Gem Dining

What an amazing experience. Not pretentious at all. Nice chill atmosphere. Super nice attentive (but not overly pushy) staff. Extremely fair prices. And really flavourful food !! Super good. Portions are decent sized. Really improves on many traditional dishes! The Brussel sprouts were my favourite.

I’ve heard lots of good things about this place and finally got to try! It’s definitely worth the hype. All dishes we ordered were delicious. Although I personally found it too salty ( I usually cook with 0 salt), I’d definitely come back again. I highly recommend the soft shell crab. It’s juice and savory. The sauce is amazing. We visited on a Sunday with reservation. It was right at the opening time and there’s already a line at the door. The restaurant filled up very quickly. Therefore, a reservation is strongly recommended.

What can I say besides amazing. The waitstaff is nothing but amazing and nice and knowledgeable. The food walks the line of familiar and unfamiliar perfectly and delivers both on taste and presentation. Even one of the most simple dishes which was the elote had subtle layers of flavor that were beyond enjoyable. I’m from out of state but I will come back when I have the chance. Thanks to our waitress Jessica (I think, I’m awful with names) for a fun time.

I love their takes on Asian fusion, bringing inspiration from all cultures. Been here multiple times and have not been disappointed. Service is great, the team is run well, and food is always a hit. If it sounds good on paper, it's more than likely good in your belly.

First time dining here and definitely not the last. I wasn’t expecting this type of restaurant in Fountain Valley. First off the customer service by far is excellent! Hard to find that type of service now a days. All the staff were friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was very good. The food is exceptionally flavorful as well. The portion size is just right because of the impact of the all the flavors in the food. The only reason why I didn’t give a 5 star is because the food temperature wasn’t as hot as I liked it to be but that’s be very picky on my part. I don’t give 5 stars easily unless a near perfect dining experience. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion from just having a family dinner or date night. I look forward to coming here again in the near future and trying other dishes.

Very good food, portions in just right size, yummy cocktails and very good service. Kevin was our server and he was amazing! Brussels sprouts, soft shell crab, salted yolk pasta, Tom yum, risotto. I loved my yolk pasta - very creamy with soft noodles. Risotto was spicy on my taste, but my husband loved it. Tim yum was very good. Too bad they didn’t have coconut cocktail that I saw on the pictures here. Another reason to come back. Ube tiramisu and sticky toffee pudding were delicious. We left full but not stuffed. P.S. there are like 4 restaurants under same roof so it took us some time to find the right door )

Good service. Food is certainly unique Asian fusion. Had the Tom yum pasta and laksa risotto. Enjoyed both dishes (particularly the sauce of pasta is 👌) manager was also very helpful in helping us select our wine of choice. The wine selection is not the most expansive, but works quite well with their dishes If you have a patio reservation and are afraid of chilly weather, ask your server to bring some additional heat lamps over. They would be more than happy to oblige 😀

This dinner at Gem Dining was filled with unique and flavorful dishes that highlighted ingredients across Asia✨🙌🏻 🍽️Ordered: 1. Beef tongue sisig 2. Tom yum pasta 3. Soft shell crab 4. Lomo saltado octopus 5. Bone marrow elote 6. Roti canai w/ butter chicken curry Each of these dishes had a distinct flavor profile and I loved how the menu was so diverse. The beef tongue sisig was so juicy and tender and paired perfectly with sautéed eggplants and bell peppers. The soft shell crab was perfectly fried and mixed with a delicious Singaporean chili sauce👏🏻. The octopus was another favorite because of how tender and fatty it was! Unfortunately the elote and roti weren’t fan favorites because they lacked the same kind of excitement as the other dishes. All in all, I loved trying all these plates and flavors distinct to different Asian regions from Thailand to India to Malaysia. I’ll definitely be back to try more next time! 💰Price: $140/meal

I'm absolutely floored... when in town this is my ultimate comfort and place of happiness. True joy! I hate they closed and I didn't know it. I would have done anything to be there for the last supper. They're closed indefinitely- but will be opening another restaurant after a much deserved hiatus around the world to train and learn more... I'm excited and cannot wait for you all to come back and how it'll be even better- I don't know but I do know you will! Safe travels, Gem will be missed.

GIVE DUY A RAISE!!! He went above and beyond to make our bday experience so memorable. Everyone in our crew unanimously agreed this place is amazing. Cocktails were solid, food was robust and full of flavor, music was so on point that we shazam'ed, and service was so attentive. Will def be back. The best crowd pleasers: garlic noodle, branzino, calamari, squid salad, shaken beef, banana bread pudding...if you're viet, the mango sticky rice will also hit cause it's xoi...all in all, such a good pick for a bday celebration.

3.5 stars. I've eaten here a few times. Out of all of them, dinner was the least appetizing. It's just ok unless you only come in for the pizza. The pizza's pretty awesome. Lunch is good, and weekend brunch is good. Line can really busy though so go early. I think they take reservations? Plenty of parking.

Hard to go wrong with a Kei Concepts restaurant. The food and drinks here were delicious, unique and beautifully presented. I enjoy the vibe here because it's a cross between fine dining and casual, the quality of food surely does not suffer. We had an awesome server, James. He was cool, efficient, and let us try some beers we were on the fence about. Uni toast (4/5) A delicious dish, but felt a little breakfast-e because of the scrambled eggs. Seems like it would be a great brunch dish. Laksa risotto (5/4.5) Delicious flavoring with a unique spin on risotto. It's on the soupier side. Tom yum linguine (5/5) Just as the name says, it tastes exactly like what you would think. If you are a fan of the Thai soup 'Tom Yum', and enjoy pasta, this is your dish! Sticky Toffee (5/5) I am usually a chocolate dessert kind of gal, but this was seriously so delicious. The warm date cake with the cold ice cream went perfectly together. This dessert is not overly sweet, and is presented on a cool wooden tray with smoke. Can't wait until they reopen!

