Animae

Review summary

1. a

   agnes

   San Diego

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   We got the Hunan Lamb Chops, Taiwanese Chicken, Pig Ears, Crispy Potatoes, Wagyu Fried Rice, Tuna Kinilaw, Duck entree, Sea Bass, and Short Ribs Kare Kare. Most of the dishes were flavorful, garnished well, and pretty!! I would go back for the lamb chops, pig ears, sea bass and short ribs kare kare.
   

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2. K

   Kim

   San Diego

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 1

   We picked Animae to eat for our anniversary dinner, and it some ways, it was very good, but in others perhaps not the right place for us. Let's start with the food - we did 2 appetizers (the Nori Caesar and Mantou buns), 2 entrees (Short Rib Kare Kare and Szechuan Sea bass), 2 sides (Crispy potatoes and Wagyu fried rice), 2 desserts (Ube profiteroles and Sakura Panna Cotta), and 2 glasses of wine. We spent 2 hours there. Overall, it was extremely tasty and flavors all fantastic, although the execution leaves much room for improvement. The salad, though great umami of flavors, was very much overdressed. The soy glaze with the buns was too salty but the sour cream butter saved it. The fish dish was just meh in flavor, but perfectly cooked. The Short ribs and potatoes I felt were delicious, so no complaints there. The fried rice was ok, there was hardly any beef in there (tasted mostly egg and mushroom). Desserts were also delicious, but also a few misses. The panna cotta was bursting with flavor and texture but the panna cotta itself was too dense (too much gelatin) so it ate very heavy though the flavors were very light. The profiteroles were perfect. Just the right amount of sweetness, texture, and flavors. They gave us a little bonus dessert and sparkling wine for our anniversary, which was a nice touch. A little matcha cake with (very dense) mousse and chewy boba, but hey, it was bonus. What I really disliked was the ambiance. The decor was fun, but the music was too loud and the lighting was extremely dark. Even the bathrooms, with the black decor, felt very, very dark. Service was really great though, our waitress and servers were attentive enough even though the food was slow to come out in the beginning. I think younger people would enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant. But for middle-aged me, it was hard to have a nice conversation with my partner and the food, while overall not bad, could have been so much better with a little bit more attention.
   

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3. V

   Veeral

   Toronto

   25 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   25 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Awesome food and experience A bit more expensive than comparable restaurants
   

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4. J

   Jessica

   San Francisco

   8 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Don't leave without ordering the cabbage. It's to die for.
   

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5. T

   Teri

   San Francisco

   27 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   27 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We were very happy that our experience eating at Animae equaled the best reviews we read. We had a group of 7 foodies, so we shared appetizers, and the ordered our own main courses, based on other reviews. Our server was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. The noise level was not the worst, and we were able to talk to each other! We will definitely bring other foodie friends here!
   

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6. C

   Cindy

   Denver

   15 reviews

   5.0

   15 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food with great blend of flavors. Server was very good at explaining all the dishes.
   

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7. E

   Elizabeth

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I took my love here for his birthday. We had never been, right away we were impressed. The vibe was inviting and fun. We were early, so we ordered a drink st the bar and lounged in the entrance seating area. The staff and service was lovely. The food amazing. They were very busy but we were accommodated appropriately and had an awesome time. Thank you Anime for a prefect birthday dinner.
   

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8. V

   Vince

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   A must place to eat!! You will not be disappointed !! Everything was excellent!!
   

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9. J

   Jaime

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great ambiance, the food was amazing and the service was great!
   

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10. G

    Genesis

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Great service by Victoria, very thorough and detailed. Patiently explained all options and worked with us on dietary restrictions and allergies to ensure no cross contamination.
    

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