We had a chance to check out JRDN's new restaurant menu created by Chef Jerry Ranson, and boy were we in for a treat!
JRDN offers diners more than typical restaurant fare, it's an experience! It's best described as fusion beyond your wildest imagination.
Where else can you eat Oxtail Bucatini? Oxtail is a Jamaican staple and Bucatini an Italian pasta that's long like spaghetti, but it's more al dente. When you mix the two together you've struck culinary gold! Only a chef that's a true visionary could foresee this.
That's what we love about JRDN. It's not the same old dinner menu. It's a gourmet cultural experience in a spectacular ocean front restaurant in Pacific Beach.
We started our food odyssey with sushi. We ordered The Roulette Roll appetizer which consists of torched salmon, crab, avocado, eel sauce, fired shishito peppers and spicy mayo.
My family consumes a lot of sushi, but this plate appealed to our senses and taste buds like none other. You could taste every flavor- the sign of fresh ingredients. It was an instant favorite, and a great start to our dinner.
Our server suggested Ahi Tuna Nachos, and we were glad we listened to him. This was a fun appetizer to share with fresh ahi, avocado, mango, fresno chili, shiso, cilantro, crispy wonton chips, sriracha aioli, and sesame seeds. Again, the fusion synergy between two vastly different cultures worked- in this case Mexico and Japan. The Ahi Tuna Nachos would also make a great appetizer to share with friends if you just popped into JRDN for a drink at their hip ocean view bar.
Enough can't be said for the Oxtail Bucatini with toasted bucatini, parmesan, tomato, basil, pangrattato. It was such a departure from a typical pasta dish of tomato sauce and cheese. Instead we feasted on succulent oxtail and pangrattato.
My thirteen year old son ordered this entree, and he thoroughly enjoyed and finished his dish. As a side bar to this story, exposing kids to good food as soon as possible is the only way to go. When my son started eating solid food I typically shared my entree with him. We moved on to ordering an appetizer from the menu as his main dish in those early years. Fast forward to his teens and he's eating Oxtail Bucatini!
My husband ordered The Octopus with adobada marinade, saffron risotto, and black hollandaise another masterpiece. The grilled octopus tentacles, along with a squid ink hollandaise was by far my favorite. This dish hit every note, and again offered a new flavor experience!
I had The Whole Fried Red Snapper with garlic noodle salad, chile lime gremolata, with sweet chili sauce, and it was a generous portion. Mixing sweet chili sauce with fried snapper was a winning marriage of sweet and salty that always pleases.
By far our favorite chapter was the last one...
Dessert!
Let me start by saying this isn't a restaurant that offers Lava cake and apple pie, and that's a good thing! Don't get me wrong I'm an equal opportunity dessert eater, but remember JRDN goes beyond your expectations and it delivers. So without further delay...
We had The PROTÉGÉ a pistachio mousseline bombe, pomegranate mousse, orange sponge, orange buttercream, mint pomegranate sorbet, and pistachio brittle. You might be thinking what is that? Trust me, it's incredible and you won't regret ordering it. I can still taste the chocolate, nugget, and orange!
We also tried The Island Cruise a tapioca panna cotta, pina colada macaroon, tropical compote, mango granita, and guava juice. This was an exotic blend of flavors, and an excellent way to complete a memorable dinner.
JRDN is located inside the Tower 23 Hotel in Pacific Beach. It's an ideal spot for a family dinner, date night, or just a drink with a friend after work.
JRDN
723 Felspar St
San Diego, CA 92109
Tel. (858)270-5736
https://www.t23hotel.com/jrdn/
Stay Informed Subscribe to Macaroni Kid It's Free!
