Brad A. Johnson's Best Places to Eat 2020

October 2020

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PLACES TO EAT

2020 20 20

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Brad A. Johnson's

PLACES TO EAT

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or the previous five years, this guide has served as an adventurous scavenger hunt, a bucket-list ranking of the 75 best places to eat in Orange County.

But 2020 changed the way we eat, so you’ll notice that this year’s installment is a bit different. This moment calls for a more utilitarian approach. I hope you find it just as useful.

We’re all hungry for normalcy. But as much as we might crave a normal restaurant routine, that’s not happening. Not yet. Takeout still feels like the smartest solution for many people right now. And while many others may be eager to dine out again, that doesn’t mean we’re ready to linger indoors for hours on end with a hundred maskless strangers.

I’ve spent much of the year ordering takeout, so I’ve dedicated a good chunk of this guide to the best of what I’ve discovered along the way, like the extraordinary crispy tacos and shrimp aguachile from Taco María in Costa Mesa.

Or the exquisite curbside tasting menus from Marché Moderne in Crystal Cove. Or the truly peerless tom yum with freshwater prawns at Thai Avenue in Garden Grove. But also a wide range of kabobs, dumplings, ramen, pizza and so much more.

This certainly wasn’t the ideal year to open a new restaurant. Nonetheless a handful of restaurateurs plowed forward with new projects despite the odds being stacked against them. We’ll end 2020 with far fewer openings than usual, but what we’ve gotten thus far has been a small yet remarkable collection of new places that everyone will eventually want to venture out and try.

If there’s been a silver lining to this strange and difficult year, I am thrilled to have so many new options for dining outdoors. Patios have sprung up in parking lots, hidden backyards, neighboring courtyards and on sidewalks throughout the county, many of them surprisingly charming. Date night awaits.

There are 80 restaurants in this year’s guide. These are by no means the only good places to eat in Orange County, but they are my favorites for this moment.

Restaurant of the year PAGE 4

Top 5 hot new restaurants PAGE 6

Takeout: Worth the splurge PAGE 8

Takeout: Family style PAGE 10

Takeout: Late night bites PAGE 12

Date night, pandemic style PAGE 14

Top 5: Best Thai food PAGE 18

Top 10: Best Chinese food PAGE 20

Top 10: Best ramen PAGE 22

Top 5: Best Italian food PAGE 24

Top 5: Best pizza PAGE 25

STAFF Words and photos by Brad A. Johnson • RESTAURANT CRITIC Vanessa Franko • EDITOR Pam Marshak • DESIGNER Jerry Rice • COPY EDITOR INFORMATION CORRECT AT TIME OF PUBLICATION; CONTACT INDIVIDUAL RESTAURANTS FOR UPDATED HOURS AND MENU OFFERINGS.

BUTATON

• Miso ramen PAGE 22

THAI AVENUE • Tom yum with freshwater prawns

I

Restaurant of the year

t’s never easy picking a single spot to honor as Restaurant of the Year.

In 2020, Restaurant of the Year could be any place that’s still in business. But in keeping with tradition for this annual guide, I’m compelled to identify the one restaurant in a year’s worth of dining that impacted me the most.

It’s a very personal selection this year because there has been one restaurant, above the many others, that has kept me nourished throughout the pandemic: Thai Avenue in Garden Grove.

I won’t forget that Tuesday night in March when breaking news of the shutdown interrupted my radio program in the car. I was driving along Brookhurst en route to Thai Avenue to pick up dinner.

The streets were deserted because people had already begun to selfquarantine as news of shutdowns in L.A. and San Francisco foreshadowed what was headed our way.

When I got to the restaurant, the dining room was eerily empty, yet staff were surprisingly busy, scrambling to fulfill more takeout orders than they were accustomed to handling.

I mentioned the breaking news to co-owner Nopparat “Nikki” 4 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

Poiam. It was the first she'd heard of it. The shocked look on her face broke my heart. It was the first time I had ever seen her not smile.

The next day she and her two partners (her brother who is the head chef, Chana Isaresrangsan, and his wife, Permsiri “Tuki” Isaresrangsan) pivoted. They expanded delivery. They hung a new takeout sign in the window. They adjusted their operating hours. They laid off the only employee who wasn’t family, which hurt. “It’s temporary,” they promised. They shifted into nonstop overtime. They worried.

They hung on.

Thai Avenue is not fancy. I believe they bought their tables at Ikea. The three partners do just about everything themselves: the grocery shopping; the cooking; answering the phone that rings nonstop; waiting tables; washing dishes.

Thai Avenue is every family-run restaurant in 2020. Their story and struggles are interchangeable with countless others. Unlike the many high-profile restaurants that typically dominate the upper ranks of this annual guide, Thai Avenue did not secure one of those PPP loans from the government. They don’t have a well-connected lawyer or

a longstanding relationship with their banker.

What they do have are loyal customers who have continued to support them. I count myself among that group. Since that fateful day in March, I’ve returned to Thai Avenue almost weekly (40 minutes roundtrip) to restock my fridge with Chana’s extraordinary tom yum, which is seriously the best of its genre in California. Sometimes I order the tom kha instead, but almost always I also get the spicy papaya salad and those rich, fatty fermented sausages. The curries are sublime, especially the green one. The pad Thai is unlike any other, and I love it. On weeks when I was furloughed, I ate chicken larb almost daily.

In trying times, Thai Avenue became my solace. And every time I’ve shown up to collect my takeout, the owners have greeted me with a big, heartfelt smile that belies their — and everyone’s — current predicament.

For these reasons and so many more, Thai Avenue is 2020’s Restaurant of the Year.

• 10130 GARDEN GROVE BLVD., GARDEN GROVE, 657-233-5859 THAIAVENUEGARDENGROVE.COM

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 5

HERITAGE BARBECUE •

Smoked brisket and Texas hot links with all the fixin’s

Top 5 hot new restaurants

New restaurants don’t just open overnight. Most involve years of planning and months of consternation. Delays are inevitable. Permits take forever.

So when the doors finally open it’s always a massive relief. But if you had told any prospective restaurateur in mid-2019 that a global pandemic was about to whammy the entire economy and make it next to impossible to open a new restaurant in 2020, most surely would have opted to take a gap year. If only. Once that ball is already rolling, there’s often no turning back. And that’s how we ended up with these five new restaurants in 2020 that not only raced headfirst into a pandemic but somehow, miraculously, became some of the hottest new restaurants we’ve seen in years.

1. Heritage Barbecue

It’s hard to recommend that anyone stand in line for two or three hours during a pandemic, but eventually everyone is going to want to take that risk. There has never been a real Texas barbecue joint like this in Southern California, so most people around here have never known what they were missing.

Chef/owner Daniel Castillo smokes his briskets and monstrous 6 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

PORCH & SWING •

Pork jowl and creamy grits

beef ribs for 14 hours in two gigantic smokers behind the restaurant. The meat is cloaked in a crusty, peppery bark with a thick ribbon of fat just underneath the surface. You can smell it from the highway.

Although they offer wait-time updates on Twitter, it’s impossible to properly gauge the queue.

Some days the line starts forming just after sunrise, with barbecue fanatics bringing their own lawn chairs and umbrellas. Still, on other totally random days, nobody shows up until mid-afternoon.

Beware: About half the people in line don’t bother to wear masks.

