Entries Tagged 'vietnamese' ↓

Slanted Door by Eric Asimov

“I was in San Francisco over the weekend and had a wonderful dinner at the Slanted Door, a restaurant that serves Vietnamese-inspired food in a stylish, contemporary room in the restored Ferry Building.”

A curious blend of Vietnamese and Thai food blended with uninteresting decorated restaurant and typical prints that happen to be plastered in various Palo Alto cafes.  Not a strange combination of cuisines considering there are a good mix of asian food available on University Ave.  Lime Leaf (452 University Ave, Palo Alto next door to Borders Bookstore) opened today with little fanfare.  If you weren’t getting your meals confused with another table, you could really enjoy the food.  I was dining alone so I didn’t want to look like a pig and order alot, so I ordered the pad thai(10.95)  Nothing too exciting.  The basic mix of noodles, eggs, slivers of tofu, chicken and 3 little pieces of shrimp.  Some fresh sprouts on the side and sugary salt and hot pepper flakes on the side.  I could tell that all around many folks had poor service.  Either the orders were wrong or being sent to the wrong table.  It was a huge distraction that the service was bad, so if you were in a hurry or felt uncomfortable sitting alone in the middle of room staring out the front door that overlooked down Kipling things could have been better.  Overall the prices were reasonable, the portions were generous, I can imagine eating here family style however most were ordering their own meals.  The menu had a good mix of soup, rice noodles, and rice dishes.  I think for a first night it was tricky and they didn’t have enough servers.  I’ll give them 2 more months before I return.  I wish I had a dining companion because I really wanted to try the dessert called FBI, fried banana with mango ice cream.  For now the place has a left a sour experience for me, however in time it would be in their interest to spruce up their service.

SALAD DAYS / Vietnamese wraps are the perfect meal to roll out at summer gatherings

Along with sweet peaches, fat figs and truly ripe tomatoes, I await the arrival of fresh herbs at the Asian vendors’ booths. As the days lengthen, the piles grow in size and variety, toppling over one another in fragrant abundance. One bunch of each ends up in my bag, a summer splurge I enjoy while I can.Most of the herbs will find their way into my favorite summer treat: Vietnamese salad rolls. Crisp, cool greens are the perfect wrapping for those herb sprigs, along with crunchy slivers of vegetables and a savory morsel that provides the heart of the salad roll. Punctuated with sweet-tart pickles and dipped into nuoc cham sauce, salad rolls burst with flavor on the palate, yet remain light on the stomach.