Splashes

Splashes Restaurant Review:

Splashes at the historic Surf & Sand Resort is perhaps one of OC’s most romantic on-the-beach restaurants. Even if guests choose to sit indoors, large floor-to-ceiling windows still bring the foamy white waves to within mere feet of tables. While the backdrop is a selling point, the main reason to dine here is to experience the progressive epicurean voodoo put forth by executive chef Ron Fougeray. Each of his contemporary dishes displays thoughtful composition and near-mathematical flavor balance. It's a skill that enables him to breathe new life into overly familiar SoCal bites like tuna tartare, which comes wrapped in fresh hearts of palm and layered with fried horseradish and strawberry coulis. His knack for crafting taste arrangements is evident throughout the menu, from starters of venison carpaccio with pickled blackberry and accompanied by whole-grain mustard yogurt, to entrées: seared sea scallops with kabocha squash purée, white asparagus, and red wine poached pear. Food can be accompanied by wines culled from top global appellations. Desserts are also must-try, highlighted by a rotation of house-made artisan ice creams. Guests can start their day with traditional breakfast fare, while the brunch crowd can enjoy more advanced items such as smoked salmon with bagel chips and avocado cream cheese.