Chef Jun
3309 Rosecrans St Ste B
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 782-9484
By LK Bruce
If you’re like me, there’s little more motivating to get out and try a new restaurant than a coupon in the mail. So when the coupon for Chef Jun made its way through the mailbox, I thought we’d get out there toot-sweet. Well that was in March.
Last night, the day arrived and of course, I forgot the coupon – no doubt long expired anyway. Undaunted, we parked easily in front of Chef Jun in Loma Square near Midway and Rosecrans. It’s just between Sprouts and Jamba.
An involuntary “oooh” escaped our lips as we entered the serene space filled with faux trees bursting with cherry blossoms. It wasn’t crowded at around 6pm but it became more so as the hour wore on, fortunately nothing chaotic. In fact, very Zen. And with slow jazz playing in the background, the world outside melted away.
We were told that weekday nights are pretty mellow but weekend evenings are packed. Lunches are fairly busy, we were told, especially because of the lunch specials which typically include poke bowls with soup.
The menu consists primarily of specialty sushi rolls, sashimi and nigiri, and poke bowls, but they also have udon, ramen, rice dishes and salads. Small plate options include edamame, fried gyoza and spicy tuna stuffed jalapenos. There are even multi-course meals available at varying prices.
We started with an order of Mixed Tempura ($10) consisting of two pieces of shrimp & four pieces of vegetables with dipping sauce. The coating was rightfully crunchy, which is key and the veggies (carrot and potato) tasty.
I ordered the green iced tea – very opaque with residue at the bottom – while my husband ordered the lemonade, a bottled version by Calypso. They have several beers on draft and in bottles, Chu-Hi cocktails, ten different sakes, Soju, and four varieties of red and white wine. And the usual soft drinks. Something for everyone for sure.
We ordered three specialty sushi rolls and asked our waiter whether they would be enough. He assured us they would and we appreciated his not trying to upsell us. The rolls we chose were the Bay Ho, the Rainbow and the Orange.
The Bay Ho, named after the neighborhood where Chef Jun’s original restaurant is located, consists of baked bay (i.e., tiny) scallops, masago (mild eggs of capelin fish), green onion, krab and eel sauce. Replete with a cocktail umbrella, they were flavorful and served warm.
The Rainbow was beautiful with tuna, albacore, salmon, escolar, (the rainbow, get it?) avocado, krab, cucumber, and avocado. Very tasty, especially with the fresh, crunchy, juicy pickled ginger and mild wasabi.
The Orange sports lemon zest, salmon, spicy tuna, cucumber and ponzu sauce. They had me at lemon zest. Again, beautifully prepared and tasted as good as it looked.
When asked, our server said his favorite specialty roll is the Avati, named after the street where Chef Jun #1 is located. It has the word siracha in it so it’s unlikely we’ll try it on our own but if someone at our table does, we’ll surely venture a bite. The menu lists seared tuna with pepper, sriracha, green onion, spicy tuna, cucumber and garlic sauce.
Stuffed yet undaunted we plowed ahead, ordering dessert, justifying the decision with “Rag readers deserve to know.” The menu lists two desserts (yuzu cheesecake and green tea ice cream) but that night we were told there were two “off menu” desserts you should ask about. And who doesn’t want the “secret one?”
Turns out the secret desserts that night were Mont Blanc cakes, one matcha flavored and one black sesame. We opted to share the latter, a brown dome covered in spaghetti like strings of “frosting” with a cream filling and small wafer of cake at the bottom. It wasn’t wildly sweet, making a fitting end to the meal.
The entire meal cost $83 before tip. The service was excellent and the food delicious — so we will definitely go back. Chef Jun is open every day except Monday. Their full menu can be found here. Tell them the OB Rag sent you.
LK Bruce, a resident of Loma Portal, moved to San Diego in 1977 and has enjoyed a fabulous career in government and community relations, healthcare and instructing adults in healthcare leadership, policy and politics. Now retired, she volunteers more than ever. She fancies herself a foodie and is excited to join the roster at the Rag.
