KATSUYA

I had just seen the Katsuya South Beach at the SLS Miami, their most recent opening. and was intrigued with the restaurant's modern take on Japanese cuisine so we went to their Laguna Beach outpost which is right on the pacific Coast highway with an outdoor terrace overlooking the ocean.   We made a booking via Open Table  and got a table for 5:30 As it was such an early booking, we arrived to an empty restaurant and were led to one of the large banquette tables (there were 5 of us) on the outdoor terrace which was thankfully, covered with an awning, to protect us from the strong California afternoon sun.

Cocktails were ordered while we studied the extensive menu of starters and signature starters, salads, sushi, sashimi, meat and seafood and even a robatayaki selection.  We decided to order several sushi rolls and several items from their signature starters to share: edamame to munch on first followed by the sushi sampler.  Then the rolls started to appear.  First up was the signature crispy rice topped with spicy tuna and jalapeno and three other daily special rolls that were off the menu: the spicy salmon roll with crispy garlic, tuna roll with crispy corn kernels, and a double salmon roll with thinly-sliced lemon and salmon roe.  We also had the fried soft shell crab starter.  All the starters were delicious, the raw fish was fresh and the rolls were one-of-a-kind.  The hot dishes were less interesting - Stripped Baze which was a specialty of Szechuan-style bass fillets was over-sauced fish fillets that were neither sweet nor spicy, the Kobe rib-eye with truffle butter was a just sliced meat with mushrooms.  Even the stuffed eggplant starter filled with albacore and almonds in a sweet miso glaze was just too sweet and didn't have enough eggplant or fish.  All three cooked dishes were a letdown.  We finished our meal with two desserts: the chocolate lover cake, supposedly hot chocolate cake but was just three brownie chunks covered in crispy wonton wrapper strips and the classic creme brulee which was nothing special as well.  If you do go to Katsuya, stick to the sushi, sashimi, rolls or raw food and skip the rest or just have a cool cocktail, enjoy the loud music and admire the crowd.

________________________________

Katsuya

858 S. Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651Tel: +1 949 793 4030

email: katsuyalaguna@sbe.com

*Open daily for dinner. Sundays to Thursdays 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. and till 10:30 Fridays and Saturdays

LAGUNA BEACH EATS

After our weekend in Miami, it was off to Laguna Beach for the 4th of July weekend and fireworks on the beach.  We flew to Las Vegas then drove the four and a half hours to Laguna Beach in a convoy of two cars with my sisters and all the kids.  We arrived in the middle of the week and spent our days hanging out and enjoying the California weather and easy breezy lifestyle.  Two casual food places we tried were: Umami Burger and La Sirena - perfect for a pre or post beach California day.

Umami Burger's menu has ten burgers from their signature classic Umami burger (shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, Parmesan crisp and their in-house umami ketchup) to the Lemon Miso Crab Melt (jumbo lump crab with burratta, baby heirloom tomatoes and lemon miso dressing). There's lots of sides to choose from: thin fries, sweet potato fries, smushed potatoes, tempura onion rings, house pickles, market salad and this being granola-California, there's also a side of truffled beet salad with truffled ricotta. smoked almonds, wild baby arugula and truffle dressing.  Burger buns are branded with a U and condiments are numerous - from umami ketchup to jalapeno ranch to diablo sauce.  Wines by the glass and craft beers are also available along with fruit-based killer cocktails.

La Sirena is a tiny semi-fast food and take-out counter with a few tables scattered around on the sidewalk.  It gets full early and stays full almost all day so get ready to line up for your food and wait for a table afterwards.  Breakfast burritos are served along with huevos rancheros and a breakfast torta.  Lunch turns out a larger menu with the usual tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas, tortilla soup and chunky guacamole and chips.  They have a kid's menu as well and flavored agua frescas and horchatas, a milky Mexican concoction made with cinnamon, ground almonds. lime zest and sugar and here, organic milk is used to make the horchata one-of-a-kind.

