This is the month when I look back at the past year, remember the best dishes, and look forward to the broad restaurant scene that is ever changing. There were many superb meals, and a lot of interesting restaurants visited.
As usual, there are restaurant expansions and moves to watch. One that I need to address here at the top of the column is the pending move of Marche Moderne at South Coast Plaza. It will remain open at the current location until later this month, so I’d advise you to make a lunch or dinner reservation immediately—phone (714) 434-7900. After it closes, there will be a brief hiatus while its new location—the former Tamarind space at Crystal Cove—is readied. There is no information yet on what will occupy the space at South Coast Plaza once Marche moves.
That brings me back to my reference to the best tastes of the past year, thinking that perhaps you will want to try these flavorful dishes, too. One of the places that has, for me, addictive steamed mussels marinière is Marche Moderne. I also have its prix fixe lunches and dinners on my list as the finest French-inspired bargain meals in the county. Mesa at The Camp in Costa Mesa also does absolutely fantastic steamed mussels.
28 restaurant on Jamboree in Irvine had a dish on the lunch menu called Chicken and Rice that featured the most succulent chicken over a bed of spruced up rice. It might come and go from the menu; hope it’s still there for you. There’s an additional bit of news to share about 28. Opening chef Shirley Chung is no longer with the restaurant, although she and owner Stacy Tran remain close friends. This wasn’t unexpected; Shirley wanted to compete again on a TV cooking show and also wanted some time with her husband because she’d worked almost nonstop since the restaurant opened two years ago.
Diners should not worry, because Chung’s chef de cuisine, Jay Lacuesta, has stepped into the executive chef role. He is working on new items for the seasonal menu, but old favorites remain.
Another chicken favorite on my perennial best list is the Coconut Chicken Soup at Thai Kitchen in Irvine. I spent ample time in Thailand, and this is the closest to the homeland flavor that I’ve found. It is on my top all-time list of succulent foods, and I order it often.
Pizza calls to everyone that I know. We have so many places that make good pizza, and yet there are five of the ones that I tried that rose to the top of my memorable list. Customers are in concert with me in raving about Square One in Irvine, whose pizzas feature loads of quality ingredients atop the cracker-like platforms. Sapori in Newport Beach opened last year and is really doing Italy proud with its savory pies. Pirozzi in Corona del Mar is also at the top of the best list for its Neapolitan pizzas delivering intensive flavors. Then there are the pizzas at Il Barone in Newport Beach that transport me back to Italy with each bite. Finally, Brick Pizzeria in San Clemente is about much more than tasty pies for South County, but they are rightly admired for the pizzas that come crispy and sizzling from the custom oven. I might add that every one of these restaurants also serves superb pasta dishes.
Chinese food made my notes because there are restaurants I return to regularly. Most of my readers know that I, and many of our Asian friends and relatives, consider Chef Chen in Irvine one of the best for authentic food, especially from the Shanghai region. Three dishes that shine for me are the Shao Lom Pao soup dumplings, the Crispy Whole Fish with choice of sauces, and the fabulous Eggplant with Basil and Tofu Warm Pot. Another Chinese restaurant that calls to me is China Moon in Laguna Niguel. It is a very pretty place that serves beautifully presented food, such as the addictive Rainbow Shrimp combo plate of aromatically flavored and sesame flavored shrimp, and the Hunan Lamb, with leeks and mushrooms and spicy Ma La Beef, all on my best list. There’s a third restaurant that’s ringing bells, too: Yen Ching in Orange. It’s been around so long that it’s an icon, but big news is that it got a lovely decorating redo this past year, and on the menu that can claim Peking-style superiority overall, it has, hands down, the best Chinese Barbecue Spare Ribs that I’ve ever tasted. Add Shrimp on Sizzling Rice for another addictive dish that made my list.
