(0:02) San Diego is known for its beaches, parks, and sunshine, and now they can be known for their (0:07) vegan scene. I’m Eunice, and I’m in San Diego for 24 hours to show you three must-try vegan (0:12) restaurants and sights to see. Let’s go! First stop, I had to check out the spot that locals (0:24) in San Diego have been raving about for years and hear about its backstory.
(0:28) Hi, my name is Roy Elam. I am the chef and owner of Donna Jean. We have locations in both San Diego (0:33) and Los Angeles.
We opened our San Diego location back in 2017. The name Donna Jean is my mom’s name. (0:41) I named it after her.
She died of breast cancer when she was only 55 years old. The second time (0:46) she was going to go through chemo, she didn’t want to do it because it was too much, so they (0:50) gave her a diet to follow instead, and it was primarily a vegan diet. So I started thinking, (0:55) why do we tell people this at the end of their life? So we decided to take this restaurant and (1:01) just make vegetables taste good so people want to eat them all the time, and that’s the whole (1:05) concept behind this.
On top of all that, we’re very much fully scratch as much as possible. We (1:09) make everything we can here. I feel like that’s the right way to do things.
We source local produce (1:14) in both San Diego and Los Angeles and try to work with small producers as much as we can. (1:19) Okay, so it’s Sunday morning in San Diego, so it’s brunch time, and you’ve got to come to the one and (1:24) only Donagene. It was actually one of the first places I tried vegan food when I was starting (1:29) my vegan journeys, but the reason this place is so special is because where else can you get pizza, (1:34) lasagna, calzones, frittatas, pancakes, the works, all the breakfast staples, and comfort (1:40) foods in one spot.
So it’s a must try, so let’s check out what they got. (1:51) All right guys, so we have our first two plates that we’re starting with. (1:54) It’s brunch.
I always have to have something like eggy, so I have a frittata here with zouk sauce (2:01) on top. Zouk is a green salsa that originates from Yemen, but it’s also popular in a lot of other (2:06) Middle Eastern countries. The frittata is made out of just egg.
If you’re not vegan, just egg is a (2:11) really good replacement for eggs, especially if you miss that eggy texture because they make it (2:15) spot on, and it’s just really good, no cholesterol, really healthy. It looks beautiful, looks delicious, (2:20) they even have some shaved cheese on this salad that looks real, so it’s amazing, and then I’m a (2:25) sucker for mac and cheese. So when I saw they have a cast iron mac and cheese, you best believe I had (2:30) to try that.
When you scoop this up, it looks just so good and creamy, so I’m gonna give this a try (2:36) first. It is so creamy. A lot of times, creamy vegan cheeses are cashew-based, or they’ll add (2:52) potatoes to give it that creaminess, and honestly, oh my gosh, this is… I’m gonna have to do another bite, (2:59) but now I gotta try this frittata with the zub.
Oh my word. Cheers. (3:10) Wow, the zub sauce is everything.
I could put that on everything. It’s so good. It really elevates the (3:18) frittata, and just goes to show how creative you can get with just your plant-based ingredients, (3:23) right? So I always tell people eggs was the hardest thing for me to get when I went vegan.
(3:28) It wasn’t even cheese, it was eggs. I used to love them so much, so I’m just happy to see replacements (3:32) like this. All right, so as you can see, the pizza has arrived.
Guys, I just love that I can have pizza (3:40) for brunch. Who doesn’t love that? So I always have to like the OG, like a classic pizza. This one’s (3:46) called the Bronx marinara with house-made mozzarella on top, and it looks absolutely delicious with (3:51) basil on there.
The crust looks amazing. Oh, let’s give this a try. (4:04) Everything is so flavorful.
The marinara has a great flavor, the cheese looks great, (4:09) it looks really melty, looks like real cheese. But guys, the best part is that they give you (4:14) dipping sauces for your crust. I freaking love that.
This one’s truffle cream because (4:18) I freaking love truffle. Oh yeah, I’m gonna be pouring that all over the pizza. This is so good.
(4:30) Okay, last but not least, you gotta have something sweet to end your brunch. So I couldn’t resist, (4:36) I had to get the skillet blueberry pancakes. They’re cooked in a skillet, then served on (4:40) this plate so they can drench all these blueberries on top, as you can see.
(4:44) They just look so fluffy and amazing, so let’s give it a try. I’m gonna just pack on a lot of (4:50) blueberries. The pancakes are very light and fluffy, melt in your mouth.
Blueberries are like (5:01) sweet yet tart, so I think it’d be great also to ask for the coconut whipped cream to add on top, (5:06) because that’s what I’m gonna do. I think it’ll take it to the next level. But you guys, overall, (5:10) Donagin is a solid spot.
There’s a reason it’s a local favorite. It has been a local favorite (5:14) for years, so make sure you check it out on your trip to San Diego. If you’re looking to walk off (5:21) brunch, you’ll be conveniently located just a short walk to Balboa Park, one of San Diego’s (5:26) most beautiful attractions.
