This place is my favorite restaurant in SD when we visit. Everything is truly amazing and you will probably consider licking your plate at some point in the meal. We get several menu items and always the whole fried Rockfish at the new year. Drinks are wonderful. The bar is so beautiful. Service is near perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Mushroom Congee
Paul Mc
I visited for the NYE prix fixe dinner and had high expectations. The food was just OK. I’ve had more interesting dinners for a lot cheaper elsewhere. None of the courses (except the salted duck egg pana cotta) made me think “wow I’ve never had something like this before” or otherwise blew me away with flavor. The NYE menu was composed of what felt like fairly standard Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese flavors, none of which were elevated very far.
The staff were great and very attentive, and the venue itself was pretty and great for a fancy date night. (though a little too dark and loud for my taste)
My guess is that the smoked dry aged duck is worth visiting for, but that wasn’t on the menu so I didn’t get to try it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
Maria Ma
The staff was very friendly, and our waitress, Maria, provided excellent service. However, the wings and the Wagyu smoked rib tasted very similar, and I wouldn’t recommend them. On the bright side, the drink selection was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Anne-France Goldwater
Having enjoyed exquisite Vietnamese restaurants on both coasts, my expectations were high. Some dishes were indeed excellent, such as the grilled eggplant (delightfully spicy) and the whole fried sandbass (exquisite presentation). But the Wagyu smoked beef rib was overcooked and the crispy chicken wings were a bit ordinary. My family heartily disagrees and enjoyed their entire meal, including the pork roast, radicchio and egg noodles. I suppose what killed it for me was the noise level, which was intolerable. I couldn’t hear myself think. Other reviewers have commented on the noise levels and this is a problem easily fixed with a capital investment to dampen the sound and reverberations (even outside noises were oddly amplified inside!). The service was excellent, but not extraordinary. I would not return.
The food was delicious. Nice flavours and well spiced. Some of the best Vietnamese food I’ve ever had. Service was friendly and attentive. The meal was reasonably paced. The ambiance was pretty, however, the noise level was overwhelming.
Absolutely incredible restaurant, the variety of flavors and textures were mind blowing! The staff was very friendly and very aesthetic interior!
The seasonal menu really highlights local and fresh food, and it really does make an impact of the dishes! Highly recommend to try everything and for everyone to visit this star of a restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steven Boysan Kane
Tonight was our first time to visit Kingfisher with our dear friends, who have been here once before. We enjoyed a nine course dinner with dessert. We really enjoyed the deep fried Baja Striped Sea Bass, Smoked Dry-Aged Duck and Grilled Japanese Eggplant. The bass was crispy in the outside, plump on the inside and flavorful with mustard greens, green onions and shallots. The duck was tender and tasty in the lettuce wraps dressed in XO Sauce and Nước Mắm Chimichurri. For dessert, we cleaned our pallets with warm bread pudding and vanilla flan. The service from Hardwick and her team was impeccable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan
I took my parents here to celebrate my dad’s milestone, and it did not disappoint. We made a 6 p.m. reservation and requested a warm spot, and the hostess kindly seated us in the area she thought would be the warmest—such a nice touch. They also customized the menu with our last name and included a note thanking us for celebrating with them, which was a lovely surprise.
While there is an automatic 20% gratuity charge, the service was excellent. The staff was attentive and kind, so I would have happily tipped 20% regardless. I appreciated that the menu clearly mentions the gratuity, and the waiter also mentioned it when we received the bill. This transparency was refreshing, especially after a recent experience in downtown San Diego, where hidden fees and a lack of communication left a bad taste. Kingfisher, on the other hand, was a breath of fresh air.
We ordered a variety of dishes and drinks: beef tartare, diver scallops, wagyu skirt steak, and smoked dry-aged duck. My favorite was the duck; the breast was cooked perfectly, though the leg was a little on the dry side. Overall, the flavors were delicious. The beef tartare was fresh and light, and the deep-fried shallots added a nice crunch. The wagyu skirt steak was tender and flavorful, and the scallops were paired with a sweet yet tart sauce that complemented them beautifully.