__________________________________________

Umami Burger Laguna

610 N. Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, California 92651

Tel: +1 949 342 1210

*Open Sundays to Thursdays 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 to midnight

La Sirena

347 mermaid Street

Laguna Beach, Califormia 92651

Tel: +1 949 497 8226

*Open Mondays to Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Summer holidays

It's 91F (31C) in the shade and i n a few days it'll already be July.  Those first seven months of 2012 went quickly!  It's also the start of our summer family holiday.  The kids and I are off to Miami for the weekend then two weeks in Las Vegas with a side trip to Laguna Beach to watch the legendary Fourth of July fireworks with a traditional barbeque dinner.  It'll be a busy couple of weeks then it's back to beautiful Dorado beach and getting the kids ready for school.  Have a fantastic summer and come back in a few weeks to read about my summer restaurant discoveries!

PIZZERIA MOZZA

The Friday after Thanksgiving was a beautiful southern California fall day - bright blue skies and lots of sun so we took advantage of the nice weather to drive up the coast to Newport beach for lunch at the newish Pizzeria Mozza.  We had made a reservation for 1:30 p.m. thinking that by that time, the restaurant would be emptying out but we were wrong.  We arrived at 1:00 and the place was packed and still had to wait the half hour before an outdoor table was found for our group of six.

Pizzeria Mozza is the creation of the foodie trio of Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton and Joseph Bastianich.  The restaurant is casual with wooden tables covered in brown paper place mats and set with a simple paper napkin and cutlery.  The restaurant is not that big with a wine bar and counter near the entrance and another counter at the far end overlooking the wood-burning pizza oven.  There is also a small covered outdoor terrace with a few tables set up near an iron-gate overlooking the busy Pacific Coast highway.  As we had waited awhile, we had the chance to study the menu and were ready to order as soon as we were seated.

For starters, we shared several appetizers.  From the Antipasti section of the limited lunch menu, we chose two hot appetizers: the bone marrow al forno (oven roasted split bone marrow served with garlic flavored olive oil, sea salt and crust bread) and the crispy goat cheese with Umbrian lentils (a slab of breaded and fried goat cheese on top of warm lentils.  The bone marrow was delicious - hot bone marrow on toast with just a sprinkling of sea salt was fantastic.  The lentils were tomatoey and soft and perfect with the crispy gooey mild goat's cheese. 

From the Insalate section, we had the namesake Mozza caprese: mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes with crusty toasted olive-oil rubbed ciabatta.  This salad has been overdone at all sorts of restaurants but it was the only time that I tasted what the big deal was with the classic Italian caprese salad. The mozzarella was incredibly fresh, creamy and delicious just smeared on top of the crunchy ciabatta - a true example of when fresh quality ingredients are all one needs for an amazing dish and probably why the restaurant is named after this deceptively salad.

The appetizers were followed by five pizzas to share amongst six (five adults and 1 child): the simple no-cheese tomato, olive oil and Sicilian oregano pizza; a Napolitana which is just a Margherita (tomato mozzarella and and basil pizza) with the added salty zing of olives, anchovies, chiles and fried capers; the all-meat pizza topped with bacon, salame, fennel sausage, guanciale, tomato and mozzarella; the simpler Salume Salame pizza (fancy version of pepperoni) with tomato and mozzarella and finally the Bianca, an all cheese pizza of Fontina, mozzarella, sottocenere topped with crispy sage. The pizza crust was crisp and bubbled up on the edges and somehow the toppings didn't make the pizza all gooey and soggy.  All the pizzas were very good but it was the Napolitana I loved, again a classic with just a few more simple ingredients to make it different yet delicious.

P.D.  I was in Singapore last week and tried to take my husband and children to dinner at Pizzeria Mozza at the Marina Bay Sands mall.  We hadn't reserved a table and the only seats they had for walk-ins were at the bar which was going to be difficult with the kids so we had dinner elsewhere.

______________________

Pizzeria Mozza

800 West Coast Highway

(a.k.a. Pacific Coast Highway)

Newport beach CA 92663

Telephone: +1 949 945 1126

*Open for lunch and dinner daily.  Reservations recommended if you don't want to wait.

*Pizzeria Mozza is also in Los Angeles and in Singapore

CAFE ZINC

On our last morning in Laguna beach we stopped by for a quick breakfast at Cafe Zinc, the other breakfast place on Ocean Avenue, right before the more than four-hour drive back to Las Vegas.  With three locations in Orange County, this place is loved by the locals and is usually always packed for breakfast.  We had been to nearby Cafe Anastasia several times and never to Cafe Zinc as we were initially put off by their no-meat menu (meaning no bacon for breakfast).  On our last day though, we decided to try it and see what the fuss was all about.

