Xing’s not closing yet

May 1

Boy, you turn down one person’s rehearsal dinner and everyone says you’re going out of business.
I just got off the phone with Michael Lagunas, the owner of Xing in Hell’s Kitchen, and he denies rumors that the restaurant has closed or that his chef, Lulzim Rexhepi, has left. But he admits that things aren’t going well and he’s trying to figure out what to do with the place. “I love my staff. I love my chef. I’m kind of in a confusted state of mind,” he says.
So he has put egg rolls and other less expensive items on the menu to try to bring in that critical mass of neighborhood regulars that any restaruant needs to survive.
If you happen to be near 9th Avenue and the low 50s, you might want to check it out. Otherwise, it might become a lounge.

For more about Xing, how it’s pronounced and other useless but possibly interesting esoterica, click here.