I was depressed. You see, because of some scheduling conflicts, I was going to miss the LSU Alumni Crawfish Boil this year. And after seeing the wonderful Crawfish photos on Passionate Eater, well, talk about a double whammy! Which is why, I talked Mr S into grabbing some crawfish, and other stuff at Crab Hut on a recent Sunday. Not that it took much encouragement, mind you. And even though I grab a lunch now and then at Crab Hut, it’s mostly for the french fries(don’t ask). Eating Bugs is not something to do solo. Unfortunately, we both forgot that the Sunday we chose was Mother’s Day(shame on us), and the place was packed. But somehow, we managed a table amongst the large parties. The menu at Crab Hut has come a long way from my first visit. Now there are fresh oysters, various soups, and in a homage to their roots as a Vietnamese Owned business, the addition of Crab Hut Rolls, a version of Cha Giò Cua. As much as I perused the placard and menu, Mr S had other plans, and moved straight to ordering without even a glance at the menu.
We started with a dozen Fanny Bays from Canada:
For $15.99, these were better than I thought they’d be. I’m not a cocktail sauce-tabasco-whatever on your oyster kind of eater. I like mine with just a touch of lemon, in this case lime, which added a different, almost sweeter flavor to the oyster. I’m never looking for the "biggest, meatiest" oysters. I prefer a nice "liquor", and relish a great after-taste. These were decent, much fresher, and better in flavor than what I expected for the price.
Fried Okra($4.00):
Nice and crunchy on the exterior, creamy on the interior. Served along with some Cajun Aioli.
The one thing, I "had to order". The Cajun Fries($4.00).
Before you write me off as totally insane; yes, I know that "these are only crinkle cut fries with Cajun seasoning". But there’s something about this slightly spicy, crunchy(they’ve always been fried perfectly) fry, first dipped into a bit of malt vinegar, than ketchup, that I really enjoy. We all have our guilty pleasures, don’t we? Call me "Kirk, the Carb King" is you must.
Mr S ordered 3 pounds of Crawfish ($8.99/lb). What freaked me out was that he ordered them "Hot". Now, in my previous experiences with Crab Hut the "Medium was yesterdays Hot". So I expected to have my lips burned off.
But I was wrong, it wasn’t the burning hot I expected. So either Crab Hut is now showing some restraint, or my tolerance has gone up light years! These were cooked perfectly, the tail meat firm, but not hard or mushy. Because Mr S is fond of the "Full House" seasoning, which is basically everything but the kitchen sink, I never got the full flavor of the Crawfish. Next time, I’m getting them my way, with Old Bay…before Crawfish season is over.
Mr S also ordered 2 pounds of Little Neck Clams (7.50/lb):
Ordered with Garlic Butter, medium heat.
These were soft and tender. In fact, I enjoyed them more than the Crawfish. Garlic Butter sauce mixed with the juices from the clams, with bread……
We made a mess, and felt proud of it. I can’t believe we ate the whole thing……
Crab Hut is not a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Boil. Like the Boiling Crab in Garden Grove, Crab Hut has each of its Cheliped gripped onto 2 worlds. A Cajun Seafood joint, with a Vietnamese flair, a pretty nice marriage if you ask me.
Service has always been very friendly. Do not wear your Sunday’s best unless you have the best dry cleaner in the world. Bibs, towelettes, and a roll of paper towels are always provided. Nowadays, I don’t even try to park in the lot, probably one of the worst in the area, I go directly to the side street. As you can tell, prices are reasonable.
Crab Hut
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
858-565-1678
Open Daily from 12noon – 10pm
More on Crab Hut from yummyfoodsandiego.com can be found here.