Sneak Peek: Colfax Dim Sum & Noodles Spot Is Ready for Its Debut

Several new eateries coming to Colfax, and one is nearly ready to start serving guests.

In September, brothers Xi Nuan Zheng and Xi Yong Zheng announced plans to open Ma’s Noodles, a dim sum and noodle-focused restaurant, next door to Xi Yong’s Japanese eatery, Okinawa, at East Colfax Avenue and York Street. After some test runs, this spot located in the former home of the original Tacos Tequila Whiskey at 1514 York will soft-open on Monday, October 27. A grand-opening celebration is also in the works. While that date has not yet been announced, Ma’s Noodles has partnered with Tsingtao beer for the event, which will include giveaways and swag, plus a free beer for all guests 21 and over while supplies last.

While the construction on Colfax continues to hinder businesses in the area, the Zheng brothers are invested in the neighborhood and believe in the future of the corridor, which is why they jumped at the opportunity to take on the space after it was offered to them by Tacos Tequila Whiskey founder Kevin Morrison. After closing that location of his taco joint last year, he briefly replaced it with Rolling Pin Pizza, which shuttered in August 2024.

The space had been vacant ever since, but now it’s again buzzing with energy. Although the rolling pins collected by Morrison remain hanging on one wall, the space has otherwise been transformed, with dark tones and splashes of red. The bar is now stocked with piles of steamer baskets for dumplings; a condiment tray on each table includes soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, and the restaurant’s own XO chile oil, which adds an umami punch to any dish.

At one of the pre-opening test dinners, we got a sneak peek of the offerings. Here’s our first impression:

The Drinks

The restaurant does have a liquor license and the alcoholic options include five beers — four from Denver Beer Co ($5.50 each) and Tsingtao ($6), the most popular beer in China. There are also three cocktails available ($12-$13): a standard tequila sunrise, a lemon drop martini and a lychee martini that was pleasant and subtly sweet.

Booze-free beverages include Thai tea, Vietnamese coffee, green tea and a strawberry lemon tea, along with a standard soda lineup.

The Food

The menu features both Singaporean and Cantonese dishes, divided into eight sections: appetizers, steamed/pan-fried dumplings, dim sum, buns, noodles/fried rice, entrees, soups and desserts, all offering a wide range of choices.

We started with the braised pork ribs ($10 for two) and were also served a complimentary bowl of plum radish strips ($9), both from the appetizer section. The fall-off-the-bone tender ribs bathed in a sweet sauce were a highlight, and they paired nicely with the crunch and tang of the radishes, which we munched on throughout the meal.

Shrimp and spinach dumplings in a crystal wrapper followed. We opted to get them pan-fried, which added a bit of crunch — these were particularly good with the XO chile oil.

The dim sum section includes Cantonese daikon rice cakes, which can be ordered plain ($6) or pan-fried with XO sauce ($7), which is what we went for. The heaping bowl of crunch bites with hits of heat throughout would be perfect for sharing with a group.

Xiao long bao (soup dumplings) are also available in a regular ($11 for six) or spicy option ($13 for six). While we ordered the spicy version, we were served the regular xiao long bao. That kind of mix-up is why restaurants often do quiet test runs to get staff up to speed and prepared for potential hiccups. The dumplings had a pleasant flavor despite the wrapper being a bit too thick — something the kitchen staff is still working to perfect.

Twice-cooked pork stir-fried noodles ($17) were one of the most popular items during the restaurant’s test run, and for good reason: Our order brought a generous portion with plenty of pork belly and veggies that made for great leftovers. While the team originally planned to make noodles in-house, space limitations led them to source noodles instead, but these were bouncy and cooked just right.

Among the entrees, the staff recommended both the clay pot eggplant ($15) and the Singapore butter prawns ($19) as two of chef Xi Nuan Zheng’s specialties. We opted for the butter prawns…with zero regrets. The whole, head-on prawns, which came with steamed rice, were fried and crispy with an addictive buttery coating.

We skipped the soups but did order both desserts, a bunny-shaped coconut milk pudding and osmanthus coconut jelly (both $6). These light bites offered a refreshing end to a meal full of bold flavors.

Ma’s Kitchen may still have a few kinks to work out — which you should keep in mind if you visit during the soft-opening phase — but overall, it’s a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and we’re excited to dig deeper into the menu on future visits.

Ma’s Kitchen is located at 1514 York Street and will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. starting October 27. For more information, follow @maskitchendenver on Instagram.