ORANGE COUNTY DINING

In these capsules of recent reviews, dollar signs indicate the average price of a meal for one, without beverages.

$: less than $10

$$: up to $20

$$$: up to $30

$$$$: more than $30.

OPAH: Opah is the latest restaurant from architect Mark Singer and his Peruvian-born wife, Miriam, and has made an immediate impact on the South County dining scene. The cuisine is eclectic and the decor stylish, factors that draw a young, well-dressed crowd. Crab cakes and a delicious oyster po’boy are among the best dishes, but several main courses are lackluster. Opah, 26851 Aliso Creek Road, Suite C, Aliso Viejo. (949) 360-8822. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. $$$

OSTERIA DABBASSO: Osteria Dabbasso, in the old Kachina space, is an art-filled Laguna basement serving some of the biggest Italian dishes in the county. Come for the salads, imaginative pastas and good meat courses. Osteria Dabbasso, 222 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach. (949) 494-0495. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. $$

OYSTERS: “Asian-influenced California cuisine”--well, you can’t blame Oysters for wanting to distance itself from all the bad fusion cuisine around. But this spot, with its Chicago speak-easy ambience, could give fusion a good name with dishes like artichoke with sambal-aioli. Good oysters too, of course. Oysters, 2515 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (949) 675-7411. Open for dinner daily, 4-10 p.m. $$$

PANDA INN: A lot of well-rendered Mandarin favorites appear on the sprawling regular menu (and at the generous Sunday brunch) at Panda Inn. Be bearish about the “seasonal menu,” though; the dishes are more original, but this pleasant, airy place does better on basics like moo shu pork and tea-smoked duck. Panda Inn, 2 Centerpointe Drive, La Palma. (714) 522-3328. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

THE PERUVIAN GRILL: It specializes not so much in grilled food as in Peruvian seafood dishes, such as ceviche appetizers large enough for a small meal and pescado ajo macho, a grilled fish topped with scallops, shrimp, calamari and a spicy cilantro sauce. Empanadas are also worth a try. The Peruvian Grill, 9606 Hamilton St., Huntington Beach. (714) 593-3883. Dinner Monday-Saturday, 5-9 p.m. $$

P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO: It serves Asian-inspired dishes in a high-voltage setting--and the dishes can be high-voltage with pepper themselves. Good appetizers are seared ahi and Chang’s spare ribs. The best entree is Paul’s catfish: tender chunks of fried catfish tossed with a garlicky black bean sauce. Desserts are outstanding. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Irvine Spectrum Center, 61 Fortune Drive. (949) 453-1211; Fashion Island, 1145 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 759-9007. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

PICAYO: Hidden away in residential north Laguna, a little bungalow houses Picayo, a French restaurant with Spanish and Moroccan influences and a taste for duck, both as appetizer and entree. Try Chilean sea bass on eggplant with olive vinaigrette, or the napoleon of scallops, prawns and salmon with black truffle sauce. Picayo, 1155 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. (949) 497-5051. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday; brunch Sunday. $$$

PLAZA GARIBALDI: The main attraction is the mariachi dinner show (Friday-Sunday). Though the limited show menu offers quality, such as pleasing shrimp dishes and a fine carnitas entree, a larger menu of standard Mexican dishes is served during the week. Plaza Garibaldi, 500 N. Brookhurst Ave., Anaheim. (714) 758-9014. Lunch and dinner daily; Sunday brunch (with mariachi). $$

PLUMS: Once known only for breakfasts, sandwiches and salads, Plums Cafe now offers creative entrees, ranging from fried trout to tenderloin medallions topped by mushrooms. If it’s a sandwich you crave, the confetti meatloaf is rich with cumin flavor and the excellent lamb-burger comes alive with fresh oregano. Plums Cafe, 369 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa. (949) 722-7586. Breakfast and lunch daily. $

