Years in the making, a beloved chef returns to Cary, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The original chef of the beloved An Cuisines is returning to Cary.
Chef Michael Chuong will open a new Asian fusion restaurant in downtown Cary’s historic Sams-Jones House.
“We are excited to be back in Cary and can’t wait to entertain and satisfy the palates of Cary residents and visitors,” said Chuong in a news release.
Chuong is lending his initials to the new restaurant, naming it MC, and plans to serve modern Asian dishes in the 150-year-old house. The menu will focus on high quality sushi and cold dishes, his daughter Van Chuong said in a phone interview.
Chuong’s return to Cary has been years in the making. In 2017 he signed a 10-year lease for the Jones House, which is owned by the Town of Cary. His daughter said renovations were largely stalled on the project until last year, but have recently wrapped up to the point that MC can open.
“My dad really wanted to be open for Valentine’s Day,” Chuong said.
Memories of An Cuisines
MC will open its doors to the public Tuesday, Feb. 11, starting with dinner service. It will add lunch and weekend brunch as the restaurant finds its rhythm.
“The atmosphere is warm and vibrant,” Van Chuong said. “We love the space and love the potential it has.”
It’s been more than three years since An Cuisines closed in Cary, but its memory is still strong in the hearts of Triangle foodies. Chuong left An in 2012 to open Elements in Chapel Hill.
Acclaimed chef Steven Devereaux Greene took Chuong’s place and led the kitchen until An closed early in 2017. Greene is now the chef of Herons at the Umstead. The former An Cuisines is now ko.an, a new restaurant from the owners of bu.ku in downtown Raleigh.
With MC, expect a much more intimate dining experience. The dining room is 1,400 square feet and has seating for 50, Van Chuong said. Richard Fong, the original sushi chef of An and former executive chef of O-Ku Sushi in downtown Raleigh, is teaming back up with Chuong for MC.
This Friday, Feb. 7, MC will host an open house at the restaurant, inviting the public to see the new space for the first time. The restaurant, at 324 S. Academy St., in Cary, will be open from 5 to 8 p.m.
This will be the second restaurant to occupy the historic house at 324 S. Academy St. Belle at the Jones House, a farm-to-table restaurant, opened in August 2014 as part of Cary’s downtown revitalization efforts, The News & Observer reported. It closed in January 2016 amid tax issues.
The house is across the street from the new Downtown Park, at the corner of South Academy Street and Dry Avenue.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Years in the making, a beloved chef returns to Cary, just in time for Valentine’s Day.."
