I've always been a big fan of restaurant cookbooks. From Elephant Walk to Prune, from Zuni Cafe to Cooking with Shelburne Farms, I'm instantly attracted to these books that present cooking from the perspective of a chef and restaurant owner. One of my favorite books is Come in, We're Closed, a book filled with delicious staff recipes. There are other similar books that present an interesting perspective from inside the restaurant world. When I saw that Charles Phan was coming out with The Slanted Door, the book named for his restaurant, I knew I had to add it to my ever-growing collection of restaurant cookbooks.
I describe Vietnamese cuisine as my "first love." I was introduced to Vietnamese food by my colleague Kim Pham in my first job position out of college. She suggested Dac Hao, a local Rochester, NY Vietnamese restaurant, for lunch. Dac Hao is a traditional Vietnamese restaurant that is low on atmosphere and high on flavor. Just my kind of haunt, I've discovered. I quickly became a dedicated customer, ordering takeout a few times a week and bringing friends for dinner. They had roasted ducks and pork hanging in the window. and I would occasionally pop in and order a duck that would be chopped in front of me. I moved from Rochester in 1999 and I still miss the wonderful food of Dac Hao. It's my first stop when in town for a visit.
Outside of basic natural foods cooking, my first cooking experiments were with Thai and Vietnamese dishes. My initial Vietnamese food explorations were cooking through a series cookbook, Vietnamese Cooking by Paulette Do Van. From this book, I prepared the common traditional dishes of Vietnam, such as Shrimp with Sesame Seeds on Toast, Pho, Fresh Spring Rolls, Simple Salad, and Shrimp and Pork on Sugar Cane. This is where I got my foundational lessons in Vietnamese cooking. I've since enhanced my Southeast Asian cookbook collection with several other excellent Vietnamese cookbooks.
Slanted Door offers fresh rifts on Vietnamese cooking and includes many recipes that have a Mediterranean flair and tap into the French influences of Vietnamese cooking. He begins the book with some more traditionally oriented fare and moves into creations heavily influenced by modern cuisine and influences from his base of San Francisco.
You'll be impressed by this book at your first glance. The cover is a gorgeous minimalist and textured design with a rustic appeal. The use of color is perfect and mirrors the style of photography throughout the book. Yes, one can enjoy this book by simply perusing and taking in the beauty of the food before even looking at the recipes. I also love the layout of the book. There were a few incarnations of Slanted Door in different locations, and the book is laid out in "Acts" representing each of these restaurants. Each act includes history of the chef/author, the progression in his food creations and corresponding recipes that match the style of cooking offered on the menus. The book covers everything you would enjoy from Charles Phan's eatery, to include recipes for basics such as broths and sauces and a long section of inventive cocktails.
I tried several dishes from the cookbook and they were all a rave. The first appetizer I made was the Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Garlic Sauce. I would describe this dish as Vietnam meets Eastern Europe and the results are wonderful. I'm looking forward to enjoying this dish again and again. It's a wonderful winter appetizer and a great way to use your fall and winter cabbages. The other appetizer I made was the Beef Carpaccio. This recipe was a big win for it's ease in preparation and excellent taste. Chan's rendition of this classic incorporates the traditional Southeast Asian flavor of rau ram herbs and chopped peanuts. You can find rau ram in your local Asian market. The recipe doesn't call for a side of Nuoc Mam (traditional Vietnamese fish sauce preparation), but I think it would be an excellent addition. I highly recommend using grass fed beef for this dish.
Because I enjoy raw meat and fish dishes, I decided to make the Tuna Tartare. This was another dish that was simply prepared, yet beautiful and delicious. Chilled Louisiana Shrimp with Spicy Cocktail Sauce and Thai Basil Aoili was also a big hit in our household. There are many seafood oriented dishes, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves simply and elegantly prepared seafood. 
I also made a few of the vegetarian recipes. My favorites were the Stir Fried Green Beans and the Wok-Charred Eggplant with Satay Sauce. Just thinking about this flavorful eggplant dish makes me hungry! Of the meat mains, I only tried the Ginger Beef Vermicelli, which was slurped up in a flash.
I'm looking forward to trying many more recipes from The Slanted Door. I'm particularly interested in making some of the delicious soup dishes and the Sardine Claypot, if I can get my hands on some good, fresh sardines.
Kudos to Charles Phan on an excellent book. You'll also enjoy his other book, Vietnamese Home Cooking. I'm hoping he'll be publishing more soon!
