If you live in LA, you must make the trip down to Orange County to try this restaurant! If you live in Orange County, why are you there right now? And if you live somewhere else, hop on a plane or whatever you need to do in order to get your butt over to South Coast Plaza!
Clearly, I?m a huge fan of AnQi, and I can?t tell you how happy I am that I?ve discovered it. I?m a long time fan of Crustacean in Beverly Hills, but 99% of the reason I go is for the garlic noodles (as I?m sure is the case with most other patrons as well, although everything is delicious). The problem is that dining at Crustaceans can be quite an ordeal when you just want Mama?s special garlic noodles. From first glance, AnQi also has all the elements of a super trendy restaurant, but at the same time it?s laid back and inviting. My boyfriend was able to dine in his shorts and flip-flops which is not something he could have gotten away with in Beverly Hills. Walking up to the restaurant, we felt as though we?d been transported to Las Vegas (sadly, we had not been). AnQi has that trendy, upscale Vegas vibe written all over it and we were immediately in love. You completely forget that you?re in a mall, and in fact, you?re even in Bloomingdales!
Unfortunately, on the evening that we visited we weren?t that hungry, but we just couldn?t resist. We ordered a selection of their Asian tapas to share and everything was incredible! Of course, we also got the garlic noodles which were just as good in Costa Mesa as they are in Beverly Hills. Our waiter informed us that Mama goes down twice a week and makes them her special kitchen just as she does in LA. I can?t wait to make it back down there again, and this time I will make sure to bring an empty stomach.
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