POLISH RESTAURANT: First it was a plain barbecue restaurant, but patrons liked the Polish dishes that sneaked on the menu so now it’s known as Polish Restaurant. So enjoy the potato pancakes, the sweet-sour sauerkraut, the veal cordon bleu-like cutlet Sobieski--and once in a while, have some of that barbecue too. Polish Restaurant, 2610 W. La Palma Ave., Anaheim. (714) 827-9074. Lunch and dinner Tuesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, noon-9 p.m. $$

THE QUIET WOMAN: The Quiet Woman leads a sedate life, but it is one of the area’s most consistently good dining spots. Entrees, mostly cooked on a mesquite grill, include Angus beef steaks, fresh fish and a terrific rack of lamb. There are good salads, excellent homemade soups and fine desserts too. Don’t miss the homemade pumpkin pie in season and the fudgy Toll House pie all year. The Quiet Woman, 3224 Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (949) 640-7440. Lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. $$$

RESTAURANT ABE: Master chef Abe (pronounced AH-bay) has been called the Matsuhisa of Orange County, and the comparison is apt: He has worked at Nobu Matsuhisa’s famed Japanese fusion restaurant in West Hollywood. Come to Abe’s Newport restaurant for the sushi if you must, but he has far more interesting creations, such as tuna rib, smoked monkfish liver, oddball oyster shooters and mind-blowing omakase dinners. Restaurant Abe, 2900 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach. (949) 675-1739. Lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Monday-Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 5-9 p.m. $$$

THE RITZ: Hans Prager’s ornately decorated restaurant, the Ritz, remains a bastion of Continental cuisine after more than two decades at Fashion Island. A well-dressed Newport crowd still turns out for retro faves such as lobster bisque and veal Oscar. Now there is a lovely outdoor garden area open during lunch and dinner. The Ritz, 880 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. (949) 720-1800. Lunch Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner Monday-Thursday, 6-10 p.m.; Friday, 5:30-11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 5-11 p.m. $$$

ROMA D’ITALIA: Tustin’s busy Roma D’Italia is an old-fashioned checked-tablecloth pizzeria/restaurant specializing in dishes with big, rich flavors, such as chicken d’Italia, which includes eggplant, ham, tomatoes, provolone and mushroom sauce. For something lighter, try the mixed seafood platter in a flavorful garlic white wine sauce. Roma D’Italia, 611 El Camino Real, Tustin. (714) 544-0273. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

ROYAL KHYBER: Royal Khyber is aiming to be O.C.’s top Indian restaurant, and it has all the tools--a gorgeous dining room, an innovative menu and the talents of chef Arun Puri in the kitchen. Some of the dishes need more oomph, but certainly not the terrific shrimp samosa, killer warm eggplant salad or wonderful lamb shank in spicy broth. Royal Khyber, Fine Indian Cuisine, 1621 W. Sunflower Ave., South Coast Plaza Village, Santa Ana. (714) 436-1010. Lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Sunday-Thursday, 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30-10:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $$$

ROY’S: Roy’s benefits from the inventive Pacific Rim cooking of superstar Hawaii chef Roy Yamaguchi. But this isn’t the islands, and you won’t find many of the fresh Hawaiian fish or Japanized items that make the restaurant soar there. Don’t miss crunchy lobster pot stickers and blackened ahi. There also is a signature chocolate souffle. The wine list, by the way, is priced for Honolulu, so consider bringing your own. Roy’s, 453 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. (949) 640-7697. Dinner Sunday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5-11 p.m.; holiday lunches daily, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $$$

SORRENTO GRILLE: David Wilhelm has turned the eatery into a trendy California grill and martini bar, but it remains a stalwart of the Laguna Beach dining scene. It’s an incredibly noisy place, but there’s a colorful local buzz from people who come to sip creative martinis in chilled, thick-stemmed glasses. Ahi rolls and a nice calamari fritto misto with crunchy Parmesan breading are the top starters. Fish and seafoods are the best bets for main courses. Sorrento Grille, 370 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach. (949) 494-8686. Dinner only Sundays-Thursdays, 5:30-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30-11 p.m. $$$