Also, the kitchen usually sells out of everything by 7 p.m., sometimes earlier. And you don’t want to be that guy at the end of the line when they announce the brisket is all gone.

• 31721 CAMINO CAPISTRANO, SAN JUAN

CAPISTRANO, HERITAGECRAFTBBQ.COM (THEY DON'T HAVE A PHONE NUMBER.)

2. Mayfield

The son of restaurateurs in England, George Barker moved to Orange County from London a few years ago to open a restaurant of his own. He started with a food truck called The Hungry Royal, but he permanently parked it after

4. Sushi Ii

MAYFIELD •

he found a two-story space in downtown San Juan Capistrano that basically needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Everything came together beautifully, a bright and airy space in shades of turquoise and pink.

Twelve-foot windows on the front of the restaurant create a breezy warehouse feel, while the backside of the restaurant spills onto a lovely hidden terrace.

To helm the kitchen, he found chef Jayro Martinez, a rising star who until now hasn’t had the right opportunity to shine. Martinez recently cooked at the breakfast spot Ahba in Laguna Beach and before that spent time in the kitchens of Social in Costa Mesa and at 71Above and Mh Zh in L.A. The menu romanticizes fleeting vignettes of Tel Aviv, Tuscany, Mexico and maybe even a little bit of London’s Southall, not with jarring dissimilarities but rather remarkable continuity. As disparate as the origins of Mayfield’s dishes might be, Barker and Martinez make a very strong case for putting these flavors together.

The corn ribs are a surprising revelation. Sliced from their ears with much of the cob still intact, they are fried and wrinkled and dusted with chili powder. They are astoundingly delicious and highly memorable.

Also on the menu: fried chicken dusted with za’atar, whole roasted branzino that conjures visions of the Mediterranean and a delightfully silky pistachio panna cotta.

This is a place where you’ll definitely want to have a drink. The natural wines are compelling, but perhaps even more intriguing are the cocktails by beverage director, Luis A. Del Pozo, who previously

Corn ribs worked at Gracias Madre in Newport Beach. He has a way with mezcal.

• 31761 CAMINO CAPISTRANO, SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, 949-218-5140 MAYFIELDOC.COM

3. Nep Cafe

Gem was one of the best new restaurants of 2019. Now comes Nep, the daytime counterpoint. They occupy the same address but embody completely different personas.

Whereas Gem serves dinner only (and has been on pause since March, slated to reopen in November), Nep serves daily brunch on the sidewalk.

Whereas Gem reveled in cultural fusion, Nep more fully embraces a Vietnamese identity. While equally glam, these are two distinct personalities rolled into one.

Nep feels like the back-alley version of Gem, more introspective and comforting. Either way, it’s the same crew headed by Chef Viet Nguyen (Vox Kitchen, Sup Noodle Bar). The menu is limited to only about 10 items a day, and everything I’ve sampled thus far has been terrific. A bowl of handmade dumplings in butter sauce arrives with a still-sizzling marrow bone hanging over the edge. Eggs Benedict get topped with Dungeness crab. There’s something called banh mi chao, which is really just a fancy riff on bo ne, or Vietnamese steak and fried eggs, with a baguette on the side. They also make some of the finest coffee in Little Saigon.

Expect to wait in line (socially distanced, everyone masked) for at least 30 minutes mid-week or exponentially longer on weekends.

• 10836 WARNER AVE., FOUNTAIN VALLEY

714-516-8121, INSTAGRAM.COM/NEP.CAFE

Chef Susumu Ii operated a sushi restaurant in Fountain Valley for about 17 years called Kasen. He closed it in 2017 and returned to Osaka for a year or so to re-immerse himself in the sushi culture in which he originally apprenticed.

Refreshed and reinvigorated, he has returned with Sushi Ii, the most glamorous sushi restaurant ever to open in Orange County. The intimate restaurant is tucked away on the second floor of a newish plaza at the corner of PCH and Dover Drive.

The menu is omakase only, meaning the chef decides what you’ll eat, although you do get a limited say in how many courses you wish to enjoy. (They also offer takeout sushi boxes for now.) Dinner begins with something cold and slippery, like enoki mushrooms and abalone, followed immediately by something warm, like steamed cod and grated daikon in a dashi broth.

After that comes sushi, including Osaka-style box sushi, which is perfectly square. Note: They do not make any California-style sushi rolls here, so don’t even ask.

• 100 WEST COAST HIGHWAY, 2ND FLOOR, NEWPORT BEACH, 949-287-6268 SUSHI-II.COM

5. Porch & Swing

Chef Justin Werner quietly honors the Lowcountry cooking of South Carolina, using ingredients and flavors of the South to create a delicious narrative that involves cornbread, creamy grits, sweet potatoes, pork jowl and baby green tomatoes, mostly in ways that defy Southern stereotypes. The chef (who previously cooked at Playground) has an obsession with textures and the interplay of sweet, spicy and sour.

Werner’s partner in Porch & Swing is Charleston, South Carolina, native Andrew Parish, a bartender who previously ran the short-lived Dry Society in Mission Viejo and Central Bar at The District in Tustin.

His mixology is superb.

The restaurant is tucked between the office towers of the Centerview business complex in Irvine, just off Main Street. The indoor/outdoor space includes a large wraparound patio that overlooks a reflecting pool and lush green plaza.

• 2010 MAIN ST., IRVINE, 949-418-7988

PORCHANDSWING.COM

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 7

THE CAPITAL GRILLE •

Shrimp and crab cocktail

Takeout: Worth the splurge and you might also quadruple the bill. But hey, it’s a special occasion.

Orders must be placed at least one day in advance.

Birthdays and anniversaries in 2020 have definitely felt different.

But not necessarily in a bad way, thanks to a handful of restaurants that stepped up to make special occasions at home even more memorable than usual. Here are five ways to celebrate in style at home and still let the restaurants do most of the work.

The Capital Grille

Nothing says celebration more than a big, fat, expensive USDA Prime steak. And The Capital Grille at South Coast Plaza now lets you enjoy their hand-cut steaks at home two different ways. One, you could let them cook it and package it togo. Or two, they’ll sell it to you raw.

I prefer the latter because nothing compares to a 22-ounce ribeye that goes straight from the grill to the table. But you are celebrating, so you don’t have to do all the work.

Let the Grille take care of the chilled shrimp and crab cocktail.

And maybe even the lobster bisque and bruléed cheesecake, too, if you don’t plan on getting naked afterward. Three-course meals for takeout from about $75 per person.

• 3333 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA 714-432-1140, THECAPITALGRILLE.COM 8 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

• 2930 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA

714-545-2800, HANARESUSHI.COM

Hendrix

Charred figs, whipped blue cheese and candied walnuts on toast

MARCHÉ MODERNE •

Hana re

Hana re, the incredible Japanese kaiseki and sushi restaurant at the Lab in Costa Mesa, began offering very limited platters and bento boxes to-go. While the price for dine-in dinner at Hana re has always exceeded $200 per person, the new takeout boxes allow anyone to enjoy truly exquisite sushi and sashimi — sweet raw shrimp, bafun uni, wild yellowtail, cherry trout, striped jack, black seabream, bluefin tuna belly, black sea bass and more — at home for as little as $50 per person. You add a bottle of sake and even a whole Kegani hairy crab from Hokkaido,

Maybe it’s just a Sunday dinner.

