The Mile High City’s Chinese food scene is as vibrant and diverse as the 31 provinces of the People’s Republic of China and neighboring Taiwan. Allow us to take you on a tour of five regional cuisines, complete with recommendations for local spots where you can savor traditional and contemporary specialties that will satisfy all your cravings.
More on Chinese Food in Denver
Cantonese
In the 1850s, fortune seekers from what was then called Canton province introduced the western United States to foundational fare that came to define Chinese food for many Americans.
America’s obsession with Chinese food began nearly 175 years ago, thanks to the arrival of immigrants from southern China during the California gold rush. “That’s when the first Chinese laborers who provided services to miners arrived in the West,” says Pei-Jou Kuo, who teaches classes about international food and culture at the University of Denver.
Located in southern China, Canton province [now called Guangdong] has a tropical climate, a seaside location, and agricultural riches that provide prime access to rice, livestock, and seafood. Using light seasonings and cooking techniques, like steaming and roasting, to preserve the natural flavors of these ingredients are hallmarks of Cantonese cuisine. Proteins are often prepared nose to tail, meaning no parts are wasted. Over time, Chinese immigrants adapted their family recipes to accommodate Western tastes, says Kuo, a native of Taiwan. That resulted in the invention of grub—such as beef and broccoli, sweet and sour pork, chop suey—that’s often deep-fried or smothered in thick, sweet, and/or salty sauces. Since the mid-20th century, however, the growth of Colorado’s Chinese population has slowly increased the availability of, and appetite for, more authentic Cantonese cuisine. Dishes such as dim sum dumplings and roast duck are available locally, if you know where to look.
Dim Sum spread at Star Kitchen. Photo by David Williams Dim Sum
From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily (and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends), brunch and lunch seekers file into 13-year-old Star Kitchen
Pro Tip
4 More Must-Try Cantonese Dishes
Roasted Meats
New Canton BBQ Aurora
Salt and Pepper Shrimp
Q House City Park
Chow Fun
Hong Kong Station Centennial
Char Siu Pork Buns
Yuan Wonton various locations
Shandong
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Modern-day foodies have China’s oldest cuisine to thank for carbohydrate-rich goodies such as scallion pancakes and seafood dishes seasoned with aromatics.
One of the most common items on Asian restaurant menus across Colorado (and the country)—the humble scallion pancake—is rooted in China’s earliest food tradition. The pan-fried, green-onion-speckled flatbread is a staple of the Shandong province of northern China, where the eponymous cuisine was established more than 2,500 years ago.“It has the longest history,” Kuo says, “because most of the capitals of the [ancient] empires were located in the northern part of China.”
Shandong’s fertile soil and proximity to both the coast and the Yellow River means the area abounds with fresh seafood and vegetables, which its chefs like to braise, fry, and sauté, most notably with salt-heavy seasonings as well as ginger, garlic, and scallions—the fragrant holy trinity of the cuisine. Because of the widespread cultivation of wheat, residents of northern Chinese provinces such as Shandong and cities like Tianjin and Beijing (neighboring municipalities influenced by the cuisine) also eat more carbs such as noodles and buns than those in other provinces, Kuo says. Thankfully, these are all dining choices Front Rangers (and the restaurants that serve them) are happy to import.
Pecking Duck at Ace Eat Serve. Photo by David Williams Peking Duck
Ace Eat Serve
4 More Must-Try Shandong Dishes
Whole Steamed Sea Bass
Imperial Chinese Restaurant Baker
Brisket Hot Pot
KP Asian Cafe Aurora
Sesame Noodles
Flower Pepper Boulder
Scallion Pancakes
Dumpling Factory Greenwood Village
Huaiyang
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Eastern China’s Huaiyang region delivers cult-favorite dishes such as delicate soup dumplings, hearty stir-fried noodles, and succulent braised duck and pork belly.
While restaurants specializing in Huaiyang cooking are still a rarity in Colorado, many eateries serve select crowd-pleasers from the cuisine: soup dumplings called xiaolongbao; beef- and tofu-studded West Lake soup (named after an iconic body of water in the region); and fried rice speckled with diced Chinese sausage, peas, and carrots. These dishes have origins in the eastern Chinese provinces of Jiangsu and Fujian and the municipality of Shanghai, which are located along the Yangtze River and have an abundance of lakes. These features offer easy access to high-quality ingredients such as rice, vegetables, and freshwater fish and crab.
