Get Schooled at Culinary Lab Cooking School!

So anyone who knows me knows that I not only love to eat, but I love to cook! I've taken classes at just about every place in Orange County (and even some in LA) that offers cooking classes. Some have been great and some have been not so great. What makes a stellar cooking class? IMHO it's 1) a good teacher who knows how to talk to the students in plain English not "chef" speak, 2) a well stocked facility with sufficient amenities to support the size of the class, and 3) practical recipes that appeal to different levels of cooking knowledge so that everyone will actually feel like they could successfully recreate them at home.  

Culinary Lab (CL) moved over to their new Tustin location in late 2016 and I'd heard nothing but positive things about their cooking classes. I was beyond thrilled to be invited to attend one of their classes, and felt even more lucky to attend a special event one with Chef Shachi as the guest teacher. I've actually taken a few cooking classes with Chef Shachi at her restaurant in Anaheim so I knew I couldn't lose either way, as she's a not just a fabulous Chef but a great teacher. The class I took with Chef Shachi was the first in Culinary Lab's series of local OC Chefs that they are featuring for the month of March.

The first thing that stood out upon walking into CL is how modern and updated the space is - with a gorgeous bar on one end and a very sleek modern teaching area taking up the majority of the classroom. This facility used to be a Mimi's Cafe Testing Kitchen and I'm guessing it didn't look like this before CL took it over! 

Adjacent to the classroom/bar area is the actual teaching kitchen. Laid out with modern stoves along one side and tables for the students on the other side. Everything was very well laid out and made for a great easy cooking experience.

Chef Shachi started the class with a brief intro and overview in the classroom and then we jumped right into hands-on cooking in the kitchen. Our menu consisted of four traditional Indian dishes which seemed to be just the right amount for a three hour cooking class. Right away, Chef Shachi got everyone involved showing us not just how to mix the ingredients together but starting with the basics of how to properly toast spices to get the right flavors in the recipes. 

Having taken a lot of cooking classes in the past, I know it can be tough for Chefs teaching home cooks as the skills are so varied amongst the students. She handled it really well by keeping those of us who were more experienced well engaged with the cooking while teaching some of the more beginner students a few basic skills (i.e. how to cut an onion) at a smaller table. Even so, I think everyone felt she gave us all the just the right amount of attention.

I also really appreciated how Chef taught us how to tell when things are done by touch, taste and smell. Too often in classes I've taken they focus on timing to tell you when something is done but experience has shown that's not always the best way to tell doneness. I found it really helpful that she made a point of making sure everyone got a chance to taste their food at various stages of doneness so they became familiar with how it should taste and smell at each point. 

All the food came out fabulous (as I knew it would!) and it was a nice touch that everyone got to also plate their dishes for presentation before we sat down to eat them in the classroom. Here are the four delicious dishes we made: 

Kadai Cauliflower

Mango & Cucumber Raita

Coconut Ginger Shrimp

Green Bean Sesame Salad

Overall, I found the class to be very engaging and well presented while also just a lot of fun! Although the class I took was taught by a guest Chef who doesn't teach there on a regular basis, everyone at CL from the Chef assistants to the staff in the reception area were extremely helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. 

I was very impressed with Culinary Lab as a whole and look forward to taking more classes in the future!

As I mentioned, in the month of March Culinary Lab is hosting some local OC Chefs as guest teachers. These are some serious names in the OC culinary scene folks! The remaining classes for this series are:

Saturday, March 18th: Chef Cathy Pavlos is doing a class on California Cuisine. Chef Cathy is a local OC rockstar with her wonderful restaurant Provenance in Newport Beach. She also owned and operated longtime favorite (but recently closed) Lucca Café in Irvine for many years.

Saturday, March 25th: Chef Jason Montelibano is doing a class on the very hot at the moment Filipino food! Chef Jason recently returned to the yummy Chapter One in the trendy downtown Santa Ana from which he had taken a break for a few years to cook at EATS Kitchen in Irvine. 

