Tradition by Pascal

Great place, sea bass was excellent. Very accommodating staff. Pricey

For fifteen years this place was always a treat for us. We will miss you Pascal for all your great food, energies and insistence on running a fine restaurant.
We know you will go on to even better things.
And by the way, that something-​for-​nothing «Restaurant week» opportunity is never a time to Unilocal any establishment. And never critique a smaller restaurant if you are part of a huge (ten plus) group. Or if you had just one visit.

Did not come here to dine for the Newport restaurant week as restaurant week lures too many people in with high expectations that expect a lot for a smaller price tag. Instead we came here to say good bye to Pascal and enjoy the thyme crusted sea bass one last time before he closes this restaurant in February.
We had reservations at 6:00 pm on Saturday and got right in. Our service was prompt and every course hit the mark. As time went by the restaurant was full to capacity with some people waiting out side, which we had never seen here before. By the end of our meal, our service did take a little longer than normal to receive our dessert and bill but the end result was another fantastic meal. I would give them 5 stars had the desserts and bill came a bit quicker.

This is not a tradition that I’d like to keep. Seriously it was an epic fail in dining that lasted 3+ hours. If it wasn’t for the company that I had pleasure dining with «Steven N, Jeena E and Aaron» this review would have one less star.
Was invited to kickoff Newport Beach restaurant week here with a reservation for 8pm. There is absolutely no waiting area inside the restaurant so we all stood by the door where it felt like we were standing over other peoples table while they ate. It took another 20 – 30 before we were seated and when when we were it was in the back area in the corner with a table with one white folding chair. Hmm so Im guessing they were not prepared for the amount of people coming to dine here otherwise there is no need to folding chairs right!!!
After about 10 min they brought out water and then another 10 more before we even got the menu. We all decided to order from their $ 40 prixe fix menu. I decidded on the following:
Belgian Endive
with Roquefort, Toasted Walnuts, Poached Pear, and Sweet Mustard Dressing. This salad was really good. Nice crisp endives with the mustard dressing was very tasty.
Sauteed New York Steak

with Bone Marrow Shallot Sauce and Sauteed Kale. So aside from myself both Steven and Aaron ordered the same and we all asked for medium rare. Only mine came the closest to medium rare. Steven’s was medium and Arron’s was done. I think he maybe had one bite that sent it back and had the entire dinner removed from the bill. As you can see the steak was cut and it doesn’t take a genius to see that it past medium rare and should not have been served. Aside from that i liked the sauteed kale and the bone marrow shallot sauce was good. Its unfortunate we were not able to enjoy it with a medium rare steak!
Crème Brûlée du Jour

With Seasonal Berries and a Pistachio Cookie was dessert. Good crust and the crème was good but I didnt really care for the seaonal berries that was buried at the bottom. I couldn’t tell what kind of berries they were but the skins of the fruit had pretty much turned leathery and you could have kept chewing on it.
By the time we finished our dessert if was passed 11pm and there were still a good 15 plus people still in the middle of their dinner or just finishing up. Based on how slow service was I’m going to assume they were not ready for the number of people they were having for dinner this particular evening. They were short on staff and chairs!
I like taking my time eating and savoring the flavors of each dish and when I do it tends to be a chefs tasting or omakase with 5+ courses. Not 3 courses where each course takes an hour.
This was a sad start to restaurant week sadness!

