Japanese tapas bar joining North Park food scene

Hoa Quách

[Editor’s note: Ernest Hsu informed San Diego Uptown News on Aug. 3, 2015, that he is no longer affiliated with the SafeHouse restaurant in North Park.]

A University Avenue space that has stood empty for three months will soon reopen as another arm in North Park’s growing restaurant monster.

(l to r) Ernest Hsu and Nick Thanasith are the owners of The SafeHouse, which will open in North Park in September. (Photo by Hoa Quach)

The SafeHouse, a Japanese tapas restaurant serving craft beers and wines, will open in September by local businessmen Nick Thanasith and Ernest Hsu.

“We want to bring a restaurant and bar to North Park that we hope will become a place where people want to go,” said North Park local Thanasith. “We’re not looking to be millionaires.”

The restaurant, which is located at 2930 University Ave. between Kansas and 30th streets, will feature skewers, bun tacos, ramen and the finest wines.

It will also cater to San Diego’s growing obsession with beer, serving 35 crafts on tap.

Hsu said the 2,100-square foot eatery, which they’ve invested more than $180,000 in, will reflect North Park’s personality.

“You can expect the community feel here,” Hsu said. “I want to have a bar where people can come by to relax and enjoy what we have to offer.”

But opening a restaurant is nothing new to Thanasith. Although he holds a day job in sales, the San Diego native has opened five restaurants during his career. His first restaurant was a sushi joint in 2002, and he most recently owned a pizza and beer bar in North Park.

The interior of The SafeHouse, which is currently being built (Courtesy of Nick Thanasith)

Japanese food is what he’s passionate about, though, and it’s why he chose to open another restaurant with that specialty.

“Japanese food is what I know and is what I specialize in,” said Thanasith who created the menu.

However, it is Hsu’s first time tapping into the competitive industry.

A microbiologist from San Jose, Hsu said he chose to join the venture with Thanasith because owning a restaurant was a longtime dream of his. He also wanted the restaurant to be a reflection of the Japanese way of life. “I just love to eat and I love to travel,” Hsu said. “I’ve discovered so many different types of cuisines and cultures. We’re bringing a culture here with our restaurant. This will be a family restaurant that happens to serve a lot of beer.”

For more information on The SafeHouse, visit TheSafeHouseNP.com.

—Hoa Quách is an award-winning writer based in San Diego. She can be reached at hoawrites.com.