Restaurants in Irvine

Make lunch or dinner into a fun foodmersible with submarine-shaped appetizer rolls such as the seared ahi tuna variation with mango, mint, avocado, and wasabi-ginger soy sauce ($7), or yam-tempura-coated fish sticks ($7). Meat goes best with meat, which explains why bold dishes like the rau ram salad with chicken, cabbage, green mango, and apple ($11) and the braised anise shortrib ($22) stand out so well. Quietly confident plates such as the tofu with eggplant, mushrooms, and Thai basil ($12) or the lemongrass jalapeno wok (tofu, $13) are equally delicious, but are more susceptible to noogies.

The complexity of Indian spices can be intimidating at first. Curries explode in a huge range of colors, bestowed by ginger, coriander, basil, and peppers. Cardamom pods, cloves, and bean-like tamarind look alien at first glance. Arun Puri, head chef at Royal Khyber, harnesses that intricacy, artfully folding more than 38 different herbs and spices into innovative north Indian dishes with healthy twists.

The chef, who has been lauded by publications including the Daily Pilot, uses cream, butter, and oils sparingly, instead whipping up lighter sauces and tandoori breads fortified with protein powder. As he works, mesquite charcoals blaze within an imported tandoori clay oven, grilling meat, seafood, and poultry dishes at temperatures of up to 450 degrees, hot enough to melt diamonds back into delicious carbon. Out in the dining hall, the dishes pair with fine wines and cocktails among cushy silk pillows and intricate Indian artwork.

JACKshrimp transports Louisiana's distinctive spices and love of seafood to an upscale restaurant perched along the West Coast Highway. For more than 20 years, chefs have been blending crawfish and andouille sausage with al dente pasta or fresh greens. Blackened prime rib and shrimp also share menu space with healthy choices and non-spicy dishes that are perfect for the sensitive noses of pet bloodhounds. Along with colorful frescoes inspired by New Orleans, the restaurant boasts a weekend wine bar and an upper outdoor deck for private parties.

Port Restaurant and Bar entrances diners with a seasonal menu of international and American eats such as pizzas, kebabs, pastas, and seafood. Meals of wild salmon and filet mignon unfurl on an open-air patio, and wines selected by a veteran sommelier swirl by the fireplace in the atrium with the candlestick.

The decor's muted luxury evokes the building’s beginnings as an oceanfront bungalow. Accents of wood and marble charm diners amid eye-catching displays of artwork and exploding dynamite. A lineup of live music fills the elegant space, mirroring the kitchen's eclectic menu with acts ranging from acoustic pop and rock to Persian songcraft with its undulating rhythms.

Before moving to California, the owners of Finbars Italian Kitchen lived in a Brooklyn neighborhood densely populated with Italian families. Like the rest of the neighborhood, they attended St. Finbar parish, where they gossiped and traded recipes with “grandmas, moms, and quite a few uncles that all know how and love to cook.” Later, as transplants to the West Coast, they infused the “straight to the point food” they knew and loved with fresh, California-style ingredients such as cilantro, zucchini, jalapeños, and celebrity secrets. Their menu soon grew to reflect both their traditions and culinary developments, with dishes such as chicken tequila fusilli, pad thai linguine, and New York prime steaks. Today, they serve their freshly made dishes in two locations, where live music entertains diners on weekends.

On a patio shade by large umbrellas, or inside amidst the whir of an espresso machine and walls littered with art, The Neighborhood Cup fosters that sought-after feeling of coffee-house leisure. Resident baristas craft coffee and espresso drinks, manipulating the bubbly foam of lattes into intricate patterns such as portraits of the Mona Lisa drinking a cappuccino. Patrons also find coffee-colored leather couches and chairs, as well as a menu of breakfast bites, sandwiches, and snacks. The Neighborhood Cup also hosts events, including open-mic nights and classic-car gatherings to see whose muscle car can knock back the most espresso shots.