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AmerAsia's head chef, who cooked with 'passion and soul,' dies of COVID-19 complications

9 cool neighborhood blocks for eating, drinking
Posted at 1:14 PM, Jan 05, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-05 21:00:51-05

COVINGTON, Ky. — Avelino Rojas Vargas, head chef at KungFood Chu's AmerAsia restaurant in Covington, died Sunday due to complications from COVID-19, according to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page.

"Avelino was not just a chef," stated the post published Tuesday on Facebook. "He was most importantly a dedicated son, husband, and father, and is survived by his loving wife, son, and four daughters."

Vargas is survived by his wife, Delia, son, Cristian, 24; daughters, Jennifer, 21; Nancy, 16; Jocelyn, 7; and Camila, 2; and a granddaughter, Giovanna, 1.

KungFu Chu's AmerAsia has operated at 521 Madison Ave. since 2008.

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KungFood Chu's AmerAsia's post also described Vargas as a chef who "cooked with a passion and soul," and without conceit, who often rolled "up his sleeves" to do many "of the difficult chores most chefs would refuse to do."

According to the Facebook post, Vargas worked for decades in the kitchens of many Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati restaurants.

His family also set up a GoFundMe page to help Vargas' wife and children.

Vargas was an immigrant from Michoacán, Mexico, and the sole provider for his family, according to a message posted on GoFundMe.