Out the Door

It was a bit disconcerting when the fire alarm went off and a recorded voice came on urging patrons to quickly exit. The servers rushed around telling everyone nothing was wrong and to remain at our tables. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they are closed for remodeling.
Who would have guessed that an upscale Vietnamese restaurant would locate at a Mall and that people would flock to it?
The Daikon rice cakes were really good and so were the spring rolls, with shrimp, pork, mint and a peanut sauce. I should have stopped there. N ordered a spicy shrimp dish and rather than sit there while she ate I had a bowl of crab soup. The soup was just okay, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t so full.

This is solely based on the Steamed BBQ Pork Bun. I love pork buns. I love Asian food. And, I have had a lot of both. This bun is packed with veggies, pork, sauce, and flavor. Whenever I am in the rush to go anywhere, this bun is quick, delightful, and mouthwatering. I even go when after eating a meal. It is that good. I have also had the chicken, but I am a big fan of pork. The chicken was okay, but definitely not as good as the tasty pork.
This would have been a 5 star review. However, there has been 1 or two times when the bun was just too dry or hard. I guess they left it too long on the steamer and it started to get chewier. A weird, unpleasant taste if you ask me. Overall, I had way more hits than outshine a few of the misses.

Got here at about 7 with a friend on Saturday night. Everyone already knows it’s pretty expensive, so I won’t say anything about that. We split two sides — spicy green beans and veggies in Thai yellow curry. Altogether, it’s just exactly what it sounds like. The green beans were sauteed in your run-​of-​the-​mill Asian spicy sauce, and the curry was watery, not spicy. Portions are small, but that’s not really a big deal because you know where you are. Otherwise, I’ve had much better Vietnamese food in random restaurants in the city for far less.
Service was excellent and speedy, though. They get a star, but the food really only gets one star.

Good. Not remarkable.
Yeah you gotta truck through the mall and down to the food court, but this little gem is unlike the traditional food court finds you may have had. Sitting with a large group of coworkers, I was able to try a few things. Winner that day? The pork and shrimp spring rolls-they’re huge and pack more than just oodles of rice noodles. Jumbo shrimp, crisp veggies, asian herbs (basil perhaps?) mmmm. Things for me went downhill from there. The steak dish we ordered was weeeeeee. Three people were splitting it and at one point Don B looked over and we both agreed we could have used 3 more of ‘em, just not a lot of food. As for the taste. Meh, it was ok. Better than Panda Express but not too much authentic going on there. I’d be up for trying it again though.
Know Before You Go: Call ahead if you’re a large group, depending on day/​time they should be able to pull some tables together, but I think our group agreed they weren’t happy with our surprise group of 12.

It’s not that the food wasn’t good or that the service was terrible, but it just wasn’t that impressive to me. First of all, there weren’t a ton of vegan options so my lunch choice was fairly limited. I had a tofu vegetable curry, and while it was good, I’ve had much better at a cheaper cost.
If I’m going to eat at the westfield mall food court, it’s going to be at loving hut or california soup kitchen (yum.)

I was craving really good Asian food and needed a place in or near Westfield Mall and Out the Door fit the bill. My friends and I decided to eat family style, starting things off with a salad and with each of us choosing an entrée. We also decided to go veggie, so that mean chhosing things from the «sides» part of the menu.
The green papaya salad we started with was wonderful. The papaya, which is shredded super thin, is served with tofu, pickled carrots, rau ram and roasted peanuts. the thin fruit is super easy to eay and really picks up the dressing. Not only that, it makes for a wonderful presentation. I really loved the crispy shallots. they were a terrific garnish that helped really pack in the flavor. For our three «mains», we chose the hodo beanery organic tofu, the catalan farm spicy broccoli, and pea shoots with garlic.
The hodo tofu looked and smeeled amazing and had a wonderful texture. It was well seared and almost crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy inside. It was also served with pressed tofu which was super thin and had a good flavor. Lemongrass, fresh shiitake mushrooms, and a rich brown sauce seasoned with roasted chili paste rounded out the flavors. The broccoli was a standout. It was just a tad spicy and the accompanying honshimejii mushrooms and 5-​spiced pressed tofu were delicious. The pea shoots were a lovely green color and full of rich garlicly flavor. I kind of wish for some big pieces of garlic to chow on, but other than that, thought they were fabulous.
I washed everything down with a mango soda. the sodas frome the Waialua soda works are always lovely. They tend to be light and super refreshing, which this one definitely was. I actually but them from BevMo for home consumption.
Anyway, I hadn’t been to Out the Door in a while. It was nice to see the quality of the food was still really high. Service was good too. We were able to sit down around 7pm and be out the door by 7:45pm so we could make out 8pm show without feeling rushed. It’s great to sit someplace with nice décor and get away from the bustle of the mall. It’s even better when you don’t have to leave the building. Definitely recommended.

