All the ingredients are there, just instead of eating it with a spoon, you pull out the individual bits with some chop sticks and pretend you're not eating boiled beef and spinach. If I were a better cook, or had another ten visits worth of practice, Tabu Shabu could easily be 4-5 stars. As it is, though, I think I would rather just go to GONZO and get another chef's creation to be sure of the flavors I want. Regardless, I want to come back here and try again one day. The variety of options and the wait staff alone are enough for me to learn more and expand my Shabu options, as well as recommend this place to others.

Cute little place in Oceanside, right past CVS, by Flying Pig. We never really walk out that far…read morefrom the pier area (and it's not really THAT far), but decided to go out a bit just to check it out. Scanned the QR code on the big banner from the outside and checked out their menu. Saw lumpia and thought it was a Filipino spot). Saw they had a happy hour menu and decided to check it out before our movie. The vibe we really cute and played reggae music. It was a relaxing, chill atmosphere with lots of tvs. The server, Jaz was really nice, friendly and very hospitable. She spoke of their Guamanian food, heritage and community. They've been in the current spot for the last 7 or 8 months, so fairly new, but were down the street for many years before that. We ordered 2 different kinds of BBQ chicken wings. Two orders of the sweet chili glazed (Pine Doni) and one of the other which was like a honey bbq glazed style. All were supposed to have 6 wings, but the honey BBQ one had 5 (?). The sweet chili was our fave of the two. Their chicken empanadas were huge, and served 3 per dish, were delicious and crispy, with an aioli like sauce with a wonderful kick. The spam roll was a masubi-like and was good (husband said it was the best he's ever had). The side of mac salad had great flavor! Jaz brought us some red rice to try on the house and it was really good! It reminded me of Vietnamese chicken rice, with chicken broth infused into the rice, making it really tasty and savory. First time having Guamanian food and we're stoked we tried it! All in all, great food and awesome service! If you've never tried it before...put it on your list! You won't regret it!

I'm always so so happy to visit this restaurant! We were…read moregreeted & seated right away. I've always loved the Blue color of the walls and the island decorations throughout. We started off with the chicken kelaguen which had the perfect amount of flavor and tanginess with the red rice staple. I do wish I got more rice in the chicken to rice ratio, but it was good regardless. Shortly after we got our empanadas (the whole reason I wanted to go here). I had been craving them for weeks and it didn't disappoint. The filling was the delicious and the crust was perfectly crunchy. We then shared the Guam bomb which was a pretty decently sized plate. I appreciated how crunchy the fries were, especially since the amount of sauce on top could have easily made them soggy very quickly. I do wish there was a little more meat but it tasted yummy nonetheless. Our absolute favorite part of the meal was desert. The banana donuts! It came with 4 which was perfectly paired with strawberry ice cream. Overall, super duper happy with another visit to this amazing spot! Hopefully we'll catch them at PIFA San Diego this year

The food was so delicious. I fell in love with the food. The service was amazing, the waitress kept…read morechecking in with us and made sure everything was good. The ambiance was so chill and friendly, the only problem was one bathroom which I understand you can't change it.

Okay, I found out Harumama Ramen + Sushi was in my neighborhood so I had to check it out. I wanted…read moreto see if it's the same as another one I've been to about 20 minutes away. Since I'm a lover of information, I looked up "Harumama". It's a combination of two words: the Korean word haru, which means "day," and "mama". Together, it translates to "mom's daily food". The name reflects the restaurant's mission to serve dishes prepared with the same love, care, and attention that a mother gives to her family's everyday meals. How lovely is that?! Anyhow, I was able to find street parking and walked into a clean dining space with a nice atmosphere. It wasn't too busy. Again, the staff was very attentive and provided stellar service. My food came out pretty fast. I loooved how my Drunken Noodles had the right amount of chicken and peanuts. Overall, another fun flavorful time. I'm still a Harumama fan. I can't wait to try more dishes. I highly recommend this location to the Yelp Community!!

We were actually in the neighborhood in vista and saw bbq chicken on yelp so we ordered several…read moreitems for pickup. We normally go to Sorrento valley. The service was good and it's smaller than the other place but nice inside. Always like their chicken. My daughter enjoyed all of them from the hospital. Would definitely go back.

Charged for kimchi fried rice which I ordered. Got kimchi instead $10 difference. Called to dispute…read moreit after I realized and got home. Was told to go ahead and dispute it through my credit card because there was nothing they could do. My bank contacted their bank and the charge stood as is. Will never ever go back to this place again. Been here many times and spent $$ and even recommended to my friends. So messed up.

The staff who helped mom with a takeout bowl was super friendly and packed some hot sauce without…read morebeing requested. I'll definitely be back when I visit North SD next. Thank you!

Still love East Village!…read more The rule here is you place your order, always get an app if your dinner is the monk pot, because you'll have to seriously wait 10 minutes after the food comes or your lips will melt off. It's SO worth it though. My go to is the fried spring roll which are rolled up fat boys filled with fresh vegetables that are then deep fried and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. I then always order the monk bowl with ribeye. The blend of crispy rice on the bottom of the pot, mixed with vegetables, the protein of choice and the egg on top creates a masterpiece. Add the two sauces that come to the table and it's a dream come true. The hubby added chicken this time but said he much prefers the steak, salmon, or shrimp. We've had their dynamite fries a few times and sub out carnitas for ribeye instead. Their fried coconut shrimp is a delight as well.

Always fast & friendly service! My favorite order is spring rolls with grilled pork and a Thai tea…read morewith boba :) I discovered this gem in April and have gone at least eight times since then...

We were thrilled to discover J Box during our trip to Carlsbad. Their beef and chicken bentos were…read moreexcellent, as were their spicy tuna rolls and California rolls. It's hard to find this level of quality at this price point, and they're friendly and fast. So good! I wish they had a location in Orange County. Whether you order through Doordash or eat at their restaurant, you can't go wrong with this restaurant.