Top Chef alum Shirley Chung is scaling back operations as she undergoes treatment for stage 4 tongue cancer.
The diagnosis came after a “series of dental issues” that included biting her tongue “severely,” then fracturing a tooth that had to be pulled and replaced with an implant, the celebrity chef announced on Instagram. That culminated in mouth ulcers that “erupted” in May, which is when an oral surgeon “discovered a hidden tumour” under her tongue.
“A few days later, I was diagnosed, stage 4 tongue cancer, as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes,” she said.
Soon after her announcement, Chung and her husband, Jimmy Lee, said they would close her famed Ms. Chi Cafe in Culver City, California, known for its dumplings, and suspend orders on Goldbelly.com next month. They promised a return to online ordering once Chung has recovered.
“We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you – our staff, supporters, and fans,” the couple wrote. “We have truly enjoyed spreading the dumpling love over the last several years and calling Culver City our home!”
In Chung’s Instagram post, Lee could be seen shaving her head following six weeks of chemotherapy “with many more to go,” which she said she opted for instead of full tongue removal. While surgery has a higher survival rate, she said she knew of another chef in Chicago who had been treated with radiation and chemotherapy.
Since receiving her treatment plan in early June, Chung has had a “full-time job” going to the hospital for injections four times a week, she said.
“My tumour is shrinking, my speech is much better, and I can eat most normal food now,” she wrote. “I am learning to lean on others, to let go, to be more vulnerable. ... I have a tough, long road to recovery in front of me. Your love and support will carry me through.”
Support for Chung’s health and tributes to her culinary skills streamed in from friends and fellow chefs alike.
Chung, 47, was a finalist on Top Chef season 11, and was the runner-up in season 14. She has competed on the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, and most recently won an episode of Bobby’s Triple Threat. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
