An Choi Restaurant Menu

An Choi Restaurant Restaurant Review:

Off the beaten path, past Pacific Grove's pretty downtown and through the forest, you'll find An Choi, owned by Vietnamese chef Thanh Truong and his wife Christine. Truong's contemporary Asian fusion features flavors from his native country as well as Japan, China and Thailand. The dining room may not be a designer showcase, but homey touches such as lucky bamboo resting on window ledges and the greeting from the owners offer a charm of their own and show a sense of pride. An interesting start: The smell of hot buttered popcorn wafts from tea, the fluffy stuff infused in the yellow brew. Have it with the ahi salad. Cubed pieces of tuna and wisps of seaweed garnish a crispy brown rice cake, earthy in its flavor and unusual in its presentation. Crab and white asparagus soup lacks zip and the ratio of egg white to crab meat favors the former. Skewers stab huge scallops and prawns, the two intertwined in one tender package that rests on a bed of julienned mango and refreshing jícama. Perhaps the best dish is the caramelized basa. The fleshy white fish cooks in a clay pot with onions and ginger until fall-apart flaky. One thing to watch for: dishes tend to have a sweet side to them, so be sure to ask Thanh how to balance your meal. He or Christine will be more than happy to help.