A new Vietnamese restaurant has taken over one of D.C. Chinatown's most storied addresses. Ambrosia opened last week at 619 H St NW, the space that housed Tony Cheng's for nearly four decades, bringing a menu that ranges from a $39 Luxury Japanese A5 Wagyu phở to a $14 bánh mì.
The opening was first reported by PoPville, which noted that Ambrosia describes its concept as “modern Vietnamese elegance, traditional soul,” serving phở, bánh mì, wok dishes, and cocktails prepared with ingredients the restaurant says it sources with care. Per the outlet's report, Ambrosia states that its recipes originate from generations of Vietnamese kitchens, and the restaurant is open 10 am to 2 am Friday through Sunday and 10 am to 1 am Monday through Thursday. A separate Facebook post from late August identified the owners as Binh and Trang and described a complete interior remodel of the building ahead of the soft opening.
From Chinatown Institution to Tax Shutdown
The space carries significant history. Operating at 619 H St NW since 1986, Tony Cheng's was a D.C. Chinatown institution for nearly four decades, hosting U.S. presidents, local politicians, and sports fans headed to nearby arena games, according to the Washingtonian. That run ended in February 2025, when D.C. government tax authorities shut down Tony Cheng's Seafood after posting official notices citing more than $500,000 in unpaid back taxes, as reported by The Washington Post. As an editor's note on the original PoPville report points out, Tony Cheng's website remains online even though the restaurant itself may be completely closed.
A Shrinking Chinese American Footprint
Ambrosia's arrival lands against a backdrop of steep demographic change. D.C.'s Chinatown has seen its resident Chinese American population shrink drastically over recent decades, declining to fewer than 300 residents by 2020, per TheStreet. Legacy businesses have followed the residents out the door. Jackey Cafe at 611 H St NW, just doors from Ambrosia, permanently closed in April 2025 after more than 40 years in operation, citing rising rent and food overhead, according to a report from The 51st. Longtime restaurant Full Kee was also ordered to vacate in 2025 so developers could convert the building into a luxury hotel lobby, the Post reported.
Turnover Extends Beyond Chinese-Owned Spots
The churn on H Street hasn't been limited to Chinese-owned businesses. Japanese-Italian venue Tonari, run by the Daikaya Group, permanently closed on May 3, after five years in business, according to PoPville. The neighborhood's Häagen-Dazs shop shut down on July 31 after 22 years, citing space realignments tied to the Capital One Arena expansion, the same outlet reported. That expansion is a major driver of the pressure on Chinatown storefronts: Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced a 20-year naming rights extension with Capital One on August 11, unveiling plans for a major arena renovation slated to finish ahead of the 2027 season, according to the company's own announcement.
Against that churn, Ambrosia's higher-end positioning — Wagyu phở alongside a $32 Phở Oxtail Supreme and a $22 clay pot salmon — signals a bet that Chinatown diners, and the crowds still flowing in for Capital One Arena events, will pay a premium for elevated Vietnamese cooking in a space long defined by a very different kind of institution.
