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The Slanted Door
Categories: Restaurants Vietnamese Restaurants Asian Fusion Vietnamese, Asian Fusion [Edit]
1 Ferry BldgSan Francisco, CA 94111
Neighborhood: Embarcadero
(415) 861-8032
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
2761 reviews for The Slanted Door
Review Highlights
"Shaking beef and crispy imperial rolls = heaven."
(in 119 reviews)
"The Daikon Rice Cakes were phenomenal."
(in 78 reviews)
"Pro: Fabulously fresh and crunchy green papaya salad."
(in 90 reviews)
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2760 reviews in English
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Review from Emme E.
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm noticing in Asian restaurants the service is very economical & quick. They aren't unfriendly just getting things done which I don't mind. They are overlooking the water & we lucked out and got a table right at the windows, but there isn't much of a view. The tables throughout the restaurant seemed very nice overall so I wouldn't have minded if we weren't at the window.
Our server was Korey & he was animated, friendly & helpful! We ordered the Shrimp appetizer which was good. Pet Peeve - uneven numbers on appetizers! The 5-spice chicken was tasty and cooked very well. The Cellophane Noodles w/Crab were delicious with tons of chunky crab meat. I will say that I'm beginning to think crab is best served on it's own as even the tiniest bit of seasoning can overwhelm it's delicate flavor. They brought a dish of brussel sprouts out towards the end which we didn't order, but they said it was complimentary - I did keep my shades on the whole time as it was a very bright day - so maybe that was my 15 minutes of fame? (sweetie hates brussel sprouts, but they were yummy),
All in all we enjoyed our meal. The only odd thing was we did ask for them to bring everything at one time so we could enjoy all of the flavors & share, but everything came out separately, so we had the app then we shared the chicken, the noodles came after that & then the sprouts when we were pretty much finished. We enjoyed it all though & would go back again. -
Review from Bandari A.
Elk Grove, CA
2/7/2012
We came here on a Monday night and got seated about the time we had made the reservation for. The service was quick, for the most part attentive, although you could almost feel the rush. The food was very tasty and well cooked. The wine was alright but that could be our own bad selection rather than the restaurant's fault.
In my assessment the place is a little over priced. Don't get me wrong, the food was good. I just don't know if it was superior to some of the other Asian restaurants in the city with less of a reputation even though their food may be just as good.
We had quite a bit of leftover and I hate throwing food away. We asked the waitress to pack them, which she nicely did. When we got home and took out the boxes, the Cellophane noddles with crab was missing along with the tasty salad and the rolls. Those were probably the best part of the dinner. We did have the rest of the items which were mostly vegetables. I was very disappointed. I can't say it was intentional because I don't really know if it was. I give them 3 stars first because of the price and second because the overall experience was good until we took the leftovers out of the bag. Who knows? Maybe a fluke! I will certainly go back and give it another shot. -
Review from Rita Z.
South San Francisco, CA
2/5/2012 2 photos
Impressive! It's a modern take on Vietnamese food. I love the slanted door spring rolls ($9). They're so fresh and the peanut sauce makes them even better. The organic chicken claypot with caramel sauce, chilies and fresh ginger was so delicious ($19). With an order of jasmine rice, you'll be happy as a clam :)
I'm happy that most choices are organic/local. The beef is grass-fed, and you can tell that they care about where their food comes from. -
Review from Armando Z.
Oakland, CA
2/8/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Dynamite, pricey but worth it. You need to reserve at least 2 weeks in advance, though I have walked in JUST when they opened and gotten a table, don't risk it if you don't want to go elsewhere in the ferry building.
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Review from Julia P.
Updated - 1/30/2012
Came back again as this is one of my go to restaurants to take out of towners:
1. Great view of the bay bridge and bay in general
2. Close by all the touristy things your out of town friends will be at
3. Decently fast service and good meals.
The first time I came here for some reason I loved it. It was a new experience for me in SF and the food was pretty good (though a little on the higher cost of what you get). After coming back today, the food was still decent but just not as good as I remember.
I still recommend it as a place to take people especially at night as it's bustling and the bar is jiving. But if you're coming for a food experience, you may be left disappointed - or maybe it was an off day. Just make sure you admire the lights of the bay bridge over waters of progress and it will make up for it, somewhat. That and some Tanqueray.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/1/2011
There are four primary factors in rating a restaurant (for me) in order of importance:
1. Quality of… Read more »
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Review from Matthew J.
