MARDI GRAS PASTA (Tribune photos).

By John M. Borack
Orange County Tribune

The end of the year traditionally brings up the difficult question, “Where should I go to dinner for my birthday?” I generally attempt to dine at a different local restaurant each year with my family, preferably at a non-chain establishment.

I always enjoy trying new places, but with a vegetarian in my midst and me being a card-carrying carnivore, sometimes finding a restaurant that hits the sweet spot for everyone can be a mite difficult. Luckily, I succeeded this year when I rolled the dice and dined for the first time at Roux Seafood Kitchen in Huntington Beach.

Since I was craving a good steak and being that I am also a fan of Cajun cuisine, the combination of Roux’s 16-ounce ribeye (for only $29.00) and the opportunity to savor some New Orleans gumbo as an appetizer was too good to pass up. The gumbo is stocked with plenty of shrimp, chicken, hot sausage, andouille, and okra, and was very tasty and a tad spicy, thanks to that hot sausage. (Roux does allow you to adjust the level of spiciness in their dishes to your taste.)
The steak was juicy and cooked perfectly (medium rare), and I added five large prawns to my meal for an additional $8. The prawns were grilled to perfection and bursting with flavor, as was my side dish of garlic noodles. (Oher sides include french fries, red roasted potatoes, rice, white rice and mixed vegetables.)

ROUX Seafood Kitchen in Huntington Beach.

My family tried various entrées and appetizers, including the Mardi Gras pasta (sauteed Cajun trinity, large prawns, andouille sausage, hot sausage, jalapeño, and chicken in a tomato cream sauce), which my nephew described as the best he’s ever tasted; the shrimp étouffée, which looked simply delicious; a bountiful house salad (with Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, candy cashews, and shaved parmesan) and—wait for it—vegetable egg rolls. (There is a bit of an Asian twist to some of the dishes at Roux.)

(By the way, in case you’re curious as to what the aforementioned “Cajun trinity” is, it’s described by Wikipedia as the “essential flavor base in Louisiana cooking, consisting of diced onions, green bell peppers, and celery.” It even has its own Wikipedia page—who knew?)

The prices are extremely reasonable (especially given the amount of food you get) and the service was impeccable—our server Nathan was attentive and on top of things without being overbearing. Overall, Roux provided a great dining experience and I plan on returning soon to try the jambalaya and the shrimp po-boy sandwich.
Roux also offers various seafood boils, including crab legs, crawfish, clams, mussels, and shrimp, as well as fried seafood and live lobster.

They are located at 16883 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach, and their phone number is (657) 244-8592.