Came here with my food friend Cathy C. because the papaya salad is on the BTIEA. I was so glad they had their own private seating away from the food court madness. We were given a table after standing in line for 5 minutes. Not bad.
We were given a booth. I love booths! We quickly made our decisions.
green papaya salad with tofu, pickled carrots, rau ram and roasted peanuts 8.00 — I tired a papaya salad before from Sai Jai Thai, a Thai restaurant on the 7×7 list. It was disgusting. This on the other hand was very refreshing and tasty. I liked the tofu with what I assume is rau ram and roasted peanuts. You get a good amount.
caramelized pork with lettuce, cucumber, mint and roasted peanuts over rice vermicelli 11.50 — no Phở here but its not like I would order Phở at an Americanized viet place. My friend and I both like viet buns so we ordered this because it was the closest thing to a bun. Pork because I had a beef bun half a week ago. It was tasty and the pork was marinated very well. I am glad we got pork because I think the typical bun only comes with beef, egg rolls, or shrimp. The dish itself is a bit small if you are a dude. Overall it was alright. Probably get more at an authentic Viet place.
Service was alright. The waiter was friendly.
Although the food was good I think the price was a bit high for what you are getting.

I had high hopes for this place as my colleagues suggested coming here for lunch.
The cashier recommended the beef vermicelli which was nasty to say the least. The vermicelli was all clumped together and the beef had a strong meat tenderizer taste to them…
The imperial rolls were expensive to say the very least at $ 8.50 for 2 rolls. The imperial rolls were okay, but not spectacular like Vung Tau. The vermicelli was again all clumped together and the lettuce didn’t seem very fresh…
The Vietnamese Coffee w/​condensed milk was also nasty to say the very least. The coffee wasn’t that strong and was watered down…
Lunch came out to ~$ 25+/person.

It’s a spacious joint to sit down, kick up your feet and scatter your million shopping bags around you.
I stop by here sometimes while on a shopping spree. Sometimes, a girl has got to stop, sit, breathe, and get some nosh ‘naw mean?
Obviously you shouldn’t come here for entrees expecting something mind-​blowing. It’s a slightly watered down version of The Slanted Door while the high price remains.
Just have a few appetizers and an iced tea, chill out for an hour and you’ll be re-​fueled, ready to stimulate the economy!

It was quite a while ago.
I simply loved their chicken curry with rice plates. Too bad it was discontinued the last time I asked.
It was at their sister location big-​momma «Slanted Doors» that I had my tryst with Vietnamese cuisine a few years ago.
I loved their «summer rolls» with shrimps and mint in it.
Guess it’s time for a refresher course!

Review is ONLY for the To-​Go Counter:
Probably one of the shortest reviews I could possibly write given that I’ve never actually sat down to eat. I’ve never been to Slanted Door, and I’ve only gotten as far as the take-​out counter at Out the Door. That said, I’m probably not the guy to talk to about how the actual menu is. However, the one thing I do know is that their Vietnamese sandwiches are pretty damn good!
In general, I’m not a big fan of food items being diluted to be more «mainstream», but their take is not too shabby! Instead of the usual sort of crusty/​flakey French rolls, they serve theirs on soft ACME bread… and I actually like it a bit better. The grilled Five Spiced Chicken sandwich is seasoned similar to what you would find at most other Vietnamese joints, so no drop there at all. Definitely does the original sandwich justice flavor wise, so props to them for not losing much in the translation.
However, despite being a tasty treat when you’re there doing your shopping, it’s tough to swallow paying $ 8.50 for the sandwich when you can get the real deal for less than half of that.

