319066 Sat Aug 19 23:23:56 -0700 2006 11 2 Los Angeles Area 0 1819937 Is there any place similar and just as good as the Slanted Door in San Francisco? Thanks Sat Aug 19 23:23:56 -0700 2006 19185 budlit 1 1820034 Well, there are no upscale Vietnamese restaurants that cater predominantly to non-Vietnamese diners, if that's what you mean. There's Gingergrass in Silver Lake, which has a similar style but is much more casual and more reasonably-priced. There are a a few restaurants in Westminster that offer somewhat more elaborate food than the pho and bahn mi places -- I think Brodard may have closed but there's another newish one which I can't remember the name of. But it's the real thing, aimed mostly at Vietnamese customers. Sun Aug 20 00:34:21 -0700 2006 1819937 12460 Chowpatty 2 1820748 Well, I don't actually consider the Slanted Door as strictly Vietnamese food, since the chef is Chinese and was raised in Vietnam, there is an obvious Chinese influence in the food. I had a couple of meals there a few years ago and the food was amazing. Sun Aug 20 17:06:14 -0700 2006 1820034 19185 budlit 2 1820822 gingergrass and slanted door are not even comparable restaurants, at least not to me.... Sun Aug 20 18:05:27 -0700 2006 1820034 23325 silverlakewino 3 1820839 I didn't say it was comparable, I said it had a similar style of food -- that is, updated Vietnamese/Asian food for mostly non-Asian customers. Hopefully shaking beef for $24 at the Slanted Door is going to be better than shaking beef for $12 at Gingergrass, although I like Gingergrass just fine, actually. Sun Aug 20 18:21:03 -0700 2006 1820822 12460 Chowpatty 1 1820273 I can't speak from experience, but there have been some posts on these two places. You can do some searches on this board; it's not very helpful to look for "S vietnamese," so try "upscale Vietnamese" or some such. S sounds more like a real restaurant, with tablecloths and nice decor; Benley I think is more like a chic cafe (no tablecloths). Unlike Slanted Door, however, both are actually located in (or very near, don't know Long Beach) the Vietnamese community. Fwiw, though, I've been to SL (new location) and was only impressed by the cocktails and the Heath Ceramics tableware. S Restaurant 545 Westminster Mall Dr. 714-898-5092 Open 7 Days a Week Benley: A Vietnamese Kitchen 8191 E. Wardlow Road Long Beach (562) 596-8130 Sun Aug 20 04:01:44 -0700 2006 1819937 17346 Cicely 2 1820328 Here is the menu at S Vietnamese Restaurant in Westminister on the parking lot of the Westminster Mall, just south of the 405 Fwy. http://www.sfinedining.com/ Sun Aug 20 05:09:38 -0700 2006 1820273 10359 carter 3 1820792 Thanks, S Vietnamese, that's the one I was thinking of. However, I don't think there's anything even remotely resembling the Slanted Door in L.A. other than less-ambitious "pan-Asian" places like Buddha's Belly. I think the only place with sort of a comparable style is Yujean Kang's in Pasadena, but I'm not sure if it's still good. Sun Aug 20 17:42:09 -0700 2006 1820328 12460 Chowpatty 1 1823839 Michelia Nouvelle on 3rd Street just east of Robertson isn't quite as swanky (more charming) as Slanted Door, but offers the same delicious, high-quality Vietnamese/fusion dining. Everything is full of flavor - the potstickers are especially good. Tue Aug 22 01:15:25 -0700 2006 1819937 27687 Danish 1 1824019 What about Crustacean in Beverly Hills? http://www.la.com/dining/asianpanasiansushi/crustacean/702 Tue Aug 22 02:40:50 -0700 2006 1819937 11952 FoodieBoy 2 1824046 I know some people don't like The Slanted door... I actually enjoy it. I HATE Crustacean, and so do most people. HATE. Tue Aug 22 02:52:39 -0700 2006 1824019 11743 banquisha 2 1824189 I can't let you send someone to Crustacean. Yes, it's about as close to a high-end quasi-Vietnamese as we get down here, but nobody in his right mind goes to Crustacean for the food. Tue Aug 22 04:35:32 -0700 2006 1824019 10811 Das Ubergeek