The Slanted Door

We visited Charles Phan's acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant, The Slanted Door, when we were in the Bay Area during the holidays. I had been itching to go there for a couple years, and although the setting was remarkable - in the Ferry Building, right on the water with a breathtaking view of the Bay - the food was good, but not outstanding. We tried a lot of things - west coast oysters, green papaya salad, rack of lamb with sunchokes, catfish claypot, japanese eggplant, and cellophane noodles with dungeness crab. I thought the oysters were great (a nice selection and very fresh), and the rack of lamb dish with sunchokes outstanding. I also loved the eggplant and cellophane noodles with crab. I wonder if my relative disappointment stemmed from knowing that I could get equally delicious Vietnamese food, at a lower price point, at your neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant. I'm not sure if I'd go back again for the food. The cocktails, however, were off the hizzle. I had a whiskey cocktail (Buffalo Trace bourbon, Angostura and orange bitters, sugar, orange peel; served on a hand cut cube) before dinner, at the nicely appointed bar, and a ginger limeade (Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka, ginger, lime) with my meal. Fantastic cocktail list - inventive concoctions using small-batch liquors - what's not to like?