City Center Bishop Ranch Remembers Charles Phan

SAN RAMON, CA — City Center Bishop Ranch released a statement mourning the untimely death of Charles Phan, the award-winning restauranteur who opened up a location of The Slanted Door in San Ramon.

Phan, a Vietnamese immigrant who was the executive chef and founder of The Slanted Door in San Francisco, died Monday at 62 of cardiac arrest, his family confirmed to various news sources. Phan was awarded the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef in California and Outstanding Restaurant, and is credited for bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the United States.

"Visionary, philanthropist, and cherished friend—Charles Phan. He brought his renowned restaurant, The Slanted Door, to San Ramon to share his deep passion for food with another corner of the Bay Area. His creativity, dedication, and warmth will be deeply missed. Thank you, Chef, for everything," City Center Bishop Ranch wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday.

Phan opened up a 7,500-square-foot City Center Slanted Door in 2019, 24 years after the first restaurant in San Francisco.

"We’ve been in San Francisco for over 20 years and being at City Center brings forth a new challenge and an opportunity to create something completely different," Phan told City Center in an interview.

"I met Alex [Mehran] Sr. and Alexander [Mehran, owner of Sunset Development Company] Jr., and saw their vision—along with [City Center Bishop Ranch architect] Renzo Piano—to bring exceptional food and design into the suburbs. The Mehrans and Renzo placed an emphasis on design and as a student of architecture, I appreciated the careful planning and detail to things like the sidewalk and parking lot, which play a large part in creating the overall experience."

The Slanted Door also has locations in Napa and Beaune, France.