The Laguna Beach Cafe Zinc has both a cafe and market adjacent with a separate entry.  The marketplace has a takeaway counter for bread (from La Brea bakery), pastries, coffees and drinks to go plus a large selection of deli items, soups, sandwiches, salads and prepared platters.  The Cafe is self-serve and usually has lines snaking out the door so get ready to queue and then try and snag one of the outdoor tables.  There is a large breakfast and lunch menu and a dinner menu on the evenings when dinner is served.  Although not advertised as a vegetarian place, Cafe Zinc doesn't serve any meat but there are so many dishes to choose from on their extensive menu that the absence of meat wouldn't be missed.

For breakfast, my sister and I shared the Huevos Rancheros, a poached egg over papaya salsa, blackbean chili, smoked Gouda, marinara sauce and a toasted bagel with butter and jam.  She had a creamy cafe mocha and I had a not so great espresso.  All in all an okay breakfast but not as tasty as the one at Cafe Anastasia up the road.  I would give this vegetarian cafe another chance maybe for lunch when there are more interesting choices on the menu.

________________________________

Cafe Zinc

Market and Cafe

350 Ocean Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Cafe: + 1 949 494 6302
Market: +1 949 494 2791
*Open daily, Market  and Cafe from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(Cafe open only till 4:00 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays)
*Cafe dinners starting May 2, 2012, Wednesday to Sunday from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m.

CAFE ANASTASIA

Bright and early from jet lag, I got up and went out on the deck to admire the view of the Pacific ocean then rushed my sisters to get ready for an early breakfast down the hill.  We ended up at Cafe Anastasia, the little cafe adjacent to the multi-brand fashion boutique, Anastasia.  As it was early, the place wasn't full yet but there were several local residents having their morning coffee.

Cafe Anastasia is a small restaurant with exposed brick walls, polished cement floors and very few tables indoors and a few more tables in their small covered terrace. It's semi-self serve so we placed and paid for our orders at the counter then settled on one of the outdoor tables as it was a sunny November morning.

The breakfast menu at Cafe Anastasia has lots to offer: eggs prepared many different ways plus house specials like waffles, pancakes and even bagel and lox.  For lunch, they have an extensive menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and even pizzas.  As we were in Laguna beach, I decided to have the Eggs Laguna - poached eggs on toasted country bread spread with basil, avocado and thyme and served with slices of fresh melon and chopped tomatoes with a double espresso.  One sister had the Anastasia Omelet filled with mushrooms, bacon, onion and smoked Gouda cheese with a cappuccino while another just had a butter croissant and an Americano.  The coffees were good, the food delicious and the service friendly.  I liked it so much that I ate there twice more during my short stay in Laguna beach.  Next time, I'll make sure to stop by the boutique as well to have a look at their collection of hip designer clothes.

_____________________________

Cafe Anastasia

Adjacent to Anastasia boutique

470 Ocean Avenue

Laguna Beach CA 92651

Telephone: +1 949 497 8903

* Open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for breakfast and lunch

SHINSENGUMI

After the night flight from Hong Kong, I arrived in LAX on a Monday evening in late November and was met by my sister and my brother-in-law's younger brother.  I had promised them dinner and we went straight to Shinsengumi , a yakitori restaurant they had been raving about.  (Though not technically in laguna beach, this branch was the closest on our way home so that's where we went).

We got to the restaurant about 10:00 p.m. and surprisingly, the place was still pretty full and the next-door ramen place still had a queue of diners outside waiting to have noodles.  The place is small with a few tables near the entrance and a large counter that takes up most of the space where the grill is located and where several diners were still busy with their dinner.

