When a highly regarded executive sous chef from a prestigious hotel leaves to open his own restaurant, one tends to think that the venture mainly will be a dinner house and probably a fancy one at that.
So when Dee Nguyen left his chef position at Ritz-Carlton hotel in Laguna Niguel, those of us who knew him as such a charming and passionate chef thought he’d be following that formula.
I soon found out that he was opening a breakfast and lunch restaurant in Laguna Hills. The restaurant, Break of Dawn, now is open and such a pleasant discovery for us. This is such a gem of a restaurant to soothe our palates.
There’s so much more to this story. Dee’s experience as executive sous chef at the Ritz-Carlton was remarkable, but fatherhood pushed him to take his career in another direction.
|
|
Nguyen, Break of Dawn dining room: artistic calligraphy part of decor |
Dee was determined to be closer to home, especially after learning about his son’s disabilities from a medical mishap. He left the corporate world to start the family business, Break of Dawn.
You often can spot Dee holding or playing with his son, Berlin, during short breaks.
Dee’s love for food stemmed from cooking for his friends in college at University of California, Riverside, where he received a bachelor’s in psychobiology.
After graduation and working for a year, he decided to attend the California Culinary Academy of San Francisco in pursuit of his real dream,to do beautiful things with food.
After graduating from culinary school in 1999, Dee continued his career at the Ritz-Carlton. There, he had an opportunity to work with award-winning chefs, including Christian Rassinoux and Yvon Goetz, who helped speed his maturation toward professionalism.
Local papers and magazines have identified Break of Dawn as the new hot spot. The California Avocado Commission used Dee as their spokesman for TV including the “Bringing It Home with Laura McIntosh” show.
Break of Dawn is something creative, even amidst the shopping center location. An awning has the restaurant’s name painted on it in the most beautiful calligraphy. There’s more of that artistic calligraphy as part of the interior decor. The room itself is large and casual with lots of wood and windows. One side sports a long cocktail bar. Several modern, disc-shaped chandeliers hang from a barrel-vaulted ceiling. A few lovely flower arrangements perk up the space (Dee does his own flower arranging too).
Dee chose some sayings about food and life and had the calligrapher turn them into massive pieces of art. Different and gorgeous.
One of the most striking is of framed chef’s jackets. The first is from when he graduated from the culinary academy, and the other is his Ritz-Carlton jacket. We know they denote a love and sense of pride for this cooking life.
Dee’s vision is to integrate a hint of Vietnamese flavors with refined European sophistication. The resulting food is wonderful. Exciting flavors explode in your mouth.
Start the day with juice, a fantastic cup of coffee, or any of the specialty coffee drinks and tropical or Asian teas.
For breakfast, you can have something as simple as cereal but the word “superb” sticks to the steel cut Irish oatmeal br & #369;l & #233;e that will be cooked with your choice of pecans, berries, fruit, chocolate chips and more, or just plain if you wish.
Omelettes, eggs Benedict and egg combo meals are on the menu. French toast made with cinnamon-raisin brioche, waffles and even buttermilk pancakes are all delights for the eye and the tummy when they come from Dee’s kitchen. Imagine having sweet potato hash with eggs and braised cabbage for breakfast with a twist or an oatmeal galette with poached egg and smoked salmon. These items are also available through lunch service for $3.50 to $10.
Through a doorway on one side of the restaurant is the bakery. It features several kinds of freshly made muffins: banana-walnut, coconut-pineapple, cappuccino and chocolate chip among my favorites. There are fantastic sticky buns, pastries enveloping wild blueberries, lemon cream cheese and even almond bear claws. Croissants, of course, entice us as do the very French style of cakes. The flaky apple strudel struts its perfectly European background. All pastries can be ordered for breakfast, with a latte or cappuccino. Pastries are $1 to $3.
For lunch, Dee continues to amaze us with beautifully presented food and dishes we never expect to see in his casual atmosphere.
If still in an egg mood, I go for the jalape & #324;o grilled corn bake with its complements of barbecue pork, eggs, slaw and the essence of five spice seasoning floating through.
In another dish that brings eggs right into the lunch slot, short ribs, falling off the bone tender, comes with crepes filled with mushroom and onion ragout and a duet of eggs cooked in red wine.
There is a wonderful chicken stew that has bits of meat, carrot, onion and mushroom bathed in a lightly curried lemon grass and coconut milk broth. Mahi mahi fish is served atop a salad of Hawaiian hearts of palm, organic greens and tomato. Wild salmon also is available on the current menu.
I happen to love noodles and here I find them in the traditional Vietnamese style beef broth with thinly sliced tender beef, rice noodles and bean sprouts making an appearance in the bowl.
As a salad, the “must have” is comprised of shrimp, scampi style, mingling with crispy rice noodles, some chunks of tomato, toasted peanuts and a mix of specially selected greens. There are things like meatloaf with biscuits, butternut squash bisque and sandwiches offering their own intrigues.