Gem dining is a must go if you're visiting Orange County, the restaurant's take on asian fusion is so unique to OC that it should be tried before going. Any time I have an out of state visitor come to I'd always take them to Gem. The staff is knowledgeable and the bar staff are also friendly if you're seated at the bar. The alcohol is great as always. Kei Concepts has a wonderful assortment of cocktails at their disposal for each restaurant as well as a nice selection of sake at gem.

Made reservations here for my birthday since it gets really busy. We've been to the other restaurants owned by Kei Concepts and this one fell short of expectations. Presentation was good, but the food and drinks were just ok. We were surprised with the quality since it was not as good as their sister restaurants. We had the beef carpaccio, seared scallops, and kare kare pork shank. Service The hostess asked us if we were celebrating anything and we told her it was my birthday. My husband had to remind our waitress it was my birthday for them to bring out the complimentary dessert after our meal. Unfortunately, I didn't feel special celebrating my birthday here and will not be coming back.

GEM dining is one of my favorite restaurants (Unfortunate that they're temporarily closed). I've visited twice and from the food, service, and ambiance they are consistently amazing. Every dish is unique and delicious w/ an amazing presentation. This is what I ordered: Food: Softshell Crab, Tomahawk, Tom yum Pasta, Bread, Beef Tongue Sising Fried Rice Dessert: Sticky Toffee Pudding IG: @gabxeatz

Late post: The food was outstanding, the service was impeccable, and we sat outside, so the ambiance was broken by the noisy traffic. But two out of three ain't bad! Grilled Branzino was delicious. I had to cover the head because it was unnerving to eat it with those dead eyes looking at me. The food and cocktail presentation is absolutely stunning. And it all tastes as good as it looks. I don't have time to list what we ordered, but hopefully this review will peak your interest, and you enjoy it as much as we did!

O.M.G. Amazing experience. Tried this place before the pandemic and had to try it again and it is still AMAZING. The food is absolutely amazing. We had the beef tongue fried rice, seared scallops, sticky toffee, and ube tiramisu. Everything was WONDERFUL. The presentation, the taste, the atmosphere, the vibes. All was on point. Loved it! Definitely recommend!

I came here for dinner on their final night of operations after hearing they would be closing temporarily. It was a little difficult to find since their sign wasn't very visible. Parking is okay not great. We were seated outdoors which I preferred even though the inside is very aesthetically pleasing because it felt less cramped and more private outside. FOOD: Tom Yum Pasta: 5/5 Noodles were delicious, came with plenty of delicious shrimp and scallops. Mushrooms were nice. The broth was flavorful and paired nicely with the dish (splashes so be careful if you're wearing white) Laksa Risotto: 4/5 not as flavorful as the other dishes and make sure you eat it fast before it gets cold. Shrimp was tasty and mushrooms were good as well. Beef tongue Sisig: 5/5 my favorite dish of the evening. Portion was generous and the dish was seasoned well and came out piping hot. Definitely add some lime to take it to the next level. Mango sorbet: 4/5 nice palette cleanser after a hefty meal, sweet but not overwhelming. SERVICE: Staff here did great at ensuring everything was up to standards and that we were taken care of. Great place for a nice meal, counting down the days until they open their doors again.

This place is truly a hidden gem in the OC. Tucked away in a non-assuming strip mall near mile park in Fountain valley. No big signs so it can be a bit hard to find. The building isn't flashy but once inside, everything is modern and beautiful. The food is exquisite, with a fusion of Asian and French flavors. The presentation is beautiful, and the portions are generous. We ordered several items to share and every single items was mind blowing delicious. The service is impeccable, with attentive and knowledgeable staff. The ambiance is cozy and elegant, with soft lighting and soothing music. The prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, and I can't wait to go back. Highly recommend!

Seared Scallops - If you come here, you have to get this. This was amazing. The scallops were buttery. The truffle sauce was so good I wanted to dip everything else in it! Lomo Saltado Octopus - This was also one of my favorite dishes because it had really good flavor and the octopus was the perfect texture! It was a favorite of the table as well. Salmon Crudo - I like the orange and sesame citrus dressing which gave this dish a light and refreshing touch. Roti Canai - This was airy and went well with the butter chicken curry and cajun butter we ordered. The curry was good but I personally prefer the cajun butter as it's unique and doesn't feel as heavy as curry. Tom Yum Pasta - This was the only disappointing dish. The lemongrass flavor was way too strong and lacked the distinct tom yum flavor from all the other ingredients that usually make up this flavor in my opinion. Wouldn't get again. Guava Peach Lemonade - I recommend this. It's carbonated and refreshing! Hibiscus Lychee Mockjito - I do not recommend this. It was oddly sweet and not in a good way. Ube Lava Tiramisu - This was really good because the ube flavor was present. Absolutely loved the polvoron crumbles on top for extra texture. Highly recommend! We also got this birthday dessert which was a milk coffee mousse with graham crackers and it was delicious too! Dishes aren't too filling but overall had a great experience here.

