Food is not so special, but too expensive, just a noodle, shared starters, and a beer, it costs $95. Not worth it
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Grilled Pork Chop
Becca Gomez Farrell
This Slanted Door location has quite a large dining room and outdoor patio space in the upscale Bishop’s Ranch shopping center in San Ramon. Blonde wood floors, marble tabletops, and black accents throughout. Definitely a good spot for celebrations, in addition to simply enjoying a nice dinner out.My husband and I dined with two friends, sharing six dishes family style between us—family style is the preferred method of ordering here. We started with the daikon rice cakes, which were one of the highlights of the meal for me!The texture was impressive: somewhat creamy, somewhat spongy, with the light pepperiness of the daikon radish. Another favorite for me was the wood-roasted and dry-aged duck.The duck was cooked to perfection, offering a bit of crunch with each bite of skin and a milder-than-most gaminess to the meat. Nice accompanying hoisin sauce as well. I also thought the shaking beef, served with a vibrant lime sauce, was delicious.Shaking beef has been a favorite of mine since I first tried it at Golden Garlic on the Peninsula years ago. I love how a good crust can seal in great prime rib flavor with every bite, and the Slanted Door’s was no exception.We also shared the stir-fried bok choy, cellophane noodles with gulf shrimp and Dungeness crab, and the shrimp and pork imperial rolls. Those were all good, but not as notable as the previous dishes.The cocktails were expertly made, offering unique versions on classic tiki cocktails, and it takes skilled bartenders to pull that off well. My Singapore Sling—Glendalough gin, benedictine, cherry heering, cointreau, fresh pressed pineapple, lime, angostura bitters—was a delight, and everyone enjoyed their first round picks.It did take a while for our waiter to come by, but he was an excellent server for the rest of our meal, making some recommendations and advising us on how much food to order.
I was so happy to find that the Golden Rolls are served with lettuce leaves and mint leaves to roll them up in and a dipping sauce. All those touches are what makes Vietnamese food special and most other places do not take the time to do. The restaurant is large, clean and friendly. A very nice way to enjoy a delicious lunch!Vegetarian options: Easy to find or modify to make vegan dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Imperial Rolls
Ken N (keep it interesting)
Had a very nice family lunch here, with excellent service. Had good recommendations from our server and the portions were good and very tasty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Imperial Rolls, Shaking Beef, Grilled Pork Chop
Bad experience with the bar tender as we were waiting for our table. I asked if they had Guinness and he said no. Then asked if they had Corona and his response was to took at the menu. After that rude responses i no longer wanted beer and was told to stop being so sensitive! It's the bar tenders job to answer my question ions and to know what type of alcohol he's serving. Never coming back to this place again!
bethb
Intended to be eaten family style, which I love. The food was all amazing, seemingly no bad choices. The cellophane noodle with crab was my personal favorite, but then so was the wiggling beef.
Mitohondria
I love the Slanted Door! I veered away from getting my usual shaking beef and pork chop (the pork chop wasn't on the dinner menu) and tried the braised pork belly, which I'm sure a lot of people like. It did not appeal to me. I added some extra soy sauce today on leftovers and it was much better. I really enjoyed the white chrysanthemum tea.
The service was terrible!! With the mandatory 20% gratuity the service isn't attentive as it should be. We had to flag our server several times to no avail. Finally, I had to get up to get my check and pay as people do in lower scale restaurants!! They need to remove the mandatory 20% gratuity so the servers could be more courteous and attentive !!
luv2dine
This restaurant automatically adds a 20% gratuity to your bill regardless of party size. We were a group of 3. This is UNACCEPTABLE. I understand that California laws are making it difficult for restaurants to stay in business but because minimum wage is jacked up does not mean restaurants should pass that on to customers to pay for. Menu prices are already sky high. The total cost for dinner for my party of 3 came to $180! So much for grabbing a bite to eat before a movie. Aside from this, I did not enjoy the food as much as I was hoping to. We had several small plates and none were more than just ok. The restaurant is too large to have ambiance. I will not return and can't recommend dining here.
