For most of its history, the stretch of Dobson Road between Main Street and Broadway Road has been a place for errands. You went for a grocery run, a bowl of pho or a boba on the way home. The past year changed that. Mekong Plaza's new south wing added hot pot, a claw arcade, a Japanese head spa, Korean shaved ice and themed photo booths, and a free monthly night market now runs on Broadway Road at the district's other end. Put together, the Asian District has become a place that fills an evening, not just a quick stop.
That's a big change for a district the City of Mesa only officially named six years ago. The tenant list from Mekong's expansion shows how it happened, and it also shows which openings still need a phone call before you drive over.
A Target building, then a district, then a second wing
According to the Mesa Tribune, Mekong Plaza got its start in 2006, when a former Target building was remodeled. It opened in 2008 with fewer than 10 Asian-owned businesses. The rest of the timeline moved fast:
- 2020. The city designated the Asian District, which the Tribune describes as about 1.5 miles of Dobson Road from Main Street to Broadway Road with roughly 100 Asian businesses, including grocery stores, boba shops, restaurants and bakeries.
- January 29, 2025. Mesa unveiled a monument sign in front of Mekong Plaza at the southwest corner of Dobson and Main. The city's announcement says the sign's tangram design represents Asian cultures coming together.
- November 24, 2025. Mekong Plaza celebrated its expansion, a $10 million project that added 32,000 square feet and an estimated 200 jobs, according to the City of Mesa. Phoenix New Times noted that the project took more than three years to finish.
Before the new wing, the Tribune counted 29 tenants in the original part of the plaza. The expansion announced 12 more, and the type of tenant matters as much as the count. In the city release, developer Peter Quach said the original goal was a place to experience Asian culture through food, shopping and community. The new wing leans hardest on that last part.
What the new wing actually added
On the day of the ribbon cutting, the Tribune quoted Drew Burtoni, development manager for Mekong Real Estate Investment Group:
"We have a wide array of new tenants coming in that's going to bring new flavors, new experiences for the Asian district. We're looking forward to sharing that with the community."
Look at the tenant list and the "experiences" are easy to spot. Only some of the 12 are places to sit down for a meal. The rest are places to spend an hour. Here's where things stand as of mid-October 2026, based on what we could confirm.
Confirmed open
- Haidilao, the upscale Chinese hot pot chain. Phoenix New Times and the Arizona Republic both reported it open at launch.
- Miniso, Claw Zone and Heads Up! Spa. New Times listed all three as open at the November 24 event. The Tribune notes Heads Up! Spa got its start in Japan. One caveat: the Arizona Republic reported on December 1 that only two of the 12 businesses, Haidilao among them, were open. The two outlets' counts don't match.
- bb.q Chicken, the Korean fried chicken chain. Mouth by Southwest reported on February 26, 2026 that the Mekong Plaza location, the brand's third in the Valley, was open for lunch and dinner daily.
- Udon Shin, a Tokyo-based handmade udon shop making its U.S. debut in Mesa. Phoenix New Times reported that it opened May 23, 2026 at 138 S. Dobson Road, Suite 108, serving handmade udon and tempura.
Announced, opening not yet confirmed
- Meet Fresh, Taiwanese desserts
- Snowy Village, Korean bingsoo, a milk-based shaved ice with toppings
- Cloud Studio, themed photo booths where, as the Tribune describes it, you can take a picture with a favorite K-pop star or a TikTok filter
- Mama Lu's Dumpling House
- ANH, a fast-casual Vietnamese restaurant
- Hong Kong Cafe, from California
When the wing opened, Burtoni told the Tribune that the first group was expected within weeks and that Hong Kong Cafe, Udon Shin and ANH would follow by spring. New Times put the window for the remaining businesses at summer 2026. We couldn't find a confirmed opening date for any of these six. The Mekong Plaza store directory lists Meet Fresh, Snowy Village and Cloud Studio as tenants, but it still shows Hong Kong Cafe as "coming soon." It also listed Udon Shin that way months after the restaurant opened, so it's running behind. If one of these is the reason for your trip, call or check the business's own social accounts first.
Why the mix changes the evening
A plaza built around a supermarket and quick-service counters suits a 30-minute visit. Hot pot is a long meal by design. Add a claw arcade, a head spa, a photo studio and two dessert concepts, and the same parking lot can hold dinner, something to do after, and dessert without moving the car. You don't need the unconfirmed tenants for that. Haidilao, Claw Zone, Heads Up! Spa and Udon Shin already cover most of the evening on their own.
The original plaza still matters. The Tribune describes Mekong Plaza as the bedrock of the district and points to H Mart across the street. Councilman Francisco Heredia, who represents the area, told the paper, "It was almost two decades in the making to having all these businesses come in." The evening options in the new wing sit right next to that grocery-and-restaurant base, so a dinner trip and a grocery run can happen in the same stop.
The other end of the strip, one Saturday a month
The district's southern edge is Broadway Road, and that's where the second evening draw comes in. Phoenix Food Festivals runs the Mesa Night Market, a free monthly event in the parking lot of AZ International Marketplace Plaza at 1920 W. Broadway Road. Every vendor sells Asian food, and there's a marketplace with an emphasis on anime merchandise. The organizer has posted a market as far back as October 11, 2025, so the series has been running for at least a year.
The October market was on the 10th. Two dates are left this year:
- Saturday, November 7, 2026, 4 to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, December 5, 2026, 4 to 9 p.m.
According to the event listing, the vendor lineup for November 7 is subject to change and includes:
- Happy Buns, with ube butter mochi, coconut bao, smoked pork bao and takoyaki
- Yuki Cheesecakes, gluten-free Japanese cheesecake
- Jasperz Island Fusion, with jerk chicken gua bao, oxtail egg rolls and garlic noodles
- Red Dragon Chinese Food, with spicy wonton, dumplings and tanghulu
- Hot Bamboo, character bao
- Lumpia Queen, Minburi Thai, Duplex Boba Tea, Taiwanese Classic Scallion Pancake and Mama Lita's Soda Bar
The logistics are simple. Entry and parking are free, and the RSVP is optional. Most vendors take cards, but the organizer suggests bringing cash, and you can get food to go. Happy Buns often sells out, so the organizer suggests ordering from them online ahead of time.
Putting the two ends together
On November 7 or December 5, both ends of the district are open the same evening. The market runs until 9 p.m. on Broadway. Mekong Plaza's new wing sits at the district's north end, at Dobson and Main, with hot pot, udon and the arcade. You can start at either end. Happy Buns often sells out and Haidilao is a longer meal, so it makes sense to start at the market and finish at the plaza.
The district's biggest annual event falls at Lunar New Year. The 2026 Asian Festival, a free two-day Lunar New Year celebration put on with the City and the Asian District, ran January 31 and February 1 at Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Avenue, according to Visit Mesa. We haven't seen 2027 dates announced yet, which makes the December 5 night market the last date on this year's calendar we can confirm.
Have you found a favorite spot on Dobson since the new wing opened, or are you curious how the district's growth is showing up on your side of West Mesa? SB Property Team keeps close tabs on what's opening around the East Valley, and we're always happy to talk about your corner of Mesa. If you'd like to see where your home stands while the neighborhood keeps changing, start with a free home valuation.
