The Slanted Door has become an iconic San Francisco restaurant. This hugely successful restaurant (one of the highest grossing in the state) has been popular for two decades, that’s right two decades, and will probably never go out of style.
The Slanted Door first opened in 1995 on Valencia Street in the Mission District and I actually remember coming here with my parents as a child all the time. It was a tiny cozy restaurant and I remember always loving the food especially since Vietnamese food wasn’t that popular and well known as it is today. Once gaining popularity, the restaurant moved 10 years ago to a prime location along the Embarcadero in the Ferry Building. The Slanted Door serves modern Vietnamese/California inspired food that’s simple but really tasty and satisfying. The extensive menu has so many options such as items from the raw bar, various rolls, soups, salads, and meat/seafood/vegetable dishes.
Scallop Crudo with Cilantro Sauce (8/10).
California Yellowtail Crudo with Cripsy Shallots, Lime, and Thai Basil (8/10).
We started off with items from the raw bar. The scallop crudo was simple with clean flavors; sweetness from the scallop and brightness from the aromatic cilantro sauce. The yellowtail crudo was light and refreshing with crunchy fried shallots, fresh lime juice, and Thai basil.
Daikon Rice Cakes with Sweet Chili Soy (7.5/10).
Another great appetizer was the daikon rice cakes, a simple dish dressed in a sweet soy sauce that paired nicely with the slightly bitter daikon cakes.
Crispy Vegetarian Imperial Rolls (8/10).
One of my all time favorite dishes here is the crispy vegetarian imperial rolls (a must order). These lightly fried rolls stuffed with taro root and cabbage are the base for the lettuce wrap and topped with vermicelli noodles, roasted peanuts, and tons of herbs, paired with a delicious dipping sauce. So good.
Barbecued Pork Spareribs with Scallions and Honey Hoisin Sauce (8/10).
The barbecued pork spareribs were tender and slathered with a honey hoisin sauce. Delicious!
Caramelized Wild Gulf Shrimp with Garlic, Onions, and Caramel Chili Sauce (8/10).
Another favorite is the caramelized wild gulf shrimp; sautéed shrimp in a caramelized chili sauce with garlic and yellow onions.
Shaking Beef with Sausalito Watercress, Red Onion, and Lime Sauce (8/10).
Another signature dish is the shaking beef, a crowd pleaser. Sautéed tender cubes of filet mignon (caramelized on the outside with a medium rare inside) with herbaceous watercress, sharp red onion, and a crazy refreshing lime sauce. Get it.
Eggplant with Chili and Scallions (7/10).
There’s also tons of vegetable side dishes and the eggplant is a pretty tasty one.
Peach Tart with Blueberries (7/10).
Apricot Tart with Blueberry Ice Cream (7/10).
Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches (8/10).
All three desserts we tried were yummy but the snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches was on another level.
The Slanted Door will always be a favorite of mine, perhaps for nostalgic reasons, but it’s a great restaurant for any occasion so my rating is a 7.5/10.