They both sound like amazing not-to-be-missed classes! You can find out more info about these classes, as well as all the other classes Culinary Lab offers on their website here: http://www.culinarylabschool.com/

Culinary Lab is located at 17231 E. 17th Street #B in Tustin. 714/788-3576

Professional Culinary Program

Although I took a class that is for the home chefs, I happened to get partnered with a student from the Professional Program who was taking this home chef class for fun. This worked out well for me as I was able to ask her quite a few questions about the program and I have to say it really sounds like a fabulous program that focuses on real world practical experience. Having more than a few Chef friends, I know that a top complaint about many culinary programs is not enough real world experience that can be applied to getting a job after graduation.  Apparently, in their short time in the OC, Culinary Lab has made it a priority to establish meaningful partnerships with some of the best restaurants in the county to get their people into paid internships and obtain that crucial real world experience. I'd highly recommend anyone thinking about going into the culinary field take a good look at Culinary Lab as they really seem to be one step ahead of other schools in this area.

New Restaurant Review: Recess Room in Fountain Valley

I love the backstory of how the "Recess Room" came to be - apparently, five Fountain Valley childhood friends came up with the concept of running a restaurant together while in grammar school and now as adults are making their dream come alive. Hence, the name 'recess room' which lends itself quite nicely to the overall playful feel of the restaurant.

Although I had very high hopes, I admittedly didn't come away floored but I also didn't come away entirely disappointed either.  Truthfully, I think "Recess Room" has a lot of potential but definitely still has some kinks to work out. Hopefully in the future they'll do just that and this place will be a true destination for OC foodies.

The first kink I ran into was making the reservation. I had emailed them through their website - there's an online form to put in your information, desired time, etc. that you submit online - which I had done. I even received an email saying they got my request and someone would be in touch. Nobody was ever in touch. I called them the morning of to check on the status of my request and a really nice lady told me she didn't remember seeing the reservation email. A tad bit annoying but regardless, they were able to get me in at my desired time of 7:15 on a Friday night so I figured no harm, no foul. I highly suggest you not risk it with the online system though and just pick up a phone to call if you want to make sure to grab a res here. I wouldn't go without one though as they were turning away walk-ins with an hour long wait on the night we were there.

Upon first entrance, you'll definitely notice that it has a hip fun vibe to it with a modern industrial-ish décor with lots of reclaimed wood finishes which exude a cozy warmth - perfect for this cold night we were there. The restaurant also has lots of fun artwork and playful décor throughout. All in all a nice ambiance. 

Apparently, Recess Room does not have a full bar yet - although word on the street is the liquor license has been approved and should be up and running soon! They do have beer/wine and what they call mocktails - which are non-alcoholic but they can add vodka or whiskey to them I was informed. I ordered one of these called "A Periwinkle in Time" which was a mix of lavender lemonade and coconut water.  It was super tasty and not overly sweet as some lavender cocktails tend to be...I would definitely order this again on a future visit. They seemed to have a pretty good selection of beer and wine as well with several offered by the glass.

At first glance the menu is almost overwhelming with a huge selection of dishes broken out into 5 categories - greens, starters, between bread, mains and  sweets (a.k.a. dessert). We asked our waiter for guidance on the menu and he was very helpful in giving us an idea of the size of the dishes, how many we should order and also pointed out a few of this favorites. The menu definitely hits many of the current food trends including brussel sprouts, avocado toast,  foie gras, bone marrow macaroni, wagyu tartare, and even an elote - which seems to be popping up on every menu of late. Wanting to compare apples to apples we of course ordered a few of these including the bone marrow macaroni & cheese, the elote and the foie gras. We also ordered a few of the more unique sounding dishes including the mussels, the crab pasta and the steak.  

Our first dish to arrive was the "DIY elote" - which came with 4 half cobs (hence, the DIY part) and smears of two aiolis accompanied by lines of cilantro, bacon & cotija cheese.  This was all served on a lovely wooden platter that was the size of a butcher block cutting board. Not a good choice for our tiny table for two, especially when the other food started to arrive which it all did at once. We literally had to put our drinks and used plates on the window ledge to make room for it all. As for the corn it was nice idea to be able to DIY and prepare it yourself but a tad cumbersome to have it on the cob. Our waiter saw us struggling and brought us a steak knife and suggested we cut it off the cob and mix it with the sauces and bacon on the platter. We eventually ended up doing this and while it was not very pretty it was definitely easier to eat, with the same yummy ending taste result. I really did like the flavors of this dish as the corn was cooked perfectly and the aioli's, in particulate the lime zest aioli was divine. Even so,I don't think I would order this dish again as it was a lot of work and very messy to coat the cob then dip it in the bacon, take a bite then do it all over again for another bite. I'd be more inclined to order it again if it came to the table previously mixed together.

