Brian Malarkey is a celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality known for his appearances on Food Network shows like 'Top Chef' and 'Tournament of Champions'. He is also a father and self-identifies as a...
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Tried Animae for the first time to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, and it did not disappoint!
We were seated right away, even though we arrived a few minutes late. The atmosphere was warm and elegant, and I loved the playlist—it was totally my kind of music.
We ordered the Cucumbers, Taiwanese Chicken, Wagyu Corned Beef Fried Rice, Pork Tomahawk Tocino, The Malarkey, Melon Milk Tea, Kollo Iced Tea, Buko Pandan, and Sticky Rice Crème Brûlée.
Let me tell you, every single dish and drink was amazing. The standout for me was the Pork Tomahawk Tocino. The flavor instantly reminded me of the Filipino pork barbecue I used to eat as a kid. It was so nostalgic and comforting.
Everything was delicious, the service was great, and the overall experience made our anniversary celebration extra special.
100000/10. Would definitely come back!
Was told this was the place to go when in San Diego, and after trying it, I can confidently say that I agree! The service and ambience were impeccable and the food was delicious. Had an ube mocktail that might be one of my favorite mocktails of all time, and the service was amazing. They did not mind answering all the questions we had and giving their recommendations on what to get. Loved the Taiwanese chicken and the lamb chops they were cooked to perfection. They also came out with this sorbet dish on the house after the meal was done that was infused with matcha and I wish I could’ve ordered more that’s how good it was. So glad I got to experience this restaurant and I have zero complaints fantastic dining experience from start to finish!
Bailey was an absolute rockstar! She was so welcoming and did a great job in guiding us through our meal. The table next to us had a customer who was very rude and Bailey handled the situation so professionally. The food and cocktails were fantastic and I feel so lucky I got to experience a meal here!
The venue is stunning. Immaculate detail to everything. Very high end atmosphere. Server was Bonnie and she was exceptional. We got the below
Cocktails
- old fashion
- Ube (on the sweeter side)
Cold plates
- scallops - absolutely divine. These were so perfect and the dill was such a nice touch.
Hot plates
- Taiwanese chicken - divine and the sauce really made this dish. The chicken was extremely tender as well.
Mains
- lobster Palabok - noodles were a bit hard and the lobster amount was very minimal definitely wouldn’t get it again
- tomahawk - incredible. Juicy and perfectly cooked and the sauce paired very nicely with it too.
Dessert - sticky rice crème brûlée - very good I did find it a bit too tart for my liking very lemony taste but my fiancé loved it.
For two people this was plenty and our total came to $332 (4 total cocktails) and we tipped 20%
Truly magical place and will be back because the Kare Kare I am regretting I didn’t get.
Service was amazing and the vibes was lit especially the songs like whoever chose the song and played high fashion by Roddy Rich.. you’re tuff. Anyways the food was immaculate and tasty, I got the scallop crudo which was very flavorful and refreshing, the tuna nam khao I believe which was crispy rice and tuna but that was alright since it wasn’t actually crisipy and I didn’t taste the tuna at all, however the Taiwanese chicken was crispy and juicy and the lamb chops was very delicious. Now onto the main dishes, I got the lobster pasta which was $85!! It was really good but idk abt it being $85, I would pay $55 maximum imo but it was good. The short rib fish was also very good and it was a huge chunk and it was tender and flavorful and delicious. Overall some dishes was pretty pricey but other than that, amazing service and food nonetheless.