THE GOSSIPING GOURMET: A zone for crab and so much more

Chef Mindy, at the new Crab Zone in downtown Laguna, has pushed the boundaries of fusion cuisine farther than anyone has yet imagined with her Vietnamese, Cajun and Chinese menu. Mindy is Vietnamese with a Chinese background; she frequently visits her sister in New Orleans, thus explaining this unusual mélange.

Although this kind of food (minus the Cajun) can be found all over northern Orange County, there is nothing quite like it in town. Of course, rents in Laguna make the prices a bit higher than restaurants in Little Saigon.

Occupying a space on Broadway next to the food court that used to be a pizza parlor, this modest, unpretentious spot has been transformed with the addition of nets, buoys, life preservers and plastic crabs for a nautical feel. Three TVs and a fish tank complete the décor. However, it does have a spectacular view of the ocean.

The menu features seafood ranging from the house specialty, extravagant Chinese-style whole Dungeness crab, to Vietnamese spring rolls with shrimp and pork, to N’yawlin’s po’ boys and gumbo. The prices vary as widely as the offerings.

We tasted as much food from each category as we could manage but there was still a number of interesting items we would have liked to try. Admittedly skeptical about gumbo Vietnamese style, we were more than pleasantly surprised by a cup of some of the best gumbo we have ever tasted: really rich and complex in flavor, modestly spicy and not at all greasy. It was full of bits of Louisiana-smoked sausage, chicken, herbs and vegetables, all simmered together until the flavors were inextricably entwined. Order it with some rice, and you have a very inexpensive light meal.

Shrimp toast, an old standard in Chinese-American restaurants, consisted of minced shrimp smeared on thin triangles of white bread and deep-fried. Here, it appears as a paste of fresh ground shrimp mounded on rounds of buttered French bread, baked and served drizzled with Thai sweet chili sauce. This simple version had very fresh tasting shrimp with a buttery flavor taking the place of the expected deep-fried oil, while the trickle of sauce added a touch of sweetness and a hint of heat.

We are both big fans of quail and although many people don’t like dealing with all the little bones, we love chewing on them. Marinated in soy sauce, garlic and five-spice powder, it was deep-fried to an irresistible crispness yet remained juicy and flavorful on the inside. We would definitely have ordered another one if there wasn’t so much yet to eat.

Vietnamese-style spring rolls are thin slices of shrimp and pork with rice noodles, lettuce and mint all wrapped in moistened rice paper. These were a disappointment. They tasted as though they had been in the refrigerator too long, draining them of flavor. However, the dipping sauce, a mixture of hoisin sauce and peanut butter, was quite nice.

With so many interesting choices on the menu, we suggest skipping the soft-shelled crabs. They were fishy tasting and not crispy enough. Instead, try one of Mindy’s wonderful crab cakes. Crab cakes tend to be more cake than crab, but these are legitimately named because they are 98% lump crabmeat with no filler. They come with a fruity, fresh mango salsa.

Their signature dish is wok-fried Dungeness crab (1¾-2 pounds) done with garlic and pepper butter or sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce. We chose the latter. You have to be prepared to work for your supper when ordering whole crab anywhere. When cooked in a sauce, it is even messier and requires a stack of napkins and a portion of patience to get through it. We knew what we were getting into and quite enjoyed it right to the very end.

Donning bibs, we attacked the crustacean with gusto, delighting in our choice of the tamarind sauce, which was slightly tart and fruity, with just the right amount of sweetness. The crab itself was good but we have had juicier, sweeter crab. The dish is served with a tangle of delicious garlic noodles. These fresh, chewy Chinese noodles were lightly stir-fried with a little oil, garlic, black pepper and seasonings. We found them totally addictive.

Steamed seafood selections include blue crab, Dungeness, jumbo crab legs, Maine lobster and shrimp, any of which can be steamed with butter or Cajun seasoning. All of the above are a labor of love, so put on your bib, grab your nutcrackers and dig in. A pound of shrimp for $11.95 is a hearty entrée for two. The Cajun seasoning is quite mild, and is nothing to fear. It just adds some extra flavor.

The dessert choices add another dimension of eclecticism to the menu. There is American cheesecake and sherry bundt cake, Spanish flan and Crab Zone yogurt as well as cassava cake, a traditional Filipino dessert. Cassava is a starchy root with little flavor of its own. It provided bulk and texture for this thin cake, which really resembles a dense, chewy pie. All of the flavor came from the coconut milk in which it was cooked. One of us thought it is definitely worth trying and the other felt it is an acquired taste. We both agreed that the flan was too light.

Except for the yogurt, all the desserts reflect the French influence on Vietnamese food with regard to presentation; attractive plating with the addition of fresh berries, ice cream and whipped cream.

We tasted a sample of their house-made yogurt, which does not come from a soft-serve machine but rather from the freezer. It tasted like tart frozen yogurt granita with icy crystals and a creamy aftertaste; rather refreshing after a meal.

This very informal spot is a fun place to taste food found nowhere else in Laguna.

WHAT: Crab Zone (949) 376-7035

WHERE: 217 Broadway

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

PRICES:

Appetizers: $3.25- $12.95

Entrées: $8.95-$36.95

Desserts: $2.50-$7.95

WINE:

Bottles: $28-$32

By the glass: $7.50-$8.50

ELLE HARROW AND TERRY MARKOWITZ owned a la Carte for 20 years and can be reached at themarkos755@yahoo.com.