Or maybe it’s even more special than that. Regardless of the splurge-worthy occasion, prime rib is always a celebratory choice, and Hendrix in Laguna Niguel offers a prime rib dinner for two every night of the week for takeout. Each slice weighs at least 14 ounces, and the package comes with a shareable Caesar salad, roasted potatoes and au jus. The prime rib for two package costs $75, and, of course, you’ll want to add a couple of sticky toffee puddings at $9 apiece. If you don’t already have something to drink, consider a pitcher of margaritas or a bottle of nice merlot, also available to-go.

• 32431 GOLDEN LANTERN, LAGUNA NIGUEL, 949-248-1912, HENDRIXOC.COM

Marché Moderne

Marché Moderne, easily the finest French restaurant in Orange County, rolled out a three-course dinner (four courses if you count

THE RANCH •

Pecan pie and vanilla ice cream

the amuse bouche) packaged for curbside pickup. The menu changes weekly and hasn’t been repeated.

One week featured duck confit.

Another, it was braised lamb à l’orange, and the week after that seared scallops and shrimp with lemongrass and coconut curry tossed with hand-rolled linguini.

I missed out on all three of those, but I managed to snag the braised veal shank with mushroom and tomato risotto along with honey panna cotta with rhubarb compote for dessert. It’s almost as good as having a private chef. The weekly

Prime rib with pan-dripping potatoes and Caesar salad, served for two

HENDRIX •

takeout specials cost about $50 per person. Wine and freshly baked bread also available.

• 7862 E. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, NEWPORT BEACH, 714-434-7900 MARCHEMODERNE.NET

The Ranch

Anaheim’s luxury cowboythemed restaurant The Ranch has always been a popular choice for birthdays and anniversaries, and they offer their entire menu to-go, including some very special steaks and chops meant for two, such as a spectacular 40-ounce, 28-day

dry-aged bone-in Delmonico ($140) with duck-fat potatoes, or an even bigger 50-ounce porterhouse ($150) with lobster mac and cheese. Both cuts are available rare, allowing you to very quickly reheat them under the broiler without likely overcooking. Also, the kitchen here usually features a weekly special meant for two or more, albeit in very limited quantities. The theme changes constantly and has ranged from barbecue ribs to cajun seafood boils.

• 1025 E. BALL ROAD, ANAHEIM

714-817-4200, THERANCH.COM

Sashimi and sake to-go — amaebi, Bafun uni, wild yellowtail, cherry trout, striped Jack, black sea bream, bluefin tuna, octopus, wild amberjack, snapper, black bass, flounder

HANA RE •

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 9

ANDREI'S •

Barbecue pork ribs

Takeout: Family style When dining rooms were forced to close, it not only changed the way restaurants operate, it changed the way we all eat.

Takeout took on a new meaning, suddenly serving a different purpose. It became less about instant, individual gratification and more about getting food on the table for the entire family.

No restaurant answered that call more heroically than Taco Maria, where trendsetting chef Carlos Salgado recast his destination dining room known for leisurely multi-course tasting menus as a corner bodega selling carne asada, pinto beans and tamales, completely transforming the concept of meal kits.

Yes, dining rooms are cautiously reopening, but 2020’s not done yet.

Many of us are still counting on takeout. And when we don’t have time to cook but still need to put food on the table or stock the fridge, these 10 restaurants can save the day.

Andrei’s

Although the menus vary from week to week, Andrei’s typically offers a dozen different familystyle meals customized for two to eight people based upon a featured entree such as barbecue pork ribs, 10 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

Aguachile of Mexican blue shrimp, serrano chiles, cucumbers, green garlic and squid ink

TACO MARÍA •

beef stroganoff, Moroccan-style kabobs or Vietnamese-inspired pork chops.

• 2607 MAIN ST., IRVINE, 949-387-8887 ANDREISRESTAURANT.COM

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

There’s nothing more comforting than sitting down to a dinner

table and reaching a hand toward a platter piled with 20 pieces of crispy fried chicken. Dibs on a thigh, and can someone please pass the mashed potatoes and braised greens? Also, there’s no rule that says you can’t have coconut cake as an appetizer instead of waiting for dessert.

• 238 W. CHAPMAN AVE., ORANGE

714-941-9124, BUTTERMILKFC.COM

Clay Oven

If it’s true that spicy foods boost the immune system, Clay Oven might be the antidote to 2020. The family packs here are meant to serve at least four people, and you can pick and choose what goes into it. You’ll definitely want to include some black-cobra-chili-infused tandoori chicken and probably some curried butternut squash to help offset the heat. Or maybe the mango-ginger-glazed ribs. Tough choices, but it’s hard to go wrong.

• 15435 JEFFREY ROAD, IRVINE 949-552-2851, CLAYOVENIRVINE.COM

are slathered with Korean chili paste, which prompts the birds to char and blister on the spit. Also, as weird as it sounds, get the black rice with blueberries. And don’t forget the brownie bark.

• 6460 E. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, LONG BEACH, 562-431-0445 NOBLEBIRDROTISSERIE.COM

Spicy rotisserie chickens

NOBLE BIRD •

Everybody loves taco night, but who’s got the time to make homemade birria? Nobody, at least not when Birrieria el Bandido sells their soulful stewed meats by the pound with enough tortillas and fixin’s to serve an army. Beef or lamb, this is seriously some of the best birria in Orange County.

Sometimes they are teased exclusively on Instagram, so you’ll want to follow along if you wish to catch chef Luis Pérez when he’s butterflying whole chickens and rubbing them with a jerk marinade before grilling the birds over mesquite until the skin has caramelized and the meat is tender and juicy. Don’t forget to load up on mezcal cocktails while you’re at it. They come in the cutest plastic pouches.

GARDEN GROVE, 657-348-9461

714-972-1172, LOLAGASPAR.COM

Birrieria el Bandido

• 12081 GARDEN GROVE BLVD.,

Harley

There are so many things you can do with a big vat of Dr. Pepperbraised pork shoulder. You could make tacos. Or you could make incredible sandwiches. Or you could just eat it straight. Either way, it comes family-style for two or four, with a choice of two sides.

One of those sides should definitely be the Mexican-style corn on the cob. And while you're at it, you might as well get a pint (or two) of piña coladas.

• 211 W. 2ND ST., SANTA ANA

Noble Bird

Yes, Noble Bird is in Long Beach. And this is a dining guide to Orange County. The restaurant is located at 2nd and PCH, just a few feet across the border. And because everybody loves rotisserie chicken, everybody needs to know about this place. The chickens are superb, especially the ones that

Taco María

When this is all over, let’s hope and pray that Taco María finds a way to keep the bodega staples alive. Because it’s going to be impossible to return to normal if we can’t just go online and order up a family pack of wood-roasted carne asada, a dozen crispy tacos and a quart of pinto beans togo. And what of that burger that Salgado created? Taco María doesn’t serve burgers, never will, but the bodega does, and they are phenomenal: triple wagyu patties squished into brioche buns with melty, gooey Spanish blue cheese.

• 3313 HYLAND AVE., COSTA MESA 714-538-8444, TACOMARIA.COM

Vaca

Paella or steak? That’s always been the burning question when dining at Vaca in Costa Mesa. And it’s the same dilemma you’ll need to resolve when ordering family-style takeout: a massive dry-aged ribeye, or a big pan of paella Valenciana.

Heads, I win; tails, you lose.

