after all the hand-wringing, here they are, the 10 best new restaurants of 2019. 10. Gem Chef Viet Nguyen (The Vox Kitchen, Sūp Noodle Bar) has opened a sparkly jewel-box of a restaurant across the street from Mile Square Park. Nguyen draws inspiration
. 10836 Warner Ave., Fountain Valley, 714-516-8121, gemdining.com Gem restaurant in Fountain Valley. (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) 9. Omakase by Gino Chef Gino Choi offers a nightly omakase to no more than 10 people at a time
Ini Ristorante is a new Japanese-Italian hybrid from Kei Concepts, the group that operates Vox Kitchen, Gem, Rol, Nep Cafe and others. The name is sort of an inside joke. And you might be pronouncing it wrong. Ini is the follow-up to Gem, which
landed at No. 17 on this year’s 75 Best Places to Eat. It’s an extension not only of the kitchen at Gem but also the design. It’s the other half of a split . . .
pleasant nuttiness and sweetness to the savory egg custard. It’s all topped off with a heap of kaluga caviar. The delicate egg is paired with crunchy leeks in a truffle vinaigrette, its zest cutting nicely through the custard and briny kaluga gems. The
crunchy chicken skin and the nutty and briny pops of caviar. No cocktails here, but the recommended flute of Louis Roederer Champagne paired well and cut through the delicious fat of the dish. The Baby Gem salad with sliced persimmon, Champagne vinaigrette
, Tustin, 657-699-3019, chaakkitchen.com The Empress cocktail at Gem in Fountain Valley is made with infused gin and yuzu. (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) 4. The Empress at Gem When I order this, the waiter leans in and says, “Just
inventing an all-you-can-eat pho restaurant. It got the group not only a foothold in the business, but also the experience to start Vox. But both were warmups to its most ambitious venture yet: Gem Dining. Photo by Edwin Goei Though still in its soft-opening
phase, Gem Dining is already a game-changer in Little Saigon. As word spreads that it’s the new restaurant by the Vox geniuses, prime-time reservations are impossible to snag if you don’t plan two weeks ahead. And it’s not just the reputation that
The cart rolls up to the edge of my table at Gem in Fountain Valley, bringing with it a swoosh of air tinged with saline. “Can I offer you an oyster?” a young waitress asks, her voice filled with glee. “Tonight we’re featuring kumamoto and shigoku
cart at Gem in Fountain Valley (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) Moments later as I’m swallowing an icy oyster, another cart rolls up. “Would you care for tea tonight?” An enthusiastic young waiter performs his best Vanna White
the back patio, you won’t be standing around bored. Sporting the mack daddy of local Cajun and Creole menus, Chinatown’s Little Jewel is a true gem. The menu of po’ boys is one of the most extensive in the region, offering classics such as fried shrimp
mobbed: Go early or late, or stick around for a far calmer weekday morning. More than 14 million people visit the Greater Palm Springs area annually; no establishment serving distinctive food ever remains a hidden gem for long. Gabino’s Creperie sits in a
over the bun like a giant, heavily battered, misshapen fish stick. I grew up on the Filet-O-Fish at McDonald’s, so the comparison is unavoidable. The Canopy Club sandwich gets a full slice of floppy American cheese (not half), shredded Little Gem