Din Tai Fung, the famed Chinese dumpling house, opened two weeks ago at South Coast Plaza (entrance on the upper level next to Sears). I surmise that, having heard the buzz about its international reputation, the crowds will flow.
This location follows three in L.A. County and two in Seattle, plus more than 70 in nine other countries. The global expanse of these restaurants that dote on Shanghai-style food is a family affair. It began with grandfather Bingyi Yang in Taiwan in 1958 (the family was originally from mainland China), and two generations later, it’s still run by the Yang family.
Xiao Long Bao, the menu item for which the restaurants are most noted, are the beloved small Chinese dumplings made with a delicately twisted outer skin holding a bite-size mix of meat that gives up some broth inside the wrapping when they are steamed. They come in a bamboo steamer basket, from which we gently lift each one onto a Chinese soup spoon and drizzle it with a tad of soy-vinegar-slivered ginger mix. The trick is to bite a tiny hole in the side of the dumpling and suck out the juice, then devour the dumpling itself. Otherwise, you’d either find the juice splattered on your shirt or burn the inside of your mouth if you popped one in whole.
The quality of simple Shanghai-style egg-fried rice is a guideline by which Chinese often test the skill of a chef.
Here, it is perfection, as is the clean, simple house chicken soup. My husband Patrick is from Shanghai, and he was in a heavenly place with these two items.
The rice dish must begin with perfectly precooked rice, each grain separate and not overcooked, with scrambled eggs and scallions tossed together in a searing wok.
This rice is clean tasting, with the most delicate balance of flavors. We had our fried rice topped with fresh shrimp, adding another layer of serious taste.
The soup, slowly cooked for hours with small pieces of chicken with bone, is absolutely bursting with fresh flavor—delicious. Food like this illustrates abundantly how terrific unpretentious food can be.
But there are 64 items, plus several desserts, filling out the menu. We started our big meal foray with the dumplings, soup, and rice mentioned above and segued to the refreshing seaweed and bean curd (both slivered) in a gentle vinegar dressing and a bowl of noodles in sesame sauce (spicy red sauce). I keep finding people who order broccoli or bok choy but never discover the charms of mustard greens. Here, they do it with shredded ginger, and it evolves into a subtle green that brings happiness to the palate.
One of the dumpling variations that everyone is talking about is the truffle and pork Xiao Long Bao.
The hefty flavor of truffle is melded with a pork filling in this cosmopolitan version, and for those who live for the taste of truffles, this one’s for you. There are 15 kinds of steamed dumplings, 23 noodle items, both soft and fried, many soups, and an impressive number of vegetables. Putting it succinctly, there’s a lot for your taste buds to enjoy, even beyond the famous dumplings.
What you will not find here are any red Chinese lanterns or other throwback decor. Instead, the modern rooms sport walls of windows and lots of fretwork partitions in beautiful dark wood, plus attractive latticed wood ceilings.
In the hallway to the dining rooms, I’m sure the glassed-in kitchen section where the chefs are making the dumplings right in front of you will be your first fascination.
Take a moment to admire the dexterity of the chefs forming the little morsels of goodness for us.
There’s certainly a reason why the DTF restaurants are held in such high esteem in all the global dining markets they touch. This newest location fits so well with upscale South Coast Plaza.
The restaurant serves from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. on weekends.
Din Tai Fung: 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 459-3388.
Wine of a Venturesome Kind
Many people know that Scott’s Restaurant and Bar in Costa Mesa is on my favorites list. Why not? It has highly regarded Chef Michael Doctulero creating unique versions of modern cuisine; restaurant manager and people person par excellence Robert Redaelli keeping things suave for customers, that classy Murano Bar area; a swell-looking dining room; terrific wine list; and some wine dinners really worthy of your attention.
I attended one such dinner with Schramsberg wines narrated by President and Chief Executive Hugh Davies. He’s an amusing guy who has an easygoing way of sharing wine secrets and adding to our wine intellect. The upcoming dinners will also be narrated by professionals representing the wines.
There are two wine dinners scheduled for this month. At 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 is a French wine dinner. Wines: Ayala Brut Mejeur Champagne, Guigal Crozes Hermitage Blanc, Guigal St. Joseph Rouge, and Guigal Côte Rôtie Château d’Ampuis.
At 7 p.m. on Sept. 26, the theme turns to Italy. Wines: Michele Chiarlo Arneis, Agricola Punica Barrua, Guidalberto San Guid, and the super expensive and renowned Sassicaia.
Keep in mind that the chef will be preparing very upscale courses of food to match each wine. Both dinners are priced at $200 per person or $350 per couple. Please go to www.scottsrestaurantandbar.com to reserve for either of the extraordinary dinners.
