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Rice vermicelli dish
Rice vermicelli bowl at Bolsa Vietnamese Cuisine
Helen I. Hwang.

18 Standout Food Spots in Mira Mesa

Find a broad range of Asian restaurants that have blossomed out of a neighborhood once known mostly for Filipino cuisine.

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Rice vermicelli bowl at Bolsa Vietnamese Cuisine
| Helen I. Hwang.

The community of Mira Mesa is becoming a sought-after area for restaurants, rivaling Kearny Mesa in its concentration of Asian establishments serving everything from Filipino food to Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese dishes. Dining options on the boulevard are increasingly diverse, running the gamut from traditional to fusion food; use this handy guide to this growing neighborhood.

Note: map points are not ranked.

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T.P. Banh Bao

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This casual takeout counter specializes in Vietnamese steamed buns where everything is made from scratch, including the fluffy dough that wraps the savory or sweet goodness inside. Popular buns include the pork, egg, and sausage bun and the sweet egg custard, mango, and pineapple bun. 

R & B Filipino Cuisine

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This cheerful, takeout counter offers scrumptious Filipino specialties, dished out buffet-style. Try the lechon kawali, or crispy-skinned pork belly, and the pork sisig. Their pancit, a Filipino rice vermicelli noodle dish, is especially flavorful.  

Tim Ky Noodle

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The family-owned establishment specializes in Cantonese Chinese and Vietnamese recipes. The popular beef chow fun comes with fat rice noodles or egg noodles. Other house specialties include fried frog legs with garlic chili lemongrass and duck leg noodle soup stewed in Chinese herbs. 

Lucky Seafood Market

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This long-running market sells a large range of Asian groceries, from fresh produce to meat and seafood, but its section of hot prepared food is a sleeper hit for a quick lunch. The cafeteria-stye counter offers combo plates of entrees paired with rice and/or noodles and some of the best banh mi in the area.

Pho Cow Cali

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This established Vietnamese restaurant has been a longtime staple in the area, serving phenomenal pho with delectable broth stewed for hours. The steaming bowls are filled with just the right amount of onions, cilantro, and meat. Order the filet mignon pho and request the steak on the side so you can cook it just the way you like it in the piping hot soup. 

Tofu House

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If you’re craving bubbling-hot tofu stews, such as kimchi jjigae, this restaurant serves them up rapid-fire. You can also order galbi (marinated Korean short ribs) and bulgogi (marinated barbecue beef). With a basket of unlimited raw eggs and Korean banchan (side dishes of kimchee, cucumbers, and soybean sprouts), customers don’t leave hungry. 

Korean tofu stew at Tofu House
Korean tofu stew at Tofu House.

Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant

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When diners venture into this understated family-owned restaurant, you’re greeted warmly as if you’re a long-lost relative. It’s been a stalwart standby for over 20 years, named after the street where the owners started their first Vietnamese restaurant in Orange County. Favorite specialties include pho ga, or chicken noodle soup, and the refreshing vermicelli rice noodle dishes, which can be topped with chargrilled shrimp and Vietnamese egg rolls.  

Rice vermicelli dish
Rice vermicelli bowl at Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant.
Helen I. Hwang

Cali Baguette Express

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At this traditional Vietnamese sandwich joint, the baguettes are made daily so customers can taste the freshness with every satisfying crunch. Scrumptious options range from Vietnamese cold-cut ham to barbecue pork; each stuffed with cucumbers, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, and pickled vegetables. 

Gen Korean BBQ

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With booming nightclub music, beer towers, and glow-in-the-dark soju cocktails in a Capri Sun-like pouches, this Korean barbecue establishment feels like it’s straight out of the Gangnam district in Seoul. The Gen signature galbi, a succulent marinated short rib dish, and Hawaiian chicken with pineapple slices are popular favorites. 

Korean barbecue
Gen Korean BBQ House

Banh Mi Blvd

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This Vietnamese fusion establishment specializes in the multitude of ways you can devour the scrumptious filling of protein and pickled vegetables sandwiched inside a French-style baguette. Here, you can order the conventional version as well as modern takes like banh mi tacos, banh mi fries, and “banhritos”—banh mi stuffed in a tortilla like a burrito. 

Banh mi sandwich
Banh mi sandwich at Banh Mi Blvd.
Helen I. Hwang

Crab Hut

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Looking for Cajun-style seafood west of the bayou? Dig into fresh shellfish slathered with seasonings like Old Bay and garlic butter. One popular option is the S “N” S seafood boil, which comes with head-on shrimp and snow crab clusters. Don’t forget to order one of their fabulous cocktails as well. 

seafood boil
Seafood boil at Crab Hut.

