Hidden Dinner

Best food flavors in Orange County. Chef Anahita is very creative with her food. Everyone should experience.

It was amazing! loved the place.

What an awesome experience! Hidden Dinner is located in kind of an odd location, near the county government building and in a residential neighborhood. But once you get inside the location, you forget about all that. The ambience is classy and romantic! Chef Anahita and her crew have set up a beautiful outdoor patio for their dinner.
You can’t just show up for the Hidden Dinner. You have to get on their mailing list, and then they will send out emails about upcoming events. You can view the menu and decide if you want to attend. I’m not sure how often the events are; I’m guessing they’re probably every few weeks.
The theme of the dinner I attended was «A Mediterranean in Mexico.» Each course was brought out and beautifully presented. The chef came out and talked about each course in a casual way. The other folks at the dinner were fun to chat with — I guess if you end up dining with boring people then you could end up with a boring dinner. But we got lucky in that regard.
It’s BYOB so you can bring whatever you like. The chef said that she is working on getting her alcohol license so they can serve alcohol. Go support Hidden Dinner to make their dining experience even better!
You can park in the City garage across the street but it costs money. There is also street parking in the residential neighborhood but it’s pretty hard to find a spot.
This is a great experience and something different to do besides going out to a regular restaurant.

AMAZZIINNG experience. Excellent food, great company, and lovely location (dinner was located at Ketri Café).
For $ 75 we had 5 different items. Each item just got better and better. I was stuffed to the brim but continued to eat all my food because (a) food was that awesome, (b) it’s rude to not finish your food at an event like this, and © i was reminded of all the starving children of the world.
1) Wasabi Tomato Elixir — A great twist on a bloody mary without the crazy tomato-​ness. You also wouldn’t have realized it was half full of alcohol. Added bonus.
(2) Corn with Anchovy Butter — Who knew butter could be that tasty?! Corn was also nicely cooked in the wood-​fire oven
(3) Oyster and Cucumber shooter — So fresh and refreshing! There was raw oyster with some tomato-​stuff on top (very fresh) and a cucumber shooter with yuzu lemon, oyster, and enoki mushroom. Very flavorful shooter.
(4) Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Coconut Porridge, Persian carrot slaw, Quickles, etc, etc — The long name matches the complexity of the dish. There were many different flavors but they were all complimentary of each other. Half-​way through this dish is where I had to shake my belly down to let more food in.
(5) Ginger Crema Catalana with Sesame Cashew Crunch — Da bomb dessert! As I was savoring every bite, the guy across from me was scarfing it down. That’s how tasty it was.
As an added bonus she let us try a cardamom ice cream that she had made. AAMMAAZZINNG and i dont even eat ice cream. Added added bonus — the chef walks around and talks to you about the food, her life, etc etc. Very personalized experience when I went.
For my fellow Unilocalers, please keep your expectations realistic. I often find people have unrealistic expectations before going into places and end up being disappointed. Don’t ruin your experience here! It’s a great meal with good company.

While in the OC yesterday, we enjoyed dinner at the Hidden Dinner. We enjoyed the salmon with asparagus. The ambiance was wonderful and the staff was amazing. I would truly suggest this experience to others.

Awesome experience!
Food was beyond amazing and meeting new foodies was great too. I went with my friend and we had a blast.
Chef was so down to earth and so was her staff. The things she can create with her hands and a few ingredients is nothing short of amazing. The décor was very tasteful and to the point. Not over the top and added to the entire experience.
She is truly gifted. I will definitely go back for another dinner.

First off, I want to say the idea of Hidden Dinner is great! Mingling with others of different backgrounds and coming together as a group is a unique experience.
The disappointment comes when I see previous pictures of Hidden Dinners, which were actually at a lower cost, but substantially bigger portions. The portion sizes were more like appetizers all the way through. My «full» belly was more related to drinking the cucumber water, than to the actual meal. Also there was only one tiny starter alcoholic drink included. It was a bring your own alcohol event. I feel at least a couple of refills should have been included.
Also, I noticed they once gave «thank you» gifts at previous dinners. There was nothing given at this one. For the price of $ 100, I think it was the least they could do.
To conclude, I will say that I think most people at the dinner were ok with what they were presented with. I just think for me, I should’ve had dinner, before the dinner.

