Vietnamese
Ana Mandara, 891 Beach, 771-6800
www.anamandara.com$$$$æ Celebrity owners Don Johnson and Cheech Marin opened their palatial, stylish Ghirardelli Square restaurant in 2000 to much fanfare – and executive Chef Khai Duong’s innovative menu has lived up to the hype. Creative dishes include pan seared mahi with pickled vegetables , crispy leek rings, caramel and coconut sauce; and seared Mekong Basa accented by scallion flowers and spicy lemon sauce.
Kim Thanh, 607 Geary, 928-6627
$-$$ Flavorful Chinese and Vietnamese specialties include seafood prepared in a variety of ways (lobster, crab, rock cod); imperial rolls; honey walnut shrimp and seafood clay pot. A Hunan special is a salt baked crab.
Le Colonial, 20 Cosmo Place, 931-3600
www.lecolonialsf.com$$$$%*æ@+ Modern, elegant French Vietnamese served family-style under ceiling fans in a glamorous, 1920s-themed, two-tiered sanctum. Coat & tie preferred. Experiment with the fresh, provocative flavors of Executive Chef Joseh Villanueva's cuisine, like steamed sea bass wrapped in banana leaves or coconut crab cakes with cilantro dipping sauce.
The Slanted Door, 1 Ferry Plaza, 861-8032
www.slanteddoor.com$$$ Popular Slanted Door features innovative, high-end French-Vietnamese cuisine. The space in the Ferry Building fills up almost every night with locals hungry for shaking beef, caramelized shrimp, and sea bass, among the many flavorful dishes from Chef Charles Phan.
