During the past two years, Island Hotel has made some tremendously good-looking changes in its Aqua Lounge and Oak Grill dining rooms. There’s also a new chef on board whose food pleased us very much in recent tastes.
Aqua Lounge beckons seriously, since we must pass it and its open facade on the way to the dining room. The light, calming colors, attractive bar on one side, and large seating areas furnished with sink-in couches and comfortable seating throughout make us want to stop, but our recent visits were primarily to try the new Oak Grill menus and see the current ambiance.
Its own descriptors are “inviting elegance, modern flair, contemporary cuisine.” I can only agree. Between the chef and General Manager Kevin Morales, I’ve discovered a refined and professional experience, but with a welcoming friendliness.
Let’s begin with a bit about the new chef, Peter Lai, and his direction with the food. Healthfulness is important to him. I’m impressed that he has been implementing menu changes based on newly sourced local products and producing products in-house instead of purchasing mainstream. It’s a big undertaking for an all-day, active hotel kitchen, and he’s doing it because he’s listening to feedback from guests, wanting to know exactly what his guests are eating, and working to develop his own special relationships with local purveyors to maximize flavors, increase the “wellness factor” of his dishes, and support California food industry enterprises.
Lai got his start at an early age in his family’s traditional Chinese restaurant. His career path includes working for Hyatt Hotels in New Mexico, Texas and California. Most recently, he was chef de cuisine at Watertable, the signature restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach. He graduated summa cum laude from Texas Culinary Academy.
Chef Lai has added breakfast items, like the Berry Chia Breakfast Bowl and California Avocado Toast, and there’s a freshly squeezed juice bar on its way for early risers. The kitchen is now making all dinner sauces from scratch to ensure flavors, quality and control. Among them: Russian dressing found on the lunch Reuben sandwich, house-made spicy ketchup, bacon marmalade, sweet pickled onions, and brioche bun baked from scratch daily for the signature burger.
We dined once on the outdoor patio, a fantastic flowing space beneath huge ficus trees, almost magical in its aura. It was perfect for a California evening. Our latest dinner was inside because the weather recently had been so hot and humid. I immediately wondered why we didn’t sit inside more often. It’s comfortable and elegant. Booths and other seating feature urbane, quietly striped fabrics, and a gentle, chic aura floats throughout. The ambiance kept us dining slowly with two friends for 3½ hours on our last meal.
There are about 36 wines by the glass, absolutely something for everyone. A well-curated wine list has bottles from iconic wineries and boutique vineyards.
The food: Couldn’t have started out with more class than when I noticed Oysters on the Half Shell on the menu and remarked that I’d been craving fried oysters for some reason. The waiter who had just revealed the nightly specials heard me and immediately said that he thought the kitchen could make those for me. Soon, out came an elongated plate holding a beautiful presentation of crispy oysters on both ends centered with a terrific little salad in the middle. It was an immediate notice that this kitchen was customer-focused. The oysters were presented with a bowl of aioli dipping sauce flavored with furtikake flakes. It solicited sighs of pleasure from everyone, and we dipped pieces of bread in it until it was all gone.
Meandering on through our long evening, White Wine Steamed Clams were appreciated by everyone with their smoked bacon, leeks, cherry tomatoes, and baguette for dipping into the broth. Then came Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with creamy orzo risotto, asparagus, fennel, arugula and lemon dill dressing. It’s on my reorder list, and Grilled Pork Chop with bacon, baby potatoes, peas and apricot brandy sauce was also appreciated.
I can’t go through everything from that last evening, or previous times, but two of the best salads in the county show up. Young Romaine Caesar Salad brings extra layers of flavor with radishes, haricot verts, croutons, and white anchovy dressing marching through. Another winner is the Maine Lobster Chopped Salad. Main dishes represent American flavors, and some have international influence peeking in.
We cannot ignore the weekend brunch that is acclaimed as one of the best in the county. And if you happen to be happy houring it or hanging out at the lovely Aqua Lounge in the daytime and evening, there are some fun and unique dishes there, too. The hotel has turned a serious eye to providing fashionable but approachably casual food and a friendly but cosmopolitan level of ambiance.
690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, (800) 491-9657
Beverly Hills Experience
You still have this month to have a Beverly Hills dining experience at AnQi in Costa Mesa. AnQi is offering a pop-up menu of items from its famed Crustacean restaurant in Beverly Hills, Monday through Friday, dinner only, for 60 people each evening. Reservations are imperative and can be made by calling (714) 557-5679.