Scott’s Restaurant and Bar: 3300 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 979-2400.
Long Beach Foray
Sometimes hotels deliver surprises beyond good lodging. I am speaking, of course, of food. Locally, we are blessed to have a lot of fine food in the restaurants of our major hotels.
A few people had mentioned to me that the Long Beach Renaissance hotel had turned its lobby lounge into a much larger space with fascinating food—a complete dining and lounge concept that I should try. The hotel created the SIP Lounge, and I am happy that I took the advice, thus experiencing this good Long Beach possibility.
This is, first of all, a good-looking, modern space that oozes friendliness. High-end lighting, comfortable and attractive seating, and a bar along one end of the room that competes easily on the super chic bar scene emit a come-hither vibe that’s palpable. It embraces sophisticated relaxation, whether you’re a fan of the nouveau cocktail inventions or a lover of the old classics. For me, it was a Manhattan the first time around. Then a Pimm’s Cup on a subsequent occasion.
The turnaround here happened partly because of the hotel’s new chef, who is chock-full of creative ideas. Chef Janine Falvo is showcasing her “ocean- and farm-to-fork” philosophy with a menu of truly enticing items constructed from organic meats, pristinely fresh produce, artisanal cheeses and breads.
She’s a graduate of Pennsylvania Culinary Academy who has further developed her skills at some highly respected restaurants, including working with one of America’s culinary icons, Chef Bradley Ogden. Some may remember her from her appearance on “Top Chef” on Bravo.
You might catch yourself nibbling on the bacon caramel popcorn. It’s so terrific with cocktails that you might find it hard to move on to other plates.
But you must. Oysters on the half shell are common and available, but Chef Falvo’s roasted oysters with white anchovy butter are an interesting alternative. The creamy asparagus fondue is adorned with a quail egg. Her take on hummus is a finely seasoned mash of edamame. Quite cool. Charred octopus comes with gigante beans. Smoked prawns slumber in an Italianesque puttanesca sauce. Midnight mac and cheese goes decidedly uptown with the inclusion of wild mushrooms and a porcini crust. And there’s the smoked and fried chicken with pickled ramp salsa verde. I have not tried the fresh fish specials or the steaks, which are larger-type entrees. Finish with the moist lemon-olive oil cake with balsamic syrup and strawberries.
This chef is not fooling around. She’s clever and has a good grip on the public’s evolving interest in things that are delicious, well presented and different. I have plans to take some friends there for dinner soon.
SIP Lounge: (located in the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel) 111 E. Ocean Blvd., (562) 437-5900. Lunch and dinner.
Of Banana Cream Pie
Chef Louie Jocson has had a rather storied career in OC, and he’s back home where he started, at Zov’s, where he is now director of culinary operations for Zov Karamardian’s acclaimed Zov’s Bistro and Café in Tustin and its sibling restaurants in Irvine, Newport Beach, a soon-to-open spot in Anaheim, and at John Wayne Airport.
Louie discovered his love for cooking 25 years ago at Zov’s and subsequently attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. He recently decided to leave his position as executive chef and partner at Red Table restaurant in Huntington Beach, where he had further burnished his reputation as a very talented chef. I’m wondering if he’ll be introducing the broken banana cream pie, a memorable dessert at Red Table, to Zov’s customers.
Anaheim is quickly adding to its restaurant scene. The new Zov’s Anaheim, which is scheduled to open this month, will be good for inland OC and North County diners, and almost two dozen restaurants have recently debuted at the Anaheim Packing House, the massive food hall concept that can keep you fascinated with food and libations for many hours.
Watered Down
I don’t know when we’ll run out of “water,” but use of that word for naming restaurants is out of control. We’ve got Watermarc in Laguna Beach, Waterline at Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, Watertable at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Huntington Beach, and, the latest, Waterman’s Harbor, opening this month in the old Jolly Roger space in Dana Point.
Several people have mixed up the names and locations when conversing with me, or they have mentioned one or another of these restaurants by name and asked me to elaborate on it, only to discover that it’s not the one they were thinking of at all.
May I gently guide you to Watertable, a compelling destination-worthy restaurant that has its own entrance at the Hyatt? I say that because it’s rather new and charmingly cosmopolitan with a warm intimacy and pretty amazing food. With this restaurant, the Hyatt has redefined our perceptions of persuasive dining, which happens here in the casually elegant library or at the bar, or with a more sophisticated flourish in the main dining room. Watertable opened in April and continues to intrigue even jaded diners.
Watertable: (at the Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency Resort) 21500 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, (714) 698-1234.
