His San Francisco restaurant, the Slanted Door, was among the first to feature Vietnamese food in a modern, sophisticated setting.

He also expanded his vision to new locations, including a Slanted Door in San Ramon and, more recently, France and Napa.

Award-winning San Francisco chef Charles Phan, a trailblazer whose modern interpretations of Vietnamese cuisine captivated the Bay Area, died Monday of cardiac arrest. He was 62.