Gather for good at South Coast Plaza’s Tableau Kitchen and Bar
Gathering around the dinner table for a good meal with good company can feel great. When the gathering takes place for a good cause, it can feel even better.
At South Coast Plaza’s recently opened Tableau Kitchen and Bar, Chef John Park and Wahoo’s Fish Taco co-founder Ed Lee have designated a 12-person “Giving Table” for charitable endeavors. Each month the table may be reserved for a chef-led wine dinner in support of a local organization.
“The new restaurant is a dream for me and John,” said Lee, “and we hope it becomes an opportunity to connect with a growing number of individuals who are also inspired by the prospect of pairing their love of great food with a way to give back.”
Lee and Park are the partners behind Toast Kitchen + Bakery in Costa Mesa, with a second location scheduled to open this year in Tustin. Park said the “Giving Table” concept was inspired by Toast’s participation in fundraising events like the Illumination Foundation’s annual Chef’s Table Culinary Gala.
“We have been doing the Illumination Foundation event for the past few years, and it was kind of a different thing that Ed was able to be a part of, with me cooking in the back and Ed pouring wine and talking at the table, and he really enjoyed that,” said Park. “I think knowing how big this space was going to be, yeah, we could just fill it up with more table … but he just really wanted to have this table where we could bring that event to us, whenever we want.”
Giving has always been a part of the Toast model. The restaurant donates 10% of proceeds to a rotating slate of causes, and Park said he knew when South Coast Plaza approached about bringing their concept to the mall that his commitment to charity would continue.
“That is something that we have done at Toast since day one,” said Park. “The 10% is very significant because as a Christian you are always told you tide 10% of whatever you make, so we decide to continue that on at Tableau.”
Park came up in Los Angeles-area restaurants, including Providence, Father’s Office and Water Grill and admits that before moving to Orange County the challenges of homelessness and poverty the county struggles with didn’t fully register.
“Growing up, coming out to O.C. was really about, we go to the beach, we go to Disneyland or Knott’s, we go to South Coast Plaza. You don’t really understand there are issues when it comes to homelessness, poverty and trafficking,” said Park.
It is an issue Park came to experience firsthand.
“There was time before we moved to O.C. in our time up in L.A., me and my wife had a few businesses of our own,” said Park. “We were doing well but we were in a position where we lost a lot of money. We were almost homeless ourselves, at the time we had two young kids and it was scary.”
Park said it’s an experience that has stayed with him and shapes his worldview, especially when it comes to hiring.
“I feel like the biggest thing for us is the people that we bring on board, our staff,” said Park. “So also from the beginning at Toast, we have had veterans work with us, kids that grew up in foster care, kids that just got of jail, guys that were homeless and had been homeless for the last 10 years. It was really about bringing them into our restaurant, into our community and providing opportunities that most likely they were not going to get anywhere else.”
Lee echoes the importance of using their culinary influence for good.
“We are committed to creating not only good food, but also goodwill,” says Lee. “Through our Giving Table and other initiatives, including hiring veterans, formerly unhoused persons, foster youth and victims of abuse, we hope the impact of Tableau resonates far beyond the culinary community.”
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Tableau offers the comfort food Park has become known for at Toast, like chicken and waffles, served with garlic soy chicken wings in place of traditional fried chicken. But Park said the menu is also more seafood driven, with a fine dining flair that set it apart from Toast.
“We always wanted to do more seafood and more fine dining at Toast, it just never took off because of what we became known for. So this was an opportunity to go back to those roots.”
Dishes like rich and creamy uni bucatini, with jumbo lump crab and lardons, oysters on the half shell and hamachi crudo with refreshing cucumber lime gelee and thai chile oil for heat grace the menu along with salads, sandwiches and avocado toast at brunch.
Park said supporting Orange County nonprofits is important, but helping individuals at his new restaurant is its own reward too.
“We have about 50 employees from all walks of life, and I think they really enjoy it,” Park said. “They enjoy the food, and they enjoy the mission behind the restaurant and the company. Being able to interact with them and be a part of all this, that is really the most rewarding.”
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