Crustacean Beverly Hills Breathes Luxe Life Into its New Anna May Bar

The 90210's next hotspot? Crustacean Beverly Hills' new Anna May Bar, inspired by film and fashion trailblazer Anna May Wong—the first Asian-American woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The legacy Vietnamese restaurant, which has been backed by a lot of famous faces since opening in 1995, is focused on wooing the city's chic scene-makers. This ritzy new bar refresh, which was officially unveiled on Friday, December 9, will do just the job.

"Anna May Bar is like Crustacean's flirty younger sister who stays out a little later and will never turn down a fine caviar or champagne pairing," said Elizabeth An, CEO of House of An, Crustacean's umbrella hospitality group.

Adorned with a Hollywood glamor meets Asian fusion aesthetic enhanced by indoor-outdoor seating overlooking Bedford Drive, the Anna May Bar boasts a solid cocktail menu that promises to surprise aficionados with exotic ingredients. New additions include the signature Anna May — a picturesque, pink-hued combination of Dos Hombres Mezcal, Aperol, and Peychaud's Bitters topped with yuzu champagne foam — as well as the Midnight Caller — a purple lover-approved libation of Sông Cái Vietnamese gin, sake, butterfly tea, and lavender bitters. Cinema plays a small part, as cocktails including Daughter of the Dragon, Mr. Wu, Crimson City, and Road to Dishonour are named after Wong's films.

Lucky for Angelenos, some things will never change at Crustacean. Like its consistently captivating Euro-Vietnamese fusion cuisine, conceived by legendary chef Helene An. Helene was dubbed the "mother of fusion cuisine" by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, which also awarded her with the Pioneer Award in culinary arts in 2019.

Helene's finesse of yin and yang cooking inspired the bar's new chapter. Savory new selections on the bites menu include crab toast, salmon sashimi, crab legs, and steamed vegan dumplings. And don't worry, longtime diner favorites like An's famous garlic noodles, tuna cigars, and filet mignon satay are on there as well.

Run by four generations of women in the An family over the course of more than 50 years, House of An's portfolio of restaurants started with Diana An's 1971 purchase of a San Francisco Italian deli later named Thanh Long. Along the way, House of An added Crustacean Beverly Hills, An Catering, AnQi bistro in South Coast Plaza, and Tiato in Santa Monica.

"We've had such loyal patrons over the years, but as time passes, so do the palates of the next generation of Crustacean diners," said Elizabeth. Kudos to the An family for keeping one of L.A.'s favorite traditions alive.

Anna May Bar at Crustacean Beverly Hills, 468 N. Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, 90210; (310) 205-8990