Newcomers and a Veteran of the Orange County Food World Sit Down with Ivy Dai
- Ivy Dai
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
In this month's 'Walk-Ins Welcome' podcast, Ivy Dai talks with an Orange County food veteran and a couple chefs relatively new to the dining scene.
Anne Marie Panoringan has been writing about food in Orange County for over 20 years. She shares how she first got started writing, the places she’s traveled to and how she became a James Beard Foundation judge. She chronicles the maturation of the O.C. food scene and changes post-COVID. Finally, she dishes on her favorite restaurants right now.
Daniel Hohng is a hidden gem in the O.C. culinary space. As executive chef of The Park Club, a members only club in Costa Mesa, his Korean and Californian inspired tasting menu has been lauded by the Los Angeles Times, among others. However, availability is limited only to members, so his dining experience is a secret to most.
Hohng opened Vaca with Amar Santana and was chef de cuisine at Asterid with Ray Garcia. He also worked at Spago and Crustacean. During the interview he also talks about his experience working overseas in Asia at Michelin-starred restaurants.
Hohng was born in New Jersey and grew up in Korea. He moved to Orange County to attend high school and then worked as a sushi chef before attending the Cordon Bleu. He talks about how the members club feels like a family, and working with his tightly-knit staff there. He also shares his struggles throughout his journey, and life with his wife and young son.
And the newest to the scene is Kenny Jackson, who opened his restaurant LJ’s Lounge in Costa Mesa only seven weeks ago. One of the few Black and veteran-owned businesses in Orange County, LJ’s Lounge blends soul food and music with a family feel. Jackson worked as a DJ and also in corporate at Lexus for decades. His restaurant is the culmination of a long-time dream. There is live music on the weekends, with a Soul to Sole gospel brunch on Sundays and singers and hip-hop and R&B DJ sets on Saturdays. Weekends are almost always fully booked – Jackson also shares his marketing secrets of his early success to the precision of working for a Japanese company. Make sure to reserve early to get a spot!
Next month, we will be interviewing Vaca executive chef Amar Santana and Jamie Gwen, chef and founder of the Relish Food and Wine Festival Oct. 2 to 4.
