NOW OPEN:
Adya, Chef Shachi Mehra's contemporary Indian street food concept, has opened at University Center in Irvine. It's the second Adya restaurant for Mehra, who was previously the opening chef for Tamarind of London in Newport Beach.
4213 Campus Dr., Irvine, CA 92612
A new restaurant called Project Poke has opened in Fountain Valley. But rather than just poke bowls (which are offered in the same menagerie of build-your-own options as others), the restaurant also serves poke burritos, giant, uncut maki sushi rolls in the same vein as Samurai Burrito across town.
16051 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Fresh Brothers has opened a new outlet in Irvine in the space that used to be Capriotti's. This is the fourth restaurant for the Chicago-style pizza chain. There are two in Newport Beach and one Laguna Niguel. Another location in Irvine is planned for Harvard Place, next to Poquet Donuts.
13258 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, CA 92602
Irvine's Kowloon Cafe has been replaced by a restaurant called OC Original Cuisine. The new eatery offers a variety of Sichuan dishes, but also something called “Roasted Chicken in a Pole” and a potato pancake with sliced pork and cheese.
5414 Walnut Ave. Ste A., Irvine, CA 92604
COMING SOON:
A Greek restaurant called Cava Mezze Grill is taking over the vacant Veggie Grill space Crossroads in Irvine. It's a build-your-own-meal concept with falafel, braised lamb, and meatballs as proteins, tabbouleh and feta as toppings. The chain currently has two locations: Woodland Hills and L.A. at Westwood Village.
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.