The timing of the food was definitely off as I mentioned, almost everything (except the elote) came out at once. I was under the impression, the 'starters' would come out first then the 'mains' but they all came at the same time which made it a tad difficult as the two person tables are quite small. Not to mention we worried about some of the dishes getting cold like the steak while we ate the starter dishes. 

One of the first dishes I tried was the foie gras monsieur which is essentially their version of a croque monsieur -  listed as foie gras on squid ink toast with prosciutto, zucchini squash, etorki & idiazabal cheese. It also comes with a cup of jam which they recommend you dip it into. I took one bite and knew something was wrong. I am a card carrying foie gras fanatic who orders it anytime I see it on the menu and this was most definitely foie gras gone bad. We called over what we thought was a waiter but turned out to be one of the partners/owners who at first told us he could comp us a dessert, but couldn't take it off the bill as it was already made. However, he came back to the table a few minutes later and told us he had tried a bite of the uneaten other half and that yes, something was wrong and he would take it off our bill. I was still a little bummed as the combination sounded interesting but I wasn't daring enough to try a second order - not knowing exactly what was causing the foie gras to have such an 'off' taste. I did appreciate him trying it himself and taking it off our bill.

The next dish we tried was the jumbo crab pasta which proved to be one of our favorites of the evening. It came atop squid ink noodles and was dressed with a sinfully delicious beurre blanc cheese and chili sauce. It was just the right amount of buttery goodness and heat to go with the large chunks of fresh crab. I also liked that they served it with a large half slice of grilled lemon which we squeezes at the table before eating - it added a real freshness to the dish. Smart move on their part to not add it in the kitchen and instead let it be the finishing touch before you taste it. Yum!

We also ordered the bone marrow mac and cheese (apparently it was a double pasta night for us!) and I have to admit that while the mac and cheese itself was tasty with a nice kick and a creamy cheese sauce, I was a bit disappointed with the presentation of this dish. From the description, I anticipated that the bone marrow would be somehow dispersed in the mac n cheese. Instead it was basically an adornment on the dish. We assumed this was another DIY dish so we scooped it out of the bone and tried to swish it around the mac n cheese. Unfortunately for us, it wasn't hot enough to really meld into the rest of the dish and ended up being sort of a few small blobs here and there in the dish. This may have been our fault as perhaps we should've eaten this dish first but there was no direction given when the dish was served. All in all, I wouldn't dissuade anyone from ordering it as it's quite tasty but not sure the bone marrow actually added anything to the mac n cheese since it's almost like two separate dishes served together.

My friend & I both agreed that our two hands down favorite dishes were the steak and the mussels.  The mussels were served tom kha kai style in a bright lemongrass coconut sauce with hints of ginger and lime. I could've had just this dish for dinner and been extremely happy. The mussells were also cooked to perfection and cleaned well with not a sandy grit in sight. The steak was a hangar steak cooked to a perfectly pink medium rare (as we ordered) and served with some charred baby okra, jalapenos and sautéed mushrooms. Also hiding in the sauce was a raw egg yolk which threw us off at first. We had to ask the waiter how we were to eat it and he said to mix it into the sauce to add some creaminess. We did this and I have to say it was a divine addition and added a hint of richness to the sauce that went perfectly with the steak. I HIGHLY recommend both of these dishes.

For dessert we tried the Hot Date Cake which was a moist yet dense date cake covered in a silky toffee caramel sauce with a huge mound of whip cream and pistachios. No complaints on this one as it delivered everything it promised and was pretty darn delicious. I also liked that it's something unique that I haven't seen too often at other places while still being very tasty. They are also known for their fluffer nutter which we saw go by our table many times as it's quite the popular menu item but we wanted something a little lighter to end our meal. Next time! ;)

All in all, I think Recess Room is worth a visit although I might hold off maybe a little longer til they work out a few more of the kinks, plus it will also give them time to get that alcohol license working and in place! They've only been open since October so haven't even hit the 6 month mark yet.  I enjoyed many of the dishes and even though the overall menu has a lot of somewhat typical trendy dishes, there were enough unique dishes that make it worth a visit if you're looking for something new to try. Ironically, the more unique dishes were the ones that we enjoyed the most and that stood out to us at the end of the meal.

