DTTN 2.0 — Restaurant in Santa Ana

Brussels Sprouts Caesar (Jalapeno Dressing, Cotija, Radish, Cilantro, Tortilla): 5 stars This is one the best dishes that I had for this evening. The flavors from each of the ingredients of this dish perfectly balanced this dish out.

Avocado, Cara Cara Orange, Beets, Radish, Red Fresno, Chile Bruto: 3.5 stars A good refreshing healthy starter dish that's refreshing enough to get you up & ready for the next upcoming dishes.

Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken: 4.5 stars Very moist, not overpowering with vinegar, good combo of honey & vinegar. This was not as crispy as I would have liked but the meat just melted off the bones. No wonder this is one of the signature dishes here at Playground.

Charred Satsuki Rice & Alaskan Halibut Cheeks (Edamame, Shishitos, Crispy Shallots, Grated Daikon Marinated in Soy Misoyaki Sauce, Nori, Lime): 4.5 stars

This dish came with thin nori wraps which was a great way to roll up the halibut. The halibut had a slight citrus taste but was extremely fresh & tender. The delicate soy misoyaki sauce misoyaki sauce tied this elegant, yet delicious dish together.

Dragon Roasted Asparagus (Lemon, Garlic, Chile, Black Rice): 3.5 stars A healthy vegan dish that people will enjoy, this was a bit on the salty side but the black rice balanced this dish out.

Hillarys Papparadelle (Dungess crab, melted leeks, Burrata, Lemon, Chive): 3 stars This was one of the weaker dishes because the pasta could have been cut up into pieces or this would have made a good ravioli dish. The sauce was a bit on the bland side but the pieces of dungess crab was nicely portioned.

The Labor of Love That Is The Italian Springtime (Artichokesm Confit in Calabrian, Chile Oil, Peas, Fava Beans, Pickled Baby Fennel, Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts, Lemon): 3 stars This was a good spring time themed dish that was light, healthy & refreshing but I think it was just missing something to tie all of these flavors in.

Manila Clams Cooked in Dashi: 4.5 stars The clams were very fresh & tender in this dish. The dashi, creme fraiche and garlic enhanced the clams' natural taste & smooth texture.

Wolf of the Sea Crudo (Cucumber Soda, Kumquat, Jicama, Sweet Onion, Pickled Chile, Cilantro): 4.5 stars This was a very light and refreshing with a citrusy delicate finish to this dish which reminded me of fresh sashimi that you would order as an Omakase dish which means, essentially, "chef's choice." The light citrusy sauce tied this whole dish together.

Markee G's Pork Cheek Barbacoa Tostada Plate (Mezcal Roasted Pineapple, Black Beans, Pickled Red Onion, Queso Freso, Cilantro): 4.5 stars This was extremely tender & yummy because the pineapple balanced out the hearty flavors of the pork cheek.

Maple Glazed Pork Chop: 5 stars The sauce is a bit salty on the outside of this pork chop but on the inside, the meat was extremely tender. Brussels sprouts would have been a good side dish. The meat by the bone is a bit saltier than by the outside but this was still an amazing dish overall.

Bruleed Ojai Pixie Tangerine (Hazelnut cake, Aerated Hazelnut Milk, Orange Sorbet): 2 stars This was one of the weaker desserts which we felt that the flavors were on the bland side & the hazelnut cake wasn't represented much here in this dish.

Grape & Meyer Lemon Sorbet: 3.5 stars A very light, citrusy and refreshing sorbet that will help you cleanse your palate after a hearty meal.

Carmelized Sweet Potato Pie (Sage Meringue, Granola, Milk & Honey Sherbet): 2 stars We felt that the sweet potato in this pie was too light & the sherbets tasted like air & did not add any flavor to the pie either.

Black Mission Fig Sticky Toffee Pudding: 4.5 stars I think that Jason read my last review regarding this dessert being too sweet & overwhelming; so this time around I was extremely surprised at the transformation of this dish! This bread pudding was not overly sweet at all but instead, very well balanced & delicious.

Yuzu Cake: 4.5 stars This yuzu cake has made a complete turn around since the last time that I was here, now it's very light...

