Orange County is about to witness a new dimension in its burgeoning culinary scene when world-class Chef Shirley Chung opens the doors to her new Irvine-based restaurant, Twenty Eight: Modern Chinese Cuisine, later this Summer.
Chef Shirley, a Season 11 Top Chef New Orleans finalist, gave a glimpse of what we can expect from her at her special 9-course menu preview pop-up dinner at Chef Jason Quinn’s 17-seat culinary theater, Playground 2.0, in downtown Santa Ana last weekend.
Born in Beijing, China, Chef Shirley came to the U.S. at age 17 for school. She later trained in classic French and Italian cuisine before working in and opening restaurants for some of the world’s best-known chefs including Thomas Keller, Guy Savoy and Mario Batali.
Before appearing on Top Chef, Shirley was the Executive Chef for Jose Andres’ China Poblano in Las Vegas (which, shortly after she opened it, was nominated for the Best New Restaurant Award by the James Beard Foundation in 2011).
Chef Shirley’s unique style, which she describes as “cuisine without borders,” draws upon the various aspects of her diverse background and is reflected in her delicious dishes that will quite simply blow your mind.
Below is a story-told-through-photos from the evening. Then be sure to stay tuned to the Twenty Eight: Modern Chinese Cuisine Facebook Page for details on their opening which is currently slated for August.
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