Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA!

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (Adjudicator)

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:52:23 GMT

EdSails

Cajun cuisine exploded in Southern California about 30 years ago, spawning a multitude of restaurants based upon the spices of Louisiana's back country. After a few years the trend wore itself out, leaving the area with only a handful of restaurants serving any type of Cajun dish. In the last few years a new trend began, based upon the simple idea of the seafood boil. This has become a big thing in Orange County, with dozens of Cajun-themed restaurants serving shrimp, crawfish, crab and more. The Kickin' Crab is a fine example, serving fresh, seasonal seafood simply prepared.
My love of Cajun food goes back to my teens. At 5 years old my son could eat a pound of fresh cooked crawfish. For a long time, however, there was no place in the LA/OC area to get these things. That's all changed now, thanks to the vietnamese immigrants who came in through New Orleans and brought their love of Cajun food to California.

The Magnolia Street location of the Kickin' Crab is easy to access from the 405. A beer and wine bar sits near the entrance, perfect for a drink while you are waiting for friends. That is one of the important things about a place like this-------it is not your romantic table for two type place. Instead, it is perfect for going in a group, a fun type of place where sharing is encouraged.
Appetizers are varied, with fresh-shucked oysters on the half shell being an excellent choice. Served with a basic cocktail sauce, some limes and Tabasco, the oysters are served on a bed of ice.

Gumbo is also available or a Louisiana clam chowder. Other appetizers include Cajun fries, sweet potato fries and hot wings. For the adventurous, there is a dish that is a nod to the area's Vietnamese heritage. This dish is the coconut sea snails. A plate of sea snails, simmered in a coconut broth with onions, ginger and chilies, comes on a paper plate. The tops of the shells have been cracked, so it is a relatively simple task to suck the meat out of the shell. It is time consuming, but the flavor is worth it. Like Orange County, Louisiana has a large population of Vietnamese residents, so it stands to reason that a crossover dish like this would work well.
Serving is easy here, with the seafood presented in plastic bags and dumped on the table after it has been covered in butcher paper. Shrimp and clams are always on the menu but it is a good idea to call first to see which seasonal items are available. During season, fresh crawfish are the way to go.

They are sold by the pound and contain some incredibly sweet and delicious meat in their tails. It is not unusual to see a small child there with a big pile of shells in front of them. Other seasonal items include dungeness, blue, king crab and lobster. The seafood comes cooked in your choice of seasonings, from a mild lemon pepper to a spicy Cajun style. In addition, you can request the level of spiciness. Beware-----they are accurate on their heat level descriptions. Mild is mild, but spicy is HOT. Another option, and one that produces an incredible depth of flavor, is to order Kickin' Style, a combination of all the seasonings. Also in the mix you can add items such as corn on the cobs, sausages and potatoes.

These are presented in the bag too, the potatoes and corn soaking up the seafood flavor and seasonings for a delicious side dish. Once the food has been served, it is just a matter of cracking the shells and enjoying. It is not a fast meal and certainly is a messy one, but it is a lot of fun and a great place to go with a group.
Kickin' Crab is busy, but does not seem to have the excessive waits that some other well-known similar-type places do. The service is excellent with attentive servers who know the menu well. It is a great choice when you want fresh seafood prepared simply and served with an order of fun. It has become my go-to place to bring a group of people for fun and some great seafood. As muc h as I love to go to Louisiana and alabama for these treats, it is nice to have a place just as good within a few miles of my house.

Kickin' Crab
1596 Magnolia Street #101
Westminster, CA
(714) 892-9888
www.thekickincrab.com

Cajun Heaven !

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (Rusty246)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:28:55 GMT

HOLY CRAWFISH! I'd go broke.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (EdSails)

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 02:09:55 GMT

They have a good selection of bottle and draft beers. Choices like Newcastle, Anchor Steam etc. I don't remember seeing Abita or Backened Voodoo though. Honestly, I've never seen much in the way of wine there. Somehow wine just doesn't seem to fit in with Cajun food.

ScreamingChicken

The Kickin' Crab looks and sounds like my kind of place! I take it the beer and wine bar offers a wide variety of beverages? I would be disappointed if all I could get with my truckload of seafood is something like Bud, Miller, etc.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (EdSails)

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 02:06:19 GMT

Good question. I will have to try it on my next visit and report back.

1bbqboy

What constitutes Louisiana Clam Chowder?

