TBJ TRAVELS USA 2: Dining and Shopping in San Diego + Travel Guide

Welcome to our second and final day in San Diego, California. Today, I'll take you to the famous dining and shopping spots in San Diego!

DINING IN SAN DIEGO

IN N OUT

Of course every person who visits the West Coast must not leave without eating at one of America's most famous burger joints, In N Out.

In N Out, as I was told, is a "West Coast thing" meaning it's fairly popular around this side of America; on the East Coast (where New York is), In N Out is not as popular. I personally love ordering their Double Burger.

In N Out is famous for their burgers, of course, as well as shakes. The burgers are so juicy and good, and I love the size. Everything is big in America that's why I love In N Out's servings because my Asian- sized stomach cannot handle the sheer size of their food most of the time!

Another thing I love is In N Out's Animal Fries. French Fries drizzled with cheese and their Special Sauce. This sweet, salty, sour medley is heaven in my mouth!

CHICK-FIL-A

Chick-Fil-A is another famous fast food joint that specializes on-YOU GUESSED IT: Chicken!

Chicken Nuggets and Chicken burgers are some of their most popular meals; it's the first restaurant I ate in upon arriving in San Diego. The nuggets were pretty good; nothing like McDonald's and much meatier, although I can't say that I love it as much as In N Out.

LITTLE ITALY

If you're a lover of Italian food, then better head to Little Italy.

In downtown San Diego, you will find Little Italy where you will see the highest concentration of Italian cafes and restaurants. This is a historic neighborhood as the first Italian migrants and settlers in San Diego have settled in this community, which led to the birth of Little Italy.

There's a plaza where you can wine, dine, or have your daily cup of coffee under the Pacific Sun. I loved hanging out here when I was in San Diego because the weather was fantastic: chilly wind and warm sun!

Napizza is one of the popular pizza joints at Little Italy.

They serve over a dozen kinds of pizza and my favorite is the one with truffle and mushroom!

My favorite dessert stop? iDessert! This high- tech restaurant specializes in macaron desserts that you order and customize via an iPad. I ordered this Macaron Dome dessert that houses ice cream, fresh fruit, fruit sauce, crushed hazelnuts, and caramel sauce. Major YUM!

GASLAMP QUARTERS

Looking for night life and booze? Head to Gaslamp Quarters. At night, this charming historic neighborhood lights up, ready to host party- goers, night owls, and anyone who's up for a drink!

Why is Gaslamp Quarters considered historic? This city center was founded in 1867 and was originally called New Town to contrast San Diego's Old Town; it has also seen some of the best live events in San Diego from Mardi Gras parties to music festivals. Gaslamp Quarters is registered in the National Register of Historic Places.

I was here with family so we didn't really had booze because we were with kids. We had a quaint dinner at Rockin' Baja Lobster.

Lobster Sandwich; one of my family's orders. Not really a huge fan of Lobster so I didn't taste it LOL. :D

Steak Fajitas. My order. Tastes pretty good and size is HUGE! I wasn't able to finish it!

If you're also looking to shop souvenirs, there are a lot of mom and pop shops lining Gaslamp Quarters so drop by while killing time before partying!

That's it for my dining recos in San Diego!

My general comment on American food? It's all shock and awe, but taste is pretty plain; half of what I ate were good while half weren't. I don't mean to diss American food, please don't get me wrong, but maybe that's just the Asian in me always looking for a medley of spices in my food.

SHOPPING IN SAN DIEGO

San Diego may be a quiet city, but it hosts a lot of impressive shopping boutiques and brands as well!

FASHION VALLEY

Fashion Valley is more on the high- end side and this sprawling complex houses luxury labels such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Sephora, and more.

Me at Sephora in Fashion Valley. Of course, where else shall I go often? Haha!

If you're looking to shop for luxury goods, visit Fashion Valley.

BEST BUY

Next to Sephora and Ulta, my other favorite shopping destination in San Diego is Best Buy.

Best Buy sells mostly gadgets and a few toys. It has the largest selection of gadgets, from mobile phones, cameras, computers, accessories, to home gadgets such as security systems. Another counterpart of Best Buy is Fry's, but I personally like Best Buy because they have wider and better selections.

TARGET

Not my first time to visit Target, but of course, I had to go to their stores in the Motherland!

Target in the US has better selections, IMO, compared to Australia. If you want to pick up grocery goods, souvenirs, clothes, and toys, go to Target.

ULTA

Next to Sephora, Ulta is the best beauty shopping destination in the states.

Brands like Juvia's Place, Morphe, Physician's Formula, Milani, Makeup Revolution, and more can be found here. Ulta has affordable, mid- range, and luxury beauty products while Sephora is more on the luxury side. If you want to shop for affordable cosmetics, Ulta is the place to be.

TRADER JOE'S

In the Philippines, we mostly know Trader Joe's as a Cookie Butter brand during the height of this spread's popularity. Trader Joe's is actually a natural food store with their exclusive food brand as well as consigned ones.

The cookie butters and other spreads are so cheap here, OMG! I picked up a couple of cookie and almond butters plus some dried fruit.

That's it for shopping and dining in San Diego! Hope you enjoyed this post!

OTHER SHOPPING DESTINATIONS: Carlsbad Premium Outlets, La Jolla (oulets galore!), and Westfield City (this shopping complex has Bed Bath and Beyond, Trader Joe's, Old Navy, and Best Buy).

Check out my USA itinerary:

Tomorrow, let's go to the City of Angels, Los Angeles!

TBJ TRAVELS USA 1: Hello San Diego California + Places to Visit

TBJ TRAVELS USA 3: Hello Los Angeles + Places to Visit

TBJ TRAVELS USA 4: Shopping and Dining in Los Angeles + Travel Guide

TBJ TRAVELS USA 5: Hello Las Vegas + Free Things to do in Las Vegas + Travel Guide

TBJ TRAVELS USA 6: Dining and Shopping in Las Vegas

TBJ TRAVELS USA 7: Disney California Adventure + Maxpass Tips 

TBJ TRAVELS USA 8: Grand Canyon Tour + Hello Arizona