Win $100 to dine at The Slanted Door

The Slanted Door is one of those classic San Francisco restaurants that had been on my to-go-to list for years. The flagship of chef/restaurateur Charles Phan’s restaurant group, The Slanted Door has made a name for itself with its modern take on Vietnamese cuisine.

I finally got to check this off my list, thanks to Acqua Panna Natural Spring Water, who so kindly invited me to finally get a taste of what everyone has been raving about. Everyone…like the James Beard Foundation. That’s right, The Slanted Door is a nominee for this year’s James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award.

As I settled into my meal, I could see that the nomination was well-deserved. The vibe was comfortable yet classy. The food had all the vibrance and freshness I loved about Vietnamese street food, but executed by a refined hand, with an eye towards high-quality ingredients and adorned with lavish touches like grass-fed Estancia beef and wild California uni.

Wild California Uni

Mmmm…uni.

And a whole lot of it. Eyes widened as this beautiful plate of sea urchin roe came to the table. Delicate pearls of black tobiko topped the uni, which blanketed crisp slivers of cucumber and creamy avocado. Creamy and luxurious, I tried to make this sea-kissed bliss linger as long as possible.

It passed too quickly, as always, but before we had the chance to miss it, new delights appeared.

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Unicorn Poop…best sh*t ever

Oh man, I am so excited for you.

You are about to experience the magic that is Unicorn Poop! What exactly is Unicorn Poop, you may be wondering? If you took your average Rice Krispies Treat, doused it in fairy dust and sparkle magic, and bathed it in liquid gold, you maaaay get something nearly as amazing as Unicorn Poop.

As we all know, unicorns feed on a steady diet of double rainbows and high-end chocolate. They also love to nibble on bits of marshmallow clouds late at night (unicorns get munchies too).

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all play and no work for unicorns. When they need to get down to biznaz, roasted salted peanuts give unicorns the protein boost they need to kick some major ass. And that subtle buzz of coffee you’ll detect? Yep, unicorns are caffeine fiends.

These chocolate-y, marshmallow-y, peanut-y treats are so good, only a breathtakingly magical creature like a unicorn could have created it.

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Asparagus and Eggs Mimosa Salad

It’s official, spring has sprung and the markets are exploding with asparagus. You can’t walk two feet without getting assaulted by these vibrant green spears.

I’ve fallen in love with this cold preparation for asparagus salad. It’s perfect for a big brunch or dinner party because you can easily prep it in advance and let it sit at room temp. Plus the presentation of the dish with the mimosa of hardboiled eggs is dramatic.

Have you heard of eggs mimosa before? No, this is not some bizarre brunch cocktail with an egg in it. This kind of mimosa is simply finely chopped hardboiled eggs, often used as a garnish. The preparation gets its name from the yellow blossoms of the mimosa flower. Spring blooms for a spring meal!

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On the right: Antonio Lee, like a boss

When I think about my culinary influences, there is a certain chef that comes to mind first: Antonio Lee. The man, the legend, my grandpa. My mother’s father, known to us as Gong Gong, worked as a cook for a number of years in New York’s Chinatown, and also opened up a restaurant of his own called Jade East, out on Long Island circa 1965.

Jade East, Long Island (circa 1965)

Growing up, I didn’t know all the details, but what I did know was, my grandpa must have been a big deal (or a Chinese mafioso) because everyone in town knew him. We always got the star treatment when we dined out in Chinatown.

Gong Gong shaped many of my earliest food memories. He introduced me to the gold standard of char siu bao at an early age. While my older brother was in school (sucka), Gong Gong and I would hold court at our booth at Hop Sing. Chinese newspaper in hand, he would sip on his coffee with cream while I tried to wrap my two-year-old mind around the layered complexity of the barbecued pork bun in my chubby little fist. It was savory, it was sweet, it was meaty, yet it was a bun. What was this sorcery? I still don’t know.

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