Bistro Papillote - Costa Mesa

French being my favorite food, there's not much options where I live. I enjoy going to Costa Mesa from time to time and have been discovering little boutique shops here and there. We came across Bistro Papillote in The OC Mix. It was Memorial Day and the place I wanted to try was closed so this was the next runner up.

Their breakfast lunch menu is really straight forward. At Bistro Papillote, you will find escargot, pate, quiches, crepes, croque madame and monsieurs, and sandwiches.

Croque Madame

Black forest ham with gruyere sandwiched between a soft bread baked till crispy around the edges. A Croque Monsieur is just the same concoction without the egg.

delicious

Coddled Eggs

Pomme puree, baby spinach, eggs and baguette sticks. Pommes puree is just French mashed potatoes. 

This dish was simple and elegant. I loved the silkiness of the mashed potatoes. I will definitely recreate this at home. 

Check them out if you're ever in the area. Their dinner menu also looks great.

3313 Hyland Ave Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Gyutan Tsukasa - Costa Mesa

Gyutan Tsukasa is located in the popular market, Mitsuwa. As much as this market is known for selling Japanese ingredients, a lot of people know Mitsuwa for their food court. Most popular is Santouka, Hokkaido style Ramen. As much as a I love getting the ramen, there's a restaurant at this food court that I love just as much if not more. Gyutan Tsukasa serves everything Ox tongue. They serve the tongue in a curry, a simple broth, stew/demi glace, and my favorite over charcoal.

It's charred to perfection and served with a side of wasabi and pickled/preserved veggies. I eat each piece with a little wasabi and a dash of Shichimi (Japanese spicy red pepper). Each bite will also get a big scoop of fried wheat rice.

This right here is the perfect bite. If you've never had beef tongue, it's not as weird as it sounds. Just think of it as just beef. I know the texture is unique, but it's also fatty. And when it's cooked perfectly, it will have a nice snap, but well slowly melt in your mouth. Beef tongue is one of my favorite items to order, always, at a Japanese restaurant. It's normally priced high for a small portion, but it's definitely manageable here at Gyutan Tsukasa.

I highly recommend this if you come. The food court in Costa Mesa now serves draft beer.