Orange County keeps getting richer and richer with dining possibilities. We are lucky to have so many family-owned, individual places interspersed with the big, fancy restaurants.
For this little novella, I’ve selected some of the smaller, unique restaurants that take us on a multicultural tour via what’s on our plate. I can be found in restaurants like these far more often than in the multimillion-dollar showplaces. They all have their place, and occasion sometimes dictates. But it’s a relaxing pleasure to chat with an owner in their personal eatery and discover their singular passion leading to a better understanding for us of the food that’s served.
It’s fun to delve into cuisines of other countries and enhance our culinary education. So many interesting conversations, plus the good food, emerge this way. I am known for long, leisurely meals because I have a curiosity that can permeate the hours with food tastes, questions, pictures and enjoyable conversations with my tablemates and the restaurateurs and chefs.
I hope that each of you will be a little more curious about the ethnic, cultural culinary experiences that march all through our county. My notebook has so many on the “To Do” list.
Enjoy every bite in these delightful places, and if you want to stay in touch with me with your thoughts and suggestions, my email is always listed in the Business Journal. I welcome your feedback and questions, and I will happily reply.
Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana
Lunch, dinner, happy hour
32860 Pacific Coast Highway
Dana Point
(949) 429-1102
There are two Angelina’s, but this is about the Dana Point one where founder and Chef Sandro Nardone serves some wicked Italian food.
It’s all about a smallish place that was at the forefront of the Neapolitan craze sweeping many big West Coast cities about 20 years ago. Here, Sandro whips up the now trendy cuisine of his hometown in Italy.
The pizzas of Napoli are known for their brightly flavorful toppings and crispy crust dappled with brown spots from cooking on the Italian-constructed pizza oven’s floor. Sandro’s pride is wrapped up in his pizzas and classic dishes, making for happy customers in South County. Anyone who even happens to be down that way should stop by.
There’s a concise cross-section of Neapolitan dishes on the menu. Nine salads, a dozen pizzas, a few sandwiches and appetizers.
In my French/Italian-influenced childhood, homemade sausages played an important role. The best beginning to any of my meals is the Salsiccia Al Forno, delicious sausage on a bed of roasted peppers, everything draped in a gorgonzola cheese fondue. From there, it’s an ongoing taste treat.
Expect to find upscale ingredients: fresh mozzarella and silky brie cheese, Gaeta olives, freshly roasted peppers and eggplant, guanciale (cured pork), prosciutto di Parma, leeks and fresh basil from the garden, and always the famously flavorful San Marzano tomatoes.
Tuck these ingredients into pasta dishes and sandwiches or have them on your pizza, along with a swath of rich marinara sauce that, like everything else, is made daily.
Think in terms of intimate and reminiscent of an Italian trattoria like you would find it in Italy. Not a lot of pretense but a true sense of self. There’s the good-looking food, the waft of Italian aromas, and the palate-pleasing tastes that all fit into this atmosphere.
Break of Dawn
Breakfast, lunch and occasional
pop-up dinners
Oakbrook Village Center
24291 Avenida De La Carlota
Laguna Hills
(949) 587-9418
Dee Nguyen recently celebrated his 10th anniversary at BoD, as it’s lovingly known. From the beginning, we’ve had a new look at casual dishes made eloquent by way of unexpected flavor components and creativity.
When he left his longtime position as executive sous chef at the Ritz-Carlton, we did not expect him to open a breakfast and lunch-only place or one that turned every dish we knew on its head, astounding everyone with the eclectic pairing of ingredients that he is so good at.
But he did just that, decorating a small space in the center known mostly for Trader Joe’s and El Torito. BoD is cute and unpretentious, truly an ideal backdrop for his food.
One day about a year ago, Dee decided to augment his hours with an occasional themed pop-up dinner. These are not little five-course meals, but 10- to 17-course extravaganzas that take us around the world. They have become so popular that the 65 seats are quickly reserved each time.
Dee is in love with global cuisines, and he manages to sneak in French and Vietnamese influences wherever the plates are taking us on his menu.
He is a voracious forager, and one of the more recent pop-up dinners centered on wild herb and vegetable flavors from the knapsack of goodies he’d foraged while on a couple of days of walks in Orange County’s canyons. It was educational, delicious and ultra-interesting.
