Sora

I did not know what to expect, but even though it is out of the way for me, we both enjoyed both the service, food and atmosphere. Everything was excellent. Hope this location survives vs. the «Gaslamp» competition.

I ate IKAMESHI. It was really good.
Atmosphere is good.
I would like to go again.

Is it Japanese, or is it Italian? Don’t be scared off by people’s horror stories of the eyebrow-​raising Japanese-​Italian menu (parmesan cheese atop sushi rolls, really?). Sora is excellent if you order the RIGHT thing.
Here are some highlights based on my recent visit as well as talking with our server:
1) They give you an iPad to peruse the menu and drink menu — not necessary, but kinda cool
2) The dinner-​sized risotto is prepped and served table side in a giant wheel of parmesan. Where else can you get something like that?
3) They have a long menu of both cold and hot appetizers, but colds really shine at Sora. We loved the (raw/​seared) fish carpaccio, topped with caviar lime
4) Their star dish is the sea urchin (uni) — order if you are adventurous!
I thoroughly enjoyed the lobster ramen, with its huge portion of lobster tail and homemade egg noodles in a white miso bisque that I couldn’t even finish. I can’t believe I walked away when there were still so many noodles in my big bowl, but I got too stuffed.
I would love to return to try the okinawa sweet potato crème brûlée off their creative dessert menu. They even have macaroons!
TIP: Parking is easy; it’s located inside the same office building as the restaurant, and you can get it validated by Sora.

So good! After being hesitant about the Italian Japanese fusion concept they blew all those concerns out of the water! We had the starter of bone marrow, oh such sweet succulent goodness and the pork belly. So hard to be cognizant that I was out in public… No licking of the plate here. Next A had the New York Sirloin, he was very happy with this choice. I had the Murasaki-​Imo and Green Cauliflower Risotto, really enjoyed the presentation and prep at the table — plus it tasted good
Positives
Quality of the food, fresh
Have both marrow and pork belly on the menu
Nice variety
Parking validation for the lot next door
Negatives
They are still working on the fusion concept, occasional very small missteps — nothing significant and after they have been established for a bit they will have fixed if they haven’t already.
I definitely would come again, it’s very good and I would recommend giving them a try. It’s a way that several people can get something filling and tasty but also crosses many different types of food.

Wow Sora, how many F’ing menus do you need?
Came here for a Friday night treat because BB was feeling like trying somewhere new. The place wasn’t crowded and looked pretty stylish on the inside.
We were seated and given what can only be described as a gaggle of menus, as if this wasn’t enough we were also given an Ipad with the drinks menu. I know this seems like something small, but all the menus made me feel like I was back in grad school studying for a test!
I agree with comments that there is a push to order many plates tapas style. It just doesn’t work if you are a smaller eater or you want your own entrée. Entrees come in at around $ 20-​$ 25, tapas come in at around $ 8. That can add up fast. Moreover, if the food were to die for I would say go ahead and splurge but while good, it is not order everything on the menu ahhhhhmazing.
Bread: They give out complimentary bread which is nice. It came out warm which I like. When I asked if it was meant to come out just plain the waiter informed me that it was «complimentary» in a fashion that made me feel like I was some sort of ingrate for wondering if oil or butter was following. I haven’t really been to a place that just set down plain bread with nothing to put on it. It was normal white bread.
Yes, I guess I would also like some «complimentary» ice cubes in my «complimentary» water waiter, I am just a jerk that way.
Edamame: Good salt mix on them but some pieces where mushy and overcooked. ($ 4)
Chopped Salad ($ 8): Very good. Not too much goat cheese and the dressing was light but not short on flavor. The salad is big enough to share. Five star salad!
Fish Tempura ($ 26): Menu states that sauteed beet leaves are on the dish. I did not get them. What a disappointment. The pieces of fish were good, but were soft and lacked tempura crunch. The curry was VERY salty. I love salt, so I can’t imagine how someone else would eat it. In all it came out looking like a large appetizer and left me wondering what had happened to the beet leaves I had been promised.
We didn’t order drinks and we could tell that we disappointed our waiter. The chef was going around to tables to say hello and did not stop at ours. The place was by no means crowded. I felt we were snubbed because we didn’t get a bottle of wine.
The concept is intriguing, but badly done. Overpriced for dishes that don’t deliver even the ingredients promised on the menu, which is the bare minimum. It is little wonder Sora is signed up for every rewards and discount program that will have it.
If I want to have a nice dinner I will skip this spot. Who knows maybe the happy hour is good. I just feel this place over complicates everything down to the stack of menus to the splashy décor to distract diners from what really matters, food and service.