 

We settled into a booth right by the entrance and were given the robata list where we could pencil in our orders directly.  Initially, we just ordered one stick each thinking that each order had two or three skewers but when the food arrived and it was just one skewer per order, we ordered a second round of yakitori.  The food came quickly, hot off the grill.  We had chicken skin, chicken thighs with green onion both in salt and with special house sauce, chicken wings, quail eggs, Washu beef, pork belly, and chicken meatballs.  We also ordered a small tuna sashimi, tofu agedashi and fried octopus to share with hot green tea.  The yakitori was flavorful and as it was after 10:00 p.m., it was Yakitori happy hour so most of the skewers were priced at $1.50 each instead of the usual $2.00 to $3.50 making our dinner for three very affordable.  It was a really good meal to welcome my arrival in the States.

_____________________________
Shinsengumi Robata and Yakitori
18315 Brookhurst Street, #1
(Promenade Shopping Center)
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Telephone: +1 (714) 962-8952
*Open for lunch Mondays to Fridays, 11:30 to 2:00 p.m. (Ramen only)
*Open for dinner daily from 6:00 to 11:30 p.m. 


*Other branches in Gardena, Monterey Park and Rosemead and also in Tokyo.

Travel 2011

2011 has been my year of travel.  I have never been on a plane this much ever.  There were trips to new places - Bangkok and Beijing, a trip to my favorite city - Paris, trips to visit family - Buenos Aires and Las Vegas, several trips to see the doctor - Singapore, trips to do renew our passports - Jakarta and quick trips on a stopover - Sydney.

November, though, is going to be the busiest travel month for me, with a week in Manila from today (to finish unpacking boxes that have been in storage for several years) then a week in Osaka and Tokyo (my first trip to Japan) and finally, two weeks during Thanksgiving in Laguna Beach, Las Vegas and San Francisco, before I head back home to Bali just in time for the children's holidays and Christmas.  And there are still so many places I haven't been to and hope to visit in 2012.  So bear with me and my erratic posting.  I promise there will be lots to read very soon with my Buenos Aires posts coming out, slowly but surely, and with more gourmet travel write-ups soon.

The Best of 2009

When the clock struck midnight on the 31st of December, the first decade of the 21st century ended.  The past ten years have passed so quickly and so many important events have taken place.  I began the noughties with my wedding in Napa, followed by several moves: first to Santiago, then Dubai, then Montreal and now Marbella.  My two children were also born in the last ten years and my blog was created in the last part of the decade.

Now, I'm facing the next year and am both eager and wary of what the future may bring. There is one thing I can be sure of though, and that's the best gourmet experiences I had in 2009. So, Happy New Year and here's to sharing more gourmet travels with you in 2010!

Best Bang for the Buck - Chocolateria San Gines, Madrid
This is a bang for the buck that's satisfying for all the senses.  A short walk off a pedestrian street and in a tiny alley is where you'll find Chocolateria San Gines.  Open 24 hours, they serve freshly-made churros and thick chocolate to dip them into all day long and into the night.  Great for a mid-morning pick-me-up or a late afternoon treat.  Aside from jamon Iberico, this is my other favorite Spanish snack.

Best Bistro - Itineraires, Paris
This new and cozy bistro in Paris' 5th arrondissement was a revelation.  A young chef, his wife out front greeting diners, fantastic prix-fixe menu, modern interiors and best of all, really good food.  This will stay on my Paris TO GO list for a long time.

Best Breakfast - Break of Dawn, Laguna Beach
No one does big breakfasts like the Americans do and this out of the way restaurant located in a nondescript strip mall in Laguna Beach is a perfect example.  Ex-Ritz Carlton chef who leaves the busy hotel kitchen to set up his own place and spend more time with his family.  The result is impressive - breakfast classics like corned beef hash, french toast and oatmeal are on the menu alongside an Asian-influenced spicy Hawaiian sausage with rice, eggs and pickled shredded papaya or a Mexican-influenced chorizo and scrambled eggs.  Mugs of fresh drip-coffee, free iced water, large tables filled with families makes it almost like a diner.

Best Hotel Buffet Breakfast - Woods, Geneva
Hotel buffet breakfasts are all starting to blur into one - assorted breads and pastries, yogurts, cold cuts, cereal and a small selection of cooked items (scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon) kept warm in chafing dishes.  Well, not at Woods in the Intercontinental hotel where breakfast was an aesthetic experience - a large wooden table piled high with baskets of assorted breads and pastries, artisanal jams and honeys then a cold section of marble-topped shelves where yogurts, fresh fruit, fresh juice in individual carafes and cold cuts were laid out and finally, a hot food section where a granite topped counter with built-in warmers kept the food in the serving dishes hot.

