The Slanted Door

The Slanted Door is one of my favourite restaurants in San Francisco. Almost every time I visit the city, I make it a point to at least have a drink and a few appetizers at this upscale, Vietnamese place that has spectacular views of the Bay Bridge.

I was lucky to get dinner reservations last night. A group of us from work headed over for an early dinner at the restaurant. We walked to the Ferry Building from our office that is located along the Embarcadero. I love the renovations done to the building and the wide variety of food and wine shops including Sur Le Table. The Slanted Door is now much bigger and more contemporary in design than its previous location in the Mission. Despite more space, it's still very difficult to get reservations on any day for any meal!

The food here is so good that you can't really go wrong on any item. I suggest ordering a few bottles of riesling to keep you going throughout the meal - they have a lovely selection of wines to choose from. The dishes are meant to be enjoyed family-style so get a couple of items per person and you'll be set. I'd recommend these delicious small-plates for vegetarians:

- Vegetarian spring rolls with tofu, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage and mint (comes with a spicy peanut sauce)
- Grapefruit and jicama salad with candied pecans (I love the grapefruit and candied pecans combo)
- Green papaya salad with rau ram and roasted peanuts (spicy!)
- Lemongrass tofu with fresh shiitake mushrooms, onions and chili sauce
- Spicy japanese eggplant with green onions and coconut milk
- Wild French asparagus with black trumpet musrooms

Make sure to order a few bowls of steaming jasmine rice as well. There are lots of tempting dessert options, but I usually stick with the seasonal sorbet trio which never disappoints. Last night, I had grapefruit, watermelon and blackberry sorbet. Best way to end the meal is by sipping a small cup of herbal like Jade Spring or Drum Mountain.

1 Ferry Building #3
San Francisco
415-861-8032