the story of an

Diana An purchased a 24-seat Italian deli in San Francisco in 1971 on a whim. Little did she know, that deli would be the foundation of her family’s livelihood and legacy for four generations.

back in Vietnam

When Saigon fell in 1975, the An family fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a few cherished recipes.

Helene, born and raised in Saigon, was just 31 when she escaped with her three young daughters as the Communist regime took power. Though her family descended from Mandarin aristocracy, overnight she became a refugee.

Separated from her husband, Danny, amid the chaos, Helene boarded a C-41 cargo plane to Clark Air Base in Manila, then to Guam, before arriving at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. After weeks in transition, they finally reached San Francisco—where Helene was reunited with Danny and her mother-in-law, Diana An.

It was a new world, uncertain and unfamiliar. But what began in those early days would grow into a culinary dynasty.

 

an American dream

Years earlier, during a visit to San Francisco, matriarch Diana An had purchased a small Italian deli in the Sunset District. That 24-seat neighborhood shop—later renamed Thanh Long—would become both the family’s livelihood and their safe haven after the war.

Helene found herself starting over in a one-bedroom apartment with her husband, three children, and in-laws. She worked as an accountant by day and in the restaurant by night—doing whatever was needed to survive.

But Helene carried with her something extraordinary. She had grown up in a household with three private chefs—French, Chinese, and Vietnamese—absorbing their mastery from a young age. Long before “fusion cuisine” was a concept, Helene was already blending flavors across cultures.

At first, critics didn’t know what to make of it. One review dismissed her food as “not Vietnamese.” And it wasn’t. It was something new. Helene realized the American palate wasn’t ready for the bold intensity of traditional Vietnamese cuisine, so she created her own style—a bridge between Asia and the West.

She noticed how much Americans loved pasta, so she reimagined chow mein noodles with garlic, butter, and herbs. That dish—now world-famous as AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles®—became the family’s signature. Soon, guests were lining up outside Thanh Long. The 24 seats grew to 40, then 80, and eventually 240.

By 1991, the family opened Crustacean San Francisco in the prestigious Nob Hill district. Four years later, in 1995, they expanded to Crustacean Beverly Hills, cementing what is now known as the House of AN.

Three women standing outside a storefront, posing for the photo. One woman is dressed in a rainbow-colored dress and knee-high black boots, while the other two women wear coats and carry handbags.
A woman with four young children sitting together in a room with yellow curtains and a patterned chair.
Family portrait in a living room with nine members, including children and adults, posing in front of a fireplace decorated with Asian artwork and ornaments.
Two women posing together inside a room, one with short dark hair wearing a patterned dress, and the other with larger hair wearing a dark embroidered jacket.
 

history of Helene

Master Chef Helene An is celebrated as the Mother of Fusion Cuisine. She was honored by the Smithsonian Institution with a Pioneer Award in Culinary Arts for introducing Vietnamese flavors to the American mainstream, and she was inducted into the California Hall of Fame for her influence on food and culture.

But Helene’s impact is greater than awards. She sparked a culinary movement that forever changed the way America dines.

an it goes

The legacy continues with Helene’s five daughters:

Elizabeth at the helm as CEO; Catherine, founder of Tiato Santa Monica and An Catering; Monique spearheading our San Francisco and Northern California locations with husband, Ken Lew; Hannah overseeing events; and Jacqueline who co-wrote An: To Eat, Chef Helene’s first cookbook.

It’s a family affair.