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Categories: Vietnamese, French, Seafood [Edit]
Neighborhood: Beverly HillsMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Ordered:
-CRACKED Crab (house special)- was good. very convenient not to
crack myself. well worth the extra $5!
-Giant Prawns- ok...
-Garlic noodles- it was tasty, but not worth all the hype.
-Short Ribs- good
-Lavender mojito- VERY TASTY
-Pear Martini- was good
It was great to try once.... will I come back? probably not.
I went here twice with an ex boyfriend, and most enjoyed the unique underfoot see-through glass floor that displays an awesome aquarium. I thought the seating arrangement both times was a tiny bit awkward (we were placed in bench seating that puts you in close proximity to the party next to you...practically shoulder-to-shoulder). This forced me to engage in conversation with a loud, "proud" gentleman who purported to be the director "so-and-so", and told me I was "surprisingly articulate" for someone who lived in Redding, CA, which I found a little pretentious and ignorant. On the other occasion, at the bar, there was a gentleman who was bare-chested under a leather vest...looking rather scruffy. I was told he was "Jim Phantom" of the band "the Stray Cats". Apparently, dress code does not apply to aging rock stars.
Aside from these non-food encounters, our dinners were good (not out of this world, but good), the service was great, and my wine was enjoyable. It's a fun place to go once or twice....
My friend had mentioned plexiglass covered Koi river running through the restaurant, after a very heavy dinner, so we came for gourmet tea and dessert.
The service was attentive, tea, high quality, but the cakes (opera box (?)) were over-priced and nothing special. We were seated quite close to the piano which made it difficult to talk and made due with hand gestures and smiles. The ambiance is nice, even if it does feel a bit touristy.
First of all...I want to say there is a waitor there with a semi long pony tail that is VERY PUSHY with the food. I asked what he recommended and all he recommended was the most EXPENSIVE food.
I asked for water and he brought me a $10 bottle of evian
I also ordered that tapas in which he said it was $15 but it was $15 PER serving so we paid $30 for an appetizer which was not worth it AT ALL
The garlic noodles are not up to the hype...I can go to the mall and get mongolian bbq noodles that taste the same if not better.
All in all the ambiance of the place is nice but I left there feeling TRICKED into buying a lot of stuff I didn't want. I would NEVER recommend this restaurant again!
MEDIOCRE food for $$$$$$$$
Crustacean is a great place for a special occasion. I heart its "walk on water" entrance. Valet your car and you are ready to eat yummy stuff here. You either love or hate Crustacean and I personally love Crustacean.
Cracked Dungeness Crab: perfect crab for lazy people like me. It is already cracked; all you have to do is go with a partner who would help you get the meat out. Delicious!!
An'sFamous Garlic Noodle: You have to HAVE TO have to get this dish. Simple yet satisfying dish. Not too garlicky and al dente.
Bok Choy: eh....I'll pass
Shaken Beef: Eat it when it's still hot
Lava Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: nice dessert to finish up your meal
Let them know ahead of time if it's a special occassion and they'll give you free champagne. The place itself is dark and romantic with orchid and candle on your table. There is a worker whose job is to open the restroom door for you. Bonus: you can wear your bib here =P
I would rate this high-end restaurant a one star, but due to the excellent bartender it will stay at a 2.
I had the displeasure of dining at this pretentious place for a birthday party. I was aware that it was pricey, but let's just say that I will no longer do group birthdays b/c there is always someone that doesn't put out their share and forgets to leave a tip.
Moving along..
Entering the restaurant, you walk over a glass aquarium - wow! The decor is old school elegance, but the food was lacking in flavor. You will spend money on a mediocre faux Viet fusion meal. The price of your meal is what's paying for the floor aquarium.
Since I had a meal earlier, I decided to go for the lobster soup & spicy tuna rolls. I'm thinking that the lobster soup would have nice chunks of lobster and the spicy tuna w/cucumber rolls would be of a decent size. What was I smoking? I counted two little pieces of lobster in the soup - soup was about $9-11 & the rolls were tiny. They were smaller than your average sushi restaurant. Little morsels...Nothing about my meal made me think "this is the best 'insert here' I have ever tasted".
