This family-owned shack near Cambodia Town serves up flavorful Asian-fusion seafood like garlic shrimp and lemongrass beef sandwiches, making it a must-visit for delicious quick eats.
"On the corner of Anaheim and Obispo, the edge of Long Beach’s Cambodia Town, Vannak Tan is wokking up spectacular Cambodian-inflected dishes. The unmistakable scent of garlic wafts from the 280-square-foot stall at all hours. After passing the reins of Phnom Penh Noodle Shack in Long Beach and Rice String Noodle Shack in Cerritos to his siblings in 2019, Tan and his wife, Manika, opened A&J Seafood Shack in 2020. Drawing on family recipes and street food traditions from Phnom Penh to Oahu’s North Shore, the diverse menu transports diners to far-flung destinations with pitch-perfect flavors. The house-special lobster, wok-tossed with aromatics, is hacked into manageable bits for easier eating. The Hawaiian garlic shrimp channels the food trucks dotting Oahu’s coastline. (It’s served with fresh pineapple slices and is one of the restaurant’s best-sellers.) The turf side of the menu features grilled beef baguette sandwiches, deeply redolent of lemongrass, along with sour and smoky Khmer sausages served over steamed white rice. — Cathy Chaplin, former senior editor" - Eater Staff
"On the corner of Anaheim and Obispo, the edge of Long Beach’s Cambodia Town, Vannak Tan is wokking up spectacular Cambodian-inflected dishes. The unmistakable scent of garlic wafts from the 280-square-foot stall at all hours. After passing the reins of Phnom Penh Noodle Shack in Long Beach and Rice String Noodle Shack in Cerritos to his siblings in 2019, Tan and his wife, Manika, opened A&J Seafood Shack in 2020. Drawing on family recipes and street food traditions from Phnom Penh to Oahu’s North Shore, the diverse menu transports diners to far-flung destinations with pitch-perfect flavors. The house-special lobster, wok-tossed with aromatics, is hacked into manageable bits for easier eating. The Hawaiian garlic shrimp channels the food trucks dotting Oahu’s coastline. (It’s served with fresh pineapple slices and is one of the restaurant’s best-sellers.) The turf side of the menu features grilled beef baguette sandwiches, deeply redolent of lemongrass, along with sour and smoky Khmer sausages served over steamed white rice. — Cathy Chaplin, former senior editor" - Eater Staff
"One of the best dishes at A&J Seafood Shack in Long Beach contains no seafood at all. A menu mainstay since day one, the beef stick sandwich starts with a toasted hoagie roll filled to maximum capacity with fatty and flavorful lemongrass-scented beef, carrot and green papaya slaw, cucumber spears, cilantro, and jalapeños. A rich and spicy sriracha mayo spread along with a mellow hum of chargrilled smoke ties the whole package together." - Eater Staff
"It’s incredible how much food is produced from the small but mighty A&J Seafood Shack. Owner Vannak Tan’s 280-square-foot stall prepares a slew of fantastic dishes using family recipes spanning from Phnom Penh to Oahu’s North Shore: wok-fried lobster and crab, fantastic beef stick sandwiches, grilled Khmer sausage, and Cajun seafood boils are just some of the many draws here." - Mona Holmes, Brian Addison
"A&J Seafood Shack, opened by Vannak Tan in 2020, is a vital part of Long Beach’s Cambodia Town food scene. It features garlicky shrimp over steamed rice, wok-fired lobsters with onions and spices, and a standout grilled Khmer sausage dish served with white rice and pickled vegetables." - Eater Staff
