Dining Review: 24 Suns

Just as the garde manger station at San Diego’s only three-star Michelin restaurant is an obscure starting point for a friendship, a former off-the-beaten-path dive bar is an unlikely locale for such pedigreed toques to lay down stakes. Yet all the above is key to the shared origin story of chefs Nic Webber and Jacob Jordan, who met while working at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s acclaimed fine-dining gem, Addison, before setting out as a duo to present their shared culinary point of view with diners at pop-up experiences. Those site-specific adventures, coupled with an ambition to apply French culinary technique to seasonal, locally harvested produce and create a uniquely reimagined take on traditional Chinese cuisine formed the basis for their recently debuted Oceanside brick-and-mortar, 24 Suns.

Words of encouragement for those venturing to this one-month-young eatery: your GPS mapping app is not on the fritz (this time). When exiting Interstate 5, you do, in fact, need to drive miles inland before pulling into a humble strip mall. And while a nondescript exterior sporting signage of the temporary variety may spark apprehension, fear not. Beyond 24 Suns’ front door awaits a purposefully modest Asian interior (scrolls, a folding panel screen, and dragon-ensconced fan) bolstered by rhythmic beats conveying a comforting sense of zen.

While Michelin-caliber chefs typically ply their trade in high-rent districts, luxury hotels, and similarly upscale environs, Webber and Jordan have quickly made their new home their domain. In doing so, they have proven even the most inauspicious vessel can deliver dignified, innovative, well-crafted cuisine, while winning over Oceanside residents and inspiring the Del Martians that were once their bread-and-butter to chart a course for inland North County for what is, truly, a one-of-a-kind Chinese-food experience.

Many of the items on 24 Suns’ bill of fare are intended for sharing. They come in on the smaller side while delivering big flavor. A prime example is the “Bird’s Nest,” baskets made of fried threads of kataifi pastry filled with smoked swordfish rillette and given a pop of briny salinity care of salmon roe along with the signature tongue-numbing sensation of Szechuan peppercorns. The fillings of this signature item rotate, as do many of the ingredients on the menu, which are incorporated and emblematic of San Diego County’s micro-seasons. In celebrating those, Webber and Jordan refer to the Chinese lunisolar calendar and its 24 solar terms (i.e., suns), ensuring frequent introduction of new offerings and augmented dishes.

Other shareables include a soft custard with lap yuk (Cantonese-style cured pork belly), shrimp- and scallop-stuffed jiaozi dumplings with savory doubanjiang (a fermented black bean condiment) butter and charred pineapple, and a take on the American-style Chinese classic, orange chicken. The last one subs in milk-soaked sweetbreads for yardbird, which are lightly breaded and served in an adorable ceramic take-out box sporting a rotund kitty waving hello. Not only does the sauce in this dish taste of real orange juice, it lacks the cloying sugariness and cornstarch-borne gloppiness of its New World archetype.

A dish pulling inspiration from an Addison langoustine setup and famed French chef Joël Robuchon puts the “star” in starter. Dubbed Shrimp Robuchon, it consists of a pair of jumbo crustaceans wrapped in a thin, crispy North African crepe with permeating hot-mustard spice and tartness from pickled goji berries. The latter — acid — is prevalent throughout the menu, but whereas most restaurants rely almost solely on vinegars and lemon juice, Webber and Jordan get innovative. Lime, grapefruit, preserved gooseberry, and fermented kumquat help lighten and uplift.

Mains include a take on rustic French cassoulet with medallions of rabbit loin, blood sausage, and creamy heirloom beans cultivated at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, and a whole-roasted fish, which is local and changes based on availability. Recent iterations include sweet-and-sour red snapper and a version served with habanada pepper sauce. A show-stopping half-duck preparation special enough to bring the chef tableside includes a plump, juicy leg lacquered in fermented ginger honey, mashed sunchokes with duck-jus gravy, duck chicharron chili crisp, and a fanned-out breast served slightly chilled for mixing with a salad of local chicories dressed with lime and fish sauce.

Foundational flavors of Chinese cuisine go far beyond the buffet at 24 Suns, providing food and environs that are both delightfully unexpected. 24sunsdining.com

Service: 4
Timeliness: 4.5
Ambience: 4
Culinary Innovation: 4
Food Quality: 4.5
Wine List: 4
Value: 4