 Actors Don Johnson and Cheech Marin have teamed with husband and wife chef team Khai Duong and Kieu-Loan Phan to create a modern Vietnamese restaurant tucked away in Ghirardelli Square. The name means beautiful refuge, and it fits---Ana Mandara is one of the city's most beautiful restaurants, with the dramatic look of a palatial Southeast Asian home. Past the courtyard entrance, different areas of the restaurant represent the patio, the house and the garden. The space has three working fountains, many handcrafted appointments, lush greenery and priceless Asian antiques, and a fabulous view of the bay from the bar. Executive chef Duong hails from Vietnam and is also a summa cum laude graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Academie Culinaire de Paris. He combines the two techniques to create a wonderful range of traditional and modern dishes. Must-try specialties include sweet Dungeness crab soup with hand-cut noodles, an excellent version of shaking beef---caramelized, medium rare tournedos of beef tenderloin tossed in a wok with sweet onions and peppercress---and crispy lobster ravioli with mango-coconut sauce. The light-as-air spring rolls filled with crab meat, shrimp and shiitake mushrooms are some of the best we've had. Sommelier Joanna Breslin oversees the stellar wine list. |
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Set the mood for love by reserving a table at one of the Best Romantic Restaurants in San Francisco, or view our list of Valentines Restaurants to find out which restaurants are offering unique menus just for February 14. Also, see who sets the standard for seductive dining across the country with our Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. list.
