Mantra Raja

On our list of the best cozy restaurants in San Diego.

A dining room done in patterned wallpaper, carved mirrors, warm wood and candlelit tables gives Mantra Raja its decorative touches, drawn from Southeast Asian design and keeping the light low and the pace slow in this corner of Carlsbad's North County. The kitchen works classic Thai comfort food: crispy wontons, a coconut Tom Kha soup with tofu and mushrooms, a glass-noodle Yum Woon Sen salad, and a Kao Soi Krispy Pork built on the aromatic coconut-curry broth of Northern Thailand, alongside pad thai and a yellow curry with jasmine rice. Owner Nok greets tables in the dining room, and the restaurant runs cooking classes and a Wednesday discount on vegan dishes alongside weekday lunch specials.