Trust (Santa Ana, CA) [4]
Trust DTSA: Ultimate Chef Battle: Cheat Codes
220 E 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-732-0598
www.trustdtsa.com
Wed 06/10/2026, 08:30p-11:00p
You may recall that I recently paid a visit to Trust, with that dinner meant to serve as one final meal there before the restaurant closes for good at the end of June (due to the departure of founding chef Jason Quinn). However, I later found out that the team was planning a fifth iteration of Cheat Codes prior to the shutter, which immediately piqued my interest, and I ended up snagging one of the last tickets available.
If you're not familiar with Cheat Codes, it's been a sporadically-recurring project at Trust wherein the kitchen attempts to recreate dishes from restaurants across the globe. The idea was inspired by Corey Lee's In Situ at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as Quinn's own culinary training, which largely came from reading cookbooks. Thus, Cheat Codes is a way for the team to craft dishes that they otherwise never would, while also paying homage to other figures in the industry.
In addition, this final incarnation of Cheat Codes was combined with Trust's Battledish series, wherein each chef prepares four courses, with diners voting on who made the top meal of the night.
Here we see tonight's menu-slash-ballot, signed by the evening's three participants: Chef Quinn of course, but also "Chuy" Jesus Mejia and Kyle Romanowski. The cost was $310 per person (plus 3% credit card processing fee), inclusive of food, wine pairing, tax, and service. However, I opted to BYOB, paying a corkage fee of $25 and discounting $65 from my ticket price. Click for a larger version.
As per usual, a night at Trust begins with a lengthy spiel from Quinn describing the parameters of the meal we were about to enjoy.
1: Sushi by Scratch {Jason}
Quinn's a huge fan of sushi, and generally considers himself a purist. But at the same time, he was quite smitten by the non-traditional preparations he had at Sushi by Scratch, an Encino spot that basically aims to use nigiri as a blank canvas for showcasing global flavors. Thus, kicking things off tonight was a jukusei shōyu-brushed cut of hamachi that saw the fish's fattiness and brine juxtaposed against the unmistakable sweetness of corn pudding, all while a sprinkle of sourdough brown butter breadcrumbs offered a welcomed crunch. I do also have to give the Chef credit for his rice, which leaned towards the neutral side of the spectrum but wouldn't seem out of place at a dedicated sushi-ya.
To drink, this evening's pick from my twentieth anniversary cellar was the 2006 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaux Monts. The bottle comes to us from a well-regarded producer based in Morey-Saint-Denis, founded in 1968 by Jacques Seysses.
2: Tacos La Once Mil {Chuy}
Two weeks ago, Quinn had visited CDMX to brush up on his Spanish skills, and managed to make his way to this newly Michelin-starred taquería in Lomas de Chapultepec. He ate ten tacos, but it was actually this tostada that stood out the most. Thus, what we had here were delightfully silky, umami-laden, ruby-hued shards of tuna, dressed with white soy, amped up by the savor of fried leeks, and brightened by salsa de aguacate. Even more important was the creamy heat of a salsa macha-infused mayo, which helped tie it all together. Nice maize-y crunch and counterpoint from that tortilla, too.
3: Yakiniku Jambo Hanare {Kyle}
Our final course from the "bites" section of the menu brought an ode to Jambo Hanare (焼肉ジャンボ はなれ), a well-known yakiniku-ya located in Tokyo's Bunkyō ward. This was essentially a slice of A5 wagyu, lightly grilled, then draped on top of sushi rice and dressed. The bite was as satisfying as you'd expect, offering bountiful amounts of fat, savor, and smoke, supported by a palpable undercurrent of sweetness, all while the rice served as a crucial moderating element. And speaking of that rice, I do wonder if it was the same used in our first course.
4: The French Laundry {Chuy}
The caviar portion of our menu commenced with perhaps the most iconic dish in modern American gastronomy: Thomas Keller's "oysters and pearls." This comprised a sabayon of tapioca, milk, and oyster trim; oyster cooked in shallot, white wine, and butter; and of course, a generous quenelle of caviar. The brininess of both the bivalve and the roe combined effortlessly with the creamier, butterier elements present, while the vinegar and chives offered a much-appreciated lift. It all made for a luxurious, pleasurable, and cohesive dish that's withstood the test of time.