1/30/2012
I'll keep my review as short as the memory I will retain of this restaurant:
Tasty food, very expensive for what it offers, but still tasty but with a pretty poor service standard. We waited 45 minutes after being seated till we saw our server again. Even then there was no apology, no real warmth and tonnes of condescension. Some might enjoy paying for that, we did not. -
Review from Michael S.
Oakland, CA
1/29/2012
It's just an amazing place when you consider the size and the scale and the quality of food and service. It's like a high-end Vietnamese cafeteria that seats 200 people or more.
We had dinner with six, about a drink each, six main plates and 3 appetizers and split 3 ways the bill including a good tip was $95 per couple. So it also had great value. Everything arrived on time and the water glass was always full.
We had two rolls and the muscles. Muscles had great broth and flavor, then: shaking beef, pork, rabbit, noodles a whole fish and something else. We crushed all of it.
Just an amazing, quality, unique-place. -
Review from Andrew C.
Ventured back after years for a birthday lunch.
Good:
The Imperial Rolls were very good. Fat and in the traditional blistered rice paper with some lettuce, mint, and vermicelli served alongside (half plate pic http://www.yelp.com/bi...). These got wolfed down.
Carmelized Catfish Claypot was also good (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Nice flavors. Too bony for some at the table. The listed Thai chilis didn't add much heat.
OK:
Lemongrass Chicken (red onions, jalapeños, roasted chili paste and peanuts) unlike the catfish, this packed the heat, but not much lemongrass flavor.
Green papaya salad (pickled carrot, tofu, rau ram and roasted peanuts). Mixed reception at the table. Some liked it. I found it refreshing, but thought it needed more (any?) fish sauce to amp up the flavors.
Not Good:
Not wanting to shell out $34 for their signature Shaking Beef, we went with the sirloin dish for $18 (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The meat was *very* tough.
I can't believe the Cellophane Noodles w/ Crab is #8 on the 7x7 top 100 list. I think there were a few scraps of crab in there . . . (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
I guess I'll bump up to 3 stars, but still not a fan of the loud atmosphere and price / value for what you got.Listed in: What the Pho-ck?, Stay Puft Marshmellow Man's…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/20/2007
I was sad when I recently ate at The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building. I had eaten numerous times… Read more »
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Review from Laura B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/2/2012
I was truly disappointed. Let me set the stage. I ate alone here on a Thursday night as I was at a business meeting during the day, and wanted some not so much talk during an evening. The place, was so overly loud, I am glad that I was not with anyone. Every seat was taken, which is not bad for a restaurant, but I got no sense of a culinary experience, in fact quite the opposite. The food, not so good. And, I have been here at least 8 times over the years. I will tell you the best years for this restaurant were when you went up the rickety old steps in the mission and really enjoyed the food. That is when they really cared.
My meal tonight: crispy spring rolls, good as always, and very nice wait staff offered a half portion (kudos to the staff).
Grilled shrimp main -- really average, the flavor was sugary and not spicy enough
Brown rice -- really? This was the most tasteless brown rice I've had and I make this all the time at home mixed with regular asian rice for meals. So tasteless, they must have used an inferior quality of rice.
Bok choy-- not very fresh, kind of average, any chinese restaurant can do this better with a really good "taste of the wok" as my hong kong friend would say. I totally agree, very bland, not great bok choy.
I am sad to say I will not recommend this restaurant to friends and family. When I lived in the bay area I loved coming here, but now that I don't it is a very average to sub average experience. I think they've turned to tourism rather than quality. If that is true, go to the real flavor of san francisco restaurants and head out of the ferry building or piers. There is so much to be had in this city and this is not worth the food or the price. -
Review from Diane T.
1/24/2012
This place has a great location and very creative menu, but the food and the ambiance just weren't doing it for me. We made reservations for a Friday night, and the place was packed as expected. We were seated by the window with a beautiful view of the bay which I really wanted to talk about with my family, but they couldn't hear a word I was saying. I felt like I had yell the entire time.There were even several awkward communication failures between us and our waitress. Granted lots of guests is a sign of good business, there has to be a way to do so without compromising the intimate dinner setting.