One day, some friends and I had lunch at AnQi at Bloomingdale’s in Costa Mesa, and one of the items that sounded very good was the Steak Salad. I had it then and again on a return visit, and it is now designated as memorable and a perfect lunch anytime. That same scenario played out for me at Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach. We were with friends for dinner and decided to try the Whole Crispy Fish. It waltzed over our taste buds with such a balance of crispy and tender that it quickly took its place alongside my favorite Chinese version. Ironwood upped the dining ante in in Laguna Hills since it opened a few months ago. I’ve returned many times and appreciate that I can have the Jidori Chicken Schnitzel with beech mushrooms, spaetzle and cider gravy any time I want. It’s been a repeat for me and every other person we’ve introduced. Add Recess—its story follows—and the edgy and interesting menu.
Recess for Nourishment
The recently opened The Recess Room has me making pilgrimages to Fountain Valley, with friends each time, to share my table and the culinary surprises. To put it succinctly, these partners—two Vietnamese buddies who met years ago at recess on a Fountain Valley playground—are giving Orange County a tantalizing look at L.A.-style dining.
What is that exactly? It’s all the freshness of kitchen ingredients that everyone claims. They grow a lot of their own produce and are regulars at the Wednesday morning Santa Monica Farmers Market.; it’s presentation that is, yes, camera-worthy but also stylistically classy and rather unique when it comes to the service vessels; flavor bombs that do make a big impression; and refusal to shy away from dishes that might be off the charts with what we are used to.
It is one tasty and welcoming place.
The comfort factor is derived from the rustic but chic mingling of welcoming bar with a dining room of shiny wooden tables, artifacts reminiscent of farmhouse living, and walls of windows. If you’ve been to The Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach and admired that scene, keep in mind that Recess was designed by the same firm. Its aura is friendly, inviting and relaxing.
Both partners come from restaurant families and after pursuing other careers talked about starting their own eatery. One of them lives in L.A. and has been eating in the array of clever and competitive restaurants that work well in large cities. They had dined in all that we in Orange County consider our top restaurants and knew they wanted to tweak the formula and go rather bold. I am almost as impressed with their passion, hands-on management and customer appreciation as I am with the food.
There isn’t much on the menu that I haven’t tried, even taking along friends each time so that we could have a wider tasting session. Allow me to preface everything with this: Every write-up and mention of Recess seems to quickly float the fact that it has Roasted Pig Head on the menu. It does. I’ve had glowing reports on it, have a group planning to eat it with me this month, and seen it trotted by my table several times while I was devouring other menu items. This is not just any pig’s head, it’s Kurobuta, the king of gourmet pork. It looks terrific, all brown and crispy and settled on a large platter. It’s meant to be shared, deconstructed with crispy skin and meat, most probably eaten taco style. I am like a kid anticipating this.
Chicharons are my suggestion for nibbling while deciding what to order. They are unbelievably flavorful—made from long simmered beef tendon, which is then frozen, thinly sliced and fried to potato chip crispness. Salads take on the likes of house-cured anchovies for the Caesar, while Tomato and Burrata Salad elicits sighs from everyone with its miniature heirloom tomatoes cuddling with the softest and creamiest fresh burrata cheese, raindrops of bee pollen and a glaze of goji berry vinaigrette. Veal Dumpling appetizers manage an international marriage with marsala wine blended with crème fraiche and parmesan cheese for the sauce. The classiest of beef—akaushi—along with bone marrow, turns up in the burger.
Savory Black Rice
The creamiest, most savory black rice is spread across a polished slab that looks like a crosscut piece of tree trunk. Atop the rice is half a chicken that is quite pleasing, even before dragging pieces through the seasonal persimmon sauce puddled alongside. Crab Pasta has chunky morsels tossed with beurre blanc.
There’s more, of course, but you can tell this restaurant has no intention of giving us the same old menu as we have elsewhere. It’s a delightful kind of different, and I look forward to not only eating that piggy’s head, but to eat there again with friends, sans my porky fix. 18380 Brookhurst, Fountain Valley, (714) 377-0398