First time here and what an amazing experience. The service was absolutely wonderful. Elizabeth was a delight. She checked on us regularly and made sure every dish came out to our liking. I'm not a huge fan of alcohol, but I do occasionally like a very light and refreshing libation. When I asked regarding drinks that would be low in alcohol and refreshing to the taste, she made sure to have the bartender whip up something close to what I was looking for. I ended up with a pineapple coconut passion fruit concoction with just the right amount of rum where I could feel it, but not taste it. Her level of attention immediately jump-started our evening on a high note and it only kept getting better.

My husband and I ordered the Hokkaido milk bread and butter and it was heavenly. The bread was crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside, and a creamy taste. The butter accompanying the bread was rich and creamy and had a sweetness to it that complimented the creaminess of the bread.

We then ordered the slow-roasted Japanese yam, which was beautiful in flavors and in plating. Yams are incredible on their own, but the brown butter soy lime emulsion had a sharp refreshing flavor that balanced out the heavy starchiness of the yams. The gai-lan were tender and salted perfectly and added a bit of crunch for texture. Beautiful.

For entrees, my husband ordered the mozzazo rigatoni. The menu described it as "if cacio di pepe and carbonara had a baby," and let me tell you, that baby was absolutely divine. It's probably the best pasta I've had in years. The creamy pasta was bursting with flavors and spices that just worked amazing together. For my own entree, I ordered the wagyu skirt steak lomo soltado. Now, my husband and I frequent a few Peruvian restaurants. Detention's lomo soltado just blew every single other one we've tried out of the water. The wagyu was cooked perfectly medium and the level of heat was perfect. I enjoy spicy food, but I also like to enjoy my food, so I don't like the spiciness to affect the taste of my food. They got that balance just right for me. My husband and I got our own entrees, but we split them half and half and neither of us could decide which we liked better. They were both amazing but their flavors were so wildly different we just loved them for what they were.

And then there was the sticky toffee pudding. Holy toffee-loving heck. I have not put something that delicious in my mouth since my MIL took me to Addison's for my birthday. My mind was blown. The pudding itself was not sweet at all allowing for the toffee sauce to shine without overpowering the sweetness. The whipped cream they served with it was salted. SALTED!! So you get a salty-sweet flavor when you top your bite with whipped cream. The way they balanced the flavors in this one dessert was absolutely genius. You have a dense, spiced cake with minimal sweetness, a beautiful toffee sauce full of delicious flavor, and a bit of saltiness to cut the sweetness when it gets too intense.

Overall, the experience was perfect. Excellent service and the atmosphere was great! I'm so glad they do not crank their music up so you can't hear each other. That seems to be a trend, but the music here was loud enough to hear, but not to overpower conversations. This place really checked every single box for service, food, and atmosphere. We will definitely need to come...

Might be the most impressive, intimate, special, decadent, felt-like-royalty meal of my life.

Actually, it absolutely was.

so one of my longest and best friends pretty much has the most thoughtful and generous boyfriend on the planet as he treated her and a group of her friends to a Friday night meal here on his dime for her birthday. Other than a small party on the end of the counter, it was a private meal for us sitting directly from Chef Jason and crew on a Seafood multi-course tasting menu. good god, the food...and the direct interaction with the kitchen and knowledge of the food we were about to consume. you truly dont get such a special dinner as the 2.0 experience.

I can go on and on about each course but i will just say this: everything is amazing. you wont be disappointed. you will have unique creations prepared with on-point flavor, the best quality product, and thoughtful execution and beautiful preparation. i think that was the first time ive ever eaten fish cheek (after being instructed it was THE most flavorful meat) and thats been a lasting memory.

But my favorite aspect of the meal? i dont say this often as i dont have a sweet tooth, but it was our dessert. im growing to believe that if a chef can blow my mind for dessert, it goes down as the most successful and talented restaurant out there. i am a tough cookie...i have super high expectations...ive been an unofficial food critic for 6 years (ha). and yes, i was blown away.

Baby japanese mountain peaches. i may never consume something that unique, special and delicious (for sweets) in my life. imported from a small mountain town in japan, the peaches RETAIL for $2 a tiny baby green peach. and we each got, 4? i think. marinaded and accompanied with vanilla gelato and a cream sauce...this phrase is extremely overused on yelp but hello mouthgasm. this is a fruit that will definitely resonate some tingling feeling in you begging for more.

Every meal is a unique creation so im not sure you will get to experience the wonders of japanese baby mountain peaches, but im sure it will be something just as delicate and special in its own regard.

Its taken me 3 months to write this review and i am still gushing...says it all. treat yourself to this place at...