
By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Update, 8/1/ 8:30 a.m.: We’ve taken out the earlier entry about Malaysia Grill since we’ve received some conflicting information about the possible closing. We’ll post another update when confirmation is available.
Kee’s Chocolates has closed its shop at 228 Columbus Avenue between West 70th and 71st streets and is looking to relocate. Kee Ling Tong, the company’s founder, told West Side Rag that this shop reached the end of its lease and she is aiming to open a new location on the Upper West Side or another neighborhood in Manhattan in the fall. “I am really considering this area because I love the neighborhood. But the thing is that it’s so difficult these days to find something within reason” she said. Kee’s specializes in handmade chocolate bars, flavored truffles, and other confections that were called the “best chocolates in New York. Maybe the world,” by The New York Times Style Magazine in 2006. Tong has a background in finance, but made a career change in 2002 to pursue her dream of running an independent business. Because of the pandemic, she decided to consolidate the three Kee’s locations into one on the UWS, which opened in 2019. Kee’s website is still up while Tong is searching for a new location, but orders are not available during the summer since chocolate can melt when shipped. We’ll provide an update when Tong chooses a new location in a few months.

Chick-fil-A, the fast food chain, is planning to open at 795 Columbus Avenue (near West 98th Street) in early 2025, a representative confirmed to the Rag. Chick-fil-A has thousands of restaurants across the country, including several in New York City in Midtown and on the Upper East Side. This will be the chain’s first franchise on the Upper West Side — the space used to be Loft, a women’s clothing store.
The first Chick-fil-A was opened by S. Truett Cathy in Atlanta in 1967, and the business remains a privately held company. Aside from its chicken sandwiches, Chick-fil-A is known for being closed on Sundays, due to the religious views of its founder, and for its donations to organizations that oppose same-sex marriage. Last year, Chick-fil-A continued to be in the political spotlight when it hired an executive to lead Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. According to the company’s website, its corporate purpose is to: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.” (Thanks to Joey for the tip.)

Dog Run 105 in Riverside Park at West 105th Street is closed for maintenance on Wednesday, July 31st and Thursday, August 1st. Riverside Park Conservancy staff will be regrading the run. The work needed to be rescheduled due to rain last week.

Bankside, a Southern seafood concept from chef JJ Johnson, has been added to the menu at Wonder, the food hall that highlights celebrity chefs, at 2030 Broadway between West 69th and 70th streets. Bankside’s dishes have “touches of West Africa and the Caribbean, as in shrimp po’ boys, Bahamian clam chowder and crispy rice and coconut salad,” The New York Times writes. Johnson, a James Beard Award-winning author, is also behind Fieldtrip, the rice-centered restaurants in Harlem, Morningside Heights, and Rockefeller Center. There is some seating at Wonder’s UWS location, but it is more geared toward takeaway and delivery.

Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop, has opened at 2869 Broadway between West 111th and 112th streets, Columbia Spectator reported. Aside from coffee and tea drinks (“qahwah” means “coffee” or “brew” in Arabic), the menu is highlighted by sabaya, a flaky, layered bread cake made with Yemeni butter. The family-owned business, established in 2017, is based in Dearborn, MI, and has locations in several states, including two already in NYC, in Brooklyn and Queens. The UWS space used to be Shaking Crab, a seafood restaurant. (Thanks to Tracy for the tip.)
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And check out the Support button below.
Had Malayalam Grill been Saigon Grill before that?
Saigon Grill was a Vietnamese-owned & food.
I think Saiguette is owned by same people who ran Saigon Grill
Before you plan on patronizing Chik-Fil-A, do consider the fundamentalists who own this chain. I’ve never given these homophobes a cent, and I certainly never intend to.
It’s also mediocre tbh, I’ve always attributed the hype to emotional attachment from Southern transplants.
I’m going to be going there multiple times a week to be honest. The food is amazing!
Nobody cares, frankly, if the food is decent and price is fare, In the same way nobody cares about Nike’s slave-wage labor practices, Apple’s FoxConn, Amazon’s questionable everything, or Cobalt red — modern day slavery to mine for material that powers our iPhones.
Better or worse, we’re in a nation that privileges convenience and comfort above all.
McDonald’s has or had an excellent chicken sandwich.
I’m going to go there likely daily.
Don’t let the pickles touch.
Sad to add to closings: Le Petit Parisien at 170 Amsterdam (68th st) will close end of week. I love this little place — great baguette — and hope WSR and readers will be able to offer info on when/if/where they will open at a new UWS location.
Yes, just saw that this week, and it’s a shame. They told me they’re not “closing” — just “relocating.” But a) they don’t have a new space yet; and b) that still means this spot will be empty. Hoping something good takes its place.
I really hope Kee’s finds a place closer to Lincoln Center, whose patrons would be her target buyers. The rents are ridiculous, but maybe one of the many, many empty locations in the area might co-opt space inside, mall like, like many cities do. They have high-end “food courts” (I was just in one in Atlanta that is fabulous – Krog Street Market, https://www.thekrogdistrict.com/directory). I can’t imagine why the real estate people in Manhattan are so uncreative, as there is such a dire need for more and more food shops. New Yorkers are so busy, we don’t always get to cook and, of course, tourists don’t cook, so it would be perfect for a large space, like the old Best Buy location at 62 Street on Broadway. Also, I hope Qahwah House opens a location down by Lincoln Center, too. That would be marvelous. It sounds terrific. I heard of it before, but I can’t remember where. Both those places would work well in a high end “food court.”
The closing of Malaysian Grill is a loss to the neighborhood!!
So sad to learn this!
And no, was definitely not Saigon Grill since that was Vietnamese food on Amsterdam and this was Malaysian food at a different location!🙄
Will miss their pad thai and grilled pork chops
Kee’s really is outstanding, but I was walking past it a few days ago and wondering how much longer it could stay open, because it was rare to see many customers inside.
That’s partly because it’s a luxury product, but also because the signage was nearly nonexistent — I’m a fan but nonetheless often walked by the all-glass storefront and forgot it was there.
Hopefully it reopens nearby and finds a way to be a bit more conspicuous.
My apologies if I missed it, but any idea what happened to Fang Cleaners on W 82nd?
One day they were open and the next nothing for weeks. No signs on the storefront either.
Malaysia Grill has not closed for good. I was also worried last week Friday. Today 07/31/2024, I saw 2 men outside and one said they are on vacation. Last year, one of the ladies told me they take the vacation in August because business is very slow. I guess many regulars go on vacation so they do not get enough business. They should open up probably last week of August. So all the fans of Malaysia Grill should check back in a couple weeks.
If I remember correctly, there was a Malaysian restaurant on the northwest corner of W87 & Broadway a number of years ago. It closed because of labor troubles.
You’re thinking of Saigon Grill like others have mentioned. Not Malaysian food and no connection other than both using the word grill! It moved to Amsterdam Ave to a much bigger space and it later closed.
You’re right, When they moved to Amsterdam Ave they were closed after a few years for cheating their employers
Malaysia Grill is a devastating loss. It was one of the very best restaurants in the area. No other restaurant replaces it.
Last time I stopped in Kee’s in an early weekday afternoon, they had basically no inventory. I asked if this was normal and the woman working told me to come when they opened. I asked when that is and she said “11….but sometimes 12. But to be safe be here at 11!” Ok, ya, I’ll figure out how to get here in the late morning to get your chocolate and an indiscernible time you decide to open. Bye.
Guess Chick Fil A will be entitled to have a street dining space too…..
Very much hope that Chick-Fil-Lays an egg,
Sorry to kvetch, but do we really need to know about Wonder’s menu addition? That’s not an opening at all. Also, for those who aren’t up on it, Wonder is a multi-billion dollar venture, whose aim is to create an Amazon-like behemoth for food delivery. It’s effectively a giant ghost kitchen, but the punch line is they don’t actually cook anything there. They just reheat and package for delivery. Everything is pre-cooked at a central kitchen and then delivered to the delivery centers, such as we have here on the UWS. It’s a really distopian vision. It’s not freshly prepared and it’s not healthy for our local economy or our bodies. Reporting on this celebrity-chef-branded menu addition at Wonder’s meal delivery center is akin to announcing that McDonald’s is adding a new set of movie-themed Happy Meals. Wonder is using our neighborhood as a laboratory as they plot to put our independent restaurants out of business. They have billions to achieve their destructive (and distasteful) goals. Let’s not help them here.
I could not agree more. Kudos for shining a light on this.
Reporting is neither promotion nor advocacy and should never be selective based on political preferences or jaded perspectives. It’s information. Do with it what you will, but learn the difference.
I was walking up Broadway today and could not believe Tower records had closed. Not sure where I will be able to get the latest hits on cassette.
Since reply button still doesn’t work…
Sam Katz wrote:
“I can’t imagine why the real estate people in Manhattan are so uncreative, as there is such a dire need for more and more food shops. ”
Many buildings (as in owners of including co-op or condo) don’t want or will allow anything to do with food, period.
Reasons are legion but most center around fears of vermin, smells and other things that come from storing, preparing and serving food plus naturally waste that is direct result.
In what way are the views of the Chick-fil-A founder relevant to their opening a store in the area? The Rag doesn’t generally report on the political or religious views of other business owners who open locally so why here?
Chick-fil-A, what a huge disappointment for that space. Homophonic owner. I’ll be boycotting it. Plus we already have the Bareburger chain a few doors down, wafting stinky fumes onto the sidewalk. How is that even allowed? A quality independent eatery would have done so well here. What a shame.
So bummed that Kee’s closed. They had legendary chocolate. Besides being a wonderful product, they were my favorite bathroom in the neighborhood for emergency pit stops (really strong flushes). Any leads on other reliable cans in the neighborhood?