Harlan Goldstein makes sudden exit from another dining venture; ‘health concerns’ cited
Self-proclaimed ‘number one Hong Kong celebrity chef’ refuses to comment on his departure from four-restaurant venture in Central – the third time in eight years he has left establishments he founded
Larger-than-life Hong Kong chef Harlan Goldstein has unexpectedly left his latest dining venture – the third time he has had to walk away from restaurants he founded.
Goldstein had been about to open the last of four restaurants at 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, in partnership with ZS Hospitality. In a statement on Friday, the restaurant group confirmed Goldstein was no longer working with the company “due to personal reasons”. Geoffrey Wu, spokesman for the company, told SCMP.com the chef had resigned on Thursday “because of health concerns”. He did not elaborate on those concerns.
Contacted by phone on Friday, Goldstein refused to comment.
The self-proclaimed “number one Hong Kong celebrity chef” had opened Mamasita’s Cantina, a Mexican street-food restaurant and Cuban bar, at 8 Lyndhurst Terrace as recently as September 26. He opened Thai restaurant My Tai Tai there in late August. The first of the dining concepts there, Ee Da Le – Cantonese for Italy – opened in late July; reviews for the Italian restaurant were not glowing.
On Thursday, new hoardings – replacing a previous set with Goldstein’s face on – went up around the ground floor of the Lyndhurst Terrace premises, where his restaurant Eat Me Drink Me was supposed to be opening soon. Wu said it would be replaced by a new concept.
