Cloak & Petal recently opened in Little Italy, offering a Japanese social dining experience. The menu focuses on small plates and craft cocktails.
We were recently invited in to check out the new restaurant. The space is stylish and impressive, with two giant blooming cherry blossom trees at the center. I couldn’t stop admiring them all evening.
Japanese to English
This flagship cocktail is described as a “Japanese Manhattan.” Sesame infused Japanese whiskey, mixed with amaro and Italian torino. I thought the cocktail was well balanced and quite enjoyed it, even though I am not usually a fan of whiskey based drinks.
Wagyu Roll
Our favorite bite of the night. This gourmet roll is stuffed with crab scallop tempura and covered with wagyu beef. I loved the texture contrasts between the tender, thin slices of beef and shatteringly crisp tempura batter. The leafy greens served with the roll brought a lightness to the dish.
Special Tuna Battera
This beautifully constructed roll contained masago rice, topped with tuna and caviar. I liked that the masago was mixed into the rice, providing both texture and little pockets of savoriness.
Belly Sashimi
A selection of belly sashimi, including chu-toro, o-toro, salmon and hamachi belly. The slices were thick and generous. They were served with an aged soy sauce, which has a more complex flavor and a slightly sweet finish.
Glazed Duck Breast
The slices of duck breast were wonderfully tender, paired with a kabocha puree and yuzu marmalade. It was my second favorite dish of the night.
Chestnut Cream Cake
We finished our evening with this beautifully presented dessert, which featured so many elements. We loved the soft and spongy chestnut cake, the green tea macarons as well as the small dollops of ice cream and black sesame crumble.
Overall, we had a very nice meal at Cloak & Petal. I really love the space and the menu offers a lot of variety and creativeness. I think it’s a good place for a date night or a nice night out with friends and we definitely plan on returning.
Cloak & Petal
1953 India St, San Diego, CA 92101
http://cloakandpetal.com/menus/
As indicated above, I was invited in to try out the restaurant and this meal was complimentary. All opinions expressed are my own.
