CLEVELAND — YYTime on the corner of Payne Avenue and East 30th Street is buzzing with excitement.
Opening day Wednesday for the New Asian Street food-focused restaurant has been a success as many, like Mercedes Mitchell, try to grab a table for dinner.
“It’s really nice, the decor is nice, so I am looking forward to the food,” said Mitchell.
YYTime owner Sheng Long Yu said Asiatown needed a breath of new life.
“I have been here for over 20 years and there are a lot of great restaurants around, but we haven't seen a lot of updates around Asia Town, so we are hoping to bring in new flavor and new atmosphere,” said Yu.
Watch previous coverage of the efforts to update Asiatown:
RELATED: Business owners try to breathe new life into Asiatown
Yu bought the old National Tire and Battery building in 2021 and has since transformed the space. He even sent his employees to China to train to keep the cooking techniques and flavors truly authentic.
“We wanted to create an atmosphere where people can come in with friends and family to enjoy different types of taste pallets and have a little bit for everybody,” said Yu.
Noodles, bao buns and dumplings are just a few of the items on the new menu. Emily
Zhao is happy to see trendy Asian street foods often found in other cities across the country finally come to Cleveland.
“I am so excited to have something like this in Cleveland, I just came back from visiting Chicago and just other bigger cities just have an area to mingle,” said Zhao. “So, I am just super excited to have something like this come to this where I live. I am really proud.”
