Greer Wylder
Celebrity Chef Martin Yan just opened Yan Can in Costa Mesa, a new
quick-casual restaurant (one step up from a fast-food restaurant).
It's a mix of quality Asian culinary specialties from Vietnam, China,
Thailand, Korea and Japan. There's a counter for ordering, plus a
sit-down area where servers bring food.
His first Yan Can opened in Northern California in 2002. Now there
are six California locations (one in Rancho Santa Margarita). Also,
Yan has ventured into fine dining in March at the Irvine Marketplace
with SensAsian Grill.
China-born Martin Yan is known for his long-running,
internationally syndicated cooking show, "Yan Can Cook." His new
series, "Martin Yan's Chinatowns," airs on public television
alongside Julia Childs, Jacques Pepan and other cooking greats.
In his new show, Yan visits 11 Chinatowns around the world. He
explains their local histories and cultures of cooking. Yan has
written 25 cookbooks.
His most recent, "Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking," (a companion
book to his show) made Newsweek magazine's list of the 10 Best
cookbooks of 2002. It's a wonderful cookbook filled with 200 classic
and innovative Chinese recipes that are surprisingly easy to follow.
It also includes beautiful photos, brief histories and Yan's favorite
restaurants and house specialties.
An oversized menu display welcomes you at Yan Can. It has four
bold instructions: discover and explore; order, then sit; eat and
enjoy; return soon. Yan's cooking demonstrations from his travels
through Asia play continuously.
The noisy kitchen area behind the counter is separated from the
dining area. The contemporary decor features stunning walls done in
soft yellow, green, cream, purple and a deeper version of Chinese
red, with an attractive mix of wood paneling. The dining area holds
24 tables with unusual lime colored lanterns. Chinese-theme wallpaper
and photos of Yan shopping for spices in Singapore or visiting
Thailand are some of the visual delights.
For take-out items, gone are the traditional white boxes. Yan Can
went for black. And many restaurant dishes are served in Chinese red
bowls. Beverage choices include self-serve sodas, bottled water,
wines and beers.
The menu has easy to distinguish symbols for spiciness (one red
dried chili pepper equals mild, two peppers equals hot) and his
family's red stamp for Yan's favorites.
Appetizers include simple edamame (soybeans), pork fried wontons.
Yan's favorite is chicken lettuce wrap. The common dish comes with
