Our visit to Kali's Garden Cafe had us wondering how Kindred was doing. It had been almost four years since we visited, which was during the pandemic. As a plus, we knew they had outdoor seating so we went just after the 5pm opening time during the week and got seated along the counter on Beech.
As always, the service was friendly, though things got a bit tight as the clock ticked along.
We placed our order and I decided on a cocktail. I asked for something smoky and not too sweet and the "Akuma no Uta" was recommended. I should have known that something titled "The Devil's Song" would be pretty darn stiff.
This was no joke as it made its way down my throat. I actually enjoyed it, but one of these was more than enough!
Our food soon started arriving. Starting with the "Doom Bloom"; basically tempura mushrooms.
So crisp and light; the earth and almost sweet Shimeji, the savory Oyster, and the meaty Trumpet Mushrooms were really tasty. We both thought the watery-mayonnaisey yuzu sauce was a bit too mild and the mushrooms could have used more salt. But overall, a very nice dish.
I really like Yuba, so of course we got the BBQ Yuba Skewers.
Grilled in this manner, the yuba attains and interesting crisp, yet chewy texture. The BBQ sauce was interesting, perhaps a bit too sweet, but the pungent hot mustard really cleared our sinuses in a very enjoyable way.
The Chimichurri Seitan has always been a favorite. And it seems they've made it even better.
The gluten was crisp on the exterior, yet slightly creamy inside. It just went well with the spicy Harissa like sauce and the mild horseradish sauce. This is indeed Satan's Seitan….so good it's evil!
The last item was the "Charred Remains" – charred broccoli.
The broccoli crowns were nicely charred, the stems a bit too hard. The ricotta cheese really seemed to clash with the spicy chili oil. This was pretty sizeable portion.
Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Kindred. And even though they won't convert me to "Vegan-ism", they just put out tasty food, and I feel better for eating it. Service was friendly as usual. We'll be sure to not let 4 years go by before revisiting!
Kindred
1503 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92102
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 5pm – MN
Friday 5pm – 1am
Saturday 10am – 1am
Sunday 10am – MN