The Slanted Door

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 18. AUG. 2014

In 1995, Chef Phan opened his small Vietnamese restaurant, The Slanted Door, in a former kitchen cabinet store in San Francisco's Mission District. Nineteen years, several menu expansions, and two relocations later, the eatery is now a 175-seat anchor of the Ferry Building Market, serving oysters, organic meat and poultry, and over 80,000 spring rolls per year. It's a success story that is hard not to love, especially given Phan's warm and straightforward prose that recounts the hard work involved and good luck that came his way. He also has a nice way of spinning funny anecdotes, such as the tale of his first attempt at buying wholesale produce, and the story of the day Bill and Chelsea Clinton decided to stop in for a bite. If the narrative is heartwarming, the more than 100 recipes are mouth-watering and, at times, tongue-burning. Appetizers include pork and shrimp wontons with spicy chili oil, and Nem Nuong, which are meatballs seasoned with fish sauce. Main dishes run the gamut from steamed halibut with ginger-lime sauce, to wok-charred eggplant, to a Vietnamese quiche made with ground pork, crabmeat and, preferably, duck eggs. And, affirming his place in the city's craft cocktail culture, Phan shows off 20 mixed drinks. Most, like the Filibuster, which balances rye, lemon juice and bitters with a blast of dark maple syrup, have more than a hint of sweetness.