The food here is no joke. My first thought was «Japanese Italian»… wtf? But everything I’ve tried has an excellent combination of flavors that you would never expect. Having eaten just about everything out there, what I look for in a new restaurant is something new. The chef is great to chat with, he used to be the head chef at Nobu. That should tell you something.
It’s in a strange location, not exactly a place that gets a lot of foot traffic unless you live nearby.
Overall highly recommended.

What service was lacking, food made up for. This place is modernly decorated and pretty. We ordered the uni for an appetizer and expected a live uni at 16 dollars, but it was cut up already, which was disappointing. My hubby ordered the waygu meatballs and spaghetti and I ordered the lobster and edamame ravioli. Both were amazing! The meatballs were stuffed with cheese! My ravioli had tons of lobster in it and edamame sprinkled around the plate. The sauce was buttery. Portions are small, I only got 4 raviolis! Only downfall of our dinner was the service. I had to ask two ppls each twice for hot wate before I got any. For the prices here, they should have better service.

Combining two of my favorite styles of cuisine, I was very excited to try the Japanese-​Italian menu. They nailed it from the décor/​ambiance, presentation of the food, flavors and textures, and service.
I was a bit concerned when the server brought out an IPad to show us the drink menu. It’s clever/​fun, but unnecessary. It made me think, «great, this is one of those kitschy restaurants with gimmicks and the food is going to be meh.» So glad that I was proven wrong.
Very interesting menu options. Started with burrata caprese with slightly sweetened tomatoes and beets (more beets, please), then moved to gnoccha fritta — fried dough with an assortment of cheeses and salumi. While the cheese and meat options were great, the gnoccha fritta was too dense. It needs to be lighter, fluffier. For my main entrée, the uni and king crab over tagliatella pasta with an edamame purée was delicious! All of the portions were reasonable.
Restaurants at this location have had bad luck, because of the lack of foot traffic. I hope the restaurant stays open. I would definitely return.

This is a cool spot in downtown. Japanese and Italian infused food, excellent customer service. Happy hours deals are great. Rolled in on a Thursday happy hour and the special was if you ordered any alcohol you got free appetizers. These appetizers consisted of pasta dishes, some sort of breaded fish, pizza (veggie style and cottage cheese, sprouts, and sausage), and crab rolls. They have excellent cocktails as I tried something called an Italian Fizz which had a mango taste to it with rum. Asahi beer was cold and tasty! This place has happy hour deals all week so this is definitely a good place to spend your cash for food and drinks. Very plush interior, red colors on the walls and floors. Very trendy and modern interior. Great service, great food, great drinks, great time.

We came here thinking we would order from the restaurant week specials. However, they only have that Mon-​Fri. Sora is located in the business-​y side of downtown, west of Horton Plaza. It looked dead from the street but it was quite busy inside. For dinner, you can get your parking validated for up to 4 hours so make sure to save time looking for parking and use the parking structure. Décor is chic and comfortable. Because of the large wraparound bar, this place seems like it would be a good place for happy hour.
Menu provides Japanese/​Italian fusion dishes. I tried the Ikasumi pasta. It was DELICIOUS. The homemade spaghetti didn’t taste like traditional spaghetti. It was more like a thin fettuccini. The grilled calamari was super tender and did not require hardcore chewing. I was afraid my lips and teeth would be stained with squid ink as the server had warned but i had nothing to worry about.
Drink menu on an iPad 2. They have a small but exotic beer selection. The manager came to us and explained that he enjoyed foreign beers. Variety of mixed cocktails to choose from as well. However, I didn’t know 90% of the items used in those cocktails. The violet sky didn’t come with the flower garnish shown on the picture, but I liked that it wasn’t too sweet and syrupy.
Service was decent. Food came out pretty fast — even our server was surprised. The bus boy was a bit pushy, asking several times if we were done with our meals when he didn’t see any «action» — we were just absorbed in deep conversation. And it wasn’t like there was a line of people waiting for us to finish.

