Zenbu-The Quaint Sushi Lounge

Zenbu provides a quaint lounge atmosphere while dining on traditional sushi. Located in a meticulously designed and maintained strip mall it is both clean and aesthetically pleasing. 

Four different types of seating include bar, patio, high top and lounge. Dark with smooth rock music it creates an upscale and trendy environment. 

Each of the plates are provided when one is finished. The plates for couples are served to be shared. They are artistically put together and pleasing to the eye. 

Yelp provides a mixed review. However, our experience was pleasant and met our expectations. The décor in the restaurant appears to be updated. Drinks were reasonably priced. Readers recommend the happy hour for the best deals. 

Definitely worth a repeat visit!

http://www.zenburestaurants.com/la-jolla/

Simple Brews and Good Cheers at La Jolla Brewing Company

The La Jolla Brewing Company provides a relaxed atmosphere with friendly down to earth service and craft beers. The sitting room is clean and well maintained. The patio hosts a street view with warmers for cold nights. A sequence of descriptive words might be clean, friendly, pub, sports, neighborhood, and social come to mind. 

When you walk it you are seeing a simple store front with the patio to the left of the main entrance. There is a hostess there who will help you find a seat. Don’t be intimidated as this is a casual dining establishment. She will give you options of booth, bar, or high table seating. 

It doesn’t take long for the waiter to offer you drinks. Friendly service appears to be one of the main focuses as the waiter came back to the table at the right frequency. He was not constantly interrupting the conversation nor was he absent when your glass was empty. 

Prices were in the affordable range which adds to the establishments appeal. A regular meal will cost you around $13 to $15. The beers are cold and come in three sizes. On this particular occasion we had the mahi mahi fish strips and the three order French fries. Drinks, tip, and everything else for two people was around $40. Expend about $10 more with full meals. 

It is a place I wouldn’t mind coming back to again. Much of their offerings are in the burger and salad genre. Deep fried fish was not over or under cooked. It was just right and kept the fish soft on the inside with crunchiness on the outside. Overall, you will enjoy your experience and come back again to watch a game.

7536 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 246-6759

http://lajollabeer.com/

Popular Fresh Fish at Hanes Sushi and Bar in Downtown San Diego

Hanes Sushi and Bar is ranked as one of the best sushi outlets in San Diego. The popular restaurant has been noted for its excellent service and high quality fish products. Lines are long and every table is full of sushi eating enthusiasts. Between the clanging of glasses at the bar, the chef’s chopping of sea catch and the lively conversation one will find a positive dining experience.

KFMB’s Mojo page indicates that the far majority of the customers ranked it 5 out of 5.  Their favorite products are the California Roll, Sashimi, and Avocado rolls. Comments relate primarily to the overall freshness of the products. “Fresh”, “Pieces of Heaven” and “Might be the best in San Diego” are common.

Trip Advisor also ranked the restaurant 5 out of 5 stars in 13 out of 17 reviews. They mentioned quality and freshness as the main attractors. Price was seen as a detractor. Their favorites were Sashimi, Honeymoon Oysters, and Uni (Sea Urchin Eggs). Comments such as “Best Sushi”, “World Class”, and “Very Fresh” abound.

Best prices can be found during the midday lunch specials. Local workers head over to Hanes during their 45 minute lunch break. A full wine list and other specialty drinks are available. Evenings are packed and it is best to make a reservation if you plan on coming before 9PM.

Because we had reservations the wait was not particularly long. The waitress quickly brought us the food and drink menus. The atmosphere was simple yet clean considering it was toward the end of dinner traffic. The chefs made each roll to order and did so in full view of customers. The price was a touch high for three people but overall well worth it.

As Hanes prides itself on freshness and is new to the area it may be capitalizing on its quality and “buzz”. Like most new products, the prices are generally higher than more established restaurants but this could change depending on visitor popularity. There is a natural association of freshness and quality with price that is part of the establishment’s pricing strategy. At present its position is at the top of local sushi establishments and its price reflects that. It appears that Hanes is doing well and will continue to do so for some time.

Trip Advisor

Mojo

2760 5th Avenue
San Diego, California 92103
619-260-1411

http://www.hanesushisandiego.com/

The Impact of Including Calorie Information on Restaurant Menus

The restaurant business is in a competitive industry where price conscious consumers make economic choices about where and when to eat. Understanding customers and their needs affords opportunities to draw them back again and again allowing for greater revenue generation. According to research nearly half all food expenditures are outside of the home (Guthrie, Lin, & Frazao, 2002).  Since customers dine out on a frequent basis getting the menu right can make a huge difference in customer perceptions and sales. 

With the 2010 Healthcare Reform Law food service with 20 or more outlets and food within stores must come with nutritional information. This does not apply to small restaurants that may be making individual choices to include such information. Therefore, research into the specific advantages and disadvantages of labeling food is beneficial for smaller operations. 

The specific information that is required and where it is posted is another grey area in the law. This means that some establishments might put the information on their website, a posting in the facility, or any number of places. However, one must wonder if there is a benefit to including this information specifically within the menu. 

A study conducted by Pulos and Leng (2010) helps to highlight a number of aspects related to offering nutritional data on menus. The study was conducted in conjunction with the Pierce County Washington Health Department. Their goal was to determine if including nutritional information changed ordering patterns by customers. If there was a change they wanted to see if there were ways to improve the program.

To conduct their study they looked at independently owned restaurants to compare the pre-labeling and post-labeling impact on customer purchases. Information in the labeling included calories, fat, sodium, and carbohydrates. Out of the six participating businesses a number were not aware of their nutritional data and the health department helped them calculate appropriate numbers. Pre and post label orders were collected from the restaurants. Two hundred and six customers’ surveys were included in the study.

Results:

- In four of the six restaurants showed that post labeling purchases contained less calories. 

-In five of the six restaurants the post labeling purchases contained less fat.

- In the study the food purchased contained 15 fewer calories, 1.5 fewer grams of fat and 45 fewer milligrams of sodium.  

-Approximately a third of the customers made at least one behavioral change due to the nutritional information.

-Approximately 71% of people noticed the nutritional information.

-Approximately 80% of people under 46 years of age noticed the nutritional information and 60% of people over the age of 46 noticed the information.

Business Analysis:

Businesses that are not required to include nutritional information on their menus may consider changing based upon the demographics of their customers. Younger patrons appear to be more health conscious than older patrons. Purchasing patterns did adjust which items were bought when nutritional information was presented which resulted in few calories consumed. However, 15 calories a few days a week isn’t likely to make a large difference in obesity. The bigger change appears to be the businesses themselves that actually adjusted their food with alternatives to move their calorie counts downward. No information was presented on what this actually did in terms of revenue. Businesses will need to weigh and balance the benefits and costs associated with nutritional information to determine if it enhances their branding, customer satisfaction and image. The study did highlight how government and business have an opportunity to work together to understand problems and make movement toward choices that do not damage commerce.

Guthrie J, Lin & Frazao E. (2002). Role of food prepared away from home in the American diet, 1977–78 versus 1994–96: changes and consequences. J Nutritional Education Behavior, 34 (3)

Pulos, E and Leng, K. (2010) Evaluation of voluntary menu-labeling program in full-service restaurants. American Journal of Public Health, 100 (6).