The District – Los Angeles by Hannah AnOpened Saturday, February 7, 2015
Along the city’s centrally-located Third Street near Robertson Boulevard, bringing a new and elevated dining destination to the Beverly Grove neighborhood. Hailing from the established Crustacean Beverly Hills hospitality family, the restaurant is Hannah An’s first solo endeavor and is a very personal expression of her Vietnamese heritage and American upbringing. Occupying a two-story, indoor-outdoor space, guests will be transported into a casual, industrial-chic atmosphere on its ground level reminiscent of a bustling Vietnamese street scene, with the upstairs offering a more opulent and provincial home setting. Everything from the timeless and subtle Asian-inspired decor to the time-honored recipes with contemporary flair stems from An’s colorful vision and a desire to familiarize guests with the true flavors and culture of Vietnam.
Open for dinner daily, The District’s approachable menu showcases traditional cuisine discovered during An’s travels throughout Vietnam-whether in districts filled with street vendors or those laden with French-trained chefs. Every dish balances the five fundamental elements of Vietnamese cuisine-spicy, sour, bitter, salty, and sweet-and incorporates plenty of Southern California’s finest seasonal seafood, produce, and garden-fresh herbs, along with Asian spices to create a harmonious and healthful dining experience. Menu highlights include Turmeric-Crusted Chilean Sea Bass with dill and served over handmade rice vermicelli noodles (Cha Ca); District Spice Lobster with half of a wok-roasted lobster and Hannah’s homemade noodles; Grilled Sirloin Beef with lemongrass and wrapped in betel leaf (Bo La Lat); and more familiar dishes such aselevated takes on the traditional pho featuring Northern, Central, and Southern regional variations with handmade noodles and chicken, beef, or crab meat; and a Crab & Pomelo Quinoa Salad with baby kale, mixed greens, mint, garlic, and lime.
In developing the menu, An explains that “with all the global influences found in Vietnamese cuisine, there’s a lot of room for creativity and it allows for many familiar points of reference. It’s comfort food in the context of culture.”
The District by Hannah An’s cocktail menu features both classic and exotic cocktails that celebrate the vibrant flavors of Southeast Asia, incorporating organic agave, housemade tinctures and bitters, as well as seasonal fruit, vegetables, and herbs. Examples include the Face Down in Saigon with Don Amado Reposado mezcal, fresh squeezed lime juice, organic Saigon cinnamon agave, and garnished with a cinnamon stick and the American Joe with Jefferson Reserve 15-year bourbon, fresh squeezed lime juice, organic peach rooibos agave, chili tincture, mint, and garnished with a mint sprig and Urfa pepper. In addition to a large selection of top sakes, the wine list showcases boutique producers throughout California and France, alongside eclectic international picks at a variety of price points. Local craft beers and premium Asian labels are also available to complement the restaurant’s contemporary, yet traditional Vietnamese menu.
Designed by Kenneth Ussenko of KU Productions, in collaboration with An, the 320-seat restaurant’s entrance features century-old Vietnamese doors and is framed by large Douglas Fir columns, suggesting the architecture of a Colonial Vietnamese home, with ivy climbing up the walls of a sidewalk-facing patio. Rich and varied textures are incorporated from floor to ceiling, such as weathered foundation bricks, oxidized metals, white onyx, hand-blown light fixtures with Edison bulbs, and ornate Vietnamese-inspired floor and wall tiles. An sourced antiques such as wheels from carts that transported families in Vietnam and a 280-year-old intricately hand-carved wooden door that’s cleverly repurposed as a communal bar table. The upstairs dining room, which is also accessible by its own separate entrance, can host private functions for parties ranging from 20 to 300 people.
The District by Hannah An is located at 8722 W. Third St. Los Angeles, CA 90036, and will be open for dinner every night: 5-10:00 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Lunch and Brunch service will be announced at a future date. For reservations, guests can visit OpenTable, The District website, or call 310.278.2345 and to book private events, contact events@thedistrictbyha.com. Follow The District onFacebook and Twitter.
posted February 3, 2015
