With midterms looming, I desperately needed a girls’ night out. My girlfriends and I decided to put down the books and pick up the chopsticks at one of our new favorite spots in San Diego. Harney Sushi is an award-winning restaurant in an unexpected place—Old Town. The tourist trap is primarily saturated with Mexican restaurants and rustic gift shops, but savvy locals know about the gem nestled on 3964 Harney St.
Upon arrival, the inconspicuous exterior piqued my curiosity. However, I was immediately enthralled when I stepped inside. The blend of traditional Japanese interior and modern black and red fixtures omit a stylish vibe. The dimmed lighting and upbeat music (Harney hosts nightly DJs) is a substantial draw for the trendier crowd.
Co-owner Kirk Harrison, a San Diego State alumnus, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology before entering the restaurant business 12 years ago. Harney used to serve a modest seven tables. But, throughout the years, the popular sushi spot expanded into the Old Town mainstay it is today, complete with private rooms, a full sake bar, a fish tank, heated patios, 110 employees and a loyal fan base.
Most of the rolls are named by the guest who created them or by the sushi chef. Harrison said he shares a personal connection with his favorite menu item.
“If I had to eat one thing on the menu, it would probably be one of the only things on the menu that’s mine, which is the Rollz Royce roll,” Harrison said.
My friend and SDSU alumna Dena Shamoon said Harney’s atmosphere is part of the reason she frequents the restaurant.
“I love the ambiance of the place. I love the patio area in particular because it looks very trendy and it’s very intimate as well with the Christmas lights and lanterns. And the heaters—it’s like 50 degrees outside and I don’t even feel the temperature,” Shamoon said.
Shamoon always orders the rastatori specialty roll—shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese rolled in soy paper and topped with ahi poki. Although the restaurant serves more than 35 gourmet rolls, Shamoon said she can never resist her favorite. After trying a bite, I definitely believe the hype.
The ingredient list of Harrison’s favorite roll used to contain lobster, but in an effort to be more sustainable, several products were taken off the menu. Patrons won’t find any eel, yellowtail or blue fin tuna at Harney. Harrison said he understands the impact the booming sushi industry has on the ocean.
“We are no longer a sub-genre, we are a leading genre. We purchase more fish than most restaurants. We probably go through 27 tons of fish just at our restaurants,” said Harrison.
Harrison said Harney has a responsibility to make a positive impact .
“We were serving overfished fish. It’s almost like serving people who act inhumanely. Why would we do that? It’s a lot of hard work and we’ve lost a lot of ingredients in our rolls.” Harrison said.
Harney’s boasts gourmet quality, but is it affordable for college students?
“That’s where we get a lot of confusion. Our expensive rolls are expensive because they contain a lot of ingredients,” Harrison said.
He continued to explain that basic sushi rolls at Harney, such as nigiri, California, spicy tuna and shrimp tempura rolls, are competitively priced with other restaurants.
Furthermore, night owls can take advantage of happy hour from 10 to close, when most items are half off.
My friend, journalism and media studies senior Jessica Vasquez opted for the spicy tuna roll.
“A lot of the time there’s too much Sriracha in the roll, but this time there was a good amount,” Vasquez said. “I could taste the fish and it was really fresh, tender and melt-in-your-mouth type sushi.”
I felt a similar sensation with the shrimp tempura roll. The fish was incredibly fresh and the sauce was just sweet enough to inspire my taste buds. I shamelessly devoured every last tempura flake morsel on my plate. After my meal settled happily in my stomach, I was completely satisfied and wished I could eat again, a sensation that only comes from good food.
As a giggling group of girls, we simply couldn’t resist dessert. Our server recommended the dessert sampler (an off-menu treat) so we could indulge our palettes with multiple sweets. The tray arrived complete with cheesecake garnished with graham cracker crumbs, dark chocolate gyoza and vanilla bean ice cream (the server even added a green tea scoop because she overheard us mention it). I usually find Japanese desserts unappetizing, but Harney’s proved me wrong.
When midterms, deadlines and schoolwork seem never ending, come to Harney Sushi—where good friends and food are rolled into one delicious experience.
