My husband, our friend, and I unsuspectingly & spontaneously decided to dine out and try Annam, a place nearby that has been on our radar for a while as may friends have raved. We decided to last minute try to walk into Annam on a busy Friday evening and were told to wait shortly at the bar to see if a table could be found for us. Before we even sat down, we were given the prettiest smile and welcomed with a beautiful warm greeting by Tristin, the lovely bartender, eager to greet us bringing us fresh waters and excited to have us. The interior is beautiful, everything is warm, luxurious, detailed, and ornate. Our lovely bartender, Tristine, quickly noticing us admiring the decor proudly gleamed and told us all the small details about how the restaurant was designed and detailed, pointing out more to us, everything being intentional to the restaurant and its story. We soon decided we might as well stay at the bar and dine, and lucky us, we made the right decision and felt as though we had the best seats in the house. The food was spectacular and fresh. The service professional, and what really impressed us as we were able to ask questions and Tristine was quick to explain and teach us everything about every dish and how it was prepared and sourced, ingredient, cocktail, and culture, always beaming with pride and never skipping a beat, giving us more napkins or linens before we knew we would need them for saucier, messier dishes
(Like the wings which she recommended that we we ended up ordering a second round of), and servers instructing us how to best enjoy each dish. We travel all around the world and dine out often, and to say we were left impressed and in good hands is an understatement. Our evening was memorable and we will cherish that dinner for a while. The bartender is so smart and thoroughly understands each dish and drink and how theyre crafted and what makes it delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish and cocktail, appreciating the detail of every part of the evening. We ordered a bottle of wine, chosen by our bartender who excitedly served and shared the details of the bottle, telling us the winemaker had just held a staff training teaching her and the team all about the winery and how it was made and and where it comes from. She was quick to offer us phenomal appetizer options that she knew would pair excellently with the Turkish wine we had chosen. Throughout the course of our meal we also ordered cocktails to share and every single drink was crafted with true thought and care, finished beautifully with the perfect garnish. The wine was delicious, but every drink made was balanced, bold, refreshing, and elegant. Tristin perfected each cocktail and even suggested we eat each fruit (the lychee and plum) to enjoy every part of it. Not only were they picture perfect, but fresh and delectable too. As my husband and I were complimenting the bartender to each other, a regular overheard and leaned over to us as if he has heard this before and said "And isn't it amazing she is like this every day, to every guest?" It really goes to show how high of a standard Annam holds themselves to be and why they have a high reputation. We were laughing, Tristine and her coworkers seemed like family eager to include us, we were all smiles the entire evening! We will be coming back and bring our friends and family too. The bonus was that the food, ambience, drinks, and dessert are phenomenal, but the staff- and especially Tristine really is what made the difference for us. Such a kind, bright beautiful, funny, and attentive young woman- we can only imagine everyone else there is worth the visit for as well. Thank you Annam and our bartender Tristine, for an unsuspecting, yet unforgettable evening! We already are planning our next visit! read more