Others in our group ordered the garlic noodles which tasted greasy and bland at best. I was surprised that this was their "signature dish". The birthday girl ordered the crab and she stated it was absolutely delicious. Someone ordered the shrimp toast appetizer and did not like it at all. Apparently the toast was too fishy. I've had better shrimp toast at a Chinatown dim sum restaurant.
I did notice that the waitress was somewhat disappointed that not everyone at the table was ordering the crab. The waitstaff will push the crab & garlic noodles on diners so be warned.
By the time I arrived home 45 minutes later, I noticed I was hungry again.
I knew I should have trusted my gut feeling weeks before I ate here. It's not worth the money. If you have money to blow and just absolutely want to dine here because of the rep - go for it. Just make sure you take a trip to your local Asian hoods for a taste of the real deal with cheaper prices.
Decoration is very nice inside. the food just so so.
The waiter recommended the noodle, forgot the name, it was placed in crab shell, to be said, it was the most popular one, but the noodle was way too greasy, hard to swallow.
$200 for two more or less, if wine opened.
Was not impressed. Food was not the best. Went here on a date and forgot about it. The only thing I remember is the pretty ambiance. Other than that, I do not know.
Normally I would not go for these places to much, but this is a fun place. Very eye catching eye candy to be seen.
Food is not bad, little hit & miss.
Had the crab and was just average to me, and few other items were better in the past.
Service is what I remember...Get lucky I guess..
When you think about taking your girl for a first romantic dinner date in this upper class Vietnamese restaurant, you couldn't be more wrong, brotha! Well the Beverly Hills part is right, but who will get some romancing after cracking crab leg with bare hands and wolfing down oily garlic noodle? At least after two minty gum or rinsing your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash, you will...
Crustacean might fool you with high-end decor, Koi aquarium underfoot, and live jazz/classic tune. But when I think about Vietnamese food I prepare to be unglamorous, Phò anyone? Oh well, let's toss all the negativity because nevertheless, I worship their garlic noodles and roasted crab, they're FANTABULOUS!
To make me look less barbaric while eating them combo, I chow down some garlic noodle first and midway I swift my gear to cracking and licking them crabs. Because holding a crab leg on my left hand and forking some garlic noodles on my right at the same time might be the last thing that my boyfriend would like to see...
pics- http://www.yummycrave....
I've eaten here six times and each time I had the crab and the garlic noodles and each time it was amazingly amazing. There is no way around this. It IS expensive - too expensive. I took someone there for their birthday and it was something like $190 with tip and no alcohol. But those noodles - that crab. Want some NOW.
Be still, my beating, crab-hungry heart!
I've been a fan of Thanh Long and Crustacean in SF for a long time now, and their LA cousin is definitely on par. There's this weird trend of neighborhood SF restaurants setting up in Beverly Hills and getting all glitzed out. While I miss the more homey feel of Thanh Long, the food at Crustacean is still amazing.
Order: crispy rice paper rolls, jumbo prawn wontons, garlic noodles (pre-crab), 0.5 - 1 roast crab per person (Dungeness crab roasted in a garlic butter sauce)
This place is pricey but so worth it.
My wife and I have always been huge fans/proponents of Crustacean. Even had my birthday party their this year. The food is fantastic!
I had some of the worst service I have had in my life their this past weekend. We were excited to introduce some good friends to the restaurant who had never been. We were seated 25 minutes late and they put the four of us on a table in the corner that looked like it was made for two. We asked to be seated and the hostess said "nothing avaiable". I then asked the manager and got the proverbial "we will try" and never to be heard from again. Then nobody came by for at least 15-20 minutes. Someone finally came by to fill up the waters, etc.. We eventually ordered, mind you after the people that sat down after us seated right next to us had already began eating. We still didn't have our food over an hour after ordering. So we left (2 hours after our reservation time) hungry and without food.
Pretty sad experience for us, because we love the food. Never have wrtiten a review for a restaurant, but felt compelled this time.
What can I say the crab is amazing. Quite expensive, but worth every penny! I enjoy every time I go here. It makes me hungry just thinking about this place!
