QUA is different, however. While all of Kei Concepts\u2019 restaurants highlight Asian flavors, the newest addition to the group dials in on a cuisine that\u2019s very personal to Viet Nguyen, the company\u2019s executive chef and founder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up in Vietnam, and a lot of my early food memories came from eating at friends\u2019 houses,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the time, I wasn\u2019t thinking about what cuisine something belonged to \u2014 it was just home cooking and it was good. Later, I learned that many of those meals were Chinese dishes, and that sent me down a path of wanting to understand more.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his exploration, Nguyen discovered his own Chinese heritage through his Grandma V\u0169, whose family name traces back to Fujian province on China\u2019s southeastern coast. Grandma V\u0169\u2019s family, like many other Chinese migrants, settled in Ch\u1ee3 L\u1edbn, Saigon\u2019s historic Chinatown, and the region became home to a community of Cantonese, Teochew, Hokkien\/Fujian, Hakka and Hainanese immigrants, who influenced the cuisine and popularized family-style meals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started to see how many different clans, regions and styles of Chinese cooking existed. It was much more diverse than I ever realized,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The central bar in QUA\u2019s jewel-toned dining room in Fountain Valley.<\/p>\n
QUA takes it name from the Vietnamese phrase, \u201cV\u01b0\u1ee3t qua,\u201d meaning \u201cto overcome.\u201d The restaurant features a core menu made up of Vietnamese-Chinese dishes, like Hainanese chicken rice and oyster pancakes, supplemented with a section of dishes inspired by Grandma V\u0169\u2019s home cooking.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer food was simple but full of flavor, and a lot of it stuck with me,\u201d said Nguyen. \u201cOne dish that means the most to me is her stir-fried mustard greens with fried rice. I had never tasted it before she made it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Egg fried rice with stir-fried beef and mustard greens is on the menu alongside dim sum classics like \u201ccheung fun\u201d shrimp rice roll in a deep soy sauce. Surf clam is sliced thin like carpaccio and served in Sichuan chili oil, while crab roe rice is presented naked, with rich crab roe sauce, pickled cabbage and marinated wood ear mushrooms on the side to allow diners to build their perfect plate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always tell people to start with whatever speaks to them. If it is something they grew up with, that familiarity can be comforting. If it is something they have never tried before, that can be exciting too,\u201d said Nguyen. \u201cThe important thing is to trust your curiosity.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
QUA serves contemporary Chinese cuisine with Vietnamese influences inspired by the owner\u2019s grandmother.<\/p>\n
(Courtesy of Kei Concepts)<\/p>\n
Some dishes lean into Vietnamese tradition, like the pan-fried oyster pancake, a take on b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o, a crispy egg crepe studded with briny nuggets and stuffed with Chinese chives and fresh cilantro. <\/p>\n
Others are like Chinese banquet-style dishes, including the Sichuan bang bang chicken, a heaping plate loaded with chicken, scallion and fried peanuts in Sichuan chili sauce. For dessert, there is mango sago pudding and kayak toast, a milk bread sandwich of coconut jam and Vermont butter that\u2019s toasted and served with a soft-boiled egg for dipping.<\/p>\n
The restaurant is in a test-run, soft-open phase for now, during which the team will continue to fine-tune the dining experience, according to Nguyen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings at QUA are always going to change. We\u2019ll definitely have a core group of dishes that people love, but we also want the restaurant to stay dynamic,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
One thing that won\u2019t change is the personal intention behind the concept.<\/p>\n
\u201cQUA reflects what I grew up eating, what I learned later on and what I want to share with our guests,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n