Gem is simply magical. It's the restaurant that (a) I didn't know I was looking for; and, (b) will be hard to top, like that first perfect kiss from junior year in high school. Recommended by a local acupuncturist friend, I initially thought there'd be an issue as I was still on the last couple weeks of my keto diet. Yeah, no. No problem at all (thought the temptation is excruciating). The carpaccio was pure magic, the grilled tiger prawns were sinful, and the octopus was my new mistress. I'm not used to having all my appetizers hitting the mark, so that in itself was a new experience. It was like a culinary journey throughout Southeast Asia, melded into 3 plates of spices, curries, and, well, kissing. The braised pork shank (I didn't even know pork had shanks), was the girl next door you end up marrying. Never did I ever think pork could taste so.... different. After keto ended last week, I ended up making one final trek here before the temporary closing until they find a new location. The seared scallops were so unexpectedly good, that all 3 of my kids ordered seconds. The roti prata with buttered chicken was my personal favorite appie, and the soft shell crab brought me back to Singapore, where I first discovered the dish 20 years ago. The laksa risotto was the family jackpot. We prepare laksa quite regularly at home, but never had we ever considered it for a risotto dish. Absolutely amazing, and sits in a class if it's own. For dessert, if you have room for only one, you want the ube lava tiramisu. You will never have another like this. It is the identical twin sister to your gorgeous wife, so when you think of her, is it really considered cheating? Delish. Delightful. Slightly sinful. When you reopen, I will be the first in line!

First and foremost - I want to thank Brandon our server for giving us a wonderful "last" experience at Gem Dining! He really made our night! We took our friends here for the first time as they never got to experience Gem Dining before. Safe to say they loved it! Food was impeccable and amazingly delicious. We enjoyed every single bite. All the dishes came out were soooo good! We enjoyed all the appetizers that came out. We ate: Roti canai with butter chicken Grilled tiger prawns Soft shell crab Bone marrow elote Lomo saltado octopus Tom yum pasta Salted egg yolk pasta with lumps of crab Laksa risotto Ube lava tiramisu Toffee pudding Ambience is intimate and great for both groups and dates. The service really shaped the ambience here. I have been to gem dining when they first open and had their first menu. Been a big follower of Gem Dining since then. I am a bit sad that Gem Dining is temporarily closing. However I know when they come back they are gonna be bigger and better than ever. I'm looking forward to what is in store when Gem Dining opens next!

Been here right before the closed, it's super pricey and definitely is more of a high end experience. Service is excellent, our total meal was about $600

Went in for dinner and impressed by the food What I ate: - Roti w/butter chicken curry: The roti was flaky and deliciously paired with the butter chicken curry. My only gripe was that I wish there was more roti - Mala cauliflower: This was less spicy that I thought, but still really food. The cauliflower still had a bite to them - Malaysian filet salad: I really liked this salad, super herbaceous, fragrant, with lots of different flavors and textures. Flavors were super punchy and bright - Laksa risotto: This was by far the star dish of the night. The risotto was creamy. There was more than enough seafood placed on top. Super umami seafood flavors that made this dish super addicting. - Ube lava tiramisu: The lava part was the creamy ube topping that was released after the cellophane wrapper was taken off at tableside. This tasted great with a light ube flavor with coconut. Textures were great. Pros: - The food was really good! I really liked all the dishes ordered, especially that laksa risotto - Price was right. The meal with tax came out to about $125 (I also ordered a glass of wine), which I thought was really reasonable for the amount of food ordered and the quality of the dishes - Service was top notch. Multiple people came by to check in on us throughout the meal, whisking away dishes, filling our water glasses - Plenty of parking in the lot - Open view of the kitchen - Bathroom was clean and nice - Reservations were easy enough to make online, though from what I remember they did need a CC for down payment Cons: - This restaurant was loud as hell! Super tall ceilings, the sound of everyone talking seems to bounce up and around making it difficult for my friend to hear me at times. I should also note that there was a very vocal toddler sitting in our area who seemed to love the sound of their own shrieks. I'm not sure if this is an ideal date spot due to the noise - While my friend and I were lucky to nab a booth, the 2 top tables were TINY. Really not conducive to ordering a lot of food, but I guess it would make it easier for you to hear your date through all the racket. Would I come again? Yes

Gem truly shines like no other Asian fusion restaurant I've visited. I had already been to Nep for brunch and was amazed, so I was super stoked to visit Gem in the evening. Just like Nep, reservations for Gem run out pretty quick. Be sure to reserve at least in a week in advance for optimal times, or else you could be waiting a while if trying to do a walk-in! But once you do get it in, the restaurant is a upscale yet casual interior, which makes for the perfect meetup spot. For drinks, we had the Calamansi Paloma and the Bangkok Fashioned (not pictured). The Calamansi Paloma in my opinion was the more refreshing drink of the two, but if you're up for a really strong drink, the Bangkok Fashioned would be for you. For food, we got the Roti Canai with Vermont Honey & Butter. This was the perfect light start for the rest of the dense meal. We also got the bone marrow elote which packed a punch with flavor. For entrees, we split the beef tongue sisig and the laksa risotto. The sisig wasn't as flavorful as I'm used to with traditional Filipino sisig, but it was still a solid dish. The star of the show though was truly the laksa risotto. We loved the combination of flavors of the seafood and coconut cream. I would highly recommend this dish as a must have if you visit!! What really caught my eye though when preliminarily looking at the Gem menu was the Ube Lava Tiramisu. I'm huge on dessert after a good meal, and the tiramisu was the perfect cherry on top. The Ube was rich but not too sweet, and it was as good as the video makes it look (if not better!) 10/10 would recommend this spot for a date night, catch up, group dinner, dinner with your parents--you name it!

