Family Tradition 1946
Shanghai
One of the Chiu family's first gastronomic businesses was the famous Shanghai Centro Restaurant in Mexico City's Chinatown. It opened its doors in 1946 as the first restaurant in Chinatown. At the beginning Don Gilberto Chiu opened in the Callejón de Dolores next to cantinas, shops and Mexican restaurants. In the 70's it expanded until it occupied the main building with the pagoda roof, emblematic of the restaurant.
After its opening, the restaurant became a meeting point for all the Chinese who came to Mexico City. The "Paisanos" as we Chinese call our compatriots used to ask for directions on where to go, shop, have fun and travel around Mexico.
Also on the second floor was converted into a casino that at the time was the most famous in those days. Over the years, the Chinese saw Dolores Street as a good place to live and open businesses. Within a few years other restaurants and casinos opened in its surroundings.
The Chinatown, being located in the historic center of Mexico City, failed to expand like other Chinatowns in Mexico, since the government feared that it would expand to the Palace of Fine Arts.
During the 80's, the Shanghai Restaurant of Mr. Gilberto Chiu and his daughter Rosita Chiu passed to the second generation of the Architect Alfonso Chiu. The Architect with great vision proposes a project that was even brought to Oxford University to beautify and extend Chinatown. It was proposed to place the emblematic arches of all the Chinatowns in the world and make it pedestrian
Making Dolores Street become pedestrianized, the second stage of Barrio Chino begins. Together with the Chinese Community of Mexico, the famous Chinese New Year celebrations were held, attracting many people to the neighborhood businesses.
The Shanghai restaurant was also a school for our Chef Luis Chiu, helping during events, even learning and cooking. This is how the recipes of this emblematic restaurant have been passed from generation to generation.
In 2015, the famous Shanghai Centro restaurant closed its doors, bringing the family tradition to the Condesa neighborhood.
In 2011 Chef Luis Chiu and his family decided to open Asian Bay respecting and rescuing family recipes.
Tradition
Honoring the past
On March 30, 2023, the 77th anniversary of the family tradition was celebrated at the Asian Bay restaurant where traditional dishes were tasted such as fried churritos accompanied by ketchup and mustard, fried quail, steamed meat bun, special noodles, white chicken, shrimp sweet and sour, Cantonese short rib, sweet bean bread and almond cookies.