MarkK
Enjoyed our dinner/ the food was very good and the cocktails were truly excellent. Service was good, nothing special - we were there an a rainy night so it wasn't too busy - but I have to say the staff was spread a bit thin. Ambiance is spare - bistro-like, but nice, again noting to complain about. Value is so-so IMO as prices were very high and quantity of food was adequate. We had the shaking beef, cellophane noodles, dumplings and long beans - all were great and I would recommend them to anyone. Nice to have a restaurant of this caliber in San Ramon!
Clay pot chicken dish changed. Was much better before. Not a fan of the skin being left on and the chicken was tough. Also, spring rolls should have been room temperature...didn't seem fresh. Almost like they were stored in the refrigerator and taken out and served. Have had great dinners in the past. Really disappointed!
DavidW
Very well lit and spacious venue. I enjoyed the open kitchen concept as well. The food was well prepared, seasoned, proportioned and presented. Marc was our server and he was very kind in offering suggestions, providing additional info on menu items and overall delightful to be around.
TonyG
Food was great the wait staff was good the ambient noise was terrible and the seating was substandard and not at all private. The San Francisco location is a 1000% better experience.
MartinK
It was our first time and we had high hopes for a special occasion. Service was excellent. The daily special short ribs, churros dessert, and vegetables were amazing. But there were several missed opportunities and inconsistencies with the duck and ribeye. On some pieces, the duck and steak were absolutely amazing, tender, and melted in your mouth. However, others were chewy/rubbery. And, duck skin is super tasty if cooked properly. However, the missed opportunity here was that the fat under the skin was not properly cooked/rendered and there were several small bits of bone/cartilage. This was an unpleasant mix of chewy rubber meets tooth crunching pain. My wife went to the original location in the city many many years ago and had fond memories. Unfortunately, this experience was not the same, especially considering the expense. We will not go back.
They add a 20% gratuity to every order without disclosing it. That's bad enough, but clearly the servers know that they are getting paid no matter whether they give you good service or not. The service was absolutely horrible.
Food is not so special, but too expensive, just a noodle, shared starters, and a beer, it costs $95. Not worth it
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Grilled Pork Chop
This Slanted Door location has quite a large dining room and outdoor patio space in the upscale Bishop’s Ranch shopping center in San Ramon. Blonde wood floors, marble tabletops, and black accents throughout. Definitely a good spot for celebrations, in addition to simply enjoying a nice dinner out.My husband and I dined with two friends, sharing six dishes family style between us—family style is the preferred method of ordering here. We started with the daikon rice cakes, which were one of the highlights of the meal for me!The texture was impressive: somewhat creamy, somewhat spongy, with the light pepperiness of the daikon radish. Another favorite for me was the wood-roasted and dry-aged duck.The duck was cooked to perfection, offering a bit of crunch with each bite of skin and a milder-than-most gaminess to the meat. Nice accompanying hoisin sauce as well. I also thought the shaking beef, served with a vibrant lime sauce, was delicious.Shaking beef has been a favorite of mine since I first tried it at Golden Garlic on the Peninsula years ago. I love how a good crust can seal in great prime rib flavor with every bite, and the Slanted Door’s was no exception.We also shared the stir-fried bok choy, cellophane noodles with gulf shrimp and Dungeness crab, and the shrimp and pork imperial rolls. Those were all good, but not as notable as the previous dishes.The cocktails were expertly made, offering unique versions on classic tiki cocktails, and it takes skilled bartenders to pull that off well. My Singapore Sling—Glendalough gin, benedictine, cherry heering, cointreau, fresh pressed pineapple, lime, angostura bitters—was a delight, and everyone enjoyed their first round picks.It did take a while for our waiter to come by, but he was an excellent server for the rest of our meal, making some recommendations and advising us on how much food to order.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shaking Beef, Roast Duck, Daikon Rice Cakes
I was so happy to find that the Golden Rolls are served with lettuce leaves and mint leaves to roll them up in and a dipping sauce. All those touches are what makes Vietnamese food special and most other places do not take the time to do. The restaurant is large, clean and friendly. A very nice way to enjoy a delicious lunch!Vegetarian options: Easy to find or modify to make vegan dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Imperial Rolls
Had a very nice family lunch here, with excellent service. Had good recommendations from our server and the portions were good and very tasty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Imperial Rolls, Shaking Beef, Grilled Pork Chop
Bad experience with the bar tender as we were waiting for our table. I asked if they had Guinness and he said no. Then asked if they had Corona and his response was to took at the menu. After that rude responses i no longer wanted beer and was told to stop being so sensitive! It's the bar tenders job to answer my question ions and to know what type of alcohol he's serving. Never coming back to this place again!
