Chinatown is at the heart of the Chinese community in Newcastle and is a bustling hub of activity with its hugely popular range of restaurants, shops and businesses.
The district to the west of Newcastle city centre, mostly centred around Stowell Street, is the focal point of Chinese New Year celebrations. It is one of only five Chinatowns in England, with the other four being in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Its focal point is The Chinese Arch in St Andrews Street, at the entrance of Chinatown, where it stands 11 metres tall, flanked by two Chinese guardian lions. Made by the Changsu Classical Garden Construction Company (Group) Limited from Changsu in the Jiangsu Province, its construction took five months to complete.
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The ceremonial arch was given to Newcastle City Council and the local Chinese community on January 17, 2005, and a public formal ceremony was held on February 21, 2005. Chinatown is now full of thriving restaurants, shops and businesses.
The first was said to be Wing Hong Chinese Supermarket which, initally founded in 1978, relocated there from Westgate Road, three decades after the first Chinese immigrants came to settle in the North East. As well as the base at 45-51 Stowell Street - where the family business became the biggest Chinese food supplier in the North, helping stock local takeaways and restaurants - there was a wholesale cash and carry outlet at 55 George Street providing fresh and frozen food and drinks including all type of noodles, cooking sauces, spices and preservative products from the Far East.
But there came sad news in November when the Wing Hong Cash & Carry announced on its Facebook page that, after 47 years of business, it was going into liquidation, citing the impact of Covid, high rising costs and increasing amount of competition. Despite the ongoing challenges of the cost of living crisis, other businesses continue to survive and even thrive. Here's a guide to some of the city's best.
Shops
HiYoU Oriental Food Emporium
108 Newgate Street, Newcastle, NE1 5RQ
Opening times: Daily from 10am-9pm
HiYoU is a huge supermarket specialising in foods and merchandise from Asia. Established in 2011, it remains popular with local people as well as and overseas students. It also has a bakery within the store serving traditional Chinese buns, pastries and cakes. See here.
Tsang Foods
27-31 Fenkle St, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5XN
Opening times: Daily from 9.30am-5.30pm
Tsang Foods provide wholesale and retail fresh and frozen food, fresh Chinese vegetables, drinks, large varieties of takeaway food containers, a variety of different noodles, cooking sauces and spices from the far east Asia.
Restaurants and cafes
King Neptune
34-36 Stowell Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XQ
Opening times: Daily - 12noon-1.45pm (2pm Sunday)and 6pm-10pm (5.30pm-10.30pm Saturday)
This is often the top-rated Chinese restaurant on TripAdvisor and received the review site's Traveller's Choice Award in 2021. It opened its doors to the public in 1986 and is still going strong, serving authentic Chinese cuisine with a number of seafood dishes. See here.
Landmark Oriental Restaurant & Bar
Ground-level of the Q car park,Stowell Street, Newcastle, NE1 4YB
Opening times: Tuesday to Wednesday 5pm-9pm; Thursday 5pm-9.30pm; Friday and Saturday 12noon-2pm then 5pm-10pm; Sunday 12noon-8pm.
This is a popular restaurant with diners on TripAdvisor and has even attracted praise from Newcastle co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi when he enjoyed a meal there. It offers such dishes as aromatic crispy duck, duck rolls and squid with chilli and garlic. Find out more here.
Little Asia Gen 2.0
14 Stowell Street, Newcastle , NE1 4XQ
Opening times: Daily except Wednesday, 12noon-10pm
Situated in the heart of Chinatown, Little Asia describes itself as a 'hot pot buffet and Asian style cafe-restaurant'. It too has received praise from diners on TripAdvisor for its fresh food and value, with a hot pot menu on offer alongside dishes including king prawn with green pepper in black bean sauce. See here.
Wing Kee Hong Kong Style Cafe
43 Stowell Street, Newcastle, NE1 4YB
Opening times: Daily except Thursday, 11.30am-10pm.
This 'Hong Kong style cafe' is the sister company of the popular Palace Garden restaurant which is temporarily closed as of January 18 last year. It offers specials including shredded beef in peking sauce and oyster pancakes and offers delivery. See here.
Sky Chinese Cuisine
20-28 Stowell Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XQ
Opening times: Daily except Thursday - from 11.30am (noon Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) until 10pm (9pm Sunday)
Sky Chinese Cuisine has become a popular destination for those looking to experience the real taste of Hong Kong. The Cantonese name for the restaurant is ‘Ming Yan’ which means ‘celebrity’ and it can be argued that this is the place everyone wants to be seen at.”
The restaurant has been singled out for its excellent dim sum which they serve at lunch and dinner and one reviewer describes it as ‘the best dim sum in Newcastle'. Other reviewers praise the restaurant for its good food, efficient staff and for being great value for money. Read more about it here.
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