I was having lunch with a friend I had not seen for some time.  We wanted a quiet restaurant with nice ambiance since we had a lot to talk about catching up on what had occurred recently in our respective lives.
We found the perfect place at the Tustin Ranch Golf Club.  Here each Sunday a spectacular brunch is served in a well appointed dining room that overlooks the greenery of the golf course.
We were already acquainted with the culinary talents of Master Chef Bert Agor who has created a new innovative cuisine at the Club.
Tustin Ranch, while open to the public, has continued to maintain the elegance, grace and style of a private country club.
 We opened with a glass of champagne and made a toast to the occasion.
The buffet was indeed fantastic.  We started at the seafood table which included fresh oysters on the half shell, Canadian snow crab, Tiger prawn served both cocktail style and breaded, Chef Agor's own breaded style calamari and smoked salmon.
Next I was drawn to the Santa Maria tri-tip being carved before my eyes.  With such a bountiful selection I decided to taste some of these rather that attempt portions.  These included the Carenesada tacos with achiote, chicken Marsala, and garlic crusted Alaskan cod.
There was,of course, the omletes made to order and traditional breakfast items of bacon, sausage and hash brown potatoes.
Orders for eggs benedict are taken at your table and served direct to you.
There was also full tables of fresh sliced fruits, bakery rolls  and salads.
The dessert tables were so tempting that we did not hold back and  tasted too many.
It was a Santa Ana Fall day in Tustin with the course greenery never looking better.  Our luncheon was leisurely, we had been pampered at table and the company delightful.  It had been a grand afternoon.

Being San Francisco born and raised I ate and liked Chinese food.  This was, of course, because my parents enjoyed Chinese cuisine, and with Chinese friends,  knew where the best restaurants in San Francisco's China Town were located.
But when I visited Chef Hung Taiwanese beef noodle restaurant in Irvine's Diamond Jamboree Center I was surprised on how different the offerings of the menu were compared to other oriental restaurants.
Our luncheon there proved to be a truly unique experience.  The noodles were unlike any in my experience as were the entrees in which they were featured.
Chef Hung and his restaurants are well known in Taiwan but most Southern Californians will find the restaurant and its cuisine a new and exciting experience.
In total there are eighteen noodle dishes on the menu as well as  twenty three side dishes and again some of these were unlike anything we had experienced before in Oriental restaurants.
Chef Hung is large with a decor of bamboo and other native woods on the walls and brightly lit to better display the elegant, colorful bowls filled with noodles and soups.
Chef Hung is located at Suite 117, adjacent to the Rotunda in the Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center, 2710 Alton Parkway, Irvine.  Telephone 949 756-0088.

Financial decisions can be difficult but nothing like one faces when visiting a bakery with showcases offering  delicious pastries.
We encountered this challenge once again when we visited 85C Bakery located in the Diamond Jamboree Center in Irvine.
There is a difference with 85C since it is part of a Taiwan company that has 230 stores in that country.
It started with promoting coffee drinks and quickly exploded in popularity with the addition of baked breads and pastries, all prepared fresh daily.
When entering the 85C store at Diamond Jamboree there is row on row of pastries ready to be whisked off onto the tray of eager customers.  Here you select your eye appealing treat with self service.  For cakes and larger items there are counters with attendants.  Many of these pastries are different and original from those found at most American bakeries.
There is both inside seating as well as tables on the outside patio.  As large as the selection of pastries is the list of coffees and other beverage. 
The 85C at Diamond Jamboree is one of two in Southern California. The second in Hacienda Heights.

