Beloved Restaurant Owned by 'Top Chef' Winner Closing After 15 Years
It's the end of an era for a beloved Japanese-inspired restaurant in Austin, TX. East Side King owner Paul Qui announced that he's hanging up his apron at that joint after 15 years in business.
The popular joint on South Lamar will close its doors for the last time on June 7. The restaurant's food truck already shuttered on May 31. Qui, who won Bravo's Top Chef Texas, said it's not exactly a total goodbye. The company will still offer catering, but it's brick-and-mortar, along with the food truck, will be a thing of the past.
"We are here for a good time not a long time and it’s our time. East Side King is officially hanging up their apron and will be celebrating two final week of service," Qui shared on social media. "We have been honored to serve the Austin community for over 15 years and want to give a really big effing thank you to all the incredible people we have worked with along the way! and all the fantastic customers who kept us going! and especially all the support we have received from the weirdest community in Texas. We love yall so much. Come through and get your tori fix, say what’s up to moto and take a pic with the tanuki. This isn’t goodbye but see ya l8r sk8r."
Qui's not exactly parting with the location, however, According to reports, the building will be converted into Roselle Pizzeria and open its doors sometime in September. And the kitchen staff will remain intact.
If Qui's name rings a bell it's because, back in early 2016, he was enjoying immense success building an empire that included a chic hotel in Miami. But the James Beard Award winner ran into trouble in March of that year, when he was arrested by Austin police after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend at their apartment.
According to Eater Austin, Qui smashed a phone, broke a coffee table and injured himself in the process. Following his arrest, Qui denied in an interview with the Austin American-Statesman that he punched his girlfriend, whom cops alleged was found with a bruised arm and a swollen jaw.
But more than two years later, the assault charges filed against Qui were dropped after the embattled chef's girlfriend refused to cooperate with prosecutors.
Nevertheless, East Side King's sudden closure was met with shock and sadness. One patron commented on the IG post, "Damn. I would eat there once a week. Please gimme the recipe for the beet fries... ????."
Another added, "Just fell to my knees ???????????? when I was broke, experiencing my first familial death and in between moves/jobs I started working on E. 6th and lived on the liberty rice lol. Such a simple menu item but that $4 (huge) rice portion and a patio beer + cig was all I had to look forward to most days. Local trucks mean SO MUCH to the community, you’ll be missed but never forgotten ❤️ forever THE kings of the east side."