new – South Coast Plaza https://www.southcoastplaza.com Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:35:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 Q&A with Chefs Ross Pangilinan and Nick Weber on Populaire https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2022/07/qa-with-chefs-ross-pangilinan-and-nick-weber-on-populaire/ Mon, 18 Jul 2022 23:35:06 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=79812

Q&A WITH CHEFS ROSS PANGILINAN AND NICK WEBER ON POPULAIRE

The latest addition to South Coast Plaza’s dining collection

Michelin-lauded chef Ross Pangilinan has followed the success of his first South Coast Plaza restaurant, Terrace by Mix Mix, with Populaire Modern Bistro, a collaboration with longtime pal, chef Nick Weber. 

Parisian bistro dishes are interpreted by Weber with Californian ingredients in a creative, quirky menu. Located on level 2 of the Saks Fifth Avenue wing, the space is divided into three sections with indoor and outdoor patio seating and a petit dining room accented in French blue with marble-topped tables and bistro chairs.

We recently caught up with the two chefs and chatted about their new venture.

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Q&A WITH
CHEFS ROSS PANGILINAN & NICK WEBER

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Tell us about how you met and your friendship before you decided to partner.

CHEF ROSS: We met while working with Patina Restaurant Group, at Pinot Provence at the Westin South Coast Plaza. Nick was the chef de cuisine and I was the sous chef. We had a great rapport and he took me under his wing. We went to work at other restaurants but continued to stay in touch and hang out. Now, every year we vacation together with our families.  

Chefs Ross Pangilinan and Nick Weber
Photo Credit: John Pangilinan

Fromage Blanc Gnudi

What are your culinary impressions of one another? 

CHEF NICK: Ross has always had that quiet laser focus, puts his head down and gets the work done. He’s a work horse and that’s evident in what he’s accomplished the last few years with his restaurants. 

CHEF ROSS: Nick is incredibly talented and his food is beautiful and thoughtful. His intensity and passion inspire me. He’s always been able to foster a great team environment and camaraderie.  

How did the Populaire concept originate? 

CHEF ROSS: I’ve had the privilege to cater events for the Segerstrom family and I learned that there could be another opportunity—in addition to Terrace by Mix Mix– if the right concept came along. I knew I couldn’t do it by myself and wanted to propose something special. Since we had that culinary history together, Nick and I had always hoped to open a restaurant. So, when the opportunity presented itself at South Coast Plaza, we had to seize it. 

Kombu Cured Fluke

Ratatouille

Fried Chicken & Royal Ossetra Caviar

Tell us about the restaurant name, Populaire. 

CHEF NICK: I have a running list of restaurant names and concepts in my phone. When Ross asked me If I had any names, Populaire was the first one that came out of my mouth and everybody loved it.

How does Populaire reflect your preferences and style?

CHEF ROSS: I trust Nick and Populaire is his vision and his menu through and through.  We both come from fine dining, so there’s that influence but you see Nick’s sense of humor in the menu, with dishes like the Duck Confit Spliff, Royale with Cheese and Send Gnudis. We’re trying not to take ourselves too seriously and wanted to have a little fun. 

You have such great produce–do you select from the local farmers market?

CHEF NICK:  I just talk to my rep and ask what’s good at the moment from the local farms. I also have a photo folder in my phone from every week of the year at Santa Monica Farmers Market, so I refer to that a lot.

Duck Breast

Escargot Ebelskiver

Tell us about some of your favorite dishes on the menu and the backstories on them.  

CHEF NICK: I wanted to keep the menu simple on technique and heavy on seasonal ingredients. The proteins will most likely remain and the garnishes will change with the season. The escargot ebelskiver is an idea I’ve had in my head for a long time but I could never find the right pan, until I went to the Japanese market and picked up a Takoyaki pan. The dish came together pretty quickly after that, the Koji buttermilk emulsion with garlic was a great way to bring the classic flavor but make it much lighter.

For the duck confit spliff, I needed a fun way to use the duck legs. For the duck entrée, we use the whole duck and cook the breast on the bone, which we marinate in a homemade Amazake. We air dry it for four-five days and the flavor is amazing.

