San Francisco is mourning the loss of a legendary chef.
Charles Phan of the Slanted Door died due to cardiac arrest, his family and Slanted Door Group announced Tuesday. He was 62.
"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, due to cardiac arrest," a statement on the Slanted Door's Instagram page read. "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."
Phan opened the Slanted Door 30 years ago. He racked up several accolades during his career, including best chef from the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
Most people knew Phan for the iconic "Slanted Door" restaurant. For those who call him a friend, the news of his death is crushing.
"You know it, it's a really hard thing to kind of process,” said Chris Cosentino, owner of Koast Restaurant. “You know, Charles was, Charles was so full of life and this is just an absolute shock."
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Conentino talked with NBC Bay Area by video call from Maui on Tuesday, where he was opening a restaurant there. He added that Phan became a mentor and friend over the years.
"Charles was always there. He was there when disaster struck. He was there if you needed help,” he said. “He was there if your walk in broke down. He was there if you needed advice on a contract."
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The Slanted Door was closed during the pandemic but his two other restaurants in Napa and San Ramon remain open.
A couple years ago, Phan also opened a Bahn Mi sandwich shop in the Mission called “Chucks Takeway,” which has become a neighborhood favorite.
Through the years, his colleagues said, Phan's introduction of heightened Vietnamese cuisine to San Francisco has helped made it a staple of the city's diverse palate now.
"Charles opened in what was not considered the hippest coolest part of San Francisco on Valencia Street in 1995,” said Laurie Thomas with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. “With, you know, really authentic Vietnamese food, which nobody was really doing there."
Tributes from fellow chefs, restauranteurs and friends on social media often described Phan as "generous" with some calling him a "culinary superhero."