Chef Anahita does private dinners too!!! Six of us who went to grad school together decided to meet in Laguna Beach for a reunion vacation and asked Chef Anahita to come to our vacation rental and create a dinner experience that would be unique and fun but also allow us to catch up privately and drink without having to drive. Her food was beyond amazing and totally based on what was fresh at the local market that morning. We also had one pregnant friend and one vegetarian and she was able to accomodate those dietary restrictions beautifully. We owe her a huge thanks for creating a wonderful vacation memory!

I’ve always found the concept of the pop-​up restaurant interesting, so when I stumbled across Hidden Dinner, I immediately went to their website to get on the mailing list. Approximately two weeks later, I received an e-​mail from them saying there was an event on 2÷10÷13. With no menu and no location, I bought two tickets so I could take my boyfriend for an early Valentines Day present. A few days before the event we received an e-​mail telling us the time and location.
This event turned out to be a brunch at someone’s house up in the hills with 14 guests. All of the guests turned out to also be first timers at Hidden Dinner and we had a lot of fun trying the foods, getting to know each other and listening to great stories from Chef Anahita and Betty. I would definitely recomend this to anyone who is open minded about trying new things and meeting new people.
All of the food was amazing and we got to try a bunch of new things. You can also e-​mail Hidden Dinner ahead of time to let them know of any particular food allergies, loathing, etc. and Chef Anahita will work around them to make everyone a kick-​ass meal. Thank you Hidden Dinner for a great time, amazing food and a fun time had by all. We will defnitely be coming back again.

Girlfriend surprised me by taking me here for my birthday! I really didn’t know what to expect since it would be 12 random strangers coming together to eat a Brunch at someone’s house. It was kind of nerveracking at first, but all of the guests were amazing and extremely polite.
The theme for this brunch was a rustic garden and the location was a nice homey house that was beautifully themed. It had a nice wooden table and all of the decorations were very picnicey. There were also chickens in the backyard and a beautiful view to add to the effect! We ended up having 7 different dishes along with great wine and champagne provided to us. All the dishes were well prepared and it definitely looked like a lot of effort and time was put into making each of the dishes. It was also a great experience to gather everyone together and I was able to meet some really cool people! No one was shy and everyone had some interesting conversation to bring to the table. The whole experience was definitely worth it and i’d definitely consider coming again!

This was my first experience with Hidden Dinner’s and I was super excited. I love the concept of a ever changing menu and it being set for only a small number of people.
The starter was a puff pastry and it was warm and flakey with gooey cheese
The next coarse was a soup (sorry I forgot the ingredients but it had a small crab cake in it that was just the right amount of crab and and very filling.
The main entrée was trout this bokchoy. I enjoyed the freshness and that it was served with a sauce that was not overwhelming so the fish shined through
The dessert course was my least favorite it was a small apple pie dish with blue cheese ice cream. The pie itself was good but the ice cream was just too over powering
Overall I enjoyed the concept and Chef Anahita is the bomb she is really passionate about her work and her food,

