Privately-owned restaurants have the luxury of setting their own hours. They can be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or, in the case of Break of Dawn and Little Sparrow, limit their availability. For Dee Nguyen, his evenings are reserved for quality time with his family. Eric Samaniego's team takes advantage of extra prep time in the afternoon. Those closed hours create an opportunity for others to shine.
Formal dinner service is the norm at most pop-ups. The ones we've learned about in the last week are anything but. In the past, Nguyen offered his own occasional dinner. This time around, he's brought in Daniel “Doki” Kim. What makes his friend special? Sushi. Lots of it.
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According to the special insert included with his menus over the weekend:
BoD RAW is a modern sushi counter experience, from Doki Kim's perspective, inspired by Dee. The basis of our culinary philosophy is to feature a weekly menu showcasing seasonal ingredients paired with an infinite spectrum of seafood from around the globe.
We invite our diners to join us in exploring and pushing their gastronomic boundaries in what can only be described as a mouthwatering journey of innovative and classical techniques.
The 10-course, counter seating only dinners are currently being scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays on dates to be determined. Seatings are available for 6 and 8 p.m. Alcohol pairings are also an option. The $105 fee at their 10-seat counter guarantees something memorable. Interested parties can email ch******@gm***.com.
Our other discovery launched this past week in the dining room of Little Sparrow. Hopper & Burr normally refers to parts of a coffee grinder. Though in Santa Ana, it's the newest place to request a cup of liquid nourishment. Brought to you by gentlemen Andrew Ogden and Truman Severson, they are open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. When we stopped by for mochas more information, Severson kindly redirected us to their recently launched website.
We started making coffee back in 2007, realizing how much attention to detail and coffee quality are absolutely things we care about. But obsessing over those things like what we source and where we source it from isn't something everyone wants to know– in fact, some people are just looking for a good cup of coffee– And at our core, that is what we want to make for you.
As a multi-roaster in Downtown Santa Ana, the spirit of the area's definitely set our tone. We have a simple shop with a variety of coffees from around the world, and we love to bring in all sorts of new coffees that catch our eye.
Most recently, the duo was serving San Francisco-based Saint Frank Coffee (An impressive spot, if you're ever in the Bay Area). Ranging from $2 for espresso to $5 for a mocha, they're happy to create requests not on the menu. Chef Samaniego suggested we try a Kaffe Tonic: a refreshing mixture of espresso and tonic water. After a long night of sushi, this is what we'll need.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.