A fire early on December 2 has damaged a restaurant in Marabella.

Keith Wong, owner of Golden Palace Restaurant and Food Grill Canteen on Southern Main Road, said only the ground floor of the two-storey building was affected.

The first floor remained open for business as usual.

Wong told Newsday the fire started shortly before 6 am when workers were heating oil to fry bake and it appeared the oil got too hot. The staff used a fire extinguisher to contain the flames, and officers from the Mon Repos Fire Station (South Headquarters) were called. Ambulance personnel were also notified.

There were three workers in the kitchen and no one was injured.

Wong said the majority of the damage was from water, though a significant amount of black soot left by the smoke would require thorough cleaning.

[caption id="attachment_1124213" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Keith Wong, owner of Golden Palace Restaurant and Food Grill Canteen in Marabella, which was affected by an early morning fire on December 2. - Photo by Lincoln Holder[/caption]

"The main damage is in the kitchen downstairs," Wong said. "The fine-dining area upstairs remains open. Luckily, the fire was contained to the ground floor, but I have lost a lot of business, especially since we serve breakfast in the mornings.

"I hope to get everything up and running soon. We need to clean up and replace some equipment. The main concern is the electrical systems."

The cost of the damage has not yet been determined.

Golden Palace posted on Facebook on December 2 said: "Valued customers, please be advised that the Golden Palace Canteen downstairs is closed for renovations. The fine dining restaurant upstairs is open for normal business."

Investigations are ongoing.

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