CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that a Jumbo Lobster would be moving into the former location of the Yangtze Restaurant. In fact, the name of the new eatery is not yet known.
A new Chinese restaurant will be taking over the space formerly occupied by the iconic Yangtze Restaurant in Ottawa’s Chinatown early in 2026.
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Chris Xie confirmed to OBJ on Monday that he plans to open a new eatery at 700 Somerset St. W., the corner site that had been home to the Yangtze for more than 40 years.
Yukang Li, executive director of Ottawa’s Chinatown BIA, heard the news about a month ago and said it was a relief to see that the location would remain a restaurant.
“I was excited and relieved,” Li told OBJ. “This is such a prominent location in Chinatown, given its size. It has been a go-to place for many important community events, such as birthdays, weddings and other community celebrations.”
Since the Yangtze closed its doors in November 2024, Li said the BIA and the property owners have been on the lookout for a business to fill the prime Chinatown location.
Having a new business in what Li calls an “anchor location” means other businesses will benefit.
“When Yangtze closed, Chinatown wasn’t only losing one big business member, but it was a hit on many other businesses, especially after the pandemic,” Li said.
“I’ve spoken to some of the smaller restaurants nearby and they were as excited as I am because they were hoping that (a business in the former Yangtze location) could serve as a business leader in the community by building a brand and attracting more customers to come down to Chinatown.”
The Yangtze Restaurant and Dining Lounge, which served Cantonese cuisine since the early 1980s, was listed for sale in early March 2024 for an asking price of $3.28 million.
The listing included the business name and the existing building, which features two floors at about 4,800 square feet each, a lower-level banquet hall that can accommodate 70 people, all food service equipment, and 11 parking spaces.
When the Yangtze closed, Li said it left a hole in the community, especially as another marquee business, Oriental Chu Shing restaurant at 691 Somerset St. W., had closed its doors in 2022.
“We were losing a very important venue,” Li said last week of the Yangtze. “It was one of the two biggest restaurants to close. As a matter of fact, this past year (2025) the BIA didn’t have a place big enough to host our AGM.”
The listing stipulated that the building, which was constructed in 1977, could be demolished to make way for an apartment building, which added to the anxiety of a community that has been struggling with vandalism, an increase in crime, racism and subsequent closures of local businesses since the pandemic.
