OUR STORY
This unique Chinese restaurant in Chiavari was born from the passion and dedication of the Zhang family, who created a culinary oasis where authentic flavors and a welcoming atmosphere blend harmoniously.
The name of the restaurant, Yili Café & Restaurant, is a tribute to the owner, Yili Zhang, the charismatic woman who embodies the soul of the place.
Together with her husband Jianzu Zhang, who has great experience as a chef, and the daughters, Camilla and Angela Zhang, we work tirelessly to offer a unique experience to anyone who visits us.
Although this Asian restaurant has been open since 2023, our family has been deeply linked to the Chiavari's community for many years: since 1999 we have been cultivating friendships and business relationships in this beautiful town in Liguria.
The goal of Yili Café & Restaurant is to give its guests a tasty and relaxing break, offering them a family atmosphere, a warm welcome and a table full of fresh dishes that keep intact all the richness of oriental flavors.
Since our first school experiences in China, we have been taught that "a smile given to a living person is worth more than a fountain of tears shed for a dead person".
This is why in our restaurant you will always be greeted with a smile!
Come and discover the wonders of Yili Café & Restaurant, where authentic flavors and culinary traditions come together in an ever-new and tasty experience!
"Chiavari: Yili, story of an integrated Chinese woman who conquered the heart of the city." - Levante News's article.
In the busy stretch of sea between Piazza Leonardi and Piazza Milano, under the arcades, in the place once occupied by the famous Gelateria Azzurra and the equally famous Arcade, today there is a new venue, Yili Cafè and Restaurant. "We opened recently, half the place had been closed for more than ten years and so was the other half, the Arcade. We are happy to have opened here, in this beautiful area of Chiavari", says the owner, Yili Zhang, from which the restaurant takes its name.
The restaurant is only the last chapter of the story that Yili started in Italy twenty years ago, when from China joined her husband, Jian Zù, who worked in Chiavari since 1999. Yili and Jian manage, in fact, a showcase beyond the restaurant, the gift shop and DIY “Casa Felice”, well known in the city, where the Zhang couple have perfectly integrated. As you can read by scrolling through the pages of the book "Chiavari per noi", written by Pierluigi Pezzi and published by Geko Edizioni in 2020, which Yili proudly shows. The book tells the story of their transfer to Chiavari, now local to all intents and purposes: for years of work but especially for the kindness and courtesy with which they welcome their customers every day. Seriously injured at a very young age in a road accident, after several surgeries Yili resumes his life, meets her future husband and leaves the province of Zhe Jiang (the same as the 300 thousand Chinese living in Italy). She doesn't know yet about the happy future, like her shop, which awaits her in the Tigullio, where all three of her children will be born: Angela, now of age, Camilla and Erik.