Best thing I ate: This chile relleno in San Clemente is worth the wait

Here’s a chile relleno unlike anything else in Orange County. In fact, here’s a Mexican restaurant unlike anything else in Orange County.

The restaurant is Gema in San Clemente. It’s operated by chef Juan Pablo Cruz, who recently took over the space previously occupied Tamarindo. The charming interior looks exactly the same as it did as Tamarindo. But the food is entirely different.

Chile relleno at Gema in San Clemente (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Cruz worked briefly at Pujol in Mexico City, according to my server. And while Gema is a far cry from Pujol, this place has the potential of being a very special. The kitchen is currently slower than molasses, so you might want to give it a few weeks before swarming the place. Getting anything from the kitchen right now takes nearly one hour per course, even when the restaurant is almost completely empty. But when the food finally arrives, it’s always beautiful.

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Now back to that chile relleno. The chile is stuffed with Oaxacan quesillo and huitlacoche (a delicious corn fungus) before being coated with crushed hazelnuts and roasted. It’s served in a puddle of tomato puree with serrano chiles and a poached quail egg. It’s not the slightest bit spicy but it is delicious.

You’ll need something to drink while you wait. And wait. And wait. If whatever you order involves mezcal, you’ll savor every minute. The cocktails here are excellent.