3333 S Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
www.anqibistro.com/
The term "molecular gastronomy" has been thrown around quite a bit over the past few years. It is not until recently that the term has become a polarizing topic - no doubt adding fuel to the fire is the recent release of Modernist Cuisine. Whether you feel that science improves cooking or takes the soul out of it, as long as the result is yummy, we don't really care. Which brings us to our visit to Anqi. A second Southern California outpost by the An family, most known for Crustaceans in Beverly Hills. We'd been lucky enough to reserve their Chef's Table for the first unofficial I Heart Yummy dinner.
Chef's Table bonus: You get to personalize the menu header!
1. CHAMPAGNE & CAVIAR, nicolas feuillatte champagne gelee, american sturgeon caviar, white chocolate fizzy - This first course definitely had mixed reviews, with the majority of opinions being of the negative variety. The dish was a confluence of sweet, salty and briny. There was an interesting soda-like fizz in the strawberry white chocolate disc. Many of our dining companions noted that the pink disc tasted much like a haw flake.
2. ANQI BEET, sweet & sour salt - Crispy, sweet with hints of coarse salt. Tasted slightly oily, perhaps this may have been better prepared with slightly hotter oil. Would have also liked it served a bit hotter, but still tasty.
3. KUMOMOTO OYSTER, ponzu pearils, yuzu lemonade cloud, citrus pop rocks - Our last few experiences with our beloved kumamotos have been disappointing, and this wasn't any different. The oceany-sweetness has been lost, replaced with an unpleasant brininess which were not apparent in our previous encounters. The yuzu and citrus are always welcomed with oysters, but they didn't do much to save this dish.
4. HIRAMASSA CRUDO, sweet & sour tangerine sheet, beet sorbet, avocado silk, jalepeno-cucumber emulsion - One of the more popular dishes of the night. The texture of the fish was a cross between the typical yellowtail and that of a snapper, a pleasant oiliness with a subtle bounce. The avocado and citrus complimented the fish well. The beet sorbet was a nice palate cleanser and the jalapeno provided just enough background heat. This dish is available on their regular dinner menu.
5. LOBSTER SUMMER ROLL, compressed mango, vietnamese herbs, elderflower gelee, rose vapor - Served atop a bed of rose petals in hot water, the unmistakable aroma of the flowers was hard to miss. An interesting concept, but that didn't compensate for the imbalanced preparation. Too much rice noodle, not enough lobster. Were the word "lobster" not in the description, it would have been easily missed.
6. KURABOTA PORK BELLY kimchee consommé, freeze dried banana, peanut butter powder - Wow, wow, wow. One of the best pork preprations we've ever had. This one little cube of belly packed in flavors well beyond its size. Perfectly crispy on the outside while maintaining a delicate and tender flesh within. The peanut butter powder added another dimension of aroma and the kimchee consomme had a nice spice to it. Absolutely delicious!
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
www.anqibistro.com/
The term "molecular gastronomy" has been thrown around quite a bit over the past few years. It is not until recently that the term has become a polarizing topic - no doubt adding fuel to the fire is the recent release of Modernist Cuisine. Whether you feel that science improves cooking or takes the soul out of it, as long as the result is yummy, we don't really care. Which brings us to our visit to Anqi. A second Southern California outpost by the An family, most known for Crustaceans in Beverly Hills. We'd been lucky enough to reserve their Chef's Table for the first unofficial I Heart Yummy dinner.
The Chef's Table is a private dining room inside Anqi which showcases their molecular gastronomy menu. The room requires a minimum expenditure of $1,500, with menu offers of 8, 12, and 16 courses offered at $10 per course. After rounding up a party of 15, we opted for the 12 course option, which allowed us to easily meet the $1,500 requirement.
Pro tip: If you're not able to round up enough people, I believe you can purchase the difference in gift cards.
Chef's Table bonus: You get to personalize the menu header!
1. CHAMPAGNE & CAVIAR, nicolas feuillatte champagne gelee, american sturgeon caviar, white chocolate fizzy - This first course definitely had mixed reviews, with the majority of opinions being of the negative variety. The dish was a confluence of sweet, salty and briny. There was an interesting soda-like fizz in the strawberry white chocolate disc. Many of our dining companions noted that the pink disc tasted much like a haw flake.
2. ANQI BEET, sweet & sour salt - Crispy, sweet with hints of coarse salt. Tasted slightly oily, perhaps this may have been better prepared with slightly hotter oil. Would have also liked it served a bit hotter, but still tasty.
3. KUMOMOTO OYSTER, ponzu pearils, yuzu lemonade cloud, citrus pop rocks - Our last few experiences with our beloved kumamotos have been disappointing, and this wasn't any different. The oceany-sweetness has been lost, replaced with an unpleasant brininess which were not apparent in our previous encounters. The yuzu and citrus are always welcomed with oysters, but they didn't do much to save this dish.
