AsiaTown might not get the attention of Cleveland's other entertainment districts. Activity is another story.

It's one of Cleveland's most vibrant areas, boasting some 20 restaurants, bakeries and markets where you can get a taste of Asia.

Check out the most recent addition. And not just because it rolls out a wide-ranging menu and a tasty dim sum.

Emperor's Palace -- 2136 Rockwell Ave., Cleveland, 216-861-9999 -- is reclaiming the heart of old Chinatown.

For most of the 1960s and '70s, Chinese eateries lined Rockwell, between East 21st and East 24th streets. An influx of immigrants led to an expansion of the Chinatown, or AsiaTown, as it's now known.

AsiaTown runs roughly from East 18th to East 40th streets, and from St. Clair to Perkins avenues.

Well, Rockwell, left dead for years, is back in play.

Emperor's Palace looks like an opulent Chinese Versailles, with chandeliers, red-and-gold decor and ornamental woodwork and elaborate windows.

The menu is just as elaborate.

I couldn't bring myself to eat from the frog menu. But over two visits, I checked out the "Emperor's Specialties" and seafood menus, which offer 25 and 18 selections, respectively. The General Tso's Shrimp and the vegetarian Tofu With Curry Sauce were stellar.

The massive glass doors were striking. They were imported from, yup, China, along with the decorative rickshaw in the lobby and the statues of animals in the Chinese zodiac along the sidewalk.

It's part of a larger plan by investors from Zhongshan, China, to revive Rockwell as a family-friendly destination. Two more restaurants and a museum are planned.

Good to see this little old street coming back to life.