How Dining at Trust Restaurant Works

The first way Trust differentiates itself from other fine dining experiences is the way the team has designed the seating. Rather than sit at free-standing tables in a traditional dining room, guests sit at the chef’s counter, an open, Omakase-style counter that allows Just and his team to interact with diners at every turn.

There are a few ways to dine at the restaurant; there are Trust Dinner Parties, where the chefs fly by the seat of their pants and unleash their creativity in the kitchen. Essentially, you really need to trust what is coming your way. The other option is to have a little heads up as to what you will be served and go with one of the restaurant’s themed evenings. Previous themed events include Adventures in Seafood, French Bistro, Ultimate Steak dinner, and Molto Rustico. 

The other important thing to note about Trust is that the chef’s counter is small, like really small. Seating only allows for 18 people, and in order to attend, diners must purchase a “ticket” to the event. Due to the size of the space, the events sell out quickly, and you may need to book a few weeks in advance to snag a spot.

Chef Justin Werner

Chef Justin Werner, the Executive Chef at Trust, is a highly acclaimed chef. Full stop. The elevated quality of the food at the restaurant speaks for itself, but to give you a better sense of Justin’s food background, here’s a quick rundown. 

Before opening Trust, Justin worked at Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin star crown jewel Per Se, which many diners consider better than his Napa-based French Laundry. He was also the sous chef at two-Michelin star Corton, in Manhattan, and he won the episode of Chopped he appeared on. Oh, and Chef Justin also worked at Noma in Copenhagen, which was then considered the “Best Restaurant in the World”. 

Phew. Talk about a resume. 

As a nod to his time on Chopped, Trust also offers a Battledish dining experience that is a mix between Chopped and Iron Chef. The cool part about this Trust event is that the diners aren’t just diners, they are judging each chef’s dish, and ultimately, they’re the ones that choose the best chef that evening.

In the hands of a less talented chef, experiences like this might come off as gimmicky, but in the hands of Chef Justin and the team at Trust, you really are getting an interactive and entertaining culinary event.

The Trust Dining Experience

As we touched on above, when you visit Trust, you will sit at the counter in front of the open kitchen, omakase-style, which allows the chef to craft the dish and serve it to you immediately. Watching the chefs work their magic with their audience of diners eager to see which dish is next really turns Trust into a culinary theater.

Before the dishes start coming out, Chef Justin delivers a sort of pep talk for diners to help them understand how the evening will unfold and the inspiration behind the dishes, and the overall experience. Justin’s excitement and energy is infectious and listening to him talk about food really sets the tone for the evening. You come away with the sense that he and his team don’t just want to take your money and drop off food; they really want you to engage and be a part of the culinary process. 

He also goes to great lengths to introduce his small three-person team so that everyone is acknowledged for the role they play in delivering the evening’s delicious dishes. 

The Evening’s Menu

When you sit down at the counter, you have no idea what is being served, which just adds to the fun. On the night we ate at Trust, the experience started with a plate of fluffy brioche sprinkled with sea salt. According to Justin, the dough for the bread is proofed just hours before guests arrive, and once you are in your seat, the bread is literally pulled from the oven – right then – and served to you. It’s warm, buttery, and frankly, amazing.

There were lots of highlights on the Trust menu that evening. The “Ride or Die Salad” with a vibrant shallot vinaigrette, pink apples, and tart dried cherries was a great way to prepare our palates for the dishes that would follow.

The presentation of the Hokkaido Scallop, Kanzuri Mayonnaise, Bubu, and Aged Soy was simple, straightforward, and sleek. The Duck and Nuevo Mole was succulent, savory, and a little sweet, thanks to the mole. And the two desserts, the Yuzu Curd, Orange Supremes, Vanilla Whip, Pomegranate Granita, and the Chocolate Budino, Panettone Semifreddo, Dulce de Leche, Feuilletine were intoxicating.

Everything we tried was spectacular, with each dish displaying its own vibrancy. 

A quick note about the wine pairing during the Trust Dinner Party experience. We were thrilled to see that one of the wine pairings was from Valley de Guadalupe, one of our favorite wine regions to visit. You don’t often see these wines on tasting menus, so it was great to see this region get some well-deserved recognition.

Final Thoughts

There are dinners, and then there are dining experiences. We could not have been happier with our experience at Justin Werner’s Trust restaurant in Santa Ana. The staff is over the top in the best way and highly entertaining. Dining at Trust is much more than a dinner. It is a crazy, fun, over-the-top evening. Great food, great laughs, and a very memorable evening. We highly recommend you check it out.