My husband and I celebrated our 1^st wedding anniversary here tonight. We each ordered from the 4-​course prix fixe menu. I had the «Gourmet» which consisted of:
Hors d’Oeuvres
Charcuterie Plate — this was very tasty. The Pork Rillette, Cornichons and Caramelized Onions were delish!
Starter
Duo of Beets Salad Lemon Flavored Goat Cheese and Roasted Hazelnuts with Sherry Vinaigrette — this was a very tasty, light summery salad. The goat cheese really made it.
Addition: Lobster Bisque — this was ok. I have to say I’ve had better lobster bisque. We got the wine pairing which this came with a white wine and I wished it had been served with red. I felt like the warmness of the bisque and chilled wine didn’t match.
Entrée
Roasted Duck Breast on Braised Endive, Caramelized Apple, Ginger Calvados Reduction– this was incredibly tasty. The duck was cooked perfectly and I finished every bite of the duck.
Dessert
Flourless Chocolate Cake– to die for. I favor rich tasting desserts and this hit the spot.
My hubby had the «Experience» which consisted of:
Hors d’Oeuvres
Sautéed Foie Gras Served with Cherry Verjus and Spice Bread Toast– this was hands down the tastiest item of the night. Seriously orgasmic.
1er Plat
Irish Salmon Tartare with Arugula and Blood Orange, Melba Olive Toast
Plat Principal
Thyme Crusted Sea Bass On Tomato Concassé, Seafood Chardonnay Sauce (House Specialty) — This was so incredibly delicious. The sauce completely makes this dish. The richness of the sauce is what I had hoped to find in the lobster bisque.
Dessert
Warm Tarte Tatin
With a Strawberry and Champagne Shot — fruity and tasty.
As I mentioned above, we ordered a wine pairing and got a glass of wine paired with each course. They are very generous with the pours! And every glass of wine was incredible. We also started with cocktails. My husband had a Manhattan with Maker’s Mark and I had the Blue Heaven off the cocktail menu. My cocktail was excellent and my hubby liked his too.
We pretty much closed down the place, being he last to leave at 10pm. Chef Pascal greeted us at our table and was very friendly and congenial. He joked that we ordered everything on the menu… which isn’t far from the truth! It was an amazing gluttonous 3 hour experience.

My bf took us here for our 6 months a longgg time ago.
The atmosphere was very romantic, but just keep in mind that there are a lot of older people so when you’re drinking, try to control yourself! (guilty)
I’m not much of a wine person, and since they had a full bar, we ordered mixed drinks instead. They are VERY generous with their liquor :).
I ordered a salad with no bacon, and the poached egg was delicious! I never really had poached egg before, so it was a good experience for me.
I also ordered the only vegetarian entrée they have (it wasn’t on the menu — I had to ask the waiter specifically), and it wasn’t that bad.
Their French waiters are super friendly, but maybe they’re a little bit too friendly. My bf had to go to the bathroom twice, and during those two times, the waiter walked by, picked up my bf’s napkin, and folded it. The second time he did it, I told him he didn’t have to, and he just looked at me and smiled and continued to fold the napkin. haha. I thought that was funny.
I’ll probably go back in a year since they only have one entrée I can eat. :D

Tradition by Pascal is a Gaulic jewel in a nice but nondescript «strip mall» that faces a frontage road paralleling the 73 toll road. The mall may not be the chicest in tony Newport Beach, and that may be the reason why their prices can be reasonable for such an haut restaurant. However, the service and cooking at Pascal are truly exemplary and exquisite.
The interior of the restaurant is quite comfortable with nice upholstered seats and vases of roses everywhere. Interestingly, one of the centerpiece paintings is a slightly impressionistic painting of an «Oiran» or a Japanese Geisha. The Oiran painting is held up by a bamboo rod and above that are two pieces of finished dark wood that resemble a Japanese Torii which usually is a symbol for a Japanese Shrine. The French Impressionist Monet at his home in Giverny had Japanese Ukiyoe prints, which influenced French painters of the 19^th century, hanging on the walls of his home so having a Japanese influence at Pascal may not be so unorthodox.
We went to lunch so we decided to try out their prix fixe menus. There are two of them with both serving 3 courses at $ 21.00 and $ 28.00 respectively. Both of them may be the best deal for lunch in all of Newport Beach if not all of Orange County. We ordered Soupe a l’Oignon «Pascaline» which has a deep beefy broth and onions that were caramelized first and then cooked in the broth which brought out a mellow sweetness to the soup. The gruyère type cheese which added richness and the toasted piece of French bread made for a classic French Onion Soup.
We then had the Crepes with Poulet Roti et Champignons which were drizzled with a heavy cream and cheese sauce and baked. There were generous chunks of chicken, and there was a subtle but lingering scent of white truffle oil to add a slightly acidic earthiness.
A Raymond Chardonnay, Napa which had undergone malactic fermentation and barreled in oak to impart a buttery oaky apple flavor and a orange blossom honey bouquet complemented both the onion soup and the crepes.
For dessert we ordered the Crème Caramel and a Apricot Tart. The tart was made with fresh apricots, and the crust was flaky and buttery. The Crème Caramel was very light and not very yolky, and it was a refreshing end to the meal. A Café Presse accompanied the two desserts.
On a wall in the hallway next to the cash register, I noticed two signatures scrawled in black marking pen. I went up closer to the wall and read two names: Roger Verge and P. Troigros of French culinary fame who both own three star Guide Michelin restaurants. Pascal Olhats definitely keeps good company, and the signatures serve as an homage to his cooking skills.
It’s not often I take the time and go a long distance to a restaurant, but Tradition by Pascal is well worth the trouble to get there.