The Royale with Cheese is gaining quite a following, and we’ve heard commentary about the menu illustration.

CHEF NICK: Most people get the burger reference from the Pulp Fiction scene. Our managing partner Alyssa McDiarmid’s niece, Emma, did the sketch. I gave her a copy of the menu and asked her to get creative; she absolutely killed it.

Royale with Cheese

Seems to be a little Elvis in the building–commemorative plates and such—please share.

CHEF NICK: My aunts and grandma are big Elvis fans, so I was always around it growing up. I love the old Sun Records tracks. The collector plates and whiskey bottles I’ve accumulated through the years from family and antique stores..

You offer eclectic wines with some unknown gems. How has the list been curated? 

ALYSSA MCDIARMID (MANAGING PARTNER): When the boys asked me to design the wine list, I already knew what I was looking for, but thought about each dish as Nick was creating the menu–his food is so balanced and nuanced and the list had to be the same. Something for everyone, but also tailored to the food. Nick is passionate about natural wines so we included a few. Everything else falls into some of my favorite discoveries which I love sharing.  

Duck Confit Spliff

Photo Credit: Ron De Angelis

POULAIRE MODERN BISTRO

LEVEL 2, SAKS FIFTH AVE WING
714.760.4555

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]]> Tableau Kitchen and Bar https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2022/02/tableau-kitchen-and-bar/ Mon, 07 Feb 2022 07:07:56 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=70248

TABLEAU KITCHEN AND BAR

Q&A with Chef John Park and Restaurateur Ed Lee

 

The newly opened Tableau Kitchen and Bar is on its way to becoming a local favorite.  A collaboration between Chef John Park and restaurateur Ed Lee, this casual eatery in the Crate and Barrel wing is all about New American cuisine with global influences and unique twists.

For Lee, previously known for co-founding the popular Wahoo’s Fish Taco with his brothers, this eatery is the latest addition to his successful independent restaurant ventures.

Meanwhile, Park brings to Tableau a resume full of diverse experiences under the tutelage of major chefs, including stints in Los Angeles at the Michelin-starred Providence, XIV by Michael Mina, Lukshon, Father’s Office, Koi, and Water Grill.

Park’s strong pastry background shines at breakfast, with dishes ranging from mushroom toast to an Asian-inspired take on chicken and waffles. Lunch savory offerings include delicious sandwiches made with crunchy artisan toast and unusual fillings like roasted eggplant or fried burrata.  For dinner, green curry mussels and uni pasta are foodie favorites. Some diners like to pick up the freshly baked pastries or cookies on the way out to enjoy at home.

South Coast Plaza recently chatted with Lee and Park about their latest venture. Here are excerpts from that conversation.

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Q&A WITH ED LEE AND JOHN PARK

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SOUTH COAST PLAZA: After your success with Toast Kitchen + Bakery, why did you and John decide to open a restaurant at South Coast Plaza?

ED LEE: John and I initially met while he was working a pop-up shop selling pies at a restaurant that I was helping out at. One day, while at the Wahoo’s at South Coast Plaza, I noticed an empty space available to rent. Every day I would walk by the vacant space and sensed that we could utilize it.  Since Toast’s main focus has always been breakfast and brunch, I knew John wanted to showcase his culinary skills surrounding other food, and that this would be the perfect location.

John Park and Ed Lee

SCP: How would you describe food and approach at Tableau?

LEE: You can always tell when John has touched something because it will have his own unique flair. He uses flavors that oftentimes, you aren’t quite able to put your finger on. His ability to put unexpected twists on classic dishes is unparalleled. For example – our jasmine tea French toast – who does that? His approach is unlike any other.

Photo: JT Harsadi

SCP: John, when people talk about your culinary talents, they always mention your mastery of savory and sweet.  How did that develop? 

JOHN PARK: The focus of my career has always been sweets and pastry but I took time to pay attention to the savory cooks. I have been fortunate to have worked at some great establishments and under the tutelage of talented chefs. I took advantage of that and learned so much.

