MMMMM pancakes, omelets, pastries… Just looking at that picture makes me hungry. Brunch is one of my favorite meals, especially when there are bottomless mimosas! I had a delicious Sunday brunch at Motif inside the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort recently and loved it. There was a huge selection of food and the service was outstanding. Plus, the gorgeous views of the water as well as the resort property is simply breathtaking. I have been to the St. Regis many times, especially in the summer and love to sit by the patio and just enjoy the views. This visit was chilly and windy so I didn’t sit outside. However, I had to go out and take pictures of the gorgeous blue sky and ocean.

This is the perfect place to treat your mother and the whole family out for brunch! You can read about the special Beauty & Brunch Mother’s Day Package below.

 Here was my setup. This was just Round 1 too! I returned numerous times. I had my mimosa, tried a little of their Bloody Mary, fresh squeezed orange juice, and my custom made pancakes and omelet.

 I was so full from my savory dishes but if you don’t know by now, I have a ginormous sweet tooth (sweet teeth I like to say haha) so naturally I had to try a few of their desserts.

To see the rest of my scrumptious pictures click HERE! I wanted to share these next photos of the courtyard and pool. Feast your eyes on this! Isn’t it so picture perfect? This is SoCal living at it’s finest.

Another postcard worry picture. I actually sent this to some friends on the East Coast and they were definitely jealous. :p

So… Mother’s Day is THIS Sunday! Don’t you want to treat your mama out to a nice brunch? The St. Regis Monarch Beach has a special package for moms. Indulge your mom/mother-in-law/step-mom at The Salon at Spa Gaucin with a hairstyle/blow-out, champagne and a Davine’s beauty product gift bag! Then, go to Sunday Brunch (11am-3pm) at the St. Regis’ Motif Restaurant, and dine on omelets, pancakes, seafood, meats, desserts and more. You will also sip unlimited champagne and delight in breathtaking ocean views. This package is priced at $210. The beauty part (blow out/champagne)  is for mom only. Then brunch for two, can be for any two people.  The price for brunch on Mother’s Day for each additional person is $105. However, regularly their brunch is $69 w/o champagne and $79 w/ unlimited champagne (worth it if you are drinking more than 1 glass of champagne). Children (5-12yrs) are $35. Pretty awesome gift for moms! Then the rest of the family can join after.

For more info check out their page: http://www.stregismb.com/mothersday. To make reservations, call 1.800.722.1543 and book the “Beauty and the Brunch” package.

 St. Regis Monarch Beach: One Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA 92629

Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for all their latest and greatest updates!

* This was a sponsored meal. 

Chef Cathy told us that this menu is the product of the creative ideas that she and her cooks come up with. It’s their time to shine and test out new dishes and if they become really popular they can be added on the larger menu. How cool is that? That’s exciting for both the cooks as well as for us because we get to try so many new things each time.

Sharing is caring! It’s so much fun to go with a group of friends and try a bunch of different things on the menu.

Pork Belly – the definite favorite of the night. It came with kernel-mascarpone polenta, dried apricot chutney and micro greens. Colorful, succulent and flavorful.

Burrata – I’m a sucker for cheese expecially burrata. It’s so easy to eat and spread on a piece of bread. I had to stop myself from eating so much of this in the beginning of the meal to leave room for the other food. I think I finished one of these all by myself. Actually… I’m pretty sure I did haha!

Affogato – Gelato with lady fingers and espresso. Three things I enjoy eating all combined into one. Win-Win-Win!

Fresh Baked Chocolate Brownie w/ Vanilla Ice Cream – So simple, yet so comforting and just hits the spot.

We ate a LOT more that what I have pictured above. We probably tried about ten different small plates. To see those other pictures,  click HERE.

If you already like dining at Lucca Cafe, this is another reason to return. Their small plates menu is constantly changing and you will definitely find something you like. Their prices are pretty affordable to so you can order a few for you and your friends to share.

Lucca Cafe: 6507 Quail Hill Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92603

Follow Lucca Cafe on Twitter and Facebook for their latest and greatest news.

* This was a sponsored media event

I have to apologize right now for misplacing (or accidentally throwing away) the paper I had with info. I wrote down what each dish was and its ingredients but now I can’t find that so I’ll try to describe them as best as I can. Sorry!

Definitely the Best Seat in the house. You get to see all the action from here. It was a fun dinner being able to talk and interact with everyone there. Chef Freddy came by and talked to us often and explained each dish but I think the others were too shy to say anything. So me and my friend just waved at them. :p

Yellowtail 3-ways – Light and fresh; A nice way to start our meal.

Braised Beef Cheek – This was my ultimate FAVORITE of the night! It was so tender and flavorful. I tried not to devour it too quickly and savor each bite. The meat easily fell apart with my fork and the fried garlic on top added a nice crunch. I completely forgot what the beef cheek was laying on. It had the texture and creaminess of their famous Polenta but I was told it was something else (this is the part when that paper I wrote on would be helpful haha). Overall, this dish was to die for. Love Love LOVE!

