A small part of the New York culinary scene's influence on Austin has been undone with the closure of RedFarm, a Chinese dim sum restaurant from Manhattan. A representative for the restaurant confirms that the business' last day was Sunday, January 4.
For a while, few Austinites noticed the restaurant had closed. It was the Austin American-Statesman and Austin Business Journal that clued locals in on the same day, January 12. A few social media users also brought up the topic in the days before.
The restaurant closed quietly and RedFarm co-owner Zach Chodorow did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article will be updated if and when Cohodorow does respond.
RedFarm first opened in Austin in November 2023, making it a little more than two years old at the time of its closure. The two preceding New York restaurants opened in 2011 and 2014, suggesting that the business model may have been better suited to New York than Austin.
However, the Texas capital was the first city RedFarm ever expanded to; it is possible the act of expanding was more destabilizing than the area it expanded to.
RedFarm was primarily known for its whimsical Pac-Man dumplings, colorful "ghosts" that appeared to be chased on the long plate by another fried dumpling in the shape of the classic video game protagonist. Another signature dish, which Austinites may have tried at some CultureMap events, were the three-color vegetable dumplings with separate pockets for each vegetable.
The restaurant also had plenty more serious standard dishes, including a whole peking duck, a common favorite.
Although the Austin location only held up for a couple of years, there is no evidence to suggest that anything will happen to the New York restaurants.
Going forward, the former Austin location at 201 W. 3rd St. will likely be claimed by another restaurant quickly. The address is only a quarter-mile from the Moody Theater (where Austin City Limits Live is held) and is surrounded by many other restaurants and bars from new, like VanHorn's, to well-established, like Red Ash. A few blocks away, Vince Young Steakhouse will close January 24, reminding Austinites that nothing downtown is ever guaranteed.
