The Gossiping Gourmet: The best eating of 2015

I have always liked doing a year-end piece on the most outstanding dishes that I have eaten.

It happened to be a very a good year for my dining companion — my husband — and me, having experienced places ranging from fancy fine-dining establishments to small mom-and-pop spots. Here is a list of some of our very favorite bites of 2015 in alphabetical order.

Bangkok Avenue (Huntington Beach). Angel wings are chicken wings coated in a thick but very crunchy crust and stuffed with minced chicken and noodles cooked to a golden brown, then served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Bistro Papillote (Costa Mesa). The quiche Lorraine was the best I have ever eaten. It had a perfectly crisp crust and bits of ham, bacon and onions all covered in a delicate egg filling that was exceptional.

BLK (Huntington Beach). The tuna tower was topped with really good, perfectly ripe mashed avocado. Beneath that was a layer of tiny squares of sweet mango and some fava beans. Then came a thin layer of very fresh and flavorful pieces of raw ahi tuna that had a bit of a kick. On the side were big house-made tortilla chips.

Eats Kitchen (Irvine). Wonderful smoked cheddar grits were covered in a rustic, spicy, salsa borracho with tomatoes, chilies and tequila, which made a bed for juicy jumbo prawns. On the bottom of the plate was a pool of Anaheim chili oil.

Hong Hai Viet (Fountain Valley). The egg rolls were the best we have encountered anywhere. For one thing, they were very crispy without being the least bit greasy. They were stuffed with minced pork sausage and served with sweet pickled carrots, vermicelli noodles and big pieces of lettuce. The lettuce can be used to wrap around the rolls, carrots and noodles so they can be picked up and dunked them in the classic sweet and light Vietnamese dipping sauce.

Mona Lisa (Huntington Beach). Vongole e Cozza al Vino Blanc had a light, flavorful broth accented with white wine and garlic, providing a delicious base for excellent clams and mussels. The clams were small, juicy, tender and very fresh, as were the meaty black mussels. They were served with big slices of toasted garlic bread that we used to soak up all the lovely juices. This really was as good as it gets.

Pueblo (Costa Mesa). Lamb cordero is a roasted lamb belly that takes two days to cook. The result is tender flesh with a lovely char, rolled around ground chorizo sausage and served with romanesco sauce, which is a traditional mixture of red bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, almonds and olive oil.

Ritter’s Steam Kettle Cooking (Huntington Beach). The pan roast is a large bowl of the protein of your choice: shrimp, clams, crab, lobster, chicken/sausage or The House, which is shrimp, crab, clams and lobster. It came in a bowl of wonderful thick tomato cream sauce that had a slight underpinning of sweetness, and proteins that were finely chopped, except for three big juicy shrimp. A mound of rice rose up from the middle.

Sushi Roku (Newport Beach). Roku Crudo features six different tastings of the restaurant’s signature sushi and sashimi. We began with sweet and spicy tuna served with a crunchy rice cake. Then we had some lovely salmon with garlic and ponzu sauce. This was followed by yellow tail with jalapeño and ponzu. Octopus was thinly sliced and served simply, with just vinegar. Albacore had a delicious garlic aioli and rice crackers. Last but not least was a baked crab, hand-roll wrapped in soy paper and accented with black sesame seeds, wasabi and ginger.

Seaside Lounge (Laguna Beach). My main course was pork belly and it was delicious. The meat was so very tender and the fat had been cooked until it melted, and the pork had a thin, crispy crust. It was served with daikon and finely grated carrots that had been pickled and had a hint of sweetness. An excellent ancho chili ailoli sauce rested beneath the stacks of meat.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy new year.

TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at m_markowitz@cox.net.