Sandwiches are made Vietnamese style on baguettes with housemade dressing and vegetable complements. Fillings run through barbecue pork, meatball, sesame chicken, various cold cuts and a vegetarian selection. Sandwiches, salads and lunch entrees are priced $7.50 to $12.
It is hard to envision that a casual setting can find such a loving partner in food that is as carefully prepared as any from a fine hotel or elegantly laden restaurant. But, that’s part of Dee’s personal magic. He brings his passion at these affordable prices to us on the plates.
Consider Break of Dawn a superb addition to our dining. It sits behind Trader Joe’s at 24351 Avenida de la Carlota, Laguna Hills (in the extended part of Laguna Hills Mall). Phone: (949) 587-9418.
Twinkle, Twinkle Lil’ Rose
La Vie en Rose is like a present to yourself at this time of year. It glitters, sparkles and twinkles amongst red bows, ornaments and lights elegantly placed throughout the restaurant for the holidays. We never miss it.
A spectacular chandelier draped in red and gold holiday garlands greets us in the foyer. Standing majestically in the lobby is a 16-foot Christmas tree dripping with ornaments and hundreds of twinkling lights. All this is then accented by richly colored ribbons gingerly woven amongst pinecones placed above the wood-burning fireplace. It’s breathtaking.
The restaurant is a replica of an old Normandy farmhouse in France with its rounded cupola, alcoves and private nooks for dining.
Costumed carolers from Orange Lutheran High School add to the merriment as they stroll to each table harmonizing their holiday songs.
There’s a new winter menu now. It encompasses both a la carte ordering and complete prix fixe meals that allow for many choices within the courses.
So fitting in this comfortable setting are things like country p & #226;t & #233;, luscious imported cheeses, traditional caviar on the upper end of the scale, escargot (I’ve previously deemed them the best in OC), steamed mussels, baked mushroom soup with a cap of puff pastry, lobster ravioli, flamed shrimp, Dover sole, confit of duck, tournedos of beef with truffles, classic steaks and fish from international waters. The pastry cart is a three-tier affair laden with oh so many sweet wonders.
Prices for prix fixe three-course menus are priced from $32.50 to $52, depending on your choice of main course. All include a first course and dessert. All menu items are available a la carte as well.
La Vie en Rose has been voted the No. 1 French restaurant in Orange County for the past five years. It’s always on the “best” lists of restaurants and it gets plenty of fine press. Lunch is served weekdays and dinner Monday through Saturday.
The restaurant also will serve dinner from 4 p.m. on a few Sundays: Dec. 3, 10 and 17. Location: 240 S. State College Blvd. (at Imperial Highway), Brea. Phone: (714) 529-8333.
Holiday Wine Fest
Taps Fish House & Brewery in Brea is presenting the wines of Ferrari-Carano at its Sixth Annual Holiday Wine Dinner on Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Chef Robert Urquidi does wonderful things with food and the New Orleans style building itself is so attractive that there’s always an incentive for me to drive to North County for a meal. The wines of Ferrari-Carano hold their own esteemed place in the wine world.
The menu begins with prosciutto-wrapped dates stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and then goes to gnocchi made with Point Reyes blue cheese and accompanied by a ragout of crimini mushrooms and butternut squash. The 2005 Fume Blanc and 2004 Reserve Chardonnay will be paired with these courses.
A duck confit egg roll will then be served with a plum dipping sauce and Ferrari-Carano’s 2001 Tresor, a classic blend of the five Bordeaux varietals. Main course is a marinated flat iron steak and Dungeness crab cream corn croquette, which sounds pretty interesting. Wine for this course is the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.
The finale to the meal is a buttermilk panna cotta with blood orange salad and mint syrup and the 2003 Eldorado Noir wine. This is a unique dessert wine made from black muscat grapes. Not overly sweet and with blueberry, strawberry and rose aromas, it’s a lovely way to end any meal.
Price of the dinner is $95, tax and gratuity included. Taps is at 101 E. Imperial Highway in Brea. Call (714) 257-0101 for reservations.
Pearl Anniversary
The Catch in Anaheim is celebrating its 30th anniversary by offering a three-course prime rib dinner for $19.76 during December. That’s in honor of the year they opened, 1976, which was also the year of our bicentennial.
The prime rib meal starts with a choice of creamy clam chowder or a crisp Caesar salad. Move on to a generous cut of tender prime rib, carved to order, with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Dessert is a luscious cr & #269;me br & #369;l & #233;e.
The special will be available nightly in December except Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The prime rib prix fixe will be served on Christmas Eve though, making for an exceptional value. Specials will be offered on red wines to complement the dinner.
Just a little footnote: Despite the major construction in progress of Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle, The Catch will continue to operate into 2008 at its current location. Many people have had the mistaken impression that the restaurant already was closed. Not so.
In 2008, the restaurant will relocate to a new site in the Platinum Triangle area. The vision the developers have for this entire regional improvement will certainly create an exciting, dynamic hub in OC.
For reservations, please call (714) 935-0101. The Catch is at 1929 S. State College Blvd. in Anaheim, across from Angel Stadium.