Back in the day when I was in law school, Crustacean San Francisco use to be one of my favorite places to dine. Naturally when I moved back to Cali I was ecstatic to continue my ritual. To date, I am not sure if it is the more pretentious Beverly Hills atmosphere that creates a less than favorable dining experience, or if those pans are just not seasoned the way they are in San Fran. I still love you Crustacean, but the San Francisco location takes the crown.
On to the food. Crustacean is known for the garlic noodles and drunken crab. I am not a big crab person, however, when I do eat crab Crustacean is where I like to make it happen. The noodles are delicious and full of flavor. They are a must when dining here.
Most people will swear by the drunken crab, but my favorite is the tiger prawns: this was very good. The prawns are very large and seasoned just wonderfully. The prawns are served on a bed of garlic noodles, so you pay a bit less for this dish than the crab and garlic noodle entrees which are both served and priced a la carte.
Overall, I would still recommend Crustaceans, especially if you ever have the opportunity to visit the San Fran location.
Happy Eating!
Well, went her for dinner the other night. Decided to make reservations at Crustacean for our anniversary since our friends kept raving about the place and this garlic noodle they constantly speak of.
The restaurant was nice; the koi fish under the floor was definately interesting design. But I have to say that the seating was cramped if you're not sitting in one of the booth seats. We were seated literally 2 feet from the waiter's station.
Ordered:
2 cocktail drinks
2 sparking water bottles
Assortment appetizer sampler to share
Crab cake salad to share
Lobster with garlic noodles for her main
Prawns with garlic noodles for my main
Flan for dessert
Hazelnut tea
Well, with everyone raving, trippin', and salivating everytime they recommended/talked to us about Crustacean and the garlic noodles, I was expecting an orgy in my mouth for dinner. After all said and done (and a $200 bill for 2 people), to my surprise, I don't think my mouth even reached 3rd base...maybe 2nd base at best.
I definately think the food is good here. Raving good? I don't think so. I don't even think the garlic noodles were that special...a bit salty actually (and this is coming from a guy that loves soy sauce). Not sure why everyone keeps talking about it like it was some god sent recipe.
Overall, I think the food was good and tasteful. $200 and 5star good, I've had just as good or better for less.
I came to Crustacean today for a business luncheon. Even though there were about 15 of us, and I totally expected the food to take forever and for us to have a prix fix menu, I was still disappointed. They brought out a sample of a spring roll, an egg roll, and some skewered beef. The beef was good, the other two totally and completely mediocre.
Then I had a choice between a lemon grass chicken or a bouillabaise crepe. I asked the server which was better and he said the crepe. The crepe was boring! IT was canned like veggies and tofu in a canned tasting tomato sauce.
Needless to say, here I am in a seafood restaurant forced to choose between chicken and vegetarian. It's not Crustacean's fault, but the crappiness of the dishes were their fault.
Disappointing.
Got dropped off here by our Beverly Hills Hotel limo, so I was feeling pretty baller =] When you walk in, the first thing you notice is the crazy decor with an aquarium under foot. The garlic noodles are to die for. The recipe is top secret for good reason and I can't wait to go back here one day!
I had the opportunity to visit this restaurant after a few days of business in the Los Angeles area with a co-worker of mine last week.
Several of the other people we visited went with us and suggested this place on a Friday evening after a long day of Marketing/Business presentations. Believe me, after a long day like this I was ready for some alcohol and food. The people were a varied mixture of ethniticities, Viet, Korean, Japanese and European. We had reserved a table for 10 and arrived promptly at 7:30pm. The hostess said it would be 30 minutes before our table was ready, so we headed to the bar to begin the evening. I was talked into a " Grey Goose Martini" by the guy from the UK and my co-worker had a " Manhattan"
For me personally, those types of drinks are better served after dinner as after one of those Martinis, I felt like I was "levatating" about 3 feet off the couch. Strong is an understatement, but at $14, I was not going to complain as they were picking up the tab.
The interior of this place is top notch with a fabulous entrance with an aquarium you walk right by that has some really nice looking, colorful Koi fish in. Very well done.
After getting seated, we had some White Wine made availabe to us that was quite good. I really liked the " Zinfandel" they chose to continue on with the forthcoming meal. Our waiter was on top of his game as he answered each question accurately and promptly. A veteran of 10 years at that location was very evident to us.