SPAGHETTINI: With a name like Spaghettini Italian Grill and Jazz Club, it’s hard to know what to expect. Not improvisation, it turns out; the ingredients are of the highest quality, but they’re used in a cautious, lackluster way. Still, it has jazz, an open kitchen and dramatic low lighting, and the chocolate souffle cake is a knockout. Spaghettini Italian Grill and Jazz Club, 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach. (714) 960-6002. Lunch Monday-Friday; dinner nightly; brunch Sunday. $$

S.W. SEAFOOD & BARBECUE RESTAURANT: Featuring a mind-numbing range of barbecue entrees (go with the pork) and seafood dishes (great shrimp and scallops). If you’re feeling particularly carnivorous, order the blossom platter, a heaping cold-cut sampler of pork, chicken, duck and jellyfish. S.W. Seafood & Barbecue Restaurant, 5406-A Walnut Ave., Irvine. (949) 262-0128. Lunch and dinner daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. $$

TANGATA: Joachim Splichal’s museum-located restaurant is worth going to even if you aren’t interested in art. At Tangata, the famous chef is playing with Mexican themes as well as brunch ideas like a crab Benedict and light, “tall food” French toast. And Tangata can give you fast service when you need it. Tangata, Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. (714) 550-0906. Open for lunch daily (except Monday). $$

TANGERINE GRILL: Though right across the street from Disneyland, Tangerine Grill is actually a decent California cuisine restaurant. This means Italian touches like fresh mozzarella and an imported tangerine sorbetto, but it also grills a good Santa Maria-style strip steak and a pork chop in a successful cranberry Bourbon sauce. Tangerine Grill and Patio, 1030 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, (714) 772-1186. lunch, breakfast and dinner daily. $$$

TAPS: Taps is one of the most ambitious brew pub/restaurants ever to open in northeast O.C. It’s a 14,000-square-foot establishment featuring gleaming copper fermentation tanks, a centrally located oyster bar and a large, hangar-like dining room. Fresh seafoods, good side dishes and the dozen-plus house beers are best bets. Starters, pizzas and pastas are often either muddled or bland. Taps, 101 E. Imperial Highway, Brea. (714) 257-0101. Daily, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. $$$

THAI PORN: This restaurant is named for its owner, Pornpan, whose name means “blessing.” But Isarn (northeast Thai) dishes are the real blessings here. This disarmingly simple restaurant is the place to come for raw green papaya salad (som tam), Thai barbecued chicken, the chopped meat salad larb or anything made with the homemade sour pork sausage. It’s all quite good Thai Porn, 1739 W. La Palma Ave., Anaheim. (714) 956-8105. Daily, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. $

THANH MY: The big deal at Thanh My, one of Little Saigon’s oldest Vietnamese restaurants, is bo 7 mon, beef served in seven courses such as salad, soup, rice paper wrap and meatloaf. The hot pots, cooked at your table, are also good, though messy to eat. Late groovers, take note--Thanh My stays open till 1:30 a.m. Thanh My, 9553 Bolsa Ave., Westminster. (714) 531-9540. Lunch and dinner daily, 10 a.m.-1:30 a.m. $

TIRAMISU: From the street, Tiramisu looks like a jewel box; inside, it’s all restrained elegance in earth tones. Many of the best dishes, notably the thin-crust pizzas and whole fish, come from a wood-burning oven. The pastas are fine when the kitchen goes easy on the sauce. And yes, the tiramisu, available in three flavors, is the star attraction. Tiramisu, 2325 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (949) 673-8444. Lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner Sunday-Thursday, 5-9:45 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5-10:45 p.m. $$$

TOMMY BAHAMA’S TROPICAL CAFE: The Caribbean meets Walt Disney at Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe, a spiffy new restaurant with an attached clothing store. The pricey menu includes conch fritters, mango chicken salad and other island-inspired fare. There is a lively bar scene, a delightful outdoor patio and a live steel band every evening. Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe, 854 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. (949) 760-8686. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. $$$

