THE RAGING SPORK

(Note: This review was unfortunately written several months after we visited the restaurant)

I’m not a foodie. Let me just say that and get the hard part out of the way. And as a writer who isn’t foodie, I’ll honestly say I have no idea how to write about food. So what’s a non-foodie like me doing writing a review of a well known, pan-asian fusion restaurant* called The Slanted Door? Who knows. But quite frankly, judging by the size of the crowd on a any given evening, this restaurant just might be review proof. Still with me?

If nothing else, The Slanted Door has one unbeatable location. It’s situated right in San Francisco’s ferry building, on the back side overlooking the Bay Bridge. If you’re not sitting at a table with a harbor view, rest assured knowing it’s close by. The decoration is equally impressive, oozing with style and a hip atmosphere. Hard, black walls with glass overhangs, glossy and slightly asymmetrical tables, black leather seats or other comfortable chairs, get where I’m going here?

The menu itself is pretty minimalistic. It’s a long piece of paper: similar to parchment paper. Nothing more, nothing less. We ordered six dishes, family style, most of the names I don’t remember by now: Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Shaking Beef, a Fried Noodle of sorts, Spicy Prawns, Steamed Duck, and something I can only remember as the Dirty Girl. By the way, if you’re lucky too, order the Dirty Girl. You’ll see why.

First up, the spring rolls. They come in fours, with a side of peanut sauce. These were good, but standard. You’ll find better, and cheaper counterparts at a local pho store if you have one. The peanut sauce, however, is quite killer.

Unfortunately we didn’t take a picture of this, the glorious Shaking Beef, until we ate half of it. If you come to The Slanted Door for nothing else, come to try this. It’s steak served with some sauteed veggies, along with another kind of sauce I can’t remember anymore. It’s seared, full of flavor, and cooked perfectly. And the veggies are good too. Bonus points.

If my memory isn’t playing tricks with me, I think this was a fried noodle with crab meat. And it definitely did not come to us as messy as it looks here. As you’d expect, the noodles were light, but crisp and still were able to capture a nice, slightly salty taste. Nothing like the bland, boiled noodle then fried with a touch of soy sauce you might expect.

Up next, some spicy prawns. Along with some equally spicy vegetables. If you like really spicy food this probably isn’t your thing, because the prawns in truth weren’t actually that hot (and this comes from a boy whose heritage demands non-spicy food). Nonetheless, the prawns were solid. The spice is fully cooked throughout the shrimp and isn’t just a taste you’ll find if you nibble on the outer edge.

Now, for the duck. If I recall, this was a duck steamed in some sort of tea aroma. The flavor was a little too light. Clean, but too light. It could have used a bit more of a kick. It was cooked well though, and the texture was good.

And “last”, the Dirty Girl. Okay, so the name was longer and more indicative of what we would receive, which is essentially stir fried green beans and some mushrooms. Out of everything we tried, this is probably the most disappointing. The beans were a little too crunchy, the mushrooms too ordinary, and the taste was lacking in both. So, why order it, like I mentioned earlier? Because if you’re lucky, like we were, the waiter might midunderstand you and bring you this instead.

Halibut. This, was good. The halibut had a great sear on the top and bottom of it. Chock full of taste, the top gave the fish a nice crispy outside to accompany an incredible, soft interior. One of the best filets of fish I’ve had.

Overall, for all six dishes (the Halibut was free), we paid roughly $33 per person, for four people. Was I full? No. Satisfied? Well, yes. There are definitely some dishes here that I recommend coming just to try. The place definitely comes with style, a nice location and a grand view. And it’s definitely for the hip and young crowd. Does it warrant continual visits? Jury’s out.

* – The Slanted Door’s official website claims they’re a Vietnamese restaurant. This author still sticks to his guns about his own personal description.

The Slanted Door
1 Ferry Building #3
San Francisco, CA 94111

http://www.slanteddoor.com/