4. HIRAMASSA CRUDO, sweet & sour tangerine sheet, beet sorbet, avocado silk, jalepeno-cucumber emulsion - One of the more popular dishes of the night. The texture of the fish was a cross between the typical yellowtail and that of a snapper, a pleasant oiliness with a subtle bounce. The avocado and citrus complimented the fish well. The beet sorbet was a nice palate cleanser and the jalapeno provided just enough background heat. This dish is available on their regular dinner menu.
5. LOBSTER SUMMER ROLL, compressed mango, vietnamese herbs, elderflower gelee, rose vapor - Served atop a bed of rose petals in hot water, the unmistakable aroma of the flowers was hard to miss. An interesting concept, but that didn't compensate for the imbalanced preparation. Too much rice noodle, not enough lobster. Were the word "lobster" not in the description, it would have been easily missed.
6. KURABOTA PORK BELLY kimchee consommé, freeze dried banana, peanut butter powder - Wow, wow, wow. One of the best pork preprations we've ever had. This one little cube of belly packed in flavors well beyond its size. Perfectly crispy on the outside while maintaining a delicate and tender flesh within. The peanut butter powder added another dimension of aroma and the kimchee consomme had a nice spice to it. Absolutely delicious!
7. Complimentary Garlic Noodles (not pictured) - Oops and yum!
8. Intermezzo - concord grapes, thyme gelee and lemonade foam. This was a great palate cleanser. There were different acidities at play with the grapes and lemonade. Each grape was peeled and infused with a similar fizz that we experienced in our first course. Everyone could have used another glass of this intermezzo.
9. JIDORI CHICKEN ROULADE, himalayan black truffle, oyster mushrooms, ginger, chinese mustard jus, hazelnut brittle - Cooked sous vide so the chicken was tender throughout. The aroma of truffles were present but not much of the flavor. The mustard was very mild, while the mushrooms and hazelnut did well to pair with the chicken.
10. FILET MIGNON CONFIT, burnt carrot, shitake mushroom demi-glaze, wasabi tater tots - The burnt carrot puree and tater tots were the stars of this dish. The filet mignon was tender as to be expected but didn't really shine. The carrot puree was somewhat reminiscent of mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar. The tater tots were quite tasty with the incorporation of wasabi. Note to self: potatoes plus wasabi = winner!
11. ELDERFLOWER PARFAIT, pomegranate caviar, pink rose meringue, jasmine sorbet, flowering thyme gel - Light and lovely. There was nothing overwhelmingly sweet. All the components were very subtle, but tasty nonetheless.
12. "NOT YOUR AVERAGE" CARROT CAKE, raisin coulis, curry creme anglaise, saffron meringue, cream cheese ice cream - Despite it's namesake, this carrot cake was suprisingly average. There was some interesting dehydrated carrot powder, but otherwise, nothing special.
8. Intermezzo - concord grapes, thyme gelee and lemonade foam. This was a great palate cleanser. There were different acidities at play with the grapes and lemonade. Each grape was peeled and infused with a similar fizz that we experienced in our first course. Everyone could have used another glass of this intermezzo.
9. JIDORI CHICKEN ROULADE, himalayan black truffle, oyster mushrooms, ginger, chinese mustard jus, hazelnut brittle - Cooked sous vide so the chicken was tender throughout. The aroma of truffles were present but not much of the flavor. The mustard was very mild, while the mushrooms and hazelnut did well to pair with the chicken.
10. FILET MIGNON CONFIT, burnt carrot, shitake mushroom demi-glaze, wasabi tater tots - The burnt carrot puree and tater tots were the stars of this dish. The filet mignon was tender as to be expected but didn't really shine. The carrot puree was somewhat reminiscent of mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar. The tater tots were quite tasty with the incorporation of wasabi. Note to self: potatoes plus wasabi = winner!
11. ELDERFLOWER PARFAIT, pomegranate caviar, pink rose meringue, jasmine sorbet, flowering thyme gel - Light and lovely. There was nothing overwhelmingly sweet. All the components were very subtle, but tasty nonetheless.
12. "NOT YOUR AVERAGE" CARROT CAKE, raisin coulis, curry creme anglaise, saffron meringue, cream cheese ice cream - Despite it's namesake, this carrot cake was suprisingly average. There was some interesting dehydrated carrot powder, but otherwise, nothing special.
13. CHOCOLATE TWIST, hazelnut praline, star anise-orange emulsion, popcorn ice cream - A couple bites into this and we were done. This was somewhat too heavy a dessert to end a 12-course dinner. However, the popcorn ice cream was a crowd pleaser. The Chef informed us that the restaurant will soon be mass producing this popcorn ice cream and jasmine sorbet to sell to the public.
Overall, a very enjoyable dinner. The food was very good overall, with stars being the pork belly and hiramasa. Some dishes just needed a bit of tweaking, such as the lobster summer roll and the last dessert. The service was excellent and it was nice to get a peek into the kitchen every now and again via the frosted glass window that switches from frost to clear glass with the push of a button. Good dinner with good friends = good times. A great way to celebrate I Heart Yummy's first unofficial dinner.
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