Little Sakana Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

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This all-you-can-eat sushi place serves up quality sashimi in generous portions. Founded by two locals who grew up in Mira Mesa and set out to open an establishment to fulfill their own cravings for unlimited sushi. In addition to standbys like spicy crunch rolls, diners can also try the baked and deep-fried rolls.

Manila Fast Food Restaurant

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The airy, cafeteria-style restaurant features favorites like the kare-kare, a thick peanut stew, and kaldereta, a goat meat stew. The more well-known chicken adobo is made with tender bone-in chicken thighs, giving it an appetizing homestyle touch. Make sure to try the clear radish soup that accompanies the meals. 

Manila Fast Food Restaurant.
Helen I. Hwang

Rakiraki Ramen & Tsukemen

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Chef Junya Watanabe branched out from his original Convoy Street location with an outpost that serves favorites like the black edition ramen as well as creative concoctions like Rikimaru oxtail ramen with 12-ounces of braised protein accompanied by a dipping sauce of serrano peppers in a red miso paste. The lunchtime ramen combo is a terrific deal, including ramen, appetizers like chicken karaage, and a Sapporo.

Mo-Mo-Paradise

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This popular Japanese hot-pot restaurant chain opened its Mira Mesa outpost in late 2020, giving San Diegans the opportunity to taste their famous shabu-shabu broth, made in-house with kombu (edible kelp). Another option is the sweet sukiyaki, made with a soup base produced in their Japanese kitchen. The Kurobuta pork shoulder and beef short plate are must-try meats to accompany fish and pork meatballs and fish tofu. 

Mo-Mo Paradise
Mo-Mo Paradise.
Mo-Mo Paradise/Yelp

Golden Island, Dimsum & Asian Cuisine

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This restaurant has undergone a revival with Chinese banquet specialties, all-day delectable dim sum, and regular jazz performances. Clearly, this cheery venue has found a formula that works. Expect lines for weekend dim sum but they take reservations. 

Menya Ultra Mira Mesa

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The springy wheat noodles, made every day with only salt and lye water, are the enticing ingredient that makes this ramen restaurant crave-worthy. The original ramen shop opened in northern Japan in 1994 and has been expanding ever since; its first location in the U.S. opened in San Diego in 2017. Customers can opt for the healthier, low-sodium broth that doesn’t deter from the flavor. The popular tonkatsu soup is cooked with high heat to optimize the savory taste. 

Shio ajitama ramen from Menya Ultra
Shio ajitama ramen from Menya Ultra.

Tora Tora Sushi

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A recent addition to the neighborhood is Tora Tora, which specializes in a modern fusion twist to sushi. Start with the addictive curry chicken karaage. The “Funky Roll” section includes customer favorites like the salmon belly truffle roll and mango habanero yellowtail roll. Order the “Rolling with My Sidekicks” combo, which includes any roll with two sides like wasabi mac salad. 

Sushi roll
Tora Tora Sushi.

T.P. Banh Bao

This casual takeout counter specializes in Vietnamese steamed buns where everything is made from scratch, including the fluffy dough that wraps the savory or sweet goodness inside. Popular buns include the pork, egg, and sausage bun and the sweet egg custard, mango, and pineapple bun. 

R & B Filipino Cuisine

This cheerful, takeout counter offers scrumptious Filipino specialties, dished out buffet-style. Try the lechon kawali, or crispy-skinned pork belly, and the pork sisig. Their pancit, a Filipino rice vermicelli noodle dish, is especially flavorful.  

Tim Ky Noodle

The family-owned establishment specializes in Cantonese Chinese and Vietnamese recipes. The popular beef chow fun comes with fat rice noodles or egg noodles. Other house specialties include fried frog legs with garlic chili lemongrass and duck leg noodle soup stewed in Chinese herbs. 

Lucky Seafood Market

This long-running market sells a large range of Asian groceries, from fresh produce to meat and seafood, but its section of hot prepared food is a sleeper hit for a quick lunch. The cafeteria-stye counter offers combo plates of entrees paired with rice and/or noodles and some of the best banh mi in the area.

Pho Cow Cali

This established Vietnamese restaurant has been a longtime staple in the area, serving phenomenal pho with delectable broth stewed for hours. The steaming bowls are filled with just the right amount of onions, cilantro, and meat. Order the filet mignon pho and request the steak on the side so you can cook it just the way you like it in the piping hot soup. 

Tofu House

If you’re craving bubbling-hot tofu stews, such as kimchi jjigae, this restaurant serves them up rapid-fire. You can also order galbi (marinated Korean short ribs) and bulgogi (marinated barbecue beef). With a basket of unlimited raw eggs and Korean banchan (side dishes of kimchee, cucumbers, and soybean sprouts), customers don’t leave hungry. 

Korean tofu stew at Tofu House
Korean tofu stew at Tofu House.

Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant

When diners venture into this understated family-owned restaurant, you’re greeted warmly as if you’re a long-lost relative. It’s been a stalwart standby for over 20 years, named after the street where the owners started their first Vietnamese restaurant in Orange County. Favorite specialties include pho ga, or chicken noodle soup, and the refreshing vermicelli rice noodle dishes, which can be topped with chargrilled shrimp and Vietnamese egg rolls.  

Rice vermicelli dish
Rice vermicelli bowl at Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant.
Helen I. Hwang

Cali Baguette Express

At this traditional Vietnamese sandwich joint, the baguettes are made daily so customers can taste the freshness with every satisfying crunch. Scrumptious options range from Vietnamese cold-cut ham to barbecue pork; each stuffed with cucumbers, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, and pickled vegetables. 

Gen Korean BBQ

With booming nightclub music, beer towers, and glow-in-the-dark soju cocktails in a Capri Sun-like pouches, this Korean barbecue establishment feels like it’s straight out of the Gangnam district in Seoul. The Gen signature galbi, a succulent marinated short rib dish, and Hawaiian chicken with pineapple slices are popular favorites. 

Korean barbecue
Gen Korean BBQ House

Banh Mi Blvd

This Vietnamese fusion establishment specializes in the multitude of ways you can devour the scrumptious filling of protein and pickled vegetables sandwiched inside a French-style baguette. Here, you can order the conventional version as well as modern takes like banh mi tacos, banh mi fries, and “banhritos”—banh mi stuffed in a tortilla like a burrito. 

Banh mi sandwich
Banh mi sandwich at Banh Mi Blvd.
Helen I. Hwang

Crab Hut

Looking for Cajun-style seafood west of the bayou? Dig into fresh shellfish slathered with seasonings like Old Bay and garlic butter. One popular option is the S “N” S seafood boil, which comes with head-on shrimp and snow crab clusters. Don’t forget to order one of their fabulous cocktails as well. 

seafood boil
Seafood boil at Crab Hut.

Little Sakana Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

This all-you-can-eat sushi place serves up quality sashimi in generous portions. Founded by two locals who grew up in Mira Mesa and set out to open an establishment to fulfill their own cravings for unlimited sushi. In addition to standbys like spicy crunch rolls, diners can also try the baked and deep-fried rolls.

Manila Fast Food Restaurant

The airy, cafeteria-style restaurant features favorites like the kare-kare, a thick peanut stew, and kaldereta, a goat meat stew. The more well-known chicken adobo is made with tender bone-in chicken thighs, giving it an appetizing homestyle touch. Make sure to try the clear radish soup that accompanies the meals. 

Manila Fast Food Restaurant.
Helen I. Hwang

Rakiraki Ramen & Tsukemen

Chef Junya Watanabe branched out from his original Convoy Street location with an outpost that serves favorites like the black edition ramen as well as creative concoctions like Rikimaru oxtail ramen with 12-ounces of braised protein accompanied by a dipping sauce of serrano peppers in a red miso paste. The lunchtime ramen combo is a terrific deal, including ramen, appetizers like chicken karaage, and a Sapporo.

Mo-Mo-Paradise

This popular Japanese hot-pot restaurant chain opened its Mira Mesa outpost in late 2020, giving San Diegans the opportunity to taste their famous shabu-shabu broth, made in-house with kombu (edible kelp). Another option is the sweet sukiyaki, made with a soup base produced in their Japanese kitchen. The Kurobuta pork shoulder and beef short plate are must-try meats to accompany fish and pork meatballs and fish tofu. 

Mo-Mo Paradise
Mo-Mo Paradise.
Mo-Mo Paradise/Yelp

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Golden Island, Dimsum & Asian Cuisine

This restaurant has undergone a revival with Chinese banquet specialties, all-day delectable dim sum, and regular jazz performances. Clearly, this cheery venue has found a formula that works. Expect lines for weekend dim sum but they take reservations. 

Menya Ultra Mira Mesa

The springy wheat noodles, made every day with only salt and lye water, are the enticing ingredient that makes this ramen restaurant crave-worthy. The original ramen shop opened in northern Japan in 1994 and has been expanding ever since; its first location in the U.S. opened in San Diego in 2017. Customers can opt for the healthier, low-sodium broth that doesn’t deter from the flavor. The popular tonkatsu soup is cooked with high heat to optimize the savory taste. 

Shio ajitama ramen from Menya Ultra
Shio ajitama ramen from Menya Ultra.

Tora Tora Sushi

A recent addition to the neighborhood is Tora Tora, which specializes in a modern fusion twist to sushi. Start with the addictive curry chicken karaage. The “Funky Roll” section includes customer favorites like the salmon belly truffle roll and mango habanero yellowtail roll. Order the “Rolling with My Sidekicks” combo, which includes any roll with two sides like wasabi mac salad. 

Sushi roll
Tora Tora Sushi.

Related Maps