San Diego Restaurant Week 2014: NINE-TEN Restaurant and Bar

Second Restaurant Week stop was at NINE-TEN Restaurant and Bar. Tony and his friends had gone there previously but due to work I wasn't able to attend. He said good things about the place so when my friend Christine asked if I wanted to try the restaurant, I jumped at the opportunity. The entrance to the restaurant is actually inside this hotel so if you end up going there you don't have to look like the noobs we were.

We were seated right when we arrived even though we were early for our reservations. The menu had some variations from the Restaurant Week menu that was posted online. 

We started with the Hamachi sashimi and Jamaican jerk pork belly. The Hamachi sashimi was good and had decent flavor. I'm a big fan of vinaigrette so it was good lol. Apparently the Hamachi sashimi and Jamaican jerk pork belly are the signature dishes at the restaurant that they never change. According to the waiter, the head chef Jason Knibb actually grew up in Jamaica so it should be pretty authentic. I didn't get to try it but from what I heard from my friend, it was quite tasty.

hamachi sashimi

jamaican jerk pork belly

For the main entree, the three of us opted for 3 different dishes. We went with the Swordfish, Scallops, and Beef Short Rib. I had the Swordfish and it was decent but I think I might have gotten sick from it. It wasn't that it was bad quality but I've noticed that anytime I get grilled fish (besides salmon), I literally have to run to the restroom so I just don't think it goes well with my system. The dollop of white sauce on the side (not sure what it was lol) was really good and added a lot of flavor to the swordfish.

grilled swordfish

sea scallops

beef short rib

Lastly, we ended the night with the Caramel Apple Custard and the Half Baked Chocolate Cake (which is supposed to be another signature dish). The Caramel Apple Custard was definitely not what I had expected in presentation or taste. It wasn't too sweet which was good for me since I'm not a huge fan of sweets. Its one of those dishes you'll probably have to try out yourself to see if you like it. It's interesting to say the least lol.

caramel apple custard

half baked chocolate cake

dinner with friends old and new :)
thanks christine and tram for a great dinner date!

Overall, I would give the restaurant 4 stars out of 5. My favorite dish was the Hamachi sashimi which is interesting since it's not a sushi restaurant or anything. Again, there were no stand out dishes that were must haves but I only had the 3 dishes. I think I would definitely want to try to Jamaican jerk pork belly if I ever returned to the restaurant. Also, next time I would probably get the wine pairings with dinner. In comparison to my dinner at Amaya which was also $45 and $65 with wine pairings, Amaya tasted MUCH better and was much more worth it. 

Hope you've been enjoying these food posts! I have one more restaurant week post and some catch up on some month in reviews! Stay tuned!