CIR Lounge

From a culinary standpoint, Orange County has come a long way over the past two decades – OC restaurants have won Michelin and James Beard attention, achieving national-class standards of authenticity, preparation, presentation and hospitality. Others are waiting in the wings. Even so, it’s rare for any new restaurant to master the alchemy that can transform common ingredients into something special, which is why CIR Lounge in Fountain Valley so quickly grabbed our attention.

There’s something very special and atypically ambitious about CIR. Tucked into an externally non-descript space in a plaza, CIR’s beautifully lit interior is L.A.-caliber sexy, and the Japanese-inspired ‘tapas’ menu feels more than a little inspired by José Andrés’ collection of Bazaar restaurants: Dishes are less anchored to a specific culture than reimagined with global appeal. That said, CIR isn’t offering Bazaar-like full meals; it’s more of a place to come for drinks plus some modern (if not modernist) snacks.

At CIR, sets of Caviar Cones and Trout Roe Cones arrive flecked with gold, while potato croquettes (korokke) present more like a stack of egg rolls – with curry aioli – than the typical Spanish nuggets or Japanese patties. Sliders are naturally made with (small pieces of) wagyu beef, though you can opt for steak tataki or Uni/Unagi Chawanmushi to go a little fancier and more legitimately Japanese.