Chefs you need to know: Charles Phan
Before the winner of this year's James Beard Award for "Outstanding Chef" is announced this coming Monday, March 3, get to know the contenders.
Owner and executive chef of San Francisco's much loved Slanted Door, Charles Phan wasn't always swimming in Beausoleil oysters and grass-fed Estancia beef. At 13, he fled Vietnam by hiding in a cargo ship with his parents and five siblings, ending up at a refugee camp in Guam. Eventually, his family saved enough money to immigrate to San Francisco, where each of Phan's parents worked two jobs. As the oldest son, it was Phan's duty to cook for the family--ten people, including his aunt and uncle. But it wasn't until he had years of odd jobs under his belt that he considered cooking professionally. The Slanted Door immediately generated buzz throughout the city when it opened in 1995, and Phan began to change the way the entire country thought about Vietnamese food.
How did you get into cooking?
My mother was a phenomenal cook, marrying traditional Vietnamese food with French techniques, and taught me a great deal about flavor. Also, I watched Jacques Pepin on PBS in high school. I saw him last month and told him that I probably wouldn't have a restaurant today if it weren't for his show.
Was it challenging opening a restaurant with no professional culinary training?
The first few years were very hard. We opened with a very limited menu--only six or so items. And sometimes it was a challenge even getting three of them out at a time. But eventually we got the hang of it.
What is your most memorable cooking experience?
Serving President Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea. They didn't really announce they were coming. They sent a guy out and said they were from a church group and they wanted to book a party. Next thing you know, they are cordoning off the whole street and a barrage of cops with guns descended on the restaurant. There were all these black cars in the street and this guy comes in and says "The President would like to have a table for five." And we still didn't know what President! I was on my way to work and I got a call. My hostess was trembling and crying and I told her to just fake it till I got there. There was a sharpshooter on the roof and the street was blocked off. I even had to prove I worked there to get in. I met him and cooked for him and we all stood around not knowing what to do. Most of these guys go to the Fairmont or a buttoned-down safe kind of place--he chose to come to the Mission district for a meal with his daughter at this small Vietnamese restaurant. It was quite an honor for all of us.
What do you think defines an Outstanding Chef?
An outstanding chef creates something that influences future generations of chefs. We all make good food, but outstanding chefs change others people's way of thinking about food.
What is your pet peeve in the kitchen?
Messy workspaces
What food do you love that you probably shouldn't?
Pork Belly and Salted Fish
How do you find balance in your life--family, friends, relaxation?
I try to take the weekends off to spend with my family. And I've neglected exercise for so long that I recently started playing golf.
How can we get people cooking again, more educated about food, eating more fresh foods and less processed foods?
I think people are finally starting to realize how bad the food system is. Look at Chinatown, where people live below poverty but are still eating well because they know how to prepare food. Americans have an attitude that everything has to be bigger, faster, cheaper. We need to change that mindset, starting with teaching kids how to eat well. Once good habits form, they will demand better food versus the unhealthy, processed food. If consumers don't want it, companies will stop producing it.
What advice do you have for young chefs who aspire to one day be on the finalist list for the JBF Outstanding Chef?
Find your mission. Have a clear direction and focus on what you want to do. If you focus on the small details, then the larger picture will fall into place.
Anise-Scented Beef Pho
Vietnam's ubiquitous main-course soup gets a stunning treatment courtesy of the Slanted Door.
Recipe By Charles Phan
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
SOUP
2 onions, peeled, quartered
2 2 1/2-inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled, halved lengthwise
6 whole star anise*
5 whole green cardamom pods
1/2 cinnamon stick
12 cups low-salt beef broth
4 cups water
1 2-pound piece flat-cut beef brisket
2 tablespoons (or more) fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam)*
2 tablespoons sugar
GARNISHES
1/2 pound 1/4-inch-wide dried rice noodles*
6 green onions, chopped
6 large sprigs fresh Thai basil or small sprigs Italian basil
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, thinly cut on diagonal
1 10- to 12-ounce 1/2-inch-thick piece London broil (top round), sliced crosswise into very thin strips
3 cups fresh mung bean sprouts
Hoisin sauce*
Hot chili sauce (such as Sriracha)*
Lime wedges
PREPARATION
For soup: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange onion quarters, rounded side down, and ginger pieces on small baking sheet. Roast until onions begin to soften, about 25 minutes. Using kitchen scissors, snip off dark charred edges. Toast star anise, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick in small skillet over medium heat until aromatic and slightly darker in color, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
Bring broth, 4 cups water, and brisket to boil in large pot over high heat. Skim off foam that rises to top. Add onions, ginger, and toasted spices to pot. Reduce heat â¿¿to medium-low. Cover and gently simmer until brisket is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Uncover; cool 1 hour. DO AHEAD: (Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill brisket in soup, uncovered.)
Discard any fat from surface of soup; rewarm soup slightly. Using tongs, transfer brisket to board. Slice thinly across grain. Strain soup into large bowl; discard solids in strainer. Return soup to same pot; boil 10 minutes. Add fish sauce and sugar; season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Add sliced brisket to soup to warm through.
Meanwhile, prepare garnishes: Cook rice noodles in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
Divide noodles among 6 soup bowls. Add brisket from soup, then add onions, basil, and chiles. Top with London broil. Pour hot soup over. Serve with remaining garnishes.
*Available at some supermarkets, and at Asian markets and specialty foods stores.
-Sarah Simmons @sarahmcsimmons
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