BoD is a favorite chefs’ hangout for stellar food. You should be a customer, too. Wait till you meet Dee’s Hawaiian Sausage with Green Papaya with your breakfast eggs, Lamb Ragu with pepitas, Pork Belly with tempura eggs, BBQ Pork with bacon-mustard greens, and French Toast Crème Brûlée.
Café Beau Soleil
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
953 Newport Center Drive
Fashion Island
Newport Beach
(949) 640-4402
Beau Soleil, home of French food with a slight California twist, is like the intimate cafes all over France that invite us to unwind over some daily cuisine or a cup of coffee. However, Chef/owner Pascal Gimenez steps it up a notch with charming décor, friendly service, reasonable prices and nods to Gallic food whipped up with organic ingredients. Another positive is the cute front patio, a good thing if your pet accompanies you.
A light take on dining early in the day, and a food category that I easily connect with for lunch, revolves around the crepes that envelope various fillings. Where else can I find Sweet Potato Beignets? And at any time of day, there’s my favorite escargot, lounging in their garlicky butter that I’m enthralled to sop up with the good country bread.
Salads are tempting for lunch. Simplicity leads Salmon Salad with grilled asparagus as a sidekick. Take an exotic French detour via the Moroccan-influenced Casablanca Salad with its subdued essence of cumin, goat cheese and dried figs wafting through the greens and vegetables.
Classics like Boeuf Bourguignon, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Wild Petrale Sole are French temptations for either lunch or dinner. Tender beef and mushrooms simmer with wine for the bourguignon. The Cordon Bleu is a typical chicken breast stuffed with Black Forest ham and gruyere cheese and further enhanced with a classic hollandaise sauce. A beurre blanc sauce drapes the fish.
You like a classic Steak Frites? It’s available. Ravioli, quiche, a rib-eye steak with béarnaise sauce, lamb shank. What’s not to like about a charmer like this?
Capital Noodle Bar
Lunch and dinner
Brea
3477 E. Imperial Highway
(714) 983-7996
Costa Mesa
3033 Bristol St.
(657) 231-6120
Irvine
3850 E. Barranca Parkway, Suite E
(949) 651-8088
These casual eateries, where the food is quality but inexpensive, are offshoots of the popular, rather sophisticated Capital Seafood restaurants. Handy that we have three locations of the noodle bars in different parts of the county.
Noodles in the casual dining category are a big deal today. They denote comforting food. The Capital group is doing a good job of serving tasty noodle dishes and a larger-than-expected selection of other easygoing foods at these relaxing venues.
Noodle choices: wide, narrow, egg or rice. So many good toppings in the bowls or entree-size plates. One of the noodle dishes that I really enjoy is the Pepper Beef Udon, which arrives as a bed of fat noodles in a beefy black pepper sauce with a good amount of tender and very tasty beef cubes.
There’s a surprise in finding that they make authentic Hainan Chicken. The poultry is steamed with spices indicative of the seasonings used in Hainan, China. Then the hefty slices are partnered with noodles on the plate or alternatively with rice and vegetables. Canton Roast Duck is also an unexpected find. Thai-style sweet chile dipping sauce complements the Roasted Half a Chicken with lemongrass essence. A few versions of seafood with rice or noodles might seduce you. There’s even a plate of Basil Spaghetti with minced pork.
Do try the Spicy Fried Rice with Sausage. Good side dish, and so are the Crispy Green Beans. Don’t forget an order of dim sum.
Clean-lined spaces with long wooden tables and benches occupy the middle of the room. Smaller tables occupy other areas, and a partially visible kitchen resides at the back. It embodies an unassuming feel.
Din Tai Fung
Lunch and dinner
3333 Bristol St.
Upper Level, South Coast Plaza Sears wing
Costa Mesa
(714) 549-3388
This restaurant has a history that goes back to 1972 in Taiwan. Now there are almost 90 restaurants in 10 countries. Din Tai Fung is one of our most popular eating places, and that’s why there’s usually a wait for a table, but it’s worth it. You are at South Coast Plaza, so shop while you wait for your buzzer to shake.
As you walk to your table, you pass the glass wall revealing the workers speedily wrapping the soup dumplings that go directly to the kitchen and then to the tables.
