8 new restaurants to join Mesa’s Mekong Plaza

A Valley hub for Asian dining has expanded, with one new restaurant now open and seven more on the way. After three years of construction, the addition to Mesa’s Mekong Plaza is complete. Chinese hot pot, Korean shave ice and a viral Japanese noodle bar are among the new spots – with several chains opening their first Arizona locations.

On Monday, restaurant owners, developers and city representatives gathered at the plaza to celebrate the completion of a 32,000 square-foot expansion.

“This is really the heart of the Asian District,”  says Drew Burtoni, Mekong Real Estate Investment Group’s development manager. “This is where everyone from all over the state of Arizona comes to for Asian shopping, Asian food and cool experience(s).”

Mekong Real Estate Investment Group broke ground on the $10 million plaza expansion in July 2022, with plans to add more Asian and fusion dining. Mekong Plaza opened in 2008 in a former Target that was converted into a 100,000 square foot hub for groceries, dining and drinks. It’s already home to a globe-trotting array of restaurants, including dim sum destination Mekong Palace, dumpling shop Happy Bao’s and the Japanese joint Sizzling House, along with Mekong Supermarket and a host of retail shops. 

The newly constructed area is located at the southwest corner of Dobson Road and Main Street. Currently, the Chinese hot pot restaurant Haidilao, Japanese retailer Miniso, Claw Zone and Heads Up! Spa are open. The remaining restaurants and shops are anticipated to open between now and summer 2026.

“It’s gonna add new flavors, it’s gonna add new experiences and just going to add a little bit more draw to the Asian District,” Burtoni says. 

The expansion was anticipated to be completed in a year; however, construction challenges pushed back plans, Burtoni told New Times in 2023. At the time, he teased a handful of forthcoming restaurants. 

“This is our first ground-up built for our family,” he explained Monday, “and it was a learning experience, and it was fun.”

Burtoni stood at a podium set up in the archway that leads to the hot pot restaurant Haidilao, reflecting on the new additions to Mekong Plaza with his sons Enzo, 11, and Jax, 8.

Enzo summed it up for his dad, saying, “It’s going to be really cool,” to cheers and applause.

Restaurants joining Mekong Plaza

• ANH, a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in bowls. The restaurant, which is from Burtoni’s family, is inspired by customizable, fast-casual restaurants like Cava and Chipotle with Vietnamese cuisine. Diners will be able to build their own spring rolls, salads and noodle and rice bowls.
• bb.q Chicken, a Korean fried chicken chain that has two Arizona locations, in north Scottsdale and Chandler. 
• Haidilao, a hot pot restaurant that launched in Sichuan, China, in 1994. This is the chain’s first location in Arizona.
• Hong Kong Cafe and Mama Lu’s Dumpling House are two popular Los Angeles-based restaurants that will operate from the same corner space in Mekong Plaza. Mama Lu’s is a Chinese family-style restaurant with a Taiwanese twist, per its website. Hong Kong Cafe’s menu spans steaks to dim sum, Burtoni said.
• Meet Fresh, a Taiwanese Restaurant that also serves boba and desserts, will open its second Arizona location in Mekong Plaza.
• Snowy Village Dessert Cafe, a traditional Korean dessert shop that has locations in Washington and Oregon. The cafe will serve bingsoo, or shaved ice, along with filled croissants, Korean toast and teas. The cafe makes items from scratch and only uses fresh fruit, says co-owner Rena Kang.
• Udon Shin, a renowned, viral Japanese restaurant known for its house-made noodles and crispy tempura is launching its first U.S. location in Mesa.

Other businesses join Mekong Plaza

• Claw Zone, a claw-machine arcade and toy shop.
• Cloud Studio, which offers Korean photo booths and coin-operated karaoke.
• Heads Up! Spa, a Japanese-inspired “head spa” where scalp massages and hair washes are part of the services, along with massages, facials and haircuts.
• Miniso, a Japanese retailer known for its cute plushies, cosmetics and home goods. The company has also opened a store in Surprise.