My whole experience here was phenomenal! The whole menu had twists and modernized versions of Southeast Asian flavors and classics and each one blew my mind. Service was great and very attentive which was a definite plus. Roti canai with butter chicken: 5/5 Loved the crispy flaky texture that's paired with the butter chicken! So rich, creamy, and flavorful. I love me a solid curry and this was delicious with the roti. Tom yum pasta: 4/5 I love a good tom yum and this was a great twist on the classic soup. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the seafood was perfectly done. Beef tongue sisig: 10000/5 My favorite dish here. The beef tongue was so soft, tender, and juicy and absorbed all of the flavor so well. The lychee martini was also very sweet and delicious that anyone would enjoy. This is a very safe drink if you want something sweet and solid. I love this place because it makes me feel so proud to be Southeast Asian. Continue sharing the beauty and flavors of SEA cuisine! Can't wait to come back.

This was everything I could've asked for from a birthday dinner. The food was outstanding and I felt like the service was fairly quick for a restaurant of this caliber. I was impressed and can't wait to come back! What I will say is that the trendier food options were disappointing. Here's what we got: - Lomo saltado octopus - highly recommend. The spicy sauce has a good flavor and kick to it that went well with the octopus. - Bone marrow elote - disappointing. I watched her scrape the bone marrow into the corn and I still felt like it tasted mostly just like corn. - Tom yum pasta - I wanted to like this more. It was an okay pasta with an average tom yum flavor. - Laksa risotto - I also wanted to like this more. It was more like saucy al dente rice with some laksa flavor on it. It tasted as minimally what you'd expect of it. - Beef tongue sisig - very good. This was easily the table favorite of the night. - Brussel sprouts - nice and crispy and paired perfectly well with the lap chuong. - Kare Kare pork shank - nice and tender and tasted great - Seared scallops - very fresh with a nice buttery taste The drinks were great. The one that stood out the most for us was the buko panden. The lychee martini was interesting with the cotton candy but it was pretty sweet. The desserts really delivered as the best way to end the meal. We tried a lot of things... - Vietnamese Coffee Budino - this was the birthday dessert not on the menu. It had a nice pudding texture and really tasted like vietnamese coffee (as opposed to just coffee) - Sticky Toffee Pudding - not too sweet with a nice moist cake - Salted Egg Yolk Panna Cotta - It was like the dim sum bao but in a lighter form. The panna cotta was nice and silky and the salted egg yolk added a unique salty flavor. - Ube Lava Tiramisu - our favorite dessert by a slim margin. Every dessert was just so good! But this was just so unique and had a strong ube flavor with a soft moist cake and perfectly sweet cream Overall, I'll be back and I can't wait to try more dishes, and come back for more dessert.

Parking is very easy. Free parking in a huge parking lot. Got there a few minutes early from reservation time and was seated right away. Server came over quickly and served water and took our order (we looked at the menu ahead of time). Food came out SO FAST! My friend felt like it was almost too fast as we were served as soon as we finished eating the first plate. It's probably because we ordered a lot of appetizers. Oysters - sold a La carte, $4 each They were fresh, briny and delicious. The mignonette sauce that it came with was so good. 5 stars Roti canai with Cajun butter It was fresh and hot. Compound butter was amazing! It's like a slow burning heat and went well with the bread. 5 stars Lomo saltado octopus Cooked perfectly. Not rubbery or chewy. Nice and soft. The green sauce is very spicy. I liked the tomatoes in there. 4 stars Salmon crudo I liked the mandarin orange with it. And the sesame citrus dressing complemented it. 4 stars Bone marrow elote They used grilled sweet corn and it was so refreshing. Honestly, the bone marrow wasn't needed for this dish. It kind of gets lost in the corn. Probably more expensive than it needed to be because of the bone marrow. Plus, it already had some chicharron in it that added the buttery flavor. Still delicious though 4 stars A5 Wagyu It's only 3 ounces but it's so rich that it was the perfect portion. It just melts in your mouth. The Yuzu soy sauce it came with was also good. 5 stars Seared scallops Came with crispy noodles with the most delicious truffle beurre blanc sauce. The cauliflower was a bit underdone (kind of hard) but it and the mushrooms were so good with the sauce. The crispy noodles was fantastic and paired well with the perfectly seared rich scallops. 5 stars Farmers market peach mochi Basically cassava cake but brûléed. It was so goood! The peach was underripe and not sweet but it was good to eat it with the caramel drizzle on the plate. The white peach sorbet tasted like grapefruit and balanced with the sweetness on the plate. It also had kaffir like custard on the bottom with crunchy lime milk crumble. The dessert was so good with all the different textures. 5 stars. Best food experience in quite some time.

The restaurant requires a reservation fee of $20 per person if canceled within 24 hours or in the case of a no-show. Luckily, there is plenty of parking available, making it convenient for patrons. Upon arrival, we were promptly seated in an elegant and classy ambiance, despite the restaurant hosting a mix of family-style diners and casual individuals, including children. The service provided was exceptional, attentive, and accommodating. They even boxed up our remaining food to take home, which was a thoughtful touch. The menu offered a diverse range of dishes, and as a fan of Asian fusion, I was thrilled to try unique combinations like Malaysia flat bread paired with Indian buttered chicken. However, we got carried away and ended up ordering more than we could finish, as the portions were generous and satisfying. For a party of two, I would recommend sharing one appetizer and each selecting a main entree to avoid overordering. Despite our ambitious choices, every dish was truly delectable, leaving no room for complaints.

We didn't have a reservation but were lucky enough to get a table right when they opened. The drinks were delicious, we had the tamarind sour and the lychee martini. We started with the bone marrow elote and the Brussels sprouts. I love bone marrow but something tasted a little off with the corn so surprisingly I didn't eat too much of that. However the Brussels sprouts were amazing! It came with Chinese sausage and caramelized fish sauce. Highly recommend. The salted egg yolk pasta was also very good. We chose chicken thigh for this one and it was an excellent dish. We will definitely be back!

