The beloved Vietnamese restaurant, the Slanted Door, is set to triumphantly return to its original Valencia Street premises in the spring of 2025. After a journey that saw the restaurant relocate to different parts of the city, including a memorable tenure at the Ferry Building Marketplace, chef Charles Phan is steering his flagship back to its roots at 584 Valencia Street, an address that holds nostalgic significance for both Phan and longtime patrons of the eatery. This homecoming move comes four years after the Slanted Door shuttered its San Francisco location.

Having opened the Slanted Door in 1995, Phan witnessed and partook in the city's culinary evolution. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic and the economic shifts shaking up San Francisco's restaurant scene, Phan remains undeterred, intent on reintroducing his signature Vietnamese flavors to the Mission district. According to The San Francisco Standard, Phan is unfazed by the transformations in Valencia Street's landscape since the early 2000s, believing in the city's dynamic culinary future.

The return to Valencia Street is not just a relocation but a reimagining. Phan and longtime collaborator Olle Lundberg of Lundberg Design plan to give the original Slanted Door space a refreshed look, maintaining natural elements and custom glass features that nod to the restaurant's history. As reported by Eater SF, the renovation will restore the original seating layout, allowing diners to "get to see where Slanted Door started".

Sure to excite food aficionados, Phan has teased tweaks to the Slanted Door's menu. Alongside its evolution in aesthetics and location, the culinary offerings will also reflect an updated angle, incorporating new ingredients and dishes into the well-loved repertoire. In preparation, the Slanted Door team is scheduled for a research trip to Vietnam this October, ensuring authenticity remains at the heart of Phan's cooking. Phan said, as per The San Francisco Standard, "If you’ve been doing the same thing for 30 years, they’re going to want you to do the same thing. But I don't want to do the same thing."