Culinarian Dean Kim Names Hamamori Sushi as a SoCal Favorite

While I do my best to cover brand new as well as established restaurants, I’m reminded that there are many places that go overlooked for one reason or another. So to give a different perspective on the dining scene that is Orange County, I’m establishing a quarterly series of interviews with individuals in the community who share an appetite for good eats. I keep in touch with many of the people I research for a story, as they are often the catalyst for future topics. We share dining recommendations and, on occasion, break bread. 

One person in particular is Dean Kim, who owns and operates OC Baking Company out of Orange. In business since 2009 and with over 200 accounts throughout San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange County, he’s always on the go and looking for places to eat. Kim supports his local community by offering the same artisan breads on Saturdays at the Orange Home Grown Farmers Market. During COVID, he dedicated an area in his facility to open a pop-up market so fellow business owners could sell goods to those wanting an alternative to the grocery store. Currently, he’s planning, with over 30 chefs, to supply all of the bread for Illumination Foundation’s upcoming philanthropic event in March.

The first place I recalled Kim suggesting to me a while ago was Sup Noodle Bar in Buena Park, a concept I still crave to this day for its garlicky wings, pandan/artichoke herbal iced tea and Spam fried rice. I asked him to share some of the places he’s a regular at.

Here is the link to my original interview with him over a decade ago; part two of the interview can be found here.

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Hamamori Restaurant and Sushi Bar, Costa Mesa

“I’m spoiled,” Kim admits when asked about what he enjoys at this South Coast Plaza mainstay. He gets the Executive Sushi option at lunch, which is eight servings of the sushi bar’s “gems” of chef’s prerogative; at its core, this is an omakase experience (when patrons trust whatever James Hamamori serves them) with Hamamori, who Kim considers the best at his craft. A couple of the more memorable bites he’s savored in the past include uni shooters (filled with ponzu, mountain yam, quail egg, masago and chives) and foie atop A5 wagyu washed down with iced green tea. Talking about Hamamori with Kim reminded me that I’m overdue for a prix-fixe lunch visit. Note: All of the daytime specials include a house salad and bowl of miso soup for a more complete meal. 3333 Bear St.

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