For my drink, I tried the Saigon Moped, which turned out to be a delightful, light, and refreshing cocktail. I was pleasantly surprised by how well-balanced it was, especially since it contained bitter melon—a flavor that can be overpowering on its own but worked wonderfully in the drink.
Overall, I had a fantastic experience at Kingfisher. The service was top-notch, and the food was amazing. I highly recommend it and will definitely be back!
Recommended dishes: Smoked Dry Aged Duck
Levi Renninger
A truly exquisite Vietnamese culinary experience located in the heart of San Diego. Our bartender, Van, was highly skilled at making well balanced drinks, offering selections, and ensuring the timing and amount of food was perfect for the two of us. The restaurant was well staffed and worked cohesively as a team to give a seemless dining experience. The only downside of the dining area is it can get rather loud with the acoustics, but sometimes it’s good to hear other people having a fun time. Each course we had was well crafted, had great color and texture, cooked perfectly to temperature. The aged duck was worth the hype we’ve heard about but our favorite were the cocktails from Van, can’t wait till our next trip here
Dietary restrictions: Well catered to dietary restrictions, it was the first question our server asked
Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly
Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, one floor no steps to enter
I haven't visited San Diego in about 6-7 years and I wanted to take my newly wedded wife on her birthday. I found this place through a review site and let me tell you, Kingfisher did not disappoint. The people, the food, the ambience of the restaurant was phenomenal and definitely an experience you would have to enjoy in person. I usually don't write reviews but they definitely made the night feel special and would 100% come again.
A worthwhile experience. I always have some reservations when chef's choose to "elevate" humble cuisines with strong collectivist roots. I understand it facilitates exposure for people of *ahem* some backgrounds, but it can cause an antiseptic vibe.
We enjoyed the house made baguette with butter (was nice, but $13 is far from approachable for above average bread). Tuna crudo was nothing special, even if a nice concept. The congee was a homely, comforting dish, and all the ingredients were cooked nicely. Still, could stand to have a bit more flavor from the broth and aromatics. Finally, the dry aged duck was clearly the best offering on the night. All sauces were flavorful and also a nice presentation. Might be worth considering what they want on that platter as it seemed a bit disjointed. Would dry the wings and egg noodles next time.
That said, the decor and service were both quite pleasant. I also appreciate that gratuity is included in the cost of dining, so we can move away from these antiquated norms that allow restaurants to continue to charge more while we continue to receive less. Worth noting that we did not drink alcohol, though the cocktails looked unique and inventive. Certainly a place I would go again, but it seems to split the line between style and substance.
My issue is the included gratuity. They brief you on it, then say it will be split among all the staff, and if we’d like to tip our server alone, we could do that also. We were then reminded before paying that any extra tip would go to our server. The whole experience doesn’t make you feel good. It makes you feel pressure. No one wants to be told that gratuity is added to their bill before they tasted or experienced anything, and then feel pressure to add more on top. Dining out is about the experience, and this doesn’t add to the experience. It detracts.
There’s a better way! Make the prices 18% higher and advertise that you share 18% of all sales with your staff, and that gratuity is optional. Then I feel good for going to a restaurant that treats their staff that way. And I get to choose to tip or not (there better not be a prompt on the machine though).
This isn’t a cheap dinner spot. 18% higher prices aren’t going to scare me away.
This is about quality of experience. Modern tipping culture already makes customers feel awkward and annoyed like never before. A policy like this just strikes that nerve even harder.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
abraham joel
Kingfisher is exceptional because each dish is crafted with a combination of spices that distinguishes it from the others. Whether lobster, tuna, whole fried fish, or any of the meat dishes I did not try, everyone at the table agreed they were delicious.
Quite honestly, from beginning to end, that was the best meal I believe I have EVER had (and I eat out a lot!)
We had the ahi, clams and whole branzino -each was so flavorful and absolute perfection, but the true star of the night was the radicchio, bean curd, Asian pear magic.
Unexpected flavors, masterful preparation and beautiful presentation with each dish.