This park began as 1,400 acres of land set aside in 1868 by San Diego (5:33) civic leaders, known as back then as the City Park. Today, the park has been reduced to 1,200 acres, (5:39) but offers 15 museums, various gardens, arts, and international culture associations, (5:44) and we happened to stumble upon the organs being played live. (5:49) One of the must-see attractions is the Botanical Building, but sadly, I couldn’t go inside because (5:54) it was being renovated.
Many of the museums along Balboa Park are Spanish colonial revival (5:59) buildings originally constructed for the 1915 to 1916 Panama-California Exposition. It’s definitely (6:05) a place you could spend a few hours, but after that break, it was time for lunch near downtown (6:11) for a vegan sushi experience. Okay, so we got some starters here in our sushi roll.
We got (6:18) king oyster mushroom scallops on a polenta. They look beautiful. I just want to say the plating is (6:24) beautiful here, like everything.
Inari pockets. If you have not had inari, you have to. They are tofu (6:29) skin pockets, and they’re usually stuffed with a bunch of different things, so this looks absolutely (6:33) delicious.
Can’t wait to try that. And then of course, this is a specialty roll called the cherry blossom. (6:38) Inside is tofu cutlets, pickled cucumber, and carrots, a cherry yuzu aioli, which gives you that beautiful (6:45) pink color, and crispy fuji apples with a vegan cream cheese, so I can see why it’s their specialty.
(6:51) It sounds really extra. And then last but not least, look how beautiful this sampler omakase (6:58) vegan nigiri plate looks like. It’s topped with a veggie, so like you’ve got bell peppers, zucchinis, (7:04) eggplant, avocado, and it’s chef’s choice, right? That’s what omakase means, so I really appreciate (7:10) that they put a lot of effort into making these dishes look very presentable, use great ingredients (7:15) that substitute fish, so let’s give everything a try.
I can’t resist. I have to start with (7:21) this sushi roll because it looks absolutely beautiful. (7:28) This is delicious.
Reading off the menu, you might think, is it going to taste sweet, because that’s (7:33) what I thought. It has the perfect balance. It’s creamy, it’s fresh, it has a tiny touch of sweetness.
(7:40) Absolutely delicious. Now I gotta try the scallop oyster mushrooms. (7:47) They serve it with polenta now, but they’re gonna change it to squash (7:51) because it might complement better is what they were saying, so let’s try it this way anyway.
(7:57) This is really good. The oyster mushrooms give it a great texture. It gives it that like bouncy (8:02) scallop like texture, right? And it’s seasoned really well.
It doesn’t taste like you’re eating (8:06) mushroom at all, so props to them on that. The polenta’s good too. Okay, inari pocket.
(8:12) By the way, don’t get scared that it says eel sauce on the menu. There’s no eel, there’s nothing (8:16) related to eel. Okay, cheers.
(8:24) I already knew I was gonna love this. Anytime I see inari, I’m like, I’m getting it, I’m getting (8:28) it because it’s just so good. The tofu skin texture is amazing.
I love that they use forbidden rice (8:34) for all of their sushi here, so high nutrient value, which is great. Last but not least, (8:39) I gotta try this nigiri omakase. I’m starting with the one with the red bell pepper.
(8:49) Mmm. (8:50) I really enjoy that. Like, you can tell the texture is roasted vegetables, right? (8:54) But I like the roasted charred flavor on that red bell pepper.
And I like that it’s all natural (9:00) vegetables. Nowadays, some places top off like vegan nigiri with, you know, man-made vegan fish (9:06) substitutes, right? Which aren’t technically whole foods, which yeah, it’s fun to eat every once in (9:10) a while, but it’s not whole food vegetables like this, so I really appreciate this. And I would (9:14) prefer to eat sushi this way, so I’m just glad they put the effort and present it as if it were (9:19) nigiri, but it’s fine.
Yasai is a restaurant you must try when visiting San Diego. (9:26) After lunch, you can take a walk towards San Diego’s popular waterfront park and enjoy the (9:30) views of the sea, shops, and iconic kissing statue. But next was a dinner experience you (9:36) cannot miss in the beautiful Little Italy district.
(9:43) Okay, you guys, I am at Civico 1845 in Little Italy in downtown San Diego. Why? Because they (9:50) were the first restaurant to have a vegan Italian menu in the country. So I’m super excited to show (9:56) you guys all the dishes that they have, the sides, the dessert, the mains.
So let’s get to it. I’ve (10:01) gotten all the sides that we ordered. I’m already beyond excited because they look beautiful.
The (10:07) vegan mozzarella looks like real mozzarella, so this is beautiful. The pesto is vegan for (10:12) every customer, so that’s amazing. The squash blossom flowers with tomato sauce, (10:18) and then the lasagna, which is an eggplant parmesan that looks like a lasagna.
