CHARLES PHAN executive chef

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. It was from Guam that the Phans moved to San Francisco in 1977. Being of Chinese descent, the Phans settled in Chinatown. Phan went to Mission High followed by University of California, Berkeley where, with his parent’s 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 - ten 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 the 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 avante guarde Bay Area restaurants of the time and 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 over an opportunity to work in the software business and soon got drawn into the early 1990's 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, keep an ingredient-driven menu that changed often and rely heavily on California eating 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 Vietnamese time-honored 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.

MUTSUMI TAKEHARA pastry chef

Mutsumi was born in Okayama in southwestern Japan. Her first pastry memory was an attempt to make cream puffs with her father. She moved to California in 1996, deciding to pursue a baking certificate after a couple of baking classes at Diablo Valley College. She first worked at La Farine in Rockridge (Oakland, California) — doing everything from production to counter sales.

She continued her apprenticeship at Chez Panisse for six months, and then moved to Rubicon, the famed wine restaurant in San Francisco, where she became a pastry assistant, and in 1999, was promoted to Pastry Chef. She joined The Slanted Door in 2001.

Mutsumi prefers to use seasonal, organically grown fruit. Creating harmonious and balanced desserts, she lets the primary elements shine through, without the addition of too many ingredients. Mutsumi believes that after a large meal dessert should be light and refreshing, never heavy, but with great texture. She blends East and West with a foundation in classic European technique.

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