Son died while waiting for heart transplant
The family restaurant known for Christchurch’s iconic $2 rice bowl is temporarily closed after the death of the founders’ son.
Jeremy Keith Kaywah, 33, died in Auckland Hospital on Wednesday after complications from a recent cold affected by an existing heart condition.
Pete Was said his son had been awaiting a heart transplant but the acceptance process was ‘‘brutal’’.
‘‘If you’re sick you can’t have it or the wrong age . . . There is a system and it’s fair enough,’’ he said.
Kaywah had been in Auckland for a regular heart assessment before falling ill on his return to Christchurch in May.
He went back to hospital in Auckland and learned his prognosis was serious.
‘‘They all thought he wouldn’t make it but he’s the comeback kid,’’ his father said.
The extra weeks Kaywah survived in the intensive care unit gave him valuable time with his extended family and four children aged from 11 years to 5 months.
A keen indoor cricketer, Kaywah had a cricket bat signed by Black Cap Corey Anderson that he had organised to be cremated with him.
There were also playing cards, to reflect his love of poker and gambling, and basketball boots.
Kaywah had grown up in his family’s Dumplings restaurant, located in Shades Arcade before the Canterbury earthquakes, then in Riccarton.
He ran the restaurant as an adult. The famous $2 rice was a concept created by Was’ wife, Mary Kaywah, and had remained unchanged since they opened the restaurant almost 30 years ago.
‘‘The containers have got a wee bit smaller but we give free scoops of rice,’’ he said.
The real trick was the secret special sauce.
‘‘I’ve had people try to copy it but there’s no way in hell they’ll get it. If you want to buy my business it starts at $200,000 just for the sauce.’’
The $2 rice was so well known it came second place in the Urban List of 45 Things That Are So Christchurch It Hurts in June.
People travelled from all over New Zealand to visit the restaurant, including cricketers Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan and Shane Bond, Was said.
The family were surprised at the outpouring of love and interest from across the country since Jeremy Kaywah’s death.
More than 1000 people had commented on a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page by yesterday afternoon.
‘‘Today I walked through Riccarton Mall and there’s people I don’t know coming up and giving me hugs,’’ Was said.
A service for Kaywah will be held on Tuesday and the restaurant will reopen on Wednesday.