Gyu-Kaku, a new do-it-yourself
Japanese BBQ restaurant in Huntington Beach, is
offering 50% off its meats, except Kobe beef and
seafood, until Nov. 30. Regular-priced meals
typically cost $20-$30 per person.
Light eats after Thanksgiving,
please
1.
Salads. The ones at Rutabegorz come in such big
bowls, you could share one with a friend.
2.
Banh Mi. Vietnamese
sandwiches that are super-cheap (typically,
$1.50-$3) and low on grease. Try the ones at Zon
Baguettes, 14081 Newport Ave., Tustin.
3.
Smoothies. Jamba Juice still
does it the best. If you're in Fountain Valley,
you can try the yogurt-free ones at Banana Cabana.
Dozens of new eateries open in Orange County every month. While
we can't keep track of all of them, SqueezeOC is pleased to present
New Restaurant Roundup, a periodic feature to provide basic
information on some of the newly opened restaurants and cafes around
the county.
This roundup is simply informative and not meant to be a
recommendation or endorsement of any of these businesses. These are
not full reviews of the restaurants; we'd like you to
provide us with those.
Owner: Chef Joachim Splichal's Patina Restaurant
Group
Who's the chef: Executive Chef Mark Gold
Details: The comparisons between the new concert hall
at Orange County Performing Arts Center and Walt Disney Hall in Los
Angeles are strengthened with the opening of a Splichal restaurant
here, too. The glass-walled restaurant is airy and comfortable, a
lovely place to enjoy the delicate, Asian-influenced dishes
conceived by Gold, who was executive chef at Splichal's Café Pinot
for five years before this. The sublime morsels of raw fish, the
buttery cuts of beef (Japanese and American) – all of it melts in
your mouth. Gold is bursting with ideas for new menu items inspired
by a recent trip to Japan; watch for the addition of some fresh tofu
dishes, and eventually, Gold may try making his own tofu,
incorporating surprising, flavorful ingredients. A world-class
restaurant that befits a world-class performing arts venue. Opened
Oct. 19.
Worth a try: Chef's Tasting Menu (5 courses $65, six
$75) to get a good sampling of the seafood and meat dishes.
— Iris Yokoi
Details: After being laid off from his role as an
international pilot for American Airlines a few years ago, Conrecode
needed a new venture to keep him busy. He hadn't exactly planned on
opening a restaurant, but when the opportunity arose, he took it.
His reasoning went back to seeing a need and filling it. In this
case, it was a lack of warm and friendly Mediterranean restaurants
in Newport Beach. Aurora, near the Newport Pier and directly across
the street from Woody's Wharf, has the feel of a cozy pub, but with
high-tech touches like several flat-panel TVs and Wi-Fi access. The
fare, from traditionals such hummus and baba ganouj to orange curry
shrimp, is artfully presented and nicely-priced. At $18, even the
filet mignon won't bust budgets. As for the new career, Conrecode is
relishing it: "My dad owned a restaurant in Ohio, so I guess it's in
the blood." Opened in July.
Worth a try: Filet mignon, tabbouleh ($5.25).
— Matt Degen
Details: The Cajun menu and theme has been stripped
away from this cozy downtown Seal Beach space. There's an
intelligent wine list with many selections by the glass, and the
chef and owners have put together a menu of steaks, chops and
seafood with enough California and fusion influences to keep it
interesting. Meat-eaters will love the 16-ounce bone-in rib-eye
($29), with a sear that chars just a bit, seals in a great
charcoal-y flavor and keeps it juicy inside, and the well-seasoned
baby lamb chops ($26), six on a plate, not over-grilled, still
tender. Phelps also has a way with smoked duck salad ($10): thin,
savory slices atop spinach, pecans, dried cranberries, poached pears
and Gorgonzola, drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette. That with a
good glass of pinot noir would be the perfect winter midday meal if
the restaurant ever opens for lunch. Opened May 2.