Truffle Farfalle w/ Wild Mushrooms – The aroma of black truffles is so heavenly to me. I can just smell it all day long. This was a simple pasta dish (with lots of truffle shavings!), but that’s what I liked about it. Good, solid food doesn’t need to be complicated to be delicious.

Branzino – Crisp skin on one side and moist fish meat on the other. This was a refreshing break from the previous two heavier dishes.

Aged Sirloin Beef – By the time this dish came out, my friend and I were extremely stuffed. We had devoured each and every bite of the previous dishes because they were all so damn good! I wish I wasn’t as full as I was so that I could have enjoyed the beef more. It tasted good but I just could not eat any more meat.

Trio of Desserts – You know I’m a sucker for sweets… and I have a second stomach for it. Full as I was from the previous courses, I still had to try each of these. I was a sated and happy camper with a 7-month old food baby by the end of this meal.

For more mouthwatering pictures click HERE.

I definitely recommend dining at the Chef’s Counter next time you have dinner there. Chef Freddy Vargas will whip up amazing dishes for you and you can see all the action live! When you make your reservation, just ask to be seated at the Chef’s Counter… the best seat in the house.

Scarpetta (Located in the Montage Beverly Hills): 225 N Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA

Follow Scarpetta on Twitter and Facebook for their delicious updates.

* This was a sponsored meal. 

Love wine but do not know too much about it? Interested in learning more? Now you can through Il Fornaio’s new Wine Education Series that started on April 25. If you missed the first session, don’t worry, there are two more on May 12 and June 23. Each session (3pm-5pm) is $29.99 and includes all wines and appetizers.

Advanced sommelier Margaux Pierog of Treasury Wine Estates will team up with Chef Jeff Burt to present Orange County with an exciting series of fine food and wine tasting education. The three courses are: The Tasting Process; Reds vs. Whites; & Sonoma vs. Napa. By the end of each session, you are one step closer to becoming a full fledged wino!

Participants will be educated in understanding aromas, clarity and color by the end of the session. For more information checkout their BLOG.

Il Fornaio: 18051 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92612

Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.

You can see all the pictures from my dinner here but I had to post up this dish. It was my favorite and I could have eaten three more bowls of this! May I present to you…

Uni / Beet Root / Avocado / Leek Oil

If you don’t think this is Food Porn at its finest… I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t wait to go again for the 3rd time!

I attended a tasting at MoMed that featured their new dinner menu and I enjoyed pretty much everything we tried from the hummus to the pita bread to the wines and beer. However, once I tried the two duck dishes, it changed my view of MoMed from a place I thought I could visit again if I was in the area… to… I will drive through traffic to get to Beverly Hills for this!

Let me explain… Now you can get really good pita bread, hummus, kabobs, etc. at many different places. However, the duck shawarma I ate at MoMed, was unlike any other I have ever tasted. The pita wrap was extremely light and thin so you can enjoy all the robust flavors of the savory and succulent shredded duck wrapped inside. Trust me, I was surprised at how much I loved it. I didn’t just like it, I LOVED it. When the Duck Tagine came out, it was the last course, and I cleaned my plate. To be honest with you, I’m not a huge duck eater. But these two specific dishes may have convinced me to eat more duck.

 Duck Shawarma – I have had pretty good shawarmas in my life and this one is probably the best duck shawarma I have ever had thus far. I kid you not. This picture looks unassuming, but one bite of this and you’ll know what I mean.

Duck Confit Tagine – Tagine Nights are only on Fridays to Sundays and the specials change each time. They wanted to save the best for last and they certainly did. Cooked in the tagine for hours, mixed with Israeli couscous (my favorite couscous variety) and both sweet and spicy flavors, the duck just fell of the bone… and into my mouth. This was an excellent dish to end the night.

For more pictures at MoMed click HERE.

I came here without any expectations really. It was a very casual and relaxing setting. MoMed serves as a busy lunch spot and espresso/coffee bar. Not many people really know about their dinners, however, with this new menu, people need to take notice. I left happy, full and thinking about when I can return again for the duck shawarma and their tagine special. I love making new discoveries for my personal ” Best Thing I Ever Ate” list.

MoMed: 233 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Follow MoMed on Facebook and Twitter for their latest updates.

When I heard that Umami Burger was opening a few Orange County locations, I got giddy. I know that I’m always in LA (actually moving back up in 2 weeks) but it’s great to know that OCers can now taste their burgers. This location is in the old Valhalla Table space, inside of the CAMP, Costa Mesa. The CAMP is 5 minutes from my current residence so maybe it’s a good thing I’m moving out soon or else I would be at Umami Burger a little too often.

Now on to the food pictures!

Manly Burger: beer cheddar cheese, smoked salt-onion strings, bacon lardons. This burger is hands down my favorite burger at Umami. I always want to order the other ones when I go but I always end up ordering this, the Truffle Burger or the Umami Burger.

