Somewhere in the vault or perhaps in the U.M. Collection that is under my name at the Otto G. Richter Library there lies a (as I remember it across the fields of time) a typewritten single page menu on baby blue paper that has the words, “The Slanted Door” at the top. The place was named it has been said In that the entranceway door was actually, yes slanted. It was a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco, Its original location was at 584 Valencia Street in the Mission District and the first time we tasted his and his family’s exciting flavors. It moved once to a larger space and not long after to an even larger one. That was in the Ferry Building. We dined there as well and despite the rocking nature their huge demand by a throng of customers proved to be very tasty again. I probably brought my copy of his cookbook that day. I love to buy a chef or restaurant’s cookbook while on property. It makes the plane ride home go much more felicitously.
I read quite recently that in a move that is surely giving the Phan family a strong sense of déjà vu will be returning to their original location on Valencia Street. How cool is that!