When Houstonians learned of Chef Alex Au-Yeung's death from cancer this past March at the age of 52, it came as quite a shock since many people, even those in the restaurant industry, were unaware he was battling the disease. Determined to fulfill his dream of opening his second Phat Eatery location in The Woodlands, he kept his diagnosis private as he trudged forward with his treatments and his work as a chef and restaurateur.
Born in Malaysia, Au-Yeung was raised in Hong Kong and made his way to Houston by the age of 19. He undertook different entrepreneurial ventures before his foray into the culinary world. He returned to Hong Kong to study, without pay, under the rigorous tutelage of Cantonese chefs.  He returned to Houston and eventually partnered to open a Malaysian restaurant in 2008. A decade later, Au-Yeung opened his own restaurant, Phat Eatery, in Katy Asian Town.
It was a highly personal concept, as he introduced his version of hawker-style Southeastern Asian food to a city that seemed to already have every cuisine possible. In addition to accolades from the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Restaurant Association, Au-Yeung was a 2022 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas.

This success led to Au-Yeung's decision to expand his concept into a spot in The Woodlands. While Houstonians eagerly awaited the opening of the second location, the chef was fighting a battle many of us knew nothing about. Alex Au-Yeung passed away three months prior to the debut of his longed-for Phat Eatery Woodlands.
While Au-Yeung received acclaim for his culinary and professional achievements in life, he was cherished for much more. The genial chef was also known for his hospitality to his customers, his compassion toward his staff and his work in the community.

Because of his beloved status in the Houston restaurant industry and beyond, his co-directors at Phat Eatery, Kevin Lee and Marvin He, decided to host a two-day dinner event last week to pay tribute to Au-Yeung's legacy as they continue to carry on his mission. The Phat Friends for Life dinners also raised funds for Southern Smoke Foundation, a fitting choice that echoed the philanthropy of Chef Alex's life.
The first dinner took place September 24 at the original Phat Eatery Katy on Colonial Parkway. Guests were served a five-course meal with dishes from Ryan Halstead (Pearl & Vine), Wenbing Huang (Twenty-Five),Quy Hoang (Blood Bros. BBQ), Marvin He (Phat Eatery) and Kady Miller of Alchemy Bake Lab. The following evening, September 25, the second tribute dinner was held at The Woodlands location on Buckthorne and we at the Houston Press were invited to attend the event.
The Woodlands gathering took place on what would have been Chef Au-Yeung's 53rd birthday, so it was both special and bittersweet. Guests were welcomed by staff wearing T-shirts with a colorful graphic depiction of Chef Alex, as many people refer to him. The dinner was held in the back dining room, a bright, glass-enclosed area that backs up to one of The Woodlands' many tree-filled spaces.
Attendees were given a list of cocktails so I chose the Lychee Margarita while my companion opted for a Mexican Coke. Our first course was already at the table and we enjoyed the Kerabu Prawn, one of Phat Eatery's more popular dishes. The chilled, skewered shrimp topped with pickled papaya and mango was a refreshing start. More guests began to trickle in, probably held up by rush hour traffic. I happily munched on the  lychee fruit cocktail garnish, which was a first for me.

The plates arrived slowly which made sense due to the fact that several of the chefs were working in an unfamiliar kitchen. Chef Raman of Amrina served a stunning and vibrant Tuna Crudo. Chef Luis Lopez of Killen's Steakhouse offered a Smoked Pork Belly with an apple cider bbq glaze that was fork tender, a good thing since we each only had a fork and spoon. My companion wished she had more of the pickled apple on top but was very excited by the pork belly itself.
Phat Eatery's own Chef Nelson produced a Chojang Crab Cake topped with yuzu tartar and gochujang. I could have used just a little more gochujang because the crab cake itself was a whopper. Marvin He of Phat Eatery delivered Roasted Duck with a side of plum sauce. While duck is a protein I never order in a restaurant,  Chef He has made a convert out of me. The skin, with a hint of 5-spice and star anise, crackled beautifully and the surprisingly delicate meat barely needed a tiny dip of plum sauce because it was delicious on its own. Still, that plum sauce was a beautiful condiment.

I didn't think anything could wow me more than the duck but I was about to be proven wrong when Chef Josh Deleon of Underground Creamery brought out his dessert of Oolong Tea Infused Ice Cream. While the ice cream would have been lovely by itself, the addition of a berry compote on one side and a green, fruity sauce on the other took it to another level, especially with the pretzel crumbles on top. I am not sure what was in the green sauce since the noise level of the guests oohing and aahing over the treat was louder than that of the chef's voice.
The dinner concluded with a lion dance from Lee's Golden Dragon, a local lion and dragon dancing troupe that just celebrated its 50th birthday this past summer. Its founder, Dr. Allen Lee, was on hand to speak about Chef Au-Yeung's generosity and philanthropy along with others in the industry who were brought to tears while paying tribute to the beloved restaurateur. Both He and Lee spoke of his kindness, his culinary point of view and his zest for life, with He sharing a memory of a culinary trip to New York City in which Au-Yeung had the team eat 8 meals in one day. That's dedication.
In order to pay a last birthday toast to Chef Au-Yeung, each person was given a bottle of Bud Light and a shot of tequila, the late chef's favorite end to a successful work day. Since many of the people who were in attendance had known Chef Alex personally, it was a poignant tribute.

We're sure he would be proud to see how his team is going forward in his honor.

Phat Eatery Katy
23119 Colonial Parkway
832-412-2927
phateatery.com

Phat Eatery Woodlands
2290 Buckthorne Place
346-372-8407
phateatery.com