Charles Phan, the chef and restaurateur behind the acclaimed Vietnamese fine-dining concept The Slanted Door, died unexpectedly on Monday. He was 62.
In an Instagram post, his family and the Slanted Door Group said, “It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the unexpected passing of our beloved leader, visionary and friend, chef Charles Phan, due to cardiac arrest.”
Phan was 13 when his family fled Vietnam and came to the U.S., the post said. He was the eldest of six children, and took on many responsibilities, like cooking for the family, learning from his mother and aunt. He learned Western cooking by watching television.
He launched The Slanted Door in 1995 in San Francisco’s Mission District, combining Vietnamese cuisine with local ingredients to create a more-elevated style that drew national attention.
He won a James Beard Award for Best Chef in 2004, and was named to the foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America in 2011. The Slanted Door was also named Outstanding Restaurant in 2014.
The Slanted Door moved several times in San Francisco, including a stint at The Ferry Building, though it closed when the pandemic hit and didn’t reopen. Last year, Phan first announced that location would close permanently, but then a few months later, he said the restaurant would reopen at its original location in the Mission District this spring.
That plan is reportedly still on track.
Meanwhile, locations of The Slanted Door opened in Napa, San Ramone, and in a luxury hotel in Beaune, France. Phan also launched a more casual sandwich concept called Chuck’s Takeaway, with banh mi.
“Charles was more than a chef,” the family said in the post. “He was one of the most generous humans. He donated his time and resources to countless charities for decades.”
He was also known to challenge friends to a game of tennis, the post said. “And he never let you leave the table without a story, a drink in hand, or a warm cup of tea.”
His family urged fans to honor his extraordinary life and legacy by “keeping his spirit alive in the way we savor and share meals with one another—always family style,” the post said.
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