[3] In April 1975, just before Saigon fell to the Vietcong, 13 year old Phan and his family of 8 fled with 400 other people aboard a cargo ship.

He was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Architecture but dropped out his third year to protest a steep tuition increase.

[2] After leaving college early, Phan worked in software sales and other various jobs while he was developing the concept for his first restaurant, The Slanted Door.

Its goal was to elevate Vietnamese food with modern design, sustainable local ingredients, quality teas and wine pairings.

[8] It later moved to the SOMA (South of Market) neighborhood in 2002 and finally to its famous location at the historic Ferry Building in 2005.