3.5 stars
I really like that Out The Door is a modern, bright, sit down place that serves up Vietnamese food quickly. It’s far from fast food, but the food came out fast, which was especially important because my sister was late for a very important date but still wanted to have lunch with me & my mom after our Gourmet Walks Chocolate Tour. Sidenote: I’ve been wanting to use that «Alice in Wonderland» reference for a long time now, so thank you for bearing with me.
Our waitress, Lindsey, was fantastic. I told her we had to be in & out in a flash & she made that happen. Way to hustle, girl!
The three of us ordered:
* [vegetarian imperial rolls] the wrapper was crispy & bubbly.
* [mary’s rotisserie half chicken w/​garlic sticky rice] the sticky rice had bulbs of roasted garlic in it. I don’t particularly love rice, but i love OTD’s garlic rice – i could eat this all day. The chicken itself was bland & needed the ginger soy sauce to rescue it; I think we would have been happier w/​the lemongrass chicken.
* [caramelized prawns w/​chili paste, onions & garlic] needs no explanation. The name alone should make your mouth water.
* [side of brown rice] for my sister.
* Total: $ 46 not including tip
The thing that stops me from giving 4 stars is the overly salty food (which gave me a «sodium headache” – am I the only one who gets these?) I want to try more dishes here b/​c I like Vietnamese food (yes, even non authentic varieties) & will up my rating if their other selections are less salty.

I strolled over to Out the Door for a quick lunch with a few co-​workers. Perhaps we shouldn’t have strolled though because we almost ran out of time for the eating of lunch. We were seated quickly and took a few minutes to decide what to order. We started with an order of imperial rolls and pork buns. Pork buns are freaking delicious. But, to be fair, I think anything with pork in it is delicious.
For my actual lunch I ordered the vermicelli with 5-​spice chicken. Um, this was not spicy at all and in fact was a little bland. I added some sauces in there though and enjoyed it. One weird point was that my food came before my dining companions because it was a cold dish. I get that it probably takes less time to prepare, but shouldn’t a restaurant either time it better or just not bring my food until everything else is ready? It’s odd to sit there with a plate of food in front of you for 5 minutes when no one else has any.
I’d probably go back and give it another try, especially for the pork buns, but I wouldn’t be in a hurry when I did.

Food:
Taste — Good, but just good. Not like awesome good or meh good.
Quantity — Fair, but not worth the price
Price — Okay
Overall — Okay
Service:
[x] Reasonable wait (e.g. to get seated, to order, for food to come out)
[x] Prompt refills on water/​drinks
[x] Quick to remove finished/​dirty dishes
[x] Friendly staff
Overall — Good
Ambiance:
Décor — Modern, clean, spacious
Lighting — Dim and warm
Music — Lady GaGa
Overall — Good
Daikon rice cakes with shiitake mushrooms and spicy soy sauce (
) — The rice cake is comparable to the ones found during dim sum hours at most (if not all) Chinese restaurants. Not much textures. Love the spicy soy sauce, sweet and tangy with a kick.
Chicken claypot with ginger and cilantro — Simple. Sweet aroma with faint air of ginger. Comes with a lot of juicy chicken (dark meat, btw). Can easily be made at home; claypot not required.
Organic lemongrass tofu with fresh shiitake mushrooms, pressed tofu and roasted chili paste — Extremely oily. Tofu is deep-​fried. Very little mushroom. Pressed tofu is tough and tastes like cardboard. Sweet and spicy.
Conclusion:
A nice place to sit down and enjoy a decent lunch or dinner. Different from typical mall/​cafeteria-​like restaurants. No wow factors, but pleasant. Don’t expect much.

I had a sudden Phở hankering on my commute this evening, so I came here. I was impressed with the décor and the services here. I would not call this lesser version of the Slanted Door. It’s just as good.
Oh and yes, I really liked their Phở. Noodles are a bit thicker than what I’m used to, but soup has an amazing taste. The portion is just right. By the way, Phở isn’t on the dinner menu. But they’ll serve it upon your request :-)

I remember having some of their noodle soups before and was not a bit impressed. The soups are pretty tasteless. Not even close to what you would expect from a lower end Vietnamese restaurant.
Yesterday I bought one of their pork buns and was pleasantly surprised. The bun came out steaming hot and moisted. The bbq pork fillings are flavorful and juicy. I will come here again for a quick bite next time!