Despite the vegetable dishes, terrific rice dishes, and many superb enticements, it’s the soup dumplings that everyone talks about. They are stuffed with either pork or crab and even a modern version perfumed with truffles. Bite into the side of the little bundles of goodness and suck out the broth that surrounds the filling. For step two, you pop the tasty dumpling into your mouth.
I enjoy the Seaweed and Beancurd Salad tossed with a vinegar dressing as a good intro. A plate of crunchy Wood Ear Mushrooms also satisfies as an exceptional appetizer.
Two of my favorite side dishes are Cold Noodles, a Chinese staple akin to Americans’ potato salad, and Crunchy Cucumber Rounds. For a sample of go-to-style goodies in home kitchens, try the Sticky Rice with Pork—a Chinese tamale—as a side dish.
Soups are deep with flavor, among them one of braised beef, another a stellar version of classic Hot and Sour soup, and popular Won Ton in broth. And arguably, Chicken Soup with whole chunks of bone-in chicken might be the tastiest poultry potage you are likely to ever encounter.
The restaurant is attractive and the service efficient.
Ha Long
Lunch and dinner
3850 Barranca Parkway
Irvine
(949) 654-3736
I owe Business Journal Editor Jerry Sullivan for introducing me to this tasty little outpost. He happened upon it and immediately realized its winning edge.
Ha Long looks like so many small Asian eateries with their own limited menus. This one is in the Target center in a row with several other storefront eateries. But it goes beyond in the expected number of offerings that dole out palate-pleasing flavors. Wholesome, fresh ingredients are the norm, and the breadth of the menu reveals many interesting cultural byways.
It’s easy to become a fan.
The Pork Belly Noodles have their hook in me, and I usually take a to-go order home with me after we eat other dishes. For all noodle dishes, you choose the kind of noodles—rice, egg, bean thread—and then one of 10 proteins or other preferences as spicy or mild as you like, and they serve you quite the generous bowl of tastiness.
Spring rolls, rice dishes, and stir-fried dishes all look tempting. Of course, we have banh mi, or baguette sandwiches. They are soft, chewy and savory, made with baguettes that are baked fresh daily. A popular one, for me and lots of customers, is the Spam and BBQ Pork Banh Mi.
Entree plates are also possibilities. Cross-cut Korean BBQ is a generous meal, and if you don’t mind having garlic on your breath, the Garlic Butter Chicken Wings are good. For thirst, have a tea drink, citrus quencher, or an Asian coffee. Even smoothies beckon.
Ha Long is owned by a family that has several other establishments throughout Southern California, so they’re pro at this. They’ve even mastered the warm, friendly service part.
Jägerhaus
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
2525 E. Ball Road
Anaheim
(714) 520-9500
Orange County has a couple of other places serving limited German dishes, but Jägerhaus is the only German restaurant with a substantial and authentic menu that will remind you of Europe. I wouldn’t call this a destination restaurant, but when you are near the Ball Road exit of the 57 Freeway and need to catch a good meal, this is a respectable stop. Relax and enjoy this trip without a ticket.
They handily serve all three meals, but we habitually show up at lunch or dinner hours. Early morning American fare joins European persuasions. Think of the latter: fluffy pancakes imbedded with fruit, such as cherries, peaches, apples; a generous German Lemon Pancake; omelets with bratwurst or spaetzle and ham.
Lunch and dinner menus are very much the same. They are studded with nostalgic food items that we’ve encountered on our trips to Germany. A stroll through some of the dishes I order: Curry Bratwurst; Herring Filets; a bowl of Goulash; Schnitzel of pork or veal; Braised Rabbit; Cabbage Rolls; Beef Roulade; Sauerbraten; and sides of their delicious Potato Pancakes, Braised Red Cabbage, or German Potato Salad (with the vinegar, bacon flavor).
It’s rare to have Deer, Wild Boar and Elk offered, and it’s usual for me to order them. Food memories of my childhood when my father was an enthusiastic hunter come roaring back.
Plan to encounter throwback decor, like the house of an older generation. Comfortable for sure, with an unpretentious aura. Wallpaper and casual wood furnishings make their statements.