It’s all related to the An family’s highly acclaimed Crustacean restaurants, which began in San Francisco more than two decades ago. A few years later, a second Euro-Vietnamese Crustacean dazzled not only Southern California diners with its food and beauty, but acquired an international audience. Then AnQi took flight, and Orange County became home to its own House of An restaurant.
The Beverly Hills location is closed for the summer while undergoing a massive renovation that will debut downstairs as Crustacean with a dedication to An’s pioneering cuisine, inspired by the An family’s Secret Kitchen recipes.
The upstairs restaurant will represent the next generation of Crustacean with new talent. Chef Tony Nguyen, House of An’s executive chef for the past two years, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a familiar face on TV food reality shows. Nguyen will create unique, multicourse menus and cook at the gourmet second-floor restaurant with limited nightly seatings.
The renovation closure in Los Angeles offered the perfect opportunity for the Beverly Hills pop-up menu at AnQi, and you shouldn’t miss it. There are 10 appetizers, four main courses and two desserts.
We had wine by the glass from AnQi’s extensive selection, and we had a beer. I loved that it served the beer in an icy cold brandy snifter. Refreshing and fun instead of the same old glasses seen everywhere.
We’ve devoured many of the dishes, and they are not only camera-worthy but different than any other OC dining. Here are a few of the appetizers: Turmeric Grilled Calamari with saffron and orange zest and a peanut mustard sauce; Broiled Green Mussels with Asian pesto atop crostini; and Vietnamese Spring Rolls stuffed with a choice of protein, which we had with shrimp, and they were delicious.
Everyone should have An’s Famous Roasted Crab. It comes in or out of the shell. We prefer in shell. It’s mostly cracked for you and the most finger-licking crab you’re likely to encounter. It’s also enough for two or three to enjoy. With that, have the famed XO Noodles. The tender noodles get their name and a bit of flavor essence from Hennessy Cognac. Other ingredients adding to the marriage are scallops, shrimp, chicken, bird’s eye chile, and shallots. Just call those a couple of divine dishes. Colossal Royal Tiger Prawns come with garlic noodles. And the Chardonnay Flambé Rack of Lamb is impressive and fantastic tasting.
I can’t imagine why any serious diner would miss this opportunity. Totally different and across-the-board delicious cuisine that’s only for this month. Call (714) 557-5679 now. AnQi is at South Coast Plaza (in the Bloomingdale’s complex) 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa
New Watering Spot
Anaheim is getting a new wine and beer tasting venue this month. Add the weekend of Sept. 22 to 24 to your calendar. That’s the grand opening of the Towne Park Brewery & Tap Room, a building that’s said to be ultra-attractive and certainly a welcome addition to North County.
The brewery is one of the largest and most notable craft breweries in the area, with an impressive 20,000-square foot, 30-barrel brewhouse.
The brewery will debut something for every beer drinker’s palate: an American lager, an India pale ale, a white ale, a pale ale, an amber ale and a smooth blonde ale derived from the original blonde ale that Lawrence home-brewed back in 2013. The new brewing facility is equipped to produce about 20,000 barrels a year.
Towne Park Brewery was founded by Brett Lawrence, an Orange County native and entrepreneur who started it from nothing but a home-brew kit and a passion for a good, cold beer. During the past four years, Towne Park has focused on perfecting the recipes based on feedback from family and friends who had experienced the early brew at Rancho Las Lomas.
Brett is the owner/operator of Rancho Las Lomas, Southern California’s beautiful and acclaimed resort and zoological gardens, which are open to the public to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and exotic animals. Plan to visit both of these interesting places.
The new Towne Park Brewery: 1566 W. Lincoln, Anaheim, (949) 647-3562. Rancho Las Lomas: 19191 Lawrence Canyon, Silverado, (949) 888-3080
Salivating Over Reopening
I doubt that any restaurant opening/reopening in this county has been more anticipated than that of Marche Moderne. The dining public was so sad when the owners closed their lovely restaurant at South Coast Plaza a few months ago.
Owners/chefs Florent and Amelia Marneau announced that they were moving the restaurant to the former Tamarind space at Crystal Cove Promenade, so at least we weren’t losing it. A complete reconstruction of the building has been taking place over the summer, and the results are said to be “stunning.”
This month our dreams come true with Marche’s opening, although the exact date is not yet set. Dinner only will be served at first, with lunches being added a few weeks later.
Crystal Cove Promenade, 7862 Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach
