Single Fin Kitchen features fresh and local Japanese food

Single Fin Kitchen offers local fish with global flavors.

The restaurant, in the new food court of Atlas Market, 14837 Pomerado Road, features freshly-made Japanese food, made with locally-caught seafood.

Chef Antonio Quindere, along with business partner Mike Kravtsov, began Single Fin Kitchen a year ago as a food truck. Quindere said they met through LinkedIn and developed their idea for the restaurant while meeting up at a Starbucks. Quindere went to culinary school and has worked with highly regarded chefs, including Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Michelin-starred Chef Jeff Ramsey.

The main focus of Quindere’s menu is Japanese donburi bowls, which are bowls of seasoned rice topped with protein and vegetables. Quindere adds his own spin on donburi by adding a little more flair, he said.

The pair had their food truck for a year in order to test the waters, Kravtsov said. They sold it once they opened their restaurant in Poway. They will open a second Single Fin location in the Little Italy Food Hall in June.

The restaurant opened in the beginning of April and has had an amazing reception so far, said Quindere and Kravtsov. “The first week, we had four or five customers come in three or four times (each),” Quindere said.

That success comes from the freshness of the food and how healthy it is, Quindere said. “It’s not made in advance. We don’t buy tons of stuff in advance to be sitting there and go to waste. The whole point behind (the restaurant) is fresh.”

Quindere said the donburi bowls are unique because of the rice, as well as his dedication to only serving local sustainable fish whenever possible. He uses sushi rice and seasons each of the eight donburi bowls differently.

He has also connected with local fishermen at the San Diego Harbor’s dockside market to source his fish, as well as formed a partnership with a Monterey-based seaweed farmer, who will be moving to San Diego, Quindere said.

Though the restaurant offers a core menu, it often changes due to availability of fish. “It all depends on what kind of fish (is available at the market),” said Kravtsov. “When we say the menu changes regularly, we mean it.”

The restaurant is also partnered with the San Diego environmental organization “I Love a Clean San Diego.” When purchasing the Peruvian ceviche, 10 percent of the price goes to the organization.

While customers can make alterations and substitutions, it is not generally recommended, as the dishes have been carefully designed to be well-balanced, said Quindere. “It’s important to have customers not make too many choice. All the dishes are well-balanced, with specific rice, different seasonings, different vegetables. It’s all meant to go together.”

One of the most popular dishes Quindere and Kravtsov offer include their Albacore “Al Pastor”, a play on al pastor tacos. Using many of the same ingredients as the tacos, the albacore is marinated then seared and served with pickled onions, grilled pineapple and cilantro, as well as a green herb rice and corn dust, to represent the tortilla.

Another popular donburi bowl is the Salmon 360, which tries to use all parts of the salmon, Quindere said. The bowl features salmon eggs, belly, sashimi, tartare and skin, as well as salmon furikake (seasoning) rice.

In addition to the donburi bowls, the restaurant also offers appetizers, several types of ramen and “catch and go rolls,” which are fresh sushi rolls available to-go only.

For a menu and more information on Single Fin Kitchen, visit singlefin.kitchen.

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