Common Chinese cooking techniques such as steaming, simmering, stir-frying, stewing, and light frying turn those treasures into Huaiyang specialties that tend to be juicier, lighter, and sweeter than their counterparts from other regions, with an emphasis on delicate and natural flavors. “This is a big contrast between food in the [western parts of China, such as Sichuan province] and food in the Huaiyang region,” Kuo says. “In this region, food is more refreshing, without excessive seasoning, and not as spicy.”
Huaiyang-Style Feast at Sunflower Asian Cafe. Photo by David Williams Huaiyang-Style Feast
At five-year-old Sunflower Asian Cafe
4 More Must-Try Huaiyang Dishes
Braised Pork Meatballs
Shanghai Kitchen Greenwood Village
West Lake Soup
Super Star Asian Cuisine Athmar Park
French Onion Soup Dumplings
ChoLon Modern Asian Downtown and Central Park
Shanghainese Street Noodles
Fortune Wok to Table Cherry Creek
Sichuan
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If your taste buds are tingling, you’re probably enjoying Sichuan-peppercorn-zinged dishes born in the eponymous region in southwest China.
The landlocked Sichuan province is home to some of the country’s boldest flavors: fiery kung pao chicken; chile-oil-drenched mapo tofu; and hot pots of spicy, bubbling broth laden with pork, beef, and freshwater fish. Parts of the Sichuan province experience a subtropical, humid climate, which Kuo says is one reason residents prefer mouth-scorching bites. “People eat spicy food to help them sweat,” she says, adding that the practice is likely related to a Chinese medicine notion that hot foods help remove internal dampness.
The cuisine relies heavily on its native Sichuan peppercorn to bring the heat: The spice contains hydroxy-alpha-sanshool molecules that react with the touch sensors in your mouth to produce a numbing sensation. The peppercorns are often crushed and sprinkled into stir-fries or mixed with chile-infused oil to produce tongue-tickling sauces. Dishes from the area came to the United States during the second wave of Chinese immigration between 1965 and 1984, Kuo says, and widened the scope of regional eats in North America. Today, Sichuan is one of the hottest Chinese cuisines in Colorado—literally and figuratively.
Hot Pot at Blue Ocean. Photo by David Williams Hot Pot
Hot pot is a communal meal that’s popular throughout China but is eaten regularly and with zeal in the Sichuan province. At seven-year-old Blue Ocean
4 More Must-Try Sichuan Dishes
Mapo Tofu
Szechuan Tasty House South Denver
Dry Pot
Yum Yum Spice South Denver
Dan Dan Mian
Noodle Express Belcaro
Laziji
Hop Alley RiNo
Taiwanese
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The embattled East Asian island’s melting pot of cultures fuels the popularity of delights like slow-simmered beef noodle soup and crispy-bottomed pot stickers.
The island of Taiwan, located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, has a complex political and cultural history that has left a deep mark on its culinary traditions. “I think it’s very sad and sensitive, the tension between Taiwan and China,” says Kuo, referring to Taiwan’s controversial status as a democratic republic that China claims as its own. “But foodwise, Taiwan is influenced greatly by Chinese cuisine; that’s where most Taiwanese ancestors came from.”
Photo by David Williams Still, mainland China’s traditions aren’t the only ones that affect Taiwanese food. In fact, the culinary heritage of Japan (which ruled Taiwan for more than 50 years, before China came into the picture) is found in Taiwan’s most recognizable dish: beef noodle soup. The specialty originated in China but melded with Japanese ramen traditions, and the result is a mildly spicy, umami-rich broth with juicy beef shank. As Taiwanese emigrants made their way to the United States after World War II, they brought their recipes with them. Today, diners can find Taiwanese touches on many local menus, Kuo says, by looking for fried shallots, black vinegar, and heavy use of pork in toppings or sauces—all trademarks of the cuisine.
Beef Noodle Soup
Owner Edwin Zoe opened the Boulder location of Zoe Ma Ma
4 More Must-Try Taiwanese Dishes
Gua Bao
Pig and Tiger Boulder
Lu Rou Fan
Chen’s Kitchen Littleton
Pot Stickers
Lao Wang Noodle House Westwood
Bone-In Chicken With Basil
China Gourmet Boulder and Longmont
