Welcome
What’s Ahead This Week
This is a big one. Chinatown’s chefs and businesses are rallying behind the corridor’s own storytellers ahead of Thursday’s inaugural Chinatown Creator Awards reception — twenty creators getting their plaques, and a kitchen lineup built just for the occasion, from Chef Brian Howard to Double Zero’s new New York-style pizza debut.
On the news side: Mama Chai’s is changing hands, a long-vacant corner at Spring Mountain and Valley View just got approval for a four-suite commercial building, and Double Zero’s pizza program is entering a new chapter under GM Erica Bell.
Plus: live music all week at the Sand Dollar Lounge, Private Lives opens at Las Vegas Little Theatre next month, grocery deals at 99 Ranch and 168 Market, a look back at a Las Vegas wine director pouring Ningxia wine before most of the world had heard of it, and this week’s gripes about parking, potholes, and crosswalks.
Breaking
Breaking News
You May Have Heard by Now: Mama Chai’s Is Changing Hands
You may have heard by now: Mama Chai’s, the popular boba tea and mochi-donut café at 4240 Spring Mountain Road, is changing hands.
A Summerlin couple is taking over the Chinatown destination and is expected to retain the Mama Chai’s name and current concept as the transition moves forward. The café remains open, and we’ll be watching for additional details about what the new owners have planned.
Four-Suite Project Approved at Spring Mountain and Valley View
The long-vacant 0.72-acre corner at 3500 Spring Mountain Road is moving closer to development.
The 0.72-acre corner at Spring Mountain and Valley View is approved for a new four-suite commercial building.
The Clark County Zoning Commission has approved plans for a 6,409-square-foot, one-story commercial building divided into four tenant suites. The project also includes an outdoor dining patio and 36 parking spaces.
Vehicle access would come from Valley View Boulevard only, with no driveway directly onto Spring Mountain Road. County staff initially recommended denial over pedestrian-design and driveway concerns, but revised plans coordinated with the future Phase 3 reconstruction of Spring Mountain Road ultimately received Public Works support and commission approval.
No tenants or construction timeline have been announced. We’ll continue tracking what could become a prominent new commercial corner at the eastern entrance to Chinatown.
Double Zero’s Evolving Pizza Program
There is a new chapter taking shape at Double Zero Pie & Pub.
Erica Bell is now the restaurant’s general manager and lead pizzaiola. While continuing Michael Vakneen’s award-winning Neo-Neapolitan program, Bell has introduced 16-inch New York–style pizzas made with her own three-day fermented dough. Double Zero has also added lunchtime slices and expanded its daytime menu.
The new pizza program will receive a special preview this Thursday during the private Chinatown Creator Awards reception. Double Zero will serve its new New York–style pizza directly to the creators being honored and the evening’s invited guests.
Explore More: View Double Zero’s current menu and expanded lunch offerings.
Spotlight
The Creators Who Tell Chinatown’s Story
Back in May, we introduced you to twenty storytellers, four at a time—the photographers, videographers, food voices, and community personalities who have made it their business to show people what’s happening along Spring Mountain Road. This Thursday, they will be formally presented with their plaques during the private, invitation-only inaugural Chinatown Creator Awards reception.
Some have built audiences through polished restaurant reels and food photography. Others specialize in opening-day coverage, neighborhood discoveries, and the everyday moments that make the corridor feel alive. Their styles and audiences may differ, but each has helped turn individual posts into real attention for Chinatown’s independent businesses.
Twenty different voices, one shared thread: they saw that Chinatown’s story was worth telling before anyone was handing out plaques for it. Thursday, the neighborhood says thank you.
Then, in Friday’s This Week in Chinatown video, we’ll take you inside the reception with the plaque presentations, the creators, the chefs, and plenty of moments from the evening.
Community
Community Corner
Chinatown’s Chefs Rally Behind Its Storytellers
When the private Chinatown Creator Awards reception takes place this Thursday, the recipients won’t be the only ones showing up in force. Chefs and restaurants from across the corridor are rallying behind them—not with standard event catering, but with original dishes and specialty bites created for the occasion.
It’s a fitting gesture. These are many of the same restaurants the creators have spent months and years documenting—shooting the food, showing up for openings, and telling the stories that bring people through the doors. On Thursday, the chefs are returning the favor.
The lineup spans Chinatown’s culinary community: Chef Brian Howard of Sparrow + Wolf, Chef Steve Kestler of Aroma Latin American Cocina, Chef Bia of Lamaii, and Chef Yuka Takamizawa of Moignet Café, along with Double Zero Pie & Pub, China Mama, Chef Jimmy Li of Shanghai Taste, Debbie Ng O.Onigiri, Noodlehead, Yo, Mochi!, and The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant on cocktails and zero-proof drinks.