TROQUET: A polished French bistro in a mall? Sure, when Aubergine’s Liza and Tim Goodell are behind the operation and the mall is South Coast Plaza. Try the celery root puree garnished with duck confit and pears and Maryland crab cakes with a smoky chipotle aioli and fried capers. Troquet, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol Ave., Costa Mesa. Lunch Mondays-Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5:30-9 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays, 5:30-10 p.m.; brunch Sundays, noon-5 p.m. (714) 708-6865. $$$

WEI’S: Wei’s is O.C.’s best Chinese restaurant at the moment, a boxy place that serves the fiery cuisine of China’s Sichuan province and much more. Look to the short house-specialties section to snare the dishes that all these Chinese families are eating. The fabulous stewed assorted pork has a meatball, Chinese bacon, chicken feet and cooked spinach. Also be on the lookout for boiled salty duck, any kung pao dish and the best sizzling rice soup around. Wei’s, 17046 Magnolia St., Fountain Valley. (714) 842-9778. Lunch Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Tuesday-Saturday, 5-9 p.m.; Sunday, 4:30-9 p.m. $$

YAMABUKI: This is really three restaurants: an elegant main dining room, private tatami rooms (where you dine while seated on straw mats) and a polished cedar sushi bar. Of the three, the sushi bar is by far the best--and the most economical. Let the chefs ply you with treats such as monkfish liver, delicious marinated raw mackerel, broiled smelts and almost any kind of sushi. Yamabuki, Paradise Pier Hotel, 1717 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim. (714) 239-5683. Lunch Mondays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner daily, 5:30-10 p.m. $$$

YARD HOUSE: The clubby, boisterous Yard House has 180 beers on tap, which it claims is the world’s largest selection, and chef Carlito Jocson has cooked up a fusion menu of appealing pub dishes, such as salmon spring rolls, grilled shrimp skewers with Indonesian fried rice, pan-roasted sea bass and a variety of meats cooked on a mesquite grill. Yard House, 1875 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. (949) 642-0090. Lunch and dinner Sundays-Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-midnight; Thursdays-Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. $$$

Y ARRIBA Y ARRIBA: Y Arriba Y Arriba offers pan-Latin American tapas along with its flashy floor show. The churrasco is a grilled skirt steak served with a garlicky vinaigrette, the lechon is moist Cuban roasted pork with a well-balanced sauce of garlic, lime juice and oregano. The ceviches--all five variations--are also superb. Y Arriba Y Arriba, Downtown Disney, Anaheim. (714) 533-8272. Lunch and dinner daily, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. $$

ZOV’S BISTRO: A longtime Orange County institution, Zov’s has expanded its dining space again. One still goes for hummus and baba ghannouj, Middle Eastern gravlax (seasoned with capers and ground sumac), the pork prime rib in sour cherry glaze and rich pastries such as chocolate obsession: mousse on chocolate hazelnut crust. Zov’s Bistro, 17440 E. 17th St., Tustin. (714) 838-8855. Cafe open Mondays, 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Bistro open for lunch Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5-9 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays, 5-10 p.m. Closed Sundays. $$

ALLEGRO: Allegro is a suburban Italian restaurant with a big-city sensibility: Tokyo, maybe, or even Milan. Chef Mario Petillo, formerly of Rafaello, doesn’t over-sauce his pastas and isn’t afraid of simplicity. There is a delicious rice and potato soup, a great Sicilian-style pasta made with tuna, eggplant, capers and olives and a long dessert list. The chairs could be comfier, but overall, this is quite a find. Allegro, 1160 N. Tustin Ave., Orange. (714) 639-7921. Lunch Mondays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Mondays-Thursdays, 5:30-9 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays, 5-10 p.m.; Sundays, 5-9 p.m. $$

