Eats

Canton City closes

by Anna Purdy

As of August 1, Canton City Inn will close its doors.

Canton City has been open in Lafayette since the late 1970s, making it one of the first truly ethnic (non-Cajun) restaurants in the Hub City or in Acadiana. At a time when it seemed that truly exotic fare for this area was putting tomatoes in gumbo, Canton City opened and for the first time locals could try dishes like mandarin duck, chop suey and hunan-style dishes. It was originally located in the old La Promenade Mall at Johnston and Roselawn; the mall burned to the ground several years ago.

Open since 1977, Canton City has been a classic local place, a go-to for diehard fans of Chinese dishes. It is located at 3901 Johnston Street and will be open its regular hours, for both lunch and dinner, seven days a week until the final wontons are hoisted from the deep fryer.

A phone call to Canton City revealed that the owners were set to retire and this seemed like the best time.