Recess Room is located at 18380 Brookhurst Ave in Fountain Valley. 

Hours: open for dinner only as of now, 5:30-10pm

Phone: 714/377-0398

website: http://therecessroom.com/

Mix Mix Kitchen

Visited the new Mix Mix Kitchen in Santa Ana and although I didn't quite find the Filipino flavors I thought would be there, the food was still a complete knockout!

Being a big fan of Leatherby's I was beyond excited to try out Chef Ross Pangilinan's new venture. I went on a Thursday night w three friends, the week after the grand opening (which I unfortunately missed) and was surprised to see the dining room was more than half empty. We had a reservation but opted to sit at a high top in the bar area as it appeared to be a little more lively.

I started my meal with the "Take Me Back" cocktail which was a refreshing and tasty mix of vodka, lavender bitters, Asian pear shrub, lemon-lime and was garnished with thyme and a pear chip. I didn't get a chance to try any of the other drinks but if this is any indication, it's pretty clear some serious thought went into the yummy drinks here. 

Upon initially perusing the food menu we were pleasantly surprised to see that based on the descriptions alone we pretty much wanted to order the entire menu. Every item sounded more amazing than the previous one, and being that it's mostly a shared style menu we ordered a variety of items to share and try. 

While waiting for our drinks/food to arrive, they brought over a plate of crispy fried pork skins. Holy moly, these were divine!  I think they refilled our dish three times before our food came. Regrettably, I didn't get a pic of these as at the time I thought 'oh, pork skins' not 'OH, PORK SKINS!" Next time promise to snatch a photo of these tasty morsels...

The first dish to come out of the kitchen was the cheese steak fries. These were billed as being topped with a homemade cheese whiz sauce (reason enough to order them) and oxtail. How can you go wrong with that combination? No surprise that they were absolutely fabulous. Perfectly crispy fries served hot outta the fryer topped with a lusciously smooth cheese sauce and speckled with tender strips of oxtail and fresh scallions. I could've eaten this dish alone as my entree and been a happy girl.

Just a note that the portion was also pretty large for being billed as a 'snack' on the menu. We easily shared this between the four of us with even a few fry crumbs left - no cheese or oxtail mind you. ;)

We also ordered the albacore tostadas. These were admittedly small but in fairness they were from the 'snack menu' and priced at a more than reasonable $8 for two.

We ordered one per person which was perfect. We were actually quite happy we didn't try to share one order amongst the four of us as after we dug into them we were all oohing and ahhing at the great flavor. They were the perfect combination of orange peppery fresh albacore topped with cilantro, light ginger and a scantly spiced sauce - all on a palate pleasing lightly fried crunchy tostada. Yum!

As much as we liked the first two previous dishes, everyone's hand down favorite dish was the seared foie gras with the crispy sweet bunuelo and the seared pineapple skewer. This was sooo good that we ended up ordering six orders for the four of us. Yes... it was THAT good.

I couldn't resist odering the soft egg raviolo as I love the combination of pasta, brown butter with a creamy egg yolk. It was delicious with the soft egg inside oozing out perfectly over the pasta and mixing with the crispy guanciale, all coated in the perfectly cooked brown butter sauce. It was so good and even though I devoured the whole thing by myself, it could easily be shared with a friend as it is a bit of a rich dish - albeit delicious.

The hanger steak with potato espuma and shallot marmalade was our final dish of the evening. Cooked perfectly medium rare with a lovely sear it was quite tasty, if perhaps a smidge on the salty side.

The espuma took a minute to get used as it had a smooth texture reminiscent of baby food, beyond a puree. Eventually, the texture of the scallions and the shallot marmalade helped to acclimate my palate to it but I do have to admit of all the dishes, this was probably my least favorite. My dining partners agreed. 

We ended the night with the tropical verrine...a panacotta with a mix of lychee, passion fruit,coconut and macadamia nuts. This was the perfect little ending to a somewhat heavy meal - admittedly by choice. 

I have to say I was very impressed with Mix Mix and the Chef himself. Chef Ryan came out and greeted us warmly, asking how we liked the food. I recognized him right away and had to express how happy we were with the meal. You could see how proud he was to hear this, and truthfully his pride is evident in the care shown on each of the dishes. I am hoping for great things from Mix Mix and look forward to the day when I can't get a seat even in the bar. ;)

Mix Mix Kitchen is located at 300 N. Main Street in downtown Santa Ana.
They're open Tuesday - Saturday for dinner only and Sundays for brunch only.
For a reservation, call: (714) 836-5158
Website: http://www.mixmixkitchenbar.com/

Sea Fare 2016  - it's almost here!

