Chef Daniel Hohng gives Park Club dining a spring refresh
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In 2023, BNG Hospitality reopened the space formerly known as the Center Club, located next to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, as the Park Club. Specializing in private lifestyle clubs throughout the U.S., it was the group’s first club in California and it has earned the Distinguished Clubs Hallmark of Excellence, a merit-based awards program in the private club industry, two years in a row.
“The best way I can describe it to someone who doesn’t know what it is, it’s the ‘Michelin star’ of private clubs,” said Mari Keiko Garner, director of membership at the Park Club. “Only the top 4% of private clubs in the world have this designation.”
Executive chef Daniel Hohng has also worked to create dining options that match the caliber of the award at the club’s casual Palm Bar & Terrace and its fine dining establishment, Monet Restaurant. This month, Hohng rolled out a new spring menu at the two dining venues.
“Seasonality is a critical element of our culinary identity at the Park Club,” said Hohng, in a statement. “Our spring menu is an homage to the local harvest, heavily influenced by organic greens and the peak availability of fresh produce.”
A graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles, Hohng has an extensive culinary background that includes a focus on sushi from his time in kitchens like Maru Maki in Costa Mesa and South Coast Plaza’s Hamamori. His resume also includes stints at Ortolan, Vaca and Anqi in Costa Mesa and Crustacean and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Beverly Hills.
The Palm Bar features shareable plates, like salmon lox pita served with whipped creme fraiche, capers, pickled onion and dill — a twist on the Wolfgang Puck classic — while the Segerstrom Ranch lima bean hummus, topped with marinated olives and garbanzo salad, honors the regional history of the land the club sits on.
At Monet Restaurant, diners can opt for the “Picasso Menu,” an eight-course tasting menu curated by Hohng, highlighting seasonal produce like burrata, paired with spring peas and farmer’s market vegetables.
“By sourcing directly from nearby farms, we ensure a focus on both health and superior taste, bringing the vibrancy of the California spring directly to our members’ tables,” Hohng said.
While the club is invitational only, every other month the Club’s Philanthropy Committee presents “Cocktails for a Cause,” a event open to the public that invites attendees to enjoy drinks, light bites with 50% of ticket sales benefiting a featured nonprofit organization.
“We partner with a nonprofit and the nonprofit can invite their entire network to attend the event and they can run it however they would like,” said Garner. “They can do a silent auction, they can do paddle raises, anything they want to do to raise money.”
Nominated by club members, past featured nonprofits include South County Outreach, Working Wardrobes and Project Hope Alliance.
This month the club is hosting a joint event with a Michelin-starred chef and the Ecology Center to explore the nuances of “Temple Food,” focusing on vegetarian cuisine.
The Park Club is located at 650 Town Center Drive (Garden Level) in Costa Mesa. For inquires on membership and special events visit, parkclubca.com.