Having dined at their sister location, INI Ristorante, My boyfriend and I had high expectations for Gem. Unfortunately they were not met. Even though all the ingredients we could tell were very high-quality however, when combined the taste of the food just ended up being mid. Food: Bone Marrow Elote: 4/10 The flavor of the corn really overpowered the flavor of the bone marrow. There was supposed to be Chicharrón in the elote but we tasted/saw none. Honestly would rather go for street vendor elote. Lomo Salgado Octopus: 7/10 The octopus was super tender and fresh. I prefer the orange sauce they had paired with this dish. But the green sauce had a nice kick to it. Tasted like authentic lomo saltado flavors. Salmon Crudo: 7.5/10 Salmon was very fresh and plump. The citrus dressing made the dish taste very refreshing. Had a spring transitioning to summer vibe. Would have given it an 8/10 if I hadn't found a bone in my salmon. Luckily I'm a slow and methodical chewer so I detected it. Lengua Sisig: 7/10 This dish shouldn't be called sisig. I've had sisig in many authentic filipino restaurants and this dish didn't taste like sisig. It tasted more like Vietnamese shaken beef. The garlic rice that came with the dish would have made filipinos mad. Pretty bland, barely any garlic taste to it. Fliet Mignon: 6/10 I could tell the mignon was a quality cut and the mashed potatoes were really good. With the items on their own I would say it was amazing but the flavors put together just didn't mash well for some reason. The sauce was mid as well. Some toffee dessert they gave as complimentary dish due to it being our anniversary: 10/10 This dessert was so good!! The toffee mousse was amazing! And the little chocolate balls with the crumble on top was divine! Drinks- Lychee Martini, Guavana- 10/10 Lychee Martini was nice and light with great lychee flavors. Guavana was on the stronger side but had a nice tropical kick to it. Very well done! Kudos to the bartenders, you guys killed it! Ambiance/ 8/10 Modern, slick. Almost a carbon copy of their sister location. Staff/ 7/10 They were nice. The hosts were definitely a lot nicer/friendlier. Overall/ Would I go again? Most likely no. I much prefer their sister location.

One of my favorite places in Orange County. We basically ordered everything off their menu and everything has been outstanding. The service is awesome and their option menu is really creative. You have to set a reservation for seating here, so call early.

The HYPE is REAL! For those who don't already know, Gem Dining shares its space with Nep Cafe, but Gem opens for dinner rather than brunch/lunch. And I gotta say, for me, Gem is the clear winner of the two. Reservations are easy to make with OpenTable. What we ordered: Chili soft shell crab (3.5/5): yummy crispy fried crab swimming in a Singaporean chili sauce that has a bit of peppery kick. Because the crab has been deep-fried, you can eat everything -- no crabs were left behind. Pretty solid dish, but a little bit sweeter than I had expected. Laksa risotto (5/5): came here just to try this dish. Amazing. Love how strong the flavors were and it came with a good helping of seafood like shrimp, scallops, and crab. Honestly, I didn't even need the seafood because the risotto by itself is so good. A golden yellow, it's jam-packed with the traditional coconutty-laksa flavors. Each spoonful was creamy and delightful. Beef carpaccio (5/5): underdog dish that caught me by surprise. The star of the show was definitely the Southeast/Vietnamese flavors paired with the thinly sliced wagyu. Didn't expect fish sauce dressing, peanuts, and basil to go so well. Each bite kind of reminded me of a deconstructed banh mi -- but without the bread ofc. Although Gem is certainly on the expensive side, I thought it was pretty worth it for the unique flavor combinations. I would go back on special occasions. Service was also super kind and efficient.

I feel like whenever I go to an establishment knowing that I will be spending a bit more than the usual, I have a higher expectation for the place. Gem did not miss the mark AT ALL! They really showcased an aesthetically beautiful and delicious array of foods. Everything was great. Drinks - Empress (5/5): GET THIS. I was so shocked at how the flavors married each other well and the drink was not too sweet/strong either! - Lychee martini (4/5): fun presentation but drink was too sweet. I'm glad the vodka came through towards the bottom. Food: - Soft shell crab (5/5): I love seafood and soft shell crab. The sauce that comes in this dish was so good. Just smother it all over your soft shell crab and you have a perfect bite - Octopus appetizer (4/5): very good octopus and love the little tomatoes and potatoes. I wished there were more of the veggies or some kind of crispy topping to balance with the chewiness of the octopus. - Beef tongue sisig (5/5): ok I was really shocked at how much I liked this dish. The meat was flavorful and had the perfect balance of fatty and lean pieces. Egg was cooked well where I was able to mix it into the dish! - Laksa risotto (4/5): very delicious! I think I had too many mushy things in my meal that by the time I got to this I couldn't really enjoy it to its fullest potential. The risotto was cooked perfectly though and I loved the flavor of the laksa. Service was great- my friend was late by 30 minutes and my server kept asking if I was doing ok. He came at the right times and didn't overdo it.