It was a great experience! Went with the girlfriend for their valentines day special 3 course dinner!
But don’t get the foie gras, there was a protest and i found myself getting screamed at by an old lady holding up a sign with a picture of a duck being forcefed corn feed. It was amusing.
Otherwise, service is wonderful, food is great!
Very romantic place.

Most definitely the highlight of the restaurants we selected for OC Restaurant Week…
Instead of doing the restaurant week menu we opted for one of the pricier ones. I had the wild mushroom and duck confit feuillete followed by the lobster bisque and finished up with the rack of lamb. For dessert, the cheesecake soufflé. That may sound like a lot of food, but in French tradition, the plates aren’t loaded up like you’re at Claim Jumper… Thank God. The price? $ 75 per person. Not bad at all for the caliber of quality and ingredients. If you were in Vegas or LA, you could expect to pay twice that.
Every dish and every detail was perfection. The highlight for me was the rack of lamb. Delicious. The service was amazing and the wine selection was superb.
Yes, this restaurant has a strange location (strip mall) but you forget that the moment you sit down. We sat in a separate area of the restaurant with only a few other tables and it was romantic and understated at the same time. You can dress up but you could also be okay in business casual. I personally wouldn’t wear jeans.
I liked that at a real French restaurant our waitress was a real French speaking gal. No snootiness here. Will be back!

Yes I’m behind on my reviews…
I have like 17 drafts… :(
It’s gonna be a long night.
Today marked the final day of OC restaurant week.
I made a reservation a week earlier for a table of 4 @ 6:30.
I arrived at 6pm expecting the place to be packed.
I went up to the door and turned the knob and the damn thing didn’t turn…
«It’s locked,» I exclaimed to my friends and girlfriend, «maybe there’s another door?»
The host inside gives us a perplexed look as he approached the door and pushed it open. «Can I help you, sir?»
«I just realized I was supposed to pull on the knob to open the door instead of twist it,» I explained to the nice man.
Fast forward…
We’re seated, they all get water and I get an Arnold Palmer. I like how they gave me lemon flavored San Pellegrino instead of the usual lemonade; it made me feel fancy ^_​^
The waitress that seated us had a cool, secksy French accent, and she looked like Pam Beasley-​Halpert from The Office.
I don’t know what happened, but another waiter kind of took over waiting our table.
They never really did mention their names.
Food:
I liked my beet salad ^_​^
Two types of beets and some lovely goat cheese!
The champagne poached oysters were good. First time I enjoyed oysters given the few times I’ve tried them.
The bouillabaisse was mighty tasty. You can’t go wrong with fresh seafood and the broth was a great dip for the mediocre bread basket.
Coq Au Vin was interesting, and the fish dish my girlfriend got was ok. I’m just glad i got what I got.
Dessert was just OK for me. They were a bit on the sweet side. Too bad they didn’t serve up crème brûlée…
I love me some crème brûlée.
Bill was $ 130 ish for 4 people which was a great price ^_​^
Service wasn’t as warm as I’d like, but our glasses were never more than ¾ empty.
They were also quick to replace the butter knife I dropped or to give us a refill on bread because I’m a carb– munching monster!
Lastly, Chef Pascal, thank you for stopping by our table to check up on us!

Came here on a double date for OC Restaurant Week a few months ago. The restaurant is off a strip mall area where Bristol is split by the 73. Seemed like a good deal, 3 courses for $ 30. Food roundup:
Appetizers of escargot and oysters: The escargot had lots of herbs and garlic on top and were quite tender themselves served in a cute little cast iron cocotte. The oysters are lightly poached then are topped with some type of crème fraîche sauce, delish! The waiter mentioned this is a signature appetizer. Hits all the senses and is divine!
Main course of duck breast and steak: Like most upscale french places, they really excel with perfectly cooked proteins. The portions were quite hearty and the sauces and veggies were nice.
Desserts of chocolate mousse and lemon tart: These were standard, just ok compared to the rest of the meal.
Lowdown: Good place for classic french food, definitely recommend that oyster appetizer and all of their main proteins. Ambiance is classy and a little older crowd, but is local and accessible.