This type of restaurant had several very distinctive flavors, Asian (Vietnamese) French and then a very specific Seafood menu which I was very happy about.
I chose the Tiger Prawns with the famous Garlic Noodles this restaurant was known for. Having never officially had Garlic Noodles, I was worried about them being too spicy. They will knock your socks off if you ask them, but for me, our Viet guy told them to back off a little for myself and my co-worker. Very well done to say the least. My co-worker had the Grilled Rack of Lamb and he said it was very good also.
After dinner we all had the Coconut Cake and then went over to the bar to have a Kahlua and Coffee.
Not often if ever, I get to go to Beverly Hills for dinner on someone elses tab, but this place is real nice. Highly recommended.
The cocktail waitress was telling us that last week Demi Moore and a few of her friends were in.......nice.
Everyone and their mommas that I know swore this place was the sh*t. I must be the odd one out because I just didn't see it... or taste it. I felt like it was way too over hyped and I was expecting spectacular and orgasmic food.
I ordered all the popular dishes everyone ranted and raved about...
Drunken crab: I mistakenly ate too much of the sauce the crab was bathed in and felt an overload of oil. If I didn't do that it would have been a tasty dish for me... an oily one.
Garlic noodles: very tasty and good. A bit on the greasy side but garlic noodles are always like that I suppose.
Tiger prawns: this was very good. The prawns were big and plump. It was on a bed of garlic noodles.
Overall thoughts:
Maybe I need to not eat the crab like I do at Boiling Crab by eating up all the sauce and feeling sick after but I really thought this place was way too over hyped. It was funny to see the restaurant putting tables at every single corner they can stick it in. Felt like a labyrinth there.
Note: I critique on great food and how greasy it is and this place tasted too greasy for me.
Cost:
2 main entrees and 1 side dish with tip: about $150 total.
If I had to rate this place solely on its food, I'd give it about a 4.75 but the ambiance and service completely drives this to 5 stars. Initially, I didn't know what to expect from this restaurant as it's labeled as "asian fusion." This draws a fine line for me as I'm drawn to more authentic tastes. However, even though the food is fairly straight forward here, it is done to perfection! If you ever watch Top Chef, you know that the best meals out there are the ones that are simple but full of flavor. This place is a prime example of that.
Ambiance: I do not know how it can get any better than a walking koi pond walkway through the restaurant. It's beautiful! Just watch your step! The lights are dimmed low and it truly is an impressive looking restaurant in Bev. Hills.
Food: For drinks, I had "The Beverly" and it was A-MAZING!! It's one of those girly drinks where you can have 5 of them and then all of a sudden it will hit you all at once on the 6th one! You cannot really taste the alcohol but you know in the back of your mind that it is packed with tipsy potents! I think it was probably one of the best martinis I've ever had. For appetizers, we had the "Tapas Sampler" which included two coconut prawn crab puffs, two chicken dumplings, and two beef satays.
For the main course, I had the lobster with garlic noodles and my bf had the "Shaken Beef" which is basically beef tenderloin paired with lettuce, onions, and tomato salad. I tried some of his and it was sooo delicious! Well marinated, tender, and packed with flavor. My lobster was just as good. My bf LOVED the garlic noodles but if you're a cook, you may feel otherwise because you'll probably feel like you can replicate it at home. It's still good, nonetheless.
Service: One word: phenomenal! It was all because of our waiter, Kevin Bishop! He is one of the best waiters I've ever had in my life!! Seriously! He is so engaging, so attentive, and so full of energy. You could just tell that all of his other tables found him to be great, too. In addition, we also noticed that the owners of Crustacean was making their rounds talking to regulars and new patrons. Great service and I'm so glad we dined here.
Pricey and LOUD.
Don't expect to carry on an actual conversation with your party.
That is the reason I will not be going back for dinner there.
I might try lunch though, as we did enjoy some of the food.
We thought the famed Garlic Noodles were delicious, tho nothing unusual.
It's Beverly Hills... this restaurant is pretty much what I'd expect.
