Check, Please. I'm a Phan Fan.

Just enjoyed an incredible weekend getaway in San Francisco with three of my close girl friends from college – The Fab Four Weekend, as we dutifully named our weekenders. We’ve committed to making a yearly weekend trip together no many how many kids or miles come in between!

This weekend was ALL about food. We went to lunch at the infamous The Slanted Door in The Ferry Building by visionary and Executive Chef, Charles Phan. We walked in to claim our rezzie and my first thought? This is it? THIS is The Slanted Door?!?! I was underwhelmed by the large chain restaurant-feel resto. I was expecting it to be ultra shi shi, intimate and exclusive.

The food on the tables around us looked slightly better than P.F. Chang’s. My heart sank. What was all the hype about?

We started out with the popular Vietnamese crepe with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts and onions. I scooped up some of the crepe, nestled it onto a piece of lettuce, garnished fresh mint on top and doused with some ginger-soy sauce. As I bit in, it finally hit me: THIS is The Slanted Door. Every bite. Every texture. Every taste. It was perfection. So powerful, so fresh, so divine. I had arrived.

We then shared rice noodle stir-fry with chicken, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, bean sprouts and egg, which were so light, fluffy and fragrant. Something so comforting yet not bashful about eating these light noodles.

The lemongrass chicken with red onions, jalapenos, roasted chili paste and peanuts was my absolute favorite. The dish doesn't look that special but was bursting with flavor and the perfect balance of spice and citrus.

The grilled Niman Ranch flat iron with wild mushrooms and garlic-soy dipping sauce was delicious, but nothing out of the ordinary.

The Rodini Farm brussel sprouts with black trumpet mushrooms were so soft and tender, not bitter, and melted in my mouth.

We indulged in an excellent bottle of 2008 François Pinon "Cuvée Silex Noir" Vouvray that our excellent waitress recommended. It was the perfect complement to the Vietnamese food. Not too sweet, not too oaky. Complex. Deep. Passionate.

We were mesmerized by the pineapple cotton candy at another table so had to indulge. Felt like a kid ripping off ribbons of light and luscious candy that playfully dissolved in my mouth.

Everything was overly delicious. Nothing was even remotely mediocre. Gorgeous views of the water and eclectic locals and tourists walking by. Definitely must get back to try to rest of the menu.


The Slanted Door. San Francisco, California.