(KRON) — An Oakland restaurant that is featured in the Michelin Guide announced Thursday that it is closing. Lion Dance Cafe’s last day will be April 27.
The restaurant started off doing pop-ups before opening up a full-time location at 380 17th St. in uptown Oakland. It was open for nearly four years.
“Over the past 12+ years, we got to be a part of so many people’s milestones, from first dates to weddings, celebrations of life, queer coming out dinners… It’s been challenging. And it’s been sweet and rewarding,” the restaurant said in an Instagram post.
Lion Dance Cafe serves Singaporean cuisine and its menu is fully vegan. It won The Bold Italic’s Best Chef and Best New Restaurant awards in 2020.
“Billing itself as ‘authentic, not traditional,’ the cooking deploys bold flavors rooted in Chef Chia’s Teochow Chinese-Singaporean heritage in a small menu of unique dishes boasting seasonal ingredients,” the Michelin Guide wrote about the restaurant.
As for why the restaurant is closing, the Instagram post said “the reasons are familial.”
“This was the hardest decision we’ve ever had to make, and not one we thought we’d be faced with now,” it said.
The Instagram post said “this is not the last that you’ll hear of us” and encouraged customers to follow its Instagram page.
