back in Vietnam

When Saigon fell at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the An family fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a few treasured family recipes.

Helene, born and raised in Saigon, was 31 when she escaped with her three young daughters as the Communist Party took power. Though they came from a Mandarin aristocratic lineage, overnight they became war refugees.

Unable to locate her husband, Danny, amidst the growing chaos, Helene boarded a C-41 cargo plane and was flown to Clark Air Base—an American military camp in Manila. From there, they were sent to Guam, and finally, to the last refugee camp at Camp Pendleton near San Diego.

After weeks in transition, they arrived in San Francisco—where they would reunite with Danny and Helene’s mother-in-law, Diana An.

They were strangers in a new and unfamiliar world. But their new life—and an extraordinary legacy—was just beginning.

an American dream

A few years before immigrating to the U.S., Diana An purchased a small Italian deli on a whim during a visit to San Francisco. That humble 24-seat space—later renamed Thanh Long—would become both a family business and a safe haven when the Ans fled Vietnam.

At 31, Helene An, the matriarch of the family, found herself starting over in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, living with her in-laws, husband, and three daughters.

The deli had promise, but business was slow. Helene worked as an accountant by day and at the restaurant by night—doing whatever it took to stay afloat.

But Helene had a secret advantage. She was raised in a home with three professional chefs: one French, one Chinese, and one Vietnamese. From an early age, she absorbed their techniques and flavors, intuitively blending them long before the term fusion cuisine existed.

Still, the early days were rough. A prominent San Francisco food critic gave her food just two stars, writing that it “wasn’t Vietnamese food.”

And he was right—it wasn’t.

Helene knew the American palate wasn’t ready for traditional Vietnamese cuisine. So she created something entirely new: a Modern Asian and European fusion designed to bridge the flavors of home with tastes Americans would understand.

She noticed Americans loved pasta, so she began experimenting with chow mein noodles, garlic, and fresh herbs. When guests began asking for the recipe, she knew she was onto something.

Word spread. Admirers poured in. The deli expanded from 24 to 40 seats, then 80, and eventually 240. In 1991, the family opened Crustacean in San Francisco’s Nob Hill district.

“We worked hard—always from the heart,” Helene said.

With that same spirit, the family reinvested their success to open Crustacean Beverly Hills in 1995, continuing the legacy through what is now known as the House of AN.