• 695 TOWN CENTER DRIVE, COSTA MESA 714-463-6060, VACARESTAURANT.COM

• 370 GLENNEYRE ST., LAGUNA BEACH 949-715-1530 HARLEYLAGUNABEACH.COM

The Kickin’ Crab

You’ll need to stock up on PPE for this one: gloves, bibs, paper towels, maybe even some protective goggles. The restaurant will supply you with enough butcher paper to protect the dining table. Now dump a large bucketload of cajun-style crawfish, crab legs, shrimp, sausage and corn onto the center of the table and let the free-for-all begin.

• 1534 ADAMS AVE., COSTA MESA

714-760-4909, THEKICKINCRAB.COM; ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS IN IRVINE, WESTMINSTER, SANTA ANA AND BUENA PARK

Lola Gaspar

The family-style care packages at Lola Gaspar vary from week to week and aren’t always advertised.

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN • Fried chicken dinner, also available

family style for takeout

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 11

YUK DAE JANG •

Seolleongtang, a Korean ox-bone noodle soup

Takeout: Late night bites Late night dining in Orange County has always been an enigma.

Life shuts down early here, so “late night” has traditionally meant anything after (gasp) 8 p.m.

And now because of the pandemic many restaurants have reduced their hours even further. If you’ve tried ordering takeout or delivery after 7:30 p.m. this year, you know it can be extraordinarily frustrating. But not impossible. Here are five restaurants that'll still feed you very well after nearly everything else has closed.

Yuk Dae Jang

(Last call 8:30 p.m.)

Yuk Dae Jang, an upscale Korean chain specializing in yukgaejang, seolleongtang (a.k.a. sul lung tang) and other beef noodle soups made with rich and soulful bone broths, has quietly opened two locations in Orange County during the pandemic, originally focusing strictly on takeout. The soup is fantastic. You might also want to order a tray of boiled pork belly and some pan-fried dumplings.

• 3851 ALTON PARKWAY, IRVINE

949-932-0911; 5461 BEACH BLVD., BUENA PARK, 714-752-6005 YUKDAEJANGUSA.COM

Anjappar

(Last call 9:30 p.m.)

Opened last year with a focus on the spicy Chettinad cuisine of South India, Anjappar has quickly established itself as one of the top Indian restaurants in the area. It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between the dozen or so curries they offer, and sometimes the same curry will be totally different from visit to visit. That said, you can’t go wrong with the smoky mutton sukka varuval, pepper chicken masala, Chettinad peas kurma or crab dry roast.

• 13882 NEWPORT AVE., TUSTIN

714-486-2116, ANJAPPAROC.COM

Khan Saab

(Last call 9:40 p.m.)

The halal kitchen weaves together traditions and flavors of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, and the best thing coming off the grill might be the Afghani Sikh kabob made from ground lamb and a trove of spice. But really everything from the grill is good, including Kandahari lamb chops and smoked beef sirloin kabobs. Whatever you get, make sure to ask for some of their pickled mango chutney on the side.

• 229 E. COMMONWEALTH AVE., FULLERTON, 714-853-1081, KHANSAABOC.COM

Taquiero Taco Patio

(Last call 10 p.m.)

This Tijuana-inspired taqueria in Irvine has two huge trompos loaded with layer upon layer of pork and chicken al pastor. The tacos are fantastic. What’s more, they offer a family-style takeout package that comes with a substantial boxful of that meat carved to order from the trompo. They give you everything you need to assemble tacos at home for days: tortillas, salsas, chopped pineapple, onions, cilantro, plus rice, beans, chips and guacamole.

• 4517 CAMPUS DRIVE, IRVINE

949-333-1671, TAQUIEROTACO.COM

Erick el Taquero

(Last call 12:45 a.m.)

Of all the late-night taco trucks, this is easily one of the best. It parks on Goetz Avenue just off Main Street in Santa Ana. They don’t fire up the griddle until 4 p.m., and last call is well after midnight on school nights or closer to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays as long as people are still showing up. They make the tortillas by hand.

The suadero tacos are excellent.

So, too the mulitas. You really can’t go wrong with anything here. Call ahead and they’ll have it packed up and ready to go.

• 100 GOETZ AVE., SANTA ANA

714-592-9017 INSTAGRAM.COM/ERICK_ELTAQUERO

12• BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

Walk-Ins Welcome, but Reservations Recommended Visit www.porchandswing.com to make your Reservation

Porch & Swing A taste of Charleston

2010 Main St. Irvine • (949) 418-7988 Mon - Tue: 11AM - 3PM, Wed - Fri: 11AM - 9PM, Sat: 5PM - 10PM

At times like this, reach for reliable, accurate news you can trust.

Turn to the pages of your local newspaper, websites and social channels for complete coverage of COVID-19.

We appreciate your readership and support.

elegram (Long Beach) Los Angeles Daily News n The Orange County Register n The Press-Enterprise n Press-Telegram Daily Breeze (Torrance) n Pasadena Star-News n San Gabriel Valley Tribune n Whittier Daily News Inland Valley Daily Bulletin n The Sun (San Bernardino) n The Facts (Redlands)

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 13

BENCHMARK •

Hamachi aguachile

Date night, pandemic style After being cooped up indoors for months, everyone is understandably eager to make date night a real thing again. And while indoor dining rooms have begun to reopen, most diners would still prefer to sit outdoors for now, at least for a little while longer. Here are 20 ways to ease back into date night, 2020 style.

Benchmark

The scene: Although a new indoor dining room is in the works, the primary dining area here has always been entirely outdoors under a canopy of trees on a quiet stretch of Santa Ana Boulevard.

What to order: Hamachi aguachile, gochujang fried chicken,

Santa Maria-spiced flat-iron steak.

• 601 E. SANTA ANA BLVD., SANTA ANA

714-480-0225, BENCHMARKOC.COM

Bistango

The scene: The plaza outside Bistango is surrounded with a grove of date palms with a dancing water fountain in the center, which now doubles as a lovely alfresco dining pavilion with live music several nights a week.

What to order: A bottle of Bordeaux, lamb chops, tamarindglazed salmon, whiskey raisin bread pudding.

• 19100 VON KARMAN AVE., IRVINE 949-752-5222, BISTANGO.COM

Christakis Greek Cuisine

The scene: Water trickles from a fountain in the center of the courtyard while a solo musician strums his guitar, creating a romantic datenight ambience under strands of twinkle lights. It’s not quite Santorini, but FARMHOUSE AT ROGER'S GARDENS close enough.

What to order: • The grain bowl with farmers market vegetables 14• BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

Dolmades in avgolemono sauce, pastitsio, charred rack of lamb, a bottle of Nemea.

• 13011 NEWPORT AVE., TUSTIN, 714-7316600, CHRISTAKISGREEKCUISINE.COM

Craft House

The scene: An entire wall of windows on the front side of this gastropub slides out of the way to create an indoor/outdoor vibe next to the bar, but Craft House has also transformed its private parking lot into a rambling outdoor courtyard lined with artificial turf, umbrellas and string lights.

What to order: Pan-roasted local yellowtail, grilled meatloaf, the perfect french fries.

• 34094 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, DANA POINT, 949-481-7734 EATATCRAFTHOUSE.COM

BISTANGO •

Fable & Spirit

The scene: While the interior is gorgeous — velvet banquettes, floor-to-ceiling drapery, library bar shelves — the sidewalk patio has been extended along the sidewalk halfway down the block.

