Meet entrepreneur, go-getter, third-generation restauranter and AnQi Bistro owner Elizabeth An.
Elizabeth An remembers vividly how it all began for her. She is the third-generation and daughter of five sisters, and now she’s bringing in the fourth generation of the family. The all-women powerhouse family business cultivates extraordinary experiences in Euro Asian cuisine, including the famous, celebrity-packed Crustacean and sister restaurant AnQi Bistro, where her career began in 1995.
“Our story really begins with my grandmother,” An says. “Serendipity or fortuitously she bought a little deli in San Francisco in 1971.”
Growing up, the An family would entertain many guests in their home, with her grandfather bringing 20 people at a time. Her mother and grandmother were fiddle-footed and fervently ready to wine and dine in the finest way with service and hospitality.
"Our story really begins with my grandmother,” An says. “Serendipity or fortuitously she bought a little deli in San Francisco in 1971."
Growing up, the An family would entertain many guests in their home, with her grandfather bringing 20 people at a time. Her mother and grandmother were fiddle-footed and fervently ready to wine and dine in the finest way with service and hospitality.
“In those days in Asia, when you’re from a prominent family and your husband is an eminent industrialist, or in business, it’s all about entertaining and doing dinners and business over the table,” she says. “A big part of closing deals is inviting someone to your home—you do business and showcase your home with hospitality.”
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AnQi Bistro
In Vietnam, her mother and grandmother grew up with the best of the best chefs. They spent most of their days in the kitchen with French, Chinese and Vietnamese chefs to collaborate, plan the menus and orchestrate tastings.
“My mother has this amazing palette for tasting the food, tweaking and fixing,” An added.
Not only did An grow up surrounded by excellent food, she also had an eye for fashion that she translated into culinary cuisine. An expanded the family brand by revamping their packaging with a charming new character and bringing a pleasant experience to the consumer with vibrant colors and well-crafted taste in the modern-day fusion cuisine.
"People eat with their eyes,” An says. “You could have great food, but it can only go so far if it's not packaged correctly."
“People eat with their eyes,” An says. “You could have great food, but it can only go so far if it’s not packaged correctly.”
When she opened AnQi Bistro in 1997, An led with the principles of Feng-Shui using warm, passionate colors expressing the five Chinese elements.
“With prosperity, wealth, harmony and good fortune, I hope to have harmony with my employees,” An says. “Prosperity and happiness with my guests and my staff.”
An is proud of a successful and established business she helped build from the ground up, and more than 30 years later, she feels humbled and grateful. The well-rounded menu has many delicious dishes, and her favorite dish is the squash blossom, followed by the famous butter noodles and tasty crab.
The San Francisco-inspired dish her grandmother perfected with her own twist continually has raving customers coming back for more.
“There’s never one table a night that doesn’t have the noodles or the crab,” An says.
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With its California Vietnamese and French Vietnamese flare, AnQi Bistro remains the place to see and be seen amongst amazing cuisine.
A delicious un-pho-gettable restaurant you must try on your next date or special celebratory occasion.
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