Aqua Washing Into Dana Point

Aqua on the Beach: A new St. Regis hotel opens this weekend in Orange County. The $240-million St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa sits on 172 acres of waterfront property in Dana Point. Rooms run between $400 and $4,500 per night, and the hotel has an 18-hole golf course, a private beach and a spa. The hotel also has Aqua, the third restaurant of its name from seafood chef Michael Mina. The first is in San Francisco, the second in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Mina’s seafood-intense French-California cooking will be familiar to patrons of the first two Aquas. Executive chef Jeff Lloyd is in the kitchen nightly.

Aqua’s menu offers a number of tasting menus, including a five-course spa menu at both lunch and dinner for $75. The classic five-course tasting menu is $90 and features selections such as crispy soft-shell crab with mushroom chips or miso-glazed Chilean sea bass with carrot-lobster consomme. There’s a five-course vegetarian menu as well ($55). A la carte dinner entrees begin at $29 and go as high as $80 (for the whole roasted Hudson Valley foie gras with caramelized Granny Smith apples)--and beyond (for the market price Maine lobster pot pie). Guests feeling peckish mid-afternoon can repair to the restaurant for tea. In addition to traditional English teas with California-style canapes and sandwiches, Aqua offers Asian teas with a bento box of Pacific Rim nibbles. Aqua is open for lunch daily, tea daily, dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and late-night service nightly.

* Aqua, in the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa, 1 Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point; (949) 234-3325 .

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Grillin’ at the Table: Gyu-Kaku, part of a chain of restaurants from Japan, has just opened. The concept is Korean barbecue with a Japanese twist. Patrons cook small plates of meat, seafood and vegetables over tabletop charcoal barbecues. Korean and Japanese soups, rice, noodles, salads, and desserts round out the menu. The average cost for dinner per person is $15-$20. Gyu-Kaku is open nightlyfor dinner .* Gyu-Kaku, 10925 West Pico Blvd., L.A.; (310) 234-8641

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Sushi Alert: Those on the prowl for the latest sushi spot, take note: Sushi Kokyo has opened with Tsutomu Sagara as the master chef. Sagara (you can call him “Tom” or “Boss”) came over from Asakuma in West L.A. He’ll be helped by sushi chef Masaru Kinjo (or “Masa”) who comes from R23 in Little Tokyo. Besides sushi and sashimi, Kokyo turns out Japanese entrees, tempura, and noodle dishes. An omakase menus (sushi, sashimi or dinner) start at $35. Sushi rolls run from $3.50 to $12. Other dishes are $6.50 to $18.50. Sushi Kokyo is open for lunch and dinner daily.* Sushi Kokyo, in the Hillcrest Promenade Shopping Center, 9618 W. Pico Blvd., L.A.;(310) 278-0691.

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Dinner! The French Country Cafe, a downtown Beverly Hills breakfast and lunch spot, is now serving dinner Thursday through Saturday. Chef-owner Jose Noel held off dinner service for a year after opening because he didn’t want to be overwhelmed. Entrees include coq au vin ($14.95), mussels and frites ($14.95), linguine with crab ($13.95) or steak au poivre ($18.95).* French Country Cafe, 231 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills; (310) 273-4332 .

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Birthday Bash: Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff celebrate Granita’s 10th year Monday. From 6:30 to 11 p.m. guests can graze on hors d’oeuvres and buffets of antipasti, tapas, seafood, pasta, and Pacific Rim dishes. Conrad Janis and the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band will play. Lazaroff hopes everyone will dress in white (to show off their Malibu tans). The price is $55 plus tax and tip. Reservations must be secured with a credit card.* Granita, in the Malibu Colony Shopping Center, 23725 W. Malibu Road, Malibu; (310) 456-0488.

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Reach Angela Pettera at (310) 358-7647 or pettera@prodigy.net.