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Dining

ANQI LAUNCHES NEW SUMMER AND MOLECULAR MENUS!

06.29.11

By Sheryll Alexander

AnQi by Crustacean, which is located at South Coast Plaza near Bloomingdale’s, has launched its seasonal summer and “Molecular Monday” menus.

AnQi’s Master Chef Helene An and Chef de Cuisine Ryan Carson collaborated to create sophisticated and refreshing summer menus featuring only high quality, natural, organic ingredients for the restaurant’s California-Asian fusion with Vietnamese fresh herbs and spices.

For a refreshing and figure-friendly summer lunch, AnQi’s new “Ssam” lettuce wraps offer flavors such as Kurabota pork belly (with grilled prawns, sesame soy emulsion, red jalapeno and ssamjang) and hamachi (with sweet chili-cashew sauce, golden garlic and rice noodles). Other “Ssam” lettuce wraps feature Mongolian barbecue duck, Kalbi hangar steak, rock shrimp tempura, crispy chicken or crispy vegetable rolls.

New on the lunch menu are AnQi’s summer salads from the sea, land or garden. The sweet pepper shrimp salad is tossed with crisp romaine lettuce, smoked bacon, Haas avocado and black sesame while the half Maine lobster salad features the succulent crustacean with mixed greens, mangoes, cherry tomatoes and a white miso vinaigrette. The spicy beef and watercress salad has crisp textures and flavors with red endive, jicama, green apple tossed with vanilla-peanut dressing. Another favorite is the Vietnamese charctuerie salad (Vietnamese-style cured meats, baby artichokes, hearts of palm, radicchio, quinzoi-herb dressing) and the green tea noodle salad, complex with kimchi, black sesame seeds, Haas avocado and cilantro dressing.

The lunch menu also showcases some of AnQi Bistro’s classic Vietnamese-inspired dishes such as chicken pho soup, Chef An’s famous garlic noodles or a beef-and-green bean wok with shitake mushrooms. These items may also be enjoyed at the AnQi Noodle Bar, open daily until 5:30.

To view AnQi Bistro’s summer lunch menu, visit http://www.anqibistro.com/menu/lunch.pdf.

New Molecular Monday Menu for Summer

AnQi’s much lauded molecular gastronomy menu makes the restaurant one of OC’s only destinations for "MG." On Monday evenings (from 5:30-10:30 p.m.), AnQi Chef Ryan Carson prepares omakase-style molecular gastronomy cooking demonstration and multi-course tastings. Offerings may include an amuse bouche, Champagne and caviar (Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne jelly and American sturgeon caviar), a hiramassa crudo (sheet of sweet-and-sour tangerine, beet sorbet and avocado silk), filet mignon (burnt carrot, shitake mushroom demi glace, wasabi tater tots) and a deconstructed carrot cake (hazelnut praline, star anise-orange emulsion, popcorn ice cream). Reservations must be made in advance for AnQi’s six- ($60 per person) or 12- ($120 per person) course dinners (excludes tax and gratuity). AnQi’s summer Molecular Monday menu is available through Sept. 19. For a sample menu, visit http://www.anqibistro.com/menu/molecular.pdf.

AnQi Bistro, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-557-5679, www.anqibistro.com.

Sheryll Alexander runs a news media agency based in Costa Mesa, California. Follow her! @sheryllalexande

CHIPOTLE OPENS ON NEWPORT PENINSULA!

06.25.11

By Sheryll Alexander

No longer do sun seekers or Newport Beach locals have to make the trek to Costa Mesa or Huntington Beach as a brand new Chipotle opens on Tuesday, July 28, right on Newport Boulevard between 31^st and 32^nd streets (and open from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.!)

We love Chipotle Mexican Grill for the locally-sourced and organic produce, naturally-raised meats and build-you-own tacos, burritos and burrito “bowls” (a burrito without the tortilla served in a bowl). Every time we visit Chipotle, we are impressed with the quality of the ingredients, the delicious fresh salsa choices, the juicy meats, the jasmine rice, the tender beans and the salty and crisp chips (and like-homemade guac!).

You gotta love a fast casual restaurant that is serious about bringing its customers top-notch ingredients. How serious is Chipotle? All meats come from animals that are humanely raised and never given antibiotics or hormones, including dairy products. Chipotle CEO Steve Ellis calls it “food with integrity” and we appreciate his vision and commitment to feed his guests healthy foods.

In fact, Ellis claims his restaurants serve more naturally-raised meats and local produce than any other restaurant in the country (about 100 million pounds in 2011 alone!). Don’t buy it? Ellis backs up his claim: the Newport Beach Chipotle restaurant will source bell peppers, jalapeños, and romaine from Cinagro Farms in Fillmore, Calif. and herbs from Herbthyme Farms in Pico Rivera, Calif.

Chipotle Newport Peninsula, The Landing/Pavilions Shopping Center, 3101 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, 949-200-4354.

Sheryll Alexander runs a news media agency based in Costa Mesa, California. Follow her! @sheryllalexande

Dining

ANQI LAUNCHES NEW SUMMER AND MOLECULAR MENUS!

06.29.11

CHIPOTLE OPENS ON NEWPORT PENINSULA!

06.25.11

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