Acclaimed Coast chef preparing to close his restaurant again. Here’s why
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chef Scott Khong will close his Ocean Springs restaurant due to medical procedures.
- Khong paused multiple ventures earlier to care for his son during leukemia treatment.
- He listed the Bienville Boulevard restaurant for sale and thanked customers.
A Coast chef who cared for his teenage son while he fought cancer and overcame issues with a business partner now is facing a health scare himself.
Chef Scott Khong posted Monday on Facebook that his restaurant is open for now, but he will be forced to close Chef Scott’s Asian Cuisine restaurant on U.S. 90 in Ocean Springs.
“Unfortunately, I have been suffering for sometime with some medical issues that I need procedures done,” he said. “Regrettably, that means I will have to close my restaurant due to the financial burden and extensive recovery period.”
His doctor said he can continue to work until he sells the restaurant to help pay for his treatment, Khong said.
Khong is known for his sushi and Asian cuisine that generated a loyal following over the years. He was a renowned sushi chef at South Beach in Miami before traveling to Ocean Springs and being so charmed with the city, he ultimately moved to South Mississippi.
His life took another abrupt change in 2021, when Khong’s son was diagnosed with leukemia. The chef closed his sushi restaurant to care for his son.
Two years later, with his son cancer-free, Khong opened a smaller Chef Scott’s express sushi restaurant on Thorn Avenue in Ocean Springs.
Then the opportunity came to buy the former Ichiban restaurant at 803 Bienville Boulevard, west of Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs.
Khong partnered with a hibachi chef and friend to open the new restaurant, but that partnership quickly dissolved and Khong was back to operating the Asian restaurant on his own.
He closed for a few weeks to build a sushi bar himself, and reopened early this year to strong reviews.
The recent challenges in his life made Khong sentimental as he deals with illness and the realization he needs to close another restaurant.
“You have always been very supportive of me throughout the years as I ventured through my different endeavors, and locations. I am so very grateful for that,” he said to his customers.
Prospective buyers can contact him at the restaurant or through his Facebook page.
“Remember, this isn’t a goodbye but an ‘until next time,”’” he said. “I am so grateful and lucky to serve you.”