3.5 Stars for my OC Restaurant Week experience here. This typically high-​end restaurant was made semi-​affordable by Restaurant Week, which I appreciate. However, even with the special Prix Fixe menu (or is it BECAUSE of the Prix Fixe menu?), this wasn’t a meal I would particularly crave over others. Why?
Ambiance: I was disappointed by this. The place was cute, yes, but very small and rather crowded. I do enjoy space in more upscale restaurants, and I tend to expect it even more in Orange County.
Service: Good, minus us having to wait thirty minutes or so despite having a reservation.
Food: Small, small portions. That is what happens when you try to get fancy with your eating I suppose. Michael Z. was hungry still (I was okay) and if I recall correctly, we made a trip to Mizuki for some ramen after this meal.
This is what I had:
–Bread:
. It was good bread.
–Oysters in Crème Sauce:
. Really good for oysters I suppose. I enjoyed this tiny appetizer.
–Seafood in Tomato Broth, with Saffron (Seafood Bouillabaisse):
. Fragrant, delicate, and exquisite. I loved this, but there was so little of it :(
–Tart with raspberry and vanilla sauce:
. Very tasty.
I also tried Michael Z.‘s meal. It wasn’t as good as mine in my opinion.
–Escargot:
. My first time eating snail! It tasted fine, like squid I suppose, and the sauce was tasty but really heavy in flavor.
–Salmon wrapped in bacon:
. It was good but didn’t leave much of an impression on me.
–Chocolate dessert:
. Tasty but unremarkable.
Verdict: I would rather go to Bluewater Grill for a hearty bowl of Cioppino. I guess I had lofty expectations for Tradition.

Funny name and tucked away in a typical LA strip mall (oops, is Newport Beach in OC?) This is a lovely small French restaurant that I would come back to.
Escargots is baked in a ramekin with purée mushroom. We have to fish them out with fork or spoon. The snails were tasty and felt lighter than the traditional buttery rich kind.
I had French onion soup and it was right on as expected: rich, intense, chewy cheese, and fulfilling. I then had the special veal. The sliced meat and pasta were served in a hot skillet and they are delicious. Friend had seabass that has a crust on top. They seemed very satisfied.
On this Tuesday night. The server took his time bringing out dishes, but not too slowly. We drank, ate, and chatted until 10:30pm and left as the last guests. A night well spent.

Wow, had a wonderful dinner here with my wife this evening. This place would be a 5 star for sure, with the exception of one of our servers. We had a total of 3 servers, 2 of which were the nicest people…1 was just plain dry and unpleasant.
Now on to the good stuff!
To start:
–Duo Beet Salad for me: this was right up my alley. I love anything with beets and this dish provided a nice beet combo with nuts and a glaze.
–Lobster Bisque– my wife loves this stuff, and Pascal’s version was perfect.
–Braised Veal Sweetbread: Oh boy, this was incredible and recommend this to anyone who hasnt tried it. Very good!
Entrees:
–Filet: The filet was so delicious and delicate… if thats possible for a filet. It was prepared perfect and very tender.
–Seabass: my wife got the seabass and it was one of the best ive had. I guess this is their signature dish… well i can see why.
Dessert”
–Mixed Berries
–Coffee
We really enjoyed the ambiance and the overall dining experience. The food was absolutely incredible. This is a new favorite for sure.
Pics posted too!