Intended to be eaten family style, which I love. The food was all amazing, seemingly no bad choices. The cellophane noodle with crab was my personal favorite, but then so was the wiggling beef.
I love the Slanted Door! I veered away from getting my usual shaking beef and pork chop (the pork chop wasn't on the dinner menu) and tried the braised pork belly, which I'm sure a lot of people like. It did not appeal to me. I added some extra soy sauce today on leftovers and it was much better. I really enjoyed the white chrysanthemum tea.
The service was terrible!! With the mandatory 20% gratuity the service isn't attentive as it should be. We had to flag our server several times to no avail. Finally, I had to get up to get my check and pay as people do in lower scale restaurants!! They need to remove the mandatory 20% gratuity so the servers could be more courteous and attentive !!
This restaurant automatically adds a 20% gratuity to your bill regardless of party size. We were a group of 3. This is UNACCEPTABLE. I understand that California laws are making it difficult for restaurants to stay in business but because minimum wage is jacked up does not mean restaurants should pass that on to customers to pay for. Menu prices are already sky high. The total cost for dinner for my party of 3 came to $180! So much for grabbing a bite to eat before a movie. Aside from this, I did not enjoy the food as much as I was hoping to. We had several small plates and none were more than just ok. The restaurant is too large to have ambiance. I will not return and can't recommend dining here.
Enjoyed our dinner/ the food was very good and the cocktails were truly excellent. Service was good, nothing special - we were there an a rainy night so it wasn't too busy - but I have to say the staff was spread a bit thin. Ambiance is spare - bistro-like, but nice, again noting to complain about. Value is so-so IMO as prices were very high and quantity of food was adequate. We had the shaking beef, cellophane noodles, dumplings and long beans - all were great and I would recommend them to anyone. Nice to have a restaurant of this caliber in San Ramon!
Restaurantji Recommends
Clay pot chicken dish changed. Was much better before. Not a fan of the skin being left on and the chicken was tough. Also, spring rolls should have been room temperature...didn't seem fresh. Almost like they were stored in the refrigerator and taken out and served. Have had great dinners in the past. Really disappointed!
Very well lit and spacious venue. I enjoyed the open kitchen concept as well. The food was well prepared, seasoned, proportioned and presented. Marc was our server and he was very kind in offering suggestions, providing additional info on menu items and overall delightful to be around.
Food was great the wait staff was good the ambient noise was terrible and the seating was substandard and not at all private. The San Francisco location is a 1000% better experience.
It was our first time and we had high hopes for a special occasion. Service was excellent. The daily special short ribs, churros dessert, and vegetables were amazing. But there were several missed opportunities and inconsistencies with the duck and ribeye. On some pieces, the duck and steak were absolutely amazing, tender, and melted in your mouth. However, others were chewy/rubbery. And, duck skin is super tasty if cooked properly. However, the missed opportunity here was that the fat under the skin was not properly cooked/rendered and there were several small bits of bone/cartilage. This was an unpleasant mix of chewy rubber meets tooth crunching pain. My wife went to the original location in the city many many years ago and had fond memories. Unfortunately, this experience was not the same, especially considering the expense. We will not go back.
They add a 20% gratuity to every order without disclosing it. That's bad enough, but clearly the servers know that they are getting paid no matter whether they give you good service or not. The service was absolutely horrible.