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MR. CHOW IN LEGAL FOOD FIGHT

Famed restaurateur Mr. Chow is chop-suing nemesis Philippe Chow, whose copycat eateries Mr. Chow contends are a rip-off of his menus and his trademarked good name.

Michael Chow, the original Mr. Chow, has been furious with Chak Yam Chau ever since the former “food chopper” for Michael resigned in 2005, changed his name to Philippe Chow and opened restaurants in New York, according to a trademark-infringement lawsuit filed yesterday in a Florida federal court.

The final straw came in 2008, Michael says, when Philippe opened a Miami outpost 100 yards from a long-planned location Mr. Chow will open next month.

Philippe claims he was “executive chef” for Mr. Chow for 27 years when in fact he never had anything to do with the menu, the lawsuit says.

Mr. Chow is demanding damages, partly in the form of a share of profits Philippe has earned using the Chow name.

“Philippe has aggressively and shamelessly worked to confuse people into thinking our restaurants are connected, even to the point of referring to himself as ‘Mr. Chow,’ ” Michael told The Post.

Philippe and his partner, Stratis Morfogen, contend no one could confuse the two chains, despite similarities between the two menus.

jeremy.olshan@nypost.com