If what you want is french food in Orange County, well your options are somewhat limited but thank God for Pascal Olhats and his Traditions restaurant. :-)
One of the most unassuming locales I’ve ever seen… it’s literally in a strip mall but you’d never know what lies inside. Everytime I go here I’m rewarded with a fabulous meal, great service and an overall top notch dining experience.
My fav items on the menu is the fois gras (darn Peta!), steak tartare and the chilean sea bass. Nobody matches the Chilean sea bass here — prepared to perfection every time and simply succulent.
If you’re at all skeptical I suggest you try it out during NB restaurant week when Traditions offers a $ 35 fixe prix menu or on Sundays when he offers a $ 40 fixe prix w/​no bottle corkage fee! Trust me, you’ll be back even w/​o the fixe prix menus. ;-)

I am salivating as I write this piece and can still remember each bite. Yes… it was that delicious. I came for dinner during their Newport Beach Restaurant week where participating restaurants have menus at fixed prices. A 3-​course meal all inclusive for $ 30. What a steal!
For the appetizer, I order the escargot. Amazingly flavorful and the pine nuts and raisins gave it a nice texture. The escargot wasn’t chewy at all and it was cooked to perfection. The leftover sauce of garlic butter was great for dipping with bread that accompanied the meal.
The main course was the free-​range roasted chicken breast with mushroom risotto and a truffle cream sauce. The chicken was tender and moist. Combined with the truffle cream sauce, it was to die for. The mushroom risotto was creamy and the first I have ever eaten, so I can’t really compare anywhere else, but it paired well with the course. In addition to the main course, I asked our server what wine would pair well. He suggested the chardonnay: Raymond Reserve. I’m not a huge wine connoisseur, but it was crisp and light.
As for dessert, the options were a selection of cheeses or something from their dessert menu. I didn’t want anything too heavy, so I opted for a warm thin apple tart a la mode! AHHH… it was awesome. It wasn’t tremendously sweet and the crust still had a slight crunch.
What a great meal. I would definitely like to come back again. Service is extremely attentive and our waiter always checked on the meal within an appropriate time period.

The hubby and I came here to celebrate our 6yr wedding anniversary since we had such a great time back in July. And even better, it was the start of OC restaurant week! Oddly, 80% of the customers were Asians, ourselves included. I guess we love to dine out during Restaurant Week! I ordered off the OCRW menu and my husband ordered off the Sunday Menu, both were $ 40 a pop. Pascal met our expectations again!
This time, we BOTH ordered our own Pan Seared Foie Gras in addition to our menus. I remembered how mouth-​watering it was last time and I knew my hubby wasn’t gonna share again. It had me at hello. I ordered the Seafood Bouillabaisse Provençale and it was delish! It reminded me of a tomato-​y seafood soup I had once in Venice. The hubby ordered the Prime Beef Sirloin. He was a little disappointed because he wanted it medium rare and it came out medium. However, the flavors were very good. Overall, it was another great experience.

I’m teetering between 3.5 stars and 4 stars. I would probably give it 4 stars to be nice, but wouldn’t want people going here because it’s not worth visiting even once. I wouldn’t go back here again. I’m not hating on it at all, and not being biased. But this restaurant just doesn’t stand out to me. Gayot rating was ¹⁶⁄₂₀. Ellen rating would be ¹¹⁄₂₀.
Service: Slow but not their fault. They simply did not have enough busboys/​waiters to go around their entire restaurant. Our waiter was extremely friendly, attentive, and apologized profusely when the bar couldn’t make a midori sour or mojito, even though another waiter had told us that they had a full bar and can make everything. No blenders here though. Before ordering dessert, the waiter also told us that they ran out of the soufflé and profiterole. LAME.
Appetizers:
1. Beet salad — Good. Patina makes it better.
2. Endive salad — Okay. The salad is supposed to help highlight the roquefort and toasted walnuts.
Entrees:
1. Prime beef NY bordelaise in red wine sauce — should order medium rare because the meat itself is not very juicy (not the restaurant’s fault)
2. Chicken — nothing special, tasted very herb-​ish but could make something similiar at home
3. Duck — Hatfield’s tasted better
4. Sea bass — HIGHLY recommended. Best dish at the restaurant. The house special sauce was perfect with the thyme crust
5. Potato gratin is also highly recommend. Hot, with melted cheese on top. SO GOOD.
Desserts (ranked in order): 1) Apple tart — cute and looks like a pancake. This is not a normal dessert I’ve tasted. 2) Flourless chocolate cake — not too sweet, but has a fudge-​like texture. 3) Chocolate chestnut torte — fudgy and rich (Mastro’s makes it better). 4) Crème brûlée — overwhelming peach inside the brulee itself makes it almost not worth of ordering. I like the traditional crème brulees. I’ve also tried lavender crème brûlée and that stuff is gross!
Our dishes came out slow, but understandable based on understaffing, how big our group was, and more of a conversation dinner. Don’t bring your date here if you don’t like her that much!