Let's begin, well, again don't believe every social media posts or bias reviews. The reservations system is either broken or a human is manipulating it. Our family had an important family engagement and we had reserved our table for five .The reservation clearly stated 7:30 pm and to be fair it didn't say indoors or outdoors. We arrived 15 min early as a courtesy to the restaurant, but guess what ? Our reservation moved up to 8:00 pm and lucky us we got the worst table outside right by the main entrance, thank you . Yes, the ambiance is loud and of course there is nothing wrong with that. Now, the food presentation is a work of art, I ordered the Lychee Martini yes it was delicious, and Hibiscus Lychee Mockjito. it is beautiful in color presentation but the actual flavor is a bit ordinary. Food, we ordered for starters the Beef Carpaccio and the Grilled tiger prawns, yes, both dishes were excellent. Outstanding. The main dishes; we ordered the salted egg Yolk pasta, Kare Kare Pork Shank, File Mignon, and Beef Tongue Sisig. Without any hesitation the pasta was delicious, super rich in butter with the egg yolk cream and ramen noodles, this dish is to die for. Outstanding to the chefs for the pasta dish. It's hard to go wrong with filet mignon, outstanding, delicious, the portion was a bit too small for the $65 price ticket but worth every cent, delicious. Now, I leave the best for last. The Beef Tongue Sisig. Well, let me pause for a min. I can't blame the chef ? Maybe she had a bad day, maybe it was the poor cow she had a bad day. But seriously, don't order this dish. In my world of gastronomy; I humbly thought beef tongue was suppose to be soft.....but I was not aware that it was suppose to be hard, and chewy- go figure ? Not good, I really didn't enjoy this dish, maybe next time. Last a few comments, our server, don't recalled her name, she is a true professional and I must say thank you. From the moment we sat at our best table ( right by the entrance) she asked if any of us had any major allergies, she saw that we were not too happy and she rushed to get us water, she took our order right away, she was outstanding. Kudos to you, she is definitely the definition of a great server. In summary, is GEM worth it ? Yes, absolutely. I explained quite clearly why they got 3 stars. Hope the owners read this, please make the worlds best fusion Philippino restaurant and get a Michelin star. Thanks

Truly a gem - the food, the service, the ambiance, all of it was divine! The presentation of each dish was thoughtfully placed. If you're looking for a restaurant that provides Instagram-worthy pictures as well as exquisite taste, this is it.

We ate at a little Gem of a restaurant Saturday nite for an early Mother's Day and it was ahhhmazing. I had been wanting to try @gemdining for a long time and was siked to score a rezzy thru Open Table . (We're big fans of their sister restaurant @supnoodlebar ) Pictured are a few of the delicious Dishes we had. Salmon Crudo Tom Yum pasta Crispy Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps Salted Egg Yolk Ramen with Lump Crab Meat Ube Lava Tiramisu Sambal Seafood Fried Rice We also got the Seared Scallops and Octopus appetizer...so good! The Cocktails are unique too. I had the Buko Pandan and it was refreshingly green goodness in a glass I will say that my daughter was loving the crispy pork belly wraps and said it was a best pork belly she'd ever had. (And she knows her pork belly). However, on her third wrap, she found a hair. I tried to pull it out, but it was sandwiched between two pieces of lettuce. So we called the server over and they apologized. The manager over who comped that dish and brought her a fresh plate of it and said they would also comp a dessert. I didn't realize till after we paid that they did not comp the dessert, so we paid for it but they did take off the price for the pork belly. But despite this oversight I would still go back because of food was amazing and accidents happen. Can't wait to return to try the rest of the menu!

Came here for a birthday dinner. We got a variety of dishes but the scallops, flatbread with honey butter, and the sticky toffee pudding with nitrogen was the star of the night. Everything was what I hoped for except the rotating of waiters. I think we had about 3-4 waiters and it was a bit chaotic inside. The interior was nothing extraordinary but the food was great.

Appetizer: Soft Shell Crab and Lomo Saltado Octopus Entree: Jumbo Shrimp Risotto and Seared Scallop Dessert: Ube Lava Tiramisu and Salted Sea yolk Panna Cotta This review was way overdue as I have been putting off to post it. I went to Gem Dining to catch up with a college friend couple of months ago and I am happy to share that this will not be our last. Although I almost fainted after I saw the bill on receipt, the food was beyond phenomenal and nothing short of our expectations. The seasoning was on point, meats were juicy and tender and customer service was incredible. It's cute that they even have mouth wash installed in the restroom and the ambiance in the restaurant has a relaxing vibe. I can't wait to visit there again when they reopen and hopefully there will be other creative menus to try next time!

The food here is like witnessing a new color. I never knew food could be prepared this way and have this complexity of textures and flavors. The menu is far from ordinary. The creativity and the flavor of the dishes are unmatched. The beef tongue sisig was packed full of upfront and bold flavors. It was spicy, buttery, salty, acidic, and umami. The only downside was that it was a bit too salty. The first bite was heaven, but half way through it was a struggle to eat because those powerful flavors really beat my taste buds bite after bite. The vibe here is super chill and trendy too. This place is amazing and it is well represented by its yelp rating. Please check this place out!

Came here for my husband's birthday! I ordered a virgin pandan colada, the soft shell crab appetizer, and the risotto. Colada was flavorful and I didn't even worry about the fact that it didn't have alcohol because it was amazing! The risotto was flavorful too, but I do wish there was more protein in it rather than just 3 pieces of shrimp. The soft shell crab was delicious. I particularly liked the sauce because it reminded me of a childhood dish that I couldn't place in my mind. I like the crispness of the legs and my husband enjoyed the bodies of the crab instead. It's definitely an acquired taste and texture, but I enjoyed it!

