SAGO — Restaurant in Encinitas

Came here because it looked absolutely stunning online. The drinks looked beautiful and the food looked good and made me want to try it!

We walked in and were seated right away as the waiting area was very small but the inside was gorgeous with greenery everywhere.

The server made it known to us that the menu was Asian fusion and tapas style (shared small plates). After trying the food here, I would say they are more Asian fusion CONFUSION as the flavors were clashing and seemed like the dishes didn't know their identities.. don't get me wrong Asian fusion can be done very well but SAGO does not do them well at all.. We ordered the Lobster Bao Buns, the Balinese Pork Satay, the Wagyu Satay, the Fried Chicken Cavier and the Mi Goreng. The Lobster Bao Buns were covered in a sauce that gave the whole dish it's flavor and the bun was kind of cheap and stuck to the roof of our mouths. The Balinese Pork Satay was pretty small for the amount they charged and it lacked flavor. The Waygu Skewers were not special and I honestly questioned if it was Wagyu because it taste like a regular steak.. the Fried Chicken and Caviar was fried nicely and had decent flavor but unfortunately it was undercooked.. still pink inside. And the Mi Goreng was undercooked.. the noodles were hard and the flavor had way to much sugar. We were starving so we ate it but we weren't satisfied after..

While we were eating, the Fried Chicken Caviar plate had one more piece of Chicken and one of the servers came and asked if they could take it.. we all just looked at each other kind of shocked because of the amount of caviar still left on that piece. We politely said no thank you we will keep the plate and he responded "yeah that's probably like $20 worth of caviar" .. I'm not sure why he asked to take it of he saw how much was left as well :/

The drink menu was alright but I think some quality assurance needs to be done. I ordered the Nr 2 Rum Passionfruit, my wife ordered the Nr 13 Gin Strawberry and my friend ordered the Nr 9 Carmalized Pinapple Tequila. The Run Passionfruit was so sour after taking my first sip.. I mixed it and still sour.. the Gin Strawberry was pretty pleasant and a nice soft drink. But the Carmalized Pinapple Tequila was advertised Tequila Chili Pina Colada Foam but it was served with salt and not Chili. My friend was confused and asked the server and she said they ran out of the chili.. idk why they would substitute an ingredient and not inform us until we asked. That was a bummer since we reply like chili.

On the reservation, i noted we were celebrating a birthday which the waitress acknowledged and I appreciate that because sometimes they don't even when I put it on the reservation. They were out of their ube ice cream shock was another bummer that I couldn't try it.. so the served brought me a glass of champagne which I thought was very thoughtful but I really didn't want to keep drinking so I shared it with my friends.

Overall I'm glad I tried this place but it is really the esthetic you come for and not the Asian Fusion.. there isn't even rice...

While visiting San Diego, I was able to dine at Sago. My friends suggested this spot and since I used to frequent the area a lot back in the day, I was happy to be here.

We were a party of 9 so there are no tables that can accommodate this size of a party other than the lounge seating.

It was like a night club seating so we could not eat like on a regular table. We had 3 small tables and asked the original server (bus boy) if we could grab the other small table that was between both seating area and he said he needed to asked but never came back. Eventually, the server came..

Service to me was extremely slow. Although she was nice, it sucked at the same time. We all ordered drinks and the drinks were very weak. I ordered 2 old-fashioned drinks and no buzz at all. The next day I dined at another restaurant and ordered an old fashioned and I was a bit tipsy. Clearly watered down drinks are served here. My 2 old fashion drinks cost me $38+tt.

Food: Mei Goreng Balinese Pork Satay Lobster Bao Buns Tuna Tartare

The Mei Goreng was delicious. I loved the al dente udon noodles. The flavors were on point. The Satay was ok. I preferred the wagyu skewer that my friends ordered. That was delicious. The tuna tartare had a nice bite. The chip it came with was a bit nasty. I've had really good rice crackers at different restaurants and unfortunately the chip was not good. Lastly, the lobster bao buns were devine. Delicious!!! That and the mei goreng were my favorites.

Overall, the food dishes were delcious, but the drinks and service...

From the attentive service to the fresh preparation of drinks and food... from the dark vibey ambiance to the huge and healthy plants, Sago is such a beautiful and happening spot! The drink menu is innovative and I especially loved the no. 9 and the no. 2. The food was fresh and tasty. It's a fancy place so don't expect cheap prices and massive dishes! Think lux!!!

Cocktails: Carefully curated and easy to sip quickly; no. 9 was my personal favorite. Wonderful balance of pineapple and coconut, without being too sweet. It was kind of like a mix of a pina colada and margarita, but not as sweet as a pina colada!! I ordered 3 of them!

Fried Chicken and Caviar: Okayyyyy flavor combo!! This was one of our favorite dishes. Really hot and fresh, served with delicious sauces. Great combination of flavors and textures.

Tuna Tartare: Fresh and full of flavor. Can never miss with a Tuna Tartare!

Hamachi Ceviche: Really great hamachi. Not too saucy, perfect amount of fresh. Really yummy on both the lettuce wrap and cracker!

Mie Goreng: Also was one of our favorites! It was simple but the perfect add on for a meal to make it a bit more filling! The flavor was amazing and I am craving this again as I write this review!

Wagyu Steak: The sauce was salty (in the best way) and flavorful, complemented the steak so well!! Filling and was a sizable piece of meat!

Overall, the vibe was 10/10. The food was fresh. I recommend coming here with a group (or a date!) and sharing multiple items on the menu....