Closure of Acton’s Asian Gourmet Restaurant

BY EDDY ZHAO '25

Since 1993, the Asian Gourmet restaurant, located off Route 2 in Concord, has been serving up delicious Chinese and Japanese dishes to guests from communities near and far, including Acton-Boxborough. However, after nearly 30 years of business, the restaurant will be shuttering its doors for good. According to the waitress who served my family on our last visit before their closing on Father’s Day Weekend, the owner of Asian Gourmet decided to close the restaurant so that he can return to his home country of Taiwan to retire.
      
The closure of the Asian Gourmet restaurant is a heavy loss for the Concord, Acton, and nearby communities. A popular takeout location, it was known for its countless Chinese cuisine dishes, as well as its smaller Japanese sushi/hibachi section. It also served as a vital asset to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, donating fried rice and egg drop soup to senior citizens. Lastly, it played an important role in the local Asian community. While not everything on the menu was traditional, Asian Gourmet created dishes that appealed to many first-generation Asian-Americans. Personally, I’d always anticipate the moment when my parents would order takeout from Asian Gourmet. My favorite dishes were the pork strips with bamboo shoots and the sliced beef scallion pancake wrap. Recreating them in the kitchen myself will be a difficult task.
    
An application to purchase the building on the Concord town website suggests that a Dunkin’ Donuts location may replace it. This is a disappointment to many in the community, who hoped that it would be replaced with another Chinese restaurant. The tentative new owner of the property, a holding company based in Concord, also owns the other four Dunkin’ locations in Concord. Meanwhile, following Asian Gourmet’s closure, there are now only two Chinese restaurants in the town.
    
​Asian Gourmet’s taste and aura may never be replicated. However, there are still Chinese restaurants in the area for those craving nice takeout or dine-in options. For example, I recommend Spicepepper Garden, located here in Acton. Regardless of the alternatives, Asian Gourmet will be missed by the local community. The restaurant’s delicious food and warm atmosphere will be remembered for years to come.

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