SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Charles Phan, the chef behind San Francisco's acclaimed Slanted Door restaurant, has died, according to a representative of his family and restaurant group. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Phan was 62. Often described as a trailblazer, Phan originally opened The Slanted Door in SF's Mission District in 1995. At the time, it was considered a pioneering restaurant in terms of Vietnamese fine dining. The Slated Door relocated twice, first to SoMa, and then to the SF Ferry Building in 2004. That was the same year Phan received the James Beard Foundation award for best chef in California. Bay Area tech CEOs get front-row seats at Trump inauguration | What this means Slanted Door's Ferry building location shut down during the pandemic and never reopened. However, plans were reportedly in the works to reopen the restaurant in its original location this spring. "It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the unexpected passing of our beloved leader, visionary, and friend, Chef Charles Phan, due to cardiac arrest," Slanted Door shared on Instagram. Phan and his family, according to the post, fled Vietnam to the US when he was just 13 years old. "As the eldest of six children, he took on many responsibilities early in life, like cooking for the family," the restaurant said. "He learned Vietnamese cooking from his mom and aunt and Western cooking by watching television." Phan, the post continued, "was a trailblazer, a dreamer who refused to settle for the status quo.""Phan, the post continued, "was a trailblazer, a dreamer who refused to settle for the status quo." "To our loyal guests, he was the creator of unforgettable meals and memories," the post also said. "To friends, he loved challenging you to a game of tennis. And he never let you leave the table without a story, a drink in hand, or a warm cup of tea." "While this was sudden and shocking to many of us, we will endure as the Slanted Door has for almost 30 years," the restaurant said in a statement. "The restaurants will continue to operate under the leadership of our management team as we navigate this transition." Currently, there are Slanted Door locations in Napa and San Ramon. "We don't have answers yet on the reopening of Slanted Door San Francisco," a spokesperson told KRON4.