Bistro

Greer Wylder The owners of South Coast Plaza were so impressed with acclaimed chef Yujean Kang that they invited him to open the first Asian restaurant in the mall. His award-winning Old Town Pasadena restaurant was touted by an L.A.-based poll as "the most exciting menu this side of Taiwan." Now he divides his time between two successful restaurants. At South Coast Plaza, Kang chose not to duplicate Pasadena's Chinese-only menu. Here he plays with dishes, and the menu sports a new Asian-inspired taste.

We were on our way to dine at a restaurant in the Quail Hill Shopping Center in Irvine, but when we arrived, we discovered it was packed, so we wandered around the center and came across a sweet little Thai place called Thai Bamboo Bistro. This casual restaurant has a pleasing décor. The ceiling has been lowered with the use of a floating bamboo lattice. There is attractive stone tile wainscoting around the room and soft lighting from small hanging fixtures. Attractive, tilted wood-framed mirrors line the wall on one side of the room.

On Sunday, the Maddie James Foundation will celebrate the naming of the Maddie James Seaside Learning Center at Dana Point's Ocean Institute. The event will be catered by Newport Coast's Zov's Bistro. Maddie James, 5, died in March after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor only a couple months prior. A camper at the Ocean Institute, her parents, Kajsa James and Collie James, made it their mission to raise $1 million to name the new addition to the institute after their daughter, it being one of her favorite places . In less than three months, they raised the ambitious amount.

Newport Beach Restaurant Week returns Jan. 20 to 29 for its coveted discounted dining. The sixth annual event features prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, at 25% to 60% less than regular prices, according to the Newport Beach Restaurant Assn. website. Menus begin at $10 for lunch and $20 for dinner at about 50 participating Newport Beach-area restaurants. Some of the participants include Amelia's Seafood and Italian Restaurant, Pescadou Bistro, 21 Oceanfront, Crow Burger Kitchen, Bluewater Grill, Five Crowns, Summer House, The Bungalow, SOL Cocina, Sage, Bistro Le Crillon and Muldoon's Irish Pub. — Sarah Peters Twitter: @speters01

You had to feel a hunger pang, however briefly, when the news finally came that the Auto Bistro has been sold. An original idea -- gourmet fast food delivered by conveyance down from the kitchen to idling cars -- it just didn't quite make it, even in the middle of Mariners Mile where fancy hors d'oeuvres and the fanciest horseless carriages would seem a perfect twosome. Since closing nearly three years ago, the funny, thin, yellow building has sat empty, awaiting a fresh start.

Kathy Mader In America, we like bigger, better and faster. We're talking about a country that knows the difference between an Internet log-on time of .0008 and .008; people that generally appreciate the "fast" in fast food more than the food itself. Autobistro, at the end of auto row on Pacific Coast Highway, was conceived by owner Jonathan Rodriguez-Atkatz with the plan to offer fast and good food. Hence the "auto," as in fast, and the "bistro," as in tasty, gourmet food.

AnQi by Crustacean is a gourmet Asian bistro that opened last month next to the Bloomingdale’s at South Coast Plaza, bringing to the area a new concept of fresh, healthy and reasonably priced eating, its owners say. AnQi is part of the House of An restaurants, a family business started by Helene An and her daughters, who came to San Francisco from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. The restaurant is a partnership with Bloomingdale’s and is the first of many more to come.

Bistro Le Crillon, a restaurant and wine bar at the Eastbluff Village Center, was recently honored by Wine Spectator magazine with its Best Award of Excellence for 2008. The restaurant, which has won the award six years in a row, features an extensive list of wines from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Australia and other countries. In addition, the Bistro’s menu includes an eclectic menu featuring French, Italian and other styles of cuisine. “We are delighted to receive this great honor for the sixth consecutive year,” co-owner Diego Ostroski said in a release.

Paul Clinton Owners of the southwestern-themed Chimayo Grill will close the Newport Beach restaurant at the end of the year to open a Parisian-style bistro at the same location. Laguna Beach restaurateur David Wilhelm and his colleagues will close the popular Chimayo after New Year's Eve. Three months later, Wilhelm plans to unveil Rouge in its place. "It made sense to do another upscale restaurant in that neighborhood," Wilhelm said Wednesday.

In a Sunday story, "Two Town Center adds touch of jazz," it was incorrectly reported that the Chat Noir restaurant is being built in the 18-story high rise planned for the Two Town Center project. Chat Noir bistro and jazz lounge is part of the Two Town Center project, but will open in October in an existing building. There is no set date for the construction of the 18-story building, though the former Edwards Cinema and parking structure are set for demolition.