Chopsticks

Quick update — Chopsticks has relocated to Greenwood Village. Spoke with the staff there and they sold their former restaurant on Mississippi to someone else.
The new address is:
5117 S Yosemite St, Greenwood Village, 80 111
(303)3720−489−9888
We went to visit the new location and left a bit disapointed. They are certainly catering to a more affluent clientele in Greenwood Village. The restaurant was completely full — everything there feels pretty new (furniture, plates/​bowls, etc) and clean. They have a full service bar with a separate alcohol menu.
We were regulars at the Mississippi location and definitely had our favorite dishes. However, some of those dishes are no longer available on the menu, or have been modified slightly. The 3 Cup Chicken is one of my favorites — it’s still there, but they no longer serve it in the hot clay pot that they used to serve it in… which kept the chicken hot and flavorful. The squash w/​egg & crab sauce was still on the menu and didn’t change. The dan-​dan noodles were way too spicy and the taste was completely different than it was before. In fact, 2 of the other dishes we got were much more spicy than we remembered. Maybe a new chef?
Portions for main dishes were about the same, but the prices are definitely higher by a few dollars/​dish. The appetizers were also more expensive. Service was good, but I think it was b/​c they had only been opened for a week — so basically trying to make a good impression.
I miss the old ‘hole-​in-​the-​wall’ location on Mississippi, but then again it’s really the only decent Chinese food we’ve been able to find that’s nearby (and we live in Castle Rock).

I’m Chinese, eat a lot of Chinese food, cook a lot of Chinese food and go back to China often so maybe this is somewhat biased.
With that disclosure. I find Chopsticks to be a decent Chinese restaurant in Denver… unfortunately, maybe the best in Denver.
By no means is the food bad, just fairly standard southern cuisine and authentic enough. When I am in Denver and in the mood for Chinese, it is the restaurant I go to. One of the reviewer said there is a sign saying it’s Shanghai cooking. It’s definitely not Shanghai food. It’s very difficult to find non-​southern Chinese restaurants in the US. Otherwise, I wouldn’t cook as much as I do.
Anyways, back to Chopsticks. I’ve been there several times and have ordered different dishes. In general they’re good and it depends on what you’re looking for. The lamb with mint is pretty good, if you like lamb. There is a stone pot thing with tofu and vegetables that’s decent if you like tofu.
The service there is mediocre. I don’t remember having a particularly bad experience, but they’re not exceptionally friendly either. I usually go there on weekends during lunch when they’re pretty crowded so maybe they’re just too busy. Who knows. The food is good enough and there really isn’t anywhere else better to go in the area. Now if I’m in Beijing, that’s another story. :)

Things You Must Know About Chopsticks:
1. We entered and no staff was to be found. One other couple was in the restaurant on a Monday.
2. We spilled a water at the table and the server did not saying anything as he cleaned it up. It made the situation akward as we kept saying we were incredibly sorry. He walked away silently cleaning up only half of the water on the floor.
3. A dish came out that was suppose to be vegetarian by Recommendation of the server (it was on the vegetable page.) It turned out not to be vegetairan. My gf could not eat it and asked what the server could do for us since we had not touched the food. After discussion he told us its our tough luck and he could do nothing for us (for no reason) and went away.
4. Food is basically your avearage chinese dishes with a few more authentics thrown in.
5. Dumplings are the best thing on the menu (if not a little expensive). Anything else is mediocore at best.
6. POOR SERVICE with server wearing jeans and t shirt. Some of the worst service I have EVER had.
7. Has a parking lot.
8. Staff seems to always be disoriented. One person kept coming out of the kitchen, looking around and went right back in (about 8 times)
9. Prices are from $ 8-​$ 12
10. Two people in the restaruant that night. Both under 20 and the service felt like it. It was being run by kids.
11. Menu has alot of items that simple don’t have descriptions of what they are except for the main items in the dish whcih leads to confusion.
12. Waited 20 minutes for the check.
13. Unilocal recommended me to this place. This was a terrible recommendation and experience and I will DEFINATELY NEVER BE BACK.