I’m pretty confused about how to rate this restaurant.
I would file this under a bad experience, but ONE dish made up for it.
Service: Waiter was pushy by telling us how many and types of appetizers we should order. When we ordered a small amount, he proceeded to pester us to order more.
Another waiter delivering a flat dish of scallops SPILLED OLIVE OIL OVER MY HEAD AND BACK. After telling the manager about the incident, the waiter wasn’t even warned about what he had done. Okay… now that I got that out. Food:
Drinks: Nothing spectacular. We had the rosemary, mojito, and gin & tonic.
Appetizers:
–Vegetable plate is nothing spectacular, but the anchovies paste is great.
–Wagyu Tartar was over cooked, but delicious. It is on the salty side but the wasabi paste made it great.
–Scallops were very fresh, and had a great texture. It sits on a flat plate covered in olive oil so BEWARE if it is being set down next to you.
–Wagyu meatballs are filled with perfectly melted cheese with a nice crunchy exterior. Personally it was nothing special. Still tasted great!
Entrees: (good portions)
–Truffle and Wild Mushroom risotto is the ONE dish that made up for this meal. They serve it in front of you by placing it in a large bowl made of a block of cheese. It is then scrapped and mixed into the risotto. I do recommend the shaved truffles. The only qualm I have about this dish is it had NOTHING TO DO WITH JAPANESE CUISINE.
–Lobster raviolli was great.
–Mentaiko pasta did not taste like mentaiko. Don’t bother.

Kinda pricey for what it is… fancy lil fat-​filled portions of food. Everything seemed to be either really oily while any resemblance of protein on your plate will be largely overwhelmed by fat on it. I don’t know, just not for me, I suppose.
The only interesting thing was that the sake was served in a masu (wooden cup box) here.
Nice-​ish atmosphere but there are other places in downtown SD that are more central where you can find better ambience, better food and be within walking distance to take a nice stroll through the streets afterward.

Maybe I’m missing something, but I thought this place was pretentious and expensive, and the food was sub-​par at best.
The décor is definitely nightclub themed. It’s pretty dead during the day, and you can tell they are doing their best to gather more of a lunch crowd. I thought the idea of an Italian-​Japanese fusion restaurant was bizarre but since I like both independently, I decide to check it out.
The portions were small and the menu was limited. All the combinations included strange sauces and combinations of meats, so I stuck with the sushi. I ended up getting very small portions of average-​tasting sushi. I was still hungry so I ordered a chicken pizza intending to take leftovers home. The pizza itself was greasy and way, way too rich — the chicken was dark meat, much like you’d find in teriyaki, and the combination was not tasty. When I ate the leftovers the next day I only got through half a slice before I threw the whole thing out.
The only thing I’ll say to this place’s credit is that the service is good — they earned 2 stars for the service alone. Food-​wise, they have tasty «bruschetta» appetizers with goat cheese. But that’s hardly enough for a good meal.

I’ve been there twice in the past two weeks and each time I loved the food. The service is excellent and the food is fantastic. It’s a little pricey, but worth every cent. The chef really lives up to his excellent reputation and I can see it will be quite a popular spot to eat shortly!
The pizzas are great. The uni risotto was amazing and the fish carpaccio is heavenly.

Amazing!
Miso caesar salad with grilled romaine is a great way to start.
The gluten free pizzas were amazing and the drink selection was excellent.
Will definitely have to continue coming back to try more items on the menu!

