‘This ain’t no damn fish and chips': OC pop-up brings Southern cuisine to SoCal

Asha Starks, the owner of Hot Grease, likely will adopt a fierce tone if you dare to compare her fish fry to British fish and chips.

At her new O.C.-based pop-up, she specializes in fried fish rooted in historical Black cookery. Taking inspiration from fried chicken, her fried snapper is marinated in buttermilk, then dipped in a cornmeal seasoning with a specific spice blend, which she believes provides a deeper golden fry.

The OG plate from Hot Grease, featuring a snapper fillet with thick fries, house made tartar sauce and hot sauce.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Each order comes with the choice of thin or thick fries, a slice of lemon, hot sauce, and housemade tartar sauce, made bright by copious amounts of dill.

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It's exceptionally flavorful, with a level of freshness in every bite. Yet, Starks has no formal culinary training, just a love of home cooking and an avid Food Network viewing habit from a young age.

The impetus for the venture came when she was at an O.C. restaurant and craving fish fry.

" I ordered some fish and chips and it pissed me off," she said. "It was some beer batter and some damn malt vinegar, and I was like, 'I guess it's time to make my own.'  My brother pushed me. He was like, 'Asha, you cook. Do it.'"

Offering Black soul food in Orange County, which has one of the smallest populations of Black residents in Southern California, is not an obvious move. But after a divorce, Stark needed to provide for her kids.

" You make do with what you've got," she said. "And if I'm gonna be in the O.C., I better rock it, so that's what I'm doing."

Lack of Black culture

Starks grew up in Anaheim, and when she talks about growing up Black in Orange County, it’s clear it wasn't easy. She says she never felt like she belonged, and even though she had many friends, her own culture felt unfamiliar and distant.

But she'd spend her summers with family in Georgia, where she became familiar with fish fries. In Black culture, the term refers not only to the dish but also to a community gathering, often held in late summer. Starks recalls times when people needed to raise funds, such as moving to college or supporting the local church, and fish fries were organized to bring the community together to help.

Hot Grease specializes in fish fry with a side of social justice.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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After graduating from high school, she moved to Miami for her undergraduate studies, then went to Atlanta for graduate school. During that period, when she was exposed to Black culture on a large scale, she recalls having an epiphany that helped her better understand her own identity.

“ After moving to the South, I realize that my culture is American,” Starks said. “It's hard to pinpoint what specifically is Black American because Black American culture built America.”

She spent 11 years living in the South, split between Miami and Atlanta, as a community organizer and raising her children, before moving back to Orange County to be closer to her family.

Looking for something to support her and her children, she combined her two passions — food and helping the community — and started Hot Grease.

Pot liquor line

Three percent of sales at Hot Grease are donated to a reproductive justice mutual aid fund, which Starks calls “The Potlikker Line.”

The term "pot liquor" holds special significance in Southern Black food traditions. It refers to the liquid leftover after boiling greens, believed to be rich in natural vitamins and minerals.

Starks views the pot liquor line as a way to support the community, not just raising money but also showing up for each other in small ways, like her recent venture creating a community-focused rideshare program.

Her website declares: "Every plate supports reproductive justice and joy-driven community building."

After eating at Starks’s fish fry pop-up, I can say her food also offers some profound joy.

Hot Grease pops up in many different locations across Orange County and also Los Angeles. Check out Starks’s Instagram for details.