Kimera

Came here during Irvine Restaurant Week with a friend and their menu selection was pretty decent. It’s a hard location to find, it’s hidden between the Google and some other office bulidings. You’ll need to get validation if you park in the parking structure (unless you want to do valet).
The interior and ambiance reminds me a lot of Tantalum in Long Beach. It’s very much asian fusion, but the crowd is different from Tantalum. You’ll see lots of business workers here (we came during lunch time so that could be why). Service was on spot and attentive. They start you off with this cute warm fresh out the oven bread I think it was sourdough. The timing of each the appetizer, entrée, and dessert were spot on. Nothing came too early or too late.
Here’s what we ordered:
Braised short rib w/​polenta — I haven’t had too many braised short ribs, but this was by far one of the best. Very big portion for lunch which I was happy about. It was very fork tender and not overly drenched in sauce. Quality was very good! I don’t even know wtf Polenta is but it was pretty good. Smooth and creamy, it accompanied well w/​the Braised short rib.
Almond crusted Mahi — My friend ordered this, I loved the sauce that they decorated the plate with (it was a blend of tangerine and something else), but the mahi was just average. It was missing that crunch and was pretty bland.
BBQ Chicken Pizza — If anything you should definitely try the pizza here. The people around us seemed to order pizza and pastas so I guess that’s what they’re known for. The pizza is basically flatbread but really thin and crispy (yum!) Pizza had perfect ratio of cheese, sauce, and chicken. It also wasn’t overly sweet
The desserts were cute, but I couldn’t remember the name of each one. They were very rich in flavor and moist. I believe we both liked the blueberry cheesecake one most.
Great restaurant for a date, but I heard rumors that they’re going to close down soon so go give them a try before they do! I heard their HH is pretty good

Kimera is in an extremely odd location in the Google complex on Jamboree.
Yeah.
Corporate, can’t be good.
However, it was fun.
The bar was enormous, as was the seating area, comfortable.
They have a full full bar, and their food at the bar? my style. No onion rings, sloppy joes here.
The whole place feels like a lounge, with food and good drinks.
I’d recommend!

Been meaning to do this review from last year. Visited here for a work colleague’s birthday celebration. A great lounge, decent price for food & drinks. My group was seated outside with the fire pit due to our large size (15+). We had one server & she was super attentive and managed to take everyone’s order in a decent order.
The lounge/​bar area is a bit small., I know it is a lounge but it would be nice to be able to have some space to do the two-​step at least!

Get your parking validated for free parking!
OK, now that that’s outta the way! UMM… SERVICE is freaking slow!!! Server turned out to be nice, but still! We wanted to be in and out of there within an hour and it just dragged. My friend told me you get better/​quicker service in the bar, just FYI! I got some pesto pizza, it was actually pretty good. For dessert we shared some donuts and these chocolate mousse cake I think. The donuts were just OK and the mousse cake tasted like cocoa powder, which some people like, but I didn’t. It was simply OK, I won’t go out of my way to come back.

In retrospect, a solid meh.
Saturday night dinner with my mom and the place was pretty empty. Perhaps because its a little hard to find, this is not a place that draws the crowds.
Service was slow and a bit disorganized. The food was pretty overcooked. My short ribs were dry dry dry and smothered in sauce. The potatoes were gritty as well. My salad to start was strange with slices of blue cheese to add to my greens.
All in all, the vibe was dark and kinda depressing inside. And the rest was just ok. I don’t think I would make it a point to ever come back.

I go here a lot because it’s right next to my work.
Tried their pasta, pizza, ribs, and crab cake. Nothing was very memorable, but the food items are not low quality either.
This restaurant defines average. Everything is just OKAY.

Came here for an Alumni Networking event and the space is pretty awesome. Aside from the annoying corporate lot it is on (and you have to park in a structure) the place is very inviting and great for small events. Spacious outdoor area made it very private from the rest of the restaurant and we had our own entrance.
The food was okay. I tried their sliders, fries, flatbread, and calamari. Nothing to rave about but still good to munch on.
Overall, a good place for events but not sure if I would come back on my own.

Kimera is one of those head scratchers, you are drawn in by a very well laid out, expansive dining room and bar area. Transport the footprint and décor of Kimera to a seaside location down the way in Newport and it would not be out of place in the least. I mention this because the expectation for the food and the bar area don’t match the ambiance and the overall feel of the restaurant.
The menu leaves you wanting something more, the «fusion» style choices do not include any killer signature dishes. They do have a smattering of what you would expect but the lunch menu is no bargain. Basically a slightly watered down dinner menu with dinner menu costs.
The Margherita Pizza is more of a flatbread than a typical pizza with the dough and crust having a more bread like taste and consistency. For lunch it is one of the lighter choices at a lunch time price. Call it 3.5 stars.
Caribbean Chicken Sandwich, Mango and Cucumber Slaw, Parmesan Sourdough, with Skinny Fries. A nice sized portion, good flavors, enough for two to share. A surprise and 4 stars.

