Mission Beach favorite, Cannonball, recently unveiled a new menu since the restaurant opened in 2015.
Executive Chef Luis Romero, who has worked in the food industry since he was 16, said the menu offers guests an “experience” full of “layers of flavors.” The San Diego native and father of four said he hopes to offer guests a better experience each time they walk into Cannonball.
Learn more about Romero and Cannonball in this Q&A.
What are your earliest memories in the kitchen? Who taught you how to cook?
My earliest memories of being in a kitchen came from watching my mom at a young age. She would work all day and would still come home every night to cook for all of us. She had so many different recipes, and each one was amazing. I remember being mesmerized by it all, the sounds, the smells, tasting everything step by step with her.
Tell me about your culinary education and background. How did you specialize in Japanese cuisines?
I began working in restaurants at 16 years old. I started off as a busboy and food runner, but was more intrigued by what was going on in the kitchen. One day the chef came up to me and asked if I wanted to be a dishwasher because they had an opening. I took it! After a few months of washing dishes, one night we had a cook quit, so I took the opportunity and jumped on the line and never looked back! I then branched out to progress my career, working at food trucks to fine dining, and everything in between to learn as much as I could.
How did you land at Cannonball?
Eventually, my career led me to Belmont Park where I began as a breakfast cook, and eventually worked my way up to a sous chef in 2014. I was part of the opening team at Cannonball, which is where I began working with a talented team of sushi chefs and Japanese trained chefs. This is where I was able to hone my skills and really appreciate the art of this cuisine. I am now proud to call myself the executive chef of not only Cannonball, but Belmont Park after all these years!
How is Cannonball different from other Japanese eateries?
What separates us from other Japanese restaurants is that we believe in giving genuine guest service, and food that matches that! From the moment you walk in, we want to make you feel like you are the most important person here. We also pride ourselves on making all of our dishes look amazing, not just our sushi. Many times, you go out to eat sushi and the other items on the menu are just after thoughts. Not here, not us! We’ve curated every cocktail and culinary offering to blow you away.
How do you stay competitive?
I believe that staying competitive and relevant in this industry comes from two things, guest experience and consistency. If you look at the restaurants in San Diego, most of them offer great food and drinks, but what makes you go back? Guest service and a great experience each time. We want every guest to get the same experience when they dine with us every time. There’s nothing worse than going back to a place and saying “I remember it being better last time,” so we push to make each experience with us even better than the day before.
What kind of feedback have you received about your dishes? What are some of the customer favorites?
Since we relaunched Cannonball in June, the positive feedback we have received has been overwhelming. The goal with this menu was to take the classic staples in Japanese cuisine but put our own unique Cannonball spin on it. I am a big believer in building layers of flavors in every dish, and that is something that shines brightly on our menu. One of our guest favorites is the Crispy Octopus, which is a crispy octopus tentacle, tossed in a honey sriracha glaze, over a bed of cauliflower-fennel puree, roasted Japanese yams, crispy purple potato chips, and a grilled fennel bulb. The Cannon-Baller is another dish that is unique to us, which is a daily selection of fresh nigiri and sashimi, served Omakase style. Our team of skilled sushi chefs assembles the freshest local cuts of fish that include seabass, mackerel, salmon, tuna, and even some specialty items like marinated salmon ikura, quail eggs, and fresh caught uni from San Diego’s very own Tuna Dockside Market. It is presented in a way where you aren’t just ordering an item off the menu but getting a whole experience!
Who inspires you?
That’s a tough question! I’d say anyone who has ever been told they couldn’t do something, or been counted out, but still found a way to achieve their goal. I draw a lot of inspiration from stories of people who rose above adversity.
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
Hopefully owning my own restaurant. My goal has always been to open a breakfast restaurant in San Diego before I turn 40, so I am working toward that!