Please don't ever close this restaurant this is the BEST restaurant I've ever been to. The ambiance and the food is amazoning especially the tomahawk

First time here even though I've been to nēp cafe like a million times.. Service was so good my party was taken care of the whole night and I personally love the little decor around; it's the little details! We ordered and shared family style: crab benedict, tomahawk steak, risotto, bone marrow, bread and more! which were all highly rated. Only 4 stars becos of pricing and I understand it's fine dining -- but taste was not as up to par as I imagined or expected. Would I come back? Mayhaps to try out the cocktails

We came here for my boyfriend's birthday. It was around 8:30 pm on a Monday night and we were able to get seated within 30 minutes without a reservation. I'd recommend making a reservation in advance. Our server was very attentive to us and gave us recommendations for what was popular. We ordered the lychee martini and bangkok fashioned. The lychee martini comes with cotton candy and the server pours the alcohol over as it dissolves. You can definitely tell that they put a lot of thought and effort into presentation. For appetizer we got the bone marrow elote. The server offers to scrape the marrow into the corn for you, but we opted on doing it ourself. Overall, this dish was pretty plain. After mixing the bone marrow with the corn I couldn't taste the bone marrow. Maybe don't mix it to retain the flavor... For entrees we got the tom yum pasta and the laksa risotto. These two dishes were pretty similar in flavor but the pasta had more of a curry taste. If you're thinking of getting these I'd recommend just getting one since they're so close in flavor palettes. Of the two I really enjoyed the risotto. Both dishes were incredibly rich in flavor and it would be nice if they had bread to go with it to absorb all of the remaining sauce. For dessert we ordered the sticky toffee pudding. The server pours a liquid into the the bottom of the plating which creates a smoke like effect. The dessert comes with ice cream and whip cream. We also got a complementary chef's special dessert for my boyfriend's birthday which was tasted like a coffee mouse with graham crackers. Overall, GEM is a very beautiful restaurant. It's dimly lit and has plants spread throughout the environment. This is a great place to go for special occasions like an anniversary or birthday. The food presentation is spectacular and the flavors were rich and decadent. Between NEP and GEM I personally like NEP better, but GEM is definitely worth giving a try.

We went Nep by day, then Gem by night! I had always wanted to try Gem, and I'm glad I did, because my experience was amazing. Our waiter was super patient and helpful with providing recommendations for appetizers and drinks. We made good conversation all throughout the night. During the evening, the restaurant becomes a more intimate and warm setting for a fancy gathering or reunion. One gripe I did have was that it was rather loud with music, so we couldn't hear each other too well. We ordered the West Coast Oysters, Soft Shell Crab, Lomo Saltado Octopus, and Tom Yum Pasta. For drinks, I had the Buko Pandan (though unfortunately I forgot what he had ordered). Each of our appetizers were so delicious, but I especially remember how refreshing the oysters were. My main dish was the pasta - as a fan of Tom Yum, I had high hopes - to which they delivered! If you're a seafood fan, this is the place to be.

Fantastic restaurant. Terrific food, good service. Kei concepts does a wonderful job with their menus and restaurants. I suggest you try them all!

This gem of a spot, tucked into the heart of OC, is easily one of my favorite dining experiences I've ever had -- and I'm not even exaggerating. They have a beautiful ambiance in their dining room. All of the decor just feels so simple yet modern, and really contributes to the bright and airy feel of the space. We stopped by for a friend's birthday dinner and has a tasting menu experience curated by the chef and literally... every single thing knocked my socks off! A lot of the dishes come with fun theatrics (like dry ice) but they never come at the expense of the actual flavor. A few of my absolute favorites include: Roti with Condensed Milk Butter -- when I tell you that this milk butter literally had everyone shook. It was SO good and such a subtle yet addicting flavor. Soft Shell Crab -- spicy, flavorful, went perfectly with the roti! Laksa Risotto -- such a fun play on flavors. The texture of the risotto really brought out the best of the Laksa. The next time I'm in OC and looking for a special treat... I'm coming back and there's no doubt about it. We got to meet the chef and he's so humble and sweet -- props to what you've built!

On track to trying out all the Kei Concepts restaurants and this has been on my list for a while! This review was long awaited since February so I noticed one of the items isn't on the menu anymore. I ordered the Tom Yum Pasta with the Pau Hana and my boyfriend got the Beef Cheek Sisig with The Empress. The Tom Yum Pasta was unique, filling, and packed with so much flavor! Pairing it with the Pau Hana was a nice finish to something so rich. We had an issue with the Beef Cheek Sisig because it was noted as not spicy on the menu, but we found pieces of thai chili in it for flavor. I could handle it, but someone like my boyfriend couldn't so he struggled to finish the dish all night. I did notice that the current menu today hasn't been updated for this spice so I'd be **HIGHLY** aware of that when ordering the new Beef Tongue Sisig unless it has changed. Our lovely server(?) David was able to get us a dessert on the house to make up for it so we settled on the Ube Lava Tiramisu. The person who brought it out for us made sure we were ready to record before she revealed the "lava" spill. It wasn't too sweet and had the right hint of ube to it. Overall, the night was still great thanks to David! Just a slight bummer to our dish :/ Would like that to be noted in the menu or mentioned for future reference.

Very busy, seems like all the tables were reserved (I'd make a reservation if you want to come). We did go for Father's Day, but still would make a reservation considering how busy it can get. Very nice interior design, like the mood and vibe of the restaurant. Our server was great, great recommendations and very helpful. The hostess or manager would also walk around to make sure each table was doing well. The food was probably where I'm a bit hesitant. Food is good, but doesn't seem to be amazing. Dessert was so much better in my opinion than the main course dishes. I can see how some people will enjoy the flavors but it wasn't working for me. Still great food & dining experience, recommend to come try and add your own opinions to this restaurant.

While visiting the OC, I made a reservation to visit Gem. Little did I know it was just a few days before they close. Their food was amazing, especially the Kare Kare pork shank. I still think about how delicious it was. Our server was very attentive and sweet, and thanked us for coming before their last day. Sad they closed but will follow the company to see what their next adventure will be.