The food wasn't bad, but it really wasn't anything special. We started with a jicama salad followed by the spicy squid, braised rabbit, and some sort of noodle dish with brussel sprouts. I wouldn't really call this Vietnamese cuisine, but more of Asian fusion. The table next to us had some passion fruit cotton candy, and even offered us a bite. It was pretty tasty! I enjoyed seeing the tropical Asian spin on a timeless childhood treat! -
Review from Van L.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
2.5 stars.
I initially planned on trying "Out the Door" but stumbled upon the restaurant first, and they happened to have an available seat (surprising since it was during a busy lunch hour) so I took it! I was psyched to try this place after hearing so many rave about it.
I came with another person and we were planning on ordering our own dishes plus an appetizer, but the waiter advised us against it saying their dishes are "family size" and more than enough to share. Instead, we opted to get just the crispy imperial rolls and the cellophane noodles with dungeness crab meat.
Omfg, I swear when the food came out, I wanted to cry. I don't know if they've ever been to Buca di Beppo but they obviously do not know the definition of "family size." Seriously, I don't think that the portions would even be enough for one person, let alone a whole family. Keep in mind that it was me (I think I look like I could eat a lot) and a 6'4 dude (who I'm sure the waiter could assume can eat a lot!)
At that point, it was too late to order more dishes because they were pretty busy and we only had an hour for lunch. I've never left feeling so starved - both in my stomach and wallet. Also, the food was good, but really nothing spectacular, and most definitely NOT worth the price! I will only give them props for the atmosphere (very open with lots of windows - nice to come on a sunny day) but I don't think that is enough for me to come back. -
Review from Apryl S.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
I am a pescatarian so the only meat I eat is seafood ( though I cheat and eat bacon on my pizza sometimes) so I ordered some seafood from here.I don't remember what it was exactly but the shrimp dish was waaay
too salty and I actually didn't enjoy it.
Everything else was great- the service, the other food, etc. The tables feel a little too packed in, but hey- they gotta make their money, right? -
Review from May B.
Los Altos, CA
2/6/2012
Nice modern take of Vietnamese food. I would go there again with friends if I am in the city. I like their imperial rolls and generally enjoyed all the food there.
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Review from Tiffany L.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
Having recently moved from the east coast, I had always been told to try this place. My friends weren't wrong!
Initially, I was put off by having to order from a family style menu since we were a larger group, but now I am a fan! You actually get to try more food and it's actually kind of fun. We had scallops, shaking beef, fresh fish with a cilantro & lemon grass for our main dishes. It was so good, that it reminded me of my family dinners where I had to rush to get food before my brothers took everything!!!
Everything was perfect from drinks to appetizers to desserts. Service was first rate and I loved it! I need to go back and eat from the regular menu to get the full experience! -
Review from John F.
San Jose, CA
1/13/2012
My Friend Mr. Jorge Vieto visited recently and not only recieved rude and despicable treatment by the waiter, who even accused him of touching him inappropriately, but the managers response to his complaint was to go elsewhere!
Jorge is a pillar of the San Francisco Gay Community, a staunch advocate for those suffering from AIDS and a honest and respectable person. I have known him for over 10 years and can vouch for his integrity and honesty.
I will NEVER eat at the Slanter Door again! I ask all those of my friends on Yelp to BOYCOTT the Slanted Door until they close their doors or issue a PUBLIC appology to Jorge in WRITING!
John Forrett
US Army Veteran
1st Vice Commander
8th District
Department of California
The American Legion -
Review from Wendy T.
Daly City, CA
1/9/2012 Seated via OpenTable
When you get there, they don't look completely full and packed inside. However, you can never make a reservation on the same day or the day before which kind of sucks. I had to make a reservation to try this place 1-2 weeks in advance.
Their food is good but it's pretty pricey for what you actually get. This would be a place I'd come to once in a blue moon.
Oh, btw...you can still dine there without a reservation, but you get a different "BAR" menu and cannot order anything off of the actual "Dinner" menu. LAME! -
Review from Anastacia S.
New York, NY
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here for drinks and really liked this spot, haven't tried the food though.
