The Family of Chef King Phojanakong

In late May / early June, King Phojanakong developed COVID. Afterward, he traveled to the Philippines to visit family, and while there, developed a severe headache.  The headaches worsened over the next few weeks and by July 4th, he developed double vision. King began seeking medical treatment and went to NYU's Langone Hospital and checked himself into the ER. 

King was admitted to NYU hospital with inflammation to the brain among other symptoms, including slight loss of hearing and balance issues. Doctors could not figure out the root cause initially, throughout several lengthy hospitalizations. King underwent multiple brain biopsies and craniotomies that revealed inflammation and lesions found to be due to a mycobacterium and a rare amoeba infection. Tissue samples were sent to doctors at The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the CDC in Atlanta, and leading medical universities.

His treatments caused severe issues. On some days he showed signs of improvement, but on other days he developed new and alarming symptoms that confused his doctors. He was responsive most days and less responsive on other days.  

King was a fighter! He battled through this, the multiple surgeries and all the taxing treatments with his wife and family at his side. His wife, Annabel and his mother, Emma (a retired nurse) were fixtures at the hospital. 

King's 12-year-old daughter Phebe and 6-year-old son Eduard, miss their dad terribly. He was a hands-on dad, a doting husband, a wonderful son and a large presence in his community. King often dropped off and picked up his kids from school, took them to activities and made gourmet meals for his family and friends.  

Many know King because he was a great Chef and a great friend to so many of you.  

King was my sister's husband, her best friend in the world, the father of two young adorable children, and my brother.

A New York City native, King attended Bronx High School of Science and grew up in New York City. Chef-Instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, King Phojanakong's cooking influences began at home with his Filipino mother and Thai father. Childhood summers spent in the Philippines furthered Chef King’s interest in the culinary world and instilled the importance of community and culture. Upon graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, King worked with Alex Lee and Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel and was part of the opening team at David Bouley’s Danube.

Chef King opened Kuma Inn on New York’s Lower East Side in 2003, where he’s served Filipino and Southeast Asian food for more than 15 years. King created the award-winning Bronx Hot Sauce, which is made from peppers grown in the borough’s community gardens and inspired Small Axe Peppers Hot Sauce, which partners with community gardens in 10 cities. He also made the recipe for The Bronx Salad, an initiative with The Institute for Family Health, and consults for Campbell’s Soup Company, San Miguel Produce, The United Soybean Board and The Culinary Institute of America.

Chef King has appeared on “Cutthroat Kitchen”, “The Rachael Ray Show”, Cooking Channel’s “Food(ography)”, and “Mike Colameco’s Real Food''. He started instructing at ICE in 2017 at a time in his career when he felt compelled to give back. “We teach and learn every day in the kitchen – I just wanted to do it in a more formal setting where everyone is on the same page sharing the same passion,” he was quoted as saying. King advised his students, “it takes time, patience and love to perfect the craft. A little skill doesn’t hurt either, but you can learn that.”

King not only had skill and craft but he also gave love to everything he dedicated his heart to. You will hear many stories about what a great Chef, teacher, confidante, and friend King was. Everyone that knew him would tell you what an infectious smile and great soul he had. He was a warm and endearing person and he is gone too soon. Yet, there is no doubt that his family was his greatest love and greatest joy. 

King fought this one-in-a-million rare illness as much as he could. He fought to be there for his family. They sat with him in the hospital through the holidays and birthdays and he put up a great fight. Many of you visited, prayed for King and sent well wishes. It was a testament to who King was and what he meant to you and all of us. 

On January 2, 2023, his big beautiful heart stopped. We lost a true King. We lost the Great King Phojanakong. 

Many have asked how to support King’s wife and children with the enormity of this loss and what their future will bring. I, along with a few of King's closest friends, have created this GoFundMe page to make sure his wife and children know we care and are here to support them. As King's brother-in-law, I will ensure his wife, Annabel Nau and his children receive your support.

Thank you all for your tremendous outpouring of support for King and his family.