What to order: Start with a loaf of freshly baked brown bread. After that: rabbit, pork belly, wood-fired octopus, pasta and clams (Dish of the Year 2019).

• 3441 VIA LIDO, NEWPORT BEACH 949-409-9913, FABLEANDSPIRIT.COM

Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens

The scene: Surrounded by jasmine flowers and orange blossoms, the outdoor dining terrace overlooks the lushly landscaped nursery grounds

at Roger’s Gardens.

What to order: Salads, farmers market vegetables, house-cured salmon and steak frites.

• 2301 SAN JOAQUIN HILLS ROAD,

CORONA DEL MAR, 949-640-1415 FARMHOUSERG.COM

Five Crowns

The scene: Most people might not realize that Five Crowns, known for being dark and clubby, has a delightful backyard lawn surrounded by towering ficus.

Previously reserved for private events, the yard has found new purpose as a candlelit outdoor dining area with string lights overhead and fireplaces around the perimeter.

What to order: Prime rib, the bigger the cut the better.

• 3801 E. COAST HIGHWAY, CORONA DEL

Outdoor dining plaza

MAR, 949-760-0331 LAWRYSONLINE.COM/FIVE-CROWNS

Hanna’s

The scene: In addition to the covered patio with cushioned banquettes and globe chandeliers, Hanna’s has added a dozen more outdoor tables on a new deck that stretches along the side of the restaurant, cordoned off with white horse-ranch-style fencing.

What to order: Single-malt Scotch, wedge salad, bone-in ribeye, deconstructed cheesecake.

• 22195 EL PASEO, RANCHO SANTA

MARGARITA, 949-709-2300 HANNASPRIMESTEAK.COM

Knife Pleat

The scene: The penthouse terrace at Knife Pleat is a luxurious respite from the mall, or from life in BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 15

general really. Settle into one of the feather-cushioned settees, calibrate your mind toward Champagne and envision Paris in the springtime.

What to order: Wild escargot, steak tartare, roasted duck, fig panna cotta, chocolate cremeux.

• SOUTH COAST PLAZA, 3333 BRISTOL ST., THIRD FLOOR, COSTA MESA 714-266-3388, KNIFEPLEAT.COM

Maro Wood Grill

The scene: The bulk of the dining room at this tiny Argentine steakhouse has always been relegated to the front porch, but now it has been expanded into the parking lot, which has been covered with artificial turf and wrapped with a white picket fence.

What to order: Wood-grilled lamb chops, ribeye cap, charred okra, malbec.

• 1915 S. COAST HIGHWAY, LAGUNA BEACH

CRAFT HOUSE •

The converted parking lot dining area

949-793-4044, MAROWOODGRILL.COM

Old Brea Chop House

The scene: The corner courtyard outside the entrance to Old Brea Chop House has been transformed into a luxurious patio, which on weekends features live music like a classical string quartet that sometimes goes off script and plays something from Journey.

What to order: Foie gras with strawberries and rhubarb, chilled seafood platters, 18-ounce USDA Prime Delmonico steak with handcut fries.

TERRACE

BY MIX MIX

• Hamachi crudo with pluots and mint

• 180 S. BREA BLVD., BREA, 714-592-

3122, OLDBREACHOPHOUSE.COM

Playground

The scene: While the Playground complex has shuttered its corner gastropub, chef Jason Quinn still operates Playground To Go from the adjoining Dough Exchange, where at lunchtime guests can enjoy a brilliant riff on Middle Eastern street food and take advantage of the expanded patio along the tree-lined Spurgeon Street promenade. Note: The patio at night is reserved strictly for Playground 1.9, a fancier concept that requires tickets purchased in advance.

What to order: Lamb shawarma, margaritas in a can.

• 220 E. 4TH ST., SANTA ANA

714-560-4444, PLAYGROUNDDTSA.COM

Puesto

The scene: With entire walls and a gigantic front door that either roll up or slide out of the way, the 16 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

entire dining area at Puesto has felt very outdoorsy. And, of course, much of the dining area is indeed outdoors, as is half of the bar.

What to order: Piña coladas, margaritas, esquites, chicken al pastor and carnitas tacos.

• 8577 IRVINE CENTER DRIVE, IRVINE

949-608-9990, EATPUESTO.COM

The Quiet Woman

The scene: The parking lot behind the restaurant has been tented and transformed into “QW at Marguerite Street,” and it is frankly even more charming than the Old World pub-style interior.

What to order: Strong martinis, steamed mussels, mesquite grilled swordfish and steaks.

• 3224 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY,

CORONA DEL MAR, 949-640-7440 QUIETWOMAN.COM

Solita

The scene: The dining room at Solita has always blurred the line between indoors and out, and for the moment it has been expanded beyond the threshold and onto the cantilevered terrace all the way down to the Bella Terra fountain.

What to order: Tequila, elote, rotisserie chicken, wood-grilled carne asada.

• 7631 EDINGER AVE., HUNTINGTON BEACH

714-894-2792, SOLITATACOS.COM

Sapori Ristorante

The scene: White tablecloths, a roaring fire in the hearth, bougainvillea-covered trellises and a massive laurel tree towering overhead, the patio of this Old World trattoria has always been a magnet for lovebirds. It still is,

and herb garden, not to mention a new rooftop dining deck as well.

What to order: Ash-roasted beets, wood-fired pizzas, grilled sea bass, burger.

• 4884 MAIN ST., YORBA LINDA

714-463-4424 TERRAWOODFIREDKITCHEN.COM

Terrace by Mix Mix

TERRA •

Wood-roasted Chilean sea bass with shrimp

even as some of the tables now spill across the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

What to order: Linguine and clams, spaghetti and meatballs, grilled veal chop, tiramisu.

• 1080 BAYSIDE DRIVE, NEWPORT BEACH 949-644-4220, SAPORINB.COM

Selanne Steak Tavern

The scene: Hockey legend Teemu Selanne’s posh steakhouse already had one of the most romantic patios in the county — tablecloths, chandeliers, fireplace, cool breeze — and for the foreseeable future

that outdoor space has been extended onto the front lawn as well as the rooftop.

What to order: The Lord Stanley cut Wagyu tomahawk ribeye is perfect for sharing.

• 1464 S. COAST HIGHWAY LAGUNA BEACH, 949-715-9881 SELANNESTEAKTAVERN.COM

Terra

The scene: Large windows on two ends of the restaurant fold out of the way to create breezy indoor/outdoor dining counters, and there’s also a large backyard terrace with an oversized fireplace

THE QUIET WOMAN •

The scene: Giant birds of paradise, fan palms, taro and lush staghorn and bird’s nest ferns create a tropical oasis on the thirdfloor terrace at the edge of South Coast Plaza’s Bridge of Gardens, which serves as the primary dining room for Mix Mix. What to order: Hamachi crudo, fried zucchini blossoms, steamed mussels, grilled pork porterhouse.

• 3333 BEAR ST., THIRD FLOOR, COSTA MESA, 657-231-6447 TERRACEBYMIXMIX.COM

Water Grill

The scene: Water Grill’s sprawling patio attracts a see-and-be-seen crowd, even as the tables are now divided with plexiglass. Plus, inside, large street-side windows roll away almost like garage doors, creating a breezy, airy ambience.

What to order: Chilled lobster, grilled turbot, uni toast and ribeye steaks.