Support the Aquarium of the Pacific while enjoying delectable dishes from some of Long Beach's best restaurants coupled with free flowing libations (a.k.a. an open bar folks!) -- all while dancing the night away to a great DJ and, the best part of all is you get to explore the aquarium without the normal crowds! How you ask? By attending the Aquarium's annual Sea Fare event! Money from the event goes toward education, ocean conservation & the animal care programs so you can even feel fabulous about indulging! 

Sea Fare takes place THIS Saturday, October 22nd from 7-11pm at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

VIP is already sold out (gotta act fast on those!) but General Admission Tickets are still available AND are going fast so get your tickets fast before it sells out completely!

Participating restaurants include well known local establishments like Delius, the Federal Bar, Kincaid's, Gladstones, The Attic & many more! Make sure to bring your appetite and your stretchy pants too! ;) 

Check out the full list here: Participating Restaurants

Trust me folks.. this is an event you don't want to miss! When else can you eat, drink & dance with the fishes while feeling great that you're helping further the mission of a great institution like the Aquarium of the Pacific!  Get your tickets soon!!

Tickets:http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/give/seafare 

 

 

#AquariumPacific #LBC #LongBeachEvents #OCEvents #AOP

Taste of Laguna 2016

Taste of Laguna

Tix are still available for the annual Taste of Laguna on 

Wednesday, September 21st but hurry cuz 
prices go up by $20 on 9/21!

It's NO secret Laguna Beach is a hotbed of great dining with some of the best restaurants in Orange County so what better way to sample 35+ of them than at this fabulous event?! Just take a look at the list of wonderful restaurants participating: 

Alessa, Argaux, BJ's, Broadway by Amar Santana, Driftwood Kitchen, Fresh Brothers, Gelson's, GG's Bistro, Harvest Restaurant/The Ranch, Kitchen in the Canyon, K'ya Bistro, Laguna Beach Beer Company, Laguna Beach Brewery & Grille, Las Brisas, Lumberyard, Mastro's Ocean Club, Mosaic Bar & Grille, Mozambique, Okura Robata Grill & Sushi Bar, Organic Cellar Wines, Rasta Taco, Rooftop Lounge, Royal Hawaiian, Rugg Family Wines, Sergio's Empanadas, Skyloft, Splashes, Starfish Laguna, Tivoli Too, Tommy Bahama, Tortilla Republic, Urth Caffe, Whole Foods Market

The event will take place at the beautiful Tivoli Too! in Laguna Beach and will feature local musicians, auctions, a photobooth and lots of fun under the twinkling lights in this evening under the stars. 

Advance tickets are ONLY $65 and include all tastes! Tix can be purchased on the Chamber's website: LagunaBeachChamber.org, “events” tab; or contact the Chamber at (949) 494-1018.  

A VIP package is also available for $85, which includes early entrance at 4:30PM, adjacent parking, and a VIP cocktail line.  Tickets on the day of the event and at the door will be $85 and $105 so buy your tickets NOW before the price goes up! Note: You must be 21 or over to attend, photo ID required. Tivoli Too! is located at 777 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. 

#tasteoflaguna #tol16

New Restaurant Review: Irenia in Santa Ana

Stopped by the new Philipino restaurant Irenia last month and of course, had to bring along a Philipina friend to give me her opinion on the authenticity of the flavors. Admittedly, most of my previous experience with Philipino food was at the chicken adobo level. That, and the occasional lumpia that co-workers have brought into the office throughout the years. Both of which I really liked and helped to nudge me to want to try Irenia - which bills itself as 'soulful Philipino cooking'. 

In case you don't know the backstory of Irenia, it started as a Pop-Up concept in early 2015 - several highly regarded dinners were held which led to earning a 9th spot on Eater LA’s 21 Hottest Restaurants in Orange County in summer of 2015. Eventually, in early 2016 Irenia, the permanent restaurant was born!

