Dave K.
Yelp
I stopped in An An for a mid-afternoon snack after some business at a nearby plant store; they were still in their soft opening phase. Although I had only one dish there, the crispy oyster mushroom appetizer, there were sufficient clues for me to feel that the remainder of the options would be solid. There may be some hits and misses--no way I can judge that without working my way down the menu. Speaking of the menu, you can get great food at places with poorly constructed menus, but the opposite is less likely. This is hard to explain if you haven't been in the restaurant business a long time, but as a former chef, certain menus just have "mu," a sense of simple 'rightness,' purpose, and elevated simplicity. These clues let you know that the small details needed to make good food will be adhered to. Maybe not great food, but certainly solid eating.
The ambience is also clean and crisp. When you enter a restaurant, smell the air. Over time, you can also learn a lot. This is also not bullet proof, because, as with An An, the kitchen is far from the dining area. But I walked back to check it out, and it smelled good and radiated calm.
My server was also attentive and informative in proper measure. She was there when I needed her, and not when I didn't. Granted this was mid-afternoon, as I said; who knows how she'd do during a mass crush. BUT, some of the worst service I have gotten has been in near empty places. Staying on top of your game and not getting lax or tuned out is difficult without a nice electric buzz. A busy restaurant requires every one be on top of their game, and workers keep moving. In an empty place, it's super easy to see your server too much or barely at all.
Finally, when a menu says soft opening on top, it lets you know that the owners understand new restaurants have kinks to work out. A soft opening says an owner will forgo a bit of short term profit for longer term durability. Another good sign.
Visit this new venue and check it out. Leave a review. I think they will do well. I hope so.