What's Eric Eating Episodes 364 and 365
Friends of Alex Au-Yeung remember the passionate chef who died in March
Alex Au-Yeung passed away in March.
On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” CultureMap editor Eric Sandler invites some of Alex Au-Yeung’s friends and colleagues to share memories him. The chef and restaurateur behind Katy’s acclaimed Malaysian restaurant Phat Eatery died last month at age 52 after a battle with cancer.
Joining Sandler on the episode are: Blood Bros. BBQ co-owner Terry Wong, Asia Society, Texas director of operations Stevie Vu, commercial real estate broker and former restaurant owner Thomas Nguyen, Burger Bodega owner Abbas Dhanani, local food expert Felice Sloan, and publicist Isabel Protomatir. As they explain, Au-Yeung touched all of their lives in ways big and small.
The conversation begins with Wong and Vu sharing Au-Yeung’s progress as a chef and the path that led him from operating a Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown to opening Phat Eatery in 2018. Sloan shares a story about her personal connection to the chef, and the way he showed sincere concern for people.
As Nguyen elaborates, that sincerity applied to everyone Au-Yeung came into contact with, including his staff, which is lead by Phat Eatery directors of operations Kevin Lee and Marvin He.
“It’s not just Marvin and Kevin. The whole staff there, he built relationships with them. A lot of them have been there for many years. It’s hard to find that in the industry. His staff are going to bat for him. It’s not a transaction. They’re doing it because there’s a lot of love there,” Nguyen says.
“He was a guy they loved to be with. That we all developed relationships with. That’s why it’s really difficult. He was more than a guy who hung out at these events. He made you feel seen.”
Dhanani recalls that Au-Yeung offered him advice and encouragement as he developed Burger Bodega. He even complimented the up-and-coming chef to Dhanani’s father when they met at a pop-up. Au-Yeung showed kindness in other ways, too.
“Fast forward to a Have a Nice Day pop-up. It was Ramadan. I was fasting. He said, ‘hey Abbas, I know you’re fasting, let me save you a dumpling for when you break your fast.’ I think that speaks to the kind of person chef Alex was.”
Listen to the full episode to hear the group discuss how Phat Eatery will fare as it prepares to open its second location in The Woodlands. For more from Au-Yeung, listen to his podcast appearances in 2019 and 2023.
On this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Michael Fulmer discuss the news of the week. Their topics include the winners of the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards as well as the recent openings of Late August and Bar Bludorn.
In the restaurants of the week segment, Fulmer and Sandler begin their conversation by discussing their meal at Prime 131, Berg Hospitality’s new live fire steakhouse in Timbergrove. They share some favorite dishes and discuss the service and atmosphere.
From there, they turn to Pizzana, the celebrity-backed pizzeria that recently opened in the River Oaks Shopping Center. Tune in to hear their favorite pies and how the California-based restaurant compares to their local favorites.
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