Mixing It up With a $30 Lunch at South Coast Plaza

 Terrace by Mix Mix

3333 Bear Street #316

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

I can not remember the last time I had been to a mall. Shopping is not really my thing. When I need something, I ask Katie for it, and she goes on Amazon, and I usually have it the very next day. If online shopping was an Olympic sport, Katie would easily win the gold medal. It's her superpower, and all the packages on our porch daily are the proof. I only visit a mall when I eat at a restaurant. That was the case on a rare weekday off that Katie and I had together. I decided to check off a spot that has languished on my restaurant wishlist for way too long, Terrace by Mix Mix.  

Terrace by Mix Mix is brought to us by Ross Pangilinan, a chef who always holds a special place in my memory, even though he does not remember me or even know who I am. When I started this blog, I never imagined being invited to any restaurant events, and back in 2010, I was asked to my first restaurant tasting at Leatherby's Cafe Rouge at the Performing Arts Center. In this restaurant, he was Executive Chef. He was the first big-time chef I had ever met, and I can admit it now, I was a little awe-struck. 

In those 14 years since that media tasting, I'm still awkward, but he's gone on to some pretty big things. He has a mini restaurant empire with four restaurants in operation; Bar Becky in Long Beach, Verdant at the Orange County Museum of Art, Populaire, and Terrace at Mix Mix Mix, both of which reside at South Coast Plaza. Chef Ross closed his award-laden Mix Mix in Santa Ana almost two years ago, but luckily, the food is served at Terrace by Mix Mix. 

Terrace is situated at the end of the pedestrian bridge on what was formerly known as the Crystal Court side of South Coast Plaza. This restaurant focuses on small plates that are moderately priced and draw from classic French and Italian techniques, with a nod to Chef Ross's Filipino roots. The compact, one-page menu is served all day and is divided into snacks, salads and small plates, pizzas and pasta dishes, mains, and desserts. We were here for their $30 Express Lunch (available weekdays from 11am to 3pm), where you get a first course, main course, and dessert. A good deal, especially in this high-rent district. Let's closely examine what's happening here at Terrace by Mix Mix. 

The first course was predictably up first, and we coordinated to pick different items to get a better overview of the Terrace menu. I selected my favorite Filipino item of all time, the Shrimp Lumpia. These four lumpia were fried lightly, lacked greasiness, and featured plenty of shrimp. The amazing jalapeno lime aioli elevated this lumpia to even greater heights. I only wish there was more of it on the plate. 

Katie picked the Albacore Tostada for her first course. This riff on a ceviche included thinly sliced albacore, Sriracha aioli, cilantro, a dollop of avocado, and Japanese dressing atop the tostada. Even though it was sliced thinly, the tuna was the star of this plate. It was seasoned well and was complimented by the rest of the ingredients used here. I thought this might be difficult to eat, but the tostada was sturdy and kept its structure until the last bite. 

It's not part of our Express lunch, but we have been on a sprout spree lately. The Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($12) was a nice change from the usual balsamic glaze we've encountered in many restaurants lately. At Terrace, they use a combination of peanuts, citrus, and Gochujang, a Korean red chili paste that is savory and sweet. Again, this was not applied too much, so you could still taste the crispy sprouts. I also enjoyed the peanuts, which added a very nice textural element.   

When this Filipino Brunch was placed in front of Katie, it immediately brought to mind a similar dish I had long ago at the beloved Break of Dawn in Laguna Hills. Like that brunch from long ago, this included longanisa sausage, garlic rice, and fried egg, but it also came with one of the best pork cheek adobos we have ever had and some chicharron placed on top. Everything on the plate was well prepared, and I had to have some great restraint to not immediately order the pork adobo small plate off the regular menu. I'll definitely do that next time, though, maybe even two.  

The 6 Ounce New York Strip Steak was a $5 upcharge, which still seemed like a good deal because how often do you get steak for lunch? The steak was served simply with some chimichurri and peppercorn sauce, which could have been applied with a heavier hand. It was cooked nicely to my desired medium, rare temperature request. The sides that came with this were roasted potatoes and butternut squash with an agrodolce sauce. The potatoes could have been roasted more, but the butternut squash with the sweet and sour balanced sauce was delightful. Not an overly heavy plate, but one that kept me satisfied until dinner. 

Dessert would be our last hurrah at Terrace, and the options this afternoon were sorbet or ice cream, so we went with one of each. I'm a lousy food writer because I forgot to write down in my notes what these flavors were. One of the sorbet flavors was mango. I noted that I liked the ice cream more than the sorbet, but that's not unusual for me. I'll always gravitate towards ice cream because no one makes a hot fudge sundae with sorbet. The sorbet was light and had an excellent icy texture to it. The ice cream was less sweet than I usually like, but it appeared to be made here using natural ingredients. 

I really enjoyed our experience at Terrace by Mix Mix. The express lunch is a great way to try various menu options without feeling like your wallet is being drained. $30 is a steal for a meal of this quality and presentation. The food here exudes a lightness you don't find in many other places. We felt full after leaving but not sluggish, which is good because Katie ditched online shopping for the day and visited the fine stores of South Coast Plaza for a change. What a throwback. 

Out of five lima beans (because where South Coast Plaza stands now used to be lima bean fields until the mid-60s.), five being best to zero being worst, Terrace by Mix Mix gets 3 lima beans. 

For more information about Terrace by Mix Mix, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.terracebymixmix.com/