What better way to celebrate my 200^th review than a review about great food, and great mothers?! I brought my Mom out for Hidden Dinner’s «A Mother of a Brunch,» held at Kitima in Irvine. Chef Anahita, Betty, and Justin put together a great morning for us, with drinks flowing, and my Mom unleashing some solid Mom humor upon the group after a few drinks (for example, I learned that had I been a girl, my name would have been Molly).
Menu:
Seating Area:
Before I get to the food, I would like to note that the reason I like occasions like this is for the opportunity to get outside of your circle and interact with folks that you may have never met before under a common interest. I find food to be a universal connector, and given the right atmosphere, we can share a wonderful, collective dining experience… even in our individualistic, this plate is mine and mine alone type of culture. Everyone we sat with was delightful, and I felt taken care all throughout service. For that, it was already worth it.
We started with the Fruit & Yogurt Panna Cotta (Apricot /​Greek Yogurt /​Gelatin /​Toasted Pistachios).
This was a ⁵⁄₅ for me. I was a bit worried about the tartness of the apricot and the greek yogurt, but the dish was a great blend of tart with a little sweet, and some crunch from the toasted pistachios. A great start, and was complimented with a never empty glass of homemade mimosas.
The second dish was: Stewed Tomatoes, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Organic Fried Egg (
)
I love over easy eggs, but my mom never eats them, so she had to brush it aside. The wetness of the egg, and the stewed tomatoes were fantastic together, and the fresh garlic bread (bought from the Farmers Market in Orange I believe?) was a nice way to soak it all up. I personally did not really care for the rosemary potatoes, finding them a little tough, and not really holding the rosemary flavor, but overall this was good second course, though rather filling. ⁴⁄₅
I was seriously full from yogurt and carbs by the main course, but that wasn’t going to get in my way. We got a Herb Encrusted Salmon, Savory Fried Doughnut, Asparagus Spears, Citrus Maple Reduction (
)
Seared and thrown briefly in the oven, this salmon was the
. The citrus maple reduction was not overpowering or acidic, but instead paired wonderfully with the asparagus and salmon. I demolished this dish, and almost finished off my Mom’s extras, but didn’t want to have to go to the auxiliary stomach before desert. ⁵⁄₅
The lemons for the desert were picked from Betty’s own lemon tree, and came out in the form of a bread pudding. (
)
This was overall a good dish that was balanced well in sweet with a little savory from the bread pudding, but personally I would have liked to have been hit with something really light and sweet having just consumed a ton of food. So for me this was a ³⁄₅.
One of the great things about HD is that you can check out the menu beforehand, and I really enjoy this. If you are looking for a great evening to spend with a few friends, or want to meet a few new ones, you won’t be disappointed here. Thanks again for a great Mothers Day!

I’ve heard of countless pop-​up restaurants all over San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Miami. always, I have looked on (or read on), stark green with envy. why can’t we have that in Orange County??? finally! some foodie ingenuity popping up in good oI’ OC.
I have attended only one hidden dinner experience. $ 75 for their 1 year anniversary (Thanksgiving) experience. from what I can recall, 10(?) courses of culturally diverse fare, each with stories about its humble beginnings. this was the first hidden dinner that they decided to make into a blind tasting. I hope it was/​will be their last.
the food itself was hit/​miss. with so many courses, and an arguably large turnout, I can imagine it would be difficult to get all the dishes out, well cooked and beautifully displayed. some things, I loved, like the verde meatloaf and the spinach and pomegranate sauté; but others skated close but missed the mark by a nose, like the corned beef and cabbage, the lamb mansaf, and the ham and cheese.
props to the Chef and her team for ingenuity and bringing the art of popup dinners to the land of the foodie starved. props also for attempting a blind dinner tasting. the intent should be commended, but the execution was, for a better word, lacking. the attempt at making the dinner blind seemed much more of an afterthought than a purpose. a blind dinner should encompass all your other senses, sound, smell, touch, taste. when you walk through that curtain, you should be engulfed in rich aromas, provocative sounds, and interesting textures. the food, while most of the dishes tasted good, fell flat texturally; the only sounds of interest were the recorded audio of the chefs telling the story of their dish; the only smell component that was memorable was the washing of the hands with rose water. overall, the experience of the dinner was similar to the food: almost great; almost but never there.
3 stars for the experience. 4 stars for the service. everyone was wonderful, especially in catering as much as they could to my bff’s vegetarian preference. I must note, though, that in her ham and cheese and chips, despite all the emphasis given about the importance of the chip in the audio recordings, they forgot her chip! so her ham and cheese and chip was just. cheese… :(
I would love to return to hidden dinner one day. I think my lackluster experience was more due to the fact that the team was trying to do too much all at once. I would love to try one of their normal hidden dinners, un-​blind, $ 45, where the focus can be on the delivery of the food and the soul of the foodie community.