Great French.
My girlfriends and I got together for lunch and to celebrate on one of the girl’s pregnancy! sooo I was looking for a nice restaurant near by gf house in oc and never the less, the Zagat has helped me discover a great French restaurant once again.
The girls and I walked in more towards end of the lunch hour, so it wasn’t crowded, and the waiter was very friendly and attentive to detail. Also we were looking at a painting on the wall and noticed the man in the painting was the Chef himself who stopped by our table to make sure we were having a nice meal.
All the girls loved the roses, in every color, and the ambience was just perfect for the nice afternoon lunch with the girls.
Now for our meal, we ordered fois gras torchon with fig pear chutney which was amazing! all the girls loved it. we all went for the prix fixe. We asked our waiter for wine suggestion for pairing my mother terese cooking which was braised short ribs, and another trout dish. As expected, the trout was wonderful. The trout was cooked perfectly and it was my favorite! Overall, all the girls enjoyed sharing our entrée and the dessert delightfully finished our meal.
Overall, I give it a 4 star for the wonderful food, but added star for the service and the ambience. The restaurant smelled wonderful, with delightful roses. I will be back.

Vince and Holly’s reviews prompted me to choose Tradition by Pascal for hubby’s birthday dinner this year. So in honor of his birthday AND my 1700^th review, here’s our experience at Tradition.
We arrived without anyone greeting us at all. We noticed that everyone who arrived were either greeted immediately, or, had the door opened for them when they arrived. We opened the door ourselves, walked in, and stood there for a few minutes before anyone acknowledged us. In fact, the maitre d’ was a little aloof all night long with us.
The «garçon» who greeted us gave us an option of tables and I naturally was looking for somewhere inconspicuous so I could sneak in a few photos. I was happy to see that each table was equipped with a light shining directly into the middle of the table, thus, allowing perfect lighting without me having to use the flash.
We perused the menu — I knew immediately what I was having to start — while hubby pondered a bit. Our server came over to tell us the specials and hubby immediately pounced on the venison entrée featured. After placing our order, hubby told the server to bring a glass of wine with each course.
The complimentary eggplant caviar was so-​so, nothing mind-​blowing. I was really disappointed with the bread they served… some lackluster French and a couple slices of sliced bread. It was weird actually considering how great bread is in France.
Our appetizers arrived… my pan seared foie gras was perfectly exquisite served on a slice of toasted French baguette topped with raisins, leeks and a subtle sauce. Unfortunately, the foie gras wasn’t big enough (hubby asked me to order another serve but I passed) and I was left wanting more. Hubby’s salmon and tuna tartare was deliciously flavored with dill and an avocado cream topping. Both appetizers exceeded our expectations after the shaky start.
I ordered the Bouillabaise Provencale as my entrée which arrived in Le Creuset cookware baked and brought to the table scorching hot. I was debating between the bouillabaise and the stuffed quail but our server said definitely the bouillabaise. I was a bit reluctant because I’d always been disappointed with restaurant bouillabaise outside of that in France and my dad’s (he makes a killer bouillabaise), but I’d have to say, this one tops anyone I’ve ever had (sorry dad).
Hubby’s special, venison with a beet sauce accompanied with chanterelle mushrooms and fingerling potatoes was also very good. The venison was tender and the chanterelles luxurious. But what totally blew us away was the brussel sprouts which arrived in a tiny copper pot. Flavored with bacon and a touch of cream and mustard seeds, this dish was the best we’d ever had (and I’m going to try and replicate it) to date of any brussel sprouts dish.
After our entrees, we split a platter of cheeses which rounded out my meal perfectly. I wasn’t interested in dessert whatsoever.
In total we had 4 glasses of wine, one apéritif, one large bottle of Perrier and the dinner. Total came to a tad under $ 200 (before tip).
I’d say dinner and the whole experience was 4 and a half stars but the aloofness of the maitre d’ and his comments towards us regarding not wanting more bread with our cheese was just «too French» for a restaurant in the US of A.
Mais, c’est la vie n’est-ce pas?