Uptown Waterloo gets a taste of Asia with its newest member Champa Kitchen. Located at 21 King Street North, Champa Kitchen officially opens its doors at noon on Friday, July 2.
With a twist of Thai, Lao and Vietnamese, Champa Kitchen is Asian fusion at its best.
A family run affair, owner Linda Vongkhamchanh, husband Tim Goodwin, her mom and three young children, are excited to establish their business in Uptown. “We love it here,” shares Linda. “There’s a great mix of people, culture, students – there’s so much vibrancy. We can’t wait to get to know the neighbours and serve our customers from our new location.”
Vongkhamchanh has been in the food industry for over 15 years in various different capacities and after getting her hours cut last year due to the profound impact the pandemic was having on restaurants, decided to branch out with her own catering business. The venture flourished over the past year, so much so that Champa Kitchen has moved into a brick and mortar setting.
Best known for their pad thai, beef jerky and spicy salad dish with chicken or beef, their menu aims to please anyone looking for fresh, authentic Asian cuisine.
“We are super excited to welcome Champa Kitchen to our Uptown family,” adds Tracy Van Kalsbeek, Executive Director of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area. “I know they are in the process of getting a patio set up along with the other ones in Dominion Lane and I can’t wait to sit there and sample their crispy spring rolls!”
New Kids on the Block
A number of new businesses are popping up along the same side of the block on King Street between Erb and Dupont Streets including HyerLove, Uptown Swine & Vine, Babylon Sisters and Kinton Ramen with Streetlights going in across the street at 28 King Street North.