February 22, 2017
The former Char House restaurant location at 7767 Balboa Avenue in Kearny Mesa is now Trade Winds Tavern, a chef-driven gastropub from the owners of Sipz Vegetarian Fusion, featuring upscale bar food with an Asian twist and 26 beers on draft - now in its soft opening phase with a grand opening scheduled for March 4.
Trade Winds Tavern is owned and operated by two Vietnamese immigrants and one military spouse. Executive Chef/co-owner Huynh Le is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America Napa and specializes in Japanese cuisine. He previously worked at the famed Ubuntu restaurant in Napa. Co-owner Sylvia Le also owns Sipz Vegetarian Fuzion Café locations in Claremont Mesa and North Park and will manage the front of the house. Co-owner Rachel Botting is a military spouse that has lived all over the world and worked in the restaurant business her whole life. She will run the bar and assist with the overseeing the floor.
Trade Winds is currently offering a soft opening special until March 1, featuring $3 draft beers and 20% off all appetizers Tuesday through Sunday from 11am-9pm. The restaurant will grand open on March 4, and the first 200 customers to come in and order a beer and small plate will receive a voucher for $3 beers for 3 months.
The food menu at Trade Winds was developed by Consulting Chef Krizpin Oades, a Culinary Institute of America New York City graduate with over 15 years experience working under acclaimed Chef Roy Yamaguchi, including as the Executive Chef of the original Roy's Restaurant in Oahu, as well as Yamaguchi's Eating House 1867.
"We wanted to create a casual place that is comfortable," explained Trade Winds co-owner Rachel Botting. " A place where people can come, relax and spend time with the people they care about while eating exceptional food and drinking good beer/wine/soju cocktails."
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| Loco moco |
The menu at Trade Winds Tavern offers an eclectic array of Asian fusion pub fare ranging from small plates to salads and sandwiches to entrees. Standouts include the huli huli chicken wings, miso black cod, seared ahi salad, pho, loco moco, and sizzling cedar river ribeye. Behind the bar there are 26 taps devoted mostly to local craft beer, wine by the glass, sake, and soju cocktails. The restaurant features artwork from talented artist Lauren YS out of the Bay Area, including a mural on the front of the building and several inside. Moving forward the owners are working on getting a permit to have live music and hope to cultivate an "artsy space," displaying works from local artists and music from local bands/singers/songwriters.
Trade Winds is currently offering a soft opening special until March 1, featuring $3 draft beers and 20% off all appetizers Tuesday through Sunday from 11am-9pm. The restaurant will grand open on March 4, and the first 200 customers to come in and order a beer and small plate will receive a voucher for $3 beers for 3 months.
For more information on Trade Winds Tavern, follow them on Facebook and check out the soft opening menu below.