Location is great and the view is awesome, right on the water looking at the Golden Gate Bridge all lit up at night, awesome! And it's clearly a popular spot, the bar area was busy, busy on a Tuesday night, but the bartenders were nice, quick and there was plenty of room so you don't feel packed in even when the place is packed. -
Review from Birdy H.
Santa Clara, CA
1/8/2012
This remains one of my Favorite places in the Bay Area. The place is clean and light. You can see the ferry boats depending on your seating.
Food: Love the springrolls, the catfish claypot, and the cubed steak salad. Yummie!!!
Downside: Super busy!! Make reservations especially if you have a big party. I say make reservation a few days ahead as it feels up quickly.
Pricing: a bit pricy but well worth it!
Great place for a date! Lights are dimmed in the evening. After dinner take a walk to pier 39.
I used to go to this place often 10 years ago when I worked in Oakland. Recently paid a visit and the food is still delicious!! -
Review from Meelad K.
Laguna Beach, CA
2/5/2012
This place was good, had dinner with friends, and the food was very tasteful though the service was terrible. Waiter was kind of a child molester type, short dark hair ok build with black frame glasses. He was definitely not good, he didnt know they had aioli and talked to us as though we were his puppies, I know i was very pushed back. If i had a better server that would add one star as well as the chairs, i'm sure the group behind this restaurant were thrilled by its look though they probably havent had many meals there and the chairs are flimsy ikea molds. Don't think I'll be back here for a while
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Review from Rice C.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
I've been to their former locations and had mostly decent experiences, however, this was my first time at the Ferry Bldg. Great view/location, but food- mostly bad, service-extinct, cost- outrageous. Waiter did poor job explaining items, after taking order, he never came back. Well, he sort of looked over once as he wisked by. Bus staff delivered food. Shrimp dish was way overcooked, tough, chewy, other items used good ingredients but tasted just okay.
No one checked on us. Our plates were half eaten and person who picked them up said nothing. Had to flag down another waiter to get bill. Well over $100 bucks for two. I've had way better food, service, experience for under $20. Don't believe the hype. Too bad... it was once a decent place. . -
Review from Eileen H.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2012
Looking for an overrated, overpriced restaurant in a beautiful setting? Look no further! Loud, crowded, poor service and expensive, forgettable food. Will never go back & recommend you don't go at all.
On the way out , we asked for a manager. A server condescendingly said, "Hmmm....maybe you can go chit chat with the hostess," and walked away. The hostess ignored "excuse me" twice, then nodded her head and said she'd be sure to let the manager know, then turned away. GREAT customer service.) -
Review from kt s.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
Sorry. Hate to say it of such a popular spot, but this is Vietnamese food for people who don't know (or want?) Vietnamese food. Which would be fine, but it doesn't even taste good.
Veggies: overcooked, oversalted, drowned in oyster sauce.
Lemongrass Chicken: salty, rubbery chunks.
Salads are good (a bit sweet), though, as are the imperial rolls and drinks.
Our server was fine. Nice guy; only mildly condescending.
But when the folks next to us were cashing out, seemed they had never received 2 of their dishes. (One being their bok choy. We, however, had been randomly given a "complimentary" bok choy about 20 minutes earlier. Awkward.)
I think what you're paying for is the view and the name, folks.
(My man keeps telling me to just give them one star, but I feel bad.) -
Review from Ana T.
San Jose, CA
2/2/2012
This is a really good Vietnamese fusion restaurant. It is located near the ocean with nice views. The staff is friendly as well.
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Review from Michelle C.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
This is a good place to take out-of-town guests. The food is good, the view is one hard-to-find at quality restaurants, and the cocktails are really good. I'm glad that I started eating beef again, because the Shaking Beef is very good. I also recommend the Ginger Limeade.
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Review from Irina s.
San Jose, CA
1/6/2012
I have been here twice and both experiences have been a solid "meh".
I have tried several things on the menu, most were ok (lemon grass chicken, shaking beef) but the one saving grace is the amazing crispy imperial rolls! Totally to die for, usually get at least 2 orders of them. The service also isn't all that great. -
Review from C G.
San Jose, CA
1/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
What a great place! We went for lunch to the Slanted Door, and it was buzzing, fun and energetic atmosphere wise, we had a lovely waitress. Hip, but friendly and warm.
