Charles Phan, Award-Winning Vietnamese Chef, Dies from ‘Cardiac Arrest’ at 62: ‘Leader, Visionary and Friend’

Charles Phan, the award-winning Vietnamese cuisine chef at San Francisco's The Slanted Door has died unexpectedly at the age of 62.

Phan’s family and the Slanted Door Group shared in an Instagram post that the popular chef died on Monday, Jan. 20 “due to cardiac arrest,” writing, “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…”

“Charles was a trailblazer, a dreamer who refused to settle for the status quo,” his family said. “In 1995, his courage and creativity brought The Slanted Door to life in the Mission District. It was among the first Vietnamese fine-dining restaurants and Charles would later add a cocktail bar and expand to more restaurant concepts — always pushing boundaries, always innovating.”

His family noted that he had fled to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was 13-years-old after the U.S. withdrawal from the Vietnam War and took on several responsibilities as the “eldest of six children,” including “cooking for the family” — which is where his love for making food originated. They said that Phan learned Vietnamese cooking from his mother and aunt and Western cooking from TV shows.

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However, Phan “was more than a chef” and was “one of the most generous humans,” according to his family. They said he would donate “his time and resources to countless charities for decades” and would create “unforgettable meals and memories” for patrons of his restaurant.

“To friends, he loved challenging you to a game of tennis,” his family said. “And he never let you leave the table without a story, a drink in hand or a warm cup of tea. “

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“Our hearts are heavy with this tremendous loss,” they added. “We are grateful to our community for your support and kindness. Please respect our privacy as we take the time to grieve.

“For now let’s honor Charles’ extraordinary life and legacy by keeping his spirit alive in the way we savor and share meals with one another — always family style,” they concluded their message alongside several photos of the chef cooking and dining at his restaurant over the years.

Phan’s restaurant, The Slanted Door, has become a popular dining hotspot for its elevated presentation of Vietnamese cuisine and earned the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2014, according to CBS News. Phan also won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in California in 2004.

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Some of his notable menu items included his bò lúc lắc (or shaking beef), which is a Vietnamese dish consisting of beef with lettuce and slices of tomato and cucumber. He was also known for his takes on other Vietnamese classics like lemongrass chicken, chicken pho, crispy bánh xèo and more, according to Food & Wine.

The success of The Slanted Door led the chef to move the restaurant from Valencia Street to a bigger space in South of Market in 2002. He also opened other establishments including the Pier 3 whiskey bar Hard Water, the Wo Hing General Store and South, at  the SFJAZZ Center, per CBS News.

His success and eye for creating interesting take on traditional Asian cuisines inspired other chefs including Tu David Phu, the head chef and managing partner at GiGi's Wine Lounge in San Francisco, who told CBS News that without Phan he wouldn't be where he was today.

"I don't even think it's about modernizing. I think it was giving permission for Vietnamese food to be complex; to be more than just pho and banh mi," Phu said. "Letting the world know, letting people know, that Vietnamese [food] has these complex nuances to it and I want to lean into it."

"... Whether you're a fan of him or not, whether you're a Vietnamese chef or not, the permission to not just be experimental but to fuse the ingredients together? Do new things with it? He played a huge part in that," he added.

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