Orange County’s Indian scene is no slouch, thanks to players like Khan Saab, the so-called Desi craft kitchen known for offering staples like pani puri, biryani, and curries, plus a variety of steaks and other surprises.

Winnie Yee-Lakhani is the Orange County smoke queen, an underground barbecue force making a name for herself and her county using only her ingenuity and an offset smoker. Find the Smoke Queen’s brisket baos, ribs, and more on Instagram for weekly preorder scheduling.

The Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton is a testament to pandemic perseverance. The do-it-all food hall opened in late 2020 and now features nearly two dozen food vendors, from Bearded Tang Brewery to Kra Z Kai’s BBQ, with plenty of fried chicken sandwiches, cocktails, pho, and dessert options thrown into the mix as well.

For pure volume, it’s hard to find a busier restaurant than Nep Cafe in Fountain Valley right now. This Vietnamese-leaning all-day option does unique takes on banh mi, grilled pork jowl, noodles, and a whole lot more. For something decadent, consider the bone marrow pasta.

For elegant French dining it’s all about Knife Pleat right now. The South Coast Plaza spot from chef Tony Esnault and partner Yassmin Sarmadi is “perfectly tailored” to “Orange County’s needs,” said then-LA Times co-critic Patricia Escárcega in 2019.

For Hong Kong dim sum with a famous name, there’s no better weekend destination than Tim Ho Wan in Irvine. The franchising group has expanded, in part because of its international Michelin star acclaim, to more than a dozen countries, with each restaurant offering page after page of dim sum basics.

As the name implies, Irvine’s newer Porch & Swing is all about living the slow Southern life, with a focus on the lowcountry cuisine of the Carolinas, chef Andrew Parish’s birthplace.

Noted vegan chef Matthew Kenney hit Costa Mesa with Veg’d earlier this year, converting a former Del Taco into a drive-thru destination for casual plant-based snacks like breakfast sandwiches, burgers, and bowls. 

One of Newport Beach’s newest hits is Fable & Spirit, the Michelin-level dinner and brunch spot that leans into Irish, Italian, and California flavors. There’s Guinness brown bread to start, alongside fish and chips, wood-fired pizzettas, and lots of vegetables and salads — plus cocktails and wine, naturally.

While not the outright newest restaurant on this list, CdM still deserves inclusion for opening just before the start of the pandemic — and for staying afloat throughout it. Now the mellow Corona Del Mar hangout is happier than ever, with clusters of friends and date-night couples sliding into plush booths for an evening bite.

Longtime Orange County operator Russ Bendel (Ironwood, Olea) has taken the reins of the closing Sapphire to create something similar, but also new. As with his other spots, expect a broad collection of offbeat favorites, from housemade meatballs done with duck to Cornish game hen coq au vin. Red meat eaters can try the large bone-in ribeye, a veritable value at under $50.

Part restaurant, part market, and all style, San Juan Capistrano’s new Mayfield is perhaps the most notable new restaurant on this list. From the fluffy grilled focaccia served with varying dips to the natural wine to the cauliflower shawarma, this place can do no wrong.