A new restaurant debuts at the renovated Hyatt Regency Irvine

Orange County native and restaurateur Doug Pak founded his Irvine restaurant concept, Warehouse 72 Modern Bistro + Bar, with three elements in mind.

“Number one is beauty, number two is vitality and number three positivity,� said Pak.

Pak opened the first Warehouse 72 in Houston, Texas, but made the decision to bring the concept to Orange County, where he has lived with his family for the past 15 years. The Irvine location inside the renovated Hyatt Regency Irvine will open to the public on Aug. 15.

“Our mission is to create a welcoming space that promotes human connection and positive experiences,� Pak said.

One detail intended to provide beauty is a 30-foot LED digital art installation that plays rotating 3D art images. On a recent visit a loop of soothing scenes like the ocean at sunset, a row of gondolas bobbing in the water in Italy and cherry blossom trees with pink petals floating on the wind rotated during dinner.

A raw stone bar and large windows to let in plenty of natural light are intended to create a feeling of serene energy, Pak said. The dining room offers family and lounge seating, while the outdoor area includes seating surrounding a central fire pit.

“Our outdoor/indoor bar and patio is designed for fun, and once it opens up we can host private parties for up to 300 guests,� said Pak.

Executive chef Jaime Salazar handles the modern American menu, which includes a seasonal rotation of fresh ingredients from purveyors like Salmon Creek Farms and Sadie Rose Baking. Salazar brings a decade of experience to his role at Warehouse 72 and most recently served as executive chef at a Houston-area French brasserie before moving to Warehouse 72’s Texas location.

“When we were designing this menu, we wanted to add a lot of ‘clean’ food,� said Salazar.

That means a menu rich in super foods and antioxidants using ingredients like kimchi, thought to promote gut health, and aloe vera, thought to contain anti-inflammatory properties and aid in digestion.

A market salad for example, contains baby kale, golden raisins, sunflower seeds, almonds, dried apricots and fresh blueberries. Australian lamb chops are herb-crusted and served with sweet potato and oak-wood-smoked carrots, and wild-caught sea bass is miso glazed and served with baby bok choy and kimchi fried rice.

Herb-roasted Australian lamb chops at Warehouse 72 Modern Bistro + Bar in Irvine.

(Courtesy of Warehouse 72)

“One of the things we pride ourselves in is utilizing local vendors. So not being from this region we did a lot of research to try find some of the local fisheries here, and Pacific Fish has great options,� said Salazar.

Salazar also said the restaurant recently locked in a deal with Malaia’s Microgreens, an Irvine hydroponic farm and micro green vendor.

“Malaia’s started providing micro greens for us just last week,� said Salazar. “A lot of things that we can locally source and help the community around us is what we strive for on our menu.�

Brunch will also be available daily, with classic breakfast items like eggs Benedict topped with traditional hollandaise and the ubiquitous avocado toast topped with arugula, cherry tomatoes, red onion and chile-in crisp oil. Diners will also find items like ube pancakes and chicken curry naan wrap, stuffed with grilled Jidori chicken breast, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro-cucumber raita.

Make a reservation at irvine.warehouse72.com, since hours are limited until Aug. 30 when the restaurant will open daily for all-day dining from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.