Slanted Door   

1 Ferry Building # 3
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-861-8032
www.slanteddoor.com

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Slanted Door's digs in the Ferry Building are both airy (tall windows, more space between tables than at the restaurant's two previous locations) and watery (an aqua-and-glass color scheme and the dreamy view of ferries chugging in, pelicans cruising out and a stream of red taillights in motion across the Bay Bridge. It's also hip: Low-slung tables and chairs, a curvy bar and a DJ booth draw in the lounge-and-nosh set, while proper banquettes seat proper diners. Both crowds may have to wait: make reservations well in advance; you won't find a seat without one. The place is as popular as ever, which makes for service bobbles -- but nothing seems to disturb the kitchen. Charles Pham moved from Vietnam to San Francisco as a kid; Slanted Door, though true to the flavors of his birth country, shows distinctly California flavors: local produce, good wine, zippy cocktails, fabulous desserts and lots of buzz. There are a few classic Vietnamese dishes, but the feel is far closer to San Francisco than Hanoi. The hype started soon after the joint's Mission District opening in 1995 (the original Valencia Street spot's slated to become a lower-key side project in late 2004). It swelled when Bill Clinton ate there, rode the economic boom, and continued through the bust and two changes of location. Starters run from green papaya salad with tofu and crispy Imperial rolls to raw oysters; one of the best is Pham's crispy cakes made of daikon radish. His signature shaking beef, is worth the all ink it's received: delectable cubes of filet mignon are caramelized outside and juicy inside, served over onions and watercress. Other good bets: fragrant claypot chicken, mesquite pork chops in a ginger-soy-shallot reduction or pan-seared day boat scallops in a spicy pineapple-coconut sauce. From libations (try an elderflower martini or one of the reislings) to dessert (rich and Western, usually with one Vietnam-inspired rice dish), Slanted Door is still an upright place to eat.