Pop-up eatery by top food truck chefs coming Monday
The culinary gurus behind two of Orange County's most popular food trucks are joining forces Monday to produce a six-course one-night only menu.
Hop Phan of Dos Chinos and Jason Quinn of The Lime Truck are creating a family style meal for 200 people at the Shark Club in Costa Mesa. The menu is a secret and tickets ($50 per person) go on sale later today for the Monday, Sept. 19, dinner party.
Tickets will be sold for groups of two, three and four for seating times at 6 p.m. or 9 p.m. Each dining session can host 100 people, who will be seated in tables of 10.
No one knows the menu — not even Phan's wife, who has been begging him to reveal details over the last few days. "I tell her, 'It's a secret. I can't tell you.'" laughs Phan, whose menu of fusion Latin and Asian tacos and burritos was featured earlier this year in a New York Times food story.
What Quinn and Phan can say is this:
"It'll be food that we don't normally have on the truck. It's not going to be tacos or burritos," said Phan, who is in charge of the odd (1st, 3rd and 5th) courses.
Quinn, who will create the even (2nd, 4th and 6th) courses, said: "It's not heavy in one area. It's not tons of seafood. Not tons of meat. It's balanced. It will be a great menu for budding foodies. We're not doing anything predictable. It'll be fantastic."
These semi-spontaneous dining events — known in the restaurant industry as a "pop-up" restaurant, are popular in Los Angeles and New York. A pop-up experience typically involves a well-known chef setting up his kitchen for one night in another venue, often at an eatery that is only open for breakfast and lunch.
On Monday night, Quinn and Phan are creating their ultra-secret "mash-up" menu at the Shark Club, a nightclub that also acts as the headquarters for Dos Chinos. Phan, whose been friends with Quinn since both started their food trucks a couple of years ago, said he thought it would be fun to collaborate with Quinn.
The Lime Truck chef — who has taken time off from the truck to prepare for the grand opening of his new brick and mortar restaurant in Santa Ana, jumped at the opportunity to cook, again, for his fans. (Read more: Jason Quinn of The Lime Truck to open Playground, slated to open in four to five weeks)
"We love feeding people, so much," he said. "For me, it's nurturing, making people have a great experience."
"We are really trying to do a unique dining experience in O.C. Everything is presented family style, and we're encouraging people to bring friends and meet new people."
Tell us: Are you excited about this pop-up dining event? Would you like to see more pop-ups in Orange County?
Monday Night Pop-Up Details
Tickets: $50 per person (additional $40 per person for cocktail pairing for each course prepared by the mixologist for Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's). Tickets go on sale later tonight (Tuesday) at www.limelight.la (Shark Club site) or at www.doschinos.com.
Location: Shark Club, 841 Baker Street, Costa Mesa.
Time: 6 p.m. or 9 p.m. seatings
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