BACK POCKET: At Back Pocket, the casual restaurant attached to Gustaf Anders, you get most of the benefits of dining at a first-rate establishment without the formality or expense. In the tiny Scandinavian Modern dining room, you eat chef Anders Strandberg’s terrific cured herring and salmon, Swedish comfort foods such as beef Lindstrom and excellent desserts. Don’t miss the creamy Swedish princess cake, a marzipan-frosted treat. Back Pocket, South Coast Plaza Village, Bear and Sunflower streets, Santa Ana. (714) 668-1737. Lunch Tuesdays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Tuesdays-Sundays, 5:30-10 p.m. $$$

BAYSIDE: Chic, grown-up Bayside is one of Newport’s most auspicious new restaurants. Designed by Michael Carapetian of Venice, Italy, it is really striking, with a towering glass wine case that houses almost 500 vintages. Chef Paul Gstrein’s menu is short and sweet. Try tuna tartare, Colorado lamb loin and practically anything from the dessert menu. Bayside, 900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach. (949) 721-1222. Lunch daily, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; dinner Sundays-Wednesdays, 5-10 p.m.; Thursdays-Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. $$$$

BLUE AGAVE SOUTHWESTERN GRILL: A fun, slightly kitschy theme restaurant, but the food does not suffer. Good beef, such as carne asada adovada in blackened tomatillo sauce. Some thoughtful fusion dishes (kebabs with chipotle-spiked orange marmalade), some traditional Mexican (excellent carnitas) and 92 primo tequilas at the bar. Blue Agave Southwestern Grill, 18601 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda. (714) 970-5095. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

BLUEBERRY HILL: This location in Long Beach is the company’s first sit-down restaurant. Besides Blueberry Hill’s superb hamburger (the Grand Thrill), the restaurant serves a big menu of family favorites, including a great spinach artichoke dip and fine desserts. Don’t miss the gravy fries and the foot o’ rings--light, crisply battered onion rings piled on a wooden ring toss. Blueberry Hill, 5735 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach. (562) 986-4455. Daily, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. $$

BLUEWATER GRILL: South Coast Plaza Village needed a good seafood restaurant, and now it has one. Chef Brian Hirsty stocks more than 15 fresh fish varieties daily and prepares them in a variety of imaginative ways. It’s best to stick with fish caught close to home and to order them blackened or served with the delicious teriyaki sauce. Accompanying the fish are good sides and a great list of wines by the glass. Go elsewhere for dessert. Bluewater Grill, South Coast Plaza Village, 1621 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 546-FISH (3474.) Lunch and dinner Mondays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, noon-9:30 p.m. There is also a Bluewater Grill in Newport Beach at 630 Lido Park Drive. (949) 675-3474. Lunch and dinner Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. $$

THE BUNGALOW: The Bungalow specializes in trendy cocktails (a million fruit-juice-based martinis) and expensive, high-quality prime beef, the pride and joy being the rib-eye. But this toniest of Orange Coast steakeries also offers fine seafood. The Bungalow, 2441 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (949) 673-6585. Open for dinner Sundays-Wednesdays, 5-10 p.m.; Thursdays-Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. $$$$

CAFFE PIEMONTE: A family-owned place that serves excellent northern Italian food with a personal touch. Try the calamari saltati alla marinara, tagliolini alla Bolognese, pheasant ravioli and osso buco. Caffe Piemonte, 498 E. 1st St., Tustin. (714) 544-8072. Lunch Tuesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays, 5-9 p.m. $$

CAFE TU TU TANGO: This cavernous, high-octane space is filled with art created on the premises by working artists. The eclectic, all-appetizer menu includes Cajun chicken egg rolls, Dijon chicken skewers and tuna sashimi Cafe Tu Tu Tango, the Block at Orange. (714) 769-2222. Sundays-Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-midnight; Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. $

CAFE ZOOLU: Cafe Zoolu is Laguna Beach all the way, from the funky quasi-Polynesian interiors to owner-chef Michael Leech’s cooking. Try the swordfish. This place is casual and hip without being trendy. Cafe Zoolu, 860 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach. (949) 494-6825. Open for dinner Tuesdays-Sundays, 5 p.m. $$$