The Kitchen @ MCASD

I am someone who loves trying new things all the time, which unfortunately makes it difficult for me to be a regular anywhere. If I’m spending my money eating out, I like to maximize on different places and different experiences. However, the Kitchen @ MCASD is one of those special restaurants that always has me coming back.

The Kitchen is absolutely beautiful and the interior design is clean, chic, airy, and bright. There is indoor, half indoor and half outdoor, as well as fully outdoor seating (so you have options!). However, no matter what seating arrangement you get assigned to, you are literally a few steps away from overlooking the ocean, as the restaurant is located right in the heart of Downtown La Jolla. I do highly recommend getting a reservation ahead of time and requesting indoor seating close to the window. It’s the best spot for sure and you are guaranteed great views from the comfort of your seat.

In addition to the gorgeous interior, the food, drinks, glassware, plateware, decorative vases - literally everything - are all SO cute. I am a major sucker for all things cute & well-curated and they have so many items I’d purchase in a heartbeat.

Upon first opening in Feb 2023, the Kitchen only opened Wednesdays through Sundays from 8:30 AM - 2 PM for breakfast and lunch. However, as of June 2024, they’ve now extended their services to dinner on the same days of the week from 4-8 PM (happy hour being from 3-5 PM!). Once I heard this news, I took myself on a date immediately, and was luckily able to stop by on the second official dinner night.

For dinner, I decided on the ‘chilled cucumber tahini soup + marinated shrimp + cucumber’, as well as the ‘steamed sea bass wrapped in swiss chard + freekah + olive relish + heirloom tomato + roasted tomato vinaigrette + torn herbs’. Holy moly, I was blown away, which was not a surprise, as I’d already been blown away by their lunch services prior. The cold soup was extremely refreshing, earthy, and I loved the cold touch. We need to normalize more cold soup options out here! The steamed bass was huge and it came fully wrapped in swiss chard, so it felt like a little gift I had to unravel myself. When I chose that dish, my server also agreed that it was her favorite thing on the menu, and I can see why. The fish was beyond fresh, juicy, and the freekah and tomato flavors were perfectly spiced, adding African and Mediterranean fragrances to the meal. I LOVED this dish and I could not stop eating it even though I was getting insanely full.

During my trip, I also luckily made happy hour by 3 minutes, and was able to get a $10 cocktail (they normally range from ~$13-$15 at list price). The cocktails here are pretty, often decorated with dainty flowers, and incorporate a lot of fruits, so it tastes healthier than usual cocktails. I also treated myself to a cold glass of white wine since I am in my fancy white wine era, and I would highly recommend the Sauvignon Blanc from France.

I had such a peaceful and much needed self-love moment here. Just imagine a girl sitting in the corner, sun setting, golden hour gradually approaching, white wine in hand, and softly looking out into the abyss with a “life is good” smug smile on her face. Well, what you just pictured was 100% me (and could be you too if you decide to go to this amazing little haven)!

Another huge reason I love this restaurant so much is because it’s attached to my favorite museum in all of San Diego, and that is the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). This museum is stunning and ever since they reopened after the long renovation, I’ve decided to become a member, which is great because now I can go whenever I want and I can bring a +1 each visit :) The artists the MCASD chooses for residency are all so intriguing and I love taking my Fujifilm here to walk around and take pictures. Every nook and cranny of this museum is photogenic, and it’s so peaceful here too since you catch a glimpse of the ocean waves through windows right next to a lot of the art.

The Kitchen is also a part of the restaurant organization called the “Urban Kitchen Group”, which consists of other popular restaurants like CUCINA Urbana and ARTIFACT at Mingei (both of which I also really like). Whatever new establishment they create, I trust that the restaurant will be of high quality since they have a history of producing great places.

To me, the Kitchen @ MCASD and the Museum of Contemporary Art are what I envision heaven to look like. I’m so thankful that they exist and I’d love to eventually experience one of the Kitchen’s chef tasting menu events in the future.