5: Disfrutar {Jason}
Quinn remarked this "panchino" from Barcelona's highly-lauded Disfrutar was one of the most ambitious dishes that he's ever tried to recreate. The process goes something like this: (1) submerge a two-ounce ladle into 400°F oil, (2) remove the ladle and pipe in brioche batter from an iSi canister, (3) spoon in 12 grams of caviar and 5 grams of crème fraîche, (4) dispense more batter on top, (5) place the ladle back in the oil to complete cooking. The end result was a bun with a roughly spherical, lightly crisp, well-browned, eggy-sweet exterior, married with a liquid-y center of cool, salty caviar. This was all as decadent and delicious and gratifying as it sounds.
6: Angler {Kyle}
Romanowski's worked at Angler before, so it felt appropriate that he'd recreate one of that restaurant's most famous dishes: a banana pancake with banana peel butter and caviar. The dish doesn't necessarily make much intuitive sense, but somehow works, beautifully in fact, with the sugariness of the banana playing the perfect foil to the salty roe, all while that fluffy pancake mixed things up texturally. Just a wonderful couple of bites.
The view of Trust's kitchen from my seat, sixth position from the left.
7: Ubuntu {Kyle}
Jeremy Fox has been somewhat of an inspiration to Quinn and his kitchen, hence this entire section of the menu dedicated to him. Up first was "cauliflower in a cast-iron pot" from Fox's days at Ubuntu, a groundbreaking vegetarian restaurant in Napa. The dish starts with a vadouvan butter that reportedly requires a four-hour process in which butter, shallots, and garlic are cooked à la plancha with spices until caramelized; the resultant amalgam is blended smooth. This butter is then placed onto cauliflower, which is subsequently roasted. The cauliflower is then removed from the oven and placed into a cast iron pot; cauliflower purée is poured on top before the whole thing's warmed in the oven once again. Once removed for the final time, the cauliflower is dressed with more of that butter, orange suprêmes, and crispy fried shallots. This all made for a rather special, clever creation. I could smell the warm spiciness of the vadouvan from a mile away, and reveled in how it melded with the vegetal, bittersweet nature of the cauliflower. At the same time, those shallots boosted the umami factor, and I really enjoyed the offsetting juiciness and brightness provided by the citrus.
8: Rustic Canyon {Chuy}
Next came one of Rustic Canyon's signature dishes. This was a thick-cut pork chop, brined six hours with fennel pollen, dusted with rice koji flour, pan-fried in pork fat, sliced, and topped with a sauce containing buttermilk whey, smoked trout roe, coriander seeds, dried currants, and fines herbes. The pork itself came out tender, juicy, and pleasingly rare, with tasty touches of smoke and sear. However, the star of the show was that aforementioned sauce, which showed off this beguiling mélange of creamy, herbaceous, sweet, and astringent that really complemented the meat wonderfully.
9: Birdie G's {Jason}
Rounding out the J.Fox troika was Birdie G's "lamb a la Saless." This was lamb loin, marinated in beet molasses with rosemary/garlic/black pepper, slow-grilled on Trust's "proprietary rack system," and served with saffron yogurt as well as tahdig flavored with black lime and Persian spices. I was impressed by the lamb's level of succulence and its delectably "hammy" smoke and savor, while the tahdīg arrived aggressively crispy and aggressively seasoned. The crux here turned out to be that yogurt, which proffered this grassy warmth that really kept everything in check while simultaneously bringing everything together.
10: El Celler de Can Roca {Jason}
Our first dessert comes from one of the most celebrated restaurants in Spain and is the creation of Pastry Chef Jordi Roca. This was a no-flour cake in which melted white chocolate and butter were whipped into a marshmallow, then baked at high temperature until the mixture rises and then collapses. The resulting mass was then crowned with pistachio-stuffed raspberries and sprinkled with lime zest and powdered sugar. I think the key for me was the texture on the cake--moist, substantial, yet light--and how its delicate notes of chocolate played with the bevy of fruity, floral, and nutty nuances present.
11: Cosme {Chuy}
Hailing from NYC's Cosme was the restaurant's trademark "corn husk meringue," thought up by the duo of Daniela Soto-Innes and Enrique Olvera. The first part of the dessert was an airy-yet-sturdy, chewy-yet-crisp baked meringue that was split in half--a real textural treat. The broken meringue was then stuffed with a burnt vanilla and corn cream, then dusted with powdered corn husk and salt. The dessert did a commendable conveying the inherent sweetness of corn in a sophisticated manner, combining it with wisps of fragrant vanilla and a subtle astringency.
