Delecatably Skewed at The Slanted Door

Slanted Door Spring Rolls

We had walked by The Slanted Door on many other visits to San Francisco. Situated within The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero, we had never taken the chance to actually eat there. A modern Vietnamese restaurant, the space itself is massive! Despite the large number of seats available in their restaurant, they were constantly busy the evening we dined there.

Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops

 The menu at The Slanted Door is a la carte, unless you’re in a party of six or more, in which case, they encourage a set menu. All of the items on their menu are designed to be shared, both in portion size and presentation, so we opted to go with four items, as we could order more if needed.

Hodo soy beanery organic tofu

I started with a glass of Moncuit Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Champagne, which was sweet and devoid of the yeasty taste some champagne can have. For our appetizer, we decided to try their signature Slanted Door Spring Rolls, not of the deep fried variety but rather a fresh, soft, salad roll filled with delicate tasting glass noodles and shrimp, served with a side of slightly spicy peanut sauce for dipping.

Five Dot Grilled Rib Eye

Next, was pan seared day boat scallops, with a lemongrass, pineapple and coconut sauce that was so incredibly good, it was almost addictive. Not a single drop of sauce was wasted as we used the rice to soak up the last of it, while the scallops were large, plump and buttery soft. The side of hodo soy beanery organic tofu was firm, with a hint of chili, which balanced out the sweet sauce, and the humans found the Five Dot grilled rib eye surprisingly tender, given that it was cut so thin.

Giant Cotton Candy

I enjoyed a glass of El Maestro Oloroso 15 year old sherry with my dessert, which smelled like molasses, but the taste of which was smooth, full and thick enough to coat my tongue. Although we did not order the cotton candy, we saw a few tables order it, as massive balls of fluffy pink cotton candy five times the size of Moo hit the table next to us, much to the diners delight. The chocolate truffle bar I ordered was like eating pure chocolate ganache, complimented with crunchy nuts, and a rich and slightly sour crème fraiche ice cream. Meanwhile, the chocolate cinnamon churros were surprisingly light, with a very crispy exterior, coated in sugar. The spiced hot chocolate was made with dark chocolate, with a spice that was only detectable on the finish. When the chocolate cinnamon churros were dipped in the spiced hot chocolate, it mellowed out the spice considerably.

Chocolate Cinnamon Churros

Chocolate Truffle Bar

We left The Slanted Door quite full and with leftovers for the next day. If I lived in San Francisco, The Slanted Door would likely become a regular destination for me, as it has reasonably priced, generously portioned, delicious food, not to mention a beautiful view of the Bay Bridge at night, and is conveniently and centrally located in The Ferry Building, just at the North end of Market Street. Definitely try out The Slanted Door the next time you’re in San Francisco, given their portion sizes and easy to reach location via transit, you really have nothing to lose.

The Slanted Door
1 Ferry Building #3
San Francisco, CA  94111
415-861-8032
Twitter: @TheSlantedDoor