Welcome

What’s Ahead This Week

It’s a big one. Win Kee HK BBQ & Noodle soft opens today at Shanghai Plaza, Spring Mountain Road is getting a $5.7 million overhaul from Decatur to Rainbow, and we’re following up on the Super Kyuramen story we reported five months before its August opening.

In the Spotlight, we’re previewing the Inaugural Chinatown 20 Awards — a private, invitation-only reception on August 27 where some of Chinatown’s most decorated chefs, including James Beard nominees and semifinalists, are creating original dishes just to honor the corridor’s content creators.

Looking Back takes us to 4266 W. Spring Mountain Road, Unit 102 at Shanghai Plaza, tracing the storefront from Shibuyala to Reiwatakiya through our own 2021 photos. And in Community Corner, we sit down with Yoonha Jung, who’s spent more than 20 years building Rose’s Cleaners into a Chinatown institution one alteration at a time.

Plus: music, theater, deals, what’s on the horizon, and — of course — a gripe.

As always, we’re looking back at what shaped this corridor and looking forward to what’s next for it.

Breaking

Win Kee Soft Opens Today at Shanghai Plaza

The wait is over — Hong Kong-style barbecue arrives in the heart of Chinatown.

Win Kee HK BBQ & Noodle soft opens today at Shanghai Plaza, bringing its popular Hong Kong-style barbecue directly into the heart of Las Vegas Chinatown.

ChinatownVegas.com first broke the news of Win Kee’s planned move into the former Sinh Sinh space on February 21, months before the restaurant publicly confirmed it. We followed the story as the storefront signs went up in May — and today, the doors officially open.

The move follows the August 10 closure of Win Kee’s Rainbow Boulevard restaurant. Diners can expect roast duck, crispy pork belly, char siu, wonton noodles, rice plates, congee, and other Cantonese comfort-food favorites.

Breaking

Clark County Approves $5.7M Spring Mountain Road Overhaul

Phase 2 roadwork will rebuild the corridor from Decatur to Rainbow, with construction expected to begin within two months.

Major infrastructure improvements are officially coming to the Spring Mountain corridor. The Clark County Commission has approved a $5.7 million contract, awarded to Unicon, LLC, for Phase 2 roadwork spanning Decatur Boulevard to Rainbow Boulevard — the western portion of Las Vegas Chinatown.

What’s Included in Phase 2

• Repaving and reconstruction: Asphalt resurfacing and reconstruction of damaged pavement between Decatur and Rainbow.
• Safety and traffic flow: Raised center medians, updated traffic signals, improved streetlighting and modernized traffic-management systems.
• Pedestrian and business access: ADA accessibility upgrades and the replacement of designated driveways along the project area.

Timeline and Traffic Impact

• Expected start: Construction is anticipated to begin within approximately 45 to 60 days.
• Target completion: 2027.
• What to expect: Temporary lane restrictions and changes to driveway access are likely during construction. Clark County has not yet released a detailed traffic-control or construction schedule.

What About the I-15 to Decatur Core?

This project covers Phase 2. A separate future phase would address the central Chinatown corridor between Interstate 15 and Decatur Boulevard.

Preliminary concepts call for wider, shade-tree-lined sidewalks, improved lighting and the potential removal of one westbound travel lane. That phase remains in preliminary planning and has not yet been funded, approved or scheduled.

Follow-Up

From Our March Scoop to Opening Day: Super Kyuramen Arrives

What began with newly illuminated signage — with “Izakaya” spelled incorrectly, corrected the next day — in March is now a fully opened Chinatown destination.

On March 14, ChinatownVegas.com was the first to report that Kyuramen “Super” was coming to the former Jubilee Furniture space at Hotai Plaza after we spotted its newly illuminated signage at 4525 W. Spring Mountain Road.

Five months later, Super Kyuramen officially opened on August 3, bringing a major new ramen, izakaya, and late-night dining destination to the corridor.

Spanning 5,168 square feet, the Chinatown location is only the second Kyuramen “Super” concept in the country.

