Being the only restaurant in the U.S. with a fashion runway, AnQi by Crustacean evokes glamour and sophistication the instant you enter the Asian-inspired eco modern space. As the Orange County glitterati streamed in for the first-ever Bloomingdale’s fashion show, a palpable excitement fills the air. Once the throbbing techno beat begins, eyes are transfixed on the entrance and follow the gorgeous, leggy models as  they saunter down the gleaming plexiglass path. Among the designers featured were Burberry, Hugo Boss, Georgio Armani, Diane Von Furstenberg, Jay Kinkade, D & G, Elizabeth and James, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Vena Cava for Aqua, and more.

My guest, Lindsey Garrett of The Modchik (who is responsible for all the stunning photographs included in the slide show), and I savored the delectable array of Asian tapas  and sipped on a Viet-No-Jito while we set up our equipment – or rather she set up her pro gear and I put my P&S on my Gorilla mobile tripod

This will be my third dining experience at AnQi and I have to say that what I keep coming back to, i.e. the most tantalizing item on the menu – is a cocktail! Is that wrong? I have raved about this cocktail to all my friends and in my post from Spring OC Restaurant Week. It also deserved another mention in my This Week’s Obsession…. feature.  This is not to say that the food is not good – it is! It’s gourmet, it’s (relatively) healthy, it’s fusion Vietnamese food at its finest! But the Pink Lotus is inspired, its evocative, it’s childhood memories swathed in a forbidden elixir.

(Click X to close the Super Poke Pets and hover over images for captions)

AnQi by Crustacean

South Coast Plaza (adjacent to Bloomingdale’s)
(714) 557-5679

I suggest that you experience AnQi for yourself and, if you’d like to be informed of upcoming fashion shows, add yourself to their email list. The Orange County Restaurant Association’s Fall Restaurant Week begins this Sunday September 26th – the perfect opportunity!

Disclosure: I was a guest and received a complimentary VIP ticket to the show. I was not paid to endorse or advertise for either Bloomingdales’s or Anqi in exchange for this ticket but I would go there any day of the week to indulge in a Pink Lotus.

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© Priscilla for She's Cookin' | from the heart, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: AnQi Bistro, AnQi by Crustacean, Bloomingdale's, Costa Mesa, South Coast Plaza

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Pink Lotus @ AnQi Bistro

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Another restaurant I visited during Orange County Restaurant Week was AnQi, at Bloomingdales in South Coast Plaza, where I met Tanya of Design Action Studios for lunch.  Considering it was only 11:30 a.m., we refrained from ordering the Pink Lotus martini  but savored every bit of the three course lunch.

The first course was a Roasted Corn Soup with chicken and avocado. For our second course I chose the Vegetable Delight with organic tofu and Tanya selected the Roasted Wild King Salmon in a citrus reduction sauce. Molecular Cheesecake ended the meal –  a light, airy puff of cheesecake with berry sauce. We also enjoyed a Hibiscus Lavendar Nojito sent to our table as an apology for the slow service we encountered when first seated.  I doubt if that’s a common occurrence and will definitely return for the Pink Lotus martini and more AnQi specialities like the Garlic Noodles, which I’ve read Warren Beatty finds addicting.

AnQi opened in December, 2009 and we have Elizabeth An, eldest daughter of Helene An of Crustacean, Beverly Hills fame,  for bringing the House of An to South Coast Plaza.  Described as Euro-Asian bistro and gourmet Vietnamese  fusion in reviews that I’ve read,  AnQi transforms traditional Asian cuisine with complex flavors and exotic flourishes. This, combined with celebrity-style presentation, handmade cocktails such as the  Pink Lotus martini served with a puff of cotton candy, and a dramatic, sexy and sophisticated space declares AnQi an extraordinary dining experience. Put it at the top of your short list!

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Post tags: AnQi, AnQi Bistro, Orange County Restaurant Week

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