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<\/a>San Diego, CA \u2013 February 4: Aristides Fernandez-Pinto of the new sushi restaurant Dashi in Hillcrest on February 4, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\nAfter graduating from high school, \u201cI would take the bus from TJ to the border, get across the border and take the trolley to get to Mission Valley,\u201d recalls Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto, who was born in Chula Vista but moved to Mexico at the age of 3. \u201cI would have to wake up at 4 a.m. to be in school by 7 a.m.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSchool\u201d was the culinary school at the Art Institute of California-San Diego on Mission Valley Road. That\u2019s where he learned the art of cooking and fell in love with it. So much so that jobs since have always been in the dining industry, with a specific focus on Japanese cuisine. His first job was just up the street from Dashi at Sushi Itto, a once-popular Japanese restaurant that is now closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a busboy, and that\u2019s where I fell in love with sushi,\u201d he says. \u201cI really wanted to make sushi, but they never gave me the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shortly after, he saw an ad on Craigslist. It was an ad placed by the owner of Sushiya \u2014 none other than his current business partner, Tokairin, who now also owns Ototo Sushi Co. in Clairemont and Liberty Station.<\/p>\n
Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto worked at Sushiya in Point Loma for only two years \u2014 2010 to 2012 \u2014 but they were two very meaningful and memorable years.<\/p>\n
\u201cHiro gave me my first sushi apprentice job back in 2010,\u201d he says. \u201cI went there, and I told him I had no sushi experience but that I am willing to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
He left Sushiya but later reconnected with Tokairin when the latter needed a head chef for one of his other restaurants.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gave me my first job ever, making sushi,\u201d says Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto, who now lives in Chula Vista.<\/p>\n
In the years leading up to Dashi, Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto worked with some of San Diego\u2019s most prominent chefs, including the late Anthony Sinsay at Harney Sushi, John Hong at Hidden Fish and Takahiro Hoshikawa at Komatsuya.<\/p>\n
At Dashi, Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto is the head chef, with an assist in the kitchen from, among others, co-owner Soukhaseum. Tokairin, who\u2019s worked as a sushi chef before, primarily works behind the scenes, juggling Dashi with his own sushi restaurants. Together, along with a staff of 15, they are making dreams come true.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think in the two weeks before we opened, I couldn\u2019t sleep, I couldn\u2019t eat,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto remembers. \u201cI was just very nervous. Everyone said, \u2018It\u2019s gonna be fine. We\u2019ll be fine.\u2019 But I just didn\u2019t know if people were going to show up.\u201d<\/p>\n He was pleasantly surprised: \u201cWithin three or four weeks after we opened, we already had regulars \u2014 people who came back three or four times.\u201d<\/p>\n Tokairin had qualms about the location \u2014 he was concerned about the homeless and parking. Those problems never really materialized. People still showed up \u2014 and still do.<\/p>\n But first and foremost, he never lost sleep over Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto\u2019s ability to open a restaurant that the community would love.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t really worried about it much because I know Ari \u2014 his skill level and his passion,\u201d said Tokairin, who lives in Encinitas.<\/p>\n Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto\u2019s skill is evident in every dish that comes out of the kitchen and into the dining room, which seats 40 inside, with about eight more available outside at a newly added patio. Its no-frills decor matches the restaurant\u2019s laidback vibe, but all that belie the culinary artistry that comes out of the kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want a place that the community can be proud of,\u201d Soukhaseum says. \u201cA place you could come in for good food and good service. We\u2019re not trying to be pretentious. We\u2019re not trying to do anything other than serving food that we love and would enjoy to eat. We just kind of elevate it a little bit, add our own little twist to it but still keep it affordable.\u201d<\/p>\n During two separate visits, both on weeknights, the dining room was packed, with diners lined up at the door. The menu has Japanese restaurant staples like chicken teriyaki, sashimi and chicken karaage. But it also boasts unique dishes that reflect regional flavors and influences from other Asian cuisines.<\/p>\n Soukhaseum, who moved to the United States from Thailand as a child, points out that their diverse ethnic backgrounds have influenced many items on the menu. There is a Cambodian-style skewer marinated in lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and seven-seed spice similar to Chinese five-spice. Elsewhere on the menu, coconut and tamarind flavors mingle, producing fusion-style flavors that push dishes just to the edge, enough to be daring but not too much to alienate diners.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to continue to evolve,\u201d says Soukhaseum, who added they hope to add more fusion-infused dishes to the menu.<\/p>\n There\u2019s the flavorful mango coconut ceviche, with sesame shrimp crackers ($14). The grilled wagyu skewers, $16 for two pieces, were a savory surprise, with a tangy accompaniment of yuzu pepper sauce. The miso butter mac and cheese is a flavor bomb, with saut\u00e9ed mushrooms and corn ($15). For another $10, make it a lobster mac and cheese.<\/p>\n For sashimi lovers, Dashi doesn\u2019t disappoint. The Omakase Sashimi is a 20-piece chef\u2019s choice. It\u2019s sure to delight the eyes and tastebuds. Come hungry or with a friend \u2014 it\u2019s a lot of seafood for $58.<\/p>\n Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto knows he\u2019s come a long way since those days of taking the trolley to Mission Valley before sunrise. He can rest easy knowing all that sacrifice paid off.<\/p>\n What does his mother, who raised him in Tijuana as a single mom, think of all this?<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s very proud,\u201d he says. \u201cShe cried when it first opened. She was crying and hugged me, even though we hadn\u2019t even accomplished anything yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe still have so much to go,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez-Pinto says now, eight months later. \u201cThis is just the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Sashimi salad at Dashi in Hillcrest. (K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/a>Yellowtail with gochujang glaze and crispy negi at Dashi in Hillcrest. (K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n