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The San Diego Sriracha Festival, which took place in September, motivated six trips to San Diego in 2014. Learn about my 2014 Top 10 San Diego dishes, which appear in alphabetical order instead of according to preference.

6. Matcha Love Soft Serve Ice Cream [CLOSED]

When in doubt about where to find good, reasonably priced food, head to Mitsuwa Markeplace. Each branch of this Japanese supermarket chain, which extends from California to New Jersey, includes a diverse culinary roster. ITO EN, a popular green tea company, has graced the Hawthorne Crossings outpost with Matcha Love, a soft serve ice cream bar. Airy, distinctly flavorful options include matcha, black sesame, and hojicha, a toasty roasted green tea.

Matcha and black sesame soft serve ice cream are available in a delectable swirl.

7. Minh Ky Restaurant Crispy Chicken Leg

City Heights houses some of the best Asian food in San Diego, often in unassuming strip malls. Minh Ky, a Chinese-Vietnamese noodle house, is no exception. The space features light green walls lined with bamboo-centric paintings. Noodle dishes were hit or miss, but Minh Ky’s crispy chicken leg was terrific.

Minh Ky’s chicken leg sported crispy skin, juicy dark meat and took a ginger-fueled soy bath.

8. Romesco Mex Med Bistro Tostada de Pulpo

The only San Diego outpost (so far) from Tijuana culinary hero Javier Plascencia resides in the off-the-beaten-path Bonita Centre. Romesco features black and white checkered floors, walls with framed landscape paintings, street lamp style chandeliers, white tablecloths and dozens of dishes from Spain and Baja. Plascencia is particularly adept with tostadas, none better than the version with octopus.

Tender sautéed octopus, mustard & bell pepper aioli, chipotle piloncillo, mixed greens and savory cotija cheese topped a crunchy tostada.

9. Sitar Dosas

Balvir Gahunian and friend Kuldip Singh met in Punjab and feature dishes from India’s north and south in Sorrento Court. Their Saturday night buffet is practically gospel, regardless of what they serve each week. My most recent foray to the food court included tangy dosas griddled to order.

Pounce when Sitar serves their delicate rice and lentil flour dosa filled with spiced potatoes.

10. Tacos Perla Ocho [CLOSED]

The L.W.P. Group and chef Jaison Burke debuted this North Park taqueria in 2014 featuring hand-pressed tortillas, tile-topped communal tables, tree trunk stools facing an open kitchen, a small outdoor patio and stylish burro logo. Chef Oso Campos of Tijuana’s lauded Tacos Kokopelli apparently consulted on the menu, resulting in a version of his Kraken taco, called Ocho, a reference to the number of tentacles on the key ingredient, octopus. A table-top printout suggested pairing salsa 5, a rustic combination of peanuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and roasted chile de arbol. A house-made pineapple cardamom agua fresca helped with mild heat.

Tacos Perla’s braised-then-grilled octopus joins Poblano, pesto and Jack cheese in an Ocho taco.