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For more than two decades, restaurants have been at the centre of Mimi and her family’s life.
From the much-loved Khang’s Noodles in Kilkenny, which ran for 26 years, to the more polished lakeside Ba Khang at West Lakes, hospitality has shaped their family story.
The move follows a major year of change for the family. In July, they sold Khang’s Noodles after 26 years, closing a chapter that had been a huge part of their lives and marking what Mimi described as the “end of an era”.
Now Ba Khang will follow, with the distance between the family’s personal lives and the West Lakes restaurant becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
But rather than stepping away from hospitality, the family is bringing the lessons and flavours of both restaurants together.
With Ba Khang preparing to serve its final customers on Saturday, September 26, Mimi has revealed the closure is far from the end of their story. The family has secured a new restaurant site directly opposite Burnside Village, bringing their next venture much closer to home.
“It almost feels meant to be … like it was meant for us,” Mimi said.
While the family are keeping their new plans under wraps, it was revealed the new Burnside venue will offer something new, yet familiar to customers.
“It will kind of be a marriage of the two restaurants and the two styles we’ve had.”
Khang’s Noodles had a more casual, fast-paced feel which will now be combined with the slower, more elevated experience the family created at Ba Khang. And at the heart of it, will remain the family’s Vietnamese recipes and passion that intensified with each meal served.
Mimi’s mother grew up around restaurants in Vietnam and developed a love of cooking from an early age, with that passion eventually becoming the foundation of the family businesses in Adelaide.
“Our whole life is built upon these restaurants,” Mimi said.
That family connection will continue into the Burnside venture.
While details including the new name, menu and opening date are still to come, Mimi said long-time diners from both Khang’s Noodles and Ba Khang can expect plenty of familiar influences.
“For the supporters and all of our customers from Khang’s Noodles and Ba Khang, we have really exciting things in store that feel really close to home.”
“One thing we can always promise is really good food.”
For customers preparing to say farewell to Ba Khang this week, the family’s message is simple, “It’s not goodbye.”
Ba Khang
Final day of trading: Saturday, September 26
For updates, keep an eye on their social media.