SCP: What’s your attraction to brekkie dishes?

PARK: Breakfast is easier to incorporate my pastry background since some dishes are sweeter, like French toast and pancakes.  I use my baking background for the house-made everything spice bagel for the citrus-cured salmon.

SCP: What’s a personal favorite?

PARK: My favorite breakfast dish now is our play on chicken and waffles. We make classic Korean fried chicken wings glazed with sweet garlic soy and instead of a traditional waffle we serve two taiyakis filled with kecap manis pastry cream. Kecap manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce that when mixed with custard creates an amazing salted butterscotch-maple flavor. 

LEE: My favorite dish is the curry mussels — it’s mind blowing and unlike anything I have ever tasted. Another favorite is the avocado mousse. The dessert brings me back to drinking avocado smoothies during my childhood in Brazil. If you grew up anywhere such as South Asia or South America and you taste this mousse, you will be immediately brought back in time.

SCP: How about a favorite among the many seafood dishes?

PARK: On the dinner menu, I love our salmon dish with misugaru gnocchi, lima bean pesto and fish sauce vinaigrette. Misugaru (a powder made from roasted grains popular in Korea) lends a nuttiness; the fish sauce vinaigrette brightens it up.

Our most popular seafood dish, however, has been the green curry mussels with sweet potato, fresh herbs, serrano chiles and an outstanding poblano chorizo that we source from The Chori-Man in San Pedro.

SCP: Please tell us about the plan for the upcoming community table. 

LEE: The idea behind the community table came about when John asked, “What else can we do to help our community?” The community table gives us the opportunity to fundraise once a month while simultaneously showcasing the remarkable talents of John and the kitchen team at Tableau.

John’s dream is to end world hunger and homelessness. The community table allows us to work to this goal one small step at a time. It also helps build connections with the community members that we are helping, and to perhaps one day, provide them a job at the restaurant.

SCP: We understand it’s important for you to support the underserved in the community.  At Tableau, which organizations are you assisting?

PARK: Our first non-profit partner at Tableau is Vocational Visions, based in Mission Viejo, whose mission is to create pathways to employment, life-long learning and social inclusion for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

SCP: About the restaurant’s name – what’s the thinking behind it?

PARK: Tableau comes from the old French for “picture or painted target.” We usually use tableau to describe a vivid lively scene like a happy gathering around the table. The significance for me is that gathering and connection.

At Tableau there’s a great photo of my four kids at a table, celebrating a birthday. Guests have commented how happy they look. My hope is that our guests can experience that same joy whenever they dine with us.

MATCH STONEWARE

ONLY AT SOUTH COAST PLAZA

Hot drinks at Tableau are served in beautiful handmade ceramic cups from Match Stoneware. “We’re excited to be the first restaurant in Orange County to showcase Match’s ceramics,” Park said. “What I love about their pieces is that it looks like a lot of time, effort and thought went into them. We hope that guests have the same reaction to our food.”

TABLEAU KITCHEN & BAR

LEVEL 1, CRATE AND BARREL WING
714.872.8054

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]]> Q & A: Laurent Vrignaud On His Paris-Inspired Cafe, Moulin https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2021/11/q-a-laurent-vrignaud-on-his-paris-inspired-cafe-moulin/ Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:59:00 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=64376

Q&A: LAURENT VRIGNAUD ON HIS PARIS-INSPIRED CAFE, MOULIN

The new outdoor eatery offers pastries, crepes, champagne and more

With its cheery red umbrellas, cafe tables and chairs, the new MOULIN at South Coast Plaza’s Garden Terrace aims to give you a taste of Paris. Imagine plates of croissants, pain au chocolat, and other beloved treats baked daily by a cadre of French patissiers. Picture those all-time Parisian favorites – fresh sweet or savory crepes – made to order. Now savor them with cafe au lait or Champagne, sit back and watch the people walk by. Authenticity is at the core of MOULIN, according to owner Laurent Vrignaud, from the furniture to the food and drinks.