This place is my favorite restaurant in SD when we visit. Everything is truly amazing and you will probably consider licking your plate at some point in the meal. We get several menu items and always the whole fried Rockfish at the new year. Drinks are wonderful. The bar is so beautiful. Service is near perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Mushroom Congee
I visited for the NYE prix fixe dinner and had high expectations. The food was just OK. I’ve had more interesting dinners for a lot cheaper elsewhere. None of the courses (except the salted duck egg pana cotta) made me think “wow I’ve never had something like this before” or otherwise blew me away with flavor. The NYE menu was composed of what felt like fairly standard Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese flavors, none of which were elevated very far.
The staff were great and very attentive, and the venue itself was pretty and great for a fancy date night. (though a little too dark and loud for my taste)
My guess is that the smoked dry aged duck is worth visiting for, but that wasn’t on the menu so I didn’t get to try it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
The staff was very friendly, and our waitress, Maria, provided excellent service. However, the wings and the Wagyu smoked rib tasted very similar, and I wouldn’t recommend them. On the bright side, the drink selection was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Having enjoyed exquisite Vietnamese restaurants on both coasts, my expectations were high. Some dishes were indeed excellent, such as the grilled eggplant (delightfully spicy) and the whole fried sandbass (exquisite presentation). But the Wagyu smoked beef rib was overcooked and the crispy chicken wings were a bit ordinary. My family heartily disagrees and enjoyed their entire meal, including the pork roast, radicchio and egg noodles. I suppose what killed it for me was the noise level, which was intolerable. I couldn’t hear myself think. Other reviewers have commented on the noise levels and this is a problem easily fixed with a capital investment to dampen the sound and reverberations (even outside noises were oddly amplified inside!). The service was excellent, but not extraordinary. I would not return.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Grilled & Smoked Eggplant, Diver Scallops, Hokkaido Scallops, Wagyu Smoked Beef Rib, Egg Noodles with Egg Yolk, Crispy Chicken Wings
The food was delicious. Nice flavours and well spiced. Some of the best Vietnamese food I’ve ever had. Service was friendly and attentive. The meal was reasonably paced. The ambiance was pretty, however, the noise level was overwhelming.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hokkaido Scallops, Crispy Chicken Wings
Absolutely incredible restaurant, the variety of flavors and textures were mind blowing! The staff was very friendly and very aesthetic interior!
The seasonal menu really highlights local and fresh food, and it really does make an impact of the dishes! Highly recommend to try everything and for everyone to visit this star of a restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tonight was our first time to visit Kingfisher with our dear friends, who have been here once before. We enjoyed a nine course dinner with dessert. We really enjoyed the deep fried Baja Striped Sea Bass, Smoked Dry-Aged Duck and Grilled Japanese Eggplant. The bass was crispy in the outside, plump on the inside and flavorful with mustard greens, green onions and shallots. The duck was tender and tasty in the lettuce wraps dressed in XO Sauce and Nước Mắm Chimichurri. For dessert, we cleaned our pallets with warm bread pudding and vanilla flan. The service from Hardwick and her team was impeccable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I took my parents here to celebrate my dad’s milestone, and it did not disappoint. We made a 6 p.m. reservation and requested a warm spot, and the hostess kindly seated us in the area she thought would be the warmest—such a nice touch. They also customized the menu with our last name and included a note thanking us for celebrating with them, which was a lovely surprise.
While there is an automatic 20% gratuity charge, the service was excellent. The staff was attentive and kind, so I would have happily tipped 20% regardless. I appreciated that the menu clearly mentions the gratuity, and the waiter also mentioned it when we received the bill. This transparency was refreshing, especially after a recent experience in downtown San Diego, where hidden fees and a lack of communication left a bad taste. Kingfisher, on the other hand, was a breath of fresh air.
We ordered a variety of dishes and drinks: beef tartare, diver scallops, wagyu skirt steak, and smoked dry-aged duck. My favorite was the duck; the breast was cooked perfectly, though the leg was a little on the dry side. Overall, the flavors were delicious. The beef tartare was fresh and light, and the deep-fried shallots added a nice crunch. The wagyu skirt steak was tender and flavorful, and the scallops were paired with a sweet yet tart sauce that complemented them beautifully.
For my drink, I tried the Saigon Moped, which turned out to be a delightful, light, and refreshing cocktail. I was pleasantly surprised by how well-balanced it was, especially since it contained bitter melon—a flavor that can be overpowering on its own but worked wonderfully in the drink.
