Hendrix
32431 Golden Lantern
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
I've never really thought of it until recently, but for chefs at established restaurants, it's got to be a little repetitious making the same food over and over again, night after night. It's probably for this reason why they offer daily specials. Another way to keep things fresh and show off your creativity is to trot out new menu items when the seasons change. That's what the talented team at Hendrix has done, one of our favorite South OC restaurants.
We were lucky enough to get a chance to sample their new seasonal menu, which is a collaboration between Executive Chef Rainer Schwarz and new to the Hendrix team, Chef de Cuisine Allan Aguinaga. Chef Allan has previously done stints at Juliette Kitchen and Bar, Farmhouse at Rogers Gardens, and True Food Kitchen. This dynamic culinary duo has come up with a menu full of lighter than you'd expect fall dishes that highlight locally grown produce. We were definitely excited and intrigued to see what they had come up with.
We showed up at Hendrix at 6pm on a recent Tuesday and the place was filled with many customers enjoying cocktails at the bar in the center of the restaurant, and seated in the comfy booths with spectacular views of the rolling hills of Laguna Niguel. The decor at Hendrix has always brought a pleasing and relaxing feel to me. Beautiful natural light coming in through the skylights up above meld perfectly with the earthy tones and pop of blues from the booths and napkins. A beachy vibe, even though the waves are still a few more miles to the south.
On this evening we were seated with some of the best food writers in OC, most of whom I can call really great friends. I've known most of these people for the ten years that I have written this restaurant blog. It's always great catching up with them, gossiping about the restaurant industry, and finding out about where they have eaten recently. I was amazed to find out that we were one of the few that had actually been to Hendrix, which opened over two years ago. We all were eagerly anticipating the new menu items coming out of the kitchen for us. Let's take a look.
Our evening started out with a couple of seafood starters, the first of which was this Spanish Octopus Ceviche ($13). Katie, who is a little squeamish about octopus even gave this one a try. The octopus was sliced in thin pieces and added to garbanzo beans, fennel, some peppers, and finished with a refreshingly vibrant lime vinaigrette. It also had some spiced tortilla strips on top for crunch. Great textures with this, the octopus was prepared well, and all the ingredients stayed in their lane to provide an excellent first impression for all the newcomers to Hendrix.
Definitely the most colorful of dishes we were to have on this evening, the Hamachi Crudo ($15) was not only beautiful but tasted great as well. Diced fuji apples, cubed avocado, blood oranges, tangerine segments, and a yuzu dressing accompanied the raw yellowtail medallions here. I was afraid the citrus was going to steal the show, but it was way more subtle than I imagined. The fresh fish was amazing and there were some strings of pepper which gave this a surprising kick.
Every time I eat beets I always think to myself that they are very underused on restaurant menus. I love them and was happy to see this Roasted Heirloom Beet Salad ($10). The beets were presented on a bed of baby arugula with some nuts sprinkled on top for a textural element. The beets were delicious and the arugula worked well here, despite me not being the biggest fan. I do confess that I also think of The Office TV show when thinking about beets as well.
Cauliflower is a pretty versatile vegetable. It's not just for veggie trays anymore. At Hendrix, they serve it as Roasted Cauliflower Steaks ($9). It is placed on a tasty salsa verde and spiced with Morrocan seasonings for a Mediterranean vibe. No, you're not going to think your dining at Mastro's while eating this, but the cauliflower was tender, had great flavor from the spices, and was more substantial than any piece of cauliflower you've ever dipped into ranch dressing at a Superbowl party.
I have never really had a bad association with brussels sprouts. It's probably because my parents never served them to us as kids, so I've only been exposed to them as an adult. I loved these Fried Brussels Sprouts ($11). The sprouts had a great crunchiness to them and were accented by dried cranberries and Marcona almonds which added to the earthiness of this bowl. It was finished with a dollop of mint yogurt which tied everything together wonderfully. A definite must-try when visiting Hendrix.
Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms ($12) is not something that I'd see on a menu and order most of the time, but I might have to rethink that based on this one. The breading had an excellent crunch and more substantial than others I've had in the past. This was stuffed with a ricotta cheese that was tinged with lemon and mint and placed in a tomato sauce which added just the right acidity to balance things out. A unique dish, but very well executed.
When I saw that this Tomatoes and Soft Mozzarella Salad ($12) was coming out next, I knew I'd probably skip this one. I have an aversion towards sliced tomato, (a textural thing for me), so I let my tablemates enjoy this salad which also came with plums and fresh basil. Katie enjoyed this oil and vinegar dressed salad very much and gave glowing praise to the creamy mozzarella.
Due to Katie's shrimp allergy, I do not get to partake in shrimp as much as I like. Oh, how I missed these little crustaceans. This Grilled Mexican Shrimp ($24) entree hit all the notes for me. Big succulent shrimp, a savory white butter bean puree, a garlic-infused nage, and crispy shallots made this plate a winner in my book. I've now made a vow to have shrimp more often. Sorry, Katie.
Many of us at the table were not big fans of this Potato and Ricotta Cheese Ravioli ($17). My problem with this was that it was a bit on the dry side. Not enough of the brown butter sauce and the inside filling of the ravioli was kind of bland. Not my favorite item.
I really liked the creativity of this Kale Pesto Spaghetti Carbonara ($18). Kale is not my favorite thing to see on a menu, but Chef Rainer and Chef Allan have made this leafy cabbage something I would not try to avoid. This is a carbonara you can feel good about eating with lots of greens included here, like the aforementioned kale, and cut up asparagus, broccolini, and of course the pesto. The inclusion of the parmesan on top is like the icing on the cake.
Hendrix is best known for their rotisserie proteins and you can try them all in one fell swoop with this Hendrix Rotisserie Meat Platter ($26 per person, with a 2 person minimum). This platter includes a Colorado leg of lamb, lemon garlic chicken, and a bone-in pork loin. You may also add some prime rib for an extra $8 per person. This is a great way to get a taste of Hendrix in just one visit. It also comes with fingerling drip potatoes, au jus, and pickled veggies. I was partial to the lamb, but the pork is also very good. A must-try if you are a meat lover and this is your first visit to Hendrix.
As if we needed any more food, we were presented with a dessert sampler as a grand finale. All were good, but the Peanut Butter Cookie blew me away. One of the better ones I have had. It was so good I asked for an extra one for the road. I wish they had them all the time, but I did not see them on their dessert menu. Hopefully, more people will inquire about them and they will be more readily available.
This media dinner proves that even though Hendrix has now been around for two years, they are not resting on their laurels. These new menu items show that they are trying to keep things fresh at one of South OC's premier restaurants. Make sure to hurry in to try any of the above new items, as I'm sure next season they will switch things up again. Which I'm sure will be just as fantastic as this season's new items are. Thanks to Chef Rainer and Chef Allan for the wonderful evening of food, and to our long-time foodie friends, it was great getting a chance to catch up with all of you. I can't wait to do it again very soon.
For more information about Hendrix, or to make a reservation, head to their website here: https://www.hendrixoc.com/
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