Best Chinese - Hakkasan, London
Another Alan Yau  and Christian Liagre partnership, this time with Michelin star as well for the creative Chinese haute cuisine.  I went there first in 2002 when they just opened and was already impressed with what they had created.  Seven years later, it's still a pleasant shock to the senses - dark, sexy interiors and sexy, snappy servers just add to the atmosphere and honestly with food this good, I can tolerate the attitude.  Lunch is a bargain but the dinner bill can become astronomical with the colorful cocktails and first growth wines.  No photos are allowed so I wasn't able to document my lunch there so you'll just have to imagine it.

Best French - Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, Las Vegas

Elegant, check. Cozy, check.  Haute cuisine, check.  Hypertension-inducing prices, check.  Dinner with my sisters, priceless.  My sisters and I try to meet up at least once a year and when we do, we always go somewhere new for dinner and last year was Joel Robuchon's fine dining jewel at the MGM hotel.  We decided to skip the degustation and go a la carte so we could all order different things and have a taste of each others' plates.  The food was classic French haute cuisine with some modern twist but thankfully, none of those molecular/hyper-modern foams and dry ice creations that are a bit of a turn-off.  Was it delicious? Yes.  Was it worth it?  Yes, once every decade.  The experience was impressive but we're still saving up for another anti-recession meal like that one.

Best Home-Cooked Meal - Mahnaz's Persian Kebabs, Marbella
Mahnaz invited us over for a traditional Persian dinner of kebabs - both chicken and lamb - served with grilled peppers, tomatoes and buttery long-grain rice.  She also made fesenjan, the traditional lamb and pomegranate syrup stew.  Persian comfort food at its' best.

Best Japanese - RAKU, Las Vegas
My sister and her husband had been raving about this tiny off-strip restaurant for ages so when we finally made it there in February, our expectations were high.  After lots of little plates - creative Robatayaki-based dishes,  super fresh sashimi,

Best New Gourmet Discovery - Foie gras carpaccio, Paris
I have Tonger to thank for taking us to Comptoir de la Gastronomie, a deli/restaurant near Les Halles.  He insisted I order the foie gras carpaccio and I was glad I did.  The plateful of paper-thin slices of foie gras drizzled with honey, balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with sel de Guerande.  It made for a terrific cold lunch and it was such a pleasant surprise to try foie gras in a new way.

Best Tapas - La Moraga Iberica, Puerto Banus

I was never a fan of Dani Garcia's, Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant, Calima.  On the other hand, his tapas bar concept La Moraga in Malaga has always been a favorite.  This year, he opened a second tapas bar in the middle of Puerto Banus - La Moraga Iberica.  Modern interiors with a large bar where diners can sit and watch the action from the show kitchen.  His modern version on the classic Spanish tapa of boquerones (anchovies) served in an opened sardine tin with roasted peppers is fun and fantastic.   It's been packed ever since they opened and because no reservations are taken, the wait can be unbearably long but worth it.  I'm looking forward to his new creation La Moraga Sweet just down the road which should solve the problem of where to go for a nice dessert around here.

Best Thai - Busaba, London
2009 was all about recessionista dining and this Alan Yau concept and Christian Liagre-designed Thai restaurant brought the best bang for the buck with its' spicy flavors, generous portions, modern interiors, efficient service and most of all, reasonable prices.  Perfect for both yummy mummies and slummy mummies, businessmen and tourists, families and couples - the large communal tables and shared dishes make for convivial dining.

Laguna Beach Highlights

Waking up to a view like the one above is incredible and in Laguna Beach that's what you get every morning. When the fog burns off at midday, it gets even clearer and Catalina island appears over the horizon.

This was my second Laguna Beach visit and each time I come, I realize that southern California might be a place I could move to and never leave. The weather is similar to what we have in Marbella - sunny days all year round, the proximity of the beach and the fantastic food available. Here are a few other things about Laguna Beach that I didn't have time to do full posts on this time around but are worth a visit.

