Chef closes Fresno restaurant after health scare, returning home from hospital
One of the first things Eddie Sixayratransy did upon his return to Fresno, post heart surgery, was pose for a social media pic outside of his restaurant, My Guy Market.
He’s standing in front of a large poster that marks the white brick building, where he introduced the city to his signature chopped cheese sandwiches. His face is a bit deadpan, but he has one finger pointing up, as if in triumph. His T-shirt reads “UCSF” — the hospital where he was transferred to in April to undergo treatment for heart failure.
“We are overjoyed to see chef out of the hospital and back on Belmont and Roosevelt,” the post reads.
“He’s back in town continuing to rest and recuperate at home. We will keep ya’ll posted with any and all developments.”
The chef was admitted back to the emergency department in Fresno, according to a text message sent to The Bee on Tuesday. His current condition in unclear.
This comes days after chef Eddie announced he would be closing down My Guy Market to focus on his recovery. In a series of photos and video posted on Sunday, he was back in front of that poster, this time removing it from the wall.
“Bittersweet moment,” he posted in the video’s caption.
“Four wonderful years here on Belmont and Roosevelt.”
Sixayratransy, (chef Eddie, or Eddie Wutangsy) has long been a personality in Fresno’s food scene, having done kitchen work at restaurants such as KuniSama, Benaddiction and Chef Paul’s Cafe.
His status grew, especially via social media, when he opened My Guy Market out of the Hot Spot Kitchen space in 2022.
The pick-up only restaurant was inspired by a walking trip through New York City, and introduced Fresno to the chopped cheese sandwich, a kind of deconstructed hamburger popular at East Coast bodegas. The chef also introduced the viral-worthy Checkmate sandwich (its slow-smoked “dino” short rib bone meant to be pulled straight out of the wrapper) and a menu of Laotian barbecue dishes designed for a series of pop-up events.
On social media and in person, chef Eddie beamed with an energetic chaos, full of optimism and love. For a time, he took to hiding stacks of cash in his to-go bags, or sometimes, he just handed out the money, in person, just to see the reaction. It cut into his bottom line, but the “fun chaos” of it all made him smile.
Sunday’s post, and accompanying comments from the chef, made it clear the closure is temporary and that the restaurant will eventually return, in some form. “Temporarily closed for now! Gotta make sure my health is at 1-hunnit,” chef Eddie wrote.
Also closedL Fresno’s Chop Cheese Bodega
The closure is a double hit for the chopped cheese options in Fresno.
Last month, Chop Cheese Bodega announced it was closing its location on Blackstone Avenue near Bullard.
The restaurant served its sandwiches (ground Angus beef patty chopped with cheese, peppers and onions, mayo and ketcup on a hoagie roll) from a window walk in what was once an Enterprise Rent-A-Car and gained a quick following, having been open for just over one year.
The closure could also be temporary. The plan was to move the restaurant to another location, according to the restaurant’s social media, though that has since been removed. A sign on the Blackstone Avenue now advertises something called Yard Burger.