Exquisite Dining at Crustacean in Beverly Hills – (6/05)
Looking to get away from it all? To travel somewhere exotic and get lost in the pleasures of great wine and food? Don’t have the time to go anywhere? Take a three or four hour vacation to the restaurant in Beverly Hills called Crustacean.
Crustacean offers all of the best in a dining experience; great atmosphere, relaxing setting, and amazing food.
The first thing you notice when walking into Crustacean is the glass path walkway and the colorful fish swimming underneath your feet. A 6,000 gallon aquarium filled with Koi winds through the restaurant and leads you to a little bridge that drops down into the dinning area. You’ll immediately feel like you’ve entered another world and left the bustle of L.A behind you. Couches with large pillows, dark wood, bamboo and large leaf like fans by the high ceiling gently turn and sway back and forth to circulate the air and add to the ambiance of a Far East hideaway. A second story of tables line the dark wooden railing that looks down into the center courtyard like dinning area. You will slowly start to feel your body slip away into a more relaxed state and for a moment you’ll forget that you are even in L.A. This all adds to the magic that awaits your taste buds.
Master Chef Elizabeth An brings her secret family recipes from the Far East, which were influenced by three of her grandfathers’ master chefs from France, China, and Vietnam. The recipes are literally "secret". The signature dishes are created in a "secret kitchen" which only the An family is allowed to enter. No one on the staff is allowed to see inside. An outer metal side panel opens as a dish appears as one panel immediately closes to the kitchen so no one can see inside. After tasting some of the signature dishes, I can understand why they are guarding the recipes.
The appetizers are all unique dishes as well. There are rice paper rolls filled with prawn, salmon seared in crispy filo paper, lemon grass-sesame beef satay, New Zealand green lip mussels, or Dungeness crab puffs. There are all sorts of seafood salads that are delicately prepared, light and delicious. The salads are unique as well like the beef salad poached in Vietnamese herb broth with tomatoes fennel and peanuts.
The whole roasted Dungeness crab in the Ans’ garlic sauce and secret spices will have you wondering, with every bite, how something could taste so good. Team that up with their famous garlic noodles and you’ll really drift off into another world. The menu comes with wine pairing recommendations to make your food that much more enjoyable. You also have the option of talking with the wine Somalia who roams the restaurant to make sure everyone is pairing the right wine with the right food. Other signature dishes include the colossal royal tiger prawns and whole main lobster, which are also served in mouth watering secret spices. Fresh Fish such as Seabass and Halibut may be available depending on the evening. There are meat dishes as well. However, the signature dishes are the Crab, Prawns, Fresh Fish, and Garlic Noodles. Finish your meal off with one of their fine desserts from Chocolate items to torts and ice creams. After dinner specialty wines/drinks such as Tawney Ports are available on their extensive menu.
Crustacean offers live music Monday thru Saturday which is performed in the front room where the bar is. After dinner you can sit, have a drink, listen to music and continue your pleasurable night out. The incredible Rick Whitfield Band performs every Thursday night in the Bar Lounge.
If you live anywhere near the L.A area and you haven’t been to Crustacean, do yourself a favor…pick up the phone right now and make a reservation. It’s one of the most amazing dining experiences you’ll have anywhere. For reservations call 310 205 8990.