(Also) Worth a try: Bourbon sea scallops appetizer
($12); Tuna Tartare Tower ($12); creme brulee trio ($7);
Grasshoppers dessert ($7, crushed Oreos topped with chocolate mint
ice cream, warm Belgian chocolate sauce and whipped cream).
— Anne Valdespino
Details: This unassuming meatery, located in a
vintage '80s Yorba Linda strip mall (aren't they all?), won't
disappoint you. This is owner/chef Vendejo's maiden voyage, and he
serves up stick-to-your-pancreas type food done for the more
discerning palate. The menu isn't overwhelming, but has just the
right stuff on it, including pasta dishes, veal, lamb, pork and
yeah, steak. Good steak. The sauce is even better. The filet mignon
has a scrumptious cabernet sauce – mild, with just a slight tang.
Goes well with a cab, I imagine, but the Dancing Bull zinfandel I
had with the meal did it justice, too. The food here is the highest
priority, with tasty soup creations such as butternut squash and
corn chowder. The décor, a kind of cozy bistro casual, is
comfortable, not extravagant, and the service is just ever so
slightly over-attentive. Wear slacks and a nice shirt. No jacket
required. One note: The chef likes cracked pepper. A lot. Opened in
July.
Worth a try: Gnocchi ($12.95), tiger prawns Scampi
style ($9.95), filet mignon ($27.95) — Steve K.
Zylius
Details: Park and her three children moved from
Changwon, Korea, about five years ago. After working at several
businesses, Park took over an Asian eatery and turned it into a
casual, simply-decorated Korean noodle restaurant in August. Park
makes her own dough flakes (like chopped-up noodles) for soup, and
doesn't use MSG. In addition to traditional Korean noodles, porridge
and soup items, Park also sells teriyaki meat-and-rice bowls common
in many takeout Asian restaurants.
Worth a try: Dough flakes (with seafood, mugwort or
potato, $6.95), miso noodle soup ($6.95). — Jit Fong
Chin
Details: Lindsay Smith-Rosales grew up in Laguna
Beach in a vegetarian household with a mother who worked as an
Ayurvedic naturopath. Although she now eats meat, Smith-Rosales
still uses organic produce and carefully balances her ingredients so
that they aren't overwhelmed by heavy sauces. The chef trained at
Orange Coast College and worked six years in the kitchen and at the
front of the house at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, where she met
her husband, Luis Rosales. The couple started a catering business in
2000 and took over P.M. Bistro to open Nirvana Grille on July 20.
The 50-seat restaurant is simply furnished: white tablecloths,
ceiling-to-floor curtains, tiled floor. New chairs and a patio are
forthcoming. It's dim and intimate enough for a date, though if
you're looking for a scene, you should go elsewhere – on a recent
Wednesday visit, the restaurant was patronized by merry 50-something
ladies and satiated-looking seniors. Hawaiian shirts OK, but not
flip-flops.
Worth a try: Nirvana green salad ($3.95-$6.95),
lump crab cakes ($9.50), pistachio-crusted Chilean sea bass
($26.95), sun-dried tomato-crusted rack of lamb
($28.95). —Jit Fong Chin
Details: Tony Amini opened his first Alessio
restaurant in San Fernando Valley's West Hills in 1995, followed by
restaurants in Northridge and Thousand Oaks. The Laguna Niguel
location, opened on July 14, is Amini's first venture in Orange
County. While all restaurants in the mini-chain serve Italian food,
they vary in ambience. For Laguna Niguel, Amini went for a clubby,
Vegas feel with over-the-top touches like frescoes on the ceiling,
to draw nightlife-seekers from the region. Half of the 300 seats are
in the lounge and at the glass-topped bar. Live bands perform salsa,
pop and jazz on Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Alessio is in a
shopping center, but go dressy if you want to impress.
Owners: Ralph “Rick” Douglas II and his wife,
Lucy
Who are the chefs: Rick and Lucy Douglas
Details:Walk into Rick's Secret Spot, which has
a bench but no indoor dining (there's one table outside), and the
sweet aroma of tangy barbecue sauce gurgling in 10-gallon pots
intoxicates. The takeout eatery is at the end of a cul-de-sac in a
hilly industrial park just a baseball toss away from San Diego
County. Proprietor Ralph “Rick” Douglas II lives in San Juan
Capistrano and ran a BBQ restaurant on Ortega Highway for four years
in the early 1990s. He takes a multiregional approach to barbecuing:
The chicken is cooked Kansas City style, with an emphasis on
tomatoes; smoked prime ribs are served south Texas style; ribs are
done Memphis style. The pulled pork will please folks from North
Carolina. Rick's Secret Spot has two amazing sauce choices that beg
to be licked off fingers, shirts, doorknobs: The Ricky Sauce is a
traditional red barbecue sauce, and the Rocky Sauce is a darker,
tangier version. Opened July 1.
Worth a try: Boxed lunch ($8.75), includes
cornbread, hot and sticky beans and choice of two sides, and either
three spareribs, two spareribs and a piece of chicken, or
one-quarter of a chicken; macadamia Dutch apple pie
($4) —Greg Hardesty
Details: Nguyen, former executive sous chef at
the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, opened this eatery-coffee shop on
Aug. 31 in the Oakbrook Village Shopping Center behind Trader Joe's.
The breakfast menu includes pancakes, waffles, steak and eggs, and
pho, the traditional Vietnamese beef soup that's served for
breakfast in Asia. The lunch menu features light fare including
fresh fish, salads, and sandwiches. A large table with bench seating
is centered in the dining room, able to accommodate large parties.
Diners can also enjoy their meal on the patio near the bubbling
fountain. Prices range from $5-$15. The breakfast tab for a party of
four hovers around $40, plus tip. The restaurant's adjacent coffee
shop offers a “quick stop” option, serving baked goods from muffins
to flourless chocolate cake, coffee drinks and cold beverages, and
sandwiches ($5).
Worth a try: Sticky bun ($5.50) – a sure bet for
those with a sweet tooth and time to dine in, and rich enough to be
shared. —Cynthia Rupe
Owner: Raj Syal, previously owned Tangy Tomato
in Fullerton and Masala Indian Bistro in Cerritos.
Who are the chefs: Jaswindar Parmar specializes
in Indian curries; Arturo Gonzalez specializes in Asian curries.
Details: After studying Indian cuisine in Bombay
(now Mumbai), Raj Syal traveled across the world, working for
caterers and cruise ships, and mastering European and Asian dishes.
Curry has always been a large part of Indian cuisine, but in his
travels Syal discovered curry is a staple in Chinese, Thai,
Malaysian, Japanese and other Asian foods. Nirvana restaurant aims
to blend the continent's traditions together to create pure culinary
bliss. Nirvana has an expansive buffet selection, with 24 dishes to
choose from, dessert and salad bars. Opened Aug. 28.
Worth a try: Samosa ($4.50), affonso mango
soufflé ($4.50), royal lassi ($4.50), everything in the buffet
($8.95). —Omar Chatriwala
OCTOBER UPDATE
Dozens of new eateries open in Orange County every month. While
we can't keep track of all of them, SqueezeOC offers this periodic
feature to provide basic information on some of the newly opened
restaurants and cafes around the county. Email your reviews and new
restaurant sightings to: contact@squeezeoc.com
Details: Gabbi grew up in the restaurant biz, managing her
parents' Mexican restaurants and studying the culinary arts at UCLA
and Greystone Culinary Academy. But her restaurant's authentic
recipes are based on what she learned traveling through Mexico, from
the Yucatan to Oaxaca. The menu is not the most extensive, as each
dish is hand-picked and carefully crafted. The interior is simple
and charming, the furniture custom-made in Guadalajara, and the
restaurant is constantly abuzz with customers. With only 16 tables,
call ahead and be prepared to wait for seating around dinner time.
Opened July 11.
Worth a try: Quesadilla Tropicales ($7); Tacos de
Camarones ( $11) —Omar Chatriwala
Owners: Doug Cavanaugh and Ralph Kosmides, the owners of
Ruby's Diners, plus additional investors.
Who's the chef: Jared "J.T." Walker
Details: When it comes to the beachfront dining, Doug
Cavanaugh and Ralph Kosmides are kings in Orange County with their
family-friendly, nostalgia-evoking Ruby's Diners. Now they've got
the Beachcomber Café, which opened Aug. 2 among the freshly restored
historic cottages in Crystal Cove State Park. Beachcomber aims to
project '20s-'40s idyll with its wood, marine-themed décor and old
photographs of beach vacationers. With the gorgeous ocean just steps
away, it's hard to go wrong. There are different menus for
breakfast, lunch and dinner, and while each isn't extensive, the
menus provide a good variety of flavors. Visitors park at the Los
Trancos parking lot off Pacific Coast Highway (south of Newport
Coast Drive), and take a 1933 Chevrolet bus-turned-shuttle for a
short ride to the beach. Or, you can walk through the tunnel under
PCH. Be warned: the wait can be as long as two hours at peak hours
Worth a try: Seared ahi salad ($13.95), tiny ahi tacos
($13.95), China Cove salad ($10.95), grilled swordfish ($23 for
dinner). —Jit Fong Chin
Owner: Masood Ghalami, also owner of Ristorante
Ferrantelli in Dana Point
Who's the chef: Tito Meire
Details: Owner Masood Ghalami's love of old European
cultures led him to buy an Italian restaurant 10 years ago, and now
he's turned to Spanish cuisine. Picante opened in May and
specializes in seafood and steak. Many recipes come from the home of
chef Tito Meire, who was recruited from Spain. The restaurant seats
over 180 in sumptuous interiors inspired by Spanish classical
design, and features 90 outdoor seats on a patio with a
waterfall/fire pit centerpiece. Full bar.
Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday-Sunday 10:30 a.m. to
10 p.m.
Owners: Diane Nguyen and daughters Chau Dang and Lisa Vo
Who's the chef: Nghia Dang (not related to Chau)
Details: The family that built the hugely successful
Little Saigon eatery Brodard on the simple, delectable Vietnamese
spring roll now offers a slightly more upscale dining experience.
The menu is a mix of reliably delicious Brodard favorites (i.e. the
nem nuong rolls and banh xeo crepe) with fresh new creations like
Chau's seared ahi spring rolls ($7.95) and prawn and mango salad
($17.95), and chilean sea bass curry (Mom Nguyen's recipe, $22.95).
Opened July 14.
Worth a try: In addition to the dishes mentioned, salmon
in parchment paper ($19.95); seafood curry ($12.95); Vietnamese
mojito cocktail ($7.95). —Iris Yokoi
Owner: Crystal Jade Corp., local owner is Irene
Mach
Who's the chef: Head chef is Danny Tang, Irene
and Mike Mach also supervise in the kitchen.
Details: Shady Canyon residents, you're in luck
– you now have a neighborhood restaurant in Quail Hill Village
Center that offers Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese, Thai and other
Asian dishes, including dim sum daily and a full bar for evening
cocktails. "Classic taste in contemporary ambience" is an apt slogan
for this lovely restaurant with good, reliable fare. The regular
menu offers traditional Asian favorites and signature dishes like
Peking duck (which requires 24 hours advance order) and lobster and
crab prepared in several different ways. An express lunch menu is
offered 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The dim sum list is not the most
extensive but offers plenty of satisfying traditional tastes. Happy
Hour 4:30-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with half-price appetizers
and a different drink special each day. Opened in August.
Worth a try: House special lobster ($17-$19 a
pound); for dim sum – the steamed BBQ pork buns ($2.20 for three),
shrimp fun gor dumplings ($3.20), rice noodle with shrimp ($3.20),
fried sesame balls with lotus paste filling ($2.20).
—Iris Yokoi