Food was really good - the pork ribs amazing - noodle dish and rock cod very good. The only thing that didn't impress us was the "Slanted Door Spring Roll", mint was totally lost, we felt that our home made ones were better. But we will definitely be back! -
Review from Sridevi K.
Los Gatos, CA
1/14/2012
Cannot say enough about Slanted Door! Always happy with the food..and the service. Their drinks and food menu is fancy and tasty!
We had a late dinner seating for new years eve last year and it was a fantastic experience. We had the perfect seating to see the lighted Bay Bridge, service was attentive and courteous. We had a casual 3 hour dinner, and drinks and pulled on a slow food and drink time, waiting for the fireworks at midnight over the bay bridge.
I dont even think I need to list out the items that are good on the menu, I have not eaten anything there that I did not like.
Reservations Highly Recommended, hard to get last minute seating unless its off time or really late into the evening on weekends. -
Review from Marlon T.
12/24/2011
I've been waiting so long to try this place and finally got the chance to the other day.
I paid ~$90 for my date and I. We got the Imperial Spring Rolls, the Daikon Rice Cakes, and the Shaken Beef. I also ordered a pretty good beer--Strubbe Flemish Ale.
Was it worth it? Sort of. I think the Shaken Beef was more worth about $20, not $36.
I would not recommend the Daikon Rice Cakes but the other 2 dishes we got were worth ordering.
Service was extremely awesome. I went to the restroom and our server refolded my dinner napkin while I was away. Our water glasses were never empty.
Good place to take a date but it might get pricey.
If you're planning to come here for dinner, make reservations for sure. -
Review from Phillip B.
Santa Monica, CA
2/7/2012
We got really lucky with a table in the bar. I'd have to say walking through the main dining hall, I prefered the bar area. We had 4 appatizers and 2 drinks. I have only had a few meals where I can say there was no room for improvement. Favorites in order: grapefruit salad, imperial rolls, uni, daikon cakes. Our drinks were mai tai and limeaid. Amazing!!!
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Review from Steve B.
Pacifica, CA
1/21/2012
"Slightly pretentious, aimed at a clientele that doesn't know better"
- a quote from one of our party last night.
We all looked forward to the dinner - some of our party had never been to Slanted Door, which based on its reputation, was slightly embarrassing because we're all locals. To sum it up, we've all eaten at places with much better food (e.g., French Laundry, Per Se, etc.) where the employees have much less attitude, so I don't get it. If the managers and/or owners would read the request below in the "People" section, it would be appreciated.
1. Food: the food was good-to-very tasty overall. We had California halibut (we're glad he deliberately brought it out first while palates were clean - it was good), two orders of lap chong rolls (very tasty), veggie spring rolls (nothing special) and pork spare ribs (tasty) as apps. For the main course, we shared shaking beef (pretty good - had it elsewhere, not differentiated), chicken clay pot (great flavors), caramelized shrimp (tasty) and spicy broccoli (good). Desserts were tangerine sorbet (bland), bread pudding (warning: not bread pudding - tasted ok, but they need to give it a different name, like "custard with two pieces of bread + chopped apples). A nice touch was the complimentary cotton candy they brought for the birthday boy (but see below on staff). Finally, the sommelier picked an excellent bottle of wine.
2. People: the reason for this rating. **To the owners and managers: please either put them through a training process or replace them - there are plenty of people in SF who will work hard and treat the customers appropriately (especially when they're spending $500 on a dinner for four).
The problems started right at the beginning: I called to ask if we could get a table with a nice(r) view because it was going to be a birthday dinner. She said they can't reserve specific tables, it's the hostess' call on that evening (which is fine, of course). She said she'd note that it was a birthday, however (which was nice), so I asked if she could just put the other point about the table in as a request - it would still be at the hostess' discretion. She refused.
