With summer in full swing, and you’re busy looking for fun and educational activities for your kiddos, consider a field trip to Mesa’s Asian District. You’ll see a few colorful murals, and you’ll find lots of great food. Best of all, you’ll spark a cultural conversation that you can continue at home.
Some ideas for you:
Visit five distinct murals, take some photos, and learn about the art’s subject
-
-
Photo credit: City of Mesa Starting at 111 S. Dobson, see Take Flight, a collection of murals featuring birds and flowers representing the 15 most populous Asian countries on the building’s columns and on the north wall.
- Stops 2 and 3 are at Mekong Plaza, 66 S. Dobson. First, check out the Whimsical Race of the Zodiac. See the 12 animals that make up the Chinese zodiac plus a bonus mural of Mekong Plaza on the columns lining the building. Then, find the newest mural, Jewel of Balance – Pínghéng bǎo in Chinese, featuring a playful dragon on the south side of the building.
Photo credit: City of Mesa 
Photo credit: Yvette Armendariz -
Photo credit: City of Mesa Next, visit Festival of Unity, a mural inspired by the diversity of Asian cultures and includes several cultural symbols. Challenge your children to find them all. Additionally, this is the largest mural in the area, located at 150 S. Dobson, on the UNITS Moving & Portable Storage building.
- Final stop: AZ International Marketplace, 1920 W Broadway. The mural Hépíng and Zhùfú, which means peace and blessings in Mandarin, features a scene with pandas. In Chinese culture, pandas symbolize strength, peace and friendship.
-
Go food shopping
With three Asian grocery stores – HMart, Mekong Supermarket and AZ International Marketplace – you can explore ingredients from the Pacific. Some prompts:
- Produce – Look at the variety of fruits and vegetables not typically seen in most grocery stores. Maybe buy a few to sample what they taste like. Take a moment to learn more about each item online.
- Spices – Your kiddos might be familiar with turmeric and curry, but this is an opportunity to show other specialty flavors, from Sichuan peppercorns and star anise, to Kaffir lime leaves and Galangal. Talk about how the ingredients are used in Asian dishes.
- Meats – Get ready for an adventure. The diversity of fish and other proteins will open your eyes. Your kids are sure to ask lots of questions!
- Treats – Explore new flavors of snacks, candies and beverages. Some options: Ramune is a popular Japanese carbonated drink in many flavors, White Rabbit candy from China (milk candy similar to a Tootsie Roll), and shrimp chips from Korea. Check out mochi, pocky and taiyaki, too.
- Bonus: Plan ahead by selecting a recipe you want to try as a family and go shopping for those ingredients.
Take in some shopping
There are many options for novelties, even inside the grocery stores. Here are a few others to check out.
-
Photo credit: Yvette Armendariz Daiso – Japanese-inspired items, including household items, beauty products, stationery and more.
- BOOKOFF – used bookstore, Gashapon capsule toys, and anime-related items.
- Hong Kong Gifts – variety of novelties.
- Z&Y Gifts – East Asian ceramics, housewares, toys, stationery and more.
Eat!
There are so many great restaurants featuring diverse cuisines: Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and more. A few options:
- Happy Baos – dumplings, baos and noodles dishes from Northern China.
- Thai Spices – noodle, Thai curry, stir fry and grilled dishes.
- Tipsy Chicken – Korean fried chicken.
- Tastea Coffee, Smoothies & Tea – just what you would expect.
More ideas:
- Go out for boba. You have many choices. Start with one and then make a plan to try others in subsequent visits.
- Head to Mekong Palace for Dim Sum. Enjoy seeing the variety of food and selecting exactly what your family will enjoy off the carts.
- Paris Baguette inside HMart has an amazing selection of unique cakes and seasonal treats.
- Two Hands Fresh Corn Dogs is an experience. You pick your meat, cheese or vegan center and topping, including Hot Cheetos powder, potato cubes and crispy rice puffs. Expect long lines – this one is popular!
A full list of shops and restaurants can be found at https://asiandistrictmesaaz.com/. Just click the box to “Explore Asian Businesses.”
Explore more that makes our valley special and check out these other East Valley neighborhoods!
Yvette Armendariz is a mother of two young adults and a former award-winning business journalist. She now works for the City of Mesa Office of Economic Development as a project manager.