So you guys, (10:22) but first, you guys, the star is this fluffy bread that they bring to you in a paper bag, (10:28) which is perfect for dunking into pesto. I love carbs, I love bread, so let’s start with this. (10:40) Oh my gosh.
You guys, this is like a pillow in your mouth. It’s absolutely delicious. The pesto (10:46) is amazing.
Like, oh, you can get free refills on bread, so just make sure you do that, okay? (10:53) I’m excited. I’m gonna start with the caprese salad first. Oh my gosh, it looks so fresh on (10:59) this beautiful sunny day.
By the way, if you haven’t noticed, they have a beautiful outdoor (11:03) patio and indoor space. The caprese comes with pesto and fresh tomatoes and beautiful flowers. (11:10) Okay, let’s try this. Guys, this is summer on a plate. It’s so refreshing. The mozzarella is (11:24) creamy, so good.
The basil is perfect. Like, this is the perfect appetizer to start with. (11:30) The next thing that was highly recommended to us were the stuffed squash blossom flowers.
You guys, (11:35) I love squash blossom flowers, especially when they’re stuck. This is something typical you (11:40) will see in Italy and in Europe in general, so I’m just gonna eat it with my hands, (11:44) the American way probably, but when you just dunk it into that red sauce, oh my gosh. (11:56) Wow.
These are stuffed to perfection. It’s almost like an eggplant puree. (12:01) It’s so flavorful.
So far, everything’s 10 out of 10. I don’t know if you can go wrong here. (12:08) The entrees have arrived.
Handmade pasta. So, this first dish is the ragu di funghi, (12:14) which is handmade fettuccine noodles with a ragu, walnuts, lots of mushrooms. I love mushrooms, (12:21) so if you’re a mushroom fan, you gotta try this.
And then we also got a lasagna (12:26) staple. Can’t go wrong with that. But let me try this fettuccine.
Love me a good noodle lift. (12:39) It tastes like buttery, but it’s vegan. The noodles are the perfect texture, (12:46) the mushrooms are great, they have a vegan cashew parmesan.
Oh, by the way, (12:51) and in case anyone was wondering what the vegan caprese was made out of, (12:55) it was made out of rice flour, so it’s nut-free, allergy-friendly. (13:00) Moving on to the lasagna. Who else can’t resist the lasagna? I can’t resist a good lasagna, so (13:06) let me just go ahead and cut this.
Oh, it’s like drenched in this beautiful red tomato sauce, (13:15) layered to perfection. (13:22) Listen, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been making the same face for all the food because it’s (13:26) that good. Everything is delicious.
I just love that they make their own (13:31) vegan pasta. You don’t gotta worry about eggs, you don’t gotta worry about butter, (13:35) you don’t gotta worry about anything. Everything’s vegan San Diego.
They made this with love for us. I would (13:40) come back to San Diego just to eat here. Oh, you guys, last but not least, they have vegan dessert.
(13:49) I have three desserts now. Three vegan desserts. I just want to say, my biggest pet peeve is when (13:57) you go to restaurants, they offer you this whole extravagant vegan menu.
Dessert, zero. I hate that. (14:04) I need to have dessert after every meal, so I highly appreciate that they don’t have one, (14:08) they have three.
So let me tell you what you got here. They have a vegan tiramisu, (14:13) delicious. Then you got an affogato, which is a cashew-based pistachio ice cream or gelato.
(14:20) And then you pour the espresso on top, amazing. And then of course, last but not least, we have (14:25) a stuffed pistachio cannoli. You can’t go wrong with pistachio anything.
So this is already here, (14:31) so let me go with this first. It’s stuffed with chocolate filling. It’s airy and light (14:43) inside, but the shell is crispy and beautiful.
Okay, but I am a huge fan of tiramisu, (14:49) so I gotta have this next. Oh my gosh. (15:03) Oh my gosh, that is so good.
There’s something that I’m picking up there that I haven’t tasted (15:10) any other tiramisu, but it’s delicious. Affogato, the espresso when they poured it on there, (15:15) it smelled so good. That pistachio ice cream is amazing.
You guys, I’ve already said this (15:36) multiple times before, 10 out of 10. Like, you can’t go wrong with anything. I highly recommend (15:42) the affogato and the tiramisu for sure.
Make sure you make room for a Civico 1845 on your trip to (15:49) San Diego. Now, I don’t know about you, but I like to party, and San Diego’s Gaslamp District (15:55) has you covered. It has a hot new rooftop bar called Techo Beso with Tulum vibes that I couldn’t (16:00) resist.
They also have mushroom tacos if you decide you want food there, and don’t forget (16:04) to take some photos. All right guys, so as you can see, San Diego has so much to offer. It’s just (16:13) beautiful.
It’s a cute city. There’s a lot of character, a lot of things to do, lots of vegan (16:18) food. There’s even more than I featured, but I mean, you guys can check it out for yourselves.
(16:22) Let me know which dish you would want to try first, and I’ll catch you guys next time when I’m ready to be. Bye! Best vegan restaurants in San Diego