We arrived early, planning to have some drinks in the nice bar**. The two women at the front didn't greet me - I had to get their attention, and they returned two fake smiles and an attitude. "Kill them with kindness" is a motto with which I was raised, so I decided to ignore it and treated them like they'd actually exhibited a little semi-genuine warmth (and I didn't want my guests to have the evening start on the wrong foot). I spoke to them one other time - same attitude (needless to say - they did not say anything when we left). The table was on the side, with no real view. Our waiter was attentive, and generally "ok", but again - didn't really make us feel welcome (or that he was capable of connecting with other humans). Sommelier came over, did not introduce himself, never smiled and ignored everyone at the table except for the one guy who first greeted him (great bottle of wine, however). **A woman working the tables in the bar seemed to be the nicest one.
3. Location/Ambiance: great. Located at the end of the Ferry Building with a nice bar, large windows, etc. The only thing that threw us off in this area was the attendant in the men's bathroom: he opens the stall for you (which is weird), and then you're obligated to tip him.
4. Other: n/a.
Overall: most of the food had some nice-to-great flavors and location is great. The only reason for the lower rating is the staff: replace them with people who understand that customer service actually matters, and that staff are a large part of the dining experience.
I host a high number of dinners for work, and SD has a nice private room, but until there's a change, the establishment won't be on our list. -
Review from Garrett P.
Anchorage, AK
12/29/2011
Food is generally excellent; as is the location. Drinks, however, are very expensive.
Order any of the noodle dishes, the salads and the chicken/seafood and you'll be happy. Easy plates to share and plenty of food.
Only drawback for me was the tofu, which seemed to lack the absorption of flavors it was presented with.
I think there was only one beer selection under $8 and wine/cocktails were mostly over $10. I guess its the location.
Would like to see an IPA on the beer list soon as well. -
Review from Olga S.
San Jose, CA
12/28/2011
Came here last night with a LOT of people, consequently got to try a LOT of dishes, and here is my breakdown:
THE FABULOUS:
Uni with black tobiko, avocado, cucumber. Super-rich, flavorful uni, and the salty tobiko and sweet avocado are a perfect contrast.
Daikon rice cakes. Who knew that something so simple could be so delicious?
Crispy whole branzino. Oh man, I was up to my elbows in that fish! That crispy fried skin is to die for!
Cellophane noodles with crabmeat. Just try it!
THE GOOD:
Oysters. Good texture, good flavor, nothing earth-shattering.
Hamachi sashimi. Goes great with the little pile of fried onions, but missing a sauce. Feels a little dry.
Crispy imperial rolls and slanted door spring rolls. No surprises, but really well prepared and great dipping sauces.
THE OK:
Barbecue spareribs. The ribs are great, but the sauce is too tangy and pretty overpowering.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
Shaking beef. Maybe it was just an off day, but the meat tasted really dry and overcooked, and didn't have much of a sauce.
Oh, and for dessert, they brought out this HUGE thing of cotton candy (I think green apple flavored)! That made for a really fun end to the meal, especially when those of the diners who had had one too many drinks started making cotton candy mustaches! -
Review from Ed U.
Ah yes, the department holiday lunch... the mandatory annual ritual that you hope will not be marred by a career-ending comment made under the influence of a little too much wine. You cross your fingers hoping that you can keep it together, act cordial without getting familiar and try to enjoy the food all at the same time. No small feat. I don't come to the Slanted Door much unless it's a group outing like a work-related lunch since the place is so cavernous and excruciatingly loud. Tuesday at noon was no exception - huge tables of co-workers all doing the same thing. It was fun trying to figure out where they worked.
There was a table of cackling women in Loehmann's Back Room outfits, so we figured they work at a low-end ad agency whose clients were non-profit women's organizations. There was a mixed table of people who weren't talking to each other, so they have to be from the billing department of PG&E, right? And the private room in the back was taken over by a pompous-looking, silver-haired executive-type and a very stiff-looking group of sycophants, so we were thinking it was a start-up who may not make it to the new year. Hmmm, I wonder what we looked like to others. Anyway, we were treated to quite a feast that afternoon - the $48 per person Prix Fixe Lunch, which in hindsight was quite a bargain. The food, I was not surprised, was good-to-superior Vietnamese fare - even though I personally prefer the more modestly priced eats to be had in Little Saigon.