After hours of wandering around Westfield mall, my stomach started growling.
Who knew (window) shopping is such a strenuous activity?
We went to the food court and I automatically gravitated towards Coriander Thai. But then I saw Out The Door beckoning me to sit down in its restaurant.
Recessed lighting, high ceiling, booth seating available and a cool striped glass wall on one side. Airy. Spacious.
Better than food court seating.
Started our lunch with the fresh spring rolls ($ 8.50) which are made with shrimp, pork, vermicelli and mint. It’s pricey, with two rolls cut up into three pieces. The shrimp has a bite to it and the thick peanut sauce is a good match.
Next came the Green Papaya salad ($ 8) with sliced fried tofu, pickled carrots, chili and roasted peanuts. Yum. It’s an ample filler but still very light.
The Lemongrass chicken ($ 12) with red chili peppers, sliced jalapenos and red onions, it lacked the zing that I was hoping for plus it was a bit too salty for my taste. I had to eat a lot of brown rice ($ 3 as part of a side order) to absorb some of that saltiness.
Not a bad choice for mall food. Do expect prices to be about $ 3-​$ 4 higher than what you’d find at the food stalls outside.

#87 on the 7×7 List: Fresh Spring Rolls
–Tasty? Yes — you can’t go wrong with shrimp, pork, vermicelli all rolled up like a salad wrap
–Service: We ordered at the counter since it was near closing time. Service at the counter was without incident.
–Ambiance: This store at the Westfield mall is trendy and clean. Nice to have lunch on a day of shopping There’s also an Out the Door take-​out kiosk at the Ferry Building
–Worth the trip/​try? Yes — though not cheap like traditional vietnamese food, they are pretty good at keeping a modern chic and clean place. If our stomachs allowed, we would have ordered more food to try. We got the coconut-​ginger ice cream sandwich out of curiosity, which was a nice punctuation to this food binge on this particular night

4.5 stars
After having this restaurant bookmarked for years along with The Slanted Door, I finally made the trek to Out The Door. This restaurant is pretty big compared to other Vietnamese restaurants in San Francisco. Service is alright at OTD, but the food is the highlight here. To start off, I had the imperial rolls which comes with 2 egg rolls (wrapped in rice paper) cut into 6 pieces and comes with mint, vermicelli, and lettuce to wrap and dunk them into fish sauce. A heavenly combination of flavors and it is indeed a party in your mouth kind of feeling. A perfect crunch from the lettuce and imperial rolls.
Other items we ordered were the chicken vermicelli which was your standard but not enough vermicelli. The other downside is that the vermicelli is cut into tiny pieces making the dish into short strands of the noodle rather than your traditional long strands. The huge highlight now has to be the roast pork sandwich. OH MY GOD is what I said when I bit into the sandwich. It consists of roast pork, tons of it, jalapenos, mayo, carrots, cilantro and cucumbers all on a toasted french bread. I hate to say this but I think this is the best Vietnamese sandwich I ever had and believe me, I have had hundreds of them here in California.
People might say OTD is westernized Vietnamese food but I think they go beyond that by using high quality ingredients and using it in a way that is still authentic and flavorful. It is a definite pricey place with one of my recent lunch cravings caused me to spend $ 18 bucks on myself here, ouch…

I’ve been waiting to try the Crab Cellophane Noodles! It was on 7×7’s 100 Things to Eat Before you Die. I was so sad when I walked into Slanted Door in the Embarcadero and there was a 2 hour wait. I went downtown to Out the Door thinking I’d get a similar menu to the Out the Door in the Ferry Building. But no! Its more like the Slanted Door’s menu (I think maybe a little condensed). The crab cellophane noodles were so good! And of course, the Crispy Imperial Rolls were fantastic as always.
As always, it was a bit pricey ($ 17 for not the largest amount of crab cellophane noodles, definitely lacking in the crab department, I think I had one claw’s worth of meat) but it was a very delicious meal.