A special Special Shrimp and soba noodle salad. Good but not great, according to the diner who ordered the plate. 3.5 stars.
Kimera is a tweener for sure, elements of the locaton, menu selection, food, ambiance, service and value are there. It seems with a bit of tweaking Kimera could in fact be a much more satisfying dining experience.

Recommendations:
– Appetizers: Garlic Skinny Fries, Golden Fried Calamari
– Entrees: Atlantic Salmon, Fettuccini Pasta, Lamb Chops, Almond Crusted Baked Mahi Mahi
– Drinks: Soho Lychee Martini
Tips:
– VERY QUIET and pretty empty for dinner, even on weekends
– Nice lounge-​y atmosphere, classy décor, good music, good service
– Free valet parking, or parking in the structure is validated
– Complimentary birthday dessert on your birthday!
Review:
Kimera is a little hidden gem that probably doesn’t get much dinner attention because it’s located in an office complex on Jamboree. I decided to come here for my birthday dinner with a couple of girlfriends last month, and I was pleasantly surprised with how great the food is and the nice, lounge-​y atmosphere inside. My friends had called ahead and told them it was my birthday, so our waiter, Mario, was in a celebratory mood and recommended some great drinks and dishes. We started out with a side of the Garlic Skinny Fries for $ 6 and Golden Fried Calamari with Chipotle Aioli sauce for $ 8. Both of the dishes were delicious! They came out pretty quickly, hot and fresh, and were a good sized portion to share between the four of us.
Next, we tried a couple of their main dishes. Their dinner menu has a variety of steak, chicken and fish dishes, along with pizza, pasta and burgers. Expect these dishes to range between $ 14 – 18. I tried the Atlantic Salmon with lemon risotto and asparagus for $ 17. I would highly recommend this dish! The salmon was cooked and flavored perfectly, and while I’m usually not the biggest fan of risotto, I thought it went perfectly with the dish and was absolutely delicious. My friends got the Fettuccini Pasta, Lamb Chops and the Almond Crusted Baked Mahi Mahi. They all seemed to like their dishes and we all had clean plates by the end of the night!
For drinks, our waiter recommended the Soho Lychee Martini, which was a mixture of bacardi razz rum, lychee liqueur, & fruit juice. I really liked the drink and thought it was a good compliment to the meal. For dessert, my friends brought in a chocolate cake for me, but our waiter also brought out a complimentary shortbread dessert with whipped cream and strawberries! I was pretty full at this point so I couldn’t eat all of it, but it tasted really good.
I think the one thing that might cause me to have reservations about recommending this place to a friend is that we came on a Friday night, and we were basically one of the only groups there for dinner. I didn’t mind the quiet atmosphere, in fact I kind of liked it, but some people just prefer restaurants that are a little louder and populated. Like I said, I think their location is why they probably suffer a little bit at dinner (lunch is probably pretty happening though). It was a little quiet for a birthday celebration, but I did want to point out that their music selection was absolutely perfect (must have been a lucky coincidence) — all of my favorite songs came on at one point during the night (Top 40/​pop/​rock). Also, the service was impeccable. I had a great experience at Kimera and I’ll definitely be coming back — it would probably be a nice place for Happy Hour! P. S. You can complimentary valet or park in the structure, and they will validate parking!

Pretty decent happy hour food and prices.
The place is oddly placed in a business center, but it’s pretty nice inside. There’s complimentary valet right out front, or you can park in the garage across the way.
We sat in the bar area and ordered strictly off the happy hour menu.
Fries– thin and crunchy, with delish parm on top. JUST the way I like em! I contemplated ordering another little basket of them, but that just would have made me a fatty.
Short rib sliders– not bad, but not memorable. The meat was pretty tender though.
Crab roll– standard sushi roll, nothing special.
Their mango mojitos were delish, and pretty strong towards the end. Service was a bit slow.
If I worked in the area, I’d totally come here all the time for HH though… mmmm those fries!!!

This is such a pretty and spacious venue!
I came here for dinner with my puppy and friend, so we sat outside. The staff was super accommodating, since we got there right when it opened. It was a bit chilly, so they turned the heat lamps for us as well (even in June, I know!).
We had the bruschetta, my friend had some seafood (I steer away from that) and we shared the sausage pizza. Everything was pretty tasty.
The restaurant itself is a bit hidden, but you can park in the huge garage and walk over, too.

Had a party of 35 on their patio and our server, Brooke, was amazing! Their happy hour offerings are great and their garlic, parmesan fries are divine. They still have free valet and an amazing location, interior, and menu. Keep it up!

We had trouble finding the location at first cuz it was in a business plaza and you have to park in a parking garage & walk to the restaurant.
Ordered several pasta dishes and appetizers to share. I lgot the margarita (sp) pizza. All were good. My only complaint was the service. We had someone order tea and didn’t get it until 30 minutes later. Then we had a birthday cake brought in (was charged a cake cutting/​serving fee) AND that took at least 15 minutes to get out — -that long to cut a cake and put on dishes? There were only 2 bday parties there… our group and another. If I weren’t for such SUPER-​DUPER slow service, I would like this place… but the food isn’t worth THAT long of a wait. We were there around 8:00 — didn’t get to leave until after 10:30…7 girls, 2 hours, $~300. EH.