Bring on the dancing dragons! My wife and I attended the last dinner hosted in Huntington Beach. This is the first time we attended one of these events.
To start off the evening, we mingled with the fellow patrons and met a few people from around the area. We also met the husband and lovely munchkin of the chef. Our first refreshment was a kumquat shooter. It was sweet and the peels and sage was a nice finisher to this drink.
While we mingled we were served tea eggs which were fabulous! The ‘tea’ used to steep these eggs was awesome. Most people felt strange about having to put in effort to shell their own egg, but I love crab in a shell so I enjoyed it. Also, pulling everyone out of their element broke the ice a bit and bonded us. Most people brought their own wine and it started pouring at this point.
The evening proceeded with a lovely pork egg roll with orange glaze and dumplings. The egg roll was a pleasant surprise due to its preparation. Most of the time in California, egg rolls are a fried soggy mess. You could tell these we prepared correctly. The pork was cooked perfectly without being dry and the double wrapper was fried quickly without the entire roll being full of oil. That simple detail makes the difference in enjoying a great egg roll. Good job!
The dumpling was not rubbery or doughy and the seasoning on the filling was light and delicate.
Just before an awesome dragon dance and dinner, we were served a butterhead lettuce wrap with chicken. The veggies with the chicken were minced perfectly and in the right portions to not overshadow the chicken. The lettuce made a cute taco and easy to eat while standing and holding a wine glass to top it off. Nice job!
We then went inside and started dinner. We were served a lovely broccoli and cauliflower blossom soup. Being a fan of classic miso, I loved this dish. It also worked nicely to refresh your palate from the appetizers. While eating the soup we were also introduced to a member of the kitchen. She explained the theme for the evening and the history behind the soup, which was a family tradition with her own flair.
Soon after the soup, we had a shrimp and low mien dish. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and it wasn’t drowning in sauce. The first thing I noticed is that the noodles were flavored. I also enjoyed the balance of this dish. There were enough shrimp to go with the pasta and veggies to enjoy the combination of all the flavors in each bite.
Next was pork belly. I have never had pork belly but I didn’t even need a knife! It was so delicate it just flaked apart with my fork. This was sitting on some sweet rice and lovely mushrooms dressed with a wine reduction. These flavors just melted in my mouth together.
We finished with steeped tea and a lovely custard. The custard I think had mangoes and bananas in it and topped with a fresh light cream with a real almond cookie. Very nice.
What Asian dinner is complete with a fortune cookie! These homemade cookies were sweet and light. and put those stale cardboard things at take-​outs to shame.
In conclusion, this was an amazing night! The skill required to prepare and serve all of us from a noncommercial kitchen is very impressive! Conducting her entire staff while also buffering our questions puts multi-​taskers to shame. The passion oozing out of the chef is astounding.
Eating well prepared and presented food, while meeting new friends, and of course the dancing dragons makes for a great stimulating event. If you are looking for an opportunity to mingle with all sorts of people, eat good food, and learn new cultures and traditions this is for you. I also think this would make a very unique fun first date. They also do announcements if you like. Anniversaries, birthdays etc. My wife and I had a blast. If they ever have season tickets count us in!

