Bay Area Chinese restaurant closing after 53 years

A longstanding Newark restaurant and community hub for locals is closing on Dec. 21 after 53 years. Reportedly, the owners are simply ready to retire.

Jade Palace, located at 36601 Newark Blvd., serves up mostly Cantonese cuisine with the likes of potstickers, fried rice and wonton soup. Opened in 1970 by Edwin Yee Wing Lee, the space it is in was originally a bar, called Ike’s Bar, according to The Mercury News.

Lee reportedly walked into the joint to grab a beer and mentioned to the owner that his dad had opened a Chinese restaurant in Oakland some years back, and was ready to launch his own establishment. The owner told him they were looking to bring in some more customers by adding a food element, since the place had an unused kitchen in the back. Lee worked there until his death in late 2022.

The family tried to run the place, now operated by Lee’s son, Phillip, with other family members, for a year. But they are now moving forward to the next phase of their lives.

The restaurant was a favorite of Bay Area residents, according to some Yelp reviews. 

Dean S. from San Jose praised the warm hospitality and affordable prices in his five-star review. “It is more affordable than any Panda Express or Mr. Chaus’ …but it is home cooked, tasty, hearty, and filling,” he wrote.

Leslie V. from Redwood City, who frequented the restaurant for more than 15 years, said, “They basically know my order once they see my call ID pop up hehe. I always recommend this place to people when they ask me for good wonton soup!”

The Mercury News reports an unnamed Indian restaurant is set to replace Jade Palace.