12: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal {Kyle}
Closing things out was tipsy cake, the most well-known dessert from Heston's Blumenthal's eponymous restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in London. Based on a recipe from 1858, the dish comprised tiny 12-gram brioches, baked with a cream made from brandy and Sauternes, accompanied by slow-roasted pineapple. The boozy, buttery, sweet-n-spicy nature of the cake certainly met the mark, and made a whole bunch of sense with the deep, sugary, dark-toned flavors of that pineapple--a consummate pairing.
And the winner is...well we actually had a tie, with Romanowski and Mejia receiving 27 votes each, out of a possible 72 (18 diners × 4 categories) votes cast. And coincidentally, the evening's first seating also witnessed a tie.
Overall, a great time was had by all tonight. This was a fun, delicious dinner to be sure, but also an educational and informative one. There were a number of dishes on the menu that I'd actually eaten before, at their original restaurants, so it was instructive to be able to compare and contrast the two incarnations. In some cases, what I was served tonight didn't quite align with my memories of those original dishes, but interestingly, I may have actually preferred the creations from the Trust team.
As for what's coming up next for all those involved, Quinn is of course still moving to Valencia, Spain, and from what I gather, might just stay there permanently. Romanowski is still pursuing his kouign-amann specialist concept (Yas! Kouign) and has a few other offers on the table. Meanwhile, Mejia's Lowlight (taking over the Trust space) is still in work, and he's getting ready for the debut of his pasta spot Bloom (taking over the Dough Exchange space), which he's planning to open on July 7th. I might just find myself back in Downtown Santa Ana sooner than I thought.
220 E 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-732-0598
www.trustdtsa.com
Wed 06/10/2026, 08:30p-11:00p
You may recall that I recently paid a visit to Trust, with that dinner meant to serve as one final meal there before the restaurant closes for good at the end of June (due to the departure of founding chef Jason Quinn). However, I later found out that the team was planning a fifth iteration of Cheat Codes prior to the shutter, which immediately piqued my interest, and I ended up snagging one of the last tickets available.
If you're not familiar with Cheat Codes, it's been a sporadically-recurring project at Trust wherein the kitchen attempts to recreate dishes from restaurants across the globe. The idea was inspired by Corey Lee's In Situ at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as Quinn's own culinary training, which largely came from reading cookbooks. Thus, Cheat Codes is a way for the team to craft dishes that they otherwise never would, while also paying homage to other figures in the industry.
In addition, this final incarnation of Cheat Codes was combined with Trust's Battledish series, wherein each chef prepares four courses, with diners voting on who made the top meal of the night.
Here we see tonight's menu-slash-ballot, signed by the evening's three participants: Chef Quinn of course, but also "Chuy" Jesus Mejia and Kyle Romanowski. The cost was $310 per person (plus 3% credit card processing fee), inclusive of food, wine pairing, tax, and service. However, I opted to BYOB, paying a corkage fee of $25 and discounting $65 from my ticket price. Click for a larger version.
As per usual, a night at Trust begins with a lengthy spiel from Quinn describing the parameters of the meal we were about to enjoy.
1: Sushi by Scratch {Jason}
Quinn's a huge fan of sushi, and generally considers himself a purist. But at the same time, he was quite smitten by the non-traditional preparations he had at Sushi by Scratch, an Encino spot that basically aims to use nigiri as a blank canvas for showcasing global flavors. Thus, kicking things off tonight was a jukusei shōyu-brushed cut of hamachi that saw the fish's fattiness and brine juxtaposed against the unmistakable sweetness of corn pudding, all while a sprinkle of sourdough brown butter breadcrumbs offered a welcomed crunch. I do also have to give the Chef credit for his rice, which leaned towards the neutral side of the spectrum but wouldn't seem out of place at a dedicated sushi-ya.
To drink, this evening's pick from my twentieth anniversary cellar was the 2006 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaux Monts. The bottle comes to us from a well-regarded producer based in Morey-Saint-Denis, founded in 1968 by Jacques Seysses.
- Initial Impressions: Right off the bat, the Burgundy's nose was brimming with bright red berries, barnyard, earth, and rare meats. The palate was lively, with a near-puckering acidity, a good amount of structure, and plenty of vivacious red fruit.
- After 10 Minutes: Things progressed rather quickly. At this point, I whiffed more of that silken red fruit along with herbed meats and astringent florals. In the mouth, I found subdued tannins and acidity, while that aforementioned fruitiness was joined by roses and hints of damp soil.
