The Slanted Door: A First Look

Niman Ranch Beef Sirloin

The Ferry Building is known for its marketplace. Located at the foot of Market Street in San Francisco, it houses small and large shops that offer a variety of products, from artisan cheeses and breads to newly-caught seafood and cured meats, as well as restaurants and cafes that serve fresh and organic ingredients. One of these restaurants is The Slanted Door (SD).

During our recent trip to the city, we found ourselves at the Ferry Building way past lunch time. Hungry and tired from all the walking (from Union Square), we decided to try The Slanted Door. Being a very popular restaurant, especially on a weekend, we didn't have to wait long to be seated. And we had a table by the window.

Being our first time, we had to go through the menu a couple of times over before we eventually decided on what we wanted. We ordered 4 viands -- niman ranch beef sirloin, lemongrass chicken, caramelized wild catfish claypot, and catalan farm spicy broccoli, plus a couple of servings of steaming jasmine rice.

Lemongrass Chicken

The beef sirloin was cut in bite-size strips and prepared with braised leeks, ginger, and red chili. It wasn't spicy, but it had just the right amount of saltiness. The chicken had the distinct flavor of lemongrass, as in any other Vietnamese dish with this ingredient, and was cooked with red onions, jalapeno, roasted chili paste, and roasted peanuts, for some added texture. I found this dish a little bit salty and the lemongrass was quite prominent.

Catalan Farm Spicy Broccoli

One of our favorites was the catfish, which was prepared with cilantro, ginger, and Thai chili, and served in a claypot. The sauce was light and quite sweet, which created a nice balance with the saltiness of the 2 meat dishes. And like any other catfish dish, it is always never enough, unless they serve the whole fish. For greens, the broccoli, with braised tofu and beech mushrooms, was a decent choice. I wasn't sure if this veggie dish was suppose to be a neutralizer, but it a bit bland.

Caramelized Wild Catfish Claypot

For dessert, we had SD's version of doughnuts. However, they weren't anything like a traditional doughnut (with a hole), but they looked more like smaller, irregularly-shaped beignets. The doughnuts were light and airy and it came in 6 pieces, and was served with a butterscoth dipping sauce on the side. We also tried an unusual dessert -- a lemongrass cotton candy. The taste of the lemongrass was not overpowering. Just a hint of it. You probably wouldn't guess it had lemongrass if you weren't told. And the quality of the cotton candy was also excellent. It didn't readily melt in your fingers as you pulled it. I found it very refreshing.

Aside from the meats and fishes, SD also serves a variety of appetizers, rolls, salads, and noodles. They have a full bar and serves a variety of drinks from juices and spitzers to craft beers and signature cocktails. They also have quite an extensive wine list from all over the world.

Lemongrass Cotton Candy

Overall, The Slanted Door was OK. Wasn't fantastic, but OK. It was a bit pricey for the kind of dishes we got. The basic Asian flavor was there, and you can probably distinguish it as Vietnamese if you are very familiar with the combination of ingredients.

SD is a Vietnamese restaurant, with a modern spin. If you are looking for authentic, home-cooked Vietnamese cuisine, this is not the place. Certainly, you can find other places, especially in East and South San Jose, for a fraction of the price. However, keep in mind that you are dining at the historic Ferry Building, with a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay. And this is actually what you are paying for.

Give it a try, for the experience. It's OK.