A few weeks ago I dined at the famous The Slanted Door in San Francisco, an upscale yet relaxed, modern Vietnamese restaurant that’s housed in the city’s historic Ferry Building. With floor to ceiling windows and stunning views of the Bay, the environment is vibrant and lively.

The Phan family, owners of the restaurant, successfully blend their Vietnamese culture with local ingredients, resulting in straightforward delicious cuisine. Zagat proclaimed it, “Vietnamese street food made upscale.”

The bar boasts an extensive and creatively comprised list of wines, a majority of which hail from Germany and Austria. I tried a Riesling and a crisp dry rose, both of which complimented the food beautifully. They also have a wonderful selection of teas, but one would expect that at an Asian restaurant.

One of my favorite dishes (pictured) was squid stuffed with minced pork, glass noodles and shiitake mushrooms, served on a spicy tomato sauce with pickled mustard greens.

Maybe Chef Phan will bless us with a cookbook one of these days?

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