Since House of An opened AnQi adjacent to Charlie Palmer, Bay Area transplants (like myself) have wondered if it's on par with the rest of the family. The collaboration of traditional Asian dishes alongside Chef Ryan Carson's inventive point-of-view has succeeded in doing the almost impossible: Maintaining elevated cuisine on par with its surroundings.
To that end, the front of the house works just as diligently in providing a pleasurable experience when it comes to liquid nourishment. One example is the Viet-jito. Part of their hand crafted arsenal, it pairs well with the cushiony lounge during AnQi's seasonal Red Hour.
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Dip an order of salt and pepper calamari into Thai basil aioli. Or maybe it's a luna oyster shooter kind of evening. Either way, don't leave without sampling the spicy beef tongue tacos; they won't disappoint.
A classy version of our minty friend, a Viet-jito incorporates Ketel One citron and a muddle of limes. To that, quinzoi (a favorite of Carson's) and naturally sweet agave nectar are thrown into the mix. Its foamy lemon top layer seals the deal like a head on beer. At half the $14 price tag during Red Hour, it's how we roll.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.