Culinary legend closing famous restaurant
Australian chef and TV presenter Kylie Kwong is closing the doors of her famous restaurant after three years.
The Sydney-based chef has been in the culinary industry for 30 years and is known for her unique blend of Cantonese cuisine and native Australian ingredients.
Her restaurant, Lucky Kwong in South Eveleigh, will close on June 26, a tough decision that she had to make amid the high costs of running a business.
“Everyone is feeling it. I have never seen the restaurant industry in such tough times as it is right now,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Despite this, Kwong said she was lucky to have been in the hospitality industry and that she plans to "relax and reflect" during her break from the restaurant business.
"For all the many challenges that come with being in the hospitality industry, I consider myself fortunate for I have had far more positive experiences than negative," she said.
Kwong opened her restaurant in 2021, after she shut the doors on her previous Sydney venue, Billy Kwong in 2019.
She said that she also planned to further her work with charities focused on First Nations and multicultural communities, as she looks for more opportunities to “amplify other people’s stories”.
“I’ll still be very much connected to the food industry, but just I’ll be doing it in a different way,” she told the ABC.
She also announced that she's "hanging up my restaurateur hat" on Instagram, and thanked everyone who has supported her throughout this journey.
Celebrity chefs, Nigella Lawson and Darren Robertson shared their well-wishes on her post.
“I feel a pang knowing that the next time I come back to Sydney there won’t be your restaurant to make a beeline for, but I’m so happy for you to have the time to do what’s right for you,” Lawson said.
Robertson said he had massive respect for her contribution to Australian food and added: “Now try and get some bloody rest before your next adventures!"
Image: Instagram