The koi swimming beneath your feet (under glass) are a fun novelty for out-of-town guests. But... this restaurant is not about good value or fine dining. It's all about "see and be seen" and less about the comfort of guests or quality of dining experience.
Vietnamese foods at the worse!!
This restaurant are design for non-asian.
GARLIC NOODLES & CRAB...are the MUST HAVES!
I've learned to replicate the dungeness crab recipe so my jew ass will never pay $38+ for it again unless I'm with some good company but the secret to the noodles is that the garlic is made within the noodle itself. Oops the secrets out!
Ambiance is nice but decor is getting tired...We only dine there on weekdays so we always end up sitting next to A-list celebrities which is pretty cool I guess. Btw, if you are on a budget, save this place for a special occasion. I'm stupid rich so I go whenever I want. haha j/k
With regards to the service other reviewers are getting...the servers make a killing with their tips so their fangs are out for big spenders...
*impressed by the glass walkway with the koi fish swimming along*
I lost my step staring at the koi fishes when I first came in here, other than that I was seated near the stairs going up to the second floor for my birthday *nodding her head for not reserving the best seat there* and was attended quickly, with a waiter who knew the menu from the top of their head. I got to admit that the tiger prawns, veggie sushi and the garlic noodles are the best!
I also had a cucumber martini and the famously known drink invented there 'the Beverly' which is so delicious!
I would recommend this place for lunch rather than dinner because it has more lunch hour deals. Other than that it's great!
Food is great. Garlic noodles and Crab. Awesome decor. But waaay overpriced. Since a friend fit the bill, I gave it a four, however if I had to pay for it, it would probably be a three. Also, a disclaimer... probably won't be coming back her for a long long time.
I came here on a Wednesday afternoon for lunch. Actually, I didn't expect my friend to bring me here out of all places in the area we could eat at. Either way, it was definitely a pleasant surprise, since this place had been on my "to-try list" for ages.
While having lunch, I learned from the waiter that this place is owned by the An family and they have a secret kitchen that only certain chefs/people could enter. The decor is definitely pretty and romantic! I love the built-in fish tank in the ground across the little bridge - you can see fishes swimming along the trail as you walk further into the restaurant. I would love to come back for dinner just to see how everything looks at night.
On to the food - honestly, everything was good. We got the sampler that has a few bite-sized food items, like shrimp, beef skewers, and dumpling. Then came the delicious fish and garlic noodles... I was definitely full and satisfied! :)
I really wish I could give this place more stars, but I can't. My boyfriend treated me to this place for Valentine's day, and they served up one of those 5-course meal specials. We came here on *the ROMANTIC holiday* of the year, and they completely screwed it up. First off, they overbooked. Everyone there had to wait an hour at the bar just to be seated, despite having reservations!
Of course, the place is known for its decor--the stream of koi fish running through the restaurant is pretty brilliant. Still, I don't judge a book by it's cover.
Once we were *finally* seated, I had high expectations for the food. The steak was good, the shrimps were good, but not memorable the way I expected. The only thing that really stuck in my mind was the crab cake in lobster bisque. That was delicious! The crab cake was perfect (crisp on the outside, delicate on the inside), and the pairing with lobster bisque was genius!
I'm giving this place two stars for now because they pretty much ruined Valentine's day... Still, I would give it another shot on a normal day. I'm willing to try another plate.
5 stars for the crab and garlic noodles. Everything else on the menu is good, but nothing worth raving about.
Yum, I'm craving crab now!
Completely underwhelmed and unimpressed. I went for my brother's bday dinner and checked out the reviews on yelp before we went. I was a bit hesitant because of a few terrible reviews, but nonetheless I decided to go to Crustacean with an open mind and hoped for a great meal. BIG mistake. I will have more faith in fellow yelpers.
Let me start with the good: the service. The hostess was friendly and no attitude. We had reservations and were seated immediately and our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.
From there, the rest is pretty much downhill. We started with the appetizer sampler:
Seared ahi tuna taco: good, nothing special.
Lobster lollipop: a bit rubbery, and no lobster flavor (more on why later).
Crab "puffs:" not much crab, a whole lot of fried, thus taste was ok (what isn't good fried and dipped in sauce?).
