Hinotez — Restaurant in San Diego

I had 2 review on this place since I have been here this month. The recent review is on top and I upgraded their review to 4 stars after the second visit. Taken from my yelp account on June 27, 2017. Came here again on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at around 21:40 after again deciding that this is the only place to eat that is open around the area on a Sunday night. As I mentioned in the previous review, they open very late which is the biggest reason why we come back here. Thinking back to my last review about several weeks ago, I was not particularly craving for anything until I saw the special menu. I ended up ordering the 5 hour beef stew combo plate since it was reasonably priced and I was a bit hungry. My friends ordered curry plates. As I was waiting for my food, I kept thinking to myself that I made a bad choice in ordering that item. I was thinking how will I get full off from this place because I was not full from my last meal. For those who know me I usually eat 1.5 to double the portion of the meal in order for me to get full. The food finally arrived and I was surprised at the portion. They gave a bit more rice this time, it is the same on my friend's curry plate. I loved the flavor on the beef stew. I can not describe how good it was, but it made me happy to throw all of my rice on the beef stew. The salad was meh as it tasted a bit sour. Soup gets a passing grade. The service this time was better than before. Several servers gave their full attention greeting us with their wonderful smile. Water was quickly refilled, they checked up on us more times than the last visit I had. I do wonder if it is where we were sitting at. Last time we were sitting next to the entrance door and it was harder for us to get a server's attention. But this time we sat much closer to the kitchen. Anyways, I am not complaining about that. Overall, this visit was a much better experience than last time. My friends and I were both happy in the portions they gave on the rice for the food. I was also happy and satisfied with my order because I felt almost full. Also, the service was improved from my last visit. I wonder if they read my review here or on Tripadvisor. I also wonder if they recognized my face because I did come here several times before. Anyways...this time I upgrade and give them a four stars for the improved experience I had here. Side note: I wonder if the other business next to Hinotez (karaoke bar?) closed down because there was a sign saying something about them being closed. Because of that it was easier to find a parking spot than before. And this was written on June 12, 2017 which was 3 stars taken from my yelp. Came here last night on June 11, 2017. We come here often because this is one of the few places that open after 21:30 (9:30pm) since my friend does not get off until then. I almost always order curry rice with fried pork and 3 minute egg. Sometimes I throw in the potato croquette, but this time I passed. I do not order much from the menu item as it is too pricey for me to get full. I think the food is average here. This is my personal opinion as I was spoiled by many other restaurants around SoCal that I have been in the past. Parking sometimes can be hard to find. On two occasions, I was forced to park in the street about a block away from the restaurant. One time we had to skip on going this place because we could not find parking. The nice thing is that they are open very late night, this is one reason why my friends almost always pick this place. Every other restaurant that they want to go to loves to close at 21:00 (9pm). Their service is usually good. Overall, I wouldn't mind coming to this place during late night hours, but that's it. Everything else felt just...

Chino Chino Hinotez.

I hate mentioning and rival so much in a review, but I lump Hinotez in with Tajima for our latenight choosings. My usual burrito intake often needs substitutions and more variety so we’ll throw in Ramen & some Izakaya for variety. I’m not talking about Tajimas newer Izakaya, just the original Ramen location. Hinotez is not some little brother to them in any way, in fact they hold their own.

If Min Sok and Tajima had a child that would be close to what Hinotez is. The sectioned off privacy of min sok and a menu that’s a combination of both. It’s a place where people can go for good food, not just the come down. It’s not filled with post club drunks being loud or raging into the night. The lighting and ambiance is very deliberate. Have fun, but not at others expense.

They open at 5:30 am during the week when pho’s hangover remedies are not available and you have to be at work soon. They are open earlier and stay open later more consistently which are great because the worse thing is getting somewhere where the line is an hour and/or they are closed. Not the case here as people regularly come here as their 1st choice.

Their menu is deep with seafood, izakaya, ramen, traditional rice dishes, pages and pages of food for the more traditional and less mainstream eater.

I generally get some skewered meats because they do them right by cooking them over oak coals, binchotan. It properly sears and you get that maillard reaction that with flame is harder to achieve. Tongue, gizzards, chicken butts. I’ll also balance that out with some rice and vegetable dishes like kim chi, pickled things to go with my ramen or entrée. The spicy sesame ramen is probably their most well known dish, it differs from Tajima because it’s not as thick a tonkatsu broth base which lets the sesame paste shine through, it’s also not built just like all the other ramen places with chashu and ground pork artistically plated. It’s just as tastey.

I dig the décor, more classic with the thinly walled and separated booths and tables, they still have the bar, but also a separate bar and eating area right as you walk in. bathrooms in the back it’s actually bigger than you might expect....

it's always been a pleasure coming to this place, but I do not think the staff is really friendly, the times i being there they take too long to take the order but the food makes up for it. with that being said today my girl friend and I were on the area and were hungry for Japanese food, there is lots of Japanese restaurants on the area but we absolutely love their curry, we decided to eat on Hinotez, when we got there there was no Host/hostess and when they sat us or try to sit us the lady just threw the menus on the nearest and smallest table the restaurant has to offer, I did not have time to ask her if she could sit us somewhere else because the lady went straight out to tend some other costumers in a clossed room they also have "I ASSUME" I asked for help to another amployee and nothing happened we were just standing there until I decided to go back to the hosting area and wait to be help again. Some other lady came later on and I asked her if she could please sit us in a bigger table since that table was too small for the both of us which she replied that they were too busy today and that was the only table they had... I looked around on the beginning and they were not busy at all, it was around 5:10 or 5:15 Ish and there where a few other tables and 2 parts of the bar open. I really feel that as a costumer your supposed to be served and sit were you're most comfortable at least when it's not busy I also felt like the service wasnt there and when I asked for help they refuse to help me. After hearing this I decided to leave the restaurant very disappointed of their service, I doubt I will be coming back to this place...