Twenty Eight is Irvine’s Lucky Number

Twenty Eight is short for Twenty Eight Restaurant and Lounge which recently grand opened on December 28, 2014. Irvine is lucky to have a new modern Chinese restaurant by celebrity chef Shirley Chung who calls her culinary style as ‘cooking without borders’. Why the name Twenty Eight? It holds a special meaning for both partners, Stacie Tran and Chef Shirley. It was the age that Chef Shirley started cooking and it also has significant meaning in Chinese Culture. The number 2 is considered lucky because ‘all good thing comes in pairs’. And everyone knows 8 is an extremely desired lucky number because it rhymes in Chinese as ‘prosperity and wealth’. But in my humble opinion, chef Shirley’s talent and craft coupled with Stacie’s vase experience in restaurant and hospitality industry are what will take Twenty Eight to the long road of success.

I’ve been a huge fan of Chef Shirley since I saw her on Top Chef Season 11. Her fearless passion in taking a traditional Chinese dish and ‘modernize’ it with her own creativity won her 4 quick-fire challenges and got her to the semi-final. Although she didn’t take home the title, she has won many fans all over the country.

Trained in classic French and Italian cuisine, Chef Shirley has worked and opened restaurants for many famed chefs such as Thomas Keller, Guy Savoy and Mario Batali. Prior to joining Top Chef Season 11, she was the Executive Chef for China Poblano by Jose Andres which was nominated for Best New Restaurant Award by James Beard in 2011.

It’s a tradition to have lion dance at the grand opening. How many lions do you think there were? If you guess 8, you were right! The interior of the restaurant is ultra modern, chic and elegant. The indoor-outdoor setting allow guests to fully enjoy the beautiful sunny Orange County weather. 

The bar offers a variety of craft cocktails, beers on tap and California-driven wine list. Shown above are Iconic Shirley Temple and Vintage Twenty Eight. I really liked the Shirley Temple. It’s a girly drink and I am a girl. 🙂 I didn’t try the Vintage Twenty Eight but Allen told me it was really good, too.

I also tried Re-Birth in a subsequent visit. This drink is quite refreshing. Although a fruity drink, it’s on a less sweet side.

During the grand opening day, guests were entertained with live music. You can enjoy the same every Friday and Saturday evenings. Chef Shirley’s creations are not only scrumptious but beautifully presented! These are Tongue and Cheek (House cured pork head cheese and beef tongue, pickled baby carrots and California red mustard) Bruschetta. These Chicken Shao Mai (Chicken, Chinese lap chang sausage, shitake mushrooms) are juicy and flavorful. Definitely not your average dim sum like the ones you’ve eaten at other Chinese restaurants.
We also got to sample a Spicy soup (sorry I didn’t get the name), The Egg Drop (picture above top right – Silken tofu, nori seaweed broth and melted leeks) and XO Sauce Noodles (Chung-Lee XO sauce, garlic chives, egg noodles). These are like my comfort food that I can eat everyday! I highly recommend the Oxtail Fried Rice (Braised oxtail, marble potatoes, watermelon radish and scallion salad) and Beijin Street Style Grilled Lamb Skewers (Spicy cumin rubbed Colorado lamb belly, charred red onion). The Fried Rice has great flavor and lamb is well-seasoned and very tender. 

The Fire Phoenix (Jasmine tea smoked Mary’s organic chicken) was a winning dish from Top Chef Duels which Chef Shirley also was a contestant. The chicken is moist and tender while the skin is light and crispy.

Allen and I couldn’t get enough of Chef Shirley’s delicious food, so we returned last weekend for Allen’s birthday.

Twice Cooked Pork Belly Buns (Steamed then fried buns filled with red braised pork belly, condensed milk). These are addicting! The skin is lightly crisp and pork belly burst with flavor. The sweet condensed milk gives the savory pork belly a nice contrast. Chef Shirley is from BeiJin, so we had to try her Beijin Zhajiang Mian (Hand cut noodles, minced pork with fermented bean sauce, watermelon radish, cucumbers, Shirley’s Beijing Godmother’s recipe). The noodle is nice with great texture tossed in savory zhajiang sauce. I love noodles and I could eat this anytime and any day.

The Caramel Lace Prawns (Gulf white prawns, sweet plum aioli, grapefruits, walnut caramel lace) should be considered a piece of art. It’s Chef Shirley’s take on the familiar Honey Walnut Shrimp. It is beautiful to look at as well as to taste.  It would be impossible to find anyone who doesn’t like this. What else is Beijin famous for? Roast Duck! The Twenty Eight Roast Duck (House made lotus crepes, sliced radish cucumbers and scallions, Twenty Eight duck sauce) can be ordered 1/2 or whole. We ordered 1/2 which servers 2 – 3 people. The meat was cooked perfectly with crispy skin. Using the house made lotus crepe, you wrap the meat, vegetables with a bit of duck sauce, it’s a perfect bite after bite. The restaurant sent over 2 desserts for the birthday boy (Thank you Twenty Eight!). The Green Apple Tapioca is light and refreshing.  Even dessert, such care and detail go into it. 

The Good Fortune Dessert is both cute and delicious. The lightly sweet chocolate mouse and crispy chocolate crunch go very well with the citrusy jello and cream. The amazing food and attentive services really made Allen’s birthday a very special one.

Congratulations, again, to Chef Shirley Chung and Stacie Tran on your grand opening of Twenty Eight! We look forward to many more great food you will be creating for us.

Twenty Eight Restaurant and Lounge
19530 Jamboree Road
Irvine, CA 92612
(949)852-2828