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The chef who founded a beloved San Francisco eatery that expanded to include a prominent location in San Ramon has died after being hospitalized over the weekend.
Slanted Door chef Charles Phan, 62, died of cardiac arrest on Jan. 20 according to a social media post from the restaurant’s management and his family. He was initially hospitalized over the weekend, according to reporting from the San Francisco Standard.
“We are grateful to our community for your support and kindness,” the Phan family and Slanted Door management said on Instagram. “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.”
A renowned and award-winning chef known for his mission of “elevating Vietnamese food to the next level,” according to the eatery’s website, Phan expanded the operation that first found a home in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1995 to San Ramon’s City Center Bishop Ranch in 2019.
In addition to bringing his cuisine to San Ramon, Phan played an active role in the space’s design, according to an announcement from Sunset Development Company in 2018 – making The Slanted Door one of City Center’s first-ever tenants.
“I have many customers who live and work in the Tri-Valley area who are excited that we will be opening at City Center Bishop Ranch,” Phan said in a statement in 2018. “Renzo Piano’s contemporary design is what attracted me to City Center and we are creating a unique space that will draw customers in from all sides.”
Among Slanted Door and Phan’s numerous fans is Sunset Development Company President and CEO Alex Mehran Jr., who also highlighted Phan’s involvement in the design for the City Center location and others.
“The Slanted Door is one of the finest restaurants in the country and is being lured by so many projects — we consider it an extreme compliment that they have chosen to join in our vision to build a truly outstanding project,” Mehran Jr. said in 2018. “Charles Phan is an innovative chef with an international point of view. His appreciation for design and architecture adds to the experience in all of his restaurants.”
Upon its debut in 2019, the San Ramon restaurant was quick to gain popularity as a new fine dining destination within the growing city as Sunset Development officials sought to make City Center the city’s new dining and retail hub.
“Charles was more than a chef,” Phan’s family and staff said on Instagram. “He was one of the most generous humans. He donated his time and resources to countless charities for decades.”
“To our loyal guests, he was the creator of unforgettable meals and memories,” they continued. “To friends, he loved challenging you to a game of tennis And he never let you leave the table without a story, a drink in hand, or a warm cup of tea.”
A former architecture student at UC Berkeley, Phan left school to pursue his passion for cooking in 1986 – with his passion for both fields continuing to be showcased at City Center and in his other restaurant locations.
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