We spoke recently with Vrignaud about his coming to California and why he brought MOULIN to South Coast Plaza.

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We’ve filled the terrace with big red umbrellas and the famous chairs and tables by Maison Gatti and Tolix. It will be the next closest thing you can get to Paris in Orange County without boarding an airplane.

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LAURENT VRIGNAUD ON HIS NEW MOULIN LOCATION AT SOUTH COAST PLAZA

Here are highlights from our conversation with Vrignaud:

You’ve created MOULIN inspired by wonderful memories of your Parisian childhood. What is your go-to café when you visit the City of Light and what do you order?

I enjoy visiting Le Musset, a classic Parisian café located a block from the Louvre on a great corner with a big outdoor terrace. I always order le Salade Nicoise and glass of rosé – the same thing I enjoy at MOULIN.

At 18, you left to pursue the California dream. Why?

My father got a job in the Bay Area and I joined him because it was my dream to become a surfer. Thirty-eight years later, I’m still surfing and living the California dream!

Laurent Vrignaud

What was your role in the action sports industry and why did you decide to make a change?

In order to keep surfing as a teenager, I started wholesaling surfing equipment to surf shops up and down the coast of California. In the winters, I started wholesaling snowboard equipment. Eventually, I grew that into the biggest independent action sports sales agency in the country, but in all those years, I could rarely find an authentic French café that reminded me of those from my childhood in Paris. Eight years ago, I was ready for a new challenge so I decided to create MOULIN.

Why did you settle in OC?

Orange County is the mecca of the action sports industry so it made sense for my former business to be headquartered here. We were raising our family and our daughter was attending OCSA (Orange County School of the Arts) so it made sense to open MOULIN here.

What appealed to you about opening at South Coast Plaza?

I would like to see more international growth from our brand. From the brand selection and retail presentation, South Coast Plaza delivers a world-class experience. So when Anton Segerstrom invites you to join them and the other renowned French brands, it is an offer you don’t refuse and it validates what we are doing at MOULIN.

What attracted you to the outdoor site on Garden Terrace?

Just like classic Parisian cafés, MOULIN is all about the outdoor patio experience so the Garden Terrace location is a no-brainer for us. We’ve filled the terrace with big red umbrellas and the famous chairs and tables by Maison Gatti and Tolix. It will be the next closest thing you can get to Paris in Orange County without boarding an airplane.

You’re going to have breakfast, lunch and then make a late afternoon stop at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza. What will you order for each?

Breakfast is always a double espresso with pain au chocolat, my favorite lunch is le Salade Niçoise and glass of rosé, and for a late afternoon visit, nothing beats chatting with a couple of friends on the patio with a Paris-Brest pastry and a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne.

We hear you have a special MOULIN creation exclusively for South Coast Plaza. We love exclusives!  Tell us about it.

To celebrate our newest location, we are introducing a new pastry that can only be found at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza. It is the Earl Grey & Fig tart – trés magnifique!

Do you have a signature item?

Our signature item would have to be our jambon fromage (ham and cheese) sandwich. We make our ham in-house Parisian style and serve it on a fresh-baked baguette with Emmenthal cheese. Our saucisson cornichon sandwich is a close second.

What are MOULIN’s top three sellers?

Our top seller is the jambon fromage sandwich followed by our almond croissant. The chocolate éclair is our top-selling pastry.

What Champagnes will you have at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza and what do you recommend as a pairing?

We have a partnership with Laurent-Perrier, one of the most acclaimed Champagne brands in the world. Guests at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza can enjoy it in the split size, half bottle or full bottle. A perfect pairing is Champagne and our freshly-made strawberry or lemon crêpe.

For the holidays, will you have any special seasonal desserts?

Oui! In early December we start taking pre-orders of our famous Bûche de Noël, (yule log). This year’s bûches will be available in two sizes and three flavors. Last year, we sold out with people driving from LA and San Diego to get them. We can’t wait to introduce our SCP visitors to our Bûche de Noël.

MOULIN

OPEN NOW

LEVEL 1, GARDEN TERRACE

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