Ana Mandara

Ana Mandara The name means "beautiful refuge," Ana Mandara makes you be thrust inside a lavish movie set representing, perhaps, the upside of French colonial Vietnam. As you might expect, Ana Mandara doesn't even remotely resemble the Tenderloin's authentically cheap Vietnamese restaurants. Ana Mandara features classic Vietnamese recipes with French culinary influence merged with today's American style. And it serves this modern Vietnamese cuisine accompanied by an extensive wine list. The Scene The multi-tiered dining room reflects the warmth and inviting aura of a rural Vietnamese home and courtyard. It may be in Ghirardelli Square, but once you step inside you are transported far from the tourist crowds and noise. It is tropical grandeur all the way--the ceiling is sky-high and the space is defined by dark carved-wood detailing. The sweeping staircase even has its own koi pond. The space has three working fountains, many handcrafted appointments and priceless Asian antiques. The atmosphere is so relaxing that even on a Saturday night when it was full it was still possible to converse in normal tones. The dining room is broken into several smaller areas but the whole restaurant is visible from each. There are pictures of Vietnam on some of the walls and the decor is like being in a lush tropical paradise. The upper level Cham Bar has views out over the main dinning room, and out the window you'll catch glimpses of Alcatraz Island. The Restaurateur and The Chef Ana Mandara is owned by Don Johnson and one of his partners is Cheech Marin (former costars of the San Francisco police series, Nash Bridges). You might even see one of them there when you dine. Chef Khai Duong is a native of Vietnam and summa cum laude graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Academie Culinaire de Paris. He creates excellently prepared Vietnamese dishes with French influence and a touch of California style, using fresh ingredients. The Food French-accented Vietnamese dishes meet utterly fresh ingredients with gorgeous, delectable results. And a well-chosen wine list matches nicely with the Asian menu. For starters, a must-try is the seared beef with plantain and tamarind sauce. A more traditional Sonoma duck sausage is paired with foie gras, pine nuts and a spicy ginger sauce. Starters also include the deservedly wrapped acclaimed crab and shrimp and shiitake imperial rolls in a lettuce leaf with mint for extra crunch. Striped bass seviche, draped over cucumber and shallots in rice vinegar and chili oil, is a revelation in taste and texture. An entree of enormous freshwater prawns with a rich turbinado sugar glaze flecked with chili pepper is superb. Moist, marvelously flavorful quail with plum sauce is architecturally presented with sweetish black sticky rice. And don't miss warm, flaky-crusted mango spring rolls for dessert.