R&B: COMIC BOOK CONNOISSEURS: Tajima feeds Manga desire

Tajima Japanese Restaurant sits in an unassuming parking lot off of the traffic-laden Convoy Street in Central County. After meandering into the landing of a small strip mall, the restaurant’s distance from the road and unassuming white exterior suggest only locals or lost souls would dine there.

Situated in the neighborhood of Kearny Mesa, the hub for authentic Asian cuisine in San Diego, Tajima is distinguished by its loyalty to Japanese comics and noodle dishes.

Entering the restaurant, it’s easy to miss the ceiling-high bookshelf stacked with Japanese comics — popularly referred to as “manga” —  because it’s wedged inconspicuously at the restaurant’s entrance. Manga is distinguished from American comics by its drawing style and plot complexity. Popular interest in manga has been growing world-wide since the style’s peak in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Tajima’s selection is from this era and remains mostly in its original Japanese, though English speakers are welcome to indulge before and during meals in the two or three translated series.

Once seated, the courses begin with a list of seven different ramens and three steps on how to order them. Tajima is foremost a noodle house, which means ramen is frequently the star of its menu.

Handwritten signs remind guests of its “Ramen Nights,” which last Thursday through Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. This special saves patrons between $1 and $2 per noodle order.

If customers are not partial to ramen, there are rice bowls, chicken, and udon dishes available in various combinations for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner all week. Dinner selections are more extensive, featuring a plenitude of seafood, rice balls, and okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese style of savory pancake.

An  unlikely destination featuring nontraditional culinary highlights and contemporary reads, Tajima caters to those fortunate enough to find it.

Tajima Japanese Restaurant
4681 Convoy St., #1
San Diego, 92111
858-576-7244
www.tajimasandiego.com

• Facebook Comments
• Site Comments

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above:

log out