A Diner’s Journal
Annalien - NOW CLOSED
By Stacey
Bressler
THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED!
Glory! Hallelujah! My prayers have been answered! Finally,
Napa Valley has a really good Asian restaurant. There have
been a few noble attempts and some Asian-influenced contenders,
but Annalien is truly a Vietnamese jewel. Since moving
up here almost six years ago, I have been looking for a place
that serves consistently good Asian food. Until Annalien
opened in July, I had to travel to Santa Rosa for wonderful Chinese
food (Kirin) or Rohnert Park for great Japanese fare (Hana). But
now I need go no further than Napa to satisfy my cravings. And
judging from the crowds at Annalien, I am not alone in ending
my search.
Every dish I’ve had at Annalien has been good and several have
been outstanding. In the “small plates” category the stand-outs
are the Ha Long Bread ($6) and the Vietnamese Potstickers ($9). The
Ha Long “bread” is really more of a scallion pancake and the
dipping sauce is divine. I usually ask for a spoon and
finish the dipping sauce long after the bread has gone. The
potstickers are actually a bit doughier than I prefer, but they
are so perfectly seasoned and beautifully presented that I love
them in spite of their flaws. The Napa Valley Aubergines
($9) is another of my favorites, but since my husband won’t touch
eggplant I can only order this when others are with us. Crispy
rolls are good ($8 for either the shrimp and pork or the vegetarian
variety), but not distinguished. We found the Spring rolls
($9 for shrimp, wild salmon, or vegetarian) to be a bit bland
for our palates, though others in our group really liked them. Our
favorite of the salads is the Dalat Spicy Beef ($10) and we order
it almost every time we go to Annalien.
It’s hard to beat the Lemongrass Soup ($10 for prawns or chicken)
on a cold evening, although the Ginger Dumpling Soup ($9) comes
in a pretty close second. The hot spicy soups are amazingly
restorative and can certainly cure my winter blahs. Pho
Bo and Pho Ga (beef/chicken for $10) are really more noodle entrées
than soups. If you order Pho and a salad or small plate
it is certainly enough for light meal. But then you’d miss
out on some of my favorite entrées.
It’s hard to pick the most outstanding entrée because so many
are so good! The Sea Bass steamed in a banana leaf ($20)
is sweet, succulent, and perfectly combined with Shitake mushrooms,
tomatoes, and glass noodles. The Shaken Beef ($19) is a
traditional Vietnamese preparation of tender beef cubes and onions
and is terrific. For chicken, it’s hard to choose between
the 1142 Curry ($15), a wonderful stew-like dish in coconut milk,
and the fragrantly delicious Spicy Lemongrass Chicken ($15). I’d
suggest bringing more people and having both or having the chicken
curry and the Grilled Lemongrass Pork ($14). I must also
mention the Lavender Sea Salt Rack of Lamb ($23) which drew rave
reviews from the crowd. No matter which entrée you choose,
do not forget to order a side of the garlic noodles ($7). Wow! OK,
they may not be the best choice if you are on a first date, but
you certainly won’t have to worry about vampires. I could
make a meal of the garlic noodles with some of the dipping sauce
left from the Ha Long Bread. The Asian Style Green Beans
($8) are a nice vegetable addition to any meal. I confess
that I have not tried the Vegetarian entrées, but I am willing
to bet they are good since many have the same sauces as their
non-vegetarian counterparts (curry, lemongrass).
Since I have usually used up my weekly allocation of carbohydrates
on the bread and noodles before we get to desserts, my knowledge
is weak in this area. A “bombe” with sorbet dipped in white
chocolate was rapidly consumed at our table on one of my visits,
and everyone seemed to love it. The chocolate mousse cake
disappeared, too.
Annalien has both wine and beer available – I usually drink
the latter with Vietnamese food – and a nice selection of teas
as well as Vietnamese coffee (too sweet for my taste, but my
husband likes it). And of course there are sodas and waters,
too. The restaurant will only take reservations for parties
of six or more. There is a small bar area and full meals
are served at the bar, too. Annalien is deservedly popular,
so there is often a wait. Fortunately, this part of Napa
has lots of interesting things to do if you do find yourself
having to wait. The new Rocca Wines tasting room is only
a few doors away.
Annalien
1142 Main Street
Napa, CA 94559
707-224-8319
January, 2006 |