We started with three (count 'em, three) appetizers - first the Vegetarian Spring Rolls because of course, we had vegans among us, but luckily the mix of tofu, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and mint worked well with a liberal dipping into the peanut sauce. The second was a big mound of Jicama and Shredded Red Cabbage Salad accompanied by pink grapefruit slices, pickled carrots, and candied pecans. It was a fresher version of a cole slaw that hit its mark well. The entrees were excellent. The last was the no-brainer of the bunch, the Barbecued Willis Ranch Pork Spareribs with Honey-Hoisin Sauce. A tad sweet for my taste but genuinely satisfying for a porcuphile like me.
The entrees didn't disappoint. Their signature dish was tasty though a tad tough, the Grass-Fed Estancia "Shaking Beef", which were cubes of medium filet mignon mixed with some watercress, red onions and lime sauce. There was the Lemongrass Chicken, a prickly dish spiced up with red onions, jalapeños, roasted chili paste, and peanuts. This was probably the least of the entrees as the chicken tasted a bit overcooked to make the most of the spices. Far and away, the best dish was the buttery Wood Oven Roasted California Black Cod, which came with a bed of field greens, thin slices of pink lady apple, and a spicy gingered soy sauce. Now that was a dish worth coming back for with Jamie W.
Our vegetable dish was the Chue Farm Baby Bok Choy with Baby Shiitake Mushrooms, which was as unadorned an Asian side dish as they come but quite refreshing compared to the other more robust creations. For me, dessert fell short. The first was a chocolate roll cake with a mousse covered in some white seeds we couldn't quite make out. The second was hugely popular with my colleagues, the Bergamot Orange Cotton Candy, which came on a stand for easy grabbing (see photo). With a pronounced citrus flavor, it was gone in under two minutes - all three orders of it since they couldn't get enough. That stuff still looks and feels like laundry lint to me. If one of your great desires is to eat well in an airplane hangar, this door will slant for you.
FOOD - 4 stars...still more hits than misses at this upscale Vietnamese eatery that attracts the herds much like the Great Migration across Kenya and Tanzania
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...just not a fan of echo chambers...what you say??
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a tad unctuous for my taste...but again, what he say??
TOTAL - 4 stars...more for the food, less about the crowd controlListed in: Born in Bangkok, Reared in…, Lunching among the NoMa FiDi…, The Almost Bodacious,…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/21/2006
I have tried the Slanted Door at each of its three successive locations, though I have to admit that… Read more »
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Review from Carlo C.
Torrance, CA
12/11/2011 2 photos
After all the positive reviews, it's really hard for me to rate this Vietnamese restaurant any higher than 3 stars. Why, you may ask?
I live next to Garden Grove and Westminster. There's no subway sandwiches in this city. It's Banh Mi. If it's cold, you could be killed for requesting soup. It's Pho and only Pho. For Southern California, this is the home of true authentic Vietnamese cuisine. If you take a look at the people in the back of these kitchens, they're only Vietnamese people cooking.
So how does The Slanted Door compare? Let's put it this way. It's like Will Smith portraying Muhammad Ali in "Ali". He does a hell of a job imitating him and getting into boxing shape. But at different points of the movie, you still think he's from "west philadelphia born and raised" and wondering what Carlton looks like these days.
So, try as it may. The Slanted Door fails to impress the term "authentic", but does a decent job of entertaining the mildly discerning crowd.
Things you should Try:
Shaking Beef - Probably their Best Dish -
Review from Mike F.
Los Angeles, CA
1/6/2012
I've been coming here for years! This is by far my favorite restaurant in San Francisco! The food is incredible, everything is cooked to perfection and melts in your mouth. My mouth is watering right now for some vegetable spring rolls, yum.
The cocktails here are amazing, this is definitely a good place to stop in and have a drink, relax, and enjoy.
I don't live in San Francisco anymore, but every time I visit, not only do I visit friends but I also come here! -
Review from David C.
12/23/2011
I guess the concept of this place is pretty cool. Vietnamese American fusion. At the end of the day, you're still paying top dollar for something that could have come out of my mother's kitchen. Not to say that food isn't absolutley delicious, but many of the dishes here really don't amount to the price you are paying. We ended up paying close to 400$ for a party of four (including a few drinks).
To add to that, the times I've been here the service was just terrible. Everyone seems pretty pompous and condescending, even the bartenders. I've come here for work related dinners on multiple occasions, and the service all those times was not quick nor was it satisfactory.
