San Diego, CA — Cafe Japengo

Cafe Japengo 8960 University Center Lane San Diego, CA

(858) 450-3355 website map

Cafe Japengo is a trendy (and pricey) Asian fusion restaurant with a sushi bar on the edge of San Diego and La Jolla. The restaurant is located in a complex of five or six high-end restaurants, next to the Hyatt hotel. There is valet parking in the evening and a free parking garage at lunch.

Japengo is an attractive restaurant with a large rectangular sushi bar and a show kitchen behind it. The lunch crowd appeared to be business people. There were several innovative non-sushi items on the menu. I visited at lunch time and ordered a lobster salad and a Philadelphia roll.

The lobster salad consisted of some greens, avocado, and a variety of citrus. The ingredients were formed in a circular mold and the lobster portion was quite generous. The Philadelphia roll was well executed and as I looked at the sushi bar all of the fish looked great.

I really enjoyed Japengo, it would be an especially nice place to take a friend who does not like or is just learning about sushi.

Japengo: 4 rice bowls