Buzz. Click. Yum.

East Village Asian Diner: space-age Japanese food
- Photo by Jenny Montgomery

For us flesh-and-blood creatures, the folks at E.V.A.D.’s quirky, welcoming location along Highway 101 cook with human soul, churning out flavors from Japan, China, Korea and other corners of the Asian world.

Walking into the bright and colorful robot lair of E.V.A.D. on a chilly November night was enough to warm our hungry CPUs. Definitely start a cold night’s meal with a cup of the Yuzu Marmalade Tea. Yes, there’s beer and an impressive sake list (more on that in a moment), but this non-alcoholic belly-warmer is sweet, tart and worth guzzling.

The Beef Power Noodles were a menu highlight—glassy, twirly tendrils topped with veggies and tender slices of marinated ribeye steak. There’s nothing fancy about this basic bowl, but as far as the meat-noodles-vegetable combo goes, E.V.A.D.’s version is hearty and flavorful. At almost $11, it’s not the cheapest noodle offering, but you get a lot of bowl for your buck.

Also impressive was the Sweet and Sour Chili Shrimp. There’s just enough spice and a ton of fresh vegetables and cilantro. Instead of being syrupy, cloying and Day-Glo pink, the sweet-and-sour sauce lived up to its name, with a savory balance that made this dish a standout.

Don’t miss the Old School Crab Rangoons, full of lots of fresh crab meat and just enough creamy binder to make the little fried pouches a pop-in-your-mouth treat.

There’s also an ample selection of hot plates and stone pots—but I’d stick to something other than beef in your Monk’s Stone Pot. After tearing into the succulent ribeye in the Power Noodles, the chewier beef in the Stone Pot was a bit of a downer. But the flavors are all there, so try the chicken or slow-roasted pork instead.

Back to the sake list: Like beer, wine or any other spirit, the flavor profile and quality of sake varies, and E.V.A.D. has created a fun opportunity to sip the hot Japanese nectar (note to self: make reviews less pervy) in a more sophisticated and thoughtful way than dropped as a bomb into a glass of beer. That said, the descriptions of some of the sakes were, shall we say, interesting. Notes of banana nut muffin? Cookie dough? I love cookie dough as much as the next person, but this might be taking the concept of terroir a little too far. But, hey, if there really is booze out there with a taste of Tollhouse, maybe I’m the crazy one.

The menu is fun and varied, with wraps, salads and burritos. No, burritos aren’t Asian, although they did name it Mr. Lee’s Burrito, so there. There’s even a dish signature to any self-respecting diner: meatloaf.

However, the droids at East Village give it a teriyaki twist that I might try to replicate in my own kitchen. The dessert menu offers fun takes on standards like tofu cheesecake and apple wontons. However I’d try the Red Mean Mochi Ball Ice Cream, a cold and doughy confection that melts in your mouth like the T-1000 in molten steel.

East Village refers to that of New York— not our own East Village next to Petco Park. The humans and robot overlords at E.V.A.D. have definitely created a hip and stylish New York vibe. But the warm and friendly atmosphere and cheeky attitude is as SoCal as it comes. Beep.

Write to jennym@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.