Clay pot chicken: B
This literally tastes like a dish my mom makes. For you chinese people, it just tastes like soy sauce chicken clay pot. No idea why this was ~20 dollars.
Spring rolls: A
Tasted great and wrapped really well, but definitely high dollar for an appetizer.
Stir fried calamari with bell peppers: B
Tastes again like something you would eat in a traditional Asian household. Great flavors, but not quite worth the ticket.
Filet Mignon Cubes: A+
Now this was the savior of the meal. Great tasting portions of filet mignon cubes wok fried with onions and bell peppers.
My favorite part of the meal was dessert. Vanilla bread pudding and cotton candy. Not very Vietnamese at all, but tasted great and both were quite unique in presentation.
PROTIP: There is a per head charge for steamed rice. -
Review from Martin Y.
Austin, TX
12/27/2011
Ok this is a pricey place, but I thought it was worth it. Had a few cocktails while waiting for my daughter at the bar. I normally don't have mixed drinks as I'm a scotch drinker but this place speciallizes in these. the Lemon Lime ginger cocktail was too sweet, then I had the Moscow "something" this was much better with similar ingredients. Expect to fight for seats at the bar. The spare ribs appetizer was cooked perfectly and came out in less than 5 minutes...These bartenders are on the ball. Also had the fried whole branzino ( a fish like black bass) it was good, but most memorable for me was the Hoba soy yuba noodles...so much so that I'm trying to recreate this dish in my kitchen.
Excellent, friendly and attentive service...though they are very crouded you're never rushed. -
Review from J Q.
San Francisco, CA
12/24/2011
Food was good but the experience was marred by the waiter's lack of service. His name was Kory P. He poured our waters and then disappeared for 15 minutes. He did not even take our orders. We had to wave someone else down to take our orders. He came back once to check on us and then we asked for a rice refill. He did not come back. Again, we had to ask someone else to get it for us. Horrible service!! Would not expect this from a fancy restaurant like this. I mean, there are plenty of other Vietnamese restaurants that serve comparable food. The experience is what "supposedly" sets Slanted Door from the rest, right??
I am both embarrassed and upset because I had brought my team there for our holiday lunch...and all we remember is the bad service. I will not come back again.
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Review #155 -
Review from Cecilia W.
Berkeley, CA
Came here on a quite Sunday night in an effort to beat the Sunday blues. We got seated near the bar, where it was quitter (thankfully). Love the interior decoration, all of their utensils were also made locally.
Hubby and I ironically didn't order any of the Vietnamese dishes, but
- Seared scallop (appetizer) http://s3-media1.ak.ye...
- NY Steak (http://s3-media4.ak.ye...)
- Cellophane crab noodles (http://s3-media3.ak.ye...)
- Sauteed Bok Choy (side dish) http://s3-media2.ak.ye...
- Cheesecake http://www.yelp.com/bi...
We LOVE LOVE LOVE the seared scallop. It was so tender and seared just the right amount that it's still tender, yet a little crispy on the edges. And the sauce, oh my, if we had more table bread my Hubby would most likely finish it all as a bread dipping. The Hubby wasn't too excited about the NY steak (well, his fault. I told him to pick shaking beef, but Noooooo the man wants the biggest slab of meat he can get). I loved my cellophane crab noodles and bok choy. The sauteed Boy Choy reminds me of how my parents makes it - sauteed with garlic and olive oil, not too heavy not to starchy.
Overall, we liked the food. If we were ever around the Ferry Building again (but not likely since the Indian Summer a couple of weeks ago disappeared like the sun in San Francisco), we would most likely revisit. -
Review from Amy X.
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food is good overall, but nothing special enough to warrant the prices. What you're really paying for is the swank setting, nice view of the Bay Bridge, and very professional service. I saw a mix of suits (a lot of people going straight from the office) and casual clothes, and also more kids there than I was expecting.
The Claypot Chicken was my favorite. It had just a tiny hint of spiciness (from the chili sauce) but was huge on delicious flavor and tenderness. The Steamed California Black Cod was disappointingly bland and sparse on mushrooms. The Squash was not bad, and the Bok Choy & Mushrooms were good, but in a very standard way. The veggies were way overpriced, even considering the price level of the entrees.
I'm not dying to go back unless someone else is paying again. ;)
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