I attended the latest hidden dinner held at a private home in Fullerton. The theme was «Spain,» and the menu reflected this, along with the unexpected addition of Flamenco dancers.
The dinner was priced at $ 45 pp (no tip or tax). People were dressed across the board, from jeans and a Tee to cocktail attire. There were no guidelines beforehand but keep in mind, these events can be held outdoors (ours was) so bring a jacket.
I loved the social aspect of this event and meeting new people who share the same culinary interests. The setting was a private house in Fullerton, which had a beautiful backyard, where we dined. The owners of the house were there and they were very gracious and lovely.
The evening started with tray-​passed bites; egg salad in individual spoons, crostini with prosciutto, cheese with quince, citrus marinated fish on mini toasts along with a tasty cocktail of Whiskey, fruit juice and a dollop of fresh whipped cream (yum).
First course: A hearty soup of chorizo, spinach and garbanzo beans (my favorite dish of the night).
Main course: Shrimp (one with head-​on) with arroz negro.
Dessert: Citrus-​scented crème brûlée
BYOB beverage (in my case… wine)
Chef Anahita was very friendly and came out multiple times to explain the courses.
I would definitely attend another Hidden Dinner. It was a fun, adventurous way to dine and meet people.

I attended the very first hidden dinner, the one at Bob Hudson photography studio. This being my first pop up retaurant experience, and the first of me trying out chef anahitas food the expectation was pretty mixed. I didnt know what to expect. it was a BYOB/​W event. glasses are provided there. I havent followed any consistant pattern around the time, but it seems to follow once a month theme. SInce its been too long, I cant remember what we ate, but i do remember the lamb dish, some truffle ravioli, this awesome butternut squash soup with ‘ash’ in it that kind of added smokey burnt taste in a very good positive way. that soup was one of the highlight of the evening. WE also had persimmon cake which was memorable.
the dinner was priced at $ 45 at least the one I went to. Note there is no tip or tax to it. Even though it sounds 45, it would have been close to 35 $ or so.
This is not your traditional dinner, It has a feel of social theme to it. the dinner I went had a long table like a thanks giving table with ⁴⁰⁄₄₂ people sitting as a group and sharing each courses, as the chef came out explained each dish. There were tons of photos, got to meet new people etc. so its food and the experience that you go for. Chef does lot of catering events and that shows in the restaurant themes. and it kind of helps too.
Each of the hidden dinner menus I have seen have had different themes, and I could always see a little hint of Persian/​middle eastern mix fusion in some of the items to reflect the chefs roots, but it widely varies depending on the season and the mood. the current one she is doing has been published as a bbq event.
The menus are not outrageously adventurous like most other pop-​ups, but it may just be a good thing. It really reflects Chef’s passion and love for food and her enthusiasm to provide her audience with an experience they can take home to.
If you are a food enthusiast, that is longing for the food and the social experience of food, and want to be part of a Chef Anahita’s food adventure, you will love Hidden Dinner. If you are a consumer that is looking for a cheap 3 course dinner you may be well off at Charlie Palmer or Marche Moderne with their 20 $ lunch menu.
I strongly recommend you try once! It will be worth it!