One of the first thing I noticed about Irenia is the space itself has really been brightened up from it's former Crosby & North Left days. I was fan of both of those restaurants and frequented them often. I was sad to see them both disappear but have to say I immeditally appreciated the bright updated warm feel of Irenia's decor. 

Our first surprise of the evening came with of all things the cocktails! We were presented with a really unique and well thought out menu of amazing sounding cocktails. Not sure what I was expecting but just didn't think a Philipino restaurant would have such modern unique cocktails. We wasted no time in ordering several and I have to say each one we tried was almost better than the last -- all very refreshing and well put together with just the right combination of flavors. My favorite ended up being the Supper Club and the Bottle Rocket but I don't think you can wrong with any of them here folks!

The menu here is small but pretty comprehensive - separating menu dishes into snacks (i.e. appetizers), small plates and entrees. Myself and my two friends opted to share and pretty much ordered almost everything on the menu. Be aware though that the menu does change as often as daily so it may be different when you visit but from my obsessive monitoring of the menu it appears some of the more popular dishes make constant appearances on the menu. ;)

Dilis - try to just eat one! 

We started with the infamous dilis - which I had never had before. Dilis are basically fried whole tiny anchovies that you dip into a vinegar spiced with chiles. I quickly learned that you want this vinegar to be ultra-spicey for optimum flavor - as my friend pointed out. They were delicious and while I know some people will be put off by the 'whole fish' notice you really should try one before you write 'em off. Close your eyes if you MUST folks cuz the taste will be worth it, and you most likely won't be able to eat just one! 

Ginataan Corn - YUM!

From the 'small plates' section one of our absolute favorite dishes was the Ginataan Corn.  Simple- yes, but with incredibly developed flavor exploding with lime, chile and a distinct
earthy flavor most likely coming from the tiny mussels studded throughout. Somewhat reminiscent of the Mexican corn on the cob with the lime/chile taste but with a distinct flavor and creamy texture that was all it's own.  It was divine and we ate it down to the last kernel!

Kuliplor - roasted cauliflower

The second small plate we tried was the Kuliplor - which is a roasted cauliflower with a special bagoong mole sauce, mango and toasted sunflower seeds. This was good but actually one of my least favorite dishes. The tastes were very subtle and the cauliflower itself was over cooked and a tad mushy for my tastes. I did like the brightness of the mango and the crunch of the sunflower seeds - both nice additions to an otherwise dull dish.

Pancit

Our final small plate was the Pancit - which truthfully was more entree size as it was quite large and a bit on the heavy side to be considered a small plate. Regardless, we absolutely loved this dish! Canton noodles topped with luscious whole crispy Santa Barbara prawns
topped with a luscious prawn head sauce and speckled with crunchy blue lake green beans & slightly cooked carrots. Drizzled lightly on top almost like a Philipino version of Parmesan cheese was a savory shrimp powder. We shared this dish but it could easily be an entree for someone but just be warned it is a tad rich.

After the two small plates, the entrees made their way to our table. First up was the Pork Belly adobo. Now - this is where my friend & I diverged a tad. ;)

Pork Belly Adobo

I thought this dish was fantastic - perfectly cooked with excellent flavor. However, my Philipina friend made it clear that this was no adobo. She said it was highly lacking in the vinegar taste that is usually prevalent in adobo flavor.  To her this was more of a pork belly teriyaki so be warned Philipino friends seeking authentic adobo tastes that this may not be the traditional taste you've had before.  Regardless, the dish was very tasty - cooked tender with a crispy char and an asian-like sauce. Even my Philipina friend agreed it was still tasty and worth ordering. .

Chicken Inasal

The last entree to arrive at our table was the Chicken Inasal. At this point we were quite full as we didn't anticipate well how large some of the small plates would be and it was quite a substantial amount of food. However, this looked (and smelled) so yummy when it arrived that we couldn't go without at least trying it. If I'd known how delicious this was I would've
eaten less of the prior dishes! Pan roasted chicken thighs with 'chicken joy' gravy  served over summer squash and gailan greens. I have no idea what is in the chicken joy gravy (family secret apparently!) but it's very true to it's name and just lends a warm comfort food taste to this dish that isn't apparently in anything else we were served. This was my favorite dish here and I highly recommend that you order it if it's on the menu the night you are there. 

