Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
120
of the vice king of Vietnam. When she and her family fled fr om Saigon penniless in
1975, they relocated to San Francisco, purchased a small deli, and introduced the city to
their now-legendary recipe: An F amily's Famous Roast Crab and G arlic Noodles. This
single dish spawned a H oratio Alger stor y and a family r estaurant dynasty. With the
Indochina-themed decor—a cur vaceous copper bar, balcony seating, a bamboo gar den,
a waterfall, and an 80-foot-long “stream” topped with glass and filled with ex otic koi—
the Beverly Hills location is pure drama from the moment you walk in. What you won't
see is the Secret Kitchen (literally, it's off-limits to most of the staff ), where the An fam-
ily's signature dishes such as tiger prawns with garlic noodles, roasted lobster in tamarind
sauce, and roast Dungeness crab are prepared.
9646 Little Santa M onica Blv d. (at Bedf ord St.), Bev erly H ills.
&
310/205-8990.
w ww.anfamily.com.
Reservations recommended. Main courses $19-$45. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 11:30am-2:30pm
and 5:30-10:30pm; Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-11:30pm; Sat 5:30-11:30pm. Valet parking $5.50.
Cut
STEAK This has been a po wer dinner spot for enter tainment industr y
heavyweights since it opened at the B everly Wilshire hotel in 2006. Think of this as
special occasion—or like everyone else, expense account—dining.The decor is chic if not
sparse, perfect for seeing Tom and Katie or any of the myriad celebs walk in and dine.
It's one open space with fe w nooks for hiding, and all scene—but ther e's still substance.
Linen-wrapped meat is br ought to the table so y ou can learn the differ ence betw een
Japanese Kobe beef at $120 for a six-ounce filet (this is the most expensie steak in town),
American Wagyu, and I llinois corn-fed USDA prime. The steaks ar e grilled o ver hard
wood and charcoal and finished under a 1,200°F broiler, ensuring a buttery, juicy cut no
matter what. Everything is a heightened experience, including side dishes: creamed spin-
ach comes topped with an organic sunny-side-up egg, mac and cheese is made with
Quebec cheddar, potatoes ar en't simply
au gratin,
they're a beautiful
tarte tatin.
Sherry
Yard's desserts are fantastic, and the wine list is exemplary (and pricey). Across the hall is
Sidebar,
a great spot for people-watching while sipping a mar tini and noshing on Kobe
beef sliders.
9500 Wilshire Blvd. (in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel), Beverly Hills.
&
310/276-8500.
www.wolfgangpuck.
com. Reser vations required. M ain courses $40-$120. AE, DISC, MC, V. M on-Thurs 5:30-10pm; F ri-Sat
5:30-10:30pm. Valet parking $12.
Fogo de Chao
BRAZILIAN/STEAK What was started long ago by four broth-
ers in São Paulo, Brazil, has finally made its way to California—Beverly Hills, even—and
is now one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Pronounced
fogo dee SHOWN,
this
enormous Southern Brazilian-style steakhouse is packed nightly with fans of the
chur-
rasco
style of cooking carne—large cuts of meat slo w-roasted over an open wood flame,
then deftly sliced and continuously served onto your plate until you give in and flip your
disk to red (you'll see). It's a prix-fixe system where everything on the menu except alco-
hol is av ailable for a flat fee, and the superb waitstaff ar e always ho vering nearby with
meat-laden platters in the off-chance that y ou actually clear y our plate. Truly, it's bac-
chanalia revisited as you wander wide-eyed around what must be the most dazzling salad
bar ever conceived (be car eful not to r uin your appetite). The gluttony continues with
mountains of fr eshly roasted meats and endless side dishes, all washed do wn with rich
red wines from among the 10,000 bottles that surr ound you in two-stor y temperature-
controlled towers of glass and steel. D essert?
Si, por favor.
133 N. La Cienega Blvd. (btw. W. 3rd St. and Beverly Blvd.), Los Angeles.
&
310/289-7755.
www.fogode
chao.com. Reservations recommended. Fixed-price menu $53. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 5-10pm;
Fri 5-10:30pm; Sat 4:30-10:30pm; Sun 4-9:30pm. Valet parking $5.50.
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