James Place La Jolla Playhouse James's Place James' Place

James' Place Awards

Chef James Holder's restaurant at the La Jolla Playhouse offers sushi, Japanese noodles, burgers and more.
Openings: Dinner nightly

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James' Place, La Jolla, CA


James' Place Restaurant Review:


Located next to La Jolla Playhouse in the former space of Jai by Wolfgang Puck, James' Place appeals to theater patrons as well as UC San Diego students and local office workers. Such a lively atmosphere can be fun, though the decibels can be high in this glass-enclosed space. The restaurant is a concept from sushi chef James Holder, who was born and raised in Japan and made a name for himself in San Diego at Café Japengo. The focal point of the white-on-white room is a color-changing bar that doubles as a sushi station where chefs prepare sushi (including sweet shrimp), sashimi and specialties like the Lollipop Roll made with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, snow crab and avocado wrapped in soy paper and topped with radish ponzu sauce. Habanero tobiko brings a kick to appetizers like grilled Hokkaido scallops and the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño and yuzu. The rest of the eclectic menu ranges from tacos and burgers to Japanese noodles such as tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen and entrées of Chilean sea bass misoyaki with vegetables and garlic fried rice. There's a short list of wines along with a dozen different sakés and a slew of cocktails, mostly variations on martinis and margaritas. Happy hour offers select dishes priced between $5-$8 from 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.