The owner is hands on, and the service is friendly and helpful in explaining the dishes. We always feel like it’s been a good outing, and over the years we’ve had many meals in this reliable place. Ready to go back again.
Macallans Public House
Dinner, happy hour, Sunday brunch
330 W. Birch St.
Brea
(714) 529-1224
We don’t have a lot of Irish options, but this sophisticated and extremely attractive pub has helped to put North County on the map. It is a fine place for chic dining and libations instead of a big, noisy restaurant. Especially noteworthy is the tasty food, which is more than the genre ordinarily provides.
It also has the best selection of Scotch, Whiskey and Bourbon in Orange County—over 250 labels, some allowing nice comparisons via the flights of four. Add hand-crafted cocktails, a selection of local brews and a well-curated wine list.
The classy interior features green and brick accents with a lot of dark wood and the unexpected glitter from vintage-inspired chandeliers. A lounge area with velvet couches parlays luxurious relaxation.
Chef Roman Jimenez builds his dishes from quality ingredients. Mussels steam open in a chorizo-wine-and-lime-butter broth. One burger has a juicy meat patty that is half ground lamb and half ground beef slathered with red pepper and Tabasco jam. The Grilled Cheese sandwich that’s pan-fried in bone marrow butter and served with tomato soup made with San Marzano tomatoes is amazing.
Entrees are variations on classics, and the chef does not cut corners. Short Ribs take 48 hours to prepare and are served with black-truffle mashed potatoes. Pork Shank also gets the extended cooking treatment before meeting its plate of pasta. The Bird and the Biscuit features half a roasted chicken on a flavorsome biscuit stuffing, with garden vegetables on the side.
Fish and Chips made with fresh cod, and a dandy Shepard’s Pie, also find a natural home here.
French, Mexican, American and Irish items appear on the a la carte Sunday brunch menu. It’s broad enough to please everyone.
Mix Mix Kitchen Bar
Dinner, happy hour, Sunday brunch
300 N. Main St.
Santa Ana
(714) 836-5158
There’s not a sense of the Philippines in the cafe style of the dining room and bar, but as soon as you see the chef-driven menu, order and then grab the camera for shots of the attractive food before the fork digs in, you know there’s a fascinating edge here—perfect for that casually smart evening of business or romance.
The best seats in the house are the few places at the little bar facing the kitchen. Here, right in front of his audience, award-winning owner/chef Ross Pangilinan puts finishing touches on his version of Mix Mix creations, a globally inspired dining concept with dishes influenced by traditional French, Italian and modern Filipino cuisines.
There are both casual and sophisticated tidbits on the menu. Ross serves a Seared Foie Gras perfumed with charred pineapple, dried spices and a crispy little Spanish bun on the side. Steak with Shallot Marmalade keeps pace with its slightly different personality.
Carbonara Pasta is not the same old recipe. It is elevated in this kitchen with the addition of dried shrimp, guanciale (cured pork meat), poached egg and ikura (salmon caviar)—a plate of dancing flavors that aren’t easily forgotten.
Pork Cheek Adobo checks in with deep flavor, and the Filipino Ceviche reveals meltingly tender yellow fin tuna waltzing with flavors of coconut, lime, avocado, and crunch from pork cracklings. Crispy Duck Leg sits atop mushroom risotto with background flavors of blackberries and Szechuan pepper. For a side order, make it Organic Trumpet Mushrooms sautéed and generously sprinkled with gremolata.
One section of this restaurant is a lounge and bar area where meals can also be ordered. The wine list is adequately matched to this food, and signature cocktails are popular.
Sabroso Mexican Grill
Lunch, dinner, weekend
13129 Harbor Blvd.
Garden Grove
(714) 537-7080
We covered this gem of Mexican cuisine in this paper before the TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” hosted by Guy Fieri featured it. It has been a whispered hidden secret among food aficionados for a few years. I recently spoke to a large group about the OC restaurant scene. We ended with a question-and-answer session where one gentleman asked me for a great Mexican restaurant recommendation. I suggested Sabroso, and he commended me on my choice. Only later did I discover he was of Mexican heritage, when he chatted with me about Mexican restaurants in general and agreed that Sabroso’s authenticity was known and admired.
