From his Thai restaurant Banana Blossom in Gretna, Jimmy Cho built a community across the New Orleans restaurant scene, collaborating with others in the business and constantly making new connections between them.
That’s one reason why so many are now mourning the news of his death.
Cho was found dead at his Gretna home on Monday, Oct. 19, confirmed his friend Tom Intavichai, the chef of the Mid-City Thai restaurant Chada. Cho was 50. His cause of death has not been announced.
As news spread through the tight-knit local Thai restaurant community and then on social media, friends and customers have been sharing remembrances of a man many called kind, gentle and the consummate host.
Banana Blossom Thai Restaurant serves traditional and original dishes in Gretna.
Staff photo by Ian McNulty
Banana Blossom is closed “until further notice” with no reopening date yet set, according to a statement from the restaurant. Cho was sole owner of Banana Blossom and with no family in the area, friends of Cho say the future of the restaurant is unclear.
Chefs at other local restaurants will serve Banana Blossom dishes on Thursday, Oct. 22, as a tribute, with proceeds going to help with funeral expenses. These include caramel pork ribs at Zasu (127 N. Carrollton Ave.), lamb panang at Chada (3420 Bienville St.), caramel Bangkok wings at Tuk Tuk Thai (901 Veterans Blvd.) and chicken tacos at Asia Teak in the Place St. Charles food court (201 St. Charles Ave.).
From Thailand to Gretna
Cho was an immigrant from Thailand who arrived in New Orleans with no restaurant plans in mind, but who ended up creating a unique addition to the modern New Orleans dining scene.
He grew up in northwest Thailand, where his family ran a combination noodle shop and grocery. He eventually made it to New Orleans, where his family had some friends. He was studying to be a surgical tech at Delgado Community College and working at the original location of the Gretna sushi bar Café Zen.
Jimmy Cho, shown here in 2010 at the original location of his restaurant Banana Blossom, serves the flavors of his native Thailand.
Staff photo by Ian McNulty
In 2009, when that restaurant moved to a bigger location a few doors down, Cho decided to take over the lease and try his hand at serving the food of his homeland. It was a modest strip mall spot, with just a few tables under a drop ceiling. But he built a following, and by 2018 he had relocated Banana Blossom to downtown Gretna, at 500 Ninth St., doubling in size with a much more stylish location.
Along the way, Banana Blossom’s menu would expand with other influences, from Hawaiian food trucks to Spanish tapas bars and New Orleans seafood traditions. Soon it became the most adventurous of the area’s growing number of Thai restaurants. This would later grow through collaborations with restaurants including Central City BBQ, Bearcat Café and the Creole Creamery.
In 2020, Cho partnered with the restaurant group BRG Hospitality to open Cho Thai across the river at 3218 Magazine St. It debuted in the early months of the pandemic, with restaurants still under service limitations, and closed in the fall of 2022.
Last year, Banana Blossom and Cho landed in a legal dispute with a group of employees, who brought a lawsuit in federal court accusing Cho of wage theft and violating Fair Labor Standards Act statutes. Court records show a settlement had been reached over the summer, though the case remained pending over unresolved questions of settlement awards.
Friends of Cho said Tuesday that funeral arrangements were not yet set.
Dining and Cooking