Do you know how hard it is to find a decent Chinese dumpling in the United States? It's hard. Really hard. And once you've had a real deal dumpling, you can never go back. Don't even try to serve me your thick-skinned, meatball-y center nonsense. Obviously, there are good dumplings to be had in New York City. In California. In Seattle. There is great Chinese food all over the world. But there's a lot of really bad Chinese food too.
I'd pretty much given up on the idea that I could get really, REALLY good Chinese food in Denver. I had, however, heard there was a good place in Boulder: Zoe Ma Ma. I kept meaning to get up there to try it out...
But then, a second Zoe Ma Ma opened by Union Station. Score! Last weekend we took the bus down there (yay public transit and no carseats!) for an early dinner.
^^fun decor! and yes, it's empty. but it was also 4pm on a sunday.^^
It was good. Really good. The owner, Edwin, was welcoming and friendly. His goal with Zoe Ma Ma is to celebrate his mother's cooking (周妈妈 Zhōu māmā = Mama Zhou!). I gather they have roots in both Taiwan and northern China, and that's the food they're serving. Northern Chinese classics and some other crowd pleasers.
^^炸酱面 zhá jiàng miàn^^
^^红烧牛肉面 Hóngshāo niúròu miàn - Braised Beef Noodles^^
Zoe Ma Ma nailed it. Homestyle Chinese food with high-quality ingredients. Everything is made to order and tastes fresh and delicious. I can't wait to go back.
Oh and the dumplings? Fantastic.