I love pop-​up restaurants. So when I found out about Hidden Dinner, I was intrigued and excited. The concept is that they do a dinner at a secret location with a different menu and theme at different times of the year. I love that Chef Anahita does this because she loves to cook and entertain. It was so nice to meet her and all the people who attended. The setting was intimate and eclectic at Community, a little strip mall on Brookhurst in Anaheim. It reminded me of the Camp or Lab in Costa Mesa with the independent shops and the Bohemian vibe. They do an event called First Wednesdays (of every month) at Community with food trucks and a DJ so be sure to check that out if you’re in the area. The night’s dinner theme was 90s backyard BBQ and we were given the menu in advance and told it was BYOB. I brought a bottle of Cupcake Red Velvet wine. We were also informed that there was no kitchen at Community so the chef had to improvise with 2 BBQ grills and an induction oven. Wow.
Drew M. and I arrived and signed into the guestbook. We found some seats and put our wine down on one of the communal tables. The table settings were all eco-​friendly from the brown paper napkins to the compostable dinnerware. We wandered around to check out the stores and when we came back to the table, we found more bottles of wine awaiting us. We were at the fun table! Watermelon cocktails were brought out. The watermelon cocktail tasted like summer. The glass was rimmed with a combination of sugar and salt. The alcohol did not overpower the light, refreshing taste of the watermelon purée. It was delicious! Non-​alcoholic drinks like water, sparkling orange juice, punch, and iced tea were also served in large dispensers.
Next up, the street corn with shrimp appetizer. It was so simple yet tasty. Sweet corn was mixed with mayo, cilantro, spices, and topped with a grilled shrimp & avocado purée inside a crispy wonton shell. It was a messy treat but so very good. I wanted another bite! We quickly made friends and began opening up the bottles of wine. The next dish was a pulled pork with Asian-​style BBQ sauce, red cabbage slaw, and yam chips on a soft bun. The combination of textures made for a wonderful sandwich. Simply delicious. I only wished that there was more sandwich because I wanted to keep eating it. The main entrée was flank steak covered with a chimichurri sauce with jalapeño corn bread and grilled vegetables on the side. It was so good. The chimichurri sauce complimented the tender meat well and the jalapeño cornbread was good but not as moist as I like it. A drizzle of honey would have saved it. Lastly, the peach cobbler with brown butter ice cream was essentially the icing on a well executed cake. The dessert was flavorful, fruity, and just delightful. I felt like a kid again eating ice cream. But the ice cream was made with brown butter and it was deliciously sinful! We even received a party favor in the form of lavender caramel sauce. Yum! Color me impressed.
Hidden Dinner is a wonderful concept and is well executed by Chef Anahita, Betty from Vanda events, and staff. Thanks to all who contributed to a wonderful meal. I can’t wait for the next one!

I have been to two Hidden Dinners now. One was a sophisticated 4 course dinner at modern clubhouse of a chic condo plaza, the other one was an outdoor brunch in an English Rose Garden setting. You never know what to expect, but somehow, Chef Anahita and her amazing crew, especially Betty from Vanda Events, haven’t ceased to wow me each time. I attend not only for the top notch food prepared with a lot of TLC, but for the whole experience and special camaraderie with other fellow foodies. These are the folks who seem to attend this unique hidden dinners and appreciate the attention to detail. Be prepared to spend a few hours for this unforgettable dining experience.

I’m not sure if I first heard about hidden dinners from watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or just one of the HGTV/​Food Channel episodes, but I found the idea so fascinating! Lo and behold, my friends Betty & Anahita introduced me to their concept, rightfully named Hidden Dinner :) Unlike my husband, I’m not one who can tastefully describe what I eat. I have 4 rating levels and they are as follows: «OMG!», «It’s alright», «Eh!», and «O hell no!»
My first hidden dinner experience (June 12^th) was an «OMG!» Everything was amazing, from the location, atmosphere, chats with strangers-​who-​are-​now-​friends, service and of course FOOD, FOOD, FOOD. Did I mention the food was amazing?! I ate things I’ve never heard of, and believe I devoured everything, gracefully of course :)
If you’ve never been to a hidden dinner, or Anahita and Betty’s Hidden Dinner, you must experience this! It is very unique and you’ll leave with a full tummy, big smile and new friendships!

I attended hidden dinner a few months back. The food was absolutely amazing! You only find out where it is a few days before the event.
Ours was in a posh high rise, with a chic urban feel– complete with entertainment with a DJ spinning some nice music.
We started off our dinner by passing around a big loaf of bread– everyone took a piece. It was unifying and such a great idea! We also had persian fried treats with honey and pop rocks! You know you’re in for a treat when the appetizer is so creative!
Then it was the crispy latke with crème fresh, smoked salmon and caviar– to die for! Coconut curry soup with a date waffle and shrimp came next, and then the main course of Seared Duck Breast — Pomegranate Walnut Emulsion — served with Savory Saffron Krispies. The dessert was awesome– fresh beet ice cream!
This was an adventure in dining and was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I couldn’t recommend hidden dinner any more– the chef was absolutely AMAZING.