CHEFSCharles PhanThe Slanted Door Born in Da Lat, Vietnam in 1962, Charles Phan and his family, parents, and five siblings left after the war in 1975 and relocated to Guam. From Guam the Phans moved to San Francisco in 1977. Being of Chinese descent, the Phans settled in Chinatown. Phan went to Mission High School, followed by the University of California in Berkeley, where, with his parents' prodding, he studied architecture. Nonetheless, Phan's passion for food was ever present. Once in the United States each of Phan's parents held two jobs so it became Charles' role to cook for the family, 10 in all, including his aunt and uncle. His personal interest in flavor stemmed from his mother's cooking. Speaking fluent French, Mrs. Phan's cooking knew no boundaries. Her French/Vietnamese cooking style consistently elevated simple Vietnamese peasant food to new levels. When time allowed, it wasn't unusual for her to make a simple spring roll numerous times, changing the sauce ever so slightly, perfecting the recipe for dinner. Charles followed her lead. Along with Vietnamese favorites, Charles was charmed by American traditions, creating elaborate Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. Throughout high school, Phan bussed tables at The Coachman (an English pub owned by the Scott's Seafood proprietors), Mumm's and Cafe Royale. As he became intrigued with cooking, Phan took notice of some of the more avant guarde Bay Area restaurants of the time, and he credits Chez Panisse and Zuni Café for heavily influencing his food philosophy. After college, Phan took over the family garment business. While designing clothing for his store in Berkeley, he stumbled upon an opportunity to work in the software business and soon got drawn into the early 1990s Silicon Valley whirlwind. With an opportunity to continue selling software in Hong Kong, Charles opted to stay with his family in the Bay Area and attempted to open a small creperie in a Tenderloin hotel. When the owner found out the crepes were to be Vietnamese, the deal was off, so Charles and his family set out to open The Slanted Door. Tapping his design background, Phan's vision for the original restaurant was to create a stylish ambiance for traditional Vietnamese cooking, to keep an ingredient-driven menu that changed often, and to rely heavily on California dining savvy. Phan knew there was nothing in town that combined all of these elements within the Vietnamese category. Phan comments, "Many of my staff thought I was crazy. I refused to cut any corners, use any bottled sauces or the typical Vietnamese crutch, MSG." Phan proved through the phenomenal success with the original Slanted Door that combining the Bay Area's sensibility for fresh ingredients with time-honored Vietnamese cooking techniques is a perfect marriage. Eight years later, showcasing farm-fresh, local products, preparing everything from scratch and keeping a limited menu has put The Slanted Door on the cutting edge of Vietnamese cuisine in San Francisco, and possibly the entire country. |