Chinatown shakeup: These new eateries are transforming Somerset Street West

Somerset Street West has been the main street of Ottawa's Chinatown for decades. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

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Over the past decade, Teegavarapu Sarath Mohan has been at the helm of restaurant kitchens in a Kanata strip mall, an east-end business park and on Little Italy’s main drag.

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For his latest project, an upscale, globally inspired fried chicken eatery, Mohan has come to roost in Chinatown.

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Chef-owner Teegavarapu Sarath Mohan poses inside Kozhi, his two-week-old restaurant on Somerset Street in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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“I love it,” Mohan said of the location for Kozhi, which opened July 15 at 820 Somerset St. W., just west of Booth Street.

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Previously, Mohan, who cooked at Ek Bar on Preston Street until last February, did not think of Chinatown was that popular a destination for Ottawa restaurant-goers. But he says that recent arrivals to Somerset Street West such as the restaurants Antheia and Le Poisson Bleu and the cocktail bar Natural History have made the street more exciting.

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The 12-seat chef’s counter is where the action is at Antheia on Somerset Street West. Photo by TONY CALDWELL /POSTMEDIA

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“I think they’ve changed the whole narrative of what Chinatown could be,” Mohan said.

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The current shakeup of Chinatown’s restaurant row includes not just Kozhi, but also eight other new restaurants that recently opened or are expected to open later this year on Somerset Street West.

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“It is encouraging to see such a wide range of new restaurants and concepts choosing Chinatown,” said Yukang Li, executive director of the Somerset Street Chinatown Business Improvement Area. “I do see this level of investment as a vote of confidence in Somerset Street and in Chinatown’s long-term potential.”

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Yukang Li, executive director of the Somerset Street Chinatown BIA. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

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Chinatown’s new businesses recognize the neighbourhood’s central location, cultural identity, foot traffic, diversity and appeal as a destination, Li said. He noted that the mix was becoming broader, with Latin American, African and other cuisines joining the more established Chinatown businesses.

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The most recent arrivals include:

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Casa Verde on Somerset Street in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Lola’s Kitchen on Somerset Street in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Instant du Palais on Somerset Street in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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The future is expected to see these three openings on Somerset Street West.

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