Why The OC Food Scene Deserves Your Attention

Over the past few decades, Orange County’s dining culture has witnessed steady growth and visibility, transitioning from a notoriously chain-driven area of Southern California (hello, Irvine!) to Michelin and James Beard-recognized establishments such as Knife Pleat and Pho 79.

Which is why The Splendid Table, the beloved public radio show about all things food and cooking, is coming to SoCal on Sunday, Feb. 4, for a live LAist event and taping with host Francis Lam at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa.

We thought it gives us an opportunity to check in with the region. Here’s what you need to know right now.

Food halls

Food halls like Collage Culinary Experience in Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza have taken off in recent years throughout the O.C. with eclectic tenants like Paradise Dynasty hailing from Singapore, home-grown waffle sandwich brand Bruxie, and curated cocktail specialist Blossoms & Brass.

Paradise Dynasty

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Ron De Angelis

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Courtesy Paradise Dynasty

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San Juan Capistrano: no longer a sleepy mission town

San Juan Capistrano has transformed in recent years from a quiet California mission stopover to a dining destination with lauded eateries such as Bloom Restaurant and Bar, Mayfield, and FKN Bread.

Last year Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue was given a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, official recognition of the town's culinary ascendance.

Daniel Castillo of Heritage BBQ

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Katrina Frederick

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Courtesy Heritage BBQ

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Night market

The 626 Night Market is held at the O.C. Fairgrounds multiple times a year. It's introduced locals to a breadth of San Gabriel Valley and L.A.-centric food stalls, performers, and retail, meaning there's no longer any need to brave the traffic to sample SGV cuisine.

Diverse cuisines

• Reliable luxe lonchera eats have led to taco pop-ups beyond Santa Ana boundaries and into more suburban areas such as Tustin.
  
• Chef Henry Pineda’s dual concept spot Lola’s (daytime brunch) and Pacitas (dinner only) in Anaheim reminds O.C. that Filipino cuisine is on the verge of blowing up the same way Korean food culture has in recent years.
  
• BLK Dot Coffee’s strategically placed 10th location in Newport Beach demonstrates the strong demand for Vietnamese coffee in Orange County.

Tastiest palace on earth

Post-pandemic, the wave of change has even made its way to the Happiest Place on Earth. L.A. County powerhouse Porto’s Bakery and internationally recognized Din Tai Fung are in the works to revitalize Downtown Disney, with Paseo from Chicago-based Chef Carlos Gaytán as the upscale Mexican dining option.

In Disney California Adventure, festivals revolve around seasons, with dishes such as Filipino adobo during the Festival of Holidays in the winter and countless churro creations throughout the year, with regularly updated menus on the theme park’s app.

Hyphenated cuisines

Vietnamese restaurant group Kei Concepts has not only made Vietnamese cuisine more visible, it's also successfully branched out beyond it, embracing the diversity of Orange County. It now oversees Kin Izakaya (Japanese), The Vox Kitchen (Chinese-Peruvian), Ini Ristorante (Italian-Japanese), and the newly opened Kei Supper Club (progressive Asian), among others.

The table is set in Costa Mesa

For the Splendid Table live-taping, host Francis Lam will be joined by a quartet of industry veterans, including:

Kenneth Nguyen, co-founder of East Films and host of The Vietnamese podcast, which highlights Vietnamese experiences and culture worldwide.

Patricia Huang, the former general manager of 626 Night Market.

Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue’s pitmaster, commands hungry lines in San Juan Capistrano and Oceanside.

Gustavo Arellano, a lifelong O.C. resident, former publisher and editor of OC Weekly, and a Los Angeles Times columnist.

Interesting in attending? Visit the event page for more info.