• 3300 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA

949-208-7060, WATERGRILL.COM

The restaurant's new dining tent BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 17

THAI AVENUE • Green curry with beef

Top 5: Best Thai food Here’s the blunt truth: Truly great Thai food in Orange County doesn’t exist in every neighborhood, so you might have to get in the car and drive. But don’t worry. It’ll be worth it when you bring home a green curry so spicy it makes the top of your head tingle.

Or when you taste the technicolor vibrancy of the perfect bowl of woon sen. Or when you reach for a cup of cooling Thai iced tea to calm the warming vibrations of world-class tom yum with freshwater prawns the size of koi. While these aren’t the only five Thai restaurants in O.C., they are uniquely the best.

STREET THAI • Yum woon sen 18 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

1. Thai Avenue

You simply won’t find better tom yum anywhere in California — maybe in the whole country — than what they serve at this seafood-centric Thai restaurant in Garden Grove.

Pay attention to the menu because the kitchen offers several different versions of the tom yum, all of which are good, but the soup you really want is the one with large freshwater prawns. Second choice is the one with the smaller head-on shrimp.

The curries are excellent, too. And their Thai pork sausage is better than everyone else’s.

• 10130 GARDEN GROVE BLVD., GARDEN GROVE, 657-233-5859 THAIAVENUEGARDENGROVE.COM

2. Chada Thai

Literally everything here is excellent: spicy beef salad, crab fried rice, papaya salad, pad Thai, pad see ew, rad nah, nam salad, tom kha gai… That said, the one thing this

place does exponentially better than anyone else is its spicy red-curry fish cakes.

• 9872 WESTMINSTER AVE., GARDEN GROVE, 714-858-1693 CHADATHAIGG.COM

3. Street Thai

This tiny cafe makes some of the best Thai salads around. The chef’s salad — ground chicken, grilled shrimp, fresh herbs and toasted coconut — is fantastic. And the yum woon sen is a kaleidoscope of flavors, textures and temperatures: glass noodles, shrimp, red onion, chicken, kaffir lime juice and wood-ear mushrooms. The duck noodle soup will transport you directly to Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road.

LUCKY’S THAI • Pad see ew

• 15887 GOTHARD ST., HUNTINGTON BEACH, 714-799-2000 STREET-THAI-CAFE.BUSINESS.SITE

4. Sumran Thai

If you dare to feel that mineral tang of fresh blood on your tongue, go straight to the boat noodles, which are seriously intense. They also make a terrific pad kra pow here with ground chicken, bird’s eye chilies and, oddly delicious, green beans.

Meanwhile, the jungle curry is a beautiful vegetarian dish for anyone with a timid palate.

• 6482 WESTMINSTER BLVD., WESTMINSTER, 714-892-1149

5. Lucky’s Thai

The chef/owner here bounced around some of the best Thai kitchens in OC before finally opening her own place last year. She makes the quintessential pad see ew. Her barbecued beef short ribs are a uniquely satisfying twist on crying tiger.

SUMRAN THAI • Boat noodle soup

• 934 N. TUSTIN ST., ORANGE

714-538-0021, LUCKYSTHAIPANTRY.COM

CHADA THAI

• Pork larb

salad

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 19

PEKING RESTAURANT •

Pan-fried dumplings

Top 10: Best Chinese food Chinese food in Orange County comes in many guises, from the Beijing-inspired cooking at Peking in Westminster to the tongue-numbing, chili and peppercorn-laced hot pots of Sichuan Impression in Tustin or Meizhou Dongpo in Irvine.

Meanwhile, there’s a purveyor of American-style kung pao chicken and sweet-and-sour pork in just about every neighborhood. And while Irvine is the epicenter of OC’s diverse Chinese food universe, there are good options all around. These are the 10 best Chinese restaurants of 2020. And fittingly for the pandemic era, all of these places also offer takeout or delivery.

be one of our own, and the location at South Coast Plaza is easily one of the brand’s swankiest outposts.

People can’t get enough of DTF’s Shanghai-style soup dumplings called xiao long bao. The shumai dumplings are outstanding, too, as is the chicken noodle soup.

• SOUTH COAST PLAZA, 3333 BRISTOL

ST., COSTA MESA, 714-549-3388 DINTAIFUNGUSA.COM

3. Meizhou Dongpo

Sichuan has become the dominant theme in the local Chinese food scene, and there is no better trafficker of mouth-numbing peppercorn and throat-searing chilies than Meizhou Dongpo. If you

1. Peking Restaurant

Expect the service to be bossy but sweet. Chef Jerry Chen’s Beijing-inspired food comes out fast and hot: beef-andscallion pancakes, honey walnut shrimp, country chicken, pan-fried dumplings, and green beans with minced pork.

4. J Zhou

Lunchtime here is where you’ll find the best dim sum in O.C. The beef cheung fun (steamed rice paper roll) is superb. And you won’t find better sesame noodles than this giant heap. Come dinnertime, the menu shifts toward familystyle feasts with offerings such as whole Peking duck, whole soy-sauce chickens, roasted suckling pigs and more.

TUSTIN, 714-258-8833 JZHOUORIENTALCUISINE.NET

5. Sichuan Impression

2. Din Tai Fung

20 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

• 15363 CULVER DRIVE, IRVINE, 949-4335686, MEIZHOUDONGPOCA.COM

• THE DISTRICT, 2601 PARK AVE.,

• 8566 WESTMINSTER BLVD., WESTMINSTER, 714-893-3020

Although it was founded in Taiwan in the 1950s, Californians have long considered this chain to

like it ultra-spicy, order the royal hot pot — a boiling cauldron of shrimp, beef, mushrooms, quail eggs, lotus root and Spam. On the tamer side, the dan dan noodles are the best example of Sichuan streetstyle noodles in Orange County.

DIN TAI FUNG •

Pork xiao long bao

Start with the cumin toothpick lamb. Then move on to the “finger-licking spicy crab,” which comes with plastic gloves. The tea-smoked pork ribs are fantastic, too, buried beneath a flurry of fried garlic and dried red chilies. And there’s almost nothing a big bowl of

Crispy Sichuan beef, string beans and garlic spinach

YANG MING GARDEN •

Leshan-style beef soup won’t cure.

• 13816 RED HILL AVE., TUSTIN, 714-505-

9070, SICHUANIMPRESSIONS.COM

6. Yang Ming Garden

The owners closed their original restaurant in Orange last year and moved to a smaller space (much less fancy) in Villa Park, opening right before the pandemic hit.

The menu still focuses on vintage California-style Chinese. The crispy Sichuan beef with broccoli is excellent, as is the beef chow fun.

• 17853 SANTIAGO BLVD., VILLA PARK 714-998-9500, YANGMINGGARDEN.COM

7. Ta Chen

The sign in the window advertising “Szechuan and Mandarin cuisine” predates the current Sichuan trend by 30 or 40 years, so don’t come here looking for mouthnumbing heat. Instead, focus on the house specialty “dry braised beef,” a sultry blend of sweet and savory

MEIZHOU DONGPO •

with a thin, almost-brittle texture unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere. The mu shu pork rolls are as big as burritos.

• 6082 CHAPMAN AVE., GARDEN GROVE

714-892-6994 TACHENRESTAURANT.COM

Pre-pandemic, people would stand in line for hours for this soup, even in summer. Also, just as good as the beef soup: Taiwanese dan dan noodles with peanut sauce and minced pork.

