🍽️ Marché Moderne in Newport Beach – A French Dining Experience

Celebrated our anniversary here with my partner—six courses for $200 before tax. Here’s my take: 1. PAIN ÉPIS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The wheat ear-shaped bread was fragrant! The butter was a bit salty, but it paired perfectly with the bread. 2. SCALLOP CRUDO 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Scallops + roasted hazelnuts—a unique combo! Loved the lime and yuzu pepper sauce. 3. GRILLED LAMB RIBEYE 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Absolutely stunning! Grilled lamb chop, lamb sausage, and a giant shrimp. The lamb was tender with no gaminess, the sausage was packed with flavor, and the shrimp was fresh and juicy. 4. ROASTED DUCK BREAST 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 This one lives up to the hype—zero negative reviews online! Crispy skin, tender meat, paired amazingly with pear sauce and amaretto jus. The grilled lettuce was bitter, but the server said it’s intentional… and weirdly, it grew on me! 5. BRAISED SHORT RIB 🌟🌟🌟 Pretty standard—braised beef short rib with mashed potatoes and mushrooms. The meat was tender but lacked wow factor compared to the lamb and duck. 6. CRÈME BRÛLÉE 🌟🌟🌟 Added dessert last minute. When the server asked about coffee/tea, I had a feeling… and yes, it was super sweet 😂 The caramel top was intense, but the raspberry underneath balanced it a bit. The “Happy Anniversary” writing was beautiful though! Overall, a solid experience! Service was warm and attentive—Saturday night was busy but well-managed. The menu was tricky to read (all caps + French-English mix was confusing 😵), so I tossed it into DeepSeek for a smooth translation—way better! #NewportBeach #Irvine #IrvineEats #FoodReview #FrenchCuisine #DateNight #AnniversaryDinner #UpscaleDining #CoastalElegance #FoodieExperience #MenuHacks #DeepSeekSavesTheDay #FineDining #SoCalFood #MustTry #SpecialOccasion