- After 40 Minutes: The wine smelled of sweet earth and even sweeter iron, as well as cherry-scented Band-Aids--superb. Palate-wise, things were near velvety at this point, and I tasted boatloads of cherries, with the fruit veering almost candied at times.
- After 60 Minutes: Aromas now were markedly funkier, yet also more floral, with still a backing of red fruit. On the tongue, the Pinot noir had changed dramatically, and now displayed large servings of licorice and black pepper, with the fruit going in a much tarter direction.
- After 90 Minutes: Towards the end of the night, the Bourgogne was at its most earthen, and now also demonstrated a bouquet that tended to emphasize the wine's more herby, stemmy qualities. Taking a sip, I found things generally smooth and sweet, with a spicy underpinning; the cherries were also back in spades, but black cherries this time around.
2: Tacos La Once Mil {Chuy}
Two weeks ago, Quinn had visited CDMX to brush up on his Spanish skills, and managed to make his way to this newly Michelin-starred taquería in Lomas de Chapultepec. He ate ten tacos, but it was actually this tostada that stood out the most. Thus, what we had here were delightfully silky, umami-laden, ruby-hued shards of tuna, dressed with white soy, amped up by the savor of fried leeks, and brightened by salsa de aguacate. Even more important was the creamy heat of a salsa macha-infused mayo, which helped tie it all together. Nice maize-y crunch and counterpoint from that tortilla, too.
3: Yakiniku Jambo Hanare {Kyle}
Our final course from the "bites" section of the menu brought an ode to Jambo Hanare (焼肉ジャンボ はなれ), a well-known yakiniku-ya located in Tokyo's Bunkyō ward. This was essentially a slice of A5 wagyu, lightly grilled, then draped on top of sushi rice and dressed. The bite was as satisfying as you'd expect, offering bountiful amounts of fat, savor, and smoke, supported by a palpable undercurrent of sweetness, all while the rice served as a crucial moderating element. And speaking of that rice, I do wonder if it was the same used in our first course.
4: The French Laundry {Chuy}
The caviar portion of our menu commenced with perhaps the most iconic dish in modern American gastronomy: Thomas Keller's "oysters and pearls." This comprised a sabayon of tapioca, milk, and oyster trim; oyster cooked in shallot, white wine, and butter; and of course, a generous quenelle of caviar. The brininess of both the bivalve and the roe combined effortlessly with the creamier, butterier elements present, while the vinegar and chives offered a much-appreciated lift. It all made for a luxurious, pleasurable, and cohesive dish that's withstood the test of time.
5: Disfrutar {Jason}
Quinn remarked this "panchino" from Barcelona's highly-lauded Disfrutar was one of the most ambitious dishes that he's ever tried to recreate. The process goes something like this: (1) submerge a two-ounce ladle into 400°F oil, (2) remove the ladle and pipe in brioche batter from an iSi canister, (3) spoon in 12 grams of caviar and 5 grams of crème fraîche, (4) dispense more batter on top, (5) place the ladle back in the oil to complete cooking. The end result was a bun with a roughly spherical, lightly crisp, well-browned, eggy-sweet exterior, married with a liquid-y center of cool, salty caviar. This was all as decadent and delicious and gratifying as it sounds.
6: Angler {Kyle}
Romanowski's worked at Angler before, so it felt appropriate that he'd recreate one of that restaurant's most famous dishes: a banana pancake with banana peel butter and caviar. The dish doesn't necessarily make much intuitive sense, but somehow works, beautifully in fact, with the sugariness of the banana playing the perfect foil to the salty roe, all while that fluffy pancake mixed things up texturally. Just a wonderful couple of bites.
The view of Trust's kitchen from my seat, sixth position from the left.
7: Ubuntu {Kyle}
Jeremy Fox has been somewhat of an inspiration to Quinn and his kitchen, hence this entire section of the menu dedicated to him. Up first was "cauliflower in a cast-iron pot" from Fox's days at Ubuntu, a groundbreaking vegetarian restaurant in Napa. The dish starts with a vadouvan butter that reportedly requires a four-hour process in which butter, shallots, and garlic are cooked à la plancha with spices until caramelized; the resultant amalgam is blended smooth. This butter is then placed onto cauliflower, which is subsequently roasted. The cauliflower is then removed from the oven and placed into a cast iron pot; cauliflower purée is poured on top before the whole thing's warmed in the oven once again. Once removed for the final time, the cauliflower is dressed with more of that butter, orange suprêmes, and crispy fried shallots. This all made for a rather special, clever creation. I could smell the warm spiciness of the vadouvan from a mile away, and reveled in how it melded with the vegetal, bittersweet nature of the cauliflower. At the same time, those shallots boosted the umami factor, and I really enjoyed the offsetting juiciness and brightness provided by the citrus.
