It’s a good thing I am not starstruck, otherwise I would have gotten whiplash from trying to keep tabs on all the celebrities that were dining all around me lately at Aqua restaurant in the drop-dead gorgeous new St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point.
I have done some diligent tasting of many dishes on the menu as have the other folks who are keeping the dining room full late into the evening (they also serve lunch, but my forays have been at sunset or later). I admit to, lusting after Elke Sommers magnificent white summer hat. This striking lady came past our table in the dining room the other evening, obviously looking for her friends who were already seated. We exchanged glances and smiles and I can blame the distraction of the hat for keeping me from realizing who she was for a while. David Hasselhoff, Chi McBride and Carol Alt had also been dining in when we were there, plus the general glitterati of OC. We are all vying for reservations since this is the first real San Francisco restaurant to open here. And what a restaurant it is.
Businessman Charles Condy and 20-year-old chef Michael Mina teamed up just more than a decade ago and since they’ve been building restaurants and gathering rave reviews,international, I might add. Aqua was launched in San Francisco in 1991 (a restaurant I know and often recommend), then came Aqua in the Bellagio in Las Vegas in ’98 and this one opened July 30. This energetic duo also operates Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco, Pisces in Burlingame and has just opened Nobhill at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
To say that the 31-year-old Mina has raised the bar on dining in OC would be quite an understatement. His menu is seafood oriented and he’s stacked the deck with intrigues. Like the groundbreaking restaurant in New York, Le Bernardin, which began in Paris, this is seafood presented in a whole new way. We sat for four hours one evening, taking our time through a tasting menu and then some, and savored wines by the glass to complement our food. There are tasting menus at both lunch and dinner, including vegetarian and spa menus. Wines with each course are also offered at about $55. The full a la carte menu is also available at both meals.
Here are dishes that have gained my respect: An amuse-gueule of cool sorrel (a relative of spinach) and oyster broth was presented in demitasse cups to be sipped as the preliminary to one meal. It was luscious. There were four canap & #233;s on another introductory plate, each using crostini as a base. They serve you a sourdough roll at the beginning of the meal that reeks of San Francisco authenticity. Though you want to relish that as well, be aware that the food that is to come will surpass even that in every way.
A caviar parfait came as a five-layer affair, each layer revealing a different texture. It had a base of potato galette atop which was a layer of herbed cream, then silky smoked salmon on that, a layer of cr & #269;me fra & #238;che, and finally a topping of osetra caviar. Tiny droplets of herb-flavored oil surrounded it. Well, that was more than pleasing.
Then, there was the tartar of hay tuna that had us wiping the plate clean. In the center of the plate is the most perfect mound of rather finely diced sushi grade tuna topped with the yolk of a quail egg. On one side of that is a tablespoon of pine nuts. At yet another vantage point on the plate is a like amount of tiny cubes of Bosc pear. Drizzled over those two condiments, and in a line around the rest of the plate, was sesame oil infused with only the scarcest hint of Scotch Bonnet pepper. The server gave us a minute to sigh over how pretty it looked then took a fork and spoon and placed the yolk on the pears, scooped in the pine nuts and remaining oil droplets making a dressing. Then, he piled it all onto the spoon and mixed it in with the tuna and left us to savor and comment alone.
I have certainly found the most artful recipe for Chilean sea bass in the miso-glazed roasted version they present. The thick chunk of bright tasting fish is roasted with high heat sealing in the moistness but allowing the glaze to brown and release all the sweet, rich flavor of the miso. It sat in a small amount of carrot and lobster broth with a shrimp tortellini, a few angle-cut snow peas and a few miniature shiitake mushrooms in it. We both pronounced this a truly awesome dish. A ballet for the palate pretty well describes the Turbot Almondine: a crispy piece of turbot with a lacy coat on the topside of almond slices. Beneath was a pillow of mashed potato studded with corn kernels and bits of lobster. The plate was edged with a few pieces of lobster meat, a sampling of chanterelles and three paper-thin slices of white truffle. The chef was surely playing “Can you top this?” with his Medallion of Ahi Tuna topped with seared Hudson Valley foie gras, with a float of Pinot Noir sauce at its edge. Nobody can, so they needn’t try. Here was a squarish block of potato supporting the tuna topped by the rich goose liver.
One of the things this chef does is use red wine sauces with some of the fish. And all around us, people were drinking red wine with all this fish, as were we with about half of our dishes. I’d best end all this food talk by saying that only here will you find a savory souffl & #233; studded with black mussels, lobster pot pie, Crispy Skin Moi (the fish once reserved only for consumption by the royal family of Hawaii) with lobster curry sauce, soft-shell crab with crab brandade on the side, and a whole foie gras with caramelized apples sliced tableside for you and all your friends. I suppose mentioning the root beer float, peach tarte tatin, or the wild strawberry and pistachio tart with mascarpone sorbet as suggested desserts won’t hurt either. The wine list is an equally impressive document with the best of the world at your fingertips in all price ranges.
Aqua is situated so that it overlooks both the championship golf course and the ocean beyond. It is both sophisticated and relaxing. It’s a large contemporary room with a fireplace, several squared pillars topped with massive bouquets, commissioned art on the walls, curvy banquettes, armchairs providing very comfortable seating, and soft linens on the tables in a basketweave pattern. The place plates are emblazoned with the Aqua name and signature fish design in gold. Color this restaurant absolutely yummy in every way.
Aqua in the St. Regis is located at 1 Monarch Beach Resort (two blocks east of PCH on Niguel Road), Dana Point. Reservations should be made by calling (949) 234-3325.
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I can’t think of a better summer project for children than to learn a little cooking and some dining etiquette from a superstar chef. Alan Greeley is again offering one of his popular Saturday classes for children ages 8 to 13 on August 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at his restaurant, The Golden Truffle, 1767 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa. The kids will learn to make Caesar salad, tamales, chicken Cordon Bleu, summer fruit ice cream and lemonade. Price is $30. While the children cook and dine, adults can enjoy a prix fixed lunch of their own for $24 if they so choose. This is good for building self-esteem and having fun is guaranteed any time Alan is in the kitchen with the youngsters. Phone (949) 645-9970.
