Part 3 of Eater San Diego’s year end restaurant wrap-up asks local food writers to name the biggest dining surprises of the year: http://sandiego.eater.com/2016/12/28/14099648/restaurant-gurus-name-the-biggest-dining-surprise-of-2016
My answer: “For a town with a reputation of poor Chinese food, we’re catching up quickly and the growth of our regional Chinese cuisine options—the leading edge of that move—was on full display throughout 2016. Facing East and the growth of regional Chinese options: Village Kitchen, Shan Xi Magic Kitchen, the new FuAn Garden.”
“If I had to pick one restaurant, though, that was the biggest surprise to me it has to be Sanvil Baja-Indian Food in San Antonio de las Minas in the Valle de Guadalupe. The food at Sanvil reflects the heritage of its executive chef, Surinder Veer Singh Ortega: half Indian, half Mexican. The seamless blend of the two is both fascinating and exciting.”