This week on Chef’s Story, Charles Phan, owner and executive chef of The Slanted Door in San Francisco, joins host Dorothy Cann Hamilton for part two of a conversation about Charles’ special memories, beliefs, inspirations, and passions of his craft. Part two explores deeper into Charles’ life, and further explains his high standards for both service and ingredients. Charles Phan was born in South Vietnam, but when his homeland fell to the Vietcong, he and his family moved briefly to Guam and then settled in San Francisco. In 1995, Phan opened The Slanted Door, a restaurant that broke the mold of the run-of-the-mill “ethnic” joint. The Slanted Door was an immediate success and has continued to garner praise from restaurant critics across the country. In 2004, Phan won the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef: California, and has since then garnered success and popularity from critics and food professionals all over the world. Find out more about the interesting story behind chef Charles Phan on today’s episode of Chef’s Story!

“I believe you have to learn to eat first before you learn how to cook.” [13:25]

“The role of a chef and an owner is that you need to take care of everything. You need to have the experience.” [29:30]

— Charles Phan on Chef’s Story