Why the Smithsonian is Honoring Helene An as a Culinary Pioneer | Eater
"The family’s downtown San Francisco restaurant was conceived as a bigger, more fashionable extension of their neighborhood spot, offering an Americanized, internationally appealing take on Vietnamese flavors. It carried over signature items like roasted crab and the garlic noodles with the family’s secret sauce, and featured inventive riffs such as a Vietnamese-style bouillabaisse. Early critical reception was mixed — a harsh one-star review threatened the venture while another critic’s five-star praise helped turn the tide — and the family boldly published both reviews to let the public decide. Over time it attracted a cosmopolitan clientele and helped establish the Ans’ reputation for hospitality and fusion cooking." - Lizzy Saxe
