Kylie Kwong has announced Billy Kwong, her much-loved modern Cantonese restaurant in Sydney’s Potts Point, will close its doors at the end of this month. Its final service will be Sunday 30 June.
When the chef first mooted the restaurant’s closure in January, it sent ripples through the Sydney dining scene. Today’s announcement is sure to have diners scrambling for a last-chance booking and a final taste of the restaurant’s distinctive Australian-Chinese menu.
In a statement, Kwong expressed gratitude to the many people who contributed to the restaurant’s legacy. “I would again like to thank each and every one of the talented people who have worked at Billy Kwong – our customers, the producers and our loyal partners,” she said. “You have all made Billy Kwong a truly special place and for this I will be forever grateful.”
Throughout the restaurant’s 19-year history (which included a relocation from Surry Hills to Potts Point) Kwong made her mark with her groundbreaking take on Cantonese cuisine fused with native ingredients and organic produce.
She’s also passionately advocated for restaurants to put more insects on our dinner plates from as far back as 2013, when she introduced stir-fried crickets to Billy Kwong‘s menu.
But the restaurant’s closure is not the end of Kwong’s stellar career. As announced earlier this year, Kwong is planning a smaller, more casual eatery in collaboration with Adelaide-based designer Khai Liew. Details about the new project are scant, though Kwong promises to share more information in the coming months.
“For now, we hope to see you all at Billy Kwong to celebrate our final chapter,” she said.
Billy Kwong is open for dinner from 5.30pm and all-day Sunday from midday until June 30.
Shop 1, 28 Macleay Street, Potts Point, NSW, (02) 9332 3300, billykwong.com.au
