A brand new concept called Kinchana is getting ready to debut in San Diego with a location coming soon to 5712 El Cajon Boulevard.
The new restaurant is set to replace Ackee Tree The Real Jamaican Cuisine. Owner Michael Smith tells What Now San Diego that Kinchana will specialize in American dishes with a Cali-Asian fusion twist, offering hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries that highlight different Asian, Latin, and San Diego flavors. One of the most popular dishes on the menu will be the Oyama Burger, featuring a house ginger-sesame slaw, wasabi aioli, furikake, and lotus root. While Cali-fusion is their specialty, Kinchana will also have some classic burgers and sandwiches for people looking for the traditional neighborhood bite.
Head chef David has helped refine the menu, bringing his creative ideas and expertise from managing a popular fried chicken takeout spot. Smith tells What Now that the team is grateful for his contributions. The restaurant has also partnered with Home Base Smell Good Candle Company, Denim Liturgy, Domestic Engineer Skateboards, and Angel of Mercy Skate Co. to bring the retail side to life.
Inside Kinchana, customers can expect counter service, a dining room, and a lounge featuring a small record store, skateboards, reclaimed denim, sundries, and other local products. In the lounge area, the restaurant/ retail space will also offer vintage media for the neighborhood to enjoy and interact with, including a Nintendo 64, GameBoy emulators, an 8-track player, a VCR with a VHS collection, and more.
This is a massive achievement for the ownership team. Smith tells What Now that he spent 2024 working on a food truck. In October, he had a health issue that took months to recover. Through this downtime, he realized it was time to see his vision come to life: a restaurant and retail space that brings the neighborhood together. Now the vision is coming to life, and the husband-and-wife team couldn’t be more excited to start. They can’t provide an exact opening date, but hope to open Kinchana by Summer 2025.
“We hope to provide a space for creative people to dine, hang out, and get inspired to create art,” Smith tells What Now.
