Crustacean San Francisco

Crustacean San Francisco’s co-owner Monique An recalls sitting on the floor of a cargo plane, rocking with the aircraft’s turns. She was four years old and on one of the flights out of Vietnam after Saigon fell. Today, I sit in front of two plates that represent her mother and grandmother: Dungeness crab according to her grandmother’s recipe, and Spicy Noodles according to her mom’s. In San Francisco, where she and her husband, Kenneth Lew, run the restaurant, a “secret kitchen” preserves these recipes.

You’re literally not allowed into that space, where these family recipes are held sacred. But Monique shares that the spicy noodles were a Vietnamese version of pasta, formulated by her mother, who found that an Italian red sauce atop spaghetti was too acidic, while a cream sauce was too heavy. These noodles are gently bathed in garlic and spices, leaving each pasta strand lightly coated and moist. It’s delicious, especially paired with the peppered generous lumps of crab of her grandmother’s dish, hidden under the bright shell of the crab.

In the early days of San Francisco, when the family’s first restaurant, Thanh Long, was in the Sunset neighborhood, Monique’s mother would stand outside with free samples of Vietnamese rolls because this cuisine was not yet familiar to Americans. Eventually, she decided to leave behind traditional dishes in favor of adding a Vietnamese flavor to fusion cooking. Crustacean, the family’s second restaurant (there are now six altogether), opened on Polk Street in 1991, moving to the Financial District in July 2025. Most recently, the restaurant introduced a “FiDI Power Lunch” (FiDi for Financial District) for office workers to get a relatively quick three-course prix fixe at lunchtime, but you can also order à la carte. Inside, muted lighting, rich colors and high ceilings work together to create an oasis from the busy streets outside. In fact, the restaurant was formed out of a former Chinese restaurant and the 7-11 next to it, but you’d never guess that people once wandered the aisles in search of Funyons and Diet Cokes, where you now find plush peacock-blue booths and elaborate floral arrangements.

The vibe: Chic and upscale.

The food: Vietnamese fusion crafted with family pride.

The drink: A fun list of signature cocktails such as the Daughter of the Dragon made with Belvedere vodka and Thai chili, grenadine and lemon, plus a carefully curated small selection of wines by the glass.

Time Out tip: Parking in this busy neighborhood can be difficult, but you can reserve in advance at the One Front Street parking garage (it’s discounted if you use SpotHero).