SERVICE:
–We usually only come here for happy hour and sit in the front lounge. The servers are very attentive.
FOOD:
–GARLIC FRIES — shoestring fries loaded w/​garlic and herbs. Comes in a huge portion so its great for sharing.
–PESTO PIZZA — crispy crust
–CHEESE PLATTER — good selection of cheeses w/​nice accompaniments

Love the interior & the food presentation! I also like that I never have to wait to be seated and the dining area is usually not packed. Happy hour, however, is always bumpin!
The tuna poke is amazing. Especially when you put all of the ingredients together — the cucumber with some tuna, avocado, sprouts, ginger, wasabi, & some black sesame seeds all wrapped up = drool!
Ordered the free range chicken (half breast) this time and it was alright. The sauce tasted like lemon-​y/​watery Indian curry… and the chicken was a little bland for my liking, but I loved the mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts.
My mom ordered the 4oz. filet mignon and absolutely loved it. Perfect portion for her because she is TINY, but I would think most people would order the 8 oz. The plate also came with broccoli, spinach, & mashed potatoes.
We also got free dessert courtesy of our Unilocal check-​in. The callebaut (I’m not sure that’s how you spell it) chocolate cake was so melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious… and I’m not even a fan of cake! For dark-​chocolate lovers, this is the dessert to get!
[According to the table signs, the Unilocal check-​in free dessert offer with the order of two entrees is good through the end of April]
For first-​timers, I definitely recommend the linguine with white clams — it’s what I ordered the first and last time I was here. I would have ordered it again, but I wanted to try something new. AKA I asked the waitress for the most popular dish and ended up with the chicken…
My only complaint about this place is that the food takes a bit longer to get to you, but the wait is definitely worth it!
Some tips:
— Valet parking is complimentary for Kimera guests, but make sure you get your ticket validated (just in case)
— Don’t come expecting large portion sizes (but do come expecting good grub)
Happy eats!

I’m not really into the clubbing scene so when I found out we were going to check out a lounge for a friend’s birthday, I was more excited.
This lounge was the polar opposite of a club. Spacious, no cover charge, no lines, decent music, casual dress code, and drinks averaging around $ 10 with a serious kick. The munchies are also a nice welcome to your evening.
All in all, it definitely served its intended purpose. No complaints from me.

I went here for a friend’s surprise bday. The interior was very nice. Bar was big, free valet and even live DJs playing.
This place is okay. I didn’t try the food because it was a bit pricey but being in Irvine I guess it was normal. The drinks were poured VERY heavy here so I was very happy but I don’t think I would come back. They didn’t have Blue Moon Beer. Which usually would make it or break it for me.
They do have happy hour on weekends which is very surprising but its only on well drinks and house red and white wine. No Happy Hour on food which REALLY sucks. I think if they had HH on food I would come back here for events. Sorry Kimera. Maybe in the future when you change your HH menu?

The Good: Wow, this is one sexy place. It has a LA vibe like the Geisha house. Went around 9pm for some food and to hangout. They have a parking garage in the back and they have free valet parking (didn’t use it, I think you have to have the ticket validated). The food was okay and not really overpriced like I thought it would be. Kitchen closes at 10pm so factor that into your night out.
The Bad: Um… the only thing I would ding this place would be the food. I thought it would be better. I did just get a pizza and for like $ 12 it was large but not really a standout. Others tried the braised ribs, which was dry and the salmon which I heard was pretty good.
The Ben: I love the OC. Nothing but beautiful people here. Rachel, our waitresses was super cute, she looked a bit like Giada de Laurentiis. The other one was cute too but I didn’t get a good look, it was pretty dark in the dinning room. Great place to take a date, just don’t get caught looking.

I came here with a good friend of mine for Valentine’s Day dinner (late review? oopsie!) It was quite nice since they gave me long stem rose.
For the fixed dinner, they gave cold soba salad (?) it was just okay, but the main dish that I got was lamb-​chop. I have to say, it was pretty tasty. I mean, it wasn’t like WOW, but it was good, like satisfied good but you won’t be thinking about it in bed (I know, who thinks about lamb chop when they’re in bed?).
But the best part of dinner was the dessert. It was like a chocolate fudge cake, (see picture) it was DELISH! Now, thats something to think about tonight when I go to bed.

Seems like whenever I come to Kimera, it’s only for a X’mas party. This time there are slight changes to their happy hour menu and bar menu in that it is not limited between a certain time, but their bar menu runs all day — probably due to the recession! Well drinks are 4 bucks and special cocktails still run around $ 10.
These days the pizza run 7 bucks while the garlic parmesan fries are 5 bucks. They’ve added meatball sliders to the menu and a few other things, but on the whole, bang for your buck, it’s still pretty good and for appetizer type finger foods, it’s decent!
Service is average and they are very quick to clear your tables!
3.5 stars