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Five Feet Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
15 reviews for Five Feet Restaurant
This restaurant is (or was) owned by a former student of my father's, so when we used to come here when I was a kid, we would be treated pretty well. The service is good, and from what I remember, the food is also good. I can't really comment on the prices as I've never paid for my own meal here.
My mom is only five feet tall, so she or my dad would always make a comment about the name of the restaurant.
The food is good, but i would not call it chinese. The portions are small and the price is expensive.Being Chinese American, its totally not chinese!!!!
Down the street is a great Thai place called "Thai Brothers"
I have to guess that anything is better than this try-hard place.
I agree with another reviewer - PF Chang's does cheap, sauce rich, fried blah better.
Wine is an impressive inch think, but the prices are unapproachable.
We went there for a work dinner with 10 people as a recommendation from our hotel. Some people from way out in the country were impressed with the look and feel, but everyone that likes interesting food was sadly disappointed.
What is wrong with Orange county? Seriously, how can so many rich people have such shitty taste in clothing, architecture, plastic surgury and yes food. It's mind boggling to me.
Once a year I have to go to this region of the county against my will (in-laws) and am always in desperate search of something unique, classy, tasty, fun, atmospheric, etc. but aside from Ramos in Capistrano, this area of the world has little more than crappy strip malls with shit imitation mexican and "fancy cedar creek" restaurants which are essentially various incarnations of a CPK or Cheesecake Factory.
So I put out the word in advance to people I was DESPERATE for something tasty in the OC and "Five Feet" was discovered and deemed worth trying.
UGH.
Seriously, this food is meant for a 13 year old girl. ZERO SUBTLETY of flavors. Everything had a nasty sickly sweet pomegranate syrup or quasi fusion "chutney". Yeah I know it's fusion and I know this place is a serious "institution of the 80s" but honestly the menu is DIRE, not to mention expensive. After our annoying waiter seated us and told us we have Robert DeNiro's favorite table (yeah right), we were then pressured to order a crap load of food (portions are definitely middle america fatty sized) and generally came away with a stomach ache.
If something was garlicky it was REALLY GARLICKY. Something had a "glaze" on it, it was DRENCHED in the sugary sweet sauce.
Yet somehow this place was packed with tons of made up ladies oohing and ahhhing over the nasty fried rolls and "tons of dipping sauces!"
God I can't get over how crappy this place is. AVOID.
It's tacky, expensive and essentially PF CHANGS.
*PUKE*
If you want chinese food,don't come here.But if you want to experience good Cal-Asian fusion cuisine this is a good place.The catfish is special.Chef Kang uses fresh ingredients and everything is done to order.Prices are a little high and $25 corkage is higher than at most other Laguna Beach restaurants
Five Foot Catfish.
We had dinner here on our way to the Pageant of the Masters, and it was a bit of a disappointment. The place is cramped, and has an open kitchen, so if you don't want to smell sauteed the rest of the day, don't come here.
I don't know if it's reflective of the service in general, but our waiter sucked. Big time. He tried too hard to push some "Tasting", which is basically a 3 course meal ($75 per person) that the Chefs prepare for you - they'll serve you whatever they feel like (which, I suspect, would be whatever they had a lot of and had to move that night). I guess if you're the type of person who likes surprises or having other people make decisions for you, then you'll like this, but they just take 3 courses from the menu for the day anyway. I mean, if I the meals are coming off the day's menu anyway, then I can do random too and just pick out 3 myself.
So we ignored Obnoxio The Waiter and ordered ala carte. Upon the waiter's recommendation, my friends ordered the catfish. What he didn't tell us was that the catfish they served were so huge, they could play back up center for the Lakers (and seeing how the Lakers need help with their front line, they just might consider it). Apart from it's use as a prop in one of the Jurassic Park movies, the catfish was nothing special. These suckers were huge, and a helpful waiter would have suggested sharing. I am not too sure if that waiter was not pushing for a bigger tab/tip.
My non-catfish meal was also nothing special. I know it's supposed to be haute, but my Zagat-y meal (can't even remember what I had) was pretty much indistinguishable from PF Chang fare.
Note to Catfish: pre-season is about to start, so it's a good time to get in shape for the Laker tryouts.
The other reviewers are totally wrong.
Yes it is cramped - so are most of the restaurants in places with good restaurants (like New York City and Paris) - Laguna real estate is pricey.
Sorry it is not cheap space like the mall dumps most people are used to.
The food is terrific and I am usually skeptical of fusion food.
Crab corn chowder was awesome. Catfish is great (sorry its sooooooooooooo big) - fish is better cooked on the bone as people who know good food realize and non-filleted fish is larger.
Justifies its rep as one of the top restaurants in the OC.
It is fairly pricey.
The food is soap, the catfish is big and they upsild me on the full size plate instead of the lite size iveas originally gonna go with, and it ended ypbto be too much food. Way overpriced too.
A HUGE disappointment: the food was mediocre and the ambiance non-existent. Way overpriced for what is offered. Perhaps this was a great place to eat, maybe even a good place, but no more. Save your money . . .
Chef Kang's interpretation of Chinese food is very creative and refreshing.
We had the appetizer sampler, the catfish and the BBQ101. All were well prepared and very flavorful. We must try the tasting menu the next time, we heard many good things.
I don't understand all the fuss behind this place. I've read the good reviews and checked the high rating on zagat yet this place does not get my approval. I didn't find anything I liked about this place minus their wine list. They stock some awesome wines from Santa Barbara region that seems to go well with the dishes they got going here. Hell, it will be the best thing you've had for dinner. The kimchee they serve you in the beginning makes you feel like you're at a cheap Chinese-Korean restaurant and does not fit the vibe at all. But then with their decor, I am wondering what it is they are trying to convey?
We had mama Kang's pot stickers with soy ginger dipping sauce to start and my goodness the price mark up on that dish must be due to real estate. It was nothing special and $12! Are you kidding me? If I made frozen pot stickers, it would taste just as good. We also got their special catfish that everyone raves about and even that didn't impress. I mean it's called the "5' Signature" and everything from how the fish was cooked to their tomato sauce just didn't go well together. I think we had another dish that had scallops but I can't seem to recall the exact name of it... it wasn't great but it wasn't bad either.
Over all, I was not impressed. It seemed like a local, smaller version of Taifoon. Bad food, good atmosphere and lots of people.
Michael Kang is such a professional he does not need a menu. He will ask you what you enjoy and prepare the most tantalizing and ORIGINAL meal you can have. If you are disconcerted about the 'surprises' perhaps this level of cuisine is not for you. I have never had a bad meal. The atmosphere is loud, but urban. If you want a stuffy place that is painted in brown walls and playing elevator music then go to the St. Regis. This is for the true foodie.
One of the best Asian fusion restaurants around. Always crowded and difficult to get in but that's because Kang knows what he is doing and this place is top notch. Never had a bad meal and the mix of flavors is always delightful.
I think I expected too much from this Asian Fusion restaurant. The place was tiny and I felt a little cramped. The concept was good but was lacking execution. The food however was well prepared and was very flavorful.
This place is one of my favorites. Great place to take a date that appreciates original food and willing to try new things. Just order some wine and let the waiter bring you what ever feast the chef has created, it is a great way to have a well prepared assortment of food.
