Chef Guy Wong Departs His Vietnamese Restaurant Le Fat

Chef Guy Wong (Ton Ton, Miso Ko, Ruby Chow’s) is no longer involved in Vietnamese restaurant Le Fat on Marietta Street. The chef tells Eater Atlanta the decision to leave the restaurant he helped found and open in 2015 came down to his forthcoming Chinese restaurant, Ruby Chow’s, on Glen Iris across from Ponce City Market. Le Fat remains open, but under new ownership.

Wong’s departure from Le Fat also includes the departure of his longtime beverage director, T. Fable Jeon, who will now lead the bar at Ruby Chow’s when it opens early next year.

“The end of the lease [for Le Fat] was nearing. I was given an offer for the space. I made the business decision to move on,” Wong says. “The new owners were able to secure a lease to continue Le Fat so I am able to focus on opening the new restaurant [Ruby Chow’s.]

It’s unclear if the new owners plan to make changes to Le Fat’s menu now that Wong is no longer involved in the restaurant. Eater reached out for more details.

Wong closed his pioneering Japanese small plates restaurant, Miso Izakaya, last year after nearly ten years on Edgewood Avenue. The restaurant opened in the Old Fourth Ward at the tail end of the 2008 recession when the future of the neighborhood and the BeltLine were both uncertain. The decision to close his beloved restaurant was difficult, but Wong says he was unable to negotiate new lease terms with the property’s landlord. Indian restaurant Planet Bombay now resides in the space.

In 2016, Wong opened Ton Ton ramen shop at Ponce City Market’s central food hall after finding success with his late night ramen at Miso Izakaya. He followed up at the market’s food hall with sushi counter Miso Ko last year. Wong announced the opening of Ruby Chow’s this past January in the former Repast space at the Ponce Springs Lofts.

• Miso Izakaya Chef Begins 2019 Announcing His New Old Fourth Ward Restaurant [EATL]
• Chef Guy Wong To Close His Pioneering Edgewood Avenue Restaurant [EATL]