• 14805 JEFFREY ROAD, IRVINE 949-786-3585, AJ-RESTAURANT.COM

8. China Moon

No one else comes close to China Moon when it comes to genuine, heartfelt hospitality, which is what really sets this place apart. The kitchen serves classic Taiwanese American cuisine — sesame chicken, salt-and-pepper calamari, crispy egg rolls with spicy mustard — that’s better than most.

10. New Moon

• 30001 TOWN CENTER DRIVE, LAGUNA NIGUEL, 949-249-6868 CHINAMOONRESTAURANT.COM

9. A&J

Country style pork

Most people know A&J as the place that makes the best Taiwanese beef noodle soup in Orange County.

Although this location is still fairly new, this small chain has been around for decades. This is one of several restaurants that claims to have invented the California-style Chinese chicken salad. Spice alert: If you like it hot, get the dragon beef — and a huge glass of water, you’re going to need it. Also good: orange beef, kung pao chicken, egg drop soup.

• 7620 BEACH BLVD., BUENA PARK

714-562-9940 NEWMOONRESTAURANTS.COM

Kung pao chicken, fried rice and snow peas

TA CHEN •

A&J •

Tawainese-style dan dan noodles

NEW MOON • Dragon beef BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 21

HIRONORI • Tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu

Top 10: Best ramen No two bowls of ramen noodle soup are alike. Even when two competing restaurants claim lineage to the exact same Japanese village known for a specific type of tonkotsu or shoyu or shio or whatever, each kitchen ultimately prides itself on its own unique marriage of broth, noodles and fillings (namely pork). While one restaurant’s porkbone soup is as light and clear as a French consommé, another’s will be thick and creamy. One restaurant’s noodles might be thin and straight while others are fat and squiggly.

The possibilities are genuinely infinite, and these are the 10 best ramen shops in Orange County. All of these places will prep your soup for takeout or delivery, with the broth and noodles packaged separately to be reheated (if necessary) and combined at the last minute at home.

1. HiroNori

Opened by one of the original chefs from Silverlake Ramen (at the original in Los Angeles), this place has rocked the local ramen scene. The dining room is small, with seating for only about 35 people crammed in like sardines. The wait for a table can sometimes be untenable, but if you stick it out your patience will be rewarded. You can slurp a pork-bone tonkotsu or a soy-based shoyu broth here (or even a vegan version), but 22 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

the true star is the former. This is an ultra-fatty broth infused with so much pork knuckle collagen that the soup is almost white, like cream. And the chashu (slow-roasted pork belly) is incredible. The pork is heavily charred around the edges, as if it caught fire and smoldered for a few minutes before coming out of the oven.

• 2222 MICHELSON DRIVE, IRVINE

949-536-5800 HIRONORICRAFTRAMEN.COM

2. Ramen & Tsukemen TAO

Chef/owner Toshimasa Sano worked at the legendary Tsujita Ramen in Tokyo for 10 years before coming to Southern California to continue his passion. Now in Buena Park with a ramen shop of his own, he’s focused primarily on miso ramen (and also tsukemen, or dipping ramen, served with cold noodles on the side). He makes two core variations of the miso: one red, one white, both of which simmer for two days. White is the preferred miso soup style in Hokkaido, while red is more popular in Tokyo. It’s the red miso ramen here that really stands out — a rich, creamy, intensely flavored soup infused with pork fat and topped with several slices of decadent chashu, steamed mushrooms, chives and a ball of red

chili-intensive miso paste.

• VALLEY VIEW ST., BUENA PARK

714-699-1078, RAMENTAO.COM

3. Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai

The original Ban Nai opened in Kitakata, Japan, in 1958. They now have about 60 locations, including four in OC. Their highly refined pork broth — almost like a French consommé — is uniquely light and refreshing.

They serve a green chili shio version that gets a boost from fresh green peppers, giving it a wonderful floral yet tongue-searing kick. The noodles are extra thick, hand-crimped and slightly softer than usual.

• 891 BAKER ST., COSTA MESA, 714-557-

2947; 14370 CULVER DRIVE, IRVINE, 949-932-0078; 7550 ORANGETHORPE AVE., BUENA PARK, 714-752-6878; 18884 BROOKHURST ST., FOUNTAIN VALLEY 714-884-3124, RAMENBANNAI.COM

4. Yoshiharu Ramen

This indie noodle shop began in Orange and has since expanded to Buena Park and over the county line into Whittier and Chino.

Their rightful claim to fame is an ultra-creamy tonkotsu (pork-bone) broth that is boiled for 10 hours.

My favorite variation here is the tonkotsu black, which gets its color and intense flavor from a heavy

in OC. Before the pandemic, they accepted cash only and didn’t do takeout. Silver lining: They now offer takeout and accept credit cards. My favorite bowl here is the spicy miso ramen, a white (clear) shio (salt-based) broth blended with miso paste and three types of dried chilies. The chashu is fantastic. The noodles are semi-thick, semi-soft and heavily crimped.

• 665PAULARINOAVE.,COSTAMESA

714-434-1101;14230CULVERDRIVE, IRVINE,949-733-1101,SANTOUKA.CO.JP/EN

9. Butaton

RAMAIN39 • Tsukemen, or dipping ramen

glug of black garlic oil. The chashu is superb, but they dole it out sparingly, so you might want to order extra meat on the side.

• 1891 N. TUSTIN ST., ORANGE, 714-998-

1940; THE SOURCE, 6970 BEACH BLVD., BUENA PARK, 714-670-6567 YOSHIHARURAMEN.COM

5. i20 Ramen

You’ll want to zero in on the yuzu here. Although you might find similar variations of yuzu ramen elsewhere, no other Japanese noodle shop in OC comes anywhere close to matching i20’s truly spectacular yuzu broth. It is bright and citrusy and unusually exhilarating, which is an added bonus when the weather outside is telling you it’s too dang hot for a giant bowl of soup. It’s never too hot for yuzu, particularly when it’s topped with a perfect soft-poached egg and some of the best chashu in the county.

• 26705 ALISO CREEK ROAD, ALISO VIEJO 949-273-3583, I20RAMEN.COM

6. Silverlake Ramen

The original Silverlake Ramen in L.A. played a hand in elevating ramen’s profile in Southern California when it opened nearly 20 years ago. And just before the pandemic hit, this brand had been on quite a roll, opening Japanese noodle shops at lightening speed in Long Beach, Santa Monica, downtown L.A., Oxnard and even as far away as Georgia and North Carolina. The first O.C. branch quietly opened in July at the Irvine Spectrum. The collagen-rich tonkotsu broth is velvety and heady, a case study in the infinite nuances that can be extracted from pork bones when left to simmer for 16 hours. They give you just a single slice of chashu, but

it is so insanely fatty that might be all you need.

• 511 SPECTRUM CENTER DRIVE, IRVINE

(NEAR THE JAVIER’S/CHEESECAKE FACTORY ENTRANCE; MASK REQUIRED FOR ENTRY), 949-932-0295 SILVERLAKERAMEN.COM

7. Kashiwa Ramen

Kashiwa is an offshoot of HideChan Ramen in Hakata, Japan, which also operates six restaurants in New York. But this one’s different. While those others focus on tonkotsu ramen made with porkbone broth and braised pork belly chashu, this spot specializes instead on tori paitan, a chicken broth made in the style of tonkotsu. Infused with serious amounts of chicken collagen, it is as unctuous as the best pork broths out there. The chashu, too, is made with chicken. They call it chicken belly, a play on pork belly, but it’s really just chicken breasts steamed in a sous vide machine until it becomes the most tender and juicy chicken breast you can imagine. Their chili paste adds a deliciously complex umami and mysterious depth. Level two spice is pretty hot. Level three will make your teeth fall out.

