Hearing the “An” last name immediately draws a connection to Crustacean, a fine-dining institution with locations in Beverly Hills and San Francisco.
For three generations, the An family has successfully elevated Vietnamese-inspired cuisine and built up the multi-million dollar food and hospitality conglomerate House of An.
So when I heard that one of the daughters, Hannah, launched her own restaurant, I was intrigued. If you’ve dined at any of the House of An restaurants previously, you may find some similarities, but it’s best to experience this new gustatory experience by shedding comparisons aside and leaving them at the door.
Located in the Beverly Grove neighborhood (in between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood) of Los Angeles, The District by Hannah An is a venture into more traditional Vietnamese flavors, while borrowing elements of the Southern California setting — from the fresh, local produce and seafood to the dining atmosphere.
“The time is right for The District, as Americans are now more adventurous about ethnic cuisines, and Vietnamese cooking is no longer so mysterious to diners,” An said. “With all its global influences, Vietnamese cuisine provides a lot of room for creativity and gives our guests many familiar points of reference. It’s comfort food in the context of culture.”
During an intimate dinner previewing the new spring menu, guests, including myself, were treated to a multi-course meal that started with welcome drinks and concluded with a sampling of desserts.
For those who enjoy craft and classic cocktails, the bar menu is not to be glossed over, as all of the mixes are organic and made in house. As guests trickled in, we started off by sipping on the “Hot Asian” (Loft & Bear vodka infused w lemongrass, organic Vietnamese chili agave, chili tincture & lime zest). If you’re feeling adventurous, this cocktail will not disappoint, as it packs in citrusy flavors and surprises with bursts of spiciness.
An, who sat down with us during the meal, explained that the menu was constructed based on her travels throughout different districts of her native home of Vietnam and plays on the cuisine’s five fundamental elements of spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet. You’ll find those iconic Vietnamese dishes like pho and banh mi, but the standouts are Western-dishes that have subtle influences from An’s heritage.
Aside from the food itself, the interiors of the restaurant are also visual treats that go along with theme — the entrance doors are a century-old, evoking the architecture of a Colonial Vietnamese home. The downstairs dining room is dimly-lit with hand-blown Edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling, while the upstairs setting is more modern and opulent.
For starters, we sampled the Saigon calamari, marinated with a Szechuan spice mix and topped with a frisee salad and ruby cherry pepperoncini. Then came the Vietnamese herb bone marrow (with charred onion, comte cheese & herbs), which just glided off and was meant to be placed on top a piece of bread. Easily this dish earned its title as one of the favorites of the night.
As the night progressed, the dishes kept coming out one after the other. There was the grilled octopus — with tomatoes, hoisin, red fresno and miso sauce — that was not too chewy and earned rave reviews from those who are otherwise not fans of that particular seafood, including myself. The beef dumplings and rice paper spring rolls were light and fresh, while the candied walnut tiger prawns in house aioli were savory.
At some point, the Hot Asian was swapped out for another cocktail, the “Love You Long Time” (Loft & Bear vodka infused with cucumber, fresh lime, organic agave, cantaloupe and cucumber), a refreshing palate cleanser in between the meat and vegetable-filled dishes.
Of course, a Vietnamese meal would not be complete without some sort of broth, An said, as she brought out the imperial spicy beef soup bun bo, a noodle soup with beef and lemongrass broth.
Crustacean may have its famous crab and garlic noodles, but the The District has Alaskan king crab legs with Hannah’s famous noodles. The crab legs, which already came cracked so the meat could be scooped out, were seasoned with mint-basil pesto, while the noodles were tossed with lemon and panko crumbs.
Other new menu items, which were not tasted during this dinner, include: oven roasted oysters with Vietnamese herbs, District Wok lobster and eggs, and foie gras French toast.
To top the night off, three desserts were brought out: lemongrass créme brulee; banana tapioca (coconut milk tapioca, banana ice cream, flambéed banana and sesame seeds); and pineapple bread pudding (caramel-rum sauce, homemade coconut ice cream and toasted coconut). All three were not too decadent and sweet, so there was some room for them after a lengthy meal.
Overall, the dishes are meant to be shared family-style with appropriately-sized portions that are presented and plated for the upscale Los Angeles scene. Through a meal here, you can get a primary, yet rich taste of Vietnam, which may spark a case of wanderlust.
The District by Hannah An is located at 8722 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA. Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are accepted.
