Slanted Door

Having lived in San Francisco and then moved away, I had always wanted to eat at the Slanted Door at the Embarcadero. I finally got to this weekend. I was disappointed. When my friend and I walked in for our 2pm reservation, there was little ambiance. The female host was not friendly and gave us a snotty look literally. I would hardly call a host with a visible arm tattoo to be entitled to a snotty attitude towards paying customers. She sat several parties with no reservations before us. The view I had was of a sea of people and the little bench I sat on was so uncomfortable I would rather have sat on the floor.

Our waiter wasn't that much more praise-worthy. He had that same snotty veneer: like why do I have to serve these commoners. I mean if you were working at an excellent restaurant with unbelievable food, maybe I would expect some attitude but please. He didn't deserve a 15% tip; that was very generous of my buddy to give.

Their namesake Spring Rolls were not that great. I could get Spring Rolls that are more tasty from a nondescript, authentic Vietnamese restaurant. The catfish claypot I ordered was of little catfish that was drowned in a thick salty sauce with small hot green chiles floating in it that added no spiciness nor heat. The cocktail I had was good: a New Orleans Buck.

Our waiter failed to bring us any rice he mentioned during our ordering and never asked if we wanted any more cocktails or how we were enjoying our meal. A busboy brought us our dessert menu.

This is just a showy place for the Ferry Building. More a scene than a restaurant. Never going there again. There is overwhelmingly better Vietnamese food that is less pricey and flavorful located in many areas of San Francisco.

We visited the Slanted Door at the Ferry Building on our last trip to San Fran. I loved the food, as did my husband. It was a little loud, but not overwhelmingly so, and the view we had was outstanding.

I recommend this restaurant for lunch, and enjoyed it a lot.

After hearing rave reviews about Slanted Door, I finally tried it. What a mistake! I have never been in such a pretentious restaurant in my life. Our server got an attitude with us after changing our order -- 1 minute after we ordered, and from then on we paid the price through horrible, slow service! We couldn't hear ourselves talk, the "Asian Fusion" food was ok at best. There are waaaaaaaaaaaaay better Asian Fusion restaurants in the City. The one positive was awesome views of the Bay Bridge. But save yourself an overpriced, crummy meal and just take a walk along the Embarcadero. I will never go back.

Ate there last year, still a horrible memory. Their move to the high-rent tourist-trap location right next to booming Financial District forced once interesting restaurant to become a deafening yuppie pickup bar with an overpriced tourist restaurant pasted on. "Asian Fusion" is codeword for "when you're scared to go to a real Chinese restaurant." When a SF Asian restaurant has next to no Asians dining in it, no chopsticks, and only European beers-- bad sign! Sprinkle ginger on a scallop, call it "Asian fusion," and charge four dollars for it. Since tourists are not repeat customers SL gouges them. Weird incident: My guest, startled by the prices, told the waitress pushing wines at him he wasn't in the mood, so she said, sympathetically, "Then how about a nice bottle of cider?" He agreed, gratefully. I glanced at menu-- it was 26 dollars!! I said, "Get the wine." Waitress glared at me and, I swear, refused to speak to me the rest of the night, only to my guest! (Waitress (Nicole?) said she was a grad student at Berkeley.) But that's just a fluke incident. Problem seems to be basic economics. First, the successful after-work bar made food a side show; the rent raised prices; locals passed; finally timid tourists scared to eat in a real Asian place but willing to splurge on a view of the Bay reduced the menu to what wouldn't annoy tourists. Dinner for four, nearly 250 dollars, yet we were still starving. With hundreds of world-class Asian restaurants in San Francisco available for half that price, why would anyone savvy bother? Tourists, be brave! Try anything in the Clement Street area, "new Chinatown."

Perhaps I am being unfair as I haven't eaten at the Slanted door at their new location due to being "scarred" from previous experience. But geez what a prententious, loud, over priced unpleasant experience was that. Eating is my form of entertainment and we have so many delightful choices in San Francisco, I just don't know if I can risk it again. Do we really need a $16 item of four dumplings when we have real Vietnamese restaurants all over the place that offer the same very tasty treat for $4.50. Maybe I should give it one more try just to make sure I am not missing anything. Nahhhh

PROS: popularity, reputation
CONS: everthing else

Trying to get reservations are an absolute pain in the butt, I highly recommend eating at the bar at off-peak times like an early lunch, after work on a weeknight, early Saturday after a walk along the Embarcardero. Great cocktails too!

PROS: Great food.
CONS: Expensive, crowded.

This is, without hyperbole, just about the best food I've had at a restaurant in five years. Patrons of this Vietnamese restaurant on the waterline can enjoy a beautiful view of San Francisco Bay, along with generous portions of, again, some of the best cuisine to hit the slopes in this city's culinary history. The "Shaking Beef" might not live up to its name, in that it does not shake, but it's about as good a dish as you're going to get in your lifetime. The "Chicken Claypot," again, is great. The spring rolls and imperial rolls are excellent appetizers as well.

Located at the Ferry Building with a dramatic view of the bay, Slanted Door boasts the best in asian fusion cuisine. The service is superb and the food is do die for. Dishes to try out are the Slanted Door Spring Rolls, Shaking Beef, and the Pork Chops. Book way in advance, because reservations fill up fast!

PROS: Excellent Service and Excellent Food
CONS: Reservations must be made way in advance