Steakhead in San Francisco- Crustacean

In a city thats reknowned for fantastic restaurants, its almost a sin to go to the same place repeatedly. But when that restaurant is the An Family's Crustacean, send me to the confessional. Friday night marked my third trip to Crustacean in the last year, and I have yet to leave disappointed. Located in the Nob Hill area of the city, Crustacean is a Vietnamese inspired seafood house. (Other locations in Beverly Hills and Las Vegas).

The specialty, as you can imagine, is shellfish and the dungeness crab specials are the way to go. Whole dungeness crab is prepared three ways- roasted with garlic, the "drunken crab" simmered with wine, black pepper and scallions, and the "tamarind crab" in a spicy tomato broth. I have had all three and they are all outstanding. They're big, messy and delicious, and when they offer you the bib, take it...trust me. If I had to choose a favorite, its probably the roasted crab. This isn't a place for bargain-hunters, but what good resturants in this city are?

I started with an order of the Yellow Corn Bisque, which you can skip. Although there is dungeness crab in the soup, you wouldn't know it by tasting it. However, you absolutely need an order of the garlic noodles as a side. You may need a pack of breath mints afterward, but its a small price to pay. Next time, I would like to try some other appetizers...and there will be a next time. This is a totally memorable dining experience. Grade: A-.