Here is a list of some of my favorite places in South OC:
Fukada - Irvine - Excellent Japanese food - Very reasonably priced. Seafood salad and spicy tuna are excellent.
Gen Kai Sushi - Dana Point - Screaming O is a great dish
Coyote Grill - South Laguna - Best calamari tacos and margaritas -…
Cream Pan is hardly anything but "hidden" or "underrated." It's one of the most popular bakeries in OC next to Porto's. I used to work at Tanakaya nearby and there was always a long line outside of Cream Pan in the morning. They even opened up 2 more locations in FV and Lomita (in LA) because of how popular they were getting.