Ramos House Cafe - for scrumptious breakfasts in a quaint open-air restaurant alongside the railroad track. Sack-covered tables, water served in jam jars and California-cuisine inspired dishes make this a favourite among locals. Get there early if you want a table quick. It's best to do breakfast or brunch during the week when it's not that crowded and there's no rush to give up your table. The sweet potato fries are to die for.

Ramos House Cafe

31752 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone: +1 949 443 1342

Taco Loco - A cliche surfer hangout, this taqueria joint serves up modern Mexican fare that can be enjoyed on Paul Frank designer stools or for to-go. The blackened fish tacos I had here were better than those I had at the Border Grill. Lots of vegetarian options as well. During the day, expect laid-back service from surfer dudes so don't go if you're in a rush.

Taco Loco

640 S Coast Hwy # 1Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Phone: + 1 949 497 1635

Tutto Amore - new kid on the block gelateria with the best espressos and cappuccinos (hands down) in Laguna Beach. Traditional flavours are yummy but don't miss out on their daily specials or gourmet flavours like Ferrero Rocher, root beer float and almond roca plus experimental ones like durian and ginger. Most work but some are as strange as they sound. The coconut gelato I had was delicious with freshly grated coconut flakes in every bite.

Tutto Amore

247 Broadway StreetLaguna Beach, California

Phone: +1 949 715 9249

SAM WOO

After a long day at Legoland, we were all too lazy to cook dinner and ended up making a booking at a large Chinese restaurant in Irvine, about twenty minutes away from Laguna Beach. As soon as we walked in to Sam Woo, we knew we were going to have a good dinner.

The place was packed with Chinese families sitting at large round tables enjoying their meal and it was a good thing we booked because there were no empty tables left and there were loads of people waiting at the front still waiting to be seated.

Nothing can duplicate the atmosphere of an authentic Chinese restaurant - the almost unbearable noise levels that kill any kind of conversation, the tight spaces between tables where waiters weave in and out with large trays of steaming hot platters, the brusqueness and briskness of the service which is all part of the charm. In any case, these kinds of restaurants are all about the food and not about the ambiance and the noise and mess is what you have to endure to have a good meal.

The menu is extensive with live seafood as their specialty so it took us awhile to decide which dishes to order. We started off with some sweet corn and chicken soup, not the usual hot and sour that we order since we were with kids. This was followed by a whole Peking Duck - make sure that you specify you want pancakes, like we did or it will be served with steamed white buns instead. Both arrived quickly - the soup sweetened by the corn and chunkny with chicken pieces. The duck came out on a trolley and was carved and rolled into pancakes with hoisin sauce, slivers of scallions and cucumbers. It's been ages since we've had Peking duck, one of the disadvantages of living in Spain where authentic Chinese food is just impossible to have.

Next came the steamed whole flounder with ginger and scallion - the fish was fresh and sweet and the soy sauce and sesame oil complemented it perfectly. Pork chops in salt and pepper, deep-fried crispy shredded beef (off the menu but I requested it anyway for my son), stir-fried greens with bean curd in oyster sauce and some fried rice were all served afterwards. The food was excellent and when the bill came, typical to Chinese restaurants, it was written out in Chinese characters so we didn't have a list of what we ordered but it didn't matter since the total price was so reasonable (about $10 per person) that we didn't even try to check it. I wonder when we'll have another Chinese meal this good next?

_________________________________

Sam Woo

15333 Culver Drive, Ste. 720

Irvine, CA 92604

Tel: +1 949 262 0688

(*another location on 4215 Spring Mountain Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89102)

BREAK OF DAWN

This small restaurant located in a strip mall in the Laguna Hills is unassuming and easy to miss but don't be fooled by the simple facade. Hidden away is a fantastic place for special breakfasts created by former Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel executive sous-chef Dee Nguyen who decided to leave his hotel job to be able to spend more time with his wife and son. Now, less than two years later, his risk has paid off as Break of Dawn is loved by locals and packed on weekends for breakfast and brunch.

The menu has several traditional breakfast dishes like oatmeal, pancakes, eggs Benedict as well as a selection of brunch/lunch items except that none of the renditions are typical as all the dishes are given a gourmet twist that make them unique.

