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Unveiling Taste of Beauty: The Hidden Orange County Vegan Restaurant We Need!

Restaurant Reviews

Taste of Beauty is the hidden Orange County Vegan restaurant we’ve desperately needed in our area. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian or have friends and family who are, I’m sure you know how difficult it is to find delicious restaurants that cater to vegans. Trying to find fine-dining vegan cuisine is like looking for a needle in a haystack, or in this case maybe a carrot. Sure there are vegan or vegetarian options on most menus, but there really aren’t many restaurants that solely focus on this type of cuisine.

Located in Fountain Valley, Taste of Beauty focuses only on plant-based fine dining and is exactly the type of restaurant Orange County needs in its culinary lineup. Not only is every dish a work of art, but they are also delicious and thoughtfully inspired by Chinese culture. Each dish tells a story that is as unique as the cuisine.

Taste of Beauty Vegan & Vegetarian Menus

Taste of Beauty in Orange County, CA offers the following menus:

  • 5-course Vegan or Vegetarian menu $59
  • 8-course Vegan or Vegetarian menu $89
  • 11-course Vegan or Vegetarian menu $119

*For the first time, Taste of Beauty will also have a Restaurant Week Menu taking place March 3, 2024 – March 9, 2024. It will feature a 6-course Vegan or Vegetarian Dinner for two which includes a cocktail for only $120. They will also have a 4-course dinner menu available for $45. OC Restaurant Week is a great time to try new restaurants.

A Feast for the Eyes

During our visit, we tried both the Vegan & Vegetarian 8-course menu. Each course is an imaginative feast for the eyes. Here is what you can expect when dining at this fabulous Orange County Vegan restaurant.

Taste-of-Beauty-1-Course-Worry-Free

Course #1 Vegan

The first Vegan course was a soup titled, Worry Free, created from ingredients designed to strengthen the muscles and bones to forego the worries of today and focus on positivity. This soup features chestnut, Shiitake mushroom, black fungus, carrot, celery, daylily, and oat milk.

Taste-of-beauty-1-course-pearl-fresh

Course #1 Vegetarian

Pearl Fresh was the first Vegetarian course and one of my favorites of the entire experience. At first glance, you may think it is a tea. However, when you open the teapot you’ll be surprised with an assortment of mushrooms, bamboo fungus, and a quail egg floating in a flavorful rich broth simmered over low heat for four hours. Serving this amino-rich soup in a teapot celebrates Chinese tea culture, inviting you to savor each sip slowly.

Taste-of-Beauty-2-Course-Garden-Wreath

Course #2 Vegan & Vegetarian

The second course was the Merry Medley, drawing inspiration from the holiday wreath. A colorful array of cauliflower, radishes, blueberries, orka, and cherry tomatoes were elegantly laid over a romesco puree of lima beans and collard greens. These powerhouse ingredients were delightfully delicious and a testament to the abundant and diverse flavors gifted by nature.

Taste-of-Beauty-3-Course-Crispy-Tofu-Skin

Course #3 Vegan

Taste-of-Beauty-3-Course-Breaded-Steak-Mushrooms

Course #3 Vegetarian

The third vegetarian dish was also absolutely delicious and inspired by dishes such as fried pork chops. It reminded me of a vegetarian chicken fried steak made with steak mushrooms but without the guilt and full of nutrients.

Taste-of-Beauty-Course-4-Artichoke

Course #4 Vegan & Vegetarian

Another exquisite dish is the Happy Excursion, an artichoke flower accented with asparagus and sweet peppers with subtle dollops of balsamic glaze. While the dish appears simple, the asparagus tastes as if it was steamed in a flavorful broth. Artichoke is celebrated in both ancient and contemporary medicine for its mood-lifting qualities and this dish definitely accomplished its goal.

Taste-of-Beauty-5-Course-Eggplant

Course #5 Vegan

The “Open Valley” highlighted the delicious eggplant which absorbed all the umami-rich Japanese miso flavors and global spices. It was topped with cauliflower, Shitake mushrooms, and a flavorful fried rice adding a crispy contrast in textures.

Taste-of-Beauty-5-Course-Witty-Knowledgeable

Course #5 Vegetarian

The Witty & Knowledgable course five, was a delicious and unique dish representing Yin & Yang. It was prepared with Vermicelli, black fungus, soy milk, and egg with a scattering of green peas in a sweet chili sauce.

Taste-of-Beauty-Course-6-Green-Mountains-and-Rivers

Course #6 Vegan

The Mountains was course six and showcased one of my all-time favorite ingredients, Morel mushrooms. The flavors in this dish were so unique and the presentation was wonderful. The mountains of Morels were crafted to resemble a Chinese watercolor painting, showcasing the beauty of nature with lush, misty mountains hugged by meandering rivers and delicate boats.

The Morel mushrooms were delicately placed over a unique preparation of mashed potatoes, tofu, and wheat powder with a subtle hint of matcha.

Taste-of-Beauty-6-Course-Oyster-Mushrooms-Rosemary

Course #6 Vegetarian

The sixth vegetarian course, Scented Forest, was also a showstopper with bright bold flavors of Oyster mushrooms marinated in a rosemary-infused Shoyu butter. This dish provides a grilling alternative and was inspired by the essence of the forest, proving that nature provides in abundance.

Taste-of-Beauty-Orange-County-Vegan Restaurant

Course #7 Vegan

The Handmade Dumplings served as course seven and were a wonderful marriage of flavors combining tender and hearty dumplings with a vibrant and zesty Tom Yum jus. The dumplings were stuffed with Truffle, Matsutake, Shiitake mushrooms, and Beyond Meat.

Taste-of-Beauty-Course-7-Lovesick-Beauty

Course #7 Vegetarian

Taste-of-Beauty-dessert

Course #8

The second dessert was a colorful vegan white chocolate mousse made with coconut milk and artfully shaped into the auspicious Chinese character 福, symbolizing luck and happiness.

Orange County Vegan Restaurant

If you’re searching for an Orange County Vegan restaurant, Taste of Beauty is the best-kept secret and one that finally needs to be revealed. After discovering this hidden gem, I knew I had to feature this unique plant-based restaurant with my readers. While I am not Vegan or Vegetarian, this is a restaurant that everyone can appreciate and enjoy. Orange County has some of the most wonderful restaurants in all of California and Taste of Beauty is Michelin Star worthy!

Taste of Beauty Location & Reservations

Tasteofbeauty.com

18420 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 5 pm – 9 pm and Saturday & Sunday 12pm – 9pm

For Reservations Call (714) 587-9113 or Visit Open Table

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About The Author

Sondra Barker is an established culinary writer, photographer, and recipe creator residing in Newport Beach, California. She specializes in covering fine dining and the most amazing restaurants in Southern California, Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego. When she is not writing about the local restaurant scene she is traveling and writing about her culinary adventures around the globe.

CHEERS!

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I created this site for purveyor of exceptional eats and escapes; our team is always on a journey to find the perfect bites in the most wonderful places.

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