• Atmosphere: Multi-level honeycomb booths, private themed dining rooms, warm wood interiors, and a lantern-lined passage inspired by Japan’s intimate dining alleys.
• Menu: Signature ramen joined by sushi, izakaya-style small plates, handcrafted cocktails, sake, Japanese beer, and mocktails.
• Late-Night Dining: Open until 2:00 a.m. daily, adding another major destination to Chinatown’s late-night scene.

Spring Mountain Road moves fast, and ChinatownVegas.com was there early to document it.

Read the original ChinatownVegas.com exclusive from March 14 →

Spotlight

The Inaugural Chinatown 20 Awards: Celebrating the Creators Who Tell Chinatown’s Story

Some of Chinatown’s most decorated chefs are creating original dishes and drinks just for the honorees.

On Thursday, August 27, the creators who help tell Chinatown’s story will take center stage at the Inaugural Chinatown 20 Awards Ceremony, held from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at COYA Living.

Over five weeks this summer, four creators at a time were introduced as members of the inaugural Chinatown 20 — an unranked group of digital storytellers, photographers, food lovers, and local voices whose reels, videos, articles, and reviews have brought new attention to the businesses and people of the Spring Mountain corridor. Now all 20 honorees come together for a private, invitation-only reception created specifically for them, where each will be formally presented with a custom award plaque recognizing their contribution to the visibility, culture, and continued growth of Las Vegas Chinatown.

To honor the creators, some of Chinatown’s most celebrated chefs, restaurants, and beverage professionals are designing original dishes, bites, cocktails, and zero-proof drinks specifically for this one-night event — not standard catering or items pulled from existing menus, but a culinary thank-you built for the occasion.

Several additional award-recognized chefs and acclaimed local culinary teams are also working to finalize their schedules. Any lineup additions — along with the first reveal of the original dishes being created for the honorees — will be announced in Friday’s video episode.

👉 Meet all 20 honorees and find their social media handles in the official Chinatown 20 Content Creators Directory

Community

Community Corner

On Stage

Live Performance Spotlight

Seven Nights at the Sand Dollar Lounge

Few places do late-night Chinatown quite like The Sand Dollar Lounge. With live music seven nights a week, no cover charge, craft cocktails, independent beers, artisan pizzas, and its wonderfully antisocial beer-vending machine, it remains one of Spring Mountain Road’s essential after-dark institutions.

Stage highlights for August 17–23:

• Monday–Wednesday: The Aaron Archer Trio opens the week Monday with blues and rock & roll at 10 p.m. Tuesday features the Pro Jam at 6:30 p.m., followed by the all-improv Funk Jam at 10 p.m. Blues powerhouse Chris O’Leary takes over Wednesday at 10 p.m.
• Thursday–Friday: Katrina Bree brings her rock-and-soul sound Thursday at 10 p.m. Friday begins with bilingual vocalist Didi West at 6 p.m., followed by the full-force funk of The King James Brown Band at 10 p.m.
• Saturday–Sunday: Southern rock tribute band Down South Jukers starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by Las Vegas blues favorites The Moanin’ Blacksnakes at 10 p.m. The Shagadelics close the week Sunday at 10 p.m. with a high-energy trip through the music of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.

All Sand Dollar performances are 21 and older with no cover. Ten performances, seven nights, and plenty of reasons to stay out late.

Final Weekend: Two World-Premiere One-Act Plays

Only four performances remain for Speeding Theatre Over 55’s double bill at Las Vegas Little Theatre:

• CHIMPS — An evolutionary drama set inside the Los Angeles Zoo and told from the perspective of those behind the bars. A striking reversal of the traditional zoo story.
• TOWN HALL DEBATE — A timely political dramedy confronting right versus left, red versus blue, and the opposing viewpoints shaping an anxious national moment.

Remaining performances: Friday, August 21 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, August 22 at 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, August 23 at 2 p.m.

General admission is $25. Two-for-one tickets are available for Friday evening’s performance by calling the Las Vegas Little Theatre box office directly at (702) 362-7996.