The tonkotsu broth here is straightforward and fairly light, not heavy or rich like some of the others on this list. And when mixed with their spicy miso paste it becomes something truly special. The real reason you’re here, though, is the chashu, which is as good as it gets. The noodles are extra thin and perfectly toothsome.

• 10130 GARDEN GROVE BLVD., GARDEN GROVE, 714-537-7098 BUTATONRAMEN.COM

10. Ramain39

The ace up the sleeve at this izakaya (Japanese pub) is their tonkotsu-inspired tsukemen, a dipping ramen where the noodles and toppings are served alongside — not already soaking in — the broth.

You can dump everything into the bowl or you can attack it more like shabu, dipping only a mouthful of noodles at a time into the broth, which is served over a tabletop stove when dining in. The broth is opulent and textural, a classic tonkotsu base that’s been thickened with finely shredded chashu and corn, which results in a stew that’s almost like chili.

• 18583 BEACH BLVD., HUNTINGTON BEACH, 657-329-1189, RAMAIN39.COM

• 1420 BAKER ST., COSTA

MESA, 657-232-0223 THEKASHIWARAMEN.COM

8. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Santouka is a prolific chain based in Asahikawa, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.

They’ve got dozens of units around the world, with eight California branches partnered with Mitsuwa Markets, including two

RAMEN & TSUKEMEN TAO

• Red miso ramen

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 23

OLIVER'S OSTERIA •

Rigatoni cacio e pepe

Top 5: Best Italian food Going out for an oversized bowl of New York-style spaghetti and meatballs and a bottle of Chianti will never grow old, but the Italian restaurant scene in Orange County has grown vastly more diverse than that in recent years. Each wildly different from the others, these are the five best Italian restaurants right now.

1. Oliver’s Osteria

In very short order this quaint Emilia-Romagna-inspired osteria has become the best Italian restaurant in OC thanks to chef/owner Erik De Marchi’s heartfelt hospitality and deft restraint in the kitchen.

What to order: Cacio e pepe, veal agnolotti, salad of baby artichokes, grilled lamb chops.

bresaola with figs and burrata, branzino in spicy lemon broth (acqua pazza), dolce diavola pizza, Negroni.

• 1200 BISON AVE., NEWPORT BEACH

949-520-7191 BELLOBYSANDRONARDONE.COM

3. Pizzeria Mozza

After nearly 10 years in Newport Beach, chef Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza still feels remarkably fresh even as the menu has barely changed.

What to order: Pizza al Benno, wood-fired meatballs, pane bianco,

4. Ciao Pasta

Chef Pasquale Manta thoroughly transformed this Puglia-inspired trattoria with a sleek modern makeover a couple years back.

What to order: Squid ink tagliolini with clams and tomatoes, tagliatelle with lemon and artichokes, diavola pizza.

• 31661 CAMINO CAPISTRANO,

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, 949-496-5002 CIAOPASTA.NET

5. Filomena's

2. Bello

24 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

• 800 W. COAST HIGHWAY, NEWPORT BEACH, 949-945-1126 NEWPORTBEACHPIZZERIAMOZZA.COM

Chef Linda Johnsen channels her nonna Filomena to create soulful East Coast style Italian fare. But what really makes this place truly indispensable this year is the attached deli, where Johnsen’s greatest hits are packaged and ready for stocking the fridge.

What to order: Spaghetti and meatballs, pappardelle bolognese, lasagna, pepperoni pizza.

• 853 LAGUNA CANYON ROAD, LAGUNA BEACH, 949-715-0261 OLIVERSOSTERIA.COM

Chefs Sandro Nardone and Frank DeLoach are the dynamic duo of Italian cuisine, constantly looking forward and backward in tandem.

What to order: House-cured

chopped salad.

BELLO • Acqua pazza, or branzino

in spicy lemon broth

• 2400 NEWPORT BLVD., COSTA MESA, 949-642-3810 FILOMENASOC.COM

2145 •

Spicy salame pizza with green olives and ricotta

Top 5: Best pizza Orange County has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great pizza. That’s the good news. The bad news is it's nearly impossible to pick just the five best, but I've done it anyway. Here they are.

1. 2145

The spicy salame pizza here is absolute perfection, sparsely blotted with ricotta cheese and generously flavored with green olives and pickled Fresno chilies.

• 2145 PLACENTIA AVE., COSTA MESA, 949-873-5853 2145EATS.COM

2. Brick

Although Brick has stopped identifying as Italian (preferring instead the moniker of wood-fire kitchen), this place still makes pizzas, and they are still incredible, especially the one topped with house-made sausage, Calabrese salame, slowroasted porchetta and crispy pork belly.

• 216 N. EL CAMINO REAL, SAN CLEMENTE 949-929-1199 BRICKRESTAURANTGROUP.COM

PARALLEL PIZZA •

The Stinger, a New Haven-style pizza with salame, peppers and honey

3. Parallel Pizza

This is the only place in Orange County making charcoal-fired New Haven-style pizza. It is ultra thin and deliciously chewy. Get the one topped with pepperoni, fresh jalapeños, Parmesan cheese and honey.

• 34255 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, DANA POINT, 949-441-7406 PARALLELPIZZERIA.COM

4. Folks

The naturally leavened dough combines the best traits of both Neapolitan and sourdough styles. Focus

on the fennel sausage, mozzarella and pecorino with a drizzle of salsa verde.

• 2937 BRISTOL ST.,

COSTA MESA, 714-617-4888 FOLKSHOSPITALITY.COM

5. Rance’s

I lived in Chicago for seven years and ate far more than my fair share of stuffed and pan pizzas, and I am stubbornly convinced that Rance’s is the real deal. The pan pizza with meatballs, pancetta and jalapeños is as good as it gets.

• 1420 BAKER ST., COSTA MESA

714-708-2143, RANCESPIZZA.COM BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 25

“We are now Re-Open 7 days per week” Monday - Friday for Lunch, Sunday for Brunch, Dinner Nightly and Happy Hour (limited seating at bar top for spacing) Sun - Fri 3:30pm - 6pm and 9pm to Closing

Old Brea Chop House 180 S Brea Blvd. Brea, CA 92821

(714) 592-3122

www.oldbreachophouse.com Please call for Curbside Pickup or Outdoor Dining Reservations

We are the Ramen shop that respects Ramen tradition and continues evolving

Our Chicken and Pork broth uses entire Umami flavor extracted from Bones that are stewed for 12-16 hours over high fire until it becomes rich and creamy perfection.

1420 Baker St., Suite C, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Phone (657) 232-0223 www.thekashiwaramen.com

26 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020

BRAD A. JOHNSON’S BEST PLACES TO EAT 2020 • 27

Rance’s Chicago Pizza Top 75 Places to Eat in Orange County

Now Serving Our Famous Wings In Costa Mesa Rance’s Chicago Pizza offers three types of pies: Stuffed, Pan and Tavern.

Costa Mesa

rancespizza.com

(714) 708-2143 1420 Baker St., Suite B, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Long Beach

(562) 786-5566 5258 2nd St., Long Beach, CA 90803

ranceschicagopizza

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