From “Chinatown Ceviche” and wood-fired Isaan sausage to crispy prawns, chiffon sandos, Chinese beef rolls, crème brûlée donuts, and the debut of a new New York–style pizza, each contribution has been selected specifically for the recipients and guests.
See the complete dish-by-dish lineup in our Chinatown Creator Awards reception preview →
On Stage
Live Performance Spotlight
The Sand Dollar Lounge — As Chinatown’s premier anchor for live music, craft drinks, and electric late-night energy, The Sand Dollar Lounge keeps the neighborhood buzzing all week long.
- Midweek Vibes: Catch the Tuesday Pro Jam and Radical West, or if you’re in town celebrating the Michelin Awards, wind down Wednesday with Mimi & The Riviera’s.
- The Weekend Roster: The stage stays heavy with standout acts including The Spectators, the Chris Tofield Band, Eli & The Melomaniacs, and OMALZA.
View the full weekly schedule and set times on the Sand Dollar Lounge Calendar
Deals
Shop Local: Chinatown Grocery Watch
Weekly highlights for August 21–27, 2026. Prices and availability may vary while supplies last.
This week, we’re pulling standout ingredients from Chinatown’s anchor markets—99 Ranch Market and 168 Market—and pairing them with practical ways to use them in your kitchen.
📍 99 Ranch Market
This week’s highlights include thinly sliced pork belly for braising, fresh baby bok choy for quick stir-fries, and white leg shrimp for fast, restaurant-style seafood dishes.
Try This: Turn the pork belly into Taiwanese lu rou fan by simmering it with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, fried shallots, five-spice and rock sugar. Flash-fry the baby bok choy with garlic and oyster sauce, or sear the shrimp with butter, ginger, garlic and soy for an easy weeknight glaze.
📍 168 Market
Featured values include fresh broccoli crowns at $1.19 per pound, natural pork back ribs at $5.49 per pound and 26/30-count headless white shrimp at $5.99 per pound.
Try This: Blanch the broccoli briefly before adding it to beef stir-fry to preserve its bright color and crunch. Steam the ribs with fermented black beans, garlic and Shaoxing wine, or leave the shrimp shells on, dust them lightly with cornstarch and flash-fry them for crispy salt-and-pepper shrimp.
Shop locally, compare the weekly specials and check freshness and availability before purchasing.
Preview
On Stage and Along the Corridor
Private Lives Opens September 4 at Las Vegas Little Theatre
Noël Coward’s timeless comedy Private Lives is coming to the Las Vegas Little Theatre September 4–20.
The story follows a divorced couple who unexpectedly find themselves honeymooning with their new spouses in adjoining rooms at the same French seaside hotel. One encounter on the balconies reignites a past filled with romance, razor-sharp wit and explosive marital chaos.
Performances are scheduled Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Las Vegas Little Theatre, 3920 Schiff Drive.
Tickets: View the complete performance schedule and purchase tickets through Las Vegas Little Theatre →
Still on the Horizon
The rest of this week’s development watch remains unchanged. We haven’t seen any confirmed openings or major status changes since last week, but the following projects remain on our radar.
Dining & Nightlife
888 Sushi & Robata • Bee Dessert Atelier • Harbour AYCE Seafood Hot Pot • Lao Sze Chuan at Pacifica Vegas • Royale Frites • Saigon Street • Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori • Sea Harbour by Chef Tony • Mountain View Plaza’s Japanese Omelet Concept & Boutique Wine Bar
Retail & Specialty
777 Card Factory • Lucky Dragon Smoke Shop
Major Developments
Pacifica Vegas • Chubby World • XYZ Square • Chinatown 11 • Jade Promenade • World Plaza
We continue checking permits, construction activity, signage and opening announcements throughout the corridor. We’ll move each project out of this watchlist as soon as its status changes.
Throwback
Looking Back
2012
Paul Ellis Was Already Pouring Ningxia as the World Caught On
Take a close look at this archival photograph from 2012. Paul Ellis is not pouring Bordeaux, Burgundy, or California Cabernet. He is pouring Dragon’s Hollow, a wine produced near the Helan Mountains in Ningxia, China.
Paul Ellis pours Dragon’s Hollow in Las Vegas, 2012 — the year after Ningxia’s breakthrough at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
At the time, Dragon’s Hollow was still a young label in the United States. Its trademark records show first commercial use in 2007, and the brand was developed specifically to introduce premium Chinese wine to international markets.
