Alex Au-Young, the award-winning chef who helped put Katy and Katy Asia Town on the Houston-area culinary map, has died at the age of 53.

The news was announced by the staff in a Facebook post on March 29 and was widely reported in a number of Houston media outlets.

“Brokenhearted, we share tragic news: After a swift and courageous battle with cancer, our dear friend, mentor and chef, Alex Au-Yeung, has passed,” said the Facebook post. “To us and many of you, Alex was family, and the loss leaves a void that words can’t express. Leading with compassion and an infectious spirit, he was one of the best of us.”

“More comfortable taking care of others than being cared for, Alex chose to keep his diagnosis private, and after initial improvements, his condition recently worsened,” the post continued. “Despite health challenges, he adopted an incredibly positive attitude, still making us laugh while working to expand the restaurant. He dreamed of growing and sharing Phat Eatery, and he was so excited to open in The Woodlands. Our goal now is to honor Alex’s legacy by applying everything he taught us to ensure The Woodlands restaurant is a huge success, just as he envisioned.”

Visitation and services were held at Sugar Land Mortuary, 1818 Eldridge Rd. in Sugar Land on April 1 and 2. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Alex’s honor to Southern Smoke Foundation to support hospitality workers in need.

Opened in 2018 in Katy Asian Town at 23119 Colonial Parkway by Au-Yeung, Phat Eatery features fresh Malaysian street food. The restaurant has earned an enthusiastic following for its freshly prepared menu, relaxed atmosphere and warm hospitality. Influenced by Au-Yeung's upbringing in Hong Kong, his Malaysian heritage and both culture’s rich histories of borrowing from other culinary traditions, Early success and critical acclaim, including as one of Houston Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants, led to a restaurant expansion to accommodate twice as many guests. In 2022, Au-Yeung was nominated as a James Beard Awards Semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas and for “Chef of the Year” in CultureMap’s Tastemaker Awards. Phat Eatery was also voted “Best Asian Restaurant” by readers of the Katy Times in the 2022 “Best of Katy” readers’ choice contest.

The restaurant is also in the running for CultureMap’s “Restaurant of the Year,” was named by Eater among “The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants,” and was highlighted by The New York Times as one of “America’s Next Great Restaurants” in the suburbs, according to their website.