Oh boy, do I enjoy me some chopsticks. I give this disclaimer though: I came both times with a friend who is originally from China, and she did all of the deciding/​ordering with minimal (ok fine, no) input from yours truly. But, everything she ordered was off the menu I believe.
That being said, this place is awesome. For some of the dishes, you really do need some help though. For example, we had these dumplings. I ate one, and didn’t like it at first. There was quite a bit of liquid in it, but it looked really cool and had so much potential. Now, I get some outside help and am told that you are supposed to make a tiny little hole in the dough, and suck out the juice. I do this and I enjoy some delicious chicken noodle-​ish soup, followed by a great dumping! We tried some tofu dishes, chicken, beef, and some duck dishes as well. Everything was awesome.
Service was fast, food was plentiful and delicious, and I got an annotated menu from my friend for my own personal use. I may look like an idiot when I pull it out, but it will all pay off when I mow it all down.

The only palce that I have found in Denver that has anything similar to NYC’s soup dumplings. Here they call them «juicy dumplings» and they are scrump!
They have a few varieties and l love them alll. The also have a spicy shrimp dumpling that I am loving… the chili sauce is the perfect amount of spicyness (but my tolerance is high). I have to also agree with the Unilocalers about the hot and sour soup… I wouldn’t say I am a big fan in general, but this once rocks!
Anyone else know about soup dumplings? A true art!

I went here hoping for dim sum… but no such luck. Still haven’t found a good place in Denver. Any suggestions?
Back to Chopsticks… even though it wasn’t what we were looking for, it was delish. I’ve lived here 4 years and this is the first time I’ve found anything close to authentic since moving from Cali.
I’m a fan… and I can’t wait to go back!

OK, for everyone commenting on how JJ’s is sliding a bit, this is part of the reason why.
In case it isn’t apparent, I’ve spent a fair amount of time in China and I love Chinese food. This place, and one other I’ll cover in a separate review, is the closest to authentic I’ve come acxross in Denver. It helps if you speak the language (Mandarin or Cantonese) and know at least a bit about what you’re ordering (and how to order it), but I haven’t had a bad dish at Chopsticks.
In particular, try the winter melon soup and the Ma Po tofu. There are other, even more, traditional dishes to try from there and all are good. If you are looking for something more tame and western, try the sesame pockets with beef or, even better, lamb.
This isn’t the place if you’re into Panda Express, but if you like traditional Chinese food (those of you lamenting the latest at JJ) you’ll love Chopsticks.

True Grit! John Wayne couldn’t even chew his way through the vegetable dish that I ordered from Chopstickes. I ordered some pea sprout (tau miao) vegetable, and I felt like I was eating some 240 grit sandpaper. Every bite had a piece of grit in it because they probably didn’t even bother washing (soaking in cold water) the vegetable at all — it was bad. Luckily, they had no problem switching the dish out for another vegetable dish… for some measly green beans.
I typically order one main dish that I order everywhere so it gives me a litmus test of how the restaurant stacks up. I typically order a dish nicknamed «3 layer pork» with preserved vegetables. This dish has to be prepared a ahead of time in regards to food prep, so it might be sitting in the walk-​in fridge for a while (hopefully they have the green yellow ziplocks, otherwise «yum» freezer burn). Chopsticks 3 layer pork was slightly on the tough side, and definitely on the bland side. I definitely would not recommend it.
2^nd dish — was chicken and basil. The chicken was prepared decently, and the flavors were on parr with other restaurants that I’ve been to, but my only nit-​pick is that the chicken pieces were kind of on the large side. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this dish either (not entirely bad though).
3^rd dish — green beans. Green beans good… greg likes green beans. Greg recommends (no grit, grime, or dirt… the Duke would be proud).
The interior of the restaurant has some contradictions. This place has these elaborate chairs that some Chinese importer must’ve been distributing out to the Denver area, and it gives the place a slightly formal setting, yet the food runners/​servers wear very casual looking jeans and t-​shirts. Typically I’m used to seeing the restaurant staff wearing white dress shirts and black dress pants, but don’t expect that here (it’s casual to the point that next time I might get asked for more tea by another patron).
Having to compare this place to JJ’s, I’d have to rate JJ’s over Chopsticks based upon being a great value and the quick and friendly service. In terms of the food, I couldn’t really fairly compare it until I go a couple more times.