👉 View production and ticket information

Deals

Shop Local: Chinatown Grocery Watch

Weekly specials valid through Thursday, August 20, while supplies last.

📍 99 Ranch Market — 4155 W. Spring Mountain Road

Taiwan flat cabbage is $0.69/lb, a 15-pound bag of Sekka short-grain rice is $12.99 (regularly $16.99), and live tilapia and striped bass are featured at market pricing.

📍 168 Market — 3450 S. Jones Boulevard

USDA Choice thinly sliced hot pot beef is $7.99/lb, while select Demisoda six-packs and Want Want rice crackers run $1.99–$3.49.

Preview

👀 On the Horizon

Keep these upcoming openings and developments on your radar.

From restaurants currently under construction to major destination projects still in planning, Chinatown’s next wave continues taking shape. We’ll keep tracking construction, tenant announcements, and opening dates as they become available.

Throwback

One Storefront, Two Eras: Shibuyala to Reiwatakiya

Before Reiwatakiya occupied 4266 W. Spring Mountain Road, Unit 102 at Shanghai Plaza, the storefront belonged to Shibuyala — and ChinatownVegas.com’s own 2021 photos are still the clearest record of what it looked like.

In Friday’s video episode, we’ll revisit the Shibuyala years and show how Unit 102 transformed into the Reiwatakiya we know today.

Forecast

Chinatown Weather

Live conditions for the Spring Mountain corridor, updated automatically.

Unfiltered

Waiting for the Inevitable Meltdown

We’ve griped about Spring Mountain Road for years — the potholes, the rough pavement, the poor lighting, the confusing driveways, the endless traffic. Now the long-awaited improvements are finally coming, and we can already hear the next round of complaints warming up.

Give it about 45 to 60 days. Once the orange cones officially claim Spring Mountain Road, expect the first wave of construction gripes to include:

• The “Who Blocked My Plaza?” Outrage: Arriving the exact moment a lane restriction appears in front of a busy shopping center at 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday.
• The U-Turn Gymnastics: Three-point turns across half-milled pavement after discovering the usual plaza entrance is temporarily closed.
• The “Since When Was This Planned?” Shock: Social posts from people discovering the project the moment construction begins — even though it’s been discussed publicly for months.
• The Alternate-Route Refusal: Sitting through the entire backup rather than touching Desert Inn or Flamingo.

The roadwork is necessary and long overdue — but we all know how Spring Mountain handles delays. Consider this our official pre-gripe: start learning those alternate routes now, because once the equipment rolls in, the comment sections may need rebuilding too.

Explore More Chinatown

A few more favorites worth revisiting: Master Martial Arts in Chinatown’s Core — Kung Fu and Taekwondo studios along the corridor, most with free trial classes.

9 Ramen Bowls to Warm Your Soul — from tonkotsu to spicy miso, Chinatown’s ramen scene rivals the best.

Discovering Traditional Chinese Medicine in Las Vegas Chinatown — herbal shops and acupuncture clinics offering centuries-old wellness.

Catch Up

In Case You Missed It

Last Friday’s video episode covered DOYA Gukbap & OB BEAR, Three Neko Concepts, the Chinatown 20 Awards save-the-date, and the comeback of China Mama. Catch it below if you missed it.

Let’s Celebrate

Let’s Celebrate

From a new chapter for Spring Mountain Road to Win Kee opening its doors at Shanghai Plaza, Chinatown keeps writing its story one week at a time — and we’re glad you’re along for it.

Stay close to it all: follow us @chinatownvegas on every social platform, and don’t miss our next video episode dropping this Friday.

Submissions

📣 Share Your News

Have a neighborhood update, press release, event announcement, business milestone, or community story to share?

We’d love to hear from you. This Week in Chinatown welcomes submissions from businesses, organizations, nonprofits, creators, and community members helping shape the Las Vegas Chinatown community. While we can’t guarantee every submission will be published, we review every story for possible inclusion in future editions.

Email: hello@chinatownvegas.com