Beverly Hills comes to South Coast Plaza with a Crustacean pop-up menu at AnQi

Signature dishes from master chef Helene ‘Mama’ An’s Secret Kitchen™ will be served August-September at Vietnamese fusion destination in Costa Mesa

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Photos by Evan Sung

Costa Mesa, CA – July 27, 2017  As Beverly Hills Vietnamese fusion institution Crustacean undergoes a major five month redesign this summer, Orange County diners will be treated to signature dishes  prepared by Crustacean master chef Helene “Mama” An at AnQi, a sister restaurant at South Coast Plaza.

Beginning August 1 through September 30, diners at the upscale gourmet bistro AnQi will be able to savor a sampling of signature dishes from An’s famous Secret Kitchen™ that previously were not available at the Costa Mesa restaurant.

The pop-up version of Crustacean’s highly acclaimed menu will be available at dinner only Monday through Friday in the Q Lounge at AnQi, which like its Beverly Hills counterpart has won acclaim for its signature style of Euro-Vietnamese cuisine and An’s creative use of Asian herbs and spices in her cooking.

Reservations are required and are limited to 60 guests a night and should be made by phone: 714.557.5679. AnQi is located at South Coast Plaza, 333 Bristol St. Costa Mesa www.houseofan.com/anqi

The pop-up Crustacean menu at AnQi will include 10 appetizers, four main courses and two desserts.

The tantalizing appetizer options include Turmeric Grilled Calamari ($15), with saffron, orange zest and peanut mustard sauce; Sweet and Spicy Chicken Meatballs ($15), made with basil, tofu, tempura flakes and Gochujang sauce; and the addictive X0 Noodles ($18) with scallops, shrimp, chicken, bird’s eye chili, shallots and Hennessy cognac.

Among the choices for the main courses are Rack of Lamb ($46), made with chardonnay flambé, Steamed Seabass ($49); and An’s Famous Roasted Crab ($65), featuring An’s garlic sauce and secret spices and available in or out of the shell.

A mouthwatering dessert option is Grandma Diana’s Famous Banana Fritters ($12).

Crustacean has been a successful part of L.A.’s highly competitive dining scene for 20 years. The star-studded restaurant, which like AnQi is part of the House of AN restaurant group, closed in June to transform into two restaurants. The first floor will be the new Crustacean, but will stay true to An’s pioneering cuisine, inspired by the An family’s Secret Kitchen ™ recipes.

The upstairs restaurant will represent the next generation of Crustacean with new talent. Chef Tony Nguyen, House of AN’s executive chef for the last two years, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a familiar face on TV food reality shows. Nguyen will create unique, multi-course menus and cook at the gourmet second floor restaurant with limited nightly seatings.

The completely redesigned Beverly Hills restaurant, at 9646 S. Santa Monica Boulevard, is scheduled to open this fall.

THE COMPLETE CRUSTACEAN POP-UP MENU AVAILABLE AT ANQI IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

Appetizers

Turmeric Grilled Calamari 15
Saffron, Orange Zest, Peanut Mustard Sauce

Broiled Green Mussels 18
From New Zealand, Asian Pesto, Garlic Crostini

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Meatballs 15
Basil, Tofu, Tempura Flakes, Gochujang Sauce

 Vietnamese Spring Roll 15
 Rice Paper, Cucumber, Carrot, Asparagus,
Choice of Grilled Sausage Prawn or Grilled Sausage Beef 

Shrimp Mousse Filo 15
Crispy Filo, Kiwi and Orange Sauce

Rice Ho-Fun Ravioli 22
 Pacific Prawns, Fennel, Shallots, Soy-Sesame Emulsion 

Goji Berry Brown Rice 16
 Swiss Chard, Baby Bok Choy, Kale, Edamame, Garlic and Herbs

Baked Tofu Pasta 16
Julienned Snow Pea, Trumpet Oyster, Shiitake Mushroom

Xo Noodles 18
 Scallop, Shrimp, Chicken, Bird’s Eye Chili, Shallots, Hennessy Cognac

 Main Course

Jidori Chicken 33
 Green Beans, Zucchini, Ginger, Basil, Shallots, Lime 

Rack of Lamb 46
 Chardonnay Flambé, Potato, Vegetables 

Steamed Seabass 49

An’s Famous Roasted Crab     65**
 with An’s Garlic Sauce and Secret Spices 

Choice of
**Cracked Dungeness Crab
Dungeness Crab Out Of Shell

Desserts

Mama’s Famous Creme Brûlée   12

Grandma Diana Famous Banana Fritters 12

 About House of An
House of An (www.houseofan.com) is an industry leader of multi-concept establishments in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Run by the women of the An family, a close-knit unit of passionate entrepreneurs and food service professionals, their portfolio includes the original location, Thanh Long in San Francisco (established 1971); the first Crustacean in San Francisco (1991), and the award-winning flagship Crustacean Beverly Hills (1997).  An Catering (2007) has been lauded as “Star Caterer to the Stars.” In December 2009, House of An expanded yet again with AnQi, an upscale gourmet bistro located at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.  In June 2010, market garden café Tiato opened in Santa Monica. More than 45 years ago, the An family introduced a new genre of Asian-fusion cuisine to mainstream America, as recognized by Smithsonian Museum in 2007. Now, they are embarking on the next chapter of House of An — innovative Modern Vietnamese cuisine.  A cookbook: ăn: to eat – Recipes and Stories from a Vietnamese Family Kitchen, written by Helene An and her daughter Jacqueline, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim from the Los Angeles Times to a presentation at the James Beard House in New York City. 

Contact: Lee Healy
Lee Healy Marketing Communications
LeeCHealy@gmail.com / 949.760.3054