La Jolla Shores has a fresh reason to crave sushi this week. Eugene and Peter Kim, the brothers behind the longtime neighborhood favorite Takaramono Sushi in the Village, have opened their second San Diego restaurant just a few blocks from the beach. The new spot, called Shio, took over the address on Avenida de la Playa that most recently housed Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters, and before that, Galaxy Taco — a well-trafficked corner for anyone familiar with La Jolla Shores’ small but mighty restaurant row.
The Kims celebrated Shio’s grand opening on October 24, and early signs suggest it isn’t simply a copy of their original concept dropped into a new neighborhood. Peter Kim described the new restaurant as “an evolution of what we’ve built at Takaramono,” giving the brothers room to experiment with a menu and dining experience shaped for the Shores crowd rather than cloning their Village formula outright.
For La Jolla Shores, the opening fills a space that has seen some turnover in recent years and adds another sit-down option to a stretch of Avenida de la Playa that keeps getting busier — beachgoers, families, and the steady stream of UC San Diego-adjacent diners are all looking for a table within walking distance of the sand. A second location from an already-popular local operator is also a vote of confidence in the neighborhood’s dining scene heading into the slower winter tourist months, when local demand is what keeps restaurants full.
Openings like this matter beyond the plate. Every storefront that fills a vacant space helps keep foot traffic flowing to the small businesses nearby — the boutiques, surf shops, and coffee counters that depend on a lively streetscape to survive. Kim put it simply: “Opening Shio was our opportunity to offer something more to the La Jolla community,” a line that captures how closely independent restaurants and the neighborhoods around them are tied together.
If you’re in La Jolla Shores this week, Shio is worth a stop — both for the food and as a sign of continued investment in the area’s restaurant scene.
Source: La Jolla Light
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