Quan An 909
R.I.P. to Garden Grove's goat G.O.A.T.
When Quan An 909 opened in Garden Grove, we decided to stop in mostly out of curiosity: We were amazed that the entire restaurant was dedicated to serving Vietnamese goat dishes – outside of Vietnam, this concept seemed like it would only be possible in Little Saigon. Moreover, we couldn’t have imagined that they would all be great.
From goat curry to goat salad to goat BBQ, every version of goat offered by Quan An 909 surpassed our expectations in flavor and freshness. Our server, who may also have been an owner, suggested that the restaurant took pride in properly selecting and preparing a meat that’s commonly overcooked or underwhelming. We could tell: The goat served here was a lamb-like alternative to beef, neither gamey nor inappropriately fatty. Even the goat pho tasted distinctive and special – lighter than typical pho, but more delicate in a way that made us appreciate the flavors of both meat and broth.
Across two visits, we sampled almost all of the short menu, enjoying dishes including goat curry with a French baguette, goat noodle soup with herbs, a rare goat and lime salad with black sesame rice crackers, and goat in ginger. The only down side was that most but not all of the items served here were atypically expensive for versions made with any meat, let alone goat, which is frequently thought of as a low-end protein. While one taste of these dishes was enough to convince us of their value, it’s currently an uphill battle trying to win new customers over with a “but we serve premium goat” pitch.
Quan An 909 quietly closed in 2024. It will be missed.
Stats
Price: $$
Service: Table
Open Since: 2022
Closed: 2024
Addresses
10561 Bolsa Ave.
Garden Grove, CA 92843
Instagram: @quan909bolsa