Chopsticks China Bistro is not your father’s Chinese restaurant, unless your father is from Beijing. Try the pork dumplings or the bone in chicken, each of which you will find a refreshing change from the mush you typically find at most Denver «Chinese Restaurants.» Cost is reasonable, ingredients fresh, and Federal Blvd. is teeming with fine Asian food. I have eaten here 3 times. This is among the best Chinese food I have had in Denver, having lived here now for the last 33 years and always looking for good ethnic eats.

My experience at Chopsticks today wasn’t quite as good as previous visits. First off, there were only unappealing tables for two available so I asked if we could sit at one of the empty tables for four. Even though two-​thirds of the restaurant was empty tables for four and even though it was late enough in the lunch hour that they wouldn’t have been expecting many more people, they refused to seat us at a table for four. Not good customer service to say the least.
The restaurant was COLD — so cold I never took my coat off.
Our server was delightful when she was around, but she was MIA two-​thirds of the time.
I did not like the house special ovallete, but that was just me. The rice cakes/​noodles in the dish are very gluey.

This place is really good! Thanks for all reviews Unilocalers! I went there yesterday to celebrate my birthday, and took 20 of my closest friends, made a reservation a day prior and reserved 2 tables of 10 each. Splitting the table in 2 was actually a great idea because not everyone wanted to be as adventurous as some of us.
Our table had ordered wine marinated chicken, red oil won ton, jelly fish salad, gyosa (pan fried) as appetizers… They were all really good. For dinner, we got salt and pepper frog legs, 3 cup chicken, peking duck, egg plant hot pot, and something I can’t recall that was something like sam cha sauce beef. They were all really good :)
Table #2 got pecan shrimp, xiao long bao, some gyoza, sesame chicken, mongolian beef, and some other stuff. They really loved it.
So, overall it’s a great place to dine and satisfy adventurous eaters as well as conservatives…

How I love thee, let me count the ways…
They serve some of the best pan fried dumplings ever — and I’m Chinese!!! But I love the food there… I think the juicy pork dumplings are not the *best* but they’re pretty darn good and there are plenty of other items that are just as yummy. I only go during the week now because if you go on the weekends, they always run out of the juicy dumplings by dinner time. And if you get the chance (it’s so easy right??), go to Taipei! They have the best Xiao Long Bao ever! That was all I ate when I was there last year.
As far as the other items, I’m a fan of the House Special Ovalettes because those are my favorite types of noodles. I have always had such a great experience when I go there so I think everyone should go. Heed this warning though, the Ma Po Tofu is SUPER spicy. They put these little pepper things in the sauce and if you eat one, it will burn your tongue off.
Just remember! Get the pan fried dumplings (at the least!). :)

What a bummer. I think Chopsticks, which was once a fantastic little hole-​in-​the-​wall Insider’s Spot, is going downhill. Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve gotten so many accolades as of late. Maybe it’s because they’ve «made it.» Maybe it’s all the Unilocal Buzz. Whatever the reason, it just seems they think it’s time to stop trying so hard.
Who knows? Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing.
At any rate, steer clear of the Pan-​Fried Noodles. They were undercooked and overly greasy, and the veggie mix tasted really funny. Metallic, like it’d just been dumped from a can that’d been sitting on a dusty shelf in Little Saigon for the last 8 years.
Worse, when I tried to order my FAVORITE thing on their menu– the Juicy Pork Dumplings– I was told they couldn’t be made because they was going to be closed for the next three days.
Oh-​kaaaay???
I don’t know… you figure it out. Regardless, Chopsticks needs to start stepping it up again! Denver diners are a fickle lot, and just because we loved you once doesn’t mean we’ll necessarily love you long time.
You’ve been warned.