Overall, I had a fantastic experience at Kingfisher. The service was top-notch, and the food was amazing. I highly recommend it and will definitely be back!
Recommended dishes: Smoked Dry Aged Duck
A truly exquisite Vietnamese culinary experience located in the heart of San Diego. Our bartender, Van, was highly skilled at making well balanced drinks, offering selections, and ensuring the timing and amount of food was perfect for the two of us. The restaurant was well staffed and worked cohesively as a team to give a seemless dining experience. The only downside of the dining area is it can get rather loud with the acoustics, but sometimes it’s good to hear other people having a fun time. Each course we had was well crafted, had great color and texture, cooked perfectly to temperature. The aged duck was worth the hype we’ve heard about but our favorite were the cocktails from Van, can’t wait till our next trip here
Dietary restrictions: Well catered to dietary restrictions, it was the first question our server asked
Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly
Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, one floor no steps to enter
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Dry Aged Duck, Egg Noodles with Egg Yolk, Crispy Chicken Wings
I haven't visited San Diego in about 6-7 years and I wanted to take my newly wedded wife on her birthday. I found this place through a review site and let me tell you, Kingfisher did not disappoint. The people, the food, the ambience of the restaurant was phenomenal and definitely an experience you would have to enjoy in person. I usually don't write reviews but they definitely made the night feel special and would 100% come again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Dry Aged Duck, Butter Rice, Beef Tartare, Duck Liver Pate
Restaurantji Recommends
A worthwhile experience. I always have some reservations when chef's choose to "elevate" humble cuisines with strong collectivist roots. I understand it facilitates exposure for people of *ahem* some backgrounds, but it can cause an antiseptic vibe.
We enjoyed the house made baguette with butter (was nice, but $13 is far from approachable for above average bread). Tuna crudo was nothing special, even if a nice concept. The congee was a homely, comforting dish, and all the ingredients were cooked nicely. Still, could stand to have a bit more flavor from the broth and aromatics. Finally, the dry aged duck was clearly the best offering on the night. All sauces were flavorful and also a nice presentation. Might be worth considering what they want on that platter as it seemed a bit disjointed. Would dry the wings and egg noodles next time.
That said, the decor and service were both quite pleasant. I also appreciate that gratuity is included in the cost of dining, so we can move away from these antiquated norms that allow restaurants to continue to charge more while we continue to receive less. Worth noting that we did not drink alcohol, though the cocktails looked unique and inventive. Certainly a place I would go again, but it seems to split the line between style and substance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Dry Aged Duck, Wild Mushroom Congee, Mushroom Congee
Great food, nice service.
My issue is the included gratuity. They brief you on it, then say it will be split among all the staff, and if we’d like to tip our server alone, we could do that also. We were then reminded before paying that any extra tip would go to our server. The whole experience doesn’t make you feel good. It makes you feel pressure. No one wants to be told that gratuity is added to their bill before they tasted or experienced anything, and then feel pressure to add more on top. Dining out is about the experience, and this doesn’t add to the experience. It detracts.
There’s a better way! Make the prices 18% higher and advertise that you share 18% of all sales with your staff, and that gratuity is optional. Then I feel good for going to a restaurant that treats their staff that way. And I get to choose to tip or not (there better not be a prompt on the machine though).
This isn’t a cheap dinner spot. 18% higher prices aren’t going to scare me away.
This is about quality of experience. Modern tipping culture already makes customers feel awkward and annoyed like never before. A policy like this just strikes that nerve even harder.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Kingfisher is exceptional because each dish is crafted with a combination of spices that distinguishes it from the others. Whether lobster, tuna, whole fried fish, or any of the meat dishes I did not try, everyone at the table agreed they were delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thanksgiving Menu 2024
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Butter Rice, Wagyu Smoked Beef Rib, Wild Mushroom Congee
Quite honestly, from beginning to end, that was the best meal I believe I have EVER had (and I eat out a lot!)
We had the ahi, clams and whole branzino -each was so flavorful and absolute perfection, but the true star of the night was the radicchio, bean curd, Asian pear magic.
Unexpected flavors, masterful preparation and beautiful presentation with each dish.
I highly recommend!
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