I am excited about a new restaurant for the first time in years. Sora is a ristorante bello that delivers dishes even more beautiful and delectable than expected. The staff was gracious. The bartenders were creative. And the chef must be a genius.
Sora presents less of a Japanese-​Italian blend than a dashed influence of one or the other. Traditionally flat dishes become awakened. Traditionally powerful dishes become more refined. The net result is that most dishes are quite light. And with most dishes sized as tapas, the dining experience is fun and satisfying.
The uni crudo seemed to have just been popped from its spiked shell as it was as cold and fresh as I’ve ever had it. It had a nice balance of zest and salt, but perhaps a bit too much olive oil. The fish carpaccio was well cut and fresh. Its pickled toppings gave a nice contrast to the otherwise neutral fillets. And they were works of art. The steak tartar was the thickest and juiciest melt-​in-​your mouth cuts I’ve ever had. There was no need to pour on so much cream sauce, but that is easily wiped away.
I could write a book on the Genovese pasta (pesto fusilloni). Wow. The noodles themselves were finger sized corkscrewed dough springs that just bounced off the plate. The texture was so perfect I thought I was chewing squid. The pesto was light and had an understated zen-​like balance of herbs and not too much cheese or garlic. Salúte! Kam-​pi!
The tataki style hangar steak was cooked perfectly but could have used a bit more salting or seasoning. I did not see much Italian influence here. Perhaps it could be dressed with a bit of mushroom miso marsala? The jidori chicken was also very nice. Jidori in itself is a non-​traditional Asian-​Euro fusion dish intended to be earthy and accent chicken’s natural creamy flavor. While I’ve never seen Jidori chicken served with corn, it works wonderfully here.
With a restaurant founded on mixing two very opposite styles of cooking, the possibilities are endless. The menu is already quite varied, and the chef should be inspired to come up with even more creative dishes long into its hopefully glorious future.

It was a rainy Thursday and I had to take a late lunch, and being that I was wearing an entire outfit made entirely of cashmere and rare imported velvet, I didn’t want to walk outside for a meal. So being the delicate flower that I am, I decided to give the restaurant in my office building a try. I heard mixed reviews about Sora, but as always, I need to try things for myself and not be swayed by the comments of others (See, e.g., prison pen pal program, buying an Emu farm and investing money in a Housewives of New Jersey Themed Restaurant in Fayetteville, Arkansas).
So I did, I went to Sora for a quick bite. First, I actually like the décor and the setup. It feels overly large when not filled with patrons, but overall, I liked how it was designed. Second, my bartender/​server was Beck. She’s kinda fantastic. Really personable and had good recommendations for what to try. Third, the food. I wanted to try a couple of dishes so that when I spoke of the restaurant to others (including the Unilocal stalkers at my job), I could give it a well-​rounded review. The fennel sausage pizza was pretty delicious. It’s a white pizza with chunks of fennel sausage and lip-​smacking (oh yes, lip-​smacking I say) crust. I then tried the pesto pasta with shrimp, which came with a soup and a salad. The soup (chicken farro) was «out of this world» good. The pasta — homemade fettuccine with pesto — was not my style. The pasta was a little too heavy as was the pesto. That’s not to say it isn’t good or shouldn’t be tried, but I like a lighter pesto, where the sauce is a compliment to the pasta. This one was heavier like a meat sauce or a ragout — just not my style. They then gave me a complimentary dessert — even though I made it abundantly clear that I am not allowed to eat desserts or else my parents are going to trick me again into attending a «sports» camp where everybody looks like body doubles for the King of Queens. But I relented and tried their green-​tea tiramisu. God daaaaamn that was good. After only having 47 bites, I was able to walk away with my zubaz pants intact.
Overall, I liked the spot, the price wasn’t bad for the portions and the service was really good. Whether the restaurant survives, only time will tell. But I do think that they need to expand their menu (or at least their lunch menu) for certain items (pastas, salads and paninis) and maybe cut back on others (again for the lunch crowd).