We ordered most of the menu as there were almost a dozen of us having breakfast. I chose my usual Eggs Benedict - two poached eggs over smoked ham on sun-dried tomato Focaccia with Holy Pesto Hollandaise - a modern take on the egg-yolk rich Hollandaise and served with crunchy spiced home fries. The herby pesto complimented the perfectly poached eggs and were delicious.

A had the Steel-cut Irish oatmeal brule with walnut and brown sugar plus one of the brunch items - the coriander-cured smoked salmon with an oatmeal (instead of potato) galette, poached egg and a lemon-caper emulsion. I tasted both - the oatmeal was creamy and chunky with the walnuts while the smoked salmon went really well with the caper- flavoured sauce.

My sisters ordered their usual: one had the chilaquiles ranchero - Chorizo and cheddar scrambled eggs with bacon baked beans, corn tortilla, guacamole and a spicy, creamy Epazote sauce while the other had the Portuguese-Hawaiian sausage with fried eggs, scallion puree, a tangy green papaya and sesame salad and fried rice. (This is very similar to a Philippine breakfast dish called long-si-log - a sweet-spicy sausage called LONGanissa, garlic-fried rice called SInangag and fried eggs, itLOG - hence the name). C had the Corned Beef Hash - slices of super tender fresh corned beef with sweet potato hash, tarragon braised cabbage and a grainy mustard sauce. His dad had his favourite creme brulee French toast - raisin and cinnamon brioche, a creamy Mexican chocolate and coconut custard with a caramelized sugar creme brulee-type topping.

The kids shared a side order short stack of chocolate chip griddle cakes drizzled with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar. There are also two items on the menu for "Little Diners" - grilled cheese of mozzarella and cheddar and the peanut butter and Nutella in a blanket - griddle cakes with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

There were still so many dishes I wanted to try on the menu like the cinnamon bun baked in a cast-iron skillet and drizzled with coffee syrup and almond glaze or one of the many-flavoured griddle cakes on offer like the pineapple coconut or the cinnamon or the Vietnamese-style meatloaf with buttermilk cheddar biscuits or the seasonal fresh fruit plate with the walnut-carrot coffee cake - the list of yummy things goes on and on.

Break of Dawn is the perfect place to greet the morning with their lovely breakfasts and gourmet brunch concoctions. My next visit to Laguna Beach will definitely include a stop at this one-of-a-kind restaurant.

_________________________________
Break of Dawn
24351 Avenida de La Carlota, No. 6
Laguna Hills CA 92653
Tel: +1 949 587 9418
*Open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Beach, Baptism and Barbecue

As soon as we wake up, our first view is of Laguna Beach with the sun streaming in through the large windows. Saturday morning was spent getting the rest of the stuff ready for N's baptism and barbecue party. We left for the church, St. Catherine of Siena, at around 3:00 and the baptism started at 3:30. J helped Rev. Eamon, the pastor, by lighting candles and assisting him by playing the altar boy. After the short ceremony, we headed home for the barbecue.

The buffet was laid with the salads I had prepared the day before - cherry tomato, corn and basil, roasted aubergines and shallots, baby potato and chives with mustard dressing and roasted peppers. My sister's father-in-law had made a mixed paella with lobster, prawns, mussels, clams, squid, pork and chorizo. The grill was fired up for some sausages from Berkeley's famous Top Dog - bockwurst, linguica, Calabrese and lemon chicken. There was also some skirt steak to be served with chimichurri (the traditional Argentine herb, vinegar and olive oil steak sauce). With the view of the ocean from the deck, the fantastic summer weather and the friends and family who were there, the day was complete and baby N got the party she deserved.

HAPI SUSHI

In the center of Laguna Beach are a few boutiques mostly selling art, along with a few other clothes and surfer shops. Amongst this is a small restaurant that has been serving sushi for twenty years now. Ever since Hapi Sushi opened in 1983, it's been a local hangout and the interiors haven't changed at all. It looks like a dive and definitely isn't a typical Japanese sushi place especially with the Van Morrison playing in the background. The atmosphere is unique in that way - a casual California version of a sushi bar. There are different rolls on the menu plus some specials listed on the board behind the sushi counter. The menu doesn't list prices but expect to spend about $15 per person for a selection of California-style rolls and a miso soup.

