Nishiki Ramen Chooses Hillcrest for Second Location

Since first debuting in Fall 2015, Nishiki Ramen remains one of the few local ramen restaurants to make its own noodles on site. At its flagship eatery in Kearny Mesa, Nishiki Ramen has a dedicated noodle room that produces two types of noodles for its Tokyo-style ramen varieties. Its newest location will join the mix at Regency Centers’ The Hub Hillcrest Market, where it replaces the recently-shuttered Whistling Duck Tavern. Scheduled to open in late spring, the 2,100-square-foot Hillcrest restaurant will also feature an on-site noodle-making room.

The next dining option to open in the complex is Maestoso. Currently scheduled for launch in early March, the Italian restaurant is the first local endeavor for chef/owner Marco Maestoso, who with his partner, Dalila Ercolani, opened their first restaurant in Rome, Italy. Maestoso, who trained with Michelin-star chefs and studied at Gambero Rosso, the well-known culinary school in Rome, will serve a menu that includes a flatbread-like Roman street food, fresh handmade pasta and modern Italian-influenced entrees. Maestoso will have seating for 60 inside its 2,200-square-foot interior space, which includes an open kitchen, as well as a wraparound patio that will hold an additional 30 seats.

Another new eatery will be the second outpost of Poke Subarashi. With an original location in the UTC area, the casual restaurant offers customizable poke bowls based on rice, salad or chips and layered with seafood, sauces and toppings.