It seems that living in Southern California offers a new adventure every day.  Just driving the 405 Freeway is an adventure.
But because of its size and its many communities and towns you can always find something new and different.  This time it was in Irvine. No one ever told me anything about a  place called the Diamond Jamboree Center located at Alton Parkway and Jamboree Road.
So when I arrived there on Tuesday I discovered a huge complex made up of businesses and restaurants, all with an Oriental theme.
One of the 21 restaurants  is called Urban Seoul.  From the outside and as you enter, it appears to be a typical American diner with an open kitchen, an eating counter and tables.  But not all is what it seems.
Urban Seoul is a fusion of Korean and Mexican food with two menus, one Urban Seoul and the second, Urban food.
Here you find tacos with a choice of pork belly or beef with kimchi.  Or perhaps a pancake quesadilla stuffed with chicken, kimchi and mozzarella cheese.  From the Seoul menu how about japchae mari with stir fried noodles wrapped in seaweed, then battered and fried in a spicy sauce.
Owner Bronnie Lee will greet you and explain how this unique restaurant happened.
Urban Seoul is located in Diamond Jamboree Center, Site 131 with free off street parking and open daily.
For more information call 949 553-0188.

Kincaid's is the kind of restaurant you want for that special occasion.  From its location on a pier next to the Pacific Ocean, to its ambiance and decor, spaciousness for dining, and outstanding menu and wine list, this restaurant exists to please.
It had been some time since our last visit but we were eager to return.  And this visit reminded us how difficult it is to find a restaurant today where you can conduct quiet conversation over fine cuisine and superior service.
The view from your table is to the ocean.  The dining room so large that tables are spaced some distance apart.  No background music here or  wall mounted TV.
We opened with the Maytag blue cheese salad and Ahi Toro with sushi rice and we just had to taste the restaurant's famed New England clam chowder
Our entrees were Flat Iron Steak with Dungeness crab cake and Cedar Plank Salmon prepared and served in a traditional northwest style.
My dining partner and I shared everything ordered so we could truly appreciate the skills of Executive Chef Ramon Fernandez.
We liked  the efficient service of Matthew Sniedy , our waiter and met with General Manager Reggie Thomas to tell him how impressed we were with our dining experience.
The wine list is huge both for bottles and by the glass.
Kincaid's is located at 500 Fisherman's Wharf, Redondo Beach and open for luncheon and dinner seven days a week.  For more information or reservations call 310 318-6080.

JETRO, short for Japan External Trade Organization invited us to a  showcase of their products conducted at the New School of Cooking located in Culver City.
The New School of Cooking has been teaching culinary arts courses for fifteen years and adjacent is the New School of Cooking Cafe which is a coffee bar and pastry shop offering bistro style breakfast and lunches with the pastries baked each day by students.
Guest chef Carol Cotner Thompson prepared the showcase Japanese  specialties that were presented for food professionals and members of the press.
The first was a grilled Mackerel with Japanese flavors and warm Onigiri.  The strong flavors of Mackerel were smoothed to the palate with a marinade, grilled and then placed atop a warm onigiri.  This rice includes Sushinoko,  a Japanese vinegar which gives the rice a most pleasant aroma and taste.  Our beverage, Soju Shiranami, a wine made from sweet potatoes and rice.
Next presented was the Oyster Po Boy which included a fried oyster with a Wasabi sauce on a slider roll smoothed with finely chopped Dakon pickle.  Our wine Soyu Kuroshiranand.
A surprise ending was a wonderful Fall gingerbread cake prepared by the school's pastry students.
This  was the first in a new series of events by JETRO to showcase Japanese products

Spain's wine Denominations of Origin, D.O., were highlighted at a seminar and tasting held this week at The Bazaar by Jose Andres in Beverly Hills.
Entitled "Spain's Great Match Wine and Food" it began with a seminar followed by a tasting with 25 wineries taking part.  The seminar entitled "Verdejo MeetsTempranillo" was conducted by Stevin Olson.
There are sixty nine D.O.'s in Spain, many with wines made from that country's native varietals.
For us the enjoyment of the event was exploring some of these native varietals like Albarino, Godello, Maceabeo, Mencia and Monastrell.
D.O. Rueda, which was founded in 1980, is a region that grows Verdejo, a native white grape that is considered Spain's favorite white wine. The Verdejo grape has been grown in Spain for over a millennium and offers unique aromas and flavors.
Appetizers that matched the wines were served at the event.