On the evening we went, the place was pack having packed with locals having a quick meal. There were four of us plus my 5-year old who was fast asleep on the banquette. We ordered miso soup and followed with the crunchy roll (asparagus with crispy tempura batter), 79 special (grilled unagi roll with a sliver of strawberry and balsamic vinegar glaze), the special baked mussels, squid-jalapeno tempura), crispy mushroom with spicy mustard and a salmon skin temaki. The rolls were different, not authentically Japanese but delicious. It's only in California that this kind of place could exist.

Eating the Southern California way

We arrived in the O.C. (Orange County) late Wednesday afternoon to sunny skies and a fantastic view of Laguna Beach from the home of my sisters' in-laws. Thursday was spent in Disneyland where we spent the entire day and ended up going on a dozen different rides. My son, J, really enjoyed being in the "happiest place on earth" as the last time we took him to Eurodisney, it was -10 degrees celsius. The last time my two sisters and I were there all together was seventeen years ago so it was fun to relive our summer holidays.

Early Friday morning, we drove to San Juan Capistrano to a local favorite - The Ramos House Cafe. It's a little place that's been there for ages and is right beside the train station in the sleepy district of Los Rios on the oldest residential street in California. The actual house has been there since 1881 and was the former residence of the Ramos family. The actual cafe was opened in 1994 by chef/owner John Q. Humphrey's who not only cooks there but lives there as well. Menu items are limited and seasonal and keeps to the concept of a home-style restaurant where everything is made from scratch, herbs are grown in the garden and ice-cream is churned by hand. The cuisine featured is contemporary American with hearty breakfasts, sandwiches and salads plus some other Southern-inspired specialities.

The tables are simply set and covered by burlap sacks, drinks are served in mason jars and mini-galvanized tins are used to hold sugar - all part of the rustic chic concept. Servers are casually dressed in the cafe's signature tank-tops and jeans. We decided to share everything - my sisters had the southern-fried chicken salad and three small plates: sweet potato fries, apple beignets and smoked salmon. My brother-in-law, C, had the crab hash with smoked bacon and scrambled eggs. J had the mac'n'cheese with smoked vegetables and I had the crab cake salad. The food was delicious. My favorite was the sweet-potato fries which came with a blue cheese dip. I ate them not with the accompanying blue cheese dip but with their special Krakatoa sauce - a home-made spicy ketchup. We ended our brunch with coffees and one dessert to share - the chocolate cake which was a sweet end to our meal. The Ramos House Cafe is the kind of little neighborhood restaurant one wishes every place had and is probably the O.C.'s best-kept secret.

After our hearty meal, we headed over to do the food shopping for my niece's Baptism barbecue party tomorrow. We went to local gourmet supermarket Bristol Farms where we bought all the ingredients for the party - red and yellow peppers, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes, basil, baby potatoes, chives, assorted berries, creme fraiche, pita chips, ready-made hummus, tapenade and spinach-artichoke dip. We also got some store-made pound cake for those who want a bit of cake with their berries.

On our way home, we stopped at another Laguna Beach institution - The Shake Shack. It's a beach side hut that serves milkshakes and a few simple deli items and is usually crowded with beachcombers and surfers walking up from the beach. It was recently taken over by the southern California diner chain Ruby's and although some say it's not as good as it used to be, it wasn't bad at all. They had chocolate and strawberry milkshakes and I had a mango smoothie.

As soon as we got home, I started making the food for tomorrow and did the salads: sweetcorn, cherry tomato and basil, baby potatoes and chives with a mustard dressing, roasted red and yellow peppers with roasted shallots plus roasted aubergine mash with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. I also hulled the strawberries and mixed it in with the raspberries and blackberries with a little bit of extra-fine sugar to be served with cold creme fraiche as a dessert.

After prepping for the party, it was almost 8:30 p.m. so to complete my Southern California culinary tour, we bought some take-out from another Laguna beach institution and surfer hang-out - Taco Loco . We bought a few tacos including their specialty blackened calamari taco with soft flour and blue-corn tortilla and served with guacamole, chips and salsa. We went home, ate on the terrace and chatted till late, happy to be all together again.