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (ScreamingChicken)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:26:51 GMT

The Kickin' Crab looks and sounds like my kind of place! I take it the beer and wine bar offers a wide variety of beverages? I would be disappointed if all I could get with my truckload of seafood is something like Bud, Miller, etc.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (Root-Beer Man)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:54:52 GMT

As a former Coastian I can say without a doubt that, based on the pictures, I'd eat that. Probably all the time.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (Michael Hoffman)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:15:02 GMT

Naw. That's just for politicians.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (1bbqboy)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:05:03 GMT

I thought maybe the clams had to have been indicted for bribery.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (Michael Hoffman)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:59:54 GMT

It's the same as New England clam chowder except the clams have to come from Bayou Teche.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (1bbqboy)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:27:04 GMT

What constitutes Louisiana Clam Chowder?

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (EdSails)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:04:58 GMT

Yeah, I wish they would open earlier in the day. I'd be willing to try grits and crawfish for breakfast!

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (Wintahaba)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 07:33:47 GMT

It's 6:30 am, but I want it now! Thanks.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (rneiner)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 07:31:14 GMT

looks good---really good pictures

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (ann peeples)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 06:30:06 GMT

Drool worthy.

Re:Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (Michael Hoffman)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:28:21 GMT

Mouth. Watering.

Cajun Seafood and Crawfish boils in.....Orange County CA! (EdSails)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:24:32 GMT

Cajun cuisine exploded in Southern California about 30 years ago, spawning a multitude of restaurants based upon the spices of Louisiana's back country. After a few years the trend wore itself out, leaving the area with only a handful of restaurants serving any type of Cajun dish. In the last few years a new trend began, based upon the simple idea of the seafood boil. This has become a big thing in Orange County, with dozens of Cajun-themed restaurants serving shrimp, crawfish, crab and more. The Kickin' Crab is a fine example, serving fresh, seasonal seafood simply prepared.
My love of Cajun food goes back to my teens. At 5 years old my son could eat a pound of fresh cooked crawfish. For a long time, however, there was no place in the LA/OC area to get these things. That's all changed now, thanks to the vietnamese immigrants who came in through New Orleans and brought their love of Cajun food to California.

The Magnolia Street location of the Kickin' Crab is easy to access from the 405. A beer and wine bar sits near the entrance, perfect for a drink while you are waiting for friends. That is one of the important things about a place like this-------it is not your romantic table for two type place. Instead, it is perfect for going in a group, a fun type of place where sharing is encouraged.
Appetizers are varied, with fresh-shucked oysters on the half shell being an excellent choice. Served with a basic cocktail sauce, some limes and Tabasco, the oysters are served on a bed of ice.

Gumbo is also available or a Louisiana clam chowder. Other appetizers include Cajun fries, sweet potato fries and hot wings. For the adventurous, there is a dish that is a nod to the area's Vietnamese heritage. This dish is the coconut sea snails. A plate of sea snails, simmered in a coconut broth with onions, ginger and chilies, comes on a paper plate. The tops of the shells have been cracked, so it is a relatively simple task to suck the meat out of the shell. It is time consuming, but the flavor is worth it. Like Orange County, Louisiana has a large population of Vietnamese residents, so it stands to reason that a crossover dish like this would work well.
Serving is easy here, with the seafood presented in plastic bags and dumped on the table after it has been covered in butcher paper. Shrimp and clams are always on the menu but it is a good idea to call first to see which seasonal items are available. During season, fresh crawfish are the way to go.

They are sold by the pound and contain some incredibly sweet and delicious meat in their tails. It is not unusual to see a small child there with a big pile of shells in front of them. Other seasonal items include dungeness, blue, king crab and lobster. The seafood comes cooked in your choice of seasonings, from a mild lemon pepper to a spicy Cajun style. In addition, you can request the level of spiciness. Beware-----they are accurate on their heat level descriptions. Mild is mild, but spicy is HOT. Another option, and one that produces an incredible depth of flavor, is to order Kickin' Style, a combination of all the seasonings. Also in the mix you can add items such as corn on the cobs, sausages and potatoes.

These are presented in the bag too, the potatoes and corn soaking up the seafood flavor and seasonings for a delicious side dish. Once the food has been served, it is just a matter of cracking the shells and enjoying. It is not a fast meal and certainly is a messy one, but it is a lot of fun and a great place to go with a group.
Kickin' Crab is busy, but does not seem to have the excessive waits that some other well-known similar-type places do. The service is excellent with attentive servers who know the menu well. It is a great choice when you want fresh seafood prepared simply and served with an order of fun. It has become my go-to place to bring a group of people for fun and some great seafood. As muc h as I love to go to Louisiana and alabama for these treats, it is nice to have a place just as good within a few miles of my house.

Kickin' Crab
1596 Magnolia Street #101
Westminster, CA
(714) 892-9888
www.thekickincrab.com