MESA’S Shining Starr

September 24, 2014

Easily one of the chicest, lounge-like restaurants--the retractable open air ceiling, nightly entertainment and ambience is incredible--in Orange County, MESA at the Camp in Costa Mesa, is also a great dining spot with a new Executive Chef Niki Starr Weyler who has worked in some of the best kitchens in OC, including French 75, Charlie Palmer’s and Broadway by Amar Santana. Chef Niki is slowly incorporating at taste of Niki to the menu, while keeping the die hard favorites that MESA regulars love, such as the tempura green beans served with eel and green goddess dipping sauce, margherita pizza, house…

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Urban Seoul 2.0 at Irvine Spectrum Center

September 04, 2014

Urban Seoul, a popular Korean fusion restaurant just opened its second location in Orange County, at Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine. Its original location opened two years ago at Diamond Jamboree in Irvine. Local restaurateurs Bronnie Lee and Chef Kacy Jun’s are inspired by SoCal’s culinary melting pot at Urban Seoul 2.0 with popular dishes blending flavors of Asia and Mexico, and a nod to the street food scene. All dishes cost $10 or less which considering the ingredients, amazing dishes, and modern ambience, is a great deal. Some of our favorite dishes include the chorizo fried rice; Wagyu Loco…

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Spiciest City

August 29, 2014

We just discovered Spicy City in Anaheim Hills, an upscale Chinese restaurant with both American style Chinese foods and traditional Szechuan dishes to satisfy all tastes. The Anaheim Hills location was formerly Mandarin Taste and is now owned by Tony Xu who hails from Hunan, China. He's bringing a love for his mother’s cooking to Spicy City. He also has a location in Irvine on Culver Drive. Whether you want to stop by for a lunch buffet or order off the lunch and dinner menu, you can dine on Chinese favorites such as egg rolls, hot and sour soup, Kung…

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Posh and Delicious Indian Cuisine

August 20, 2014

The award-winning Tamarind of London at Crystal Cove Promenade isn’t just the most visually stunning contemporary Indian restaurant in OC, it’s also the sister restaurant to the Michelin ranked flagship location in London. And thanks to their wildly talented Executive Chef Imran Ali, a leader in the Modern Indian Cuisine movement who visits India every year to meditate and charge his culinary creativity, the menu offerings are delectable, some are vegetarian, vegan, gluten and dairy free. Even Los Angeles Times’ restaurant critic, Jonathan Gold named it the “Best Indian Food” of 2013 in Southern California. Chef Imran’s journeys inspire his…

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Elevated Mexican Cuisine in OC

August 20, 2014

Taco Maria, the one time famed taco food truck that easily served the best tacos in Orange County and beyond (we’ll never forget the roasted pumpkin tacos), has been on a metamorphosis ever since it opened its first brick and mortar restaurant at SoCo in Costa Mesa last August. With a Chef/Owner like Carlos Salgado, whose culinary career included working at Coi in San Francisco, and opening Michelin starred restaurant Commis in Oakland, he was destined to expand his culinary genius beyond tacos. It’s been a year of Chef Selgado preparing his self-proclaimed “Chicano cuisine” influenced by Mexican and American…

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