SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

DATEBOOK - Friday, July 18, 1997
THE RESTAURANT PAGE

SLANTED DOOR MIXES VIETNAM, BAY AREA
EXCELLENT FOOD, INFORMED SERVICE, STYLISH AMBIENCE

By Michael Bauer, Chronicle Food Editor

PICTURE CAPTION: "The Slanted Door has high ceilings and an open kitchen that gives the dining room an airy, modern look."

Slanted Door, a ground-breaking restaurant that opened about 18 months ago, keeps getting better. Chef Charles Phan has created a rustic menu that captures the bright, bold flavors of Vietnam, but he's altered the dishes to use the best local ingredients.

His food is focused, the interior of the Mission District restaurant has a casual, modern feel, and the service has become just as sophisticated as the other elements. The staff has an engaging attitude and if you ask about a wine on the list, one of the best in the city for the style of food, the waiter can probably describe it with ease.

When I first reviewed the restaurant more than a year ago, it was clear that Phan had an affinity for cooking, even though he had never had experience in a professional kitchen. While at busy times the food quality can waver a bit, it's always light-years ahead of its competition.

We arrived on a busy night; the place was packed, and Phan and his crew were working double time. We knew it would be a true test. Dish after dish came out with sparkling clean flavors and with that elusive balance that is so hard to achieve.

The shaking beef ($12), chunks of tenderloin served over lettuce with a lime, black pepper and salt dipping sauce, is a benchmark dish. If the meat were any more tender, you could spread it like butter. Five-spice chicken ($9.50), a dish common at Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area, has a subtle sophistication, with just a hint of the sweet spices and a sweet-sour tamarind sauce.

Chicken simmered in caramel sauce ($9), salty-sweet and complex, is equally exhilarating. It's presented in a clay pot filled with a pungent ginger broth that I wanted to bottle and take home.

I can't remember better lamb chops ($14.50) either, and at such a reasonable price. We got three chunks (nine ribs), pink and juicy, with just a hint of lemongrass, which seemed to intensify the gamy sweetness of the meat.

The imperial rolls ($6.50) are also better than anyone else's: a crisp blistered crust with a moist interior of shrimp, pork, tree-ear mushrooms and vegetables. Served with lettuce, mint and tender rice noodles so that everything can be bundled together.

Dish after dish comes out nearly perfect: a crisp fried pompano fish ($12.50) with a sweet-hot ginger dipping sauce; a delicate battered soft-shell crab ($9.50), served with the same bright accompaniments as the imperial rolls; tender pea shoots ($8) redolent of garlic.

Of all the things we tried on two visits, only two dishes disappointed us: spicy green beans ($9) were a little underdone and crunchy, and the poached sea bass ($14.50) with lily buds and shiitake mushrooms were served on a bed of glass noodles with an uncharacteristically anemic flavor.

The desserts are wonderful: a moist chocolate cake with ice cream ($5.50), a classic creme brulee ($5.50), an intense and creamy espresso creme caramel ($5.75) or a homey berry cobbler ($6.25) with a warm, buttery, crumbly crust.

The high ceilings and open kitchen give the dining room an airy, modern look. Phan traveled around Asia to find the dishes he uses, and his sense of style shows in the light fixtures and in the large bouquet of fresh flowers at the corner of the mezzanine.

In every aspect the Slanted Door delivers much more than expected.