The most Frenchified dish on the menu, delicately smoked beef tartare, is also Vietnam-forward, with onion, coriander and tamarind, along with plantain, which reads a bit like green banana in this presentation.

Smoked beef tartare with onion, coriander, tamarind, and plantain.

One of my favorite dishes of the evening was the baked butterfish with fresh galangal, turmeric, dill and scallions, a twist on the Japanese miso-marinated butterfish that we often see. The turmeric rub grounds the buttery filet, while the galangal lifts it off the plate. And the contrasting colors on the plate are very compelling to look at before you devour each bite.

Baked butterfish with fresh galangal, turmeric, dill and scallions. (courtesy of Khai)

Crispy quail with roasted garlic, salted egg and mashed cassava is about as heavy as Duong’s cooking gets, which is to say, not very. But this is a very rich dish, and one I couldn’t quite finish, knowing I was only on the seventh course and had three more to go.

Crispy quail with roasted garlic, salted egg and mashed cassava. (Kim Westerman)

The one red-meat course, pan-seared rack of lamb, is rubbed with Vietnamese spices and cooked to medium-rare, then plated with, lemongrass and eggplant, all doused in a grassy scallion oil. Though I don’t know the dish’s origin, it’s the one I most associate with Duong’s cooking at Ana Mandara.

Rack of lamb with Vietnamese spices. (Kim Westerman)

Dessert is course nine, and it’s a love-or-hate affair, depending on how you feel about durian. This was the most high-falutin’ presentation of the pungent fruit I’d ever tried, and I quite loved it, despite the fact that I’ve never eaten it regularly enough to be the kind of person who craves it, though I have several friends who are. Silky coconut rolls are filled with durian and gooseberry and served in a mint-infused coconut sauce. The bright, tart gooseberry is a nice counterpoint to the low-toned, almost skunky, durian, and gives the dish a puckery punch.

Coconut rolls with durian and gooseberry. (Kim Westerman)

Luckily for my stomach, the tenth course is a relaxing lemongrass tea, also with a hint of durian, but in the context of sweetly spicy candied ginger.

This is destination dining for those inclined toward tasting menus of any kind, and a value in the Bay Area for 10 courses at $95. And Chef Khai, with his charming presence, is a wonderful guide to the meal and to the cooking style he’s inventing, practically before your eyes.

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