Phoenix Foods is expanding for the first time into San Diego to open a new outpost of Phoenix Desserts. The LA-based restaurant group is in the process of building a new space in Kearny Mesa, at Crossroads Center shopping center on Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Phoenix Inn opened its original restaurant in LA’s Chinatown in 1965. In 1997, the brand expanded to include Phoenix Desserts and later introduced the fast-casual Phoenix Food Boutique. Phoenix Foods now operates 12 locations across Los Angeles County and is still family-owned and operated.
Nick Chang, the third-generation operator, tells What Now San Diego this will be the first time the brand has ventured further south but customers have been requesting expansion to the region for some time. “We meet a lot of people who have grown up with our food and moved to San Diego,” shares Chang.
Elaina Chang, President and the creative mind behind the menu, explains in a phone interview that the new San Diego outpost will incorporate its fan-favorite desserts as well as some of the classic savory dishes that built the brand. As part of Phoenix Foods’ second generation, Chang brought her training from Le Cordon Bleu to meld various techniques with traditional Chinese and Southeast Asian flavors to grow Phoenix Desserts.
The business continues to grow and adapt with the times, recognizing that many guests are looking for quick and convenient meals to bring home to their loved ones. “We’ll bring some of our signature savory items that young families will enjoy, like our cold chicken, pork belly stew, items that take hours to make. Our new model serves classic dishes that can be taken home and reheated,” explains Elaina Chang.
Their expansive dessert menu includes a colorful assortment of fresh mochi, mango pudding, hot desserts like black sticky rice with coconut, mini egg tarts, and creme custards, plus signature drinks like Hong Kong milk tea and refreshing bottled herbal teas.
“Everything we serve is made from scratch, it has to be something you’ll want to serve to your family and we take great care with the ingredients we use and process we take to prepare every single dish,” says Nick Chang.
Construction is underway in Clairemont Mesa and the Chang family expects to open their San Diego restaurant in late June 2023. Get to know Phoenix Foods by following on Instagram and visit the website to learn more about the decades-old business.