The timing is what makes this photograph notable. China was then known internationally far more as a buyer of fine wine than as a producer. Ningxia’s breakthrough moment had only just arrived in 2011, when Helan Qingxue’s Jia Bei Lan 2009 won an International Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Decanter later described the victory as a game changer that propelled Ningxia into the international wine conversation.
Paul was already pouring wine from that same young region the following year.
That willingness to look beyond familiar labels has defined his career. Before Las Vegas, Paul served as wine director at the Fairmont Hotel in Philadelphia and the Claremont Resort in Berkeley. From 1987 through 1999, he spent 12 years teaching wine at UCLA, where he implemented and helped develop the university’s wine-certification curriculum and created its advanced, professionally focused “Vintage” course. He also served as Southwest regional manager for Champagne Louis Roederer and Cristal.
After relocating to Las Vegas in 1999, Paul served as general manager of Napa, the landmark fine-dining restaurant at the Rio created by legendary French chef Jean-Louis Palladin. By 2001, Paul had become the first wine director at the MGM Grand.
His Las Vegas résumé would also include wine-director positions at Charlie Palmer Steak and AquaKnox, along with teaching roles at Le Cordon Bleu, The Art Institute of Las Vegas, and the College of Southern Nevada.
Through restaurant floors, classrooms, tastings, and judging panels, Paul helped educate generations of hospitality professionals and build the sophisticated wine culture Las Vegas enjoys today.
We are honored to have Mr. Ellis pouring wine at our inaugural Chinatown Creator Awards reception this Thursday, reflecting a legacy of expertise that spans decades in Las Vegas fine dining. Stop by and say hi to a Las Vegas F&B icon.
This is more than a nostalgic photograph. It captures one of Las Vegas’ pioneering wine educators embracing Ningxia’s emergence early, right as the region stepped onto the world stage.
Forecast
Chinatown Weather
Live conditions for the Spring Mountain corridor, updated automatically.
Spring Mountain (East)
89102
Spring Mountain (West)
89103
Unfiltered
Chinatown Gripes
With 24.3 million non-resident visits in one year, Chinatown has officially outgrown infrastructure designed for a much quieter corridor.
- Shanghai Plaza Parking Roulette: On busy nights, finding a space at Shanghai Plaza and other high-traffic hubs can mean circling repeatedly before spilling into nearby streets. The corridor keeps adding destinations faster than it adds convenient parking.
- The Road Fix Can’t Come Soon Enough: Clark County has approved the $5.7 million Phase 2 overhaul from Decatur to Rainbow, but construction is still weeks away. Until then, drivers get the same rough pavement and uneven asphalt—followed by approximately 200 days of cones and shifting access once work begins.
- Crosswalks Shouldn’t Feel Like a Dare: The newer flashing-beacon crossing between Chinatown Plaza and Shanghai Plaza is progress, but crossing Spring Mountain still depends on drivers noticing the lights and yielding. One improved crossing does not make an entire multi-lane corridor pedestrian-friendly.
What’s your biggest pet peeve when navigating Spring Mountain on a busy weekend night?
Explore More Chinatown
Ready to dive deeper into everything our neighborhood has to offer? Whether you’re hungry, curious, or just looking for something new to experience—we’ve got you covered. Spring Mountain Road offers endless adventures, from dining to community events. Revisit our past guides for more inspiration.
Master Martial Arts in Chinatown’s Core
Channel your inner warrior at Chinatown’s premier martial arts dojos, offering Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and more. From kids to adults, beginners to experts, these studios blend fitness, focus, and tradition—perfect for building strength and discipline year-round.
Chinatown Vegas Features Perfect Places to Master Martial Arts for Kids and Adults
Embrace Traditional Chinese Medicine
Discover centuries-old wellness at Chinatown’s herbal shops and acupuncture clinics. From custom tea blends to holistic treatments, these centers offer balance and healing whenever you need a reset.
Discovering Traditional Chinese Medicine in Las Vegas Chinatown
Insider Tip: Visit ChinatownVegas.com daily for breaking news, openings, and the stories behind your favorite neighborhood spots.
Let’s Celebrate
Let’s Celebrate
That’s a wrap on another week in Chinatown. This one belongs to the storytellers — twenty creators getting their due on Thursday, with the corridor’s chefs and businesses showing up to celebrate them right back.
Looking ahead: we’ll be at the reception Thursday, and next week’s issue will bring you inside it — the plaques, the food, the moments. One schedule note: this week’s video will publish Saturday instead of our usual Friday, so don’t go looking for it a day early.
Thanks for reading, thanks for shopping local, and we’ll see you next Monday.
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
Published by ChinatownVegas.com · Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas
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