8: Rustic Canyon {Chuy}
Next came one of Rustic Canyon's signature dishes. This was a thick-cut pork chop, brined six hours with fennel pollen, dusted with rice koji flour, pan-fried in pork fat, sliced, and topped with a sauce containing buttermilk whey, smoked trout roe, coriander seeds, dried currants, and fines herbes. The pork itself came out tender, juicy, and pleasingly rare, with tasty touches of smoke and sear. However, the star of the show was that aforementioned sauce, which showed off this beguiling mélange of creamy, herbaceous, sweet, and astringent that really complemented the meat wonderfully.
9: Birdie G's {Jason}
Rounding out the J.Fox troika was Birdie G's "lamb a la Saless." This was lamb loin, marinated in beet molasses with rosemary/garlic/black pepper, slow-grilled on Trust's "proprietary rack system," and served with saffron yogurt as well as tahdig flavored with black lime and Persian spices. I was impressed by the lamb's level of succulence and its delectably "hammy" smoke and savor, while the tahdīg arrived aggressively crispy and aggressively seasoned. The crux here turned out to be that yogurt, which proffered this grassy warmth that really kept everything in check while simultaneously bringing everything together.
10: El Celler de Can Roca {Jason}
Our first dessert comes from one of the most celebrated restaurants in Spain and is the creation of Pastry Chef Jordi Roca. This was a no-flour cake in which melted white chocolate and butter were whipped into a marshmallow, then baked at high temperature until the mixture rises and then collapses. The resulting mass was then crowned with pistachio-stuffed raspberries and sprinkled with lime zest and powdered sugar. I think the key for me was the texture on the cake--moist, substantial, yet light--and how its delicate notes of chocolate played with the bevy of fruity, floral, and nutty nuances present.
11: Cosme {Chuy}
Hailing from NYC's Cosme was the restaurant's trademark "corn husk meringue," thought up by the duo of Daniela Soto-Innes and Enrique Olvera. The first part of the dessert was an airy-yet-sturdy, chewy-yet-crisp baked meringue that was split in half--a real textural treat. The broken meringue was then stuffed with a burnt vanilla and corn cream, then dusted with powdered corn husk and salt. The dessert did a commendable conveying the inherent sweetness of corn in a sophisticated manner, combining it with wisps of fragrant vanilla and a subtle astringency.
12: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal {Kyle}
Closing things out was tipsy cake, the most well-known dessert from Heston's Blumenthal's eponymous restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in London. Based on a recipe from 1858, the dish comprised tiny 12-gram brioches, baked with a cream made from brandy and Sauternes, accompanied by slow-roasted pineapple. The boozy, buttery, sweet-n-spicy nature of the cake certainly met the mark, and made a whole bunch of sense with the deep, sugary, dark-toned flavors of that pineapple--a consummate pairing.
And the winner is...well we actually had a tie, with Romanowski and Mejia receiving 27 votes each, out of a possible 72 (18 diners × 4 categories) votes cast. And coincidentally, the evening's first seating also witnessed a tie.
Overall, a great time was had by all tonight. This was a fun, delicious dinner to be sure, but also an educational and informative one. There were a number of dishes on the menu that I'd actually eaten before, at their original restaurants, so it was instructive to be able to compare and contrast the two incarnations. In some cases, what I was served tonight didn't quite align with my memories of those original dishes, but interestingly, I may have actually preferred the creations from the Trust team.
As for what's coming up next for all those involved, Quinn is of course still moving to Valencia, Spain, and from what I gather, might just stay there permanently. Romanowski is still pursuing his kouign-amann specialist concept (Yas! Kouign) and has a few other offers on the table. Meanwhile, Mejia's Lowlight (taking over the Trust space) is still in work, and he's getting ready for the debut of his pasta spot Bloom (taking over the Dough Exchange space), which he's planning to open on July 7th. I might just find myself back in Downtown Santa Ana sooner than I thought.
posted by kevinEats at
8:30 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home