ANQI LAUNCHES NEW SUMMER AND MOLECULAR MENUS!
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