Eh.
I’ll preface this by saying Chinese food is by far not my favorite kind of food (I associate it with hungover sundays and sick tummies) and I’ll also say that I know Chopsticks is not your standard shitty takeout.
However — its was decent Chinese food and that is all. We had the black pepper beef which was really good, but I had tasted it before in a million different restaurants. I had some scallops that were undercooked and slippery. Next time we need to get that damn hotpot because every Chinese patron in the place was eating one and that shit looked amazing.
I will say that the Juicy Pork Dumplings were great (and get this for a fucking nightmare: they had «juicy» pork dumplings and just normal pork dumplings. So you were forced to say «juicy pork dumplings» like a total dork and I said it so quietly that I just ended up pointing at the menu like an even bigger dork) and there were 8 of them in an order, which was awesome for two people.
The service was great — everything came out really fast and they were super attentive. I had a glass of their plum wine which was super sweet and really strong — it nearly took my head off but in a strangely good way. I feel like it very well may have been brewed in somebody’s basement, but hey, that’s all good with me.

Let’s see… one week trip to Denver for a conference = find at least 1 restaurant on Unilocal to check out.
After reading all the reviews, I was super excited to try Chopsticks. Unfortunately, this place just didn’t do it for me (sorry fellow Unilocalers). The rice was undercooked, the string beans were old and their lo mein was on par with Panda Express.
On a brighter note, their hot pot should get 4 stars and the staff was very friendly.

I came here with a friend when I lived at Alameda and Federal. I liked that the specials menu was in Chinese, with no English translation. In addition, the staff hardly spoke English and that gave it an authentic feel.
I was feeling adventureous so I ordered the Flaming Pig Intestine. The server asked me three times to verify that he understood me correctly — I guess that dish isn’t popular with Anglos.
Anyway, it was delicious! I highly recommend this place to anyone in search of good Chinese in Denver.

Thank you fellow Unilocalers for tuning me into this amazing restaurant! Went here after I read stellar reviews, and I’ve been itching for good, authentic Chinese food in Denver. Looking around in the area I just knew this place would be good. Very low key atmosphere, the décor isn’t all that, and the chair I was sitting in felt like I was sitting at my parents’ dining room table. But that doesn’t matter to me that much, it is the quality of the food!
I tried the red chili wontons. YUM! Boyfriend got Sesame Chicken and I got Kung Pao chicken. This is my go to dish at new chinese places, and if it’s bad, generally everything else on the menu is as well. This did not disappoint and it was delicious. I had enough left over for a second meal! I finally found a great Chinese food spot! It was reminscent of places I would eat at in Chicago’s Chinatown. I know that this place is truly authentic when I didn’t see «sweet and sour» or «orange_​_​_​» on the menu.
I will definitely be back soon.

