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At Slanted Door in San Francisco, chef Charles Phan upended notions of what modern Vietnamese cuisine could be. His Shaking Beef became a signature dish, but he was also known for his creative versions of Lemongrass Chicken, Chicken Pho, Crispy Bánh Xèo, and more. Phan died at the ange of 62 in January 2025, but his legend of bold flavor and playful Vietnamese foods lives on. Honor his legacy by cooking one of his dishes tonight.
Chicken Pho
Diana Chistruga
This soup — which has an intense chicken flavor accented by aromatic roasted onion and ginger — was a favorite when Phan’s children were growing up, and the family would eat it for breakfast or lunch at least four times a week. Phan’s recipe adds a large pinch of sugar to the broth to balance the pungent fish sauce, just like his mother did.
Five-Spice Chicken Banh Mi
Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco
Ever the innovator, Phan used fragrant Chinese five-spice powder instead of the more traditional lemongrass to season the meat in this sandwich. Fermented red bean curd adds a funkier flavor than miso, so use it if you have it.
Spicy Lemongrass Chicken
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
Phan was firm in his beliefs about the right and wrong way to stir-fry. “A wok isn’t like a salad bowl with a flame under it. You don’t want to throw everything in at once and toss. You need to layer flavors by adding ingredients in the right order.” In this case, that means lemongrass, aromatics, and plenty of chiles.
Shaking Beef
Phan’s shaking beef at Slanted Door was the stuff of legend. A tart dipping sauce of lime juice, salt, and pepper makes the whole thing sing.
Crispy Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crêpes) with Shrimp, Pork, and Bean Sprouts
Phan often found bánh xèo (a.k.a. “happy pancakes”) at restaurants to be insufficiently crisp rather than lacy thin and crackly. After years of dedicated experimentation, he found that refrigerating the batter overnight then cooking the crêpes in a nonstick skillet was the right method.
Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken
In 2018, Food & Wine chose this recipe as one of its 40 best of all time. Several years before, asked what he liked to cook quickly at home, Phan cited this sweet, hot Vietnamese dish that comes together in just minutes.
Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms
Phan preferred baby bok choy for this simple stir-fry but also shared a clever method that would do just as well if you can only find the more mature version.
Garlic-Brined Pork Banh Mi
Plan ahead if you’re going to be making this recipe, based on a late-night shop in Hoi An, Vietnam, where Phan picked up the tip of soaking the pork overnight in a garlicky brine before roasting it.
Shrimp and Jicama Rolls with Chili-Peanut Sauce
Growing up in Vietnam, Phan and his classmates bought chewy rice-paper rolls filled with crunchy jicama and sweet shrimp from street vendors who set up on the playground. His version made things neat by including the sauce inside, but he’d always make extra for people who wanted to dip.
Vietnamese Grilled Pork Meatball Sandwiches
Ever playful, Phan modeled these pickled carrot and cilantro-topped pork burgers after his beloved banh mi.
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