Made a reservation a few days prior easily. Our table was ready before we arrived and got seated right away. It's a fancy, modern ambiance, and you can't really tell from the outside of the building while they're next to a hot chicken place and a boba shop. Staff brought out our lychee martini and told us there's a bit of a presentation that comes along with it so pull out the phones! The drink was sweet but reminded me a bit of cough medicine. If I got past that, it was fine. The soft shell crab was a nice appetizer that would easily pair well with white rice because the rich, flavorful sauce the crab sat on top of was delicious. The tom yum pasta was a dish I picked out, but after eating it, it was my least favorite of the food items only because I'm not a big seafood eater and I wasn't into the mafaldine pasta. I think I prefer a squid ink pici or spaghetti lol. Flavor was good though. I can tell why the laksa risotto is popular! Very flavorful and a slight kick. Loved the ube lava tiramisu. It also had a presentation element to it (not as much as the sticky toffee pudding). It's slightly crunchy from the graham cracker crumble on top and/or the white chocolate circle at the very bottom, slightly salty, not overly sweet.

The menu is eclectic, creative, and fun. It's essentially Asian Italian fusion, and it's hard to choose what to order because everything sounds great. What we ended having was the soft shell crab, tom yum pasta, laksa risotto, and 4 cocktails. The crab was perfectly crisped yet tender in such yummy savory sauce. The squid ink malfadine pasta was cooked to perfection: al dente and the tom yum sauce was on point. The laksa risotto was also delicious, and both plates were generous with the seafood. Cocktails were good, but not as great as those at INI, another Kei Concepts restaurant just a few minutes from this establishment. Service was great. Attentive without being overbearing. One negative is the restaurant is very lively and therefore very loud -- somewhat hard to have a conversation at times. Overall though, we were happy and will come back to try other items on the menu! Book a res on OpenTable to guarantee seating.

Date of visit 9/8/2023 The venue for my milestone birthday dinner. Excellent food, excellent service. Better make reservation if you don't want to wait. Our orders: - Filet mignon medium rare & medium: ORDER IT! As my daughter described it: "this is probably the best steak I've ever had in my life". And trust me when I said that she's been many places lol - Laksa risotto: ORDER IT only if you can handle spicy. My son ordered it with the spiciness supposedly toned down and it's still come out very spicy, even for me. Taste however, is super yummy, with very generous share or lump crabs, scallops and shrimps - Tom yum squid ink pasta: ORDER IT! OH. MY. GOD! So so soooo good! Don't imagine it like Tom yum soup, but it's more like Tom Kha thicker consistency with the sourness of Tom Yum. - salted egg noodle with grilled prawn: Order it only if you are truly fans of WET watery/liquidy salted egg sauce because this is what it is. Honestly this is not my thing, although I love salted egg sauce on everything; chicken, shrimp, fish, noodle, you name it, but I like sauce that stick, not the one that's watery and wet which is a turn off for me. Pls don't get me wrong, the taste of the dish is good, but it's just not my thing. I love the ramen texture also here, perfect al dente! - seared scallop with crispy noodle: ORDER IT. This is my husband's order. oh yum! Scallops were perfectly prepared. The server poured a separate sauce on it after the dish was placed on the table. When I had the first bite of the dish, I didn't taste much truffle, but when I had more when the dish was almost finished (my husband and I were switching plates toward the end of our order lol), I tasted somewhat strong truffle flavor in the dish/sauce. - bone marrow elote: ORDER IT! very good! The bone marrow was scraped off and mixed with the corn after the dish was placed on our table - chili soft shell crab: ORDER IT! Yummy! - crispy pork lettuce wrap: ORDER IT! So so good! - roti canai with butter chicken: ORDER IT! - sticky toffee pudding (dessert): ORDER IT! Service was attentive and our server, i believe it was Kevin, is very efficient I'll BE BACK FOR SURE!

I've been wanting to go to Gem Dining for a while, so when I saw it was temporarily closing through TikTok I made sure to book a reservation right before it did. I am so glad I did! The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. We were seated as soon as we arrived. We sat outside which was nice as we got to watch the sunset and I noticed the inside was a more chaotic environment than outside. Our server was quite attentive and helpful, as well! Their dishes are so unique it is hard to choose wrong. I recommend sharing with others so you are able to try more dishes! Everything is so flavorful and scrumptious. Kei Concepts never disappoints!

This is my favorite of the Kei concepts. I just found out they are closing so I had to leave one last review. From the food, the staff, the drinks- it was truly amazing and am very sad to see them go. I hope they open again in the future

I've been wanting to check this place out since finding out this space is the dinner version of Nep Cafe. If you're into Asian fusion food and wanting to expand your palate, this is a must in OC! Buko Pandan Cocktail 4.5/5: Great flavors of coconut and pineapple, very much a desert cocktail. Also great as a mock tail sans rum if you prefer to go alcohol free! Soft Shell Crab 4/5: Nice texture with crispy crab legs and fatty crab meat. The chili sauce is almost curry like and very savory but not too spicy. Nasi Goreng Fried Rice 3/5: Underwhelming flavors from the sambal with very mild heat. My limited knowledge of Indonesian food got me thinking it would taste like the Mi Goreng noodles but sadly does not. Laksa Risotto 5/5: The star of the dinner and I cannot recommend it enough! Tastes like leftover curry with rice and I mean that in the best way possible with how much flavor is marinating potently in this dish. The scallops, shrimp, fish, and masago on top are very fresh compliments as well. They have many popular dishes to try so I'll definitely have to give them another visit!

Popular fusion cuisine with small plates, sharable. Food was artisanal, small portions and priced at the higher range (but below fine dining). I would say it is a 3 $$$ regarding price Service was excellent and attentive, professional staff. Taste was above average - the octopus pictured was delicious but the portion was small. The accompanying sauces were housemade and delicious. I honestly left a bit hungry as the plates were tiny. Of course we could have ordered more but that's not the point. I would come back for a date or in a group but I wouldn't propose at my personal first choice. +3.9/5