Was invited back for a complimentary meal, and while I usually don’t partake in such complimentary meals for fear of being coerced into liking a restaurant, I decided to take a leap of faith.
This time I went on a Thursday night and noticed there were a lot more full tables so it seems like business is picking up. The service as always was impeccable, and the manager Daniel was very courteous and made it a point to ask how we enjoyed our dishes this time around. I appreciated that he took the time and effort to suggest dishes to try and also how to eat specific dishes.
We ordered the pork belly again and it was just as fabulous as it was the first time. At the suggestion of the waiter we tried the Wagyu Menchi, and it was delicious! My boyfriend says it’s his new favorite there, he liked it even more than the pork belly!
We both ordered the chopped salad, which was as good as it normally is, but not outstanding. It was a normal appetizer salad, but the portion was quite perfect — not too big or small.
I wasn’t too hungry after all that (which is very different from our last visit) and ended up only ordering the bone marrow instead of an entrée. To my surprise, the bone marrow was VERY good, and the portion was substantial. The waiter even brought us an extra plate of bread to go with it. Even though I was full, I couldn’t help but finish the entrée. I could see this plate being an entrée instead of a tapas style appetizer on it’s own.
All in all, the meal was satisfying and I would have paid for it. In fact, after we finished our meal we did try and pay for the meal because it didn’t feel right to receive such a treat for free. Even though we couldn’t pay this time, we will definitely be back again now that we have some regular dishes we crave and a few dishes we want to try still!

Been watching this place and waiting for them to open. Japanese-​Italian fusion? Weird or delicious?
Turns out it’s DELICIOUS. Nice open dining room, cool bar area, I like the «glittery» walls with the changing-​color lights. Very personable hostess and attentive waitstaff — ALL waitstaff, not just our server.
Our server explained to us that it was tapas style and that it would be best to order a bunch of different things and share everything. We started with the bluefin tartare and the calamari with squid ink garlic rice. The bluefin tartare was AMAZING. It comes with this wasabi mousse, which I loved spread on the bread with the tuna. And I normally hate spicy stuff/​wasabi! Definitely would recommend this appetizer.
The calamari was just okay, but I see that as my own personal taste, not any failing on the chef’s part. Calamari was nice and tender, no complaints there. Just didn’t turn me on that much.
For our «entrees,» we had the uni with sweet corn risotto and the lobster edamame ravioli. Both were delicious. The corn dish had a wonderful smoked taste to it
For dessert, we each had a coffee drink and the crème brûlée and chocolate raspberry cake. Both were amazing. (Just a note, the desserts are also tapas-​sized portions.)
On the plus side, the tapas style lets you have all your courses all the way through to dessert. All the portions are small so between the two of us we got to try everything and still be full.
On the con side, I was REALLY turned off by the pricing. So much so that what should have been a 4-​star review is a 3-​star review. $ 24 for 4 ravioli? I know it’s lobster, but come on. It’s entrée prices with tapas portions. I feel like their pricing structure is trying to make them something they’re not. For a restaurant location with virtually no natural foot traffic in the evening and LOTS of dining options within a few blocks, I think lowering the prices could turn them into a real hot spot.

The boyfriend and I went here during their soft opening, and without a doubt I have fallen in love with the concept of this place, along with the food. Given, it was their soft opening, and a lot of details/​methods have to be worked on. What do you expect from a place who is not just opening, but creating a whole new concept restaurant for san diego?
**and no im not an «insider”**
To start off with I had the Tar tar Hon-​Maguro (Blue fin). God this was delicious. It melted right in my mouth. There is this wasabi mousse, I have no idea how they make it, but its like tasting a wasabi cloud. My boyfriend hates wasabi, and for the first time he was lapping it up.
The Capese was a lot different what I’m normally use to. They have these marinated cherry tomatoes, and a big scoop of this italian mozerella. Its refreshing, and a perfect size for 2.
For the entrée we got the Uni & Dungeness Crab. As a huge fan of Uni, I was bit disappointed. It was a bit bland, and there was very little crab. Also with the long pasta, I found it quite difficult to eat, without looking a bit foolish. I mean the pasta noodles are definitely too long, for me at least.
We had a few other plates, but these were what stuck out to me.
In terms of décor, maybe this is just a personal flavor, but its the reason why I docked the star. It bothered me alot. The tappas bar was decorated beautifully. I loved the boldness and the colors. Even the wine area in the back (apparently you can pull your own bottles from the shelves, YAY!) was done with class.
I didnt like the main dining area. I felt like I was in a 90s film, of some Die Hard movie, and the evil character is sitting there having a filet mignon, plotting someones demise. The beige seats, the colors of the wall.
Now I’m just throwing my personal opinion. Im a stickler for ambiance, and color schemes. And this one just rubbed me wrong.
Regardless, I will be back for seconds. and thirds, and fourths. you get the idea.