Prices are right, the food quality is admirable, the portions are ultra-generous, and the flavors keep on flowing.
No matter what I order, Peruano Beans, yellow beans supposedly of Peruvian origin, are sure to appear on the side. So creamy and sophisticated for a Latin restaurant, more chic and palate pleasing than black beans. Hard decision time again; both Patrick and I want to order far too many dishes.
Words like carne asada, carnitas, camarones, fajitas, and rellenos dot the menu. On our last visit, I was in favor of Chile Colorado and maybe a carnitas taco. But then I remembered the Quail in Red Sauce that was so good at yet another time. The tender bird won. Perfection with the freshly made tortillas and the Peruano Beans.
Tacos and tortas are tempting, but the super-sized burritos loaded with quality ingredients are real winners, so we often take one to go.
Plan on sitting amidst a full house of loyalists who already know about the friendly service and the addictiveness doled out by this kitchen.
Wokcano
Lunch and dinner
Tustin
3015 El Camino Real
(714) 508-4411
Santa Ana
2800 N. Main St.
(714) 480-8888Â
These are very interesting restaurants whose menus reflect Asian cuisines from a quartet of countries and a few American nods, as well. I have listed the address and phone for both locations in Orange County, but my references in this article are about the Tustin location, which I know better and whose menu is larger than the Santa Ana restaurant.
The Market Place on both sides of Jamboree at the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway is home to many kinds of restaurants and a natural draw, thus we often end up at that center.
Wokcano is only a few months old, and from the first visit, I have enjoyed the attractiveness, the way the bar/lounge has its own semiprivate space, the pleasant service, and the good food. Shiny wood floors, inviting seating, restful colors, and the open stainless steel-endowed kitchen along one whole wall make up the package.
The menu sports a big selection of sushi and sashimi, several varieties of oysters, six kinds of carpaccio, and a sprinkling of dim sum items—chicken- or pork-filled Xian Lom Pao soup dumplings, Kuo Teh pan-fried dumplings, Shu Mai (shrimp and pork) and Har Gow (shrimp). There are even half a dozen Asian soups.
A big section of the menu is dedicated to Chinese dishes. Order the Hunan Lamb Tenderloin, Roasted Eel on Fried Rice or Curry Chicken. Peking Duck Wrap (shredded duck, scallions, cucumbers, avocado, cilantro, and hoisin sauce) is a reorder for me. Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice combines silkiness and crunch with winning taste.
Japanese-style Shishito Peppers are addictive munchies. Tokyo Crab Fried Rice and the Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll suit me well.
The Korean Ribs, cross-cut and tender, satisfy. Traditional Pad Thai catches attention. Add in some vegetarian dishes for more reasons to enjoy Wokcano.
Village Mediterranean Rim
Dinner only
123 Avenida Del Mar
San Clemente
(949) 361-8970
This stylish little cafe is cozy, charming and intimate. It has kept our attention for 19 years, and during that time, I’ve eaten here with friends we wanted to introduce; with the president of one of our private resorts; with wine aficionados; and with entrenched Village Med fans.
Food with a staunch cultural background that satisfies the casual diner and hardened gourmets prevails, and we all know the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. A meal might take us to Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, or California.
Owner/chef Nour Tillo says, “I look at it as a blessing to be able to keep creating food that pleases customers. I am at peace with it, despite all the challenges and the long hours it takes to keep it going.”
He reinvents classic dishes from the West to the East of the Mediterranean. He’s in our corner health-wise with grass-fed, hormone-free beef, lamb and game; fresh sustainable products; seasonal organic vegetables; free-range poultry; and fresh seafood.
Tagines (Moroccan stews) are just finding their way on scattered restaurant menus. Nour has been way ahead of the trend for years with a steady presence among various savory versions on his menus. I relish their rather exotic profile.
His tender Lamb Osso Buco has a long, slow-cooking span. The interest factor also checks in with Antelope Short Ribs; Ravioli made with wild boar sausage and wild mushrooms; Village Chicken with walnuts, organic vegetables and Moroccan curry; steaks and more.
Nour continues his hospitality by allowing us to make our own tasting menu of various courses rather than just one big entree.
The wine list has finds that perfectly match the food and are stories unto themselves, showing that Nour is passionate about the whole experience.
