Marche Moderne

Every once in awhile I find "surprise money" neglected in the pockets of rarely worn pants. Woohoo! I have cash to spend again! Similarly, after a heavy session of Korean BBQ, I find a "surprise meal" between my teeth a few hours later. Deliciously mmm-yoso! Another one of my favorite surprises comes when sorting through my portfolio.

This was from a catch-up last year with one of my dearest gal-pals who was briefly in town. Figured we'd choose one of the best restaurants Orange County has to offer--Marche Moderne.

Seared Foie Gras w/ Apricots & Toasted Brioche

"Foie gras" means "order me" in French. People who say otherwise are just pretending they know how to speak French....even the French. This was a great dish. Poached apricots packed a surprisingly big whallop of flavor despite being sliced so thinly. Wish there was a bit more acidity to cut through the fat, but who am I kidding? It was good enough for me to horde.

Mine...my own....my....PRECIOUS!

Mixed greens, mozzarella, & stuff.

Rabbit food. But for a $30 prix-fix lunch menu, it was a good value. For sure kicks Nine-Ten's ass in freshness and taste. Nine-Ten just throws together greens, salt, and oil, while Marche Modern...um...okay they do the same thing, but add cheese, nuts, and tomatoes. Did I mention better quality greens than Nine-Ten? (Alright alright I'll stop the bashing now.)

Pork loin with...with...oh who the heck can remember after half a year?

Jeebus Christ my entree was huge. Thick slices(5) of pork placed on top of some sauteed mystery greens (again, who the heck can remember?) then topped off with a bright fruity salsa. That green guac lookin stuff at the bottom is actually some funky cream with like...cumin, cilantro, and yeah okay maybe some guac too. In terms of flavor, I really dug my entree. Big, earthy, meaty flavors contrasted with a feisty salsa that just lights up your tongue. The only shortcoming was the texture of the loin. I mean c'mon, guys. Even I can cook up a more tender loin. Seriously, fellas.

"Trout" risotto with calamari + shellfish and stuff.

Gal-pal ordered the "trout" risotto. Pardon my ignorance, but that looks and tasted more like an Arctic Char to me. Best dish of the day. Miles ahead of the foie gras. Everything about the entree was impeccable. The Char walked a fine line between medium-rare and medium-well while the broth soaking the risotto slapped your face around yelling "Hey! I taste like seafood! *slap* Oy!" For realsies, that broth was the biggest and most aromatic combo of seafood flavors I've ever had. A Bouillabaisse on 'roids.

I ate 35% of her entree. What? Don't look at me like that. She's a light eater. ahem.




Yay! Sweets! Simple, light, and refreshing. I wouldn't have been able to handle anything heavier, though we did tear through a bag of chocolate covered strawberries and truffles from Godiva ten minutes later.

Oink oink.



What a steal at $30/person. Very very interested in their dinner menu now.





Marche Moderne
3333 Bristol St
Ste 3001
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.434-7900

(That's the 3rd floor of South Coast Plaza, FYI)