Crown them right now as the best Chinese food in Denver! As several people have noted, don’t expect Cantonese cooking when you go to Chopsticks. While I can’t really place it, I think the cook must come from northern or central China. The Sichuan food is top-​notch and authentic, most notably the Kung Pao Chicken and the Ma Po Tofu. I’ll let you in on my secret test of Chinese restaurants: order the Kung Pao Chicken. KPC is really very simple – chicken, red chile peppers, scallions and peanuts. The moment you see it served with celery, green peppers, and sweet hoisin sauce, you know your restaurant is a Chinese American dud trying to add filler to save money. And if they serve it with water chestnuts, push yourself from that table and walk out. Well, the Chopstick KPC is spot-​on, perfectly sauced with a splash of black vinegar for that acidic spicy bite, and it’s all chicken and chile peppers. Wow! The Ma-​Po Tofu, which has flecks of glistening pork in red chili oil, is an indescribable experience. (My only criticism is the overabundance of Chinese peppercorn; it’s the authentic spice of Sichuanese cooking, but serving it whole kernel and in such abundance is a crime to the Western palate. You’ll leave the table with a numb mouth, like you were shot with novacaine. Typically, it should be ground up with a mortar and pestle and sprinkled more judiciously.) The appetizers, or Northern Dim Sum, are also great, and could make a meal in and of themselves. That’s why on weekends, this place is packed. You have to try the Shao Long Bao (juicy steamed dumplings) served with the traditional sliced ginger and black vinegar. (Traditionalists would never eat it with soy sauce.) Jelly fish was out of this world, garlicky and crisp to the bite. And the fried dumplings are served in an authentic way, cigar-​shaped and open on either end, but I have to say, the pork and cabbage mixture is a bit dry and bland. Other stand-​outs include the Squash and Crabmeat, the Pea Shoots sauteed in Garlic, Chongqing Chicken, the Hot and Sour soup (believe it or not), and the Sesame pockets with pork. The food is not greasy or overly sweetened, so this will be a bit of a different experience for most who are used to the PF Changs oeuvre.
Service can sometimes be an issue, especially as Chopsticks has been slammed with business recently after some favorable newspaper and Best of Denver reviews. I’ve seen it so busy that the cook had to come out of the kitchen to take orders and serve dishes when the single waitress was overwhelmed. Still the wait staff is young and eager to please, if a bit inexperienced. They’re happy to offer suggestions, though they may end up in pointing at the menu as the English skills are wanting for some. One thing you need to get used to is that they will serve the food as soon as it comes up; doesn’t matter whether it’s a main dish or appetizer. This works fine when you are all sharing, but can be a bit off-​putting to Americans who order a single dish for each and expect service to come in precise courses. Open yourself up to a unique Chinese food experience at Chopsticks. You’ll enjoy the ride.

I owe a thank you to other Unilocalers… I might have never found this gem was it not for you.
What I liked immediately about Chopsticks was the atmosphere. It wasn’t overly kitschy. I wasn’t surrounded by over the top Chinese decorations, nor was I assaulted by the traditional Chinese music you hear in most American Chinese restaurants. It wasn’t opulent or ultra classy, but it wasn’t your average Chinese restaurant.
My wife and I were seated quickly and asked if we had been there before. When the server found out it was our first time he asked us if we wanted any suggestions on the menu. Never turn down opinions on the menu from the staff. He gave us suggestions for each section of the menu. Juicy Pork Dumplings, Hot and Sour soup, Three Cups Sauce Chicken, Walnut Prawns.
The juicy pork dumplings were amazing. I tried them with no sauce first and although they were good, mixing a little soy sauce with the sliced ginger was the way to go.
My wife ordered the Chongqing Chicken based on other Unilocal reviews and the spicy index. She likes it hot! I ordered the Beef with Spicy Garlic. In truth, I feel like I won the ordering war. The chicken was really different. It was good, crispy yet juicy. We ordered it bone out, which may effect the dish. I felt like it needed a sauce of some sort and it wasn’t nearly as spicy as I was led to believe (both by the menu and the server).
The Beef with Spicy Garlic came out served on a bed of lettuce. The light sauce was both peppery and full of garlic. High quality, juicy, not over cooked beef, almost perfectly seasoned… I kept telling myself «Just one more piece» until I was on the verge gluttony. It was, hands down, without question, the best Chinese beef dish I have ever had. I have to again emphasize that the feat of being the best Chinese in my experience isn’t all that hard, but its still true.
Okay, this is getting long… Wrap-​up. Great food. Great prices. Try it out, you won’t be disappointed. Unless you hate good food.

You will never think to pull into this restaurant just by looking at it from the front. If you know the history of the area, you will know that the building is the old Little Caesars Pizza. It’s weird to see that its a great chinese restaurant now.
The authenticity of the food is EXTRAORDINARY. Try to bring someone who speaks madarin or cantonese with you to order their great dishes because I don’t think most of the workers speak that much english, which is great because you know its authentic.