Shrimp "mouse" in "phyllo dough:" let's call a spade a spade - it was basically a mini egg roll with little filling that truthfully could have just had air in side and would have tasted good (see above explanation on fried food goodness).
Ok, appetizers were lackluster but I'm thinking they will wow us with the entrees, especially the lobster dish from the famed "Secret Kitchen." There were four of us and we shared a bit so I was able to try everything.
Chilean sea bass: overcooked. How do you overcook a fish with such a high oil content???? The texture of it bore more of a resemblance to halibut due to overcooking. And as a sea bass lover (I will no doubt end up with mercury poisoning) it had little flavor which leads me to believe it was no where close to being fresh and probably frozen for an extended period of time.
The Dragon Fried Rice dish was stir fried rice with scallops. What it really was: white on white on white. White stir fried rice, with egg and tiny baby scallops cut into pieces served on a white plate. Presentation aside, the dish had no flavor and was quite oily (we asked for light oil because I heard Crustacean has a heavy hand when it comes to oil). There was not a single whole scallop, and even a dousing of soy sauce still couldn't elevate this to a 1 star dish.
And then the dishes from the "Secret Kitchen:" Maine lobster with garlic noodles at $45 a plate. To me $45 for a great lobster dish is absolutely worth it. Actually amazing food is always worth the extra expense in my book. I'm a hardcore gastrosexual and will gladly shell over mucho dinero for great cuisine. I'm not bothered by small portions (great things come in small packages and on small plates). But for a $45 "Maine Lobster" from the secret kitchen I expect there will be at least some lobster tail (yes I am one of those people who believes the tail meat is far superior to the claws). What was on the dish: the BODY of the lobster. That's right all the parts that other restaurants generally don't serve: the gills, the circulatory system, the liver and digestive system - the area where all the toxins and garbage accumulate. It is mushy, has no flavor and who the fuck wants to eat the innards of a bottom feeder?! That explains why they take it out of the shell and spread it over the noodles for you. If anyone had to pick that shit out themselves they'd send it back stat. The "famous" garlic noodles were so whatever I don't want to talk about them and continue to perpetuate the myth that they are something special. We did complain to management and they were very kind and replaced one of the lobster dishes (with more lobster body and no explanation about where the tail was).
Perhaps one of the problems with Crustacean is the hype, which it puts on itself with the "secret kitchen" bullshit. A restaurant can only stand up to the hype if the food is phenomenal and spot on every time. Kitchen quality checks need to be in place for every plate that is sent out. Sadly Crustacean is no more then a glorified PF Changs. So there you have it, I know the secret in An's kitchen: they overhype below average food, and get away with charging exorbitant prices because most people don't know good food. I was so disappointed I will never go back.
Needless to say Crustacean is not what it once was. The food, the service, the atmosphere, the staff. What happened? I recall the days when Crustacean was a great place to see and be seen. Now it's a place for has-beens. The food is over-priced and tastes like it gets zapped in a microwave. They must use MSG in everything cause the last time we ate there I had a splitting headache that I usually get from having MSG.
The Crab is overly sauced and always too greasy. The touted Garlic Noodles are nothing but Chinese noodles with tons of grease and some cheese and what tastes like maple syrup. Oh and let's not forget MSG!!! The veggies that were ordered turned into some white slick goop as soon as they were cooled. Half the food is fried and not that good. The lobster tastes like it was once live but ended up in the freezer at some point. The wine list is too confusing and the staff is unhappy. Most importantly, the place is so dirty. The day we were there there were slick oil stains all over the lovely wood floors. Clean a little. This is important. They need to tear this place down and build a PF Changs.
Next time my friends drag me there the only thing I will order is water. And you can hold the MSG!!! I don't anticipate that to be anytime soon. I am sad to say. Crustacean has lost the je ne sais quoi that it once had. I guess every place has to go down sometime.
