Probably one of the best meals I’ve had in San Diego. Kingfisher is super cute and I love the decor, especially the wallpaper. They did a great job utilizing the space and I appreciate the set up of the two back tables which has some privacy.Our party of two had the Cripsy Chicken Wings, Wild Mushroom Congee, and 1/2 Smoked Dry Aged Duck. Both the wings and mushroom arrived around the same time, and the duck arrived at our table much later. Wings were delicious, super crispy, full of flavor and comes with two different dipping sauce. The Mushroom Congee was delicious, but a bit heavy for me. Between the three dishes, I think it could have been shared between people. The duck took a while to arrive at our table, but it was totally worth the wait. The BEST duck I’ve ever had! Most of the items on the plate went well together, including the two types of dipping sauce. However, I think the red cabbage should be replaced with lettuce or another green. Not a fan of the bitter taste.Great service. Amazing food. Easy parking. Check out Kingfisher and don’t forget to order the duck!
I really enjoyed the experience here yesterday. Overall the food was quite good, while some items were a bit less than stellar. Cocktails are quite good as well, loved the Spritz. Everything we ate was good but I'll say that the Duck I wanted was gone by 7pm which is disappointing, would have happily pre-ordered and paid for it to ensure I got it. The Beef Rib was an expensive and somewhat mediocre replacement. Would not get that again for the price. Overall, I think this place is great if not slightly overpriced. Definitely plan to share things and get all the vegetables and seafood items those did not disappoint.
Delicious food with outstanding cocktail selections.
I saw pictures from Kingfisher on social media and thought it looked like a great spot for my birthday dinner. The restaurant is small but really attractive inside. I think the bar is beautiful. For drinks, I had the jungle fang first. Super tasty with a very spicy salt rim. Another drink of note was a really excellent espresso martini that I had for dessert. For food, we started with the wings. Really great and crispy, loved the sauce. We then shared the scallops and halibut. Everything was delicious. Service was great as well.
Sat at the bar. Service was attentive and well paced. Staff were warm and authentically excited to be there. Great vibe aside, the Hokkaido scallops were one of the more ingenious starters I’ve had in a while. First bite was rich / buttery, which gave way to that sweetness you only find in high quality seafood. Sear was perfect French technique. The sauce was herbaceous, bright and briny with some crushed peanuts for texture. Then, just as you’re reaching for another sample of that sassy scallop juice, your pupils start to dilate as you detect the zing of chili and a hint of kefir lime leaf — unmistakable Viet influence. ? Tried the mushroom congee as well. Morels were ??but the dish was a little heavy & on the gloopy side, IMO (barely any distinct rice granules). Save room for the wings, the grilled ong choi and a couple cocktails — all spectacular.
Ambiance, service and food were all top notch. Little things make a big difference for us when you’re going to celebrate and drop a lot of money on dinner and Kingfisher did not disappoint. Everything had so much flavor and was super fun to eat. The waiter was on point with his recommendations and we can’t wait to go back.
Absolutely LOVE Kingfisher as a return customer. Starting from the service and staff, everyone is friendly eager to help and welcome you to the restaurant.The cocktail menu is such a delight. I love the Asian influenced flavors in the cocktails. Have yet to venture into the wine menu though! Personal favorites are the Mule on the minimalism menu and the Saigon on the maximalism menu.The dishes are designed to share, and I’ve done 4 dishes for 2 people each time (or if you want to try one of the big mains, I would do 2 shares plus one big main). The dishes are incredible. Flavors that work well together but not overpowering so you can really enjoy them. Personal favorites are the Wings and the wild mushroom congee.
Refreshing take on Vietnamese inspired cuisine! Great atmosphere:)
Was able to make reservations through the website and a $20 deposit is required to hold each seat and credited towards your bill after dining.A great dining experince added to the neighborhood and truly a unique with Vietnamese flavors. The drinks were perfect, I went with the mezcal instead of Tequila pineapple choice and it was quite refreshing.As for the food, we started with the kanpachi, which was my least favorite since the wheat grass vinegarette was too overpowering where you couldn't enjoy the rest of the flavors in the dish. But the rest was amazing. The Hokkaido Scallops were cooked to perfection and a must order. You can smell the nuoc mam(fish sauce) on the crispy chicken drumsticks (No flats) and the dipping sauces paired perfectly. My favorite of all was the halibut served with a side of rice noodles. The beef Wagyu is also a treat to enjoy as mixed greens wraps. They were out of the duck, but also had the kanpachi Kama (grilled collar) off the menu as a special. Don't hesitate to ask if there's anything not listed.To finish the meal with both deserts which was the cassava cake with passionfruit caramel, I had to resist from licking the plate and my spoon it was that good. As for the vanilla flan with coffee syrup, was just as delicious and couldn't of had a better way to end this culinary experince.Also, 20% gratuity is automatically added to your bill FYI.
The long awaited arrival of Kingfisher was certainly worth the wait. From hosting pop ups the past few years to now firmly established in Golden Hill, the restaurant is offering the finest Vietnamese French options you can find in all of San Diego.The staff on-site was extremely welcoming and amenable to our overall experience and made our dining experience that much more enjoyable.Most dishes on the menu are made to share. For our two person table we had four small plates as well as a cocktail each and were left full. I look forward to returning and making my way through the rest of the menu.