As full we were, there was no way we weren't going to order dessert here. Irenia has snagged one of the top pastry Chefs in the area - the highly revered Ashley Guzman. Knowing this, we decided to share the Turanodo. Holy smokes... basically dessert lumpias, these were insane! I could eat a plate of these for dinner and be happy. ;)  Fried crispy and stuffed with banana semi-freddo and coconut jam (*sigh*), and topped with a crumbled peanut brittle floating in a sea of champuraddo chocolate-corn sauce. Crazy delicious and the PERFECT way to end our Philipino food adventure at Irenia. 

The Turonado - dessert lumpia (sinful!)

All in all our experience at Irenia did not disappoint and we all agreed we would definitely come back.  The service also deserves a mention as it was top notch - attentive, prompt and more than patient with us as we had a lot of questions with it being our first time here and me only being somewhat familiar with Philipino food. Our waitress was extremely well versed on not just the ingredients of the menu items but the actual flavors of each dish. She really helped steer us in the right direction for a fabulous meal. 

Irenia is located at 400 N. Broadway in Santa Ana - it is a tad bit hard to find as the signage is small. For reference, it is one block north of the Santara Arts Building. Two storefronts up from the Starbucks on the corner. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended (especially for Friday or Saturday night) and can be made by calling 657/245-3466.  Dinner is available Tuesday - Saturday. Lunch is also served Tuesday - Saturday but only from 11-2pm. 

New Restaurant Review: Ironwood in Laguna Hills

Recently tried out the new Ironwood Craft Cellar in Laguna Hills. Ironwood opened a few months ago to much hype, especially since their sister restaurant, Vine, in San Clemente is a south county favorite. I've been to Vine several times and agree it's a great place with consistently well made flavorful dishes & fabulous craft cocktails. Needless to say I had VERY high hopes for Ironwood as it's a much closer drive from Tustin to Laguna Hills. ;)

Upon first arrival, the location itself is a bit of a let down as it's located in a typical suburban
shopping center, parked in the corner and easy to miss unless you were actually looking for it - which of course, we were. Once inside though, it's a whole 'nother story as the interior is decorated with stone and reclaimed wood accents which make for a very warm and inviting dining ambiance. As you walk back to the dining room, you have to walk past the bar area which appeared quite popular on the Saturday night we were there with lots of people sitting at the high top bar appearing to have a good time. The dining area itself is lined with booths and tables in the center.  There is also a wrap around covered patio that looks perfect for a romantic evening with lovely views of the nearby hilltops - not a ton of seating out there so make sure you request that when you make a reservation if that's your preference.

Chicken Schnitzel

At first glance, I was quite happy to see that some of the signature items from their sister restaurant were included on the menu here. The pork schnitzel is something I often crave on the menu at Vine as it's cooked perfectly which just the right amount of breading and the perfect seasoning. Trust me, it's not easy to find this German favorite done so well! At Ironwood, they do a version with jidori chicken which is equally amazing and well done - HIGHLY recommend this dish folks! Also borrowed from Vine are the highly revered crispy duck wings and the yummy fried green tomatoes w burrata cheese. You can't really go wrong with either of these favorites!

English Pea Agnolotti

Noteworthy items exclusive to Ironwood that we tried included the Enlish Pea Agnolotti which translates to handmade little bags of perfectly cooked pasta bags filled with sweet English peas tossed in a decadent brown butter sauce and topped with goat cheese & little slivers of basil. These were amazing and are a MUST order for the table as starter. 

Fabulous Bone-In Ribeye

Entrees we tried included the bone-in ribeye served on a bed of smoked blue cheese mashed potatoes and lovingly topped with a flavorful sauce béarnaise. The sauce is what sets this dish apart here as it pairs really well with the marbled meatiness of the rib-eye. Yes, I know rib-eye should be able to stand alone and it does here as well but the sauce just adds that extra little bit of 'umph' to each bite.  

Greek Seabass

We also tried the pan roasted Greek sea bass which was served on a pillow of Russian banana potatoes and topped with a lovely almond, picholine, orange and coriander vinaigrette sauce. This was a great option for someone looking for a slightly lighter dish that's still packed with a huge punch of flavor. 

All in all, I was really impressed with Ironwood and would highly recommend a visit here folks! I'm looking forward to returning soon myself to try out more of the menu!

Ironwood Cellar is located at 25250 La Paz Rd in Laguna Hills.

More info can be found on their website: ironwoodlagunahills.com