One word description:
over hyped
Pro:
Good food
good atmosphere
good service
garlic noodles
Con:
Severely overpriced
cost:
$150 for 2 people without drinks
Look let's face it, this is a restaurant for rich doctors in Bev Hills at lunch who can't be bothered to find a new spot and tourists at night who were sent there by 10-year-old guidebooks or the conceirege who gets a kickback. The "famous" garlic noodles are not that good and WAY overpriced. Also, don't fall for the special crab. It will cost you $40 or more. Not kidding. You can do WAY better for your hard earned cash at any number of restaurants in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood. Tourists beware, locals go only for lunch or at least order carefully off the menu (some of the dishes here are ok, it must be said).
Okay, So I have never heard of this place but a friend wanted to take me here after being to the one in SF, so around 7:30pm I found myself pulling up to the valet. When we walked in, I felt really under dressed. It gave me that feeling like, ugh, if only I would have known! I was actually wearing a baseball hat & the hostess, who was smiling the whole time, told my friend I had to take it off! lol (I'm a college student, give me a break!)..okay, so hat is off, ran back to the valet guy who hadn't moved the car yet & threw it in. With all the people standing around, at least the car is a Range Rover so I felt a little less ghetto..haha
We were early for our reservation which was at 8:15 so we ended up at the bar having a couple drinks. After my first grey goose martini which was a decent price, 14 bucks, I started relaxing. The atmosphere seemed pretty diverse to me. So about ten minutes after our reservation time, a girl came and got us and took us to our table. She was very friendly. We sat upstairs and the table had a nice little view of the downstairs dining room.
Then this guy comes and is holding something in his hand. I stare at him for a couple seconds (definitely feeling the two drinks by now) and realize he wants me to take something. Well what he wanted me to take were chopsticks! haha..I think that since he was holding 50 of them and half of the chopsticks were covered by a napkin, I was thrown off..and no I'm not dumb! lol
The waitress came over and was soo nice! Usually at a place like this, I would expect the staff to act like A-holes, but she was awesome. She even put my napkin on my lap. Okay, I'm giving too much detail here. So anywho, the wild salmon was very moist & cooked perfectly. The Garlic noodles were also good. Although the way I kept hearing people talk about them I expected them to be heavenly. lol..Just Good...
Now to show u how good I thought the service was, I had asked the waitress what this doorway lead to. She actually took me to this private back room to show me. It is used for private parties & I guess celebrities frequent this room. Very beautiful.
So overall, besides the hat, I had a good experience. Everyone was friendly, from the waitress to the guy pouring me water. I didn't pay, so that helped, but even if I had to, I would come back.
Honestly, I don't know what all the hype is about this place. Yeah, it's in the heart of Beverly Hills. The restaurant is cool, walking over the "aquarium" walk way as you enter the restaurant.
The cracked crab legs were good. The lobster the same. But please what is all the rave reviews on the garlic noodles! So over-rated and over priced, like a few other Yelpsters have noted. I can make this dish better for a heck of a lot less!
The service was good, but I felt that we were rushed to turn the table over by our waitress. There were 5 of us and we spent $400. I've been to way better Vietnamese restaurants for the fraction of the cost of this place....but these places are not in Beverly Hills! The high prices are necessary to pay the high monthly lease!
If you want to blow a wad of cash on a restaurant in Bev Hills, then go at it! Being a bit generous to rate this a 3...it's sure not for the price....more for the service, ambiance and dining experience.
If Crustacean were a club, I think it would be decent because the decor is very pretty and the bar scene was buzzing (my dining companion spotted Robert Horry and fellow San Antonio Spurs backups).
That said, since Crustacean is supposed to be a formal dining establishment first, the food and service were disappointing.
We were seated in a fancy rocking seat, but to our shock, sitting in the lounge (which I had not expected or made aware at any point when making our reservation) limited in our menu selection to a pared down list. However, we were very hungry and did not want to wait for a table to clear up or a reservation to cancel in the main dining room.
We decided to stay and settled on the Colossal Royal Tiger Prawns with Garlic Noodles and the Roasted Dungeness Crab from the "An's Secret Family Kitchen."
The prawns were decent in taste, but lacked intense natural sweet taste found in shrimp of such a size. Regarding their so-called "Famous" Garlic Noodles, I absolutely concur with Julie F. in that they were too salty. It did not seem much different than lo-mein from a ubiquitous take-out joint. We are glad that we did not heed the suggestion of our server for an additional order ($11.50!!!) to accompany the crab. Speaking of the crab...
