CLEVELAND — Home to 35 different Asian-owned and operated businesses, Asiatown has connected Clevelanders to culture through food for over a century.
“It’s a regional hub, particularly for folks who are Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander who see a piece of home and able to get their daily needs met in the neighborhood,” said Karis Tzeng Vice President of Planning at Midtown Cleveland.
However, restaurateur, Sheng Long Yu, felt progress wasn't happening fast enough.
“Right now, there are a lot of great restaurants in the Asiatown area, the problem is, not a lot of them are updated,” said Yu.
To help propel Asiatown into a new era, Yu bought the old National Tire and Battery building on East 30th and Payne. It will be home to YYTime, opening this summer. The name translates to "friendship time" and will mimic a food hall, with different stations dedicated to noodles, bao buns, dumplings, and bubble teas.
“This is a place where you can walk in, feel comfortable, it’s not crowded, clean, and open sitting design," said Yu. "It’s going to be a pretty fun atmosphere."
Another effort to launch Asiatown into modern times is Ice or Rice Café opening this April. Owner, Brian Ng, said it will provide the community with the Japanese cuisine it’s currently lacking. The owner's brother, Andy Ng, helped create the fast-casual menu.
“A lot of homestyle Japanese cooking, okonomiyaki, which are Japanese cabbage pancakes, onigiri, which are rice balls,” Ng said.
Asiatown is home to 2,000 residents but Midtown Cleveland wants that number to keep growing, so it’s making improvements.
“Things like public art, our lighting, we're working on a pop-up park to help respond to the needs of folks in the neighborhood,” Tzeng added.
Business owners hope the entrepreneurial growth keeps the area up and running for another 100 years.
“I have been a lifelong Cleveland resident and I want to see this place become more of a popular destination for both businesses as well as tourists,” Ng said.
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