3000 miles in pursuit of the perfect pupusa. Charles Phan doesn’t do anything halfway.
“I call his mind ‘the blender,’” says chef Loretta Keller, Charles’ ex-partner in The Moss Room. “He’s like on frappé.”
For every dish, Charles goes to the source. He studies the traditional ingredients, flavors and techniques. Conducts an exhaustive analysis. Then he retreats to his Mission district test kitchen.
There, Charles and his team recreate the original using contemporary methods and the cleanest local ingredients. The finished product is a faithful reproduction of a world classic, modernized in subtle yet powerful ways.
The same passion drives an endless stream of creations: Shanghai dumpling. Chicken gumbo. Ahi carpaccio. Cap Haitian Rum cocktail. Huckleberry popsicle.
Every facet of Charles' restaurants gets this hands-on attention to detail – the food, the drinks, the design. Charles actually studied architecture at Berkeley so, well, you get the idea…