The server said that to order crab from the lounge, we would have to pay an additional $10 to have it shelled or we could not order the crab at all. We came here to try their signature crab so we ordered it anyways. Had the crab been excellent, all would have been forgiven, but suffice to say, it was a major disappointment.
The excessive seasoning and spice usage totally washed out any semblance of crab flavor, and the crab meat was also overcooked.
As I stated, Crustacean would be great as a club/bar where the "scene" is more important the taste of food. However, we were so disappointed because we drove out of our way expecting to rewarded as foodies with well-prepared seafood.
Food= Good
Service= Questionable
Ambience= Crowded
made reservations and still had to wait 30 minutes trying to dodge ppl leaving+ entering. I just stared at the fish tank giving nicknames to pass time. Finally seat opened up by the bar and so I had a mojito listening to the music after I no longer had fish left to name...then came the seating and a friend and I ordered crab and garlic noodles...by then the hunger sort of went away... the crab was good, and rave bout garlic noodle was indeed true... Good but really greasy... :) I would give this place a 3 star for inattentiveness/disorganized hostess/es however an added star for a friend who loooooooove their noodles. :P
I agree with the reviewers here, the restaurant offering is outdated. I loved the experienced at Crustacean in San Francisco which was only a few blocks away from where I used to live.
When I transferred to LA, how can I not patronize Crustacean as well. The place is certainly more upscale with the fancy glass floor fish tank running around the lower level. Mood lighting and background piano music is what you would expect from a Beverly Hills restaurant.
The famous Roasted Crab and Garlic Noodle (from their secret recipe) is the main attraction of the menu and the hefty price on this simple dish is highly reinforced on the menu. The problem is that other restaurants have caught on with the taste which you can practically have less than half the price of what this restaurant has been offering.
The side dishes in the form of their tapas menu certainly reads like a delicious concoction, but when I had the waiter prepare our table for a special sampler nothing really stood out in terms of taste or preparation.
And while I'm at it, the waiter will certainly try and upsell you more items hinting it may not be enough. Drinks? Of course, but again it's not like I remember any of the mixed liquids they prepare like other restaurants where you know you'll be back for their Mojito, Margarita and the like. And with the over-priced items from beginning to end, I would stick to a glass of wine.
I really wouldn't like to hate this restaurant, but I don't know if it's just the Beverly Hills location that feels as plastic as the Hollywood lifestyle as at the end of the night I feel like I've been robbed from a good dining experience wanting for more taste and quality of service. They know you are there for them, and not them for you. Perhaps when in San Francisco you could patronize and have a better crab and garlic noodle dish either at Crustacean or Than Long. As for this specific place, there are certainly better food choices and service in the area.
I had a terrible dinner here with 5 other people on saturday night.The rice ordered with my filet mignion had a piece of hair in it, another person's salmon was very undercooked, they forgot to bring brown rice after asking 2 times. And last but not least, the Tiramisu Cheescake had turned and had a sour taste.
I'm not a picky person when it comes to food, and neither was the rest of the table -- but this meal was just BAD. The manager just took the items off of the bill, however I feel the entire meal should have been on the house. It was just lousy.
To top it all off there was an obnoxious schvatza holding court with his 'b*tches' a couple tables from us who was so loud that it made the dinner uncomfortable and a lot of the people dining in the restaurant were looking over at him. Not a good experience.
This is where the garlic crab I mean "cracked crab", and garlic noodles started, and I must say it isn't "vietnamese" but it defintely is tasty.....
But expensive!!!!!! I am a snob about my crab since I am from the pacific northwest, and our crab is soooooooooooooo fresh, and delicious....
That the way that they prepared the crab isn't anything that impressive, but seriously if you were raised with the freshest crab caught an hour ago, boiled, fried with spices and served right away, you'd probably complain about a mere 45 bucks too!! but then again when in rome, or when in beverly hills... do what the beverlians do... spend money, shut up and just eat!!!!!!! or not eat hahaha jokes, jokes.....
But seriously, this place is pretty tasty for a crab restaurant, but a star knocked off for being a faux vietnamese restaurant
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