Cross section of the Manly Burger… Sexy Meat

Truffle Burger: house made truffle cheese, truffle glaze. My second favorite. Who can resist truffles?!! I can’t. I’m a truffle whore. For realsss

Ahi Tuna Burger: hand chopped ahi tuna, crushed avocado, green cheese, butter lettuce, sprouts. This is such a pretty and colorful looking burger. It’s a burger without the burger guilt because it’s healthy.

To see more Umami Burger deliciousness click HERE.

Their beer and wine license doesn’t kick in until another 30 days but that shouldn’t stop you. Their Anaheim location as well as the other slated OC locations should be opening soon too. I enjoyed my meal here and thought the burgers tasted as great as the ones in LA. I love all the artwork on all the walls. Of course there are some kinks that need to be ironed out but all restaurants have to go through that when they first open. They offer a Tandoori Burger as their local special burger but they didn’t have it during opening day. That just gives me another reason to stop by again soon. :p

 Umami Burger: The CAMP - 2981 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Follow Umami Burger on Twitter for all of their umami-licious tweets!

* This was a sponsored media preview event.

Not only are the ingredients ultra fresh (he forages and picks fresh vegetables and fruits, hunts for wild game and goes fishing), the dishes come out looking like pieces of art and they taste as good as they look. It’s fine dining quality in a very unique and fun atmosphere. It’s an amazing underground dining experience and I loved it! I went with a few of my girlfriends and we had such a great time we booked another reservation and went this past Sunday.

This dinner was at the first location at the Kevin’s lovely home. There is a detached space that he turned into a cozy setup for 8 guests and a cooking nook. It’s unbelievable how he creates these amazing dishes without a full kitchen and very limited supplies. We were all very impressed. But enough writing and on to the pictures!

Chef Kevin Meehan in action! I want a whole bowl of that yummy duck scramble goodness.

Duck Egg Scramble – Rich, creamy and flavorful. We all wanted more of this amuse bouche. We all nicknamed this the Duck “Cream Your Pants” Egg Scramble… LOL! It was THAT good! :p

Rosemary Bread – As you all know, I’m a carbaholic. This bread was so fresh and so good I could have easily eaten two more loaves and taken more to go. I actually don’t know why I didn’t take more to go. The rosemary used in the bread was from Kevin’s outdoor garden.

Cauliflower Soup: celery brulee, braised pork, onion sprouts, coffee gel, nettle streusel

Lobster Tail Poached in Honey Butter: pea tendrils, corn pudding, gnocchi, crustacean syrup

Scottish Salmon: toasted barley, burnt onion, red cabbage jus

Butter Chocolate Mousse: smoke hazelnut paste, praline crumble, condensed milk

Kali Dining exceeded my expectations for sure. I knew I was going to get a great meal but it was more than that. It was a sense of camaraderie between the guests that grew more and more after each additional glass of wine. It was quiet in the beginning of the night but by the end, strangers became friends and we were talking about some pretty interesting things to say the least LOL!

Who knows how long this dinner party will last? It chances locations every few weeks and the menu changes every time. I highly recommend reserving a spot ASAP. Email info@kalidining.com to book your reservations. There is a $65 recommended donation per person. Kevin already has a 4th location in mind, but this time in Downtown LA.

For more pictures of my first dinner click HERE. To see pictures from my 2nd dinner click HERE. To see even more food porn from Kali Dining’s other dinners, check out their Facebook Page and like it! You know you want to. :p

Wasabi, soft tofu, yuzu and white miso are already a part of our American vocabulary and list of ingredients. Americans are already familiar with these.  At the seminar, two renowned chefs, Chef Katsuo “Suki” Sugiura, Executive Chef of Beverly Hilton and head chef for the Golden Globe Awards and Chef Troy N. Thompson, Executive Chef of The Mondrian Hotel’s Asia de Cuba, will taught us and the future chefs of The Art Institute of California how to use the new “unknown” Japanese ingredients.

Here are the Japanese  ingredients that were featured:

Iriko/Konbu Dashi
Iriko or Konbu Dashi (DAH-shee) are very common Japanese soup stock. The broth is made out of Iriko (dried sardine) and/ or Konbu (dried kelp).

Kouya Dofu
Freeze Dried Tofu. Since all moisture has been extracted from this tofu, it functions like a sponge and soaks up more flavor than regular tofu.

Sakekasu
Lees left over from sake production. It can be used as a pickling agent, a cooking paste to add flavor to food and as a marinade.

Sendai Miso
Red miso made in the Sendai Region. Red miso is generally aged for more than one year. The aging process and the formula of the soybeans and quantity of the soybeans used caused the color of the miso to change to red-ish black. It has a stronger taste than other miso.

Check out more pictures HERE.

It was a very interesting and informative event. I left a bit more knowledgeable at these new ingredients. Thankfully there’s a Japanese market close to where I live so I can experiment and cook with these new ingredients.

Are you familiar with those Japanese ingredients? Do you have cook any Japanese dishes? What recipes do you follow that use those ingredients? Share your thoughts!