Burritos. Bodegas. Big noodles. Bread. Behold Orange County\u2019s latest batch of new eats.<\/p>\n
The latest lineup includes a new Hawaiian spot modeled after a neighborhood bodega, wide and wonderfully chewy udon noodles in Tustin and slender Juarez-style burritos making their South County debut in San Clemente. Oh, and a sandwich pop-up using thick-cut milk bread needs to go smack-dab on your radar, too.<\/p>\n
Hungry? Sign up for The Eat Index, our weekly food newsletter, and find out where to eat and get the latest restaurant happenings in Orange County. Subscribe here<\/a>. Omar De la Vega and Juan Del Rio<\/a> have already staked their claim as one of the best burrito purveyors in North County \u2014 now they\u2019re heading south. Currently in its soft opening stage, Los de Ju\u00e1rez Burritos has come to San Clemente, setting up shop on Avenida Palizada. This marks its first foray into South County.<\/p>\n Los de Ju\u00e1rez Burritos offers slender, Ju\u00e1rez-style burritos that measure roughly quarter of the size of the comparatively massive California-style burrito. The tightly-wrapped burritos feature, refreshingly, fewer ingredients (guisado, a swipe of beans and maybe some cheese) inside housemade tortillas made with lard and butter, before getting seared to a light golden brown on the plancha.<\/p>\n Find it: 111 Avenida Palizada, San Clemente, losdejuarez.com<\/a><\/p>\n Exit 8 Bodega<\/p>\n From the creator of \u2018Ai Pono Cafe in Costa Mesa, Exit 8 Bodega opened in late July. Gene Villiatora\u2019s Hawaiian concept is one part bodega and one part eatery zeroing in on island-style street food.<\/p>\n Menu highlights include breakfast sandwiches (Spam and egg, sausage and egg, country fried steak, loco moco), poke, musubi, sushi, bento, shaved ice, ube tres leches and more.<\/p>\n Exit 8 takes its name from the exit on Highway H-2 in Honolulu that leads to the North Shore. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or until sold out).<\/p>\n Find it: 270 East 17th Street, ste 12B, Costa Mesa, instagram.com\/exit8bodega<\/a><\/p>\n Tsurukawa Udon<\/p>\n Udon aficionados, listen up: A new udon spot has landed in Tustin \u2014 which, in and of itself, is great news. Even better news? Tsurukawa Udon features Himokawa-style udon, which are long, flat noodles made in-house daily, offering a bigger, chewier bite. More than a dozen udon dishes are available.<\/p>\n And as food content creator EatsWJennifer<\/a> recently revealed, Tsurukawa Udon offers a cold udon set for $25, which comes with two sauces (cold citrus yuzu and sesame), tempura and salad. Seeing as how Orange County remains in the midst of yet another heatwave, this could be the perfect dish to cool you down come lunch hour.<\/p>\n Word to the wise: Be prepared to wait, as lines tend to form out the door.<\/p>\n Find it: 2427 Park Ave., Tustin, instagram.com\/tsurukawaudon<\/a><\/p>\n Toast\u2019d<\/p>\n Just as important as brick-and-mortar restaurants are to a region\u2019s food scene, so too are its many pop-ups. Toast\u2019d has been at the top of my to-eat list. This pop-up makes creative sandos using thick, toasted slices of shokupan (Japanese milk bread).<\/p>\n Sandwiches include braised short rib and khao soi chicken. Beverages like a cacao latte or strawberry black tea are also available.<\/p>\n Available Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Contact eat.toastdco@gmail.com for more information; visit instagram.com\/toast.dco<\/a> for menu and ordering details.<\/p>\n Find it: Pick-up address provided after order confirmation.<\/p>\n \t\t\t
\nLos de Ju\u00e1rez Burritos<\/p>\n