The popular Carrington restaurant posted a message on social media on Sunday, "It is with an extremely heavy heart we have to share the devastating news that our amazing Singing Golden Dragon, Hua "Franky" Fan passed away this morning from an asthma attack."

Hua moved his popular Franky's Noodles business to Young Street, Carrington, in 2018. He was known for making everything from scratch. With friend and associate Matt McFarlane, they carved a place in local folklore for music nights and quality Chinese cuisine.

The eatery was one of the businesses featured in the Herald's Weekender cover story on Saturday on Carrington's revival.

Long-time Young Street resident Billy Lamb said of Fan: "He brought life into Carrington."

In 2019 food writer Daniel Honan wrote in the Newcastle Herald Weekender about Franky's sensational noodles, "if his particular brand of noodles is any measure for what constitutes a decent bowl of Lanzhou noodle soup, then I might be tempted to say that perfection begins here".