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VIII by Selanne Unveils Summer Tasting Menu

07.23.26

VIII by Selanne, the intimate tasting-menu restaurant next to Selanne Steak Tavern, has introduced a new summer menu celebrating California's seasonal harvest through a multi-course dining experience.

Available for a limited time, the menu highlights premium seafood, locally sourced produce and expertly prepared meats, with each course designed to capture the freshness of summer and reflect VIII's contemporary approach to fine dining.

Executive Chef Vince Terusa and his team open the experience with an assortment of canapés, including king crab tartelette, beef tartare and pomme dauphine, before moving into California Coastline, a seafood trio of bay scallop, bluefin tuna toro and Misty Point oyster. Inspired by VIII's oceanfront setting, the opening courses pay homage to Laguna Beach's coastline and Southern California's abundant seafood.

Seasonal produce takes center stage in the Summer Vegetables course, featuring Jimmy Nardello peppers with labneh and house-baked focaccia. The menu continues with California seabass, charred fennel and preserved apricot, followed by handkerchief pasta with sweet summer corn, squash and ricotta.

Entrées include pork secreto with pineapple, Anaheim romesco and guajillo jus, and dry-aged rib loin with cherry, torpedo onion, celeriac custard and pepper jus. The tasting concludes with a peach profiterole featuring champagne caramel, raspberry gel and almond anglaise, a bright finish inspired by California's stone fruit season.

Each course is paired with VIII's signature wine selections, curated by Advanced Sommelier Vito Pasquale. Highlights include Klein Constantia Blanc de Blanc from South Africa, a Riesling tasting, Reverdito Pelaverga 2023 from Italy, Granbazán Albariño 2025 from Spain, La Rioja Alta Reserva 2020 from Spain, a special Judgment of Paris tasting and Miles Madeira 1988 to close the evening.

Together, Terusa's seasonal cuisine and Pasquale's wine pairings reflect VIII by Selanne's philosophy of showcasing exceptional ingredients through globally inspired cuisine, all while celebrating the coastal beauty of Laguna Beach.

VIII by Selanne is located at 1464 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach. 949-715-9881.

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One Night, Five Courses, and a Top Chef Canada Champion at Balboa Bay Resort

07.20.26

Balboa Bay Resort is bringing something special to Newport Beach this summer. On Thursday, Aug. 6, the resort will host an intimate chef's dinner with Coulson Armstrong, winner of Top Chef Canada and Culinary Director of Toronto's Our House Hospitality. Tickets are $415.90 per person and available on Eventbrite and at balboabayresort.com.

Armstrong is one of Canada's most compelling culinary voices. He serves as Executive Chef of the celebrated Prime Seafood Palace, where he works alongside restaurateur Matty Matheson, and his Season 12 win on Top Chef Canada earned him fans well beyond the industry. But what shaped his cooking most was a decision he made at the height of his early success: he walked away from it all and spent three years traveling the world.

During that time, he staged at Noma in Copenhagen and State Bird Provisions in California, explored flavors across Southeast Asia and New Zealand, and built the relationships with farmers, fishers and producers that still define how he cooks today. "For me, this work always comes back to one idea: get the best possible ingredient, then respect it enough to leave it alone," says Armstrong. "That respect starts upstream, with the farmers, fishers, and producers I've built relationships with over years, the people who make great food possible long before I ever touch it. Each course in this menu is an exercise in clarity, technique in service of the ingredient and never the other way around, every element sourced with intention."

The five-course menu reflects that philosophy from the first bite. The evening opens with a Crab and Asparagus Tartlet and Cured Pickerel on Toast, then moves through a Shrimp Chawanmushi, an Eggplant Parmigiana with sesame crust and Thai basil, and a pasta course of Littleneck Clams with smoked bacon and chives. The centerpiece is Armstrong's Grande Tournedos Rossini, the beef tenderloin with king crab, caviar, foie gras and black truffle that became one of the signature moments of his Top Chef Canada championship run. A vegetarian option is available. The meal closes with a Maple Tart with maple custard and fresh cream, a nod to his Canadian roots. Wine pairings are included throughout.

Balboa Bay Resort is the only Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond waterfront resort in